While the ruling would effect a large segment of Sharp's product line—including Aquos. Sharp will no doubt appeal the ruling, and it is subject to review by President Obama over the next 60 days. Much like the Vizio ban, it probably won't matter all that much in the end. [LA Times]

Vuzix Announces iWear® AV310 Widescreen, The First-Ever Widescreen Personal Video Eyewear

The iWear ® AV310 Widescreen has a 16:9 aspect ratio, providing the user with a virtual 52’ home theater experience in 2D and stunning 3D video formats.

Rochester, NY – September 16, 2008 – Vuzix Corporation is thrilled to announce their latest innovation to the Video Eyewear market; iWear® AV310 Widescreen. This first-ever consumer iWear with a true widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio giving users a true home movie theater feel. The AV310 projects a virtual 52’ screen from 9-feet and will run for five full hours on a single AA battery. Additionally, the AV310 offers independent focus adjustment, adjustable earbuds and nosepiece for unmatched long term comfort. Users can also expect improved compatibility, as the AV310 is compatible with all NTSC or PAL devices with a video output. Compatible devices include:

• All iPod models
• Portable media players
• Video cameras
• Cellular phones with video output
• Gaming consoles
• Digital cameras
• DVD players

“We are committed to providing our customers with the latest innovation in this exciting category and are delighted to provide the world’s first and only widescreen video eyewear,” said Vuzix CEO Paul Travers. “The revolutionary iWear® AV310 Widescreen is the ideal choice for the mobile consumer who’s craving a way to significantly enhance their portable viewing experience,” added Travers.

The AV310’s features include:

• Virtual 52’ screen viewed from 9-feet
• Full 16:9 Widescreen Aspect Ratio
• Independent +2 to -5 diopter focus, providing individual adjustment for each eye
• Twin high-resolution LCD displays from Kopin Corporation
• “Vuzix’ 3D” watermark compliant
• Removable and comfort fit earbuds
• Adjustable, hypoallergenic nosepiece
• AccuTilt™ viewer with 15 degrees of tilt adjustment
• Up to 5 hours of battery life on one AA battery
• On screen display settings control
• For use with or without eyeglasses
• MSRP $249.95

The AV310 will be available via Brookstone, SkyMall, MicroCenter, Hammacher Schlemmer and Vuzix.com.

Plus, the solar charging properties of the compounds means that there would be no need for a traditional power source. When applied to a surface, the OLED screen could run under the power that it generates for an indefinite amount of time. It could even be applied to the back of cellphones to provide a constant charge. Again, this sort of technology seems seriously out there, but the researchers believe that they can have a working prototype up and running within two years. I'll believe it when I see it. [Tech Radar via OLED-info]

An external sensor tracks the ball's trajectory as it travels through the room—information that feeds the virtual world in the game scenario, which is played out on the monitor. Coupled with the display's ultrasound tracking from each subject, you can imagine some neat interactive game possibilities that beat the hell out of catch.

For instance, maybe virtual rings would appear on the screen, requiring a perfectly angled toss. Philips' patent gives us a few more details on what they have in mind.

The present invention description describes what kind of system technology is then required for gaming with such a display, and which types of novel games can be played (merely from a technical perspective, the exact gaming scenarios are of course for game developers to create)...Having such a moveable display means that it can participate in a game as a kind of extra actor/character, in addition to the human players. A game controller (which may e.g. reside in a home computer and be the rules of a bought game software program running on the computer's processor) generates the different actions to happen for each time moment of a playing game scenario. E.g. the character must display some behavior. In Fig. 1 the character is a dragon, which because of what happened previously in the game is angry. This will be shown with "angry dragon" pictures on the moveable display selected from a memory storing all dragon pictures (or generated real-time from computer graphics rules). When the trajectory mapping unit 105 realizes that the girl 198 has thrown the dragon into the air, it will coordinate the showing on the display of consecutive pictures showing the dragon flapping its wings for consecutive positions on its parabolic trajectory. When it comes near to the boy 199, the display will show pictures of the dragon character breathing fire (a further actuator producing smoke could in this particular game also be incorporated into the display for enhanced effect, if cost and security considerations favor this), indicating that the boy has to perform some action (shoot it, hit it with a bat) or loose points. Of course typically a loudspeaker will be included, so that what is realizable for video will also be realizable for audio (the dragon will roar when approaching the boy).

