GARAGEGT.COM RE-VISITED

GarageGT.com kicked off back in 2002 - Cenk Ocakoglu, a true car guy, was creating his future business plans while graduating from SDSU with an MBA. His decided to open up a performance shop and asked me if I can help him with the website design. I decided to be a part of the project and designed a GranTurismo inspired website. GarageGT was up and running as of 2003 and now in 2007, it's a reputable tuner shop in San Diego. O:Z design is still revisiting the project from Los Angeles and just did some updates for this premium JDM tuner garage's home. Check it out at http://www.garagegt.com/

Champion of Handheld Computing

This little handheld computer from Sony does it all. One seen in the image is the latest rev from Vaio group, the UX390, 32G flash based memory, 4.5" touchscreen, state of the art processor, slide up screen exposing a backlit keyboard; Wi-fi, Bluetooth caps, and pretty much everything a high-end laptop can also offer. The benchmark of handheld computing in this day and age with no challengers in sight. Will set you back about two grands which is essentially a steal :)

CNET review: http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_VAIO_UX390N/4505-3126_7-32306444.html?tag=pdtl-list

So long Clippy

Perhaps one of Microsoft's most successful decisions lately; they've killed Clippy; u know; the annoying icon of MS Office help that kept popping on your screen making you feel like a retard of some sort is gone now.

Cell Phone Analog Stick Concept

Eversince I beat the snake game by filling my Nokia screen completely I quit playing games on cell phones. But this concept from a Russian design house might get me back into games on my cell.

http://www.industrialdesign.ru/project_09_eng.html

Rollable Display Coming to Handhelds

Well I've suggested this concept for the next PSP but looks like Polymer Vision is coming up with this e-reader soon; I found out this company Polymer Vision is pretty big on this rollable displays and they should be growing rapidly; too bad they are privately owned still and we can't buy their stock. No price or availability info yet but this is a 2007 product. Color screens should follow in couple years. This is the next screen trend in portable electronics. Watch out

Update: Here's a closeup of the screen itself;

Nice Laptop Concept

Canova's dual screen laptop concept gets rid of the keypad and offers a complete touch screen interface. Lower screen can work as a tablet so it can either recognize your handwriting or displays a digital keyboard. I like it; don't know the price or availability yet but I'd actually prosume this item once it's out.

My black Wii has been confirmed

Still in the rumormill but apperantly a Nintendo exec confirmed today that the Black and Red color Wii consoles to be available in couple of months. I am wondering; if I eBay my white one and get a black one instead; will I be able to transfer all my saves and especially my collection of Miiiis into the new console; perhaps via SD? I think so, it'd suck otherwise.

Half-Ass Solar Bags

Solar bags have been around couple years now; I get to test some of them also; there are 5V and 12V versions that's just enough to charge up your handheld gadgets, cellphone, etc. I realized though, I have never seen a solar/power bag with built in Li-Ion or Li-P battery. So the solar panels charge up my battery that is inside the bag; this way when I am not under the sun I can still use the extra power stored in the bag. Couple extra dollar cost impact perhaps; comon now; if you're going to do a solar bag; don't half-ass it...

I demand: Optical Port on Laptops

While everything is going digital why do I still have to use a LMAO 3.5mm to RCA cable in order to get the sound out of my laptop? It's in almost all new gaming console, low end DVD player, set top box, etc, and should cost couple lousy bucks to put it in there I reckon. This padavan DJ and ex-musician is asking you to put an optical port on the next Macbook please, rest should follow.

Roll them LCDs up

While the hype for the next HD screen grows, (1480p, S.E.D., Carbon Nanotube, laser tv, etc) isn't it time to move on to the next level and get rid of your traditional LCD screen on your handheld? We know flexible, roll up LCD technology is available, it just needs to be commercial now. This way you can just roll up your PSP2 (or 3) and put it in your back pocket. I remember seeing a futuristic concept like this in the movie Red Planet. It makes so much sense for handhelds.

PS3 Controller Mod

Law mods his PS3 controller and replaces the top housing with his antique red PS1 controller top... Result:

- Port assignment red LEDs lights up the whole top housing creating a nice effect

- Semi-transparant finish gives the controller a more techy look

- He has a unique PS3 controller

Though seem easy; this mod is not for faint of heart; it has couple complications that need careful execution and attention to detail.

