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3M's new 3D optical film relies on directional backlight technology to focus left and right images sequentially into the viewer's eyes.

(Credit: 3M)

3M has come up with a new optical film that lets you ditch the glasses when viewing stereoscopic 3D images on mobile devices.

The 3D optical film goes into the gadget's backlight unit and uses two alternate rows of LED lights to project left and right images sequentially into the viewer's eyes. As the sequential images are focused on the individual eye, the technology eliminates the need for 3D glasses to block the picture for the other eye. And, according to Erik Jostes, LCD business director of 3M's Optical Systems Division, it does so without sacrificing screen brightness or resolution.

"This technology can switch from 3D mode to 2D mode and back and you don't make compromises on the original display," he said.

3M's technology works on displays up to 9 inches, and the company envisions it primarily for games and other single-user applications. It requires one LCD panel and operates at a 120Hz refresh rate (most monitors and TVs display video at 60Hz, but to watch video in 3D, the video must be displayed at 120Hz, since each side of the screen creates two perspectives for each frame).

Since installation of the 3D film is almost identical to that of film stacks on existing systems, 3M says it can be easily integrated into the display's backlight module at the assembly stage. The film--which will be on display at the Korea Electronics Show next week--is currently appearing in one mobile device in Asia, according to Jostes, though he wouldn't disclose which. He says it's currently in small-scale production and may show up in products stateside as early as the holidays.

(Credit: 3M Health Care)

That ubiquitous symbol of the medical profession, the stethoscope, is finally undergoing a 21st century tech makeover. The next time you drop by the doctor's, his acoustic listening implement may well sport Bluetooth connectivity and an LCD panel.

3M Health Care has announced the Littmann Electronic Stethoscope, which packs features most headphone users would be familiar with, such as noise cancellation and greater sound clarity.

With the souped-up hearing, the Littman then transmits lung, heart, and body sounds wirelessly to the bundled Zargis StethAssist program for further analysis, as well as to keep a record on file. Which is all good for patients and physicians. That said, the cost has also been upgraded to a pricey $379, which hopefully won't trickle down too much on your next visit to the clinic.

(Source: Crave Asia)

The MPro110 from 3M

(Credit: 3M)

It looks like 3M is trying to bring back the good old-fashioned vacation slideshow.

The company is reportedly close to rolling out a miniature, portable digital video projector, the likes of which could be used to project digital photos, PowerPoint presentations, or cat-on-a-treadmill videos wherever you see fit.

The lucky ducks over at Popular Science got an early look at the MPro110 and report that after plugging it into a DVD player, they were able to project a movie up to 11 inches wide on various pieces of furniture, walls, and co-workers' body parts. The picture fared much better (and bigger) in a dark room.

Apparently 3M had planned to officially announce the projector in a few weeks, but an overly enthusiastic German division of the company let the cat out of the bag a little early with a press release.

Now, my German is not so gut, but according to PopSci, the MPro will cost $359. And a video on the 3M site indicates it will have the ability to hook up to a laptop, digital camera, iPod, and other mobile devices (a little Mario Kart racing action, perhaps?). At that price and with that kind of hookup capability, the MPro would be a viable option for taking business presentations on the road or even filling in as a less-expensive home theater device (though speakers aren't included).

Of course, when it comes to projecting video, size does matter. And the 11-inch width PopSci cites in lighted conditions just isn't going to cut it for some purposes, namely presentations in the average office conference room. But the technology seems like it's off to a great start--even if it's not ready to supplant larger, more powerful projectors quite yet.

And that's news worth celebrating with a Post-it note party.

In the time of triplicates, shredders and burn cans were SOP for destroying records at embassies and military installations. Today, information stored on hard disk drives far forward on the battlefield demand other methods.

Fujitsu has come up with a way to dispose of your brigade's database of informers and cash payoffs in a hurry. The Fujitsu ME-P3M emergency degausser combines state of the art with a good ole' hand crank, allowing a drive to be wiped clean in 10 to 20 seconds--even absent electrical power, according to Jim Preasmyer, business development manager, Fujitsu Computer Products of America (click here for PDF).

(Credit: Fujitsu Computer Products of America)

A degausser (PDF), named after researcher Carl Friedrich Gauss, generates a reverse (coercive) magnetic force to demagnetize HDDs, rendering stored data unreadable and unrecoverable "by any known technology."

The unit is a takeoff on the Fujitsu Mag EraSURE line, used by the legal, medical, and financial professions and anyone else wishing to avoid database disasters like the 2002 debacle in which 139 Veterans Administration Medical Center computers ended up in schools and on the open market, where they were later discovered to contain current VA medical records and credit card numbers.

DriveSavers, a premiere data recovery service, has certified that the Mag EraSURE renders all data on HDDs "unrecoverable by commercial means," according to Fujitsu.

So while there may be something satisfying about leaving the quintessential thermite grenade to melt its way through the server rack when the huey is holding on the roof, given the advanced state of contemporary computer forensics you may want to start cranking instead.

It's taken them a long time, but Sprint has finally decided that the still-popular Motorola Razr is a must-have. Today the carrier put on sale its signature versions of the Motorola Razr V3m and the Motorola Krzr K1m. Both handsets should share the same basic feature set and design as their Verizon counterparts, but Sprint promises that its exclusive Power Vision programming will be a strong differentiator. The Razr V3m is $49.99 with service, while the Krzr is a pricier $199 with service. Sprint already offers the special-edition red Razr V3m.

Though the Razr family is beginning to show its age, that hasn't stopped Moto from pumping out a version of the phone for almost every carrier and in a rainbow of colors. Up until now, Sprint proudly stood aside from the Razr rush, but apparently it agreed with analyst reports that suggested that the carrier's anti-Razr stance may have been bad for its business. Sprint is also expected to launch its version of the Motorola Slvr L7c later this week.

(Photo: Motorola)

Dear Motorola,

Congratulations on the phenomenal success of your Razr cell phone. It showed a true spirit of innovation and it sparked a cell phone design revolution that ushered in the thin handset craze. You certainly made the world sit up and notice your company once again. I just have one small request, however. Stop it already! After two years we're up to our ears in Razrs and we need something else. Please?

All right, I didn't write such a letter but I stand by my belief that Motorola has milked its record-breaking thin phone for far too long. But to my dismay today the company formally announced more Razr models. On the purely cosmetic front, T-Mobile is selling the Razr V3-Miami Ink (or V3t) collection. As we reported two weeks ago the handsets feature designer prints (or tattoos) on their front face. Both the magenta Razr V3 Cherry Blossom and the pearl gray Razr V3 Dragon are available for $89 with service. The feature set is unchanged from the T-Mobile's original magenta and pearl gray Razrs so a new coat is the only change you'll see.

Moto also confirmed what we told you last month that Sprint will be getting a new Razr of its very own. Up until a couple weeks ago when Sprint started offering a Razr V3m in red the carrier had spurned the Razr in favor of comepeting (and in our opinion better) slim models from Samsung. But after analysts said Sprint's Razr-phobia was bad business it seems the carrier finally has jumped on the Moto bandwagon with the Razr V3m in gray. The feature set looks unchanged from Verizon's V3m but Sprint says its EV-DO programming will set the phone apart.

(Photos: Motorola, CNET Networks)