Watch as every world leader at the G20 Summit declines to shake President George Bush’s hand during a group photo op. As CNN’s Rick Sanchez puts it, this is almost sad.

Sharp has unveiled a stunning 26-foot-tall Christmas tree made of 43 Aquos LCD televisions, which sizes ranging from 19 to 52 inches. The gigantic TV tree is located in New York’s Grand Central Station, where people can not only admire its coordinated decoration animations, created by Japanese video artist Tsuyoshi Takashiro, but also register to win one of the Aquos panels in the tree. If you are a New Yorker and need another reason to go to Grand Central, Sharp will also donate one dollar per registered person to a program that trains people in environmental jobs.

As the ghost of GM’s assassinated electric car haunts a fearful Detroit, another boogeyman is waiting in the wings: the world’s first mass-produced plug-in hybrid electric car, being readied for its December release — in China.

BYD, a company that first made its reputation as the world’s largest maker of cell phone batteries, has announced it will release the F3DM hybrid sedan on December 15. And BYD says it plans to release a version of the car in the US and Europe in 2010 or 2011, just when GM plans to begin selling its own plug-in hybrid, the Chevy Volt.

As Mike has reported previously, the F3DM — which can be charged using a standard electrical outlet — can switch between a fully electric mode and a hybrid one that uses both electricity and gasoline. BYD says the car can travel as far as 60 miles (100 km) after one charge in full-electric mode, or longer when also using its small gas tank. The all-electric range of the Chevrolet Volt is only 40 miles.

Read the rest of this entry »

Embellishing the vehicles with gold, diamond and precious stones does help to exhibit your opulence on the roads. We have already introduced you to the list of 12 absolutely incredible bling-bling vehicles and this time, we have a Diamond Edition Subaru car. The car has been festooned with 1173 inlaid precious stones, with a total weight of 19.35 carats. The diamonds alone achieve 12.37 carats of weight. The diamond studded logo, joystick and the key chain are a real treat to the eyes of the bling lovers. I couldn’t make much out of the translated page, but they seem to be offering only 10 such cars to the public, with a delivery time of three months. The original price of the car is 249,800 Yuan and the diamond artwork alone reached over 300,000 Yuan. The special Diamond Edition Subaru car is priced at 560,000 Yuan (approximately $81,930) as a whole.

Read the rest of this entry »

Called “Glassy Glassy”, here’s yet another glass phone concept with dual touchscreens. Though not very practical or rugged for that matter, it’s a beautiful design nonetheless.

And with a full-glass (and a little bit of plastic) construction, I wouldn’t be using it on anything but pure-pc-clean-hands days.

Techeblog Via Yankodesign

Read the rest of this entry »

Architects Future Systems have completed the facade of a building on Oxford Street in London.

The project involved adding an extra floor to the existing building and two new facades.

Read the rest of this entry »

Most kids these days own a mobile phone and Samsung wants a piece of that action. The Toby or S3030 is targeting pre-teens and young adults. Tobi features unique GUI themes with animated characters, such as Monster theme, Snowman theme and Ocean World theme. The backside cover is changeable with a see-through protective sleeve, so a photo can be placed there. The phone will be available in six colors, Sweet Pink, Loyal Blue, Apple Green, Bright Orange, Oasis Blue and Snow Silver.

The safety features in the phone include SOS Call, SOS Message and Fake Call, allowing access to family members and friends in emergencies. Samsung’s Tobi is made from recyclable and biodegradable bio-plastic and has non-toxic paints and non-allergic materials. Even the earphone is made eco-friendly without any polyvinyl chloride. It will be available in Italy and UK this month and then other European countries, CIS, and China later this year.

Features include:

* Network: GPRS Tri-Band (900/1800/1900 MHz)
* Display: 1.9″ QCIF 65K
* Camera: 1.3-megapixel camera
* Audio: Music Player (MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA)
* SOS function (SOS call, SOS message, Fake call)
* Eco-friendly and non-toxic material
* Changeable backside images
* Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0
* Internal Memory: 15MB
* External Memory: Micro SD (Up to 8GB)
* Size: 94.7x 45.4x 17.5 mm, 85g

Read the rest of this entry »

The Motorola MING A1600 is one good looking handset, and it doesn’t need any gilded makeover. But, the good folks at Motorola think the other way as they seem to have teamed up with renowned French jeweler and watch maker Cartier to roll out the Motorola MING A1600 Luxury Edition. The luxury edition handset has a gold plated body decorated with faux crocodile skin. The package comes complete with a Cartier business card. Other than the new, shiny looks, everything else is same as of the original phone. The Motorola MING A1600 features a 3-megapixel camera, 2.4-inch 262K color QVGA touchscreen display, a microSD card slot, stereo Bluetooth, a microUSB port and a stereo FM radio. The Motorola MING A1600 Luxury Edition sells for TWD $28,000 (approximately US $867). The price tag looks decent enough to compensate for the included Cartier business card holder.