• Little Big Disk Quadra ($475.) Designed with video editing in mind, fast speeds, large content handling and portability is the deal with this drive. Available in 7200 RPM (400GB) and 5400 RPM (500GB) versions.

• LaCinema Premier ($229). Functions as a multimedia hard drive, with a USB 2.0 connection port. PC and Mac compatible, it is available in 500GB, 750GB and 1TB versions. There's no word on what files are supported beyond, "a wide range of video, audio and photo formats," so we guess that has you covered.

• LaCie Big Disk Extreme+ ($360). Which has eSATA and USB2.0 connection ports, will be available in 1TB, 1.5TB and 2TB capacities. Mac and PC compatible, it contains a self backup software suite and has super fast 3Gbits eSATA connectivity.

• LaCie 324 LCD Display. This is a 24-inch monitor with professionals in mind. Various technologies in place (Gamma Correction,) ensure minimal on screen banding. It has a 16:10 wide-screen format and will retail for $1050 when it hits in January.

Check the press release below:

LaCie Announces Five New Solutions
At CES 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada

PORTLAND, OR (January 2008) - LaCie is bringing in the New Year by
announcing five new solutions at this year's Consumer Electronic Show (CES)
in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 7-10. To help customers easily manage their
digital lives, from professionals to everyday users, these new LaCie
products pair innovative design with powerful technology to create ultimate
Solutions by Design.

These new products are based on LaCie's philosophy of bringing to market
simple-to-use, yet sophisticated solutions designed to perform flawlessly
under pressure. For a hands-on look, please visit us at the Sands Expo and
Convention Center, booth number 73743.

New products include:

LaCie d2 Quadra is newly redesigned yet still offers the same quadruple
interface (USB/FW400/FW800/eSATA) usability the drive became famous for.
With 60 percent more surface area than a standard design, it offers more
efficient heat dissipation without the need of a noisy fan. Available in
capacities of 320GB to 1TB, the easy-to-use d2 Quadra is a professional
solution for multiple high performance storage applications. The d2 Quadra
is available today starting at $189.

LaCie Little Big Disk Quadra is an amazingly fast mobile disk designed for
speed-intensive and capacity demanding applications such as digital content
creation, high-volume data exchange, and video editing - all while on the
road. As fast as the thoroughbred LaCie Big Disk Extreme+ desktop drive,
the Little Big Disk has been designed by Neil Poulton to offer quiet
operation and superior heat dissipation with an integrated fanless cooling
system. Ensuring superior reliability thanks to its aluminum heat-sink
design, the Little Big Disk Quadra will be available in 400GB and 500GB
versions with either 7200 or 5400 RPM drives, respectively. The Little Big
Disk Quadra is available today starting at $475.

LaCie LaCinema Premier is a USB 2.0, multimedia hard drive that easily
creates a home entertainment center for enjoying movies, photos and music.
Connect the device to a PC or Mac to transfer digital files, when done,
simply plug the device directly into a television for instant playback.
Available in capacities of 500GB, 750GB, and 1TB, the LaCinema Premier
supports a wide range of video, audio and photo formats, while an optical
output enables surround sound enjoyment. Designed for ease of use, playback
can be navigated using an on-screen menu and the included remote control.
The LaCinema Premier is available today starting at $229.

LaCie Big Disk Extreme+ eSATA and USB 2.0 will be available in 1TB, 1.5TB,
and 2TB capacities and comes with professional EMC® Retrospect® for advanced
backup management and data restoration for Windows and Mac users. This
versatile storage solution is equipped with blazing fast eSATA 3Gbits
connectivity, and can reach impressive burst transfers rates of up to
125MB/s thanks to built-in RAID 0 capabilities. The LaCie Big Disk
Extreme+ is very easy to use and features the quintessential Neil Poulton d2
design
maximum protection and heat dissipation. The LaCie Big Disk Extreme+ eSATA
and USB 2.0 version will be available February '08 starting at $360.

LaCie 324 LCD Display is a new 24-inch monitor targeting the needs of
creative professionals. Equipped with an industry-leading S-PVA panel,
which offers superb colors thanks to its wide 92 percent NTSC gamut, the new
LaCie 324 also embeds a 10-bit Gamma Correction mechanism that minimizes
banding and ensures color gradients are smoothly rendered. With its 16:10
wide-screen format, this monitor can showcase two letter-size (A4) pages
side by side with additional room for palettes and toolbars. The LaCie 324
will be available end of January starting at $1050.

