Sharp's remote controlled LED light-bulbs generate seven-shades of smart

While you're replacing your household incandescent light-bulbs with LEDs in a bid to save energy and possibly cash (over the 40,000-hour lifespan) you might want to consider these remote-controlled lamps from Sharp. The DL-L60AV gives you on/off and dimming functions as well as the ability to adjust the light in seven shades of white to warm up or cool down the glow. Best of all, they screw into a standard E26 socket for a one-to-one exchange with your existing ocean warmers. The features of the remote control are still unclear (lighting zone support, range of operation, etc.) but it appears to work with multiple-lamps in parallel which is a nice touch. However, we'd like to see Sharp integrate a Z-Wave or ZigBee chipset so we could link these directly (without special wall-switches) into a tricked-out home automation and power managment system. The DL-series start at ¥3880 (about $40) for simple LED lights before hitting ¥7980 (about $82) for the fully-equipped DL-L60AV and begin shipping July 15th in Japan.

[via engadget]

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Researchers ditch DLP, develop OLED panel-based mini projector

Looking for a way to differentiate among the ever-expanding niche of pocket projectors, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF) of Germany are working on an OLED panel-based mini projector, using static optical systems and not the usual reflective system à la DLP. Currently being shown at SID Display Week 2009, the decidedly green picture (seems to be the norm with OLED prototypes these days) forms via a 6-inch VGA screen from 30 to 50 centimeters away, and the machine itself takes up just about ten cubic centimeters of space. Despite all the faith, there's still the rather nasty problem of luminance, which the scientists estimate needs to be about four or five times as bright as current levels -- but hey, you gotta start somewhere, right?

[via engadget]

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Cessna to offer Aircell high-speed internet on Citation private jets

While Aircell's high-speed in-flight internet service and other similar options are quickly becoming commonplace on commercial airlines, folks on private jets have so far had nothing to do but sit in their plush leather seats and drown their sorrows in a selection from the on-board wine cabinet. That dire situation now looks to be changing, however, as Cessna has just announced a partnership with Aircell that'll see the 3G-based in-flight WiFi service available as a factory option on its Citation XLS+, Citation Sovereign and Citation X business jets. As if that wasn't enough, it seems that the upgrade may even be eligible for bonus tax depreciation under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, so really, you might as well just get that new plane. It practically pays for itself.

[via engadget]

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Matching IDs suggest fake matte iPhones may not have been so fake

You'd think -- starting from the moment you saw the glossy sheen of the iPhone 3G S to the waning seconds of this year's WWDC keynote when you realized that there would be no magical second model announced -- that the near-constant drone of matte iPhone rumors leading up to this week's festivities were all fake. But were they really? It's been astutely noted by @cabel (yes, we just threw out a Twitter handle there) that the matte black backing seen last month has totally matching information -- model number and FCC ID alike -- with the actual device. We suppose it could just be an unfinished component, but as Daring Fireball notes, this could mean that Apple toyed with a matte finish early in the 3G S' design but ultimately abandoned it -- or even more intriguingly, it could've been a unique one-off trap designed to identify leakers who'd otherwise tried to hide their identities. It sounds like a pretty far-fetched conspiracy theory at first, yes -- but we're aware of at least one wireless carrier that actively puts out bogus information to achieve the same effect, and you might remember that Microsoft was rumored to have done the same thing with prototype Zunes back in the day. Either way, it's a crying shame, because that glossless finish has left an indelible mark on our hearts that won't soon heal.

[via engadget]

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Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit gets its own specifications breakdown

Generally speaking, we don't much care about the nuts and bolts behind a thrill ride. If it thrills, it's a winner; if not, it's a failure. But the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is a horse of a different color, and being that it's described as the planet's most technologically advanced coaster, we figured it prudent to pass along the details that only true nerds could appreciate. For starters, each rider will have access to a touchpad in order to select their own ride soundtrack from a 30 song library. There's also a half dozen cameras in the ride vehicle alongside eight others along the track, all of which combine to assemble a take-home video of the experience if you'd like. Speaking of, check out the demo vid just past the break, and look for this to open to the public later this summer.

[via engadget]

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Video: MakerBot's build-it-yourself 3D printer in action, replicator in the works

We just bumped into the MakerBot industries folks and got a quick look at the CupCake CNC rapid prototyping machine (3D printer, for us luddites). The thing extrudes Lego-type plastic into fairly detailed shapes, and MakerBot sells it as a kit for $750, or fully assembled for $2,500. What's most exciting is that the MakerBot folks are now working on a 3D scanner kit, which once combined with the CupCake CNC will make a full-on homegrown replicator. Diamond Age, here we come! A quick demo of the CupCake is after the break.

[via engadget]

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OCZ intros 2.5-inch Agility SSD line: 120GB for $349.99

OCZ Technology seems to always be toiling away on new solid state drives, but it's rare to find any from the company that are priced for the average Joe / Jane. Rather than aiming specifically for the fat-walleted enthusiast crowd, the Agility series is hoping to make a decent sized splash in the mainstream market. These 2.5-inch SATA II SSDs promise 230MB/sec read and 135MB/sec write speeds, along with 64MB of cache and a two-year warranty. We pinged OCZ for details surrounding pricing and availability, so here's the dirt: the trio of models will be available in a fortnight or so for $129.99 (30GB), $219.99 (60GB) and $349.99 (120GB).

[via engadget]

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