Apple iPhone 5 - Oct. 7th

Rumors speculate an extended release date of October 7th. This concept has some amazing features that no other phones out can compare with. I'm excited to see what software makes the cut. ㋡

Digitally-Enhanced iPad2 Interactive Chandelier

Last week design firm Rockwell Group's interactive team, The Lab completed their latest project aptly-named The Build Up!. The one-night-only install came in the form of a four-sided hanging screen, designed and built for the 25th Anniversary National Building Museum Honor Award Gala in Washington D.C. Using iPad software and projection apps customized with openFramework for the project, the 18' x 18' geometric structure displayed animated colorful cityscapes high above the guests at the event.

But the installation was more than just a digitally-enhanced chandelier. Guests were encouraged to interact with the skyline (and one another) by using one of four iPad 2-embedded pedestals to create miniature buildings, forming a virtual metropolis of epic proportions. As guests tap and play using the specialized iPad apps, skyscrapers sprout up in bright hues, creating nearly instant interactive gratification. With the proper amount of feverous construction, the cities really come to life as virtual balloons, blimps, and fireworks erupt to celebrate users' architectural accomplishments. ㋡

Kyocera ECHO

The Echo has two 3.5″ touchscreens, which can form a single fully fuctional 4.7″ display at 960 x 800 resolution, perfect for viewing videos or using two apps at once. Kyocera has a patent on the engineering involved with the dual-screen viewing. (Available through Sprint)

The PEEL App

Anyone who has spent too much time surfing through countless television channels knows that, despite the thousands of options, finding something worthwhile to watch can be a challenge. This is why fuseproject has developed an iPhone app called “Peel”. The application learns what programming interests you most and then tells you what’s on television, filtering out channels that don’t match your preferences. The Peel app also features a receptor with a sleek, modern design available in three different fruit-shaped forms (apple, pear or orange) that relays your iPhone signal to your television, allowing you to use the phone as a remote for easy channel surfing.

The SOLOWHEEL

For the “lazy than-a-mug” and the walking impaired, I present to you a $1500, stripped-down SEGWAY, INVENTIST’s new SOLOWHEEL is geared for the mobile urbanite. The "self-balancing electric unicycle" operates through gyroscopic technology, with a 1000-watt rechargeable lithium-ion battery powers. On a full charge (which takes about 45 minutes), the Solowheel lasts two hours—but the battery actually recaptures energy when going downhill.

Basic Vocab - Come Get With It

Weighing only 20 pounds and consisting of little more than a simple wheel with a fold-up foot platform on either side, you can easily throw it in bag once you reach your destination, or carry it by the handle. 

Touch Screen Everything ☞ VENDING MACHINE ☜

The digital vending machine features a 47-inch touchscreen display with a camera mounted at its top. Sensory data is interpreted by an internal processor to recognize the sex and estimate the age of an individual who approaches the device, displaying recommendations based on this data. selecting a product brings up additional information about it prior to purchase.

Innovative for its use of targeted marketing through the visual analysis, “acure” makes use of its intelligent marketing' system even when not in use by a customer, to display advertising imagery appropriate to the time of day, temperature, and season. For example, the product showcased shown on a cold morning might be a hot coffee,
while on a sunny summer day, a glass of ice water or a soda with lime.

now about six months into the projected installation plan, the company has calculated that their machines make approximately three times the number of sales of other vending machines.

one of the great advantages to a digital machine is that it is updatable in realtime. replacing stock is a precise process, as the machine relays its needs to its central server, which dispatches deliveries once a day, and any sold out products are not included in the display in the meantime. because multiple 'acure' machines can be centrally controlled, they can be used in emergency situations to provide free beverages.

'acure' is also suica-compatible, referring to the ability of metro system riders to use their transit system passes as debit cards.

the first machine was installed in shinagawa station last august, and the company's plans to install
approximately 500 machines by march 2012 are already underway throughout tokyo.