prototyping

Do-it-all carb cooker prototype smart as a whistle

Industrial designer Mathew Lau has created a smart-looking, compact little carb cooker. Taking a break from his day gig of designing Bluetooth headsets, his new project is doubtful to receive as many strange looks as the hands-free headsets generate. It may be innovative and cool looking, but you (most likely) aren't gonna look like a crazy person while cooking with it.

Inspired by the shape of wheat and about the size of a kettle, the stylish little cooker is designed to cook rice or pasta anywhere. The prototype sports an onboard microprocessor that adjusts the cooking power as needed. … Read more

A battery-free remote control

SMK has a prototype TV remote that tosses out the batteries, relying on kinetic energy instead to work.

According to the literature, the channels, volume control and On/Off power switch are controlled by working a trigger on the handle. When pulled, an electromagnetic induction coil rotates at high speed by means of gears. This, in turn, generates a current of 20-30mA--sufficient to change the channel via infrared light. Two consecutive pulls will turn the TV on or off, while volume control is activated by pulling the trigger and pushing a button simultaneously.

Of course, don't expect any fancy … Read more

Wacky dual-screen laptop prototype for sale

Eagle-eyed eBay watchers latched onto an auction this morning for a bizarre dual-screen laptop, made by a company called Xentex. According to the eBay page, this is a semifunctional prototype, but this system was actually sold briefly in 2003, as the $5,000 Flip-pad Voyager.

It features two 13-inch screens, side-by-side, and each screen can pivot around individually, like a convertible tablet. The whole thing looks to be about the size of an HP HDXdesktop replacement.

Bidding is up to $405 right now, but the auction runs until May 29, so there's still plenty of time. Of course, you … Read more

125-inch plasma throws a curve

NEC made a splash when it showed off its 42-inch curved display at CES earlier this year, but there are others in the works that make it seem downright puny. Take Shinoda Plasma, for example. The Japanese manufacturer has trotted out a 125-inch prototype that's not only flexible but just 1 millimeter thick and weighing only 8 pounds. It's reminiscent of that wraparound OLED screen we saw from Sony a year ago, though the plasma obviously uses different technology.

Shinoda's prototype falls a bit shy of a 142-inch promise it made last year, as Engadget notes, but … Read more

Photos: Prototype concept cars

While some concept cars look as if they come from a future that never will be, others represent cars that will actually go into production. We've gathered the most realistic concept cars from the last auto show season to see how the near future will look.

Click here for photos of concept cars that could or will enter production.

Autodesk add-in models 'green' goods to come

Software plays a key role in the clean-tech world, whether helping consumers size up their carbon footprints and crunch the costs of solar panels, or aiding manufacturers in reducing toxicity throughout the supply chain.

Autodesk unveiled an add-in in April to enable designers using prototyping software Inventor to calculate the carbon emissions of an array of products.

The Sustainable Materials Assistant, available as a preview through Autodesk Labs, also adds up data about the toxicity and recyclability of materials used, and how the final result might comply with regional regulations.

Users must populate data fields with information about toxic ingredients, … Read more

CES: LG's Prototype - Dick Tracy called and wants his phone back

Like moths to a flame, CES attendees were drawn to LG's prototype of Dick Tracy's wristwatch cell phone updated (of course).

Based on currently available information, it's Bluetooth and GSM-based. It would have to be Bluetooth enabled, otherwise you'd look quite odd talking on the phone. No release date, no cost, no lack of interest. But here, at least is a picture.

Assessment: The watch phone would be coveted (if the crowds even near closing time were indicative) but the downside is that you'd definitely have to use a Bluetooth headset if you were out … Read more

Dell's 16-inch XPS prototype is a glimpse of the future

There's a well-worn axiom in journalism that finding three examples of the same thing in short order officially constitutes a trend. With that in mind, take a look at this prototype Dell XPS laptop being shown under glass at the Dell booth. It's a 16-inch laptop, called the XPS 630i, and the unusual size displays images in a true 16:9 screen ratio (like your HDTV), rather than the 16:10 screen ratio found in most 14.1-, 15.4- and 17-inch laptop displays.

While Dell is the only PC maker showing off a 16-inch prototype to the … Read more

DoCoMo prototype phone could pay the bills

If NTT DoCoMo had its way, one day in the future users might be able to make electronic payments via their mobile phone while the handset remains in their pocket.

The Japanese cell phone operator this week showed off a prototype equipped with a sensor developed by Kaiser Technology that can send electric signals through the human body. Practical uses include opening doors to secure areas without flashing security cards or programmed personal preferences such as drivers' seat and steering wheel angles.

All these are still hanging in the air, though, as the company isn't sure if the technology … Read more