TDK’s New Line of Boomboxes and Audio Gear

TDK Life on Record, a portfolio brand of Imation Corp. announced the retail availability of its anticipated new line of premium audio equipment in the United States and Canada, following a successful debut at Austin’s The FADER FORT by FIAT. The bold new line, which has received a number of positive reviews in 2011, features 2 and 3 Speaker Boomboxes; a 360-degree Sound Cube; two Belt Drive Turntables and audiophile-quality Headphones.In addition to online availability in the United States and Canada, shoppers will find the 2 Speaker Boombox on the shelves of Best Buy stores throughout North America, with additional in-store availability set for April 2011.With a majority of the new TDK Life on Record audiophile products available today at Amazon.com, Bestbuy.com and Canadian retailer Future Shop (both in stores and online), the Turntables will be available throughout the region in April. Additional retailers will also begin offering selected products in April, including J&R, La Curacao, Sears.com and Nebraska Furniture Mart.

This new line of premium audio equipment from TDK Life on Record blends the warm experience of analog with the precision and convenience of digital technology. The integration of a unique visual equalizer a visual heartbeat brings the music to life, driving the listening experience by creating a strong visual connection with the music. Featuring generous controls and fine tuning features, the products let listeners control and customize their listening experience. Each product embodies hi-fidelity sound and combines clean, striking designs with precision performance to enhance the music experience. “In designing the new TDK Life on Record premium audio products, we hoped to create bold products that connect what people love about analog with the convenience and style of new digital technology,” said Steve Swenson, Global Brand Manager for TDK Life on Record. “The response to what we created has exceeded our expectations. With the products on shelves for people to discover, we are excited to hear about their first-hand listening experiences with the new line.”The new lineup of TDK Life on Record audio products includes:

• Boomboxes: TDK Life on Record brings this original music culture icon back to life – combining dynamic sound performance, premium surfaces and features that let you customize music your way. Like the music itself, the TDK Boombox is an out-loud expression of your musical identity. It is the perfect combination of digital precision and analog ideals, recalling a time when music was tangible and tactile, as well as warm and vibrant.An innovative equalizer gives the music a visual heartbeat, while touch-sensitive buttons and generous controls deliver simple and intuitive interaction. Digital data streaming allows premium audio decoding and playback while charging Apple iPod and iPhone devices.
  • 3 Speaker Boombox
  • Availability: Amazon.com, Bestbuy.com and Future Shop/Futureshop.com
  • A dedicated, high excursion 6-inch subwoofer driver and two 6-inch coaxial drivers deliver dynamic, full range sound and a striking, retro look.
  • 2 Speaker Boombox
  • Availability: Best Buy and Future Shop/Futureshop.com
  • Two powerful six-inch coaxial drivers deliver balanced, full range sound while the integrated handle and tailored shoulder strap make the boombox easily portable.
  Inputs for both 2 and 3 Speaker Boomboxes include USB, 3.5mm and auxiliary ports for connections to an iPod, iPhone, smartphone or USB flash drive. Users can also plug in a guitar or microphone and mix with other music sources.
• Sound Cube:
  • Availability: Amazon.com, Bestbuy.com and Future Shop/Futureshop.com
  The Sound Cube Audio System is designed to fill your space with sound. Refining the hi-fi audio system to its most essential parts, the Sound Cube is a movable and sharable centerpiece for out-loud expressions of personality. This audio system’s compact, sleek frame belies both its powerful sound, and its advanced capabilities. As a showpiece, the Sound Cube is as visually arresting as it is sonically impressive, with sound ports on each of its four sides delivering 360 degrees of sound. With its tailored handle and lightweight and solid frame, the Sound Cube begs to be seen and shared with the world.Two powerful 5 1/4-inch coaxial drivers deliver full range sound. Play your iPod/iPhone music while charging using the USB to 30 pin Apple cable. Inputs include USB, 3.5mm and auxiliary ports for connections to an iPod, iPhone, smartphone or USB flash drive. Users can also plug in a guitar or microphone and mix with other music sources.
• Belt Drive Turntables
  • Availability: Amazon.com, Bestbuy.com and Future Shop/Futureshop.com
  TDK Life on Record brings the warmth of analog into the modern age with these advanced belt drive turntables. A perfect balance of performance and style, the exposed belt drive isolates the platter from motor noise, and is continuously monitored by an optical speed sensor and is adjusted to a perfect 33 1/3 or 45 rpm.The uniquely illuminated tone arm and graphic equalizer provide the warmth and visual heartbeat to the modern, yet classic design, along with the freedom to use almost any stylus and cartridge from standard to truly premium through a universal connection.The TDK Life on Record USB Belt Drive Turntable is the essential next step in the vinyl revival. With an integrated pre-amp, USB output, cable and included software (for Windows OS), listeners can import/convert tracks from vinyl to MP3 format on the fly with minimal effort. By simply dropping the needle on the USB Turntable vinyl owners can archive an entire record collection to digital format.
• Headphones:
  • Availability: Amazon.com and Future Shop/Futureshop.com
  The TDK Life on Record High Fidelity Headphones re-imagine the personal listening experience. For the professional and the aficionado, the ST800 headphones prioritize function, comfort and craftsmanship alongside technical superiority, high fidelity and sonic range. With metallic detailing and genuine leather accents, they are visually stunning, exuding a sense of casual luxury while the multi-directional cup design delivers optimal fit and comfort.Sonically tuned by the TDK Life on Record Audio Research Lab, the ST800 headphones deliver authentic sound, optimized for any genre, at any volume. High-performance 50mm drivers deliver amazing clarity and range. On-ear volume and mute controls are always within your reach, and an in-line equalizer with visible display lets you adjust bass and treble levels separately.

