(Credit:
Crave UK)
We finally got our hands on the LG GD900 Crystal, which is billed as the world's first transparent-design phone, and the transparent screen is as cool as we hoped--and not half as pointless.
The GD900 Crystal is a slider phone with a 3-inch touch screen, and a transparent keypad that lights up when opened. But it's more than just gimmicky, see-through goodness--the keypad is a touch-sensitive controller, too. That means you can use it to move through menus, navigate the Web, and even write using handwriting recognition.
LG has thrown in gesture support too, so you can launch applications with a swipe around the keypad. This includes multitouch, as does the main display, so you can pinch your fingers to zoom in to a photo or map.
If this is a touch-happy overload, you can also use it normally, to dial phone calls, and there's vibrating feedback to let you know when you've hit the flat numbers.
So what's the point of having two touch screens? The reasoning goes that if you're basking in the glory of the GD900's screen--watching a video, for example--you don't want to block the action by waving your sausage fingers over the screen to zoom or rewind. And it's pretty freaking cool, too.
The GD900 uses the same S-class user interface we've seen on the LG Arena. One of our biggest complaints about the Arena was that the touch screen wasn't as responsive as we'd like, but based on the phones we tried, it's running with more vim and vigor on the GD900. The little spinning cube is still useless, but there are about five different ways to access each feature, and adding gestures means there should be a user-interface option for every user, if they can be bothered to learn them all.
... Read more
This week the Virtual Console celebrates its 300th downloadable game as a classic Zelda game finally makes its debut.
- DSiWare
- Art Style: PiCTOBiTS (Gameloft, 500 DSi Points): This color matching block game is ready for download on the DSi Shop. Enjoy various levels of puzzle-solving fun and the occasional visit from a classic NES character.
- WiiWare
- Crystal Defenders R2 (Square Enix, 800 Points): Ward off the encroaching enemy fleet by deploying Fencers and Black Mages. Battle through various maps of combat and strategy.
- Silver Star Chess (Agetec, Inc., 500 Points): Finally you can ditch that cumbersome chess board and rely on your Wii for some fun. Silver Star Chess offers one or two-player game modes.
- Virtual Console
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (2000, Nintendo 64, 1000 Wii points): In Majora's Mask, Link must once again save the world by making his way through dungeons, traps, and huge bosses. Best of all, you won't need the N64 expansion pack to play this one!
What games do you think are missing from the Wii Virtual Console? Sound off at our discussion board!
(Credit:
nintendolife.com)
- DSiWare
- Dr. Mario Express (Nintendo, 500 DSi Points): The classic color-matching puzzle game makes its way to the Nintendo portable in Dr. Mario Express. Play alone or against the computer in the race to fight off viruses.
- Master of Illusion Express: Deep Psyche (Nintendo, 200 DSi Points): Continuing the series of magic tricks for your DSi, Deep Psyche will ask you a number of questions in order to reveal a startling truth.
- WiiWare
- Crystal Defenders R1 (SQUARE ENIX, 800 Wii points): See how many encroaching monsters you can hold off by deploying soldiers and Black Mages. Test your skills over various levels with different layouts and difficulty settings.
- Virtual Console
- Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (1990, Sega Genesis, 900 Wii points): Monster Lair is a Japanese import that never saw the light of day in North America until now. Use your sword to defend Xenobia with a friend or endure the battle alone.
What games do you think are missing from the Wii Virtual Console? Sound off at our discussion board!
It seems like everything under the sun is getting the Swarovski crystal treatment. Back in February, we introduced you to the top five Swarovski disasters, which included phones, radios, and even a whole piano covered in the stuff. Now you can add light switches to the list of useless abominations sprinkled with Swarovskis.
This time around, Berker Switches and Systems has teamed with Swarovski to present the "Crystal Collection." Why would you settle for a boring old plastic switch when you can get a large, multi-faceted Swarovski-cut crystal instead?
OK, the technology behind the light switch is actually kind of cool. There's a sensor behind each crystal that senses infrared light disruption (i.e. from a hand), similar to rain sensors in automobiles. They call this type of optical recognition "HALIOS," or High Ambient Light Independent Optical System.
