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LifeBook Concept Combines Camera, Smartphone, Tablet and Notebook

We have featured a number of different concepts here on Geeky Gadgets for combining devices together, and Asus have taken the idea mainstream with the Asus Padfone. Which combines a smartphone and tablet together into one unit to share processing power and features.

Designer Prashant Chandra has taken the concept one stage further and incorporates , a camera, smartphone, tablet and notebook in to one device. Enabling them to all to share features and processing power and be charged and synced at the same time.

The notebook doesn’t have a keyboard of its own but uses the docked tablet as a touch screen input device. Also when the camera is docked it doubles as a web camera and automatically transfers your photographs to the main notebook and syncing.

When the tablet is docked with the notebook it can also be switched from keyboard mode into a dual screen notebook allowing users to use the tablet as a sketch pad. The smartphone docks in to the front of the notebook providing extra processing power and battery life when required.

Unfortunately the system is still just a concept at the moment, but with companies like Asus already combining smartphones and tablets together, we probably don’t have long to wait for mainstream solutions to start to appear in stores.

Japanese Creates Device That Shuts People Up

It’s such a bummer to get stuck with a person who doesn’t know how to shut up. If only there’s a way to shut them up without hurting their feelings (or punching their faces. Haha!) A pair of Japanese researchers just might have the answer.

Kazutaka Kurihara from the National Institute of Advanced Science and Technology and Koji Tsukada from Ochanomizu University were the brains behind this device they coined as the “SpeechJammer”

It takes the form of a gun and you point it at the person’s mouth to commence peace and quiet.  It works by recording the person’s voice through a directional microphone. It then adds a 0.2 second delay and fires the recorded speech back to the loquacious speaker. The brain needs instant feedback to continue speaker. Hearing a constant echo of their voice disrupts with this system and brings the “target” to a sudden halt.

In a paper describing their invention, Kurihara and Tsukuda emphasized that communication maybe an important medium to resolve conflicts, but too much of it may add fuel to the fire.

The SpeechJammer is confirmed to shut up even the loudest chatterboxes. It is an oversized gun that looks like it can wipe your memory out. Just pointing the monstrosity that is the SpeechJammer is enough to get a shock. Add in a sneer and evil laugh and you don’t have to turn it on!

The SpeechJammer may be the best in stopping speech, it has no power of stopping that annoyed person you just pointed a weird gun at. Try staying at most 30 feet away just in case.

Leaked Microsoft Office 15 Trailer Hints At Cloud And 365 Web Support (video)

A quick 30 second video has been published from part of the leaked roadmap for Microsoft’s upcoming Office 15 software package. Although short the new Office 15 video reveals glimpses of both 365 and SkyDrive integration, which are expected to be part of the new Office suite of tools.

The Microsoft Office 15 video, which you can view after the break has been published by Rafael Rivera of Within Windows, and shows how Microsoft sees users integrating with documents in its new suite, enabling users to access documents “wherever you go … so it’s easy to pick up where you left off.”

With a Windows 8 tablet set to be released sometime in the next year, the new integration within Office 15 is likely to try and compete with Apple’s iCloud offering and documentation syncing features.

Microsoft Office 15 is currently under development with a public beta arriving in the summer, and a final release expected to launch sometime in 2013. As more specific information is released regards the new Windows 8 tablet or Office 15 we will keep you updated.

Microsoft Introduces 3 Windows 8 Editions : Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro and Windows RT

Today Microsoft as announced three editions of its new Windows 8 operating system: Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro and Windows RT. The plain Windows 8 version is the official product name for the next x86/64 editions of Windows, and PC users will have two editions to choose from Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro.

Microsoft explains that for many PC users Windows 8 will be perfect, but for more advanced features Windows 8 Pro has been created. To bring a broader range of Windows 8 technologies, to tech enthusiasts and business/technical professionals.

Windows RT is the newest member of the Windows family, and has been created for devices powered by ARM Processors. Microsoft explains:

“Windows RT will include touch-optimized desktop versions of the new Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. For new apps, the focus for Windows RT is development on the new Windows runtime, or WinRT, which we unveiled in September and forms the foundation of a new generation of cloud-enabled, touch-enabled, web-connected apps of all kinds.”

For more details on the new Windows 8 operating system editions, jump over to the Microsoft Blog post for a comparison.

24ct Gold iPad Will Cost You $5,499

The only person I can see buying this 24ct Gold 3rd generation iPad is a contemporary Bond Villain named Gold Tablet, but if you have the money and want one for yourself, Gold & Co. is offering some for sale.

Looks like it will be made available only in stores in Dubai, London and Hong Kong. The first unit has been auctioned off with the proceeds going to charity. I hope your pockets are lined with gold to pay for it though.

This blinged out tablet will cost you $5,499 for the 64GB WiFi + 4G model. The company is also offering gold plated iPhone and Blackberry devices if you want some gadgets to go with this. I would be too afraid to use such an expensive device myself.

