W1PPS combines all your peripheral cords and plugs in one device

W1PPS is a product for the MacBook Pro, that combines multiple peripheral plugs and cords in one device (prototype is pictured)

If you use a MacBook Pro as your regular desktop computer, but also frequently take it out and about, you may find yourself getting annoyed at having to repeatedly disconnect and then reconnect all of its peripheral devices. Additionally, because the laptop’s input/output ports are located along its side, all those sideways-protruding cables can end up adding to the clutter on your desk. That’s why Wisconsin-based tech company Veritas Forge is developing W1PPS (pronounced “whips”) – it contains all of your plugs and cords in one MacBook Pro-matched device.

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W1PPS’ upper hub, which is the part that plugs into the side of the computer, incorporates built-in plugs for Ethernet, FireWire, an external monitor, USB (that gets split four ways), mic/line in, and headphones/line out. Because the spacing of these plugs matches the spacing of the ports on the MacBook, the whole hub can be plugged in at once.

The upper hub also features readily-accessible USB and media card ports, along with a front-facing headphone jack.

All of the necessary cords are combined into one rear-mounted fat cable, that runs to the bottom hub – this could be located on the floor, or somewhere else where space and clutter aren’t such big issues. That hub contains the ports that correspond to all of the plugs on the upper hub, and is what all of the peripherals are left permanently plugged into. The cable’s rubber sheath also has a molded slot along one side, which the computer’s MagSafe power cord can be pushed into.

A functioning W1PPS prototype has already been created, and the three partners who make up Veritas Forge are now raising funds on Kickstarter, to take the product to commercial production. A pledge of US$98 will get you one, when and if they’re ready to go.

Source: Kickstarter

Rumors suggest iPhone 5 will feature a 4-inch screen

Movies and gaming on iPhone could benefit from a 4-inch screen (Photo: Apple)

Apple is expected to unveil the next iPhone at its annual mobile keynote this year and as is the case with any high profile product launch, rumors about the device are beginning to materialize months before the event is scheduled to take place. Most recently, Wall Street Journal sources suggest that Apple intends to upsize the iPhone’s display from 3.5 to 4 inches.

The information comes from sources "familiar with the matter" who appear to have connections at screen manufacturers Sharp and LG. While this is far from official information, if true, it could mean that Apple is finally feeling the pressure from competitors like Samsung, whose 4.8-inch Galaxy SIII is one the most anticipated devices of the year.

If this information holds true, what does it mean for Apple? The iPhone has essentially defined the smartphone since its unveiling in 2007, leaving all other competitors to play catch-up. If Apple changes the iPhone’s screen size after five generations, does this mean that it is is responding to the fierce competition it faces from Android? According to MobiThinking, at the close of 2011 Android was powering 48 percent of the world’s smartphones, compared to Apple’s 19 percent. If Apple does decide to bump up the screen real estate with the next iPhone, it wouldn’t be the first time it has been influenced by its competitors. With iOS 5, Apple added the notification center, which bears a striking resemblance to Android’s pull-down notification bar.

Apple faces stiff competition from Samsung, whose phones feature much larger screens (Photo: Samsung)

Many of the iPhone's competitors have already moved past 4 inches - the Galaxy Nexus, and the Nokia Lumia 900 both have screen sizes above 4 inches and have been well received by consumers and critics alike. Furthermore, devices like the Galaxy SIII have began to catch up with Apple’s brilliant retina display, offering a similar pixel density in a device that measures 4.8 inches diagonally.

With the track record of the voracious Apple rumor mill being somewhat hit and miss, only time will tell on this one.

Source: Wall Street Journal, MobiThinking

Sony retires α35, launches new alpha fixed mirror camera: the α37

Sony has detailed the new 16.1 megapixel SLT-A37 translucent mirror camera with a new tilting LCD panel, better resolution EVF and the latest 16.1 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor

Sony has unveiled the successor to last year's SLT-A35 digital camera featuring the company's proprietary Translucent Mirror Technology that does away with the need to keep moving the mirror out of the way when taking a photograph. The new α37 is a somewhat modest refresh to the entry-level camera that sees some improvements and some reductions in specs and capabilities, but is being released at a lower price point than entry-level models before it.

