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Apple patent application reveals plans for external battery pack, spells further trouble for HyperMac

<img alt="" border="0" hspace="4" src="/applepatent-battpack-1301680985.jpg" vspace="4"> Way back in September of last year, Apple filed a patent-infringement suit against HyperMac, the folks behind these external batteries. At the time, it looked like Apple was protecting its patented MagSafe power connector, but a newly released USPTO application for a "Power Adapter with Internal Battery" might reveal a more accurate view of the company's litigious motivations. From the look of things, the outfit intends to make its mark on juicing solutions with what is basically a wall charger packing an internal battery. According to the patent filing, the contraption would include a processor for parceling energy to the host device as well as the adapter, and could also incorporate a supplemental energy source like a solar cell. Among other things, it would also communicate with the device being charged to allow users to monitor the juice stored in the extra battery. If the thing does end up making it to market, it looks like HyperMac could have a whole lot more trouble on its hands than a little patent-infringement suit.Apple patent application reveals plans for external battery pack, spells further trouble for HyperMac <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/01/apple-patent-application-reveals-plans-for-external-battery-pack/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">via</A>

Apple patent application reveals plans for external battery pack, spells further trouble for HyperMac

Way back in September of last year, Apple filed a patent-infringement suit against HyperMac, the folks behind these external batteries. At t...

Mission Motors reveals Mission R electric racing superbike, conceals price

<DIV class=separator style="CLEAR: both; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLS8tG5kzjy6rqUpbAoQj3KZsIMxbJucWbM7mflkqknxwSuH_5zCYqsdZAxGxMYMkwnZVmI1XkoqE0Uvli_v0odKYUMyojpdtObE06bINHPmBHni-PhUXK9ww3rCq18uNeq_w3041xpA/s1600/mission-r-motorcycle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLS8tG5kzjy6rqUpbAoQj3KZsIMxbJucWbM7mflkqknxwSuH_5zCYqsdZAxGxMYMkwnZVmI1XkoqE0Uvli_v0odKYUMyojpdtObE06bINHPmBHni-PhUXK9ww3rCq18uNeq_w3041xpA/s1600/mission-r-motorcycle.jpg"></A></DIV>Not impressed by the Mission One? We'd bother to ask when your last mental health checkup was, but at this point, it probably doesn't even matter. If there's an ounce of warm blood left in your body, chances are you'll be at least partly invigorated by Mission Motors' latest cycle, the Mission R. Hailed as the outfit's latest electric racing superbike, this slice of highway heaven packs 14.4 kWh and 141 horsepower in a package smaller than a modern 600cc sportbike, and for the gearheads in attendance, you'll be pleased to know that the liquid-cooled 3-phase AC Induction motor conjures up 115 ft-lbs of torque at the crank from 0 to 6400 RPM. Tim Prentice of Motonium is responsible for the chassis, and the entire bike is expected to make its debut early next year in the TTXGP racing series. As for a consumer price and ship date? Keep dreaming. On both fronts.

Mission Motors reveals Mission R electric racing superbike, conceals price

Not impressed by the Mission One? We'd bother to ask when your last mental health checkup was, but at this point, it probably doesn'...