Phillips 20 Year Life LED Lightbulb

A revolutionary new lightbulb which has been designed by Phillips and recently won the U.S. Department of Energy’s L Prize, will be finally available to purchase in stores this weekend. The Phillips LED lightbulb has been deigned to last and provide light for 20 years, burning only 10 watts of power. The new LED lightbulb was originally was priced at $60, and has been created to replace incandescent bulbs of 40 watts or more when they are banned in 2014.

But to win the U.S. Department of Energy’s L Prize, the price of the invention would need to drop to $22 within its first year of being available, before the $10 million prize could be redeemed by Phillips.

At the moment the price for the Phillips LED lightbulb is $50, but Phillips is currently in talks with utility companies to offer rebates of anywhere between $20 and $30, that will be applied by the retailers of the new next generation lightbulb.

Cyrus Klepcys Mars Watch (video)

Watchmaker Cyrus has unveiled a new addition to their range in the form of the Cyrus Klepcys Mars Watch. Which is a variation on the their Klepcys model that features a 3D moonphase, but this time its been replaced by a miniature version of the red planet, Mars.

The Mars globe has been created and rotates at exactly the same time as the real planet. Completing one revolution every 24 hours, 37 minutes and 22 seconds. Watch the video after the jump to see it in action.

Other unique features of the watch is the “Martian face” which has been included in the design and can be seen at about 7 O’clock on the watches face. The unique Klepcys watch is a collaboration between Cyrus and renowned watchmaker Jean-François Mojon, who also designed the Harry Winston Opus X watch.

The Cyrus Klepcys Mars Watch is being limited to just 66 pieces or as Cyrus says “66 earthlings will be able to enjoy this unique experience on their wrist.” Unfortunately no information on pricing or worldwide availability has been released as yet.

Environmentally Friendly Waterproof Coating Developed To Protect Electronics

A new waterproof coating has been developed by Daikin Industries which is both environmentally friendly and will protect your electronics from water damage. We have featured other waterproof coatings here on Geeky Gadgets before but what makes this on a little different in that it dries within a minute at room temperature and once dried creates a layer just 0.1 micron to 1 micron thick over the electronics.

Keeping them protected from water and other damaging elements. Watch the video below to see a demonstration of the new coating in action. Daikin Industries explains:

“This product isn’t intended for full waterproofing, but for raising the baseline in waterproofing to everyday standards. So we’re suggesting this coating as a way to reduce the risk of phones malfunctioning if they happen to get dropped in water.”

For example, even if the phone has an earphone jack or connector, there’s no problem with connection after coating, because this coating is such a thin film. It can be used for protection against water and moisture in applications where, until now, a thicker coating was needed.”

The new costing is currently still under development, but is created by dissolving a fluoropolymer in a fluorinated solvent. The fluoropolymer is nonflammable and has low toxicity, making the solution environmentally friendly.

AViiQ Ready Clip Cables

AViiQ has created some handy shorter cables, which have been specifically design to be easier to carry and tangle free. Providing you with a convenient way of charging or transferring data to and from any USB 2.0 port, and are available for Micro, Mini and Apple devices.

The AViiQ ready clip cables are roughly the same length as a pen and even have a handy pen style clips allowing you to carry them clipped to your pocket. Alan Yeung, Co-Founder of AViiQ explains:

“We designed the Ready Clips based on personal struggles of having to fiddle with tangled and unnecessarily long cables,”-“AViiQ believes that for a product to be portable, it not only has to be compact, but also slim and unobtrusive.”

The new AViiQ Clips are now available to purchase individually or in sets starting at $12.99.

Worlds First Intel Powered Smartphone The Lava Xolo X900 Arriving April 23rd

Intel and Lava, one of India’s fastest-growing mobile handset companies, have this week announced that their new Lava Xolo X900, the worlds first smartphone powered by an Intel processor will be arriving in India on April 23rd.

The Lava Xolo X900 smartphone is powered by a 1.6 GHz Atom processor with Hyper Threading Technology, together with a 400 MHz graphics clock and the full HD 1080p video recording and playback capabilities.

The Lava Xolo X900 is also fitted with a 4.03-inch high-resolution LCD touch screen and 8-megapixel camera, with a burst mode feature allowing 10 pictures to be captured in under a second.
Its internal battery has been designed to provide up to 5 hours of 3G browsing, 45 hours of audio and 8 hours of talk time. Mike Bell, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of the Mobile and Communications Group explains:

“The first smartphone with Intel inside is now available to Indian consumers,”-“The boundaries of personal computing are expanding. As we enter the India market with our first smartphone from Lava, the device not only showcases the rich capabilities and user benefits of Intel computing, but also highlights the exciting possibilities of what’s still to come.”

No information on pricing or worldwide availability has been released as yet.