Engadget

More than 10,000 people die needlessly each year because their cancers are not diagnosed in time, a study says.

The charity Cancer Research UK found GPs too often miss symptoms or do not send enough patients for tests.

In some cases their training is simply out of date. The report says some people are deterred from seeking treatment by the difficulty of getting an appointment.

And there is too little public awareness about cancer symptoms, meaning many victims do not see their GP until it is too late to save their lives. The result is that Britain’s survival rates for cancer are still the worst in Western Europe, despite the billions poured into the Health Service by Labour.

Only 53 per cent of women and 42 per cent of men with cancer survive for more than five years.

Of 14 major countries compared by the charity, Britain came 11th for women and 12th for men, alongside Poland and Slovenia. If our rates were as good as the best in Europe, the report says, there would be 10,744 fewer deaths a year.

Lead researcher Professor Michael Coleman said: ‘We know many cases are being diagnosed too late and this is a major reason for our poor survival rates.’

He said many GPs were not up to date on cancer treatment, and family doctors with an average practice size saw only around eight new cancer cases a year.

‘Some GPs would benefit from guidance on identifying patients more successfully,’ he said.

Another problem was access, said Professor Coleman. ‘Patients find it difficult to make appointments or park their cars, and many are worried about taking time off work and losing money.’

Only a half of GP practices see patients outside working hours - and even these open for an average of only three more hours a week.

The failure of GPs comes despite their pay soaring by more than 50 per cent - to over £100,000 - since a new contract was agreed in 2004.

They are also working fewer hours a week.

Better survival rates in Europe are partly due to the fact that patients in many countries can have direct access to a specialist, while in Britain they must go through their GP.

The Government’s cancer ‘czar’, Professor Mike Richards, said: ‘We want to work with GPs to find out which patients and which symptoms they are most likely to miss. They need to be more alert and send people for tests much earlier.’

Britain’s poor record has also been blamed on drug rationing by NICE - which can take up to 18 months to decides whether the NHS should fund new treatments - and low spending on cancer drugs, £76 a head a year, compared to £143 in Germany and £121 in France.

Professor Karol Sikora, professor of cancer medicine at London’s Imperial College, said last night the low survival rates were a failure of the whole NHS, not just GPs. He said: ‘People have to wait too long for scans and biopsies. There is undercapacity in radiography and chemotherapy.

‘We don’t get access to the drugs they get in Europe. Huge amounts of money have been thrown at cancer over the past decade so it is surprising to see these problems are still here.

Read the rest of this entry »

Raon Digital has proudly introduced the Everun Note, which is claimed to be the world’s first netbook with a dual core processor. The netbook is powered by a AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual Core CPU at 1.2GHz and ATI graphics. Weighing at only 1.6-pound, the Everun Note comes equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen display (1,024-by-600), up to 24GB of solid state drive or up to 80GB of hard drive space, and 1GB of DDR2 memory. Other specs are include a 1.3MP webcam, stereo speakers, 802.11b/g wireless, Bluetooth, two USB ports, a Mini USB port, SIM card slot, SD/MMC card reader, and VGA output. Its 5,200mAh Li-Polymer battery provides enough juice for 2-3 hours of web surfing or 2-2.5 hours of video playback. You can purchase this cool netbook at Dynamism for $659, upwards. [Dynamism via Laptop Notebook News]

Three members of MIT’s Media Lab may be shaping the way the next generation of storytelling evolves. What would these new storytelling technologies look like, you ask? “The team envisions a future that includes robotic actors and improved motion capture, but also increased democratization and participation, so that stories are told not just by individuals, but by entire communities.”
Robotic actors, eh? Remember when Toyota’s Trumpet Playing Robot was doing its first holiday concert performance, and I predicted that robots would infiltrate every sphere of human culture before destroying us? Well, guess what, guys…it’s happening. Color me Nostradamus.
Even besides the fact that I predicted this, I suppose it comes as little surprise. We have robotic actors in movies already (I’m thinking T-Rex in Jurassic Park, not Keanu) but the future may see more intelligent robots filling roles traditionally reserved for humans. Or perhaps robots will play robot characters, which would be really cool. Imagine Wall-E IRL.
Robotic actors are just part of the equation — the MIT group’s plans focus mainly on the interactive aspects of storytelling. “By applying leading-edge technologies to make stories more interactive, improvisational and social, researchers will seek to transform audiences into active participants in the storytelling process, bridging the real and virtual worlds, and allowing everyone to make their own unique stories with user-generated content on the Web.” If this means a movie script tantamount to a series of YouTube comments, then no thank you, MIT. But robot actors are A-OK.
Plans are in order for a 14-soundstage complex to be built in Plymouth, Massachusetts circa 2010. This studio will likely produce ..er.. productions based on the research from Media Lab. It will be interesting to see what they come up with, and how quickly this erodes western civilization.