First: To create the PS button opening on the PS1 controller top housing (requires a handheld rotary tool and lots of patience)

Second: Trimming certain plastic parts on the inside for utmost fit (luckily the screw holes allign very well)

This mod will also remind you that your rumble has been taken away from you; damn you Immersion!

For detailed how to info hit Law at: hellolawrence@gmail.com

Stackable flex USB sticks

Vicky Wei designed this cool USB sticks that stick together. I'd assume they will just partition and show up as seperate drives on the computer but still a great concept nonetheless. I have a special interest towards anything flexi; I hope this product moves forward too...

Belkin iPod Tune Studio

Tune Studio for 5th gen iPod Video is one of the most innovatiove products I've seen at the show. It's the first product that lets the user record music inside their iPod. I was with DJ Law when we saw this. The first question we asked to the Belkin guy at the booth was if you could control the playback speed. Answer was no! :( O well, maybe in the next iteration.

Is this the mother of all phones?

iPhone has been announced while I was over at CES. Looks like Apple met all the expectations and delivered a great product. But at the end it's a handheld with many features and simply the master of none. Prosumers everywhere already nagging, saying; how come no more memory, no tactile buttons, a better camera, 3G, etc? I'm sure it'll sell like hot cakes tho (heard the initial shipment will be 6mil units) Got to have one, for the sake of objective critisism.

Specs:

Screen size: 3.5 inches

Screen resolution: 320 by 480 at 160 ppi

Input method: Multi-touch

Operating system: OS X

Storage: 4GB or 8GB

GSM: Quad-band (MHz: 850, 900, 1800, 1900)

Wireless data: Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) + EDGE + Bluetooth 2.0

Camera: 2.0 megapixels

Battery: Up to 5 hours Talk / Video / Browsing, Up to 16 hours Audio playback

Dimensions: 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46 inches

Weight: 4.8 ounces / 135 grams

Retail: $600 (for the 8G model - less 100 for the 4G)

Available: June 2007 - Cingular (yay!)

CES 2007 in short

I have seen least amount of new and unique ideas at this show compared to last and previous years but from a product design and variations standpoint I think it was the most colorful show. Due to the lack of new and innovative products to launch at this time, companies seem to have spent more resources on ID and polishing up their products delivering higher quality finishes and more colors, textures.This will obviously drive the consumer expectation upwards demanding the cool factor and premium feel on the products they purchase next to their functionality.

Electromagnetic charging is IN!

Remember the Visteon entry regarding their electromagnetic charger? Well seems like the awards commitee at CES Innovations thought so also as they honored Visteon's electromagnetic charger with an award. I got to see their proto also, just can't wait to see this technology getting more popular.

Met my friend Brian over at the A4 Tech booth and he showed me their new battery free mouse and electromagnetic mousepad. This is a different approach to the same technology. Instead of hard wiring or battery powering the mouse, it operates with the magnetic pad underneath. Guess what I'd really like to charge this way? My PS3 and Wii controllers as well as my cellphone and everything handheld. I'm stoked about this and all over it already, stay tuned!

New E3 is called E4 (all)

I admit that eversince the E3 got canned overnight last year I was feeling a bit uneasy and I know there will never be a show like the past E3s but here's an interesting development. An ESA endorsed show which will be called "E for All" is scheduled for Oct 18th-20th in LA Convention Centre. It'll be for games and gadgetry as well as all the latest in home entertainment. Count me in!

iTunes to snag song lyrics online

Word is, Steve Jobs is going to announce Lyrics feature for iTunes next week in Mac World. Accordingly, when you donwload the song, iTunes will snag the lyrics from the web for you. Nice!

1TB 3.5" HDD from Hitachi

It's coming, 1Terabyte HDD available this year for $399. I'll get one of these; put it in a nice enclosure and place it right next to my PS3 HQ. It's about time TB is here...

A new breed of Wii accidents: Wii Fart

It's true that ever since Wii has arrived things have changed in my place. First I had to rearrange all the furniture and screen position to accommodate players, putting them in a wider, safer space. Femmes who kept nagging about our gaming time before suddenly changed tune and wouldn't let the Wiimote go now. But I want to point out something else that started with the Wii. I call them the Wii farts, u know, in the excitement of the game, you're trying to do your best and then suddenly a short burst of fart escapes you just when you swing your controller. If it happened once or trice I'd have called it coincidence but in numerous incidents in which even the cutest of the butts, that you'd think is completely silent, rips a Wii fart, causing giggles, finger pointing, red red faces. Never happened to me of course, I rarely fart, and when I do, mine is mighty quiet & odorless :P

Law dares Sony!

