Without Nbc Programming: Apple’s Original iPhone, 1983

Apple may have just brought their first touchscreen phone to the market, but here is the original rendition of an Apple phone from 1983. Designed by Hartmut Esslinger—the same mind behind the Apple IIc portable computer—we don’t think it was actually called an “iPhone,” but it sure makes a hell of a headline. Hit the jump for a bonus shot.

Actually, I’d like to see this concept reworked with advanced conversation logging/transcription. If only Apple had the voice recognition to match their touchscreens.

Without Nbc Programming: Apple’s Original iPhone, 1983

Apple may have just brought their first touchscreen phone to the market, but here is the original rendition of an Apple phone from 1983. Designed by Hartmut Esslinger—the same mind behind the Apple IIc portable computer—we don’t think it was actually called an “iPhone,” but it sure makes a hell of a headline. Hit the jump for a bonus shot.

Actually, I’d like to see this concept reworked with advanced conversation logging/transcription. If only Apple had the voice recognition to match their touchscreens.

NTT Kicks Ass: Super 3G to Blast 300Mbps, Making EV-DO Look Like Horse and Buggy

NTT DoCoMo is about to make even speedy 3.1Mbps EV-DO (Rev. A) look like a horse and buggy, experimenting with a Super 3G wireless network system that could blast data through the air at speeds of 300Mbps. That’s fast. And somebody do the math, but that sounds like it’s about a zillion times faster than the poky 80kbps (or fanboy-tastically optimistic 200kbps real-world maximum) of the shit-slow EDGE network. How in the world are these NTT eggheads doing this?

For one thing, the Japanese experimenters are using four multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas at the same time on both the transmission and receiving side. But this is not something people are using to download HD videos to their cellphones today. The company says its development process will probably be complete by 2009. And from the looks of that diagram above, you’ll need some serious paraphernalia on the sending and receiving side to use this tech, deskside units that don’t exactly look like mobile phones.

Now all these NTT dudes have to do is figure out how to shoehorn all that big iron into a container the size of a thimble. [Unwired View]

Router Wars: Belkin N1 Vision Router Makes 802.11n Sexier Than Ever With Built-In Screen

Belkin’s latest N1 series router, the N1 Vision, isn’t just hands-down the smokiest 802.11n draft 2.0 router we’ve seen—it tries to one-up everyone else with a built-in LCD screen that displays info ranging from a bandwidth speedometer to the number of neighbors leeching your internet. At $200, the sexiness doesn’t come cheap, but it can be yours later this month. More details after the jump.

•Interactive network display •Plug-and-Play “CD-less” setup •Operating Range: Up to 1,600 ft.** •Link Rate: Up to 300Mbps in 20/40MHz channel mode •Compatible with IEEE 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11n draft 2.0*, 802.3ab •Ports: WAN – 1 Gigabit port; LAN – 4 Gigabit ports •Security: Wi-Fi Protected Setup™; WPA™, WPA2™; 64-/128-bit WEP encryption; multiple SSID •VPN Support: PPTP; IPSec pass-through

China: Chinese Plane Developed that Flies Close to the Waves

Chinese scientists have reportedly developed a plane that flies less than two feet above the surface of the sea. With speeds of up to 300kph (186mph) the new plane, known as Wing In Ground, can carry up to four tonnes on take-off while using half as much fuel as a normal aircraft does. And the boffins behind the project are planning on developing a prototype that can shift 200 to 400 tonnes within a decade.

Associate Professor Xu Zhengyu is the vice-president of the research team at Shanghai’s Tongji University. He claims the WIG is just as safe as ships, but can travel five or six times faster than a water-based craft.

As well as the gigantic cargo planes, there are plans for a 50-seater version by 2013, and Xu did not rule out the possibilities of military and border control WIGs, as the State Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defence have green-lit the project.

The name of the aircraft refers to the reduction in drag experienced by an aircraft at a height of around two wingspans above the ground or any other level surface, such as water. The China Daily newspaper has explained it further. “Taking advantage of the aerodynamics of the ground effect, which adds extra lift when flying at very low altitudes, the aircraft can fly close to the water’s surface,” it said.

“This cuts back at least one third on fuel consumption, compared with standard planes of the same size, because the plane can benefit from air buoyancy.”

There is, however, one potential set-back. China’s Civil Aviation Administration has yet to pronounce on flying at low altitudes – there are, as yet, no regulations. [Brisbane Times]

Water Spectacle: Digital Water Pavilion Planned for Zaragoza Expo 2008 is H2O-wsome

This is the Digital Water Pavilion, designed by a bunch of MIT brainiacs for Expo Zaragoza in Spain next year. Its walls are curtains of water controlled by software which, in turn, controls valves that allow the water to make gaps at specific locations.