Color Picker Pen

 

Korean designer jinsu park designed a concept pen that adopts the eyedropper tool of photoshop
for real life. the color picker pen enables colors in the environment to be scanned and instantly used for drawing. the sensor detects the color and matches it to the color display. then the RGB cartridge located within the pen mixes the inks together to create the color that has been scanned. 

Capture the action inside and outside your car - Dash Cam Dually

The Dash Cam Dually has two built-in 1.3 Mega Pixel cameras to capture the scene in front of your car AND what’s happening inside your car. Four Infrared LED’s illuminate the interior of the vehicle so you can even capture video at night. Video is recorded to the included 2GB SD card. Another really cool feature of this camera is the built-in G-Shock sensor that has five (5) level settings and can record multiple impact points in the event of an accident.

The Dash Cam Dually will sense the drastic change in g-force, and automatically log the recordings. The camera even has a built-in GPS receiver that logs your exact location, speed, and direction. This camera can be purchased for $385.00 from SpyGadgets.com

SCANNER Built In With a KEYBOARD!

The KeyScan KS810-Plus Imaging Keyboard is a desktop keyboard with a built in scanner that can scan a full A4 size page in 5 seconds for grey scale or 15 seconds for color. It’s capable of scanning documents in sizes of 2×3” to 8.5×30”, including plastic cards and drivers licenses that are 3.5×2.5” up to 1mm thick. It’s available now for $139.99.

KeyScan combines the power of a quick color scanner with keyboard for easy scanning of documents, photos, plastic cards, driver’s licenses and more

Jersey City, NJ – KeyScan, the first exclusive inventor and developer of the integrated keyboard-scanner product and of the “NoTouch™-AutoScan” software, unveils the KS810-Plus Imaging Keyboard. This new and unique category of keyboard is a must have tool for any office or work area, the KS810-P delivers full A4 size page gray scanning in a quick 5 seconds making difficult scanning tasks easy. With 15 preset functions for non-default jobs, this imaging keyboard makes saving and emailing documents and photos effortless. The unique “NoTouch™-AutoScan” software allows the user to complete their most frequent scanning task without touching any button, simply place the document on the feeding tray. This new multi function peripheral (MFP) keyboard solution also features a USB2 Hub with only single USB connected to the PC both for the HUB the keyboard and the built-in scanner and two downstream ports for other low to high speed devices. KS810-P is now available for $139.99 at TigerDirect.com, CompUSA and KeyScan.com

“Our new imaging keyboard puts the power of color scanning at your fingertips saving you space and changing your office into a paperless environmentally friendly workplace” says Dov Aharonson, CEO of KeyScan . “We are happy to provide a fast high quality imaging solution that will provide convenient emailing, archiving and copying solutions right from your keyboard.”

The KS810-P is a fast USB2 sheet feed imaging keyboard that provides a multitude of features and scanning capabilities including:

• KeyScan “No Touch” scanning software
• Capable of scanning documents ranging in size from 2×3” to 8.5×30” including plastic cards and drivers licenses that are 3.5×2.5” up to 1mm thick
• Scans letter size, 300dpi gray in 5 seconds and color documents or photos in 15 seconds
• A 600dpi high optical resolution
• A 50dpi to 4800dpi output resolution
• Converts scanned documents into a variety of file formats: PDF, MS-Word, HTML, JPG, TIFF, BMP
• Allows you to email scans as attachments or fax* them directly from your computer
• Secure email files with password
• Document release is bi-directional based on the document length
• Integrated USB2 Hub
• High quality keyboard with 6 dedicated internet access buttons and 4 scan buttons
• Minimum system requirements are Windows, XPS-SP2 or higher, Vista both 32/64 bits, Microsoft Net 2.0 or higher, 1GB RAM, 1GB free hard disk

* Fax and copier functions require access to fax-modem and printer. May require 3rd party software.