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The only noticeable external change to the body of the new SLT-A37 camera appears to be with the hand grip, which looks to be a little more comfortable. Look a bit closer and you'll now see that the LCD panel has been treated to a handy vertical tilt mechanism but Sony has opted to strip away some display quality and panel size. The new model features a 2.7-inch, 230,400 dot resolution flavor, although the 0.46-inch SVGA Xtra Fine electronic viewfinder has gained a slight improvement to 1,440,000 dot resolution and now includes a special feature to help improve comfort for spectacle wearers.

The new model has also been given the By Pixel Super Resolution pattern matching image improvement technology debuted in the recently released α57, Direct Manual Focus for accurate fine-tuning of focus, and an Auto Portrait Framing feature to help automatically grab the best subject portraits by identifying the sitter's position and trimming away excess areas of the scene.

The latest 16.1 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor and a more advanced BIONZ image processor help extend the sensitivity up to ISO16000, but the camera offers the same seven frames per second continuous shooting at a reduced resolution of 8.4 megapixels and 3-cross 15-point phase detection autofocus as before.

Sony hasn't seen fit to bestow 60p Full HD video recording to its new addition, settling on 24p/60i instead. The new model does include stereo microphones, however, with a useful wind-cut feature, and the ability to use continuous autofocus while recording video. There's a built-in pop up flash with the option to add an external unit via the hot shoe mount, and the InfoLITHIUM NP-FW50 battery now offers 450 images with the viewfinder and 500 using the display.

All in all, this concession/addition balancing act has resulted in the new α37 being priced a little cheaper than its predecessor. Set for June availability, with a standard 18-55mm zoom lens it carries a recommended retail of US$599.99, but opt for the new 18-135mm telephoto zoom lens kit and the price goes up by a couple of hundred bucks.

Source: Sony

Scanbox turns your smartphone into a scanner

Scanbox is a foldable 'stage' that makes it easy to photograph documents and other objects using a smartphone

Smartphone cameras are undoubtedly handy for snapping a picture of a receipt, memo or other note to quickly record or remind you of some task that needs taking care of. It's faster than using a dedicated scanner, but the results are often below par. Scanbox aims to improve the quality of these phone camera "scans" by providing a portable stage that puts the camera and the subject in just the right position.

Scanbox is made of durable, laminated card that folds to create a stand for your phone similar to a lightbox used for photography. Once set up, the phone sits on top at the correct height to get a photo of documents up to a maximum of US Letter and A4 paper size. Scanbox can also be used to record receipts, photograph a page from a book, scan a printed photo or photograph any object that fits in the box.

When not in use, Scanbox folds up and stays folded with the same magnets that hold it in place when it's set up as a scanning box.

The design works independently of any apps and can be used with iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and Windows phones, or any other smartphone camera. Scanbox just provides the stage.

"As long as there is a camera on the back of a smartphone it should be good to go," Scanbox creator Phil Bosua told Gizmag. "I guess this is the beauty of such a simple design, it just works."

One of the first steps in the development process was finding the right height for scanning and getting a readable image.

"We set up a tripod and found the exact height required by the iPhone 4/4S to take an image of a US letter and A4 document," says Bosua. "We researched other smartphone focal lengths and found they were similar to the iPhone - so we determined this height could be the starting point for all other measurements of Scanbox."

The project is registered with Kickstarter and the inventors, Australian-based LimeMouse Apps, are looking to raise $12,500 in pledges to get the Scanbox to market. A $15 pledge (plus $3 in the US and $10 for international shipping) gets you a Scanbox. Pledges of $25 or more goes toward Scanbox+, a Scanbox with a strip of LED lights to provide a light source.

To date LimeMouse has made a handful of iPhone apps including Tasty Meals Anyone Can Cook: Curry Edition; The Solar System; Leonardo's Lexicon; Grays Anatomy Premium; Presidents of the United States; Geography Tutor: Australian States and Cities Premium Edition and Surgical Anatomy. Scanbox will be the first project from LimeMouse that isn't software based.

"This is the first IRL product we have produced although we have a couple more approaching final stages of prototyping," says Bosua. "It's been a nice change after three years of software design."

