monitors

How green is your driving?

It may sound somewhat Orwellian, but people may be more open to this dashboard-mounted pollution monitor nowadays, especially if they've seen An Inconvenient Truth.

Japan-based Hino has developed the "DriveMaster Pro," which tracks a car's performance and compares it with the Japanese government's environmental recommendations. Akihabara News says the device, which uses an "ingenious array of sensors placed in your car," will "visually and verbally" indicate when driving patterns appear to counter anti-pollution guidelines. (It sounds a little like that talking radar detector.)

As useful as these gadgets may be, we'… Read more

Mutant monitors are alive

The skepticism over the CineMassive's multi-screen displays was certainly understandable. Why, for example, would any company want to sell up to six LCDs connected on a single monitor stand? We thought it was weird to graft just two screens together.

But Gizmodo, which initially smelled Photoshop, now confirms that the company's crown-jewel "MasterPlex"--a 21-inch LCD surrounded by five 17-inch screens--is indeed real. All $3,300 of it. The real mystery, of course, is why anyone would want to buy it.

LCD monitors for the sake of art

With monitors breaking the 30-inch mark, a 20.1-inch LCD seems downright puny--which may be one reason Europe's Formac is taking a distinctly aesthetic route to market its new displays. It makes good sense regardless of size because the "Gallery 2010 Xtreme-5" is aimed at professional designers and photographers, with a "unique controller board" for color rendering, according to PCLaunches.

As companies continue to expand their thinking on monitors, we've seen designs that look appropriate for settings ranging from architect's offices to museums. As long as they don't take the form of … Read more

Pantone's HueyPro: Huey's not a baby anymore

You might not realize this, but you're probably not looking at accurate colors right now. The different photos you see on Crave probably aren't being reproduced accurately through your monitor. Reds might be slightly pinkish or slightly more orange, blues might be a bit green, even simple white and black might be just a tiny bit beige and purple.

Every graphical display, whether a small monitor or a big television, needs to be occasionally calibrated. This usually involves sticking a funky-looking device on the screen and either changing the settings until the device tells you to stop or … Read more

A baby monitor that claims to work

If you're a parent, chances are you've tried a baby monitor. And chances are even greater that you've tried one that sucked. That, at least, has been our experience and that of practically every other mom and dad we know.

Hammacher Schlemmer is trying to right this widespread wrong with a $200 "Superior Baby Monitor" that does address one obvious flaw in many other models: This one uses "digital enhanced cordless communication" (DECT) that will automatically find an open frequency among 60 channels, avoiding interference from phones, microwaves and other electronic appliances. (In … Read more

PC designs for the sylvan set

Furniture makers for years have tried to hide electronics in all forms of cabinetry, but computers are no longer willing to be stowed away like something to be ashamed of. And one of the latest techno-fashion trends is to make digital equipment blend more naturally with the decor with natural materials.

German design company Holzkontor has taken this concept to a new level with an entire line of exotic woods in a variety of finishes. Techie Diva says the monitors, keyboards and mice can be purchased separately depending on your needs (and your budget). If they ever make a laptop, … Read more

Who needs a designer baby monitor?

It's a sure sign that tech fashion has invaded the home when you see a designer baby monitor. Ubergizmo liked the mod look from U.K.-based Techwall Electronics, and we must admit that it's sleek form and neon green hue make the product more attractive than the traditional alternatives. The monitor also has a camera, which brings it more up to date than older versions. But let's face it: No matter how much you try to dress it up, it's a baby monitor. And if you really want a camera to monitor the baby, you … Read more

Out with the old, in with the new

My old CRT monitor finally gave out. My sister has been bugging me about getting a new monitor so that whenever she wants to use the computer, she doesn't have to fight with me for the laptop. I saw the ViewSonic VX2035wm at a friend's house the other day, and it was pretty nice. And right now, there is a $30 mail-in rebate from several of our merchants, but you have to hurry because the offer is only good until January 31, 2007. I might just have to buy one right now!

Dell announces a new 27-inch LCD monitor--and we've already tested it

This morning at CES, Dell announced its new 27-inch LCD monitor, the Dell UltraSharp 2707WFP. We were lucky to get our hands on an early review sample, and Matthew Wood from CNET Labs has already been able to do a lot of hands-on testing. We'll be following up with a full review of the 2707WFP--with a more rigorous performance analysis--after CES, but we've done enough testing to give some substantial first impressions. The Dell 2707WFP is available immediately with a hefty price tag of $1,400.

Design

We've liked a lot of Dell monitors in the past, … Read more

3D monitor for the fashion conscious

It figures. Just when LCD monitors have gotten down to reasonable prices, along comes a new technology that threatens to replace the whole lot. That, at least, is the claim of Neurok Optics and its 3D LCD screens, which will be on display at CES this week.

The San Diego company will showcase a new 22-inch model from its "iZ3D" line, which it says provides realistic images with minimal vision fatigue. "Neurok Optics' engineers developed this unique technology to create an adjustable 3D environment without causing eyestrain, spatial disorientation or headaches," according to its press release. (… Read more