Wolf Cinema — Digital Cinema Projector

I was flipping through next months (March 2010) Home Theater Magazine and saw the two-page spread on this projector by Wolf Cinema.  Just by looking at it you know this it isn’t just any kind of projector, no, this projector does constant-height projection from 1.85:1 all the way to 2.7:1 (gives you “true widescreen”).  The projector uses a high brightness Xenon lamp which allows it to project onto screens 15′ wide.  All this comes at a hefty price too — starting at $65,000 and go up to $135,000.

- Wolf Cinema

Garmin ecoRoute HD bluetooth wireless dongle

The Garmin ecoRoute HD is a bluetooth wireless dongle which plugs into your vehicles ODB port allowing you to monitor sensors such as intake air temperature, coolant temperature, throttle position and engine load, intake manifold pressure, battery and charging system information, mass airflow rate, timing advance and emissions — you can even check and clear engine trouble codes without visiting the car dealership.

The ecoRoute works with newer Garmin Nuvi GPS units that feature ecoRoute firmware, but since this is bluetooth… A) is it hackable? B) will an iPhone App be released from Garmin to pair with the device?

At $149 (retail) the Garmin ecoRoute HD is a great feature to add to your Garmin Nuvi GPS.  It’s available for pre-order now from Amazon.com.

Windows Phone 7 Series is very impressive!

So today Microsoft officially announced the newest version of their mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7 Series, and I have to say I am VERY impressed with the initial details.  The user interface is reminiscent of Windows Media Center and XBOX which I have loved using over the years.  The key element I like is that the user interaction is all about flow instead of launching little applications — something that makes the iPhone messy when you have a lot of apps installed.

My feeling is that if Microsoft can control the hardware quality, Apple will have a true contender to compete with which is great for the industry.  As for where I think Andriod fits in… it feels like Windows CE from 10 years ago.

Pretty exciting for Microsoft and great job to all the teams involved!   I can’t wait to use and develop for this platform too!

Check out the links below for some great photos and videos of the interface in action:

- Windows Phone 7 Series
- Announcing Windows Phone 7 Series

Wicked Lasers – The Torch is “World’s Most Powerful Flashlight”

If you are looking for the “World’s Most Powerful Flashlight” then look no further.  This is no joke, the Torch is  currently being reviewed by The Guinness Book of World Records.  With a retina damaging 4100 lumens of light, the Torch can also melt plastic, light paper on fire within seconds, and even fry an egg (as shown in the video above).

The Torch accomplishes this by using an halogen light bulb running at 100 Watts using a custom build high voltage circuit.  To keep the front lens from shattering due to the immense heat generated, The Torch flashlight is equipped with a specialized heat resistant glass lens and is encased in a durable, military grade aluminum case.

The Torch will set you back $299 and is available now from Wicked Lasers.

DISCLAIMER: You probably won’t want to use this as a flashlight or around kids… plus it only runs for about 10 minutes and is recommended to be used for around 3 minutes with about 2 minutes of “rest” time to let it cool down.

Niles MS220 – The Best IR Sensor!

It’s freaking 2010 and we’re still using IR, WTF?  Oh well… if you are looking to find the most reliable IR Sensor to connect to your IR connection block (used in applications where you want to put AV components in a remote area but still have control), I highly recommend the new Niles MS220.   I have used different units by Xantech, Russound, even Niles and the MS220 is the most reliable.   How do I know?  For starters, all the others I have used you needed to choose between CFL/Plasma friendly and not.  You’d get weird noise (the LED on the sensor would flash) from stray “IR” signals.   The MS220 utilizes a “smart” electronic circuit to filter out noise and works with all IR formats.   Check out Niles Audio for more information.

- Product Page
- Product Specification Sheet [PDF]

Sole Power Tile – Integrated Solar Panel Roofing

I can’t remember exactly who I was talking to years ago (was it you, Mike D?) about turning roofs into full solar panels?  This seems like the most practical model yet as you can blanket the whole roof and capture every angle.  Perfect option if you have a Spanish/Mediterranean style home!   The Sole Power Tile is the first curved photovoltaic roofing product and can be used as a full solar panel roof or woven into sections of traditional terra-cotta titles.   The cost is about $50/sq ft installed… if you are interested in finding out more about this solar roofing system check out the SRS Energy website.  Just don’t forget to add a TED 5000 to monitor your power savings!

