Gizmag News - Lenovo launches IdeaPad U1 Hybrid tablet/laptop at CES

Welcome to the newsletter for gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine. These are the headlines for January the 5th, 2011. Lenovo launches IdeaPad U1 Hybrid tablet/laptop at CES Can’t decide between a laptop and a tablet? According to the folks at Lenovo, you soon won’t have to. On the eve of CES 2011 at a press event in Las Vegas, company reps were on hand to present the updated and ready-for-sale IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, which combines a Windows-running laptop with an Android 2.2-running LePad tablet. In laptop mode, the LePad serves as the screen for the laptop. If you want to do some tablet computing, however, you just pull the LePad off and use it on its own. We reported on a previous incarnation of the system a year ago, but this time we got the chance to see it up close and personal. Read More Orange PC gets world record attempt outing Orange Amps has announced that its OPC computer-in-an-amp will be used in a world record attempt at this year's CES in Las Vegas. Guitarist Tiago Della Vega will attempt to break his own speed and accuracy record on Friday January 7. The company has also taken the opportunity to release final specs and pricing for its soon-to-be-released new baby. Read More Amphibious Dobbertin HydroCar goes under the hammer If you’re looking for a car that doesn’t mind getting its feet wet then you might want to head over to eBay before January 13 where this one-of-a-kind amphibious vehicle is up for sale. The Dobbertin HydroCar was designed and built by Rick Dobbertin and changes shape at the flip of a switch, transforming from land mode to water mode in a matter of seconds. Although Dobbertin says his HydroCar is fully functional, it hasn’t been fully tested, so he recommends the vehicle as more of a collector car rather than a daily driver. Read More Crayola ColorStudio HD – interactive coloring for the iPad Griffin Technology and Crayola have joined forces to launch "an entirely new digital play experience" in the form of the Crayola ColorStudio HD. Announced at CES this week, the system brings together a custom-built Crayola iMarker digital stylus with an iPad application that gives a high-tech edge to coloring by allowing kids to interact with the animated pages featuring music and special effects. Read More Kicktronic offers full rhythm section on tap Street musicians or solo performers who want to add a virtual backing band but don't relish the prospect of sacrificing the feel of the music to overly digitized loopers or sequencers may be interested in the Kicktronic system from Flotechnic. If you stomp your foot rhythmically while playing, then you might as well put it to more efficient use by tapping the system's foot sensor to bring in a bass drum, snare drum, crash cymbal and bass. Read More Ford to unveil all-electric Focus at NAIAS CES 2011 With the NAIAS 2011 in Detroit less than a week away various automakers are looking to get in first with numerous pre-show announcements continuing to trickle in. Ford has decided to beat them all to the punch by taking the unusual step of unveiling its new all-electric Focus at CES 2011, rather than the seemingly more appropriate NAIAS only days later. Read More Unique slider keyboard design one of four new tablets on show from ASUS at CES If there’s one thing that’s bound to be prominent at CES 2011, it’s tablet devices. ASUS is getting the ball rolling with four new tablets – each of which offers something different for users. The 7-inch Eee Pad MeMO is designed for taking handwritten notes with its included stylus, the 10.1-inch Eee Pad Transformer offers the capabilities of a fully-fledged notebook thanks to an optional docking station, while the Eee Slate EP121 is a 12.1-inch tablet powered by an Intel Core i5 dual-core processor. However, it is the 10.1-inch Eee Pad Slider that really stands out with the inclusion of a unique full QWERTY sliding keyboard design. Read More A.N.T. Aid Necessities Transporter concept vehicle A multi-purpose vehicle capable of delivering emergency housing and supplies to disaster areas then rapidly returning to base ready for another mission – that is the concept behind the Aid Necessities Transporter (A.N.T.). The idea takes inspiration from it's namesake in the insect world – creating more than just a unique concept vehicle but an entirely new aid distribution system. The A.N.T has been designed to traverse rough terrain that would be impossible for conventional trucks to navigate, delivering supply pods and temporary shelter to disaster stricken communities. The vehicle then transforms itself into a low-profile form for a swift return to headquarters. Read More Lexar's