About LaCie

Located in the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, Europe, Singapore and Hong
Kong, LaCie is the leading manufacturer of computer peripherals for PC,
Apple and Linux users. LaCie creates external storage solutions and color
monitors that help professionals and everyday people easily manage their
digital lives. LaCie has differentiated its products through original
designs and leading-edge technology. Established in France in 1989, LaCie is
listed on Euronext under FR0000054314 (LAC). For more information, visit
www.lacie.com .

1. It's big, really big, reminding us of a home real theater projector.
2. It is really freaking bright.
Our impressions:

Sanyo's PLC-XF47 pushes 15,000 lumens—that's double many top-rated home projectors on the market. And you can see the brightness. Our comparison shots next to one of Sanyo's LCDs show it. Even under the show floor's intense luminescence, the projector was outbrighting the LCD. The effect really was like watching a big television, without the colors getting washed out by ambient light.

Of course, there is one thing to keep in mind. Many projectors lower their lumens in search of better contrast ratios. So the black levels suffered, but hey, at least you could see the image at all.

A year later, Sharp's still working on launch plans as the set stands to be unseated as the world's biggest flat-panel display in little more than a week.

Then there was Warner's much ballyhooed, allegedly format-war-ending Total HD disc that crams HD DVD and Blu-ray onto one shiny piece of plastic. Status? Vapor. It got delayed until 2008 halfway into 2007, and then was basically shitcanned as the format trench war squeaks along into yet another year. So many promises, so many broken hearts. [IT World via /.]

As yet, there are no details on when the 31-incher will be available—or how much the thing will cost. The company is, however, already plowing ahead with mass-production of 14-incher OLEDs, which should be available next year.

AM-OLED, or active-matrix organic light-emitting diode technology, produces brighter images and use less power. Samsung's OLED display has a lifespan of 35,000 hours, which makes it the best-performing OLED display so far.

First out of the starting stalls was Sony, whose 11-inch OLED screens went on sale in November of this year, and whose largest display is, so far, 27 inches. [Reuters]

Most of what the guys at TechOn realized during the process was observational. For example, the 3mm thickness was achieved by arranging the drive circuit and other parts of the OLED panel at the lower side of the unit. They also noticed that an inordinately large number of radiation sheets were attached on the back side of the mainboard and the unit. In other words, Sony wasn't taking any chances with the heat. Hit the link for the full details. [TechOn and Product Page]

Which Wi-Fi draft standard is LG using? Not certain. Even if the technology works can most home theaters take advantage? Probably not. Is it any better than the Wi-Fi TVs we've seen so far? No clue. But a Wi-Fi LCD TV streaming HD looks so great on a spec sheet. No word on pricing or a US release. [engadget via newlaunches]

The study showed that both LCDs and plasma displays needed repairs, on average, only 3% of the time. Meanwhile, rear-projection sets had an overall necessity of repairs of 18%. And the worst culprits in rear-projection were DLP TVs. Yeah, apparently those millions of tiny mirrors need millions of tiny fixes—which is really too bad, since my eye favors good DLP over LCD and plasma any day.

Consumer Reports' other conclusion was that neither repair prices nor rates on either type of TV warranted warranties. So don't let that punk kid in a wrinkly blue shirt scare you out of your money better spent on hi-def content. [informationweek]

You clap your hands 3 times to bring up a round menu screen. A set top camera then tracks your hand, transforming it into a cursor. To click a button, the user just hooks their finger (ala signaling someone has a tiny wiener). Easy!

Users can also control functions like the volume just by clapping in set sequences. The convenience here is lost on us, save maybe for...we can't think of any handicap that favors clapping over a basic remote control, even with your gross imaginations.

So we're not sure if this EyeToyesque technology is really any better than a standard remote control. Actually, we're pretty sure it's not. But we love superfluous features, if only to scare the neighbors into thinking we don't mow our lawn regularly because, in the future, plants have overtaken Earth and to harm them is a crime punishable by death. [techon via bgr]

+ Gateway
With the release of their XHD3000 Extreme HD, Gateway smacked big display leaders Dell and Apple aside the head. 2560x1600 resolution, or 1600p, is what having a premium monitor is all about. Overkill.

