heads

LAS VEGAS--When a manufacturer of headlights and auxiliary lights shows you its newest products, it's probably not a good idear to look directly into the light.

Sylvania isn't shy about boasting that it is the leader in automotive lighting technology, but I'll admit that I wasn't expecting to be wowed by a bunch of light bulbs. I was, quite literally, dazzled.

Once the after-image had cleared from my vision, it was explained to me that the new Slyvania Silverstar zXe line of aftermarket replacement headlight bulbs attempts to mimic the ultra white light of HID headlamps … Read more

Nothing lasts forever in the tech industry, and Nintendo's upcoming Wii U, the Sony PlayStation Vita, and all other one-trick portable gaming consoles are next in line to get the axe! At least that's what Jeff hypothesizes, although the trolls in his CNET editorial have opposing opinions.

After we sort through all the hate mail, we turn to a story about Internet domain squatters taking advantage of the #OccupyWallStreet trend to make money off the protesters.

And in the same way that Bacolicio.us set the veganism movement back several years, a new site called OccupyTheURL is turning the 99 percent into an online gimmick. Type in any Web site--the 404 homepage works--and your page will soon be flooded with graphic pop-ups of protesters blocking your access. We'd rather have bacon.… Read more

TOKYO--NEC has launched a lightweight head-mounted display that could be used with face-recognition technology to instantly display information about strangers.

We first heard about the prototype Tele Scouter two years ago, when it was proposed as an aid for interpreters, who would read translated text in the eye screen.

Another suggested use was as a reference for technicians and assembly workers, who can watch a video of how to put something together on the screen while doing it themselves. … Read more

Every day that the Earth keeps turning, Google tries to persuade us that it is increasingly sophisticated.

What better way to express that sophistication than to create a beer?

I fizz with delight to inform you that the Googlies have entered into a partnership with the Dogfish Head brewery that has produced a beer called URKontinent.

For myself, I cannot help staring at that name and wondering whether it represents the opposite thought to URInkontinent--which occurs occasionally after a few too many inferior pints.

However, given the involvement of Dogfish Head, this beer will surely at least be of a … Read more

Sony is returning to its innovative roots with the introduction of a head-mounted display that simulates a 62.5-foot screen.

The Personal 3D Viewer, or HMZ-T1, is billed by Sony as the "world's first 3D compatible head-mounted display equipped with an HD OLED panel." Capable of screening 2D and 3D content, this headset is reminiscent of Glasstron, a similarly designed Sony headpiece (with LCD screens inside) from 1997.

Miles ahead of the predecessor, the HMZ-T1 could be that wow factor Sony has been trying to hit the market with for years.

The company had trotted out a prototype back in January at CES 2011 but officially announced the product in Tokyo today ahead of IFA. It's set for a November 11 release in Japan with a price tag of 59,800 yen, or $781.

Within the headset are two 0.7-inch OLED displays (720p/2.8 million pixels) that have all the features of an expensive high-resolution panel in a small form factor. Within, the optical lens projects a 45-degree horizontal viewing angle to the user with a "virtual viewing distance up to 65 feet." … Read more

I will never, ever let this disembodied robot head sing me to sleep.

And it's not just because she sings like a cross between Actroid F and Alvin and the Chipmunks. It's because she stares straight through you with those unblinking black eyes, looking like she could lunge at your neck with her big robot teeth at any moment.

Our terror aside, the robot head out of Taiwan does have talent. Unlike other singing robots, or even the singing robot mouth, she can read music. She does so by photographing a musical score with cameras built into her eyes. An algorithm extracts the pitch, rhythm, and lyrics and sends it to the robot's voice synthesizer.

And she doesn't just sit there singing robotically, either. Her motor-driven facial expressions apparently change automatically to match the emotions of a song's lyrics. … Read more

What happens when you walk by someone who has four Apple tablets for a head? You probably stop and stare, and maybe even attempt to press the home button to see if she'll react.

Meet the "iPad Head Girl," who wears a four-sided iPad helmet while walking around New York City. We'll let the video do the rest of the talking: … Read more

I'll be honest: the most fun I had this weekend was not eating pizza and watching "Cool Hand Luke." It was not sitting on the deck and reading "Game of Thrones" on my Nook Color. It wasn't even playing with my kids (because they're out of town--how shallow do you think I am?!).

No, the best part of my weekend was discovering Futurama Head in a Jar for iOS. This new app lets you design your own heads, "Futurama"-style, then save or share them as you wish.

This isn't a new concept. "The Simpsons" and "South Park" have long offered their own character-building tools (though neither of them builds actual character). Futurama Head in a Jar may not be original, but it's no less welcome.… Read more

I cover a wide range of headphones on this blog, everything from the $40 Deos earbuds to the state-of-the-art Woo Audio WES headphone amplifier ($4,500) and Stax SR-007Mk2 headphones ($2,410). I've written about a lot of great headphones priced between those two extremes.

The common thread to all of the headphones I cover here is they all have excellent sound quality, but if there's one thing I know about the audio business, it's that most people don't prioritize sound quality, even when a better sounding product fits within their budget. With headphones, most buyers … Read more