Sony may not have made any significant changes to their flexible OLED laptop concept since we saw it first at CES back in January, but the sleek prototype is so alluring that SlashGear Japan couldn’t walk past it at CEATEC this week without grabbing a photo. Intended to showcase the potential of ultra-thin OLED touchscreens, the concept combines both display and keyboard into a single, flexible layer.
UK radio manufacturer Revo have announced their latest model, the DOMINO D3, a DAB/DAB+ digital radio with integrated iPod/iPhone dock and internet radio streaming. The DOMINO D3 also supports Last.fm streaming, and the whole thing has a soft rubber coating that, while stopping short of making it waterproof, at least does make it fetishistically touchable.
If you fancy a new phone from AT&T, but aren’t too fussed about Windows Mobile 6.5, then the carrier has four more options for you to choose from. Left to right you’re looking at the Samsung Mythic, the Samsung Flight and the Pantech Reveal, which offer differing combinations of full touchscreen and hardware keyboard. Meanwhile there’s also the Pantech Impact, not pictured, with an OLED touchscreen and full QWERTY.
Philips have been showing off their latest efforts in OLED lighting at the “100% Design Fair” in London recently, and while they’re still concepts we’re hoping someone at the company realizes that there’s likely a paying audience out there somewhere – at the very least the Mathmos-loving crowd – and decides to, you know, release some of the darned things. The Philips Lumiblade concepts [pdf link] range from home to commercial in their application, but all promise low power consumption.
Video demo after the cut
Vodafone have announced their latest mobile networking and app platform, Vodafone 360, bringing Facebook, Windows Live and Google contacts sync, software downloads and mobile content to the carrier’s cellphones. While Vodafone 360 will support numerous Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices, the carrier is also launching two new Samsung devices which will be 360 branded: the Samsung H1, with a 3.5-inch OLED touchscreen, and the Samsung M1, with a 3.2-inch TFT touchscreen.
Intel is showing off a notebook concept under the code name Tangent Bay at IDF that is very cool. The machine has three OLED screens right above the keyboard that are all touch sensitive. The screens can be used to organize information and presumably launch apps.
Never let it be said we stand in the way of private enterprise – heaven only knows how many times I’ve had to sell handkerchiefs to sailors just to put bread on the table – but taking advantage of Zune HD 32GB shortages to double the price seems more than a little unfair. Amazon are currently listing the larger Zune HD – which we reviewed last week – as not shipping for 1-3 weeks; however, one Marketplace seller has used the opportunity to list the 32GB PMP for a whopping $599.99.
Nokia’s N86 NAM edition has finally shown up for sale in the US, offering S60-loving photography addicts what could be the perfect smartphone for their dual desires. Announced all the way back at Mobile World Congress in February, the N86 packs an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, flash and Carl Zeiss optics, and is priced at $468.99.
Microsoft’s first Zune attempts won it a few dedicated users but a whole lot of criticism. In the face of Apple’s all-conquering iPod touch there was only really one way to go, and that was touchscreen; the Zune HD marks not only the transition to being finger-friendly, but packs the latest OLED display technology, HD radio and by no means least 720p high-definition support. Clean reboot or BSOD? Check out the full SlashGear review to find out.
Sony Japan have announced a bevy of new Walkman PMPs, the NW-A840, S740 and S640. The A840-series gets an OLED display like its X-Series sibling, but in this case its a regular display rather than a touchscreen. Still, it manages to be the thinnest Walkman to-date, at just 7.2mm thick, despite that 2.8-inch display, up to 64GB of storage and a battery apparently good for up to 29 hours of music playback or 9 hours of video.
Video demos after the cut
SlashGear Japan