Bugs 3D! producer reveals plans for 3D Meerkat movie

3DRadar recently caught up with Phil Streather, CEO at Principal Large Format and the producer of Bugs 3D! - one of the first major 3D IMAX movies back in 2003 that really showed the way forward for 3D entertainment. <img alt="Bugs" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/bugs02_555pxBLOG-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG> We were interested to find out a little bit more about Phil's own background, his thoughts on the developments in 3D since Bugs! first screened seven years ago and what he has in store for the future. 3DRadar: What was 3D technology and 3D filmmaking like back when you produced Bugs 3D! in the early noughties? Phil Streather: Bugs! was produced in 2003 by my company, Principal Large Format (PLF) and released in spring of 2003 by the films executive producers, SK Films of Toronto. The fundamental difference between then and now (aside from the fact that Bugs! was an IMAX movie) is that most 3D films were actually shot on film. Those films appeared mainly in special venues and IMAX theatres. With shooting on film, this makes it very hard to monitor on-set what is going on in terms of 3D. Thus you have to rely on the mathematical skills of the stereographer to get the 3D right. We had a brilliant team comprising Sean Phillips as our stereographer and the vast majority of the 3D in the film is bang-on, even by today's standards! Sean is of course equally happy shooting modern 3D with all the monitors, calculators and stereo image processors available. 3DR: How important was that movie for changing moviegoers perceptions about what was possible with 3D? PS: The main contribution Bugs! has made to the 3D pantheon in terms of its macro and micro photography. Film audiences had seen the world of insects in glorious close-up in microcosmos but never in 3D. It is 3D that really brings you into the world of the tiny and I am delighted to say that the designer of our specialty rigs and lenses for Bugs! was awarded the Gordon E Sawyer Oscar for his work. This is an accolade given each year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to "an individual in the motion picture industry whose technological contributions have brought credit to the industry." 3DR: What do you think have been the two or three main movies or new technologies that have driven the development of 3D in the last 5-10 years? PS: Three come to mind here. U23D showed us how amazing live action 3D could look. Whilst there are some visual effects during some songs by and large this is a full throttle action film. But, way more than just a concert film. Catherine Owens and Mark Pellington created the film as an experiment with new type of filming technology that was pioneered by film producer and general technology genius, Steve Schklair, CEO of 3ality Digital. Coraline moved stop motion animation into the next dimension by using single cameras on motion control platforms. They also moved the grammar of storytelling forward with the films' contrast between the flat world of the little girls real life and the rounded world of her life through a tunnel. Internationally renowned animation company, Aardman Animations are using the same single camera technique on upcoming 3D projects. And then there is Avatar – no need to add anything here! 3DR: For many general movie-goers, Avatar was the first big movie they saw in 3D? How important do you think Avatar and other major AAA movies from the likes of Disney/Pixar have been to push 3D into the mainstream? PS: 3D was heading into the mainstream before Avatar with films such as Meet the Robinsons and Monsters vs Aliens. Of course, these are full CGI films, but films none the less. Avatar is also 90% CGI but by using advanced motion capture, Director Cameron was able to convince us those digits were real! Avatar's staggering success cemented Hollywood's hunch that 3D is a good idea and is here to stay for a while. 3DR: What about 3D in the home? What are your thoughts on the latest 3D TVs? Do you think PS3 gaming will drive the uptake of 3D tech in the home – in addition to Sky 3D and 3D Blu-ray? PS: 3D in the home is a great idea. Bugs! is playing right now on the Sky 3D platform and one of my next films, Meerkats 3D, produced with Oxford Scientific Films for National Geographic / Sky will be on Sky 3D next spring – watch out for this! One of the TVs I prefer is one that uses passive glasses like the RealD ones in cinemas. I'm not a fan of shutter glasses and find them heavy, flickery and distracting. Rumour has it that there will be 3D TVs using RealD passive glasses which will be available in 2011 and I think that this is a good thing. At the moment there is no universality on glasses and Sony glasses won't work on Samsung TVs and they come with two pairs only. Additional pairs cost around $100 each. There's room for improvement here. I must admit that I've never played computer games. However, this said, my colleague and mate Julian Napier (also director of my other upcoming film, Carmen in 3D for RealD and Royal Opera House) plays loads of games and is a major fan of 3D. Though he does not do 3D games yet! This may drive the market but I would be surprised if he would let his children take over the 46-inch plasma screen in the sitting room to play 3D games – time will tell!

Bugs 3D! producer reveals plans for 3D Meerkat movie

3DRadar recently caught up with Phil Streather, CEO at Principal Large Format and the producer of Bugs 3D! - one of the first major 3D IMAX...

LG reveals new, extra-comfortable designer 3D glasses

Next year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is just around the corner, with 3D TV manufacturer LG revealing this week that it intends to launch a new range of designer 3D specs. LG's new 3D specs will ship with its new LG 3D TV range, of which we expect to see and hear a lot more about in Vegas next month. <img alt="LG designer 3d specs" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/LG%203d%20designers%20specs-420-90.jpg" title="LG designer 3d specs" width="420"></IMG> LG wants to make 3D TV a more stylish viewing experience, particularly for those fashionistas that might not like the nerd-core look of the current 3D specs design, by hiring designer Alain Mikli to help create its new range of 3D glasses. Mikli, for those that don't know, is a 'world-renowned French eyewear designer' with exclusive boutiques in New York, Paris and Milan. He has crafted the ergonomically designed 3D specs for LG from select metals and claims that the glasses have an optimum weight ratio which will make them far more comfortable to wear throughout lengthy 3D Blu-ray sessions at home next year. The glasses-designer has also fitted a nose pad on the front, so that the glasses sit more comfortably on the old beak, along with extra long tips so that they fit around the viewer's head more easily. Expect to hear a lot more from LG on its latest 3D TV range from CES 2011 in Las Vegas in early January.