world-first 128GB Class 10 SDXC memory card Lexar has announced an industry-first 128GB, Class 10 Professional Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC) card. Aimed at professional photographers and videographers shooting in 1080p, the cards are rated at 133x, which translates to a minimum guaranteed transfer speed of 20MB per second. Read More CO2 could be used in 'green' plastic production Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has certainly become an environmental concern in recent years, but researchers from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology are now experimenting with a process that uses CO2 to process plastic products in an environmentally-friendly fashion. They have discovered that by compressing the gas, it can be used to impregnate plastic objects with dyes, antibacterial compounds, or other substances. Traditionally, toxic solvents have been used for coloring plastic items. Read More Italian firm creates 'transparent cement' Visitors to last year’s World Expo in Shanghai might have noticed that the outer walls of the Italian pavilion were kind of... unusual. Although they felt solid, and looked like concrete when viewed from an angle, light was able to pass through them. How was it possible? They were made from what the Italcementi Group refers to as “transparent cement,” and has trademarked as i.light. It’s definitely a unique substance, as it blurs the line between wall and window. Read More Let's twist again: The Teti Extreme Loudspeakers Italian design is renowned for being both bold and daring, with an eye for quality too. The Teti Extreme Loudspeakers from Book of Music are no exception. Named after the Greek sea nymph Thetis, mother of Achilles, the twisted towers stand some 4.75 feet (1.45 meters) high and sport a couple of high end Scan-Speak drivers. The structure is made up of identical modules rotating about a vertical axis, and is said to be the result of much tweaking and refinement to ensure that the drivers maintain a balanced phase relationship. Read More Synthesizer, sequencer, and multitrack editor squeezed into one handheld unit Japan's CyberStep has announced its expansion into the music business, with the development of the KDJ-ONE portable digital audio workstation (DAW). The device brings a synthesizer, sequencer, and multitrack audio editing into one unit, which sees user interaction via a touchscreen, a keypad, arrow pad and jog control. The mobile DAW is powered by an Atom processor, has included SSD storage and microSD expansion, and benefits from USB and Wireless LAN connectivity. Read More DanKam app clears up color blind confusion Best known for discovering security flaws in online systems, Dan Kaminsky has recently announced the development and release of a smartphone app to help with color blindness. DanKam takes the colors that cause viewing problems and applies filters to make them visible. The system is currently optimized for the most common form of color vision deficiency, although users are encouraged to customize and tweak the augmented reality app to try and find settings that work best for them. Read More ASUS and PrimeSense to bring motion-control to the PC PrimeSense, the company behind Kinect's 3D sensor, is teaming up with Taiwanese manufacturer ASUS to bring us what might be the next big motion-control entertainment system for consumers. The WAVI Xtion (pronounced "WAVI action") utilizes a pair WAVI boxes to stream media from PC to TV and an Xtion sensor near your TV set to to bring gesture control into the mix. Read More Tiny Swiftpoint mouse designed for use on laptops Laptop users who work on the move usually find themselves having to use the trackpad more than they'd like. It's useful in tight spaces but it's not half as comfortable or useful as a real mouse. The Swiftmouse is said to provide all of the functionality and ease of use associated with a standard mouse, combined with the comfort of a stylus or pen, in a format that lends itself to being used in situations where space is limited. The wireless micro-mouse also benefits from magnetic docking and charging and some rapid scroll wizardry. Read More If you would like to refer this newsletter to a friend or colleague, please point them at our free subscription page. Please don't try to forward this email, as the formatting is unlikely to remain intact. And don't worry, we don't share email addresses. Please read our privacy policy if you are concerned. Watch for more of the best new innovations, ideas and practical technologies in your inbox. You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at http://www.gizmag.com. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter please click here to unsubscribe. COPYRIGHT GIZMAG (C) 2011