I finally got my hands on the flippy new Samsung SCH-u740 cell phone (available from Verizon) and it is one stand-out phone. I first saw it at the Consumer Electronics Show and was impressed by its key feature of opening up two different ways. This, I had to get on video, so take a look:
Read the full review HERE. A few other close-up shots if you can’t see them on the video (Click images for a larger view):
Read the rest of this entry »
As promised, the video of the iPod projector from ViewSonic is up and running. Read further details from my earlier blog post.
UPDATE: The video of ViewSonic’s new iPod projector is up and running on YOUTube! Here’s a LINK.
I got a personal demonstration by ViewSonic’s Jeff Muto of the new PJ258D projector, which should be available online this week and in stores soon.
This projector has a dock for an iPod video. And not only does the projector charge the iPod but it’ll play anything on the iPod onscreen (music and podcasts can be heard on the projector’s speakers). ViewSonic added a few other innovative tweaks too. The standout? It has a new type of lamp that doesn’t need a cool down, like most projectors, before turning off. Just unplug and go! More details here and come back later for the video.
I spent Sunday at California Adventure watching one of the last demonstrations of Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker — Disney’s first roaming, audio animatronics. Here’s the story. Disney Imagineers were testing the new animatronics partly to make sure the characters can interact well with visitors to the theme park. But the new technology was also to show the potential of animatronics.
I was previously there on Friday when Honeydew surprised me and called me up to interview. I fumbled with questions but later did get to interview Bruce Vaughn, the vice president of R&D for Walt Disney Imagineering, who told me a few secrets behind the Disney ‘magic.” All of this is caught on film, of course. Here’s one edited video of my interviews. If I have time, I may add another one that digs deeper.
Dane Elec Memory in Irvine showed off a digital pen at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year. But its table was so crowded, I decided to visit after the hubbub of show and get a personal look at this new pen. In fact, we created a video featuring the pen and Dane Elec’s director of marketing Jon Christeson, who explains how cool the pen is:
Some other tidbits to keep in mind: The pen uses sonar technology to communicate with a nearby USB storage drive. The technology comes from EPOS Technologies in Israel. Dane Elec is a part owner in EPOS but doesn’t have the exclusive rights to the digital pen. However, it will be first to market, Jon told me. More on Dane Elec in today’s paper.
Every movement of the pen is tracked and stored by the drive. Jon explains it and shows it much better in the video. So watch it already. Expect the pen to be in stores in May (though Dane Elec has not yet named a retailer) with prices starting at $79 for the 512-MB version. Since Dane Elec is a memory company, I suspect they will offer kits in much larger sizes.
Earlier video: Dane Elec’s Meizu video player.
Earlier blog: Nifty new USB drives from Dane Elec
From last week’s visit to Dane Elec Memory in Irvine, I got to see the Meizu Mini Player, which may look like an iPod but… Well, it’s a video and music player, voice recorder, FM radio … Okay, it pretty much does nearly all the same stuff an iPod does though it doesn’t have direct access to iTunes.
It’s shaped like an iPod, has the white and silver case like the iPod and nearly the same size screen (iPod has a 2.5-inch diagonal while Meizu has 2.4-inch screen). But the Meizu is about 30 percent smaller. When it comes to storage though, the Meizu is only comparable to the petite iPod nano. The 2 GB Meizu is MSRP $120 and the 4 GB one is $149 (Walgreens.com has them), which makes them slightly cheaper than comparable iPod nanos, too.
But take a look at it yourself in the video interview above I had with Jon Christeson, Dane Elec’s director of marketing.
Online, Laguna Beach is always sunny, has no traffic congestion and the people are younger and thinner. MTV Networks hired Makena Technologies to build the virtual world as a hangout for fans of the network’s “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County” TV show. But anyone 14 and over can hang out, create their own avatar (that’s mine on right) and type in commands like ‘smile…
The ultra local angle is Makena is based in the same city as the TV show, thanks to Michael K. Wilson, Makena’s CEO. 
When he left eBay (he was the 4th employee), he decided to move here to retire. Then a virtual world business he had invested in, called There, was on the verge of closing. He rescued it and kept it going with Makena. MTV approached him last spring to build the Virtual Laguna Beach and later, The Hills. Read more about Michael in today’s profile on the man, the virtual-world maker, the really nice guy.
And while you’re at it, watch this video of our world and the virtual, as Michael explains some of the interesting features inside the VLB:
I had a lot of fun with this week’s review. First, there was the $999 Epson MovieMate 30s, a projector with a built-in DVD player. The screen is a separate $249 unless you get the MovieMate 33 which adds in the screen and subwoofer for $1,199. What people don’t realize when they see a photo of the MovieMate is how huge it is. Hence, I put myself in the photo to give you a sense of size. Here’s a handy LINK to the review.
But that’s not all! The Epson’s Duet Ultra Portable Projection screen is pretty cool in itself. First, it unfolds sideways, like a scroll, making it less bulky to use. It also has straps for easy transporting. Easy-schmeasy! In fact, watch me open and close the screen in less than 60 seconds:
 To view local listings CLICK
HERE
Or visit your TV provider: * Cox Cable * Time Warner Cable * DirecTV * Dish Network * AT&T U-verse * Verizon FiOS *
Watch a show online HERE. |
|---|
 The North Orange County Computer Club answers your tech questions. Visit the PC Club page and the Stump archives. |
|---|
More O.C. Tech News
Here's a list of TV/mobile companies helping consumers one tweet at a time. 