Now Your Smartphone Can Sense Dangerous Chemicals

Jing Li, a scientist in California's NASA Ames Research Center, has designed a smartphone plug-in device that could sense chemicals from the environment. Current prototype of the device works with the iPhone, and plugs into the handset's bottom connector. The device can detect chemicals in ambient air such as methane, ammonia and chlorine gas. It's designed to connect to a network through WiFi or a regular phone connection in order to send alerts to other phones also equipped with the device. According to Li, a previous prototype of the device was the size of a soda can - this iteration, however, is touted as one of the smallest complete sensing-device in the world.

The device contains a silicon-based sensing chip with 64 nanosensors. Li and colleagues had to work on making a chip that can contain all those nanosensors and yet is compact, high-speed, low-power and low-cost. The chip consumes 5 milliwatts, and can last for 100 hours when ran continuously. Although connected to a bottom connector and draws power through it, data communication is routed through the audio input jack due to restrictions imposed by Apple upon third-party developers. There might be a chance that the second phase of the device's development could be made for a smartphone other than an iPhone. Whether this happens or not, Li envisions future prototypes to be used by fire fighters and other kinds of emergency responders.

Hexound Headphones

Hexound headphones designed by Zhong-Fa Lie are only a concept.Lie designed the Hexound headphones to be made up of three removable units. When these units are connected, they “fulfill their own roles as speakers and a foldable & portable solar energy collection device.” The headphone speakers, when detached, can be used in a stereo speaker mode, described as a standalone way to share music with others around you at a party.


The band of this concept headset incorporates photovoltaic panels that continually recharge the headset’s onboard battery. The headset comprises of three removable units, which when connected accomplish the task of speakers and a foldable solar energy collecting device. The speaker mode sets into action with just a flip of the switch.

The Hexound Wireless Headphones might just be your solution to high quality sound, without your conscience bothering you about having to replace batteries every so often. The concept design includes solar panels that power up the headphones while outdoors, and charge the headphone’s batteries when not in use.
The headphone is also composed of removable units, which means that you can use them as stereo speakers for sharing music in a room with friends.

Solar Powered Cell Phone

An elegant solar powered cell phone was unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week naming as ‘Apollo’. It has Designed by Chinese cell phone manufacturer Umeox, this phone with a solar panel incorporated on its back side, is already being touted to be the world’s first Android-powered, mass produced, solar-powered cell phone.


The Apollo features a 3.2″ 320×480 display, 1GB of storage, a microSD card slot, FM radio, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, a 3 megapixel rear camera and a 3.5mm audio jack. While the Apollo is the first solar-powered cellphone unveiled at MWC 2011.
The Alternatives:
While the Apollo is the first solar-powered cellphone unveiled at MWC 2011, there were similar phones unveiled at previous events too, which included big names like the Samsung Blue Earth.
1. Samsung Blue Earth:

This green technology imbued, flamboyant blue phone is made of recycled plastic, features a pedometer, and even an advanced software that acknowledges just how much we are contributing to Earth by using it. Integrated solar panels are embedded on the sleek back side, with full touchscreen on the front.
2. LG Pop:

The LG GD510 Pop carries an optimized feature set that allows the phone to be more compact and easy to use. The phone is equipped with a 3MP camera with auto focus and 8GB of internal memory that can store several popular audio and video file formats to keep the user entertained for a long time. In addition to a host of trendy features, the cellphone carries a large photovoltaic panel to charge the onboard battery on the move.
3. Sagem Puma Phone:

Weighing it at 115gm, the solar-powered Puma Phone features a 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen interface and a 3.2MP camera with LED flash. The phone also doubles as a sports tool with included features like bike speedo and a run tracker, both of which use the phone’s GPS receiver, a pedometer and even a sailing compass. It also includes a music player, an FM radio and a stopwatch. The phone has 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 2.9 Mbps HSUPA, an 880 mAh Li-Ion battery that’s good for 350 hours of standby and 5 hours of talk time and 24 hours of music playback.