The pavilion, which will house a cafe, public area, and exhibition space, will be covered by a roof that lowers in the case of too much wind, and the front of the building will be used as a display screen, with text, pictures and patterns all being made by the water.

Liquid pixels is the phrase being bandied about here. “To understand the concept of digital water, imagine something like an inkjet printer on a large scale, which controls droplets of falling water,” explains Carlo Ratti, who is the head of MIT’s SENSEable City Laboratory.

Magical stuff. The technology behind all of this is so sophisticated that sensors will detect the approach of people and part the water, rather like Moses was meant to have done in the Red Sea, so that they can enter the building at any part of the wall.

The project, which is to be undertaken with about a gazillion partners (check the credits page on the water pavilion’s website, it’s not dissimilar to the credits in Lord Of The Rings) is to illustrate the potential of digital water as a medium. William J. Mitchell, the head of MIT’s Design Laboratory, calls the pavilion “provocative,” claiming that it subverts fundamental architecture rules. I’ll just sit there open-mouthed and dribble.

by Addy Dugdale

Concept: Cellphone Transforms Into Deadly Robot

Check out this transforming cellphone concept found over at Parkoz Hardware. It turns into a little bi-pedal bot, complete with twin miniguns. Definitely reminiscent of scenes from Michael Bay’s Tranformers, with a little bit of Batteries Not Included, Short Circuit, and Robocop (ED-209, anyone?) Koreans get the coolest cellphones, so it figures their concepts are going to be kick-ass, too. Video of the miniguns chewing up a desk, post jump.

by Brian Lam

Nifty application to remote access your computer

I browsed and go ogled for lot of remote access applications which are free, elegant and secure; moreover, ease of use. I found this site very interactive, secure, reliable and innovative.

There is one more site wherein we can login remotely to access our friends computers, of course with their approval and will. It is logmein, however, it is nice but one has to register and start using it.

Logmein uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) whereas Showmypc uses SSH (Secure Shell Host) which is 20 times more reliable than the previous one.

Besides, it does not require any username to be created, download a small file of around 1 MB and get on your feet to stay connected to other computers remotely. It takes approximately 8K processes on Windows.

Thumbs up for this nifty tool which is open source, only for open-minded people.

Aviary is a platform ecosystem for people who create. It is organized around a suite of rich internet applications geared for artists of all genres. From image editing to typography to music to 3D to video, we have a tool for everything.

When completed, Aviary will consist of 14 online tools of varying complexity: an image editor, color swatch generator, pattern generator, vector-based editor, 3D modeler, audio editor, music generator, video editor, desktop publishing tool, word processor, painting simulator, custom image product creator, photo analyzer, and file system to store it all on. Each of the applications is programmed in Flex, making them ready to meld with your desktop upon Adobe AIR’s public release. Adding an artsy twist, each tool will be named after a different bird.

All items created in these programs will be stored on their own file system called Rookry. From there, artists will be able to sell their creations on the open market. Even small pieces, such as patterns or sound effects will be marketable. If the works are made within Aviary, buyers will have the security of knowing they are buying an original work. If they incorporate outside content, they will be flagged as such. From within Aviary’s platform artists will also be able also create derivative works while maintaining attribution and royalty rights upon sale.

The team will be releasing the tools as they’re completed. They’re already showing some pretty serious results with their image editor (Phoenix), Vector Editor (Raven), and 3D editor (Hummingbird)

Aviary is a platform ecosystem for people who create. It is organized around a suite of rich internet applications geared for artists of all genres. From image editing to typography to music to 3D to video, we have a tool for everything.

When completed, Aviary will consist of 14 online tools of varying complexity: an image editor, color swatch generator, pattern generator, vector-based editor, 3D modeler, audio editor, music generator, video editor, desktop publishing tool, word processor, painting simulator, custom image product creator, photo analyzer, and file system to store it all on. Each of the applications is programmed in Flex, making them ready to meld with your desktop upon Adobe AIR’s public release. Adding an artsy twist, each tool will be named after a different bird.

All items created in these programs will be stored on their own file system called Rookry. From there, artists will be able to sell their creations on the open market. Even small pieces, such as patterns or sound effects will be marketable. If the works are made within Aviary, buyers will have the security of knowing they are buying an original work. If they incorporate outside content, they will be flagged as such. From within Aviary’s platform artists will also be able also create derivative works while maintaining attribution and royalty rights upon sale.

The team will be releasing the tools as they’re completed. They’re already showing some pretty serious results with their image editor (Phoenix), Vector Editor (Raven), and 3D editor (Hummingbird)