Nanovision’s compact 7-inch MIMO LCD displays, which use DisplayLink technology to connect to your PC via USB, at first seemed a pleasure limited to the Korean market. SlashGear have been talking with the company, however, and we can exclusively tell you that the Nanovision MIMO UM-710 and UM-730 are both headed to the US, UK, Italy and Japan.
Spec details and preliminary pricing after the cut
The UM-710 and UM-730 are both widescreen aspect running at 800 x 480, with a 400:1 contrast ratio and 350cd/m2 brightness. Connecting via USB 2.0, they’re a plug & play way to add extra display space to your computer; the UM-730 also includes an integrated webcam, microphone and stereo speakers. What seemingly won’t be available outside of Korea is the UM-750, which has a touchscreen and integrated DMB TV tuner.
In the UK the two displays are already available to preorder, priced at £85.76 for the UM-710 and £105.74 for the UM-730. Pricing and distribution partners in the US and elsewhere haven’t been confirmed; we’ll let you know as soon as we hear. Shipping should begin in all four areas in the first week of December.
It’s always interesting to see the various iterations of a gadget’s design, before it reaches the shelves in all its shiny splendor, and today it’s the family album of WowWee’s Rovio mobile WiFi webcam robot. Released at the beginning of October, the Rovio hasn’t always had its Stealth Bomber-style, as these balsa prototypes from RoboCommunity prove.
The first prototype, shown above, was simply a WiFi-enabled pan & tilt webcam mounted on top of a hacked together WowWee tri-wheeled base. Later versions of the design begin to look more similar to the end-product; the first image, above, has the familiar casing shape, but lacks the WiFi.
That was added to the prototype below. Future versions introduced the NorthStar “internal GPS” navigation system and then explored different casing finishes. What’s particularly great about Rovio is that WowWee have left plenty of space - and scope - for DIY modders to add their own tweaks.
You might remember this virtual nerd girlfriend from several months back. The Dennou AR Figures virtual 3D girlfriends are for those extra lonely nerds who don’t get out much. I think the idea is that you would want to check in on her now and then, apply spankings as needed and occasionally give her gifts, all safe in the knowledge that she can’t run or call the cops.
You install webcam software and when your camera detects the special cube onscreen, it puts a 3D companion into your environment. It’s available right now in Japan for $125. And we don’t want to know what you two do in your spare time. A slightly NSFW video below
Liked the look of Mvix’s dual-drive RAID NAS but need room for a third hard-drive? Thecus Technology may have the network-attached storage for you, then, in the shape of the N3200PRO. With space for three SATA HDDs for total capacity of up to 3TB, the 160 x 170 x 215mm box offers home and small business users not only the convenience of a media server but the speed and data redundancy benefits of RAID 5.
RAID 5 differs from the more usual array setups in entry-level NAS by combining both striping and mirroring. The former increases performance while the latter ensures that even if one drive dies the data is not lost. However it requires three HDDs, and as such the more common dual-drive RAID 1 array is seen.
The N3200PRO uses an AMD Geode processor and has an LCD display for status updates. As well as standard data, it can be used as a DLNA, UPnP or iTunes media server; plug in a USB webcam and it will automatically record images periodically. Alternatively, the addition of a WiFi dongle means wireless users can connect as well as wired.
No pricing or availability details have been give for the Thecus Technology N3200PRO, but you can find more details here.
Back when the WowWee Rovio was first announced we knew it would prove to be a popular platform for modders and robotics fanatics to adapt. The three-wheeled remote WiFi camera-bot has only been available for a few weeks, and already we’re seeing the first hacks come in. Today, it’s the turn of Rudolph at RoboCommunity; a straightforward tweak, perhaps, but a sensible one - adding LED lights to the remote-controlled webcam “head”.
While Rovio does have headlights (which you can remotely switch on and off to save power) they’re mounted in the front bumper. No problem if what you want to look at is at floor-level, but if you’re peering upward into the darkness then they’re less effective. Rudolph’s hack basically fits two bright white LEDs either side of the camera lens, wired in with the original lights so they can be switched on and off at command.
As an aside, in one of the photos below you can see just how much spare space there appears to be inside of Rovio. Plenty of room for lots more mobile equipment, and since Rovio can find its own way back to the recharging station extra power draw isn’t as much a concern as if you were footing the bill for standard AA’s.
Web cams have just gone all view-master on us. The Minoru looks like a super-cute Japanese robot and is designed to deliver the Internet experience in 3D. The stereo webcam uses two lenses to form one image that appears three-dimensional…when the viewer wears a pair of 3D glasses. When are we gonna get beyond these nerd glasses?
It’s compatible with chat services like Skype, AIM, and Windows Live Messenger. Apparently the device can take 3D photos and output 3D video that’s uploadable to YouTube too. He’s part E.T., part Wall-E and he’ll be on sale in December for $100.
I’ve always been fascinated with 3D technology. I remember putting on those red and blue glasses as a kid and squinting at the TV in hopes of seeing something cool. But now you can experience three-dimensional awesomeness straight from your webcam.
The Minoru 3D is a Japanese webcam that features two lenses spaced at about human eye width apart. Meaning “reality,” Minoru attempts to bring the look and feel of realness to your webcam videos. However, in filming, it mixes the images from both lenses together so viewing with the naked eye is atrocious.
That means you have to wear those same funky glasses! I’m all for nostalgia, but you’d think we’d have moved past them by now. If you’re still intrigued by the Minoru, however, you can get your own come December for under $100.
From the huge to the tiny; these Nanovision MIMO displays are a mere 7-inches running at 800 x 480 widescreen resolution, and - like the Century Japan LCD-4300U we saw last week - connect via USB 2.0 rather than demanding a second graphics card. Two versions are on offer, each supporting rotation from landscape to portrait orientation.
The base model, UM-710, is merely a 7-inch LCD sub-display, ideal for dragging across toolbars and media players. The UM-750, meanwhile, adds a touchscreen layer, webcam and integrated DMB TV tuner.
Of course, that won’t be much good if you’re not in Korea, but since the two MIMO displays are currently only available in that country there won’t be too many disappointed children come Christmas morning. The UM-710 retails at 98,000 KRW ($78) while the UM-750 is a surprisingly low 183,000 KRW ($147) through Funshop Korea.
You might remember this 
Web cams have just gone all view-master on us. The Minoru looks like a super-cute Japanese robot and is designed to deliver the Internet experience in 3D. The stereo webcam uses two lenses to form one image that appears three-dimensional…when the viewer wears a pair of 3D glasses. When are we gonna get beyond these nerd glasses? 