[Originally seen in Popular Science Magazine]

Quick Review: Kindle DX PDF Support Is Great!

Just got a Kindle DX in my hands about an hour ago and first impressions so far are quiet good.  The first thing I did is load up a bunch of technical PDF documents (SDK’s) I have gathering on my desktop.   I transferred them onto the Kindle DX via the USB cable and it mounted like an external drive.  A simple drag and drop to the documents folder and unmount was all it took.   All the PDF’s displayed on the main screen of the Kindle.  The problem with the 6″ devices is that PDF support is not very good because of the eInk screen size.  Scaling down a PDF makes it unreadable so the 9.7″ eInk display works out very good.  Page flipping and search works and so far I’m quite impressed.   The cost of the Kindle DX is $489 which is very high compared to the 16gb Apple iPad.  I would say the iPad will be a better device to store/read PDF’s as you don’t typically read them from cover to cover.  At least I don’t, I typically reference SDK’s so using a iPad would work.   The DX or other 9.7″ eInk devices costing  $489 (or higher) may not be a viable products once the iPad is released.

Debating the merits of Apple’s iPad…

CNET has a pretty good balanced article about the iPad.    I know there are heated debates going on about the iPad and it’s purpose/uses.  What do you guys think?   Does having no Adobe Flash really hurt the iPad — my opinion is no — hasn’t really been a issue on the iPhone since there is an app for everything and I rarely launch Safari for surfing (here is Adobe’s response). Does the size of the device make this unusable for daily use?  Would you use it as a work device?   I’d love to hear your thoughts…

CNET - Debating the merits of Apple’s iPad

Why the Apple iPad is not an eBook Reader

I’ve been reading a lot about how the iPad could hurt sales of eReaders and quite frankly I don’t think this is the case.  I personally own a Nook and I’m in love with the eInk screen technology.  There is something about the non-glare screen that is very reminiscent of printed paper.  You can read it in bed without blinding your spouse and the 6″ devices (Kindle and Nook) are easy and natural to hold.   The battery life is amazing and you never have to worry about closing or powering up and navigating back to the last page you were on — the eBook reader experience seems pretty natural to me.

The iPad is a very innovative device that I can see serving a purpose in peoples lives but does not offer any compelling reason to use as an eReader.  Sure, people are saying that you get more than an eBook reader, true. However, the key element in an ebook is the screen, otherwise, why don’t we all read books on our computers or iPhones/touches?   The highly reflective glass screen used on the iPad/MacBook and iPhone is terrible (using a MacBook Pro with one right now) and will cause eye strain if used in areas where it can catch reflections — not good for reading a long book.   Not to mention all the distractions fingerprints on the glass will cause while reading.   The LED backlight will be too bright when used on planes and in dark rooms, when used outside in bright sun it will be worthless.  The novelty of sliding to flip a page also seems like it will wear off rather quickly… there are no buttons to press to advance pages easily.   The whole point of reading is to get enveloped in the story, not by visual elements that make what you are reading look like a physical book.   I feel that the eReaders featuring eInk capture the analog pluses pretty well.

So where do I see the iPad fitting in?  As a multimedia connected home control device of course!  The form factor and price is perfect as the “second screen” we have been looking for in our living rooms and as this platform evolves I’m sure we will see more ways we can utilize this in our lives just not as an eBook reader — which is fine, because why is it bad thing to have a single purpose device that works very well?

Myro:Home Automation Controller Running In Apple iPad Simulator

Just downloaded the newest iPhone SDK (3.2) and ran the Myro:Home iPhone app in the iPad Simulator. It works (you can press the 2x to zoom it, seen in the second image) Once I release the iPhone app, I will be focusing on making a native version for the iPad. This should be fun! A $499 home automation controller is perfect — the iPad is Myro Control’s wireless home controller!