Dallas dislocated, San Diego located Lawrence Yeung, aka Law, is a gifted Industrial Designer who also happens to be my very dear friend. So this CCS grad won an award with his Sony concept car, showcased in Detroit Auto Show delivering a modular car concept that can be fully customized by adding compartments on the rear end. Where does Law get his inspiration? "Futurictic handheld gadgets" he says... Watch out for Law, you'll hear a whole lot about him in years to come.

GoBoard by Sony

Ha! Sony filed a patent application for this this board on a wheel design today, which kind of looks and perhaps works like a Segway. You'll manuever, accelerate or brake by shifting the center of gravity.

Jump here for more:
http://www.newscientisttech.com/article.ns?id=dn10874&feedId=online-news_rss20

Screw 1080p; I'm waiting on the Laser TV

If you know the difference between pixel based and vector based graphics you'll easily understand how laser TV technology is far superior compared to LCD and Plasma technology we use today. Instead of white-light mercury lamps a Laser TV uses a red, blue and green laser to generate images. The advantages are bright and deep images on large, thin, lightweight screens. The first commercial Laser HDTV by Mitsubishi should go on sale this year. Plasma and LCD technology are also getting competition from new technologies such as S.E.D. and Carbon Nanotube in the near future.

MS Pro Duo recorder rul3z!

Remember Hori's MS Pro Duo recorder? Which never got popular and remained as a prosumer item. In one of my trips to Asia last year, I met the owner of Hori's factory who produced this recorder for them. He gave me a good shape proto of his that was simpler w/o the remote, he asked me to use it, if I like then push it to my channels, I tried, there was considerable interest but becuase it couldn't be properly priced and some other logistics concerns it never was picked up as an ongoing product. But I use it very often myself, sits next to my digital cable box and it's a one touch recording of any video & audio feed, then into my PSP or PS3 or both. Since resolution is meant for PSP; image is a bit pixalated on big screen but for recording ur fav TV show, it's just great!

Visteon is on to something

So I am meeting with a premium audio company called Visteon during CES and they are announcing this above product which is a wireless incar charger during the show. As far as I know this technology involves electromagnets; In short, you'll place your gadget on this thingie and it will charge it wirelessly. I wonder how that would effect gadgets with HDDs in them, like the iPods. I shall ask them when we meet next week.

GPS for PSP - Release it already!

So I can now buy a GPS antenna ($60) for my PSP from the land of the rising sun but I still can't use my PSP as a GPS unit. Other than two LMAO game applications this antenna is pretty useless now. How come the hardware is ready but the maps are not ready for download? I want to see where I am going on my PSP screen already. Call me impatient but isn't this like releasing the next gen console without any games? Giddy up Sony!

Sexiest cellphone award goes to.... N902ix

*Sigh*

Only way for me to use this phone is to move to Japan which is a possibity down the road but for now I just have to watch this beauty from afar and drool.

It's DoCoMo's FOMA flag ship hi-speed phone N902ix complete with a 4megapixel camera, upto 3.6mbps dowload speeds, and such a badass design. Looks like a stormtrooper.

For more info jump here:

http://www.n-keitai2.com/pickup/n902ix/index.html

Covering CES 2007

This will be my 6th CES in a row and my dates have been confirmed just today. I'll be at the show floor on Jan 8th and 9th checking out the latest and greatest in the Consumer Electronics world. I have several vendor meetings for the company I work for but I'll be walking the floor most of the time looking for new and exciting stuff.

In Car PSP & iPod

So I finally completed the PSP & iPod in car integration project for my ride. The goal was to hard wire iPod and PSP behind the dash board to car's power as well as making split aux connections to my radio with a hard switch to swap between the sources. I used my ashtray lid for the iPod dock. PSP has huge potential inside the car. In-car Wi-Fi, GPS and Camera capabilities will make the PSP the ultimate in-car gadget I reckon.

Playstation 5.5

My Playstation HQ: PS3 + PS2 = PS5 (point 5 is due to location free capabilities)
Looking like a model building from Blade Runner; is it not?
Well, loving the PS3 so far. Played Resistance and Need for Speed Carbon for the past couple weeks and now all over the GranTourismo HD. Been pushing my time but the best time I could do was 1.10.2 with the Celica. I think the PS3 launch is a success but need more games & need them soon.

Kick Off

From this day on; I have decided to blog about prosumables of the World.
o:z