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There's a simple reason that large flat-screen TVs have gained in popularity, and it's not just the cool factor. Even before their prices of plasmas and LCDs began to come down, longtime home theater enthusiasts simply got tired of their impractical projectors, which couldn't be used in the daytime without blacking out the room.

The "Supernova Screen," however, might bring be reason enough for some to switch back. Made by Danish company DNP, the screen uses a special filter to absorb light that would otherwise wash it out. At the same time, according to Electronista, … Read more

Blog noise earlier this week documented news from the recent Electronic Home Expo that Windows Vista-based CableCard recordings will come with some heavy restrictions on what you can do with those files. As CE Pro reported, the only way you'll be able to send CableCard-recorded content to another display is if that display is connected to a Windows Media Center Extender. You can't send it to another PC on your home network, for example. Blogger Chris Lanier followed up that report with his own, declaring that you also won't be able to put CableCard recordings on a … Read more

If you love your favorite gamer so much that you're willing to plunk down four grand for him (or her) this holiday season, then here's something you might be interested in. Kotaku recently wrote about this 100-inch video arcade center from Dream Arcades that comes with just about everything from a DLP projector to a bunch of games from brands like Atari and Namco. Only problem is, I don't see a rifle. If I'm going to pay $4,000 for an all-inclusive arcade center, it had better be compatible with Big Buck Hunter Pro.

So you've been meaning to waterproof your iPod but haven't gotten around to it. And now the rainy season has begun, and you're afraid of getting it wet.

Why not just watch your videos on the umbrella? That's what researchers at Tokyo's Keio University do, with their invention called the "Pileus": a system that projects photos and videos onto your open brolly. According to Plastic Bamboo, it can even stream Flickr photos and YouTube videos directly through a Wi-Fi connection.

We assume the university won't be held responsible for the sidewalk accidents … Read more

Comedy Central pundit Stephen Colbert has taken on every Internet phenomenon from Wikipedia to Gawker Media. Now, thanks to a YouTube link from Gizmodo, you can see the "Colbert Report" host admit his addiction to Nintendo's Wii because it lets him live out his fantasy of pummeling future House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Naturally, Colbert's confession of Wii love might get some heat because it involved, well, beating up a woman. This female Craver, however, is pretty sure that with a little bit of practice she could take on Mr. Colbert and make him cry like … Read more

Writing about gadgets around the holidays can get pretty hectic--hello, PlayStation3!--but there are some pretty cool perks. Take Tuesday night, for example, when the DigitalLife folks (the ones who organized the big tech trade show last month) invited a host of NYC-area reporters to Manhattan's fashionable Nikki Midtown bar and lounge for a packed evening of consumer tech. The agenda included a press conference from TiVo featuring CEO Tom Rogers, as well as a showcase of some products that people may or may not be craving this holiday season. Oh, yeah, there was free food, too.

The general … Read more

OK, we're confused (even more than usual). When we first saw the headline for this item on Red Ferret--"Shower Security Cam"--we thought it was something that would keep an eye on the kids or the front door while you bathed. Simple enough.

But then we noticed the image on the device's screen, which appears to be the person in the shower, not those being surveilled on the outside. And the transmission can be viewed wireless on a computer and a VCR. So rather than speculate on its intended (or unintended) uses, we'll just … Read more

It's not too often that iPod accessories make you feel like you've just stepped into a slick sci-fi spy movie. But the Myvu Personal Media Viewer from MicroOptical sure does. This $299 device is a piece of eyewear with attached earbuds that lets you view your iPod's video content on a screen in front of you. It plugs right into a video media player or compatible cell phone and lets you view video that, according to the company, appears to you as though you were two meters away from a 27-inch TV. Plus, it comes with a … Read more

One remote control shall rule them all.

Early next year, at least one unnamed consumer electronics company will release the Loop, a ring-shaped remote control that lets you navigate by pointing at icons on the TV screen, rather than scrolling and clicking through TV listings. The device translates hand motions into cursor movements.

The technology behind the Loop was created by Hillcrest Labs.

In remotes, buttons are out. Pointing is in. Nintendo's Wii game console will come with a hand-held controller that does the same. Meanwhile, GeoVector has come up with a software application for cellphones that lets users … Read more