With 52 days left to meet a goal of raising $12,500 in pledges, LimeMouse's Scanbox has received almost $8,000 from 287 backers. The pledge period ends on July 7 and still requires just over $4,000 in order to meet production goals.

Bosua runs us through the Scanbox in the video below.

Finally, if the Scanbox strikes you as familiar, it may be because you've come across the Modahaus Steady Stand we looked at last December, or perhaps even theSimp-Q from 2010. Though conceptually similar, the Steady Stand 200 we covered was geared more towards product shots. However, Modahaus has since launched the Steady Stand 300, expressly designed for US letter and A4-sized documents. So, if you're in a hurry, the 300 may be the answer. But at £29.99 (more than $47), it's clearly the more expensive option.

Sources: Kickstarter LimeMouse Apps and Modahaus

"Inexact" computer chip makes mistakes, but is 15x more efficient

A prototype “inexact” computer chip that is around 15 times more efficient than current microchips (Avinash Lingamneni/Rice University/CSEM)

Last year, a team of U.S. researchers applied the pruning shears to computer chipsto trim away rarely used portions of digital circuits. The result was chips that made the occasional mistake, but were twice as fast, used half as much energy, and were half the size of the original. Now, building on the same “less is more” idea, the researchers have built an “inexact” prototype silicon chip they claim is at least 15 times more efficient than current technology in terms of speed, energy consumption and size.

In the traditionally exacting world of computing, it might seem counter intuitive to set out to develop a chip that is allowed to make a few errors. But by managing the probability of errors and restricting which calculations are allowed to produce errors, the research team led by Krishna Palem has been able to slash energy demands while also boosting performance.

In addition to removing certain processing components, the team also employed another innovation in the prototype chip to further cut energy demands called “confined voltage scaling,” which trades some performance gains by taking advantage of improvements in processing speed.

“In the latest tests, we showed that pruning could cut energy demands 3.5 times with chips that deviated from the correct value by an average of 0.25 percent,” said Avinash Lingamneni, a Rice graduate student and co-author of the study. “When we factored in size and speed gains, these chips were 7.5 times more efficient than regular chips. Chips that got wrong answers with a larger deviation of about 8 percent were up to 15 times more efficient.”

While you probably wouldn’t want to find any inexact chips in the cockpit of an airplane or a missile guidance system, there are plenty of applications where a certain margin of error is acceptable.

“Particular types of applications can tolerate quite a bit of error. For example, the human eye has a built-in mechanism for error correction,” says project co-investigator Christian Enz. “We used inexact adders to process images and found that relative errors up to 0.54 percent were almost indiscernible, and relative errors as high as 7.5 percent still produced discernible images.”

Frames produced with video-processing software on traditional hardware (left), inexact processing hardware with a relative error of 0.54 percent (middle) and with a relative error of 7.58 percent (right) (Image: Rice University/CSEM/NTU)

Palem says devices such as hearing aids, cameras and other electronic gadgets that use special-purpose “embedded” microchips are likely to be the first applications for the pruned processors.

The inexact design is also integral to the I-slate educational tablet being developed by the Rice-NTU Institute for Sustainable and Applied Infodynamics (ISAID). Intended for Indian classrooms where there is no power, the low-cost tablet is being designed to run on solar power from small panels like those found on solar-powered calculators by using pruned chips that cut power requirements in half.

Earlier this year, Indian officials in the Mahabubnagar District announced plans to put 50,000 I-slates into middle and hig school classrooms over the next three years. Palem expects the first I-slates, along with the first prototype hearing aids, to contain pruned chips will appear by 2013.

The research team, made up of experts from Rice University in Houston, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Switzerland’s Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) and the University of California, Berkeley, unveiled their prototype pruned chips at the ACM International Conference on Computing Frontiers in Calgliari, Italy, this week, where they picked up best-paper honors.

Source: Rice University

Smartsense navigation system works where GPS won't - indoors

The Smartsense system provides real-time turn by turn navigation indoors (Photo: Fraunhofer IPA)

It's not that long ago that GPS capabilities in a mobile phone were considered a standout feature. Today, GPS navigation is standard for smartphones, and as a result, many of us have come to rely on them when it comes to getting from A to B. However, GPS technology isn't without its faults, and if A to B is located under a roof, out of sight of the orbiting GPS satellites, then you can end up falling back on the not always reliable sense of direction. To fix the problem, Fraunhofer Research is developing Smartsense, a smartphone sensor capable of providing accurate navigation indoors, without the aid of GPS.