LG reveals new, extra-comfortable designer 3D glasses

Next year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is just around the corner, with 3D TV manufacturer LG revealing this week that it intends to...

MSI reveals the R6870 Twin Frozr II

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/upgrades-and-peripherals/graphics-and-multimedia/graphics-cards/ati/msi_r6870-tfii-boxshot-resized-200-200.jpg"> MSI has announced the R6870 Twin Frozr II – with the latest addition to its AMD-toting graphics card range coming soon. The R6870 features the Twin Frozr II cooler found on MSI's Lightning and Hawk graphics cards. "The Twin Frozr II cooler found on the R6870 Twin Frozr II consists of a large Nickel-plated copper base heat sink with five SuperPipe equipped heat pipes connection to a high density aluminium fin array for excellent heat dissipation," explains MSI's release. Better than reference The DirectX 11 card apparently runs at 19 degrees centigrade cooler and 12.bdB lower sound volume than the reference card. "The R6870 Twin Frozr II gives you a better computing environment and more headroom to overclock your card with MSI's unique Afterburner version 2 software, adds MSI. "With the enhanced cooler performance and usage of Japanese solid capacitors MSI's R6870 becomes the best choice for everyone looking for a cool graphics card, low noise environment and expanded overclocking potential."

MSI reveals the R6870 Twin Frozr II

MSI has announced the R6870 Twin Frozr II – with the latest addition to its AMD-toting graphics card range coming soon. The R6870 features t...

Microsoft Kinect dismantled reveals two cameras, four microphones and a worthy fan

<a name="7904353968328731498"></A> <a href="file:///C:/Program%20Files/ABS/Auto%20Blog%20Samurai/data/Hacking%20Tricks/TechGeez/500x_kinect-teardown.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Microsoft-Kinect-Teardown/4066/1" border="0" src="/500xkinect-teardown.jpg"></A> This dissection and tear down of almost all relevantly anticipated devices were normal at all, and yes the guys at iFixit was always on the crime for grabbing early units then dismantling it to pieces, parts by parts. And this time their victim is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kinect-Sensor-Adventures-Xbox-360/dp/B002BSA298?ie=UTF8&tag=techgeezelate-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Microsoft's Kinect</A><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=techgeezelate-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002BSA298" width="1"> revealing a case of paranoidal-mentality over Xbox 360's red-ring-of death problems --yes, those excessive heat were dissipated by a very important part on the systems of sensors, a fan. Check out the summary relayed by Gizmodo via iFixit. <a name="more"></A>Now here is the summary of <a href="http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Microsoft-Kinect-Teardown/4066/1">iFixit</A> crime over Microsoft Kinect:Four microphones. Four! We've taken apart binaural devices before, but this is our first quadaural sensor setup!Three autofocus cameras: Two infrared cameras optimized for depth detection. One standard visual-spectrum camera used for visual recognition.An IR transmitting diode.A fan. For a 12-watt device, Microsoft seems very paranoid about heat dissipation. This is understandable considering the Xbox 360's red-ring-of death problems. This is a good thing for consumers, but we can't help but wonder if they've gone overboard in the cooling department.64 MB of Hynix DDR2 SDRAMA motor. This motor is nothing to write home about. It's quite tiny. Diminutive, even. So tiny that you might want to make sure you keep Kinect out of your toddler's reach, because forcing it to pan could damage the gears.A three-axis accelerometer. We suspect this is used to increase the accuracy of the panning motor.A Prime Sense PS1080-A2. Kinect is based on Prime Sense's motion detection technology. This chip is the Kinect's brains-all the sensors are wired into here for processing before transmitting a refined depth map and color image to the Xbox.

Microsoft Kinect dismantled reveals two cameras, four microphones and a worthy fan

This dissection and tear down of almost all relevantly anticipated devices were normal at all, and yes the guys at iFixit was always on th...