The crystals themselves are embedded in matte-finished stainless steel, shining chrome, or gold, and are available in four colors: crystal, black diamond, topaz, and siam. No word on the Berker site about price; I assume that depends on the crystal combination you choose for your switch. What ever happened to just being born with a silver spoon in your mouth?
Check out the slideshow below for more images.
Only one thing looks worse than Winnie the Pooh having his face sandpapered off, and that's any gadget covered in Swarovski crystals.
For some reason unbeknownst to us, Swarovski crystals seem to share certain properties with acne--they appear to crop up on everything at some point in its life, and no one suffering from them ever appears to be happy.
Click on the gallery below to see the five crystal-clad abominations that have stood out most over the last few years, starting with one that's only just hit our screens: Elton John's "Starburst" iPod nano. And if you think we missed a particularly offensive Swarovski-encrusted gadget, be sure to let us know in the comments section below!
(Via Crave UK)
Moto's beauty pageant booth
(Credit: Motorola)While visiting the Motorola booth at CES, I had very my own Miss America experience. The company invited me to test its CrystalTalk Plus feature, which is a top feature of its new Tundra VA76r rugged phone. Since I've had good experiences with CrystalTalk before, I accepted the opportunity to see how it could be improved upon. CrystalTalk Plus promises, and as ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
(Credit:
Myvu)
If you purchased the Myvu Crystal video eyewear in hopes that wearing it would make you look cooler, only to find that you were full of dork when you actually put it on, we have some good news.
On Tuesday, Myvu announced that you can attempt to offset the geekiness of the glasses, since the Crystal is now fully compatible with the iPhone and iPhone 3G thanks to the new Works With iPhone cable.
The cable is available for $24.95 from Myvu's Web site.
(Credit:
Crave Asia)
It can be a real pain when it comes to routing speaker cables, especially those surround boomboxes mounted on the far corners of your media room. You can either draw up an elaborate plan involving trunking and false ceilings, or check out Crystal Audio's latest wireless audio transmission systems on the U.K. market: the TR-100 and TR-60.
For 399 pounds (about $787), the TR-100 provides two sets of independent transmitters and receivers to power a stereo. Each has a provision for 100-watt audio amplification and a peak effective range of 25 meters, according to AV Review. Those who prefer lesser clutter could opt for the TR-60 at 249 pounds (about $491) instead. This shares "juice" for two loudspeakers from a single receiver at the expense of power headroom.
But like any existing wireless audio kit in the market, they are hardly genuine "cable-free" solutions as far as we're concerned. Not until we've miniature nuclear reactors or super fuel cell batteries that can support their integrated amplifiers.
(Source: Crave Asia)
(Credit:
Register Hardware)
We've already seen the Crystallized Loewe Individual and the ultra-bling Philips Diamond TV, and now it's LG's turn to join forces with the Swarovski empire with its Canvas Crystal X HDTV. A pretty clever one, too, which weds last year's Design Art-series chassis with 1,000 of the glittery crystals. It would have been even better if the company had extended this special treatment to its Scarlet lineup, though we have had equal reservations on the level of unnecessary extravagance.
Whatever it is, this 47-incher is already out in South Korea and costs a dear $3,194 each, according to Register Hardware, not to mention shipping and the issue of power supply variation between countries. We doubt it will be launched outside that market anytime soon, but if you are bent on importing one, remember to hard-sell the panel's juicy full-HD resolution and ultra-high 50,000:1 dynamic contrast to your significant other.
(Source: Crave Asia)
(Credit:
Myvu)
About a year ago it seemed that everyone was coming out with their own version of video glasses. Perhaps one reason their production has since slowed down was their awkward design.
Some manufacturers have tried to address this asthetic challenge, but it remains a work in progress. Now Myvu, which was one of the earlier companies in the market, is taking its products to the runway with the fashion-conscious "Myvu Crystal" and "Myvu Shades," both of which the company has just begun to ship.
The viewers have 320 x 240 resolution and include "CyberDisplay" technology, according to iLounge, with the Crystal version offering an improvement in vision field of 35 percent over previous models. Whether the new designs are enough to make them popular among fashionistas is an open question, but one never knows. They could become the gadget equivalents of the "Cadillac of Mini-Vans."