Botropolis

Woodland Scene (2006)

Castle on the Hill (2007)

Belgian artist Magdalena Bors’ artworks depict a fairy tale scene woven directly out of common household things. Check out her website for more: Link Via Neatorma

Living in a luxury treehouse certainly brings out the child in you again. Now, the New Zealand Yellow Pages are building a restaurant that is 10 meters up on a redwood tree. A dinner at this tree-restaurant will be a totally fascinating experience. Presently under construction on a site north of Auckland, the design of the restaurant is taken care of by Pacific Environments Architects. This treehouse concept gives an expression of childhood dreams and fairy tales. The inspiration for the project comes from nature itself – from the chrysalis/cocoon safeguarding the emerging butterfly/moth. A 60m tree-top walkway helps you reach the restaurant. The restaurant has ample space for 18 seating people and staff and it comes complete with a bar. Kitchen facilities and toilets are at the ground level.

The acrylic sheeting fixed to the roof under the fins ensures protection from tough weather conditions. The stylish lighting within the walkway and up-lighting within the tree house sets the perfect mood for the visitors.

Read the rest of this entry »

A lunar probe from India’s first unmanned moon mission Chandrayaan-1 has landed on the moon and started sending back its first images.

The Moon Impactor Probe (MIP), painted on both sides with the Indian flag, detached itself from the spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 about 100km from the moon’s surface and successfully crash-landed on the south pole of the moon at 3.01pm GMT, officials at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.

India’s space programme began in 1962 and the MIP is the first Indian built object to reach the surface of the moon.

The box shape probe, weighing 34kg at launch, carried three instruments - a video imaging system, a radar altimeter and a mass spectrometer.

Mitsubishi makes us busy with their new projectors. Dubbed as the WD510U and WD500U-ST, both projectors features 1,280 x 800 native resolution with 16:10 aspect ratio, 4,000 hours lamp life, Texas Instruments DDP 2230 DMD chip with DLP technology, VGA inputs, DVI-D with HDCP support, 3.5mm audio jack, contrast ratio of 2,000:1 (WD510U)/ 2,500:1 (WD500U-ST) and 2,600 lumens (WD510U)/ 2,100 lumens (WD500U-ST). The Mitsubishi WD510U and WD-500U-ST are priced at $1,495 and $1,695, respectively.

Techfresh Via Electronista

Lenovo has introduced their ThinkPad USB Portable Secure Hard Drive to give us a new, and secure way to protect data. The numpad allowing users to to type in their passcode to access their data. And this secure hard drive uses 128-bit advanced encryption. The ThinkPad USB Portable Secure Hard Drive features full-disk encryption for up to ten unique user IDs and one administrator. Lenovo will offer the ThinkPad USB Portable Secure Hard Drives in 160GB and 320GB capacity starting in mid-November for $179 and $219 respectively.

Lenova

You must have had a stroller, but have you ever seen a product like this Roddler? It is a revolutionized hot rod inspired stroller that can even be converted into a tricycle. Now you need not walk by your feet while taking your baby for a walk, with this new revolutionized product you and your baby can together enjoy the ride with full safety. A shade at the top will keep your baby away from scorching heat of the sun. Its stylish design and elegant colors would impart a sense of enthusiasm while being on the ride.

Read the rest of this entry »

Sleek and stylish, the fuel cell-powered Honda FC Sport is aimed at sports car enthusiasts. Though it “uses roughly the same drivetrain components as the FCX Clarity, it strategically places them to help achieve a very low center of gravity and improved weight distribution.

A custom-formed fuel-cell stack sits up front, while the battery pack resides somewhere near the middle, just ahead of the electric motor. Behind that motor sit two storage tanks for the hydrogen fuel.

As I am sure you are all aware, Verizon Wireless is launching the much-anticipated BlackBerry Storm tomorrow. This device is RIM’s first delve into a touchscreen mobile phone and swing at taking some of the market share away from Apple and the iPhone. We had a chance to get our hands on the Storm on the eve of the launch day and had some fun playing with the touchscreen and its unique clicking technology.

Obviously the most interesting part of the Storm is the single big button of a screen so we’ll just cut to the chase. The touchscreen in general works as you would expect, sensing your touch on the screen and allowing you to scroll through things like lists, menus and across maps. What’s different about the touchscreen on the BlackBerry Storm that sets it apart from other touchscreen phones is that the glass display is like a single large, mechanical button.

Read the rest of this entry »

Contrary to popular belief, here at ThinkGeek we do sometimes like the company of humans. But frankly we’ve gotten pretty tired of folks knocking at the ThinkGeek secret headquarters of doom during our daily extended gadget play time. Aliens, robots and the UPS guy are welcome anytime, but to deter those other annoying carbon based life forms we’ve installed the Back Off LED Invaders Door Mat. This nifty doormat is imported from France and features a glowing display and motion sensor. Any time someone comes near, a glowing green space invader moves back and forth across the top of the mat. Potential guests, having left their phasers at home, will usually run shrieking in fear.

Amazing
Read the rest of this entry »