While Fraunhofer isn’t the first to take a crack at indoor navigation, Smartsense appears to have a great deal of promise - particularly for sprawling indoor areas such as shopping malls or convention centers. At its core, Smartsense is powered by a combination of two sensors working in tandem. An acceleration sensor registers how fast a user is walking, and a magnetic field sensor is used to track movement through the Earth’s natural magnetic field. Together, these sensors provide accurate location data which can then be used by smartphone applications to provide detailed indoor directions.

Despite the incredibly accurate sensor, the system cannot function if the phone has no knowledge of the building. Fraunhofer Research believes that eventually, users will be able to download maps within applications, or scan QR codes containing map downloads, and then use Smartsense to navigate along with these maps. We've already seen the beginnings of this, as Google Maps for Android now features indoor maps for select malls and trade shows, but as of now, there is no way to provide real-time navigation for these indoor maps, as the application relies on GPS. This is where the Smartsense module could make a real splash when combined with popular software like Google Maps.

Smartsense is being developed by Fraunhofer researchers, together with the Bosch Corporation and other partners. Whether or not it makes its way into your next smartphone really depends on the major phone manufacturers and whether they believe it is a feature that people will want. Its developers will be doing their best to convince anyone who will listen of the advantages of the system at the Sensor+Test 2012 trade show taking place in Nuremberg next week.

Source: Fraunhofer Research

PSB Speakers launches M4U 2 Active Noise Canceling Headphones

PSB Speakers has launched its first headphones – the Music for You (M4U) 2 Active Noise Canceling, over-the-ear headphones

Canadian high-end loudspeaker manufacturer PSB Speakers has announced its first dip into the headphone market with the release of its Music for You (M4U) 2 Active Noise Canceling, over-the-ear headphones. Built for comfort as well as true-to-nature, hi-fidelity sound quality, the closed back, circumaural cans feature 40mm dynamic drivers, audio-enhancing amplifier technology, and an ergonomic four-point gyroscopic ear pad mount that's said to automatically adjust to the precise contours of the wearer's head.

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The new M4U 2 headphones benefit from three modes of operation. The Active Noise Canceling (ANC) technology features a proprietary four-microphone system to cover a broader spectrum of noise reduction, registering sound both inside and outside the ear cup. A Digital Signal Processor introduces analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion processes to the incoming analog signal, and an included active amplifier enhances the source audio to conserve the batteries of a connected digital music player while also lowering distortion.

The amp provides between 5dB and 15dB additional gain, depending on the impedance of the connected music player, with support from 35 Ohms in passive mode to 10,000 Ohms in active/ANC mode. Usefully, sounds from outside can be allowed in via a button which activates the external microphones and mutes the sound so a user would be able to hear what a flight attendant is saying, for instance, without having to remove the headset.

The user can also opt for Active Mode with Room Feel EQ technology, PSB's term for its unique transfer function that's said to give the same open dimensional sound to the headphones that you might expect from high-end loudspeakers. Both of these systems are battery-powered, and users can expect up to 55 hours of usage before the two AAA-sized batteries need some attention.

Where other ANC headsets might simply close down when the juice runs out, the M4U 2 headphones can be used in passive (no power) mode, too.

Troublesome trailing wires under the chin can be effectively avoided thanks to the inclusion of dual input connections left and right. The specification-hungry will no doubt be interested in a reported total harmonic distortion of 0.5 percent with ANC active and 0.25 percent in passive mode, a frequency range of 20 - 20,000Hz at ±1.5dB and a sensitivity of 102dB at 1kHz/1mW.

The eye-catching design comes courtesy of New York designer David Farrage of DF-ID, and the lightweight (12.8 ounces / 362 g with batteries) folding headphones are available in either black or white for US$400. The product is being distributed in the UK by Armour Home and is priced at £299.