- RIAA
Yeah, they technically aren't a tech company, but they certainly made a lot of gadget consumers sick this week when a court ordered that defendant Jammie Thomas pay the RIAA $222,000 in damages for 24 stolen tracks. And never forget this quote from Sony BMG during the trial: "When an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song." Making "a copy" of a song you bought is "a nice way of saying 'steals just one copy.' "

= Microsoft
Microsoft released their long-rumored Zune 2. A new flash model will compliment the updated classic players, and the new Wi-Fi syncing is available on all old Zunes, too (very classy). But we want even more from a new model this late in the DAP game. And losing major Microsoft Game Studios development company Bungie, even with secure rights of the Halo canon, was a knock to this industry giant.

Apparently this ultrasonic three-sided display requires very little processing power to operate, and is currently showing its technological prowess by running three interactive quizzes at once (though we're not sure the necessary processing power should the quizzes be from, say, Cosmo). We personally love the idea for airport terminals where a two-sided kiosk could efficiently handle an extra customer. That is, unless Captain Kirk gains more weight and these close quarter displays lose ground to the more Midwesterner-friendly Surface. [manufacturer via scifitech]

To minimize visible speaker components, the Aurea uses 26 tiny drivers as opposed to larger speakers. Offering 1080p resolution with 8000:1 dynamic contrast and increased refresh rates, the 42" 42PFL9900D will cost a pants-dropping $6895 when it's released in September. And while our source for the story calls the image good, it's not the best they've seen.

So yes, you will be paying a premium for glowy LEDs, but that's not news to anyone, right? The Aurea will be on display at IFA later this month, so we'll give you full impressions then.

[tuexperto via technabob]

Stack all these features on top of the solid DVI, D-Sub, composite, and S-Video inputs, 1680 x 1050 resolution, 2000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 320cd/m2 brightness and 2ms response—and you've got a pretty cool gadget...even for a monitor. Still looks to be priceless.

Product Page [via fareastgizmos]

• Olevia 327V 27" LCD HD-Ready TV, $297
• Olevia 337H 37" HD Monitor LCD, $547

Note that these aren't the highest of high-quality displays, but for the price you can't go wrong unless you happen to be an A/V whore, but if you are an A/V whore I don't expect you to be looking at our Dealzmodo posts for A/V gear. –Travis Hudson

[Via Slickdeals]

Toshiba, Canon Delay SED TV Debut Again [Reg Hardware]

The new interconnect will let you daisychain multiple monitors and connect other peripherals via one bi-directional cable. As you can see from the pic, it'll also allow for embedded peripherals around the display (this one has speakers built in on the side). The tech can also be used with notebook displays. It's expected to come out later this year and if this is a sign of what's to come, we can't wait. – Louis Ramirez

Dell Shows Off Super-Slim Display Port LCD Monitor [Gearlog]

This time Sony doesn't want to be left behind on the display front, and they are going to ship a real ultra-thin 11-inch OLED television in 2007. Not another prototype: a real TV. A small one that will cost a few times more than a comparable LCD, but a telly nonetheless.

They won't say how much but what it really matters is how many: Sony and partner Toyota Industries will only make 1,000 units every month, so don't count on seeing them at Best Buy. If Samsung or Matsushita don't give us another surprise, however, Sony will be the first to market an OLED TV of this size.

Given the state of OLED, the news is surprising but not really: after years of Trinitron domination, Sony completely lost the flat-screen bandwagon until they jumped back in with Bravia, all thanks to Samsung's LCD technology and their joint venture. This time they are joining forces with Toyota, and while Sony Executive Deputy President Katsumi Ihara said that "it won't be easy for OLED TVs to replace LCD TVs," the move demonstrates that they want to get there before anyone else, just in case. I am all for it Ihara-san, but please: no built-in Blu-ray drives this time. And if it doesn't work, we will always have FED. And Paris. –Jesus Diaz

Sony says to sell ultra-thin OLED TVs this year [Reuters UK]

3mm thick. This one isn't HD, however, capping out at 1,024 x 600. No word on when we'll see either of them, but this is a very promising sign of what OLED is capable of. – Louis Ramirez

Display 2007 [via Impress]