Sources: Armour Home, PSB Speakers

Home-built "Bio Computer" runs Linux, grows wheatgrass

PC case modder and hardware hacker Mike Schropp's latest project, the 'Bio Computer' sees a working PC put to use as a garden in which to grow wheatgrass (Photo: Total Geekdom)

We've seen the wacky homebrew projects of computer hardware hacker Mike Schropp before. Mindful Gizmag readers may recall his triple quad-core i7 LEGO PChousing that we looked at last July. But his latest project, the "Bio Computer," is rather more oddball, taking a turn distinctly towards the horticultural with a PC case adapted to ... grow wheatgrass.

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"I'm not complaining by any means, but I do feel as my basement becomes populated with more and more tech based projects that the environment is missing something organic, something natural to balance things out," writes Schropp, on his website, Total Geekdom. But where you or I might buy in a cactus or two, an amaryllis or perhaps even go bonsai, Schropp opted to merge the organic with the inorganic, putting the waste heat from a PC to use with an integrated flowerbed.

Well, not strictly a flowerbed. After a bit of research, Schropp decided that wheatgrass was the ideal species to grow from a PC, being drawn to its simple clean look and attractive hue. He patched together a working PC from various donated machines, selecting a 3-GHz Pentium 4 processor, which is notorious for running hot.

Schropp then went about refitting the case, a process which involved fitting clear acrylic panels so the soil in the wheatgrass bed and the interior workings of the machine could be seen. To get extra heat into the soil, a series of acrylic tubes protruding down inside the machine were introduced, which in turn proved the ideal place for a substrate to allow drainage of the soil. These were put in place and made watertight using a needle dropper, acrylic cement and a thin layer of silicone.

When completed, Schropp used a variable-speed fan and Prime95 to ensure the CPU ran flat out in order to carry out tastes growing wheatgrass. "When the soil temperature was too high, the growth of the wheatgrass would slow," he writes, finding the optimum temperature for peak growth to be approximately 66 degrees F (19 degrees C).

It's an impressive and thought-provoking project, not least because of the just-plain-weird sight of a computer with grass growing out of it says something about all the screens, hard edges and wires with which we increasingly surround ourselves (perhaps less so, the wires). It also makes a definite if somewhat ambiguous statement about waste hear and personal electronics. But this is no project for the novice case modder. Plants require water, and water and electrical devices are not the most amicable of bedfellows.

Source: Total Geekdom, via TreeHugger

SoundWave uses Doppler Effect to bring Kinect-like gesture recognition to PCs

SoundWave detects motion inputs by detecting the frequency shift in tones emitted from the system's speaker

Microsoft’s Kinect peripheral senses motion inputs using a combination of a depth sensor, RGB camera and a multi-array microphone. Now Microsoft’s research division, Microsoft Research, has developed a gesture recognition system called SoundWave that relies on sound instead of video to bring gesture recognition capabilities to a standard laptop or desktop computer without the need for any additional hardware.

The system uses a PC's existing speakers to emit an inaudible tone between 18 and 22 kHz. As the sound waves reflect off a moving object they change in frequency. The PC’s microphone detects this frequency change - known as the Doppler Effect - along with the sound wave’s speed, amplitude, direction and time variation.

Based on this information, an algorithm then translates the movements into gestures, which can be used to control things onscreen. SoundWave can detect multiple objects - or hands - and even works in noisy environments or when the laptop is being used to play music.

While the Kinect has found great success as a gaming peripheral with its ability to work at a bit of a distance, SoundWave appears to only detect gestures made relatively close to the computer. This might limit the technology to deskbound applications, but the number of unforeseen applications to which the Kinect has been adapted suggests SoundWave could find equally surprising uses for those chained to a desk.

The research team has already developed some examples that demonstrate the potential for the technology. Along with the standard scrolling with a wave of the hand, the responsiveness of the system has been demonstrated by using it to playTetris. It could also be used in an office environment to automatically lock a user’s screen when they leave their desk.

The SoundWave technology is still under development in the Microsoft Research labs, and it’s not clear if or when we can expect to see this kind of gesture-recognition system released. While it looks promising, Microsoft might want to maximize the return on its Kinect for Windows before releasing gesture-recognition technology that does away with the need for purchasing any additional hardware.

Here’s a video from Microsoft Research showing SoundWave in action.