Basically the light from a lab-style laser is reflected off a mirror mounted to a speaker membrane and then gets diffracted through a grating to create multiple beams. As the music drives the speaker, the mirror jitters and bingo! You've got a laser light show visualizer that makes your giant mirrorball seem even more passé than it already is. The whole thing has pretty detailed instructions so you can build your own... just don't use too powerful a laser source, eh? Those things can be dangerous. [Project page via Hacknmod]

The system projects a laser on the windshield to highlight things that you should be noticing, like the edge of the road on a foggy day or that first grade class on the crosswalk. The system is still a long way off, thanks to the many elements that would need to be put in place. For example, a mechanism would need to track your head and eyes to make sure the lasers were properly placed.

But hey, it'll be easier than prying the licenses out of the stubborn hands of people who are no longer fit to command a dangerous vehicle, right? [CNN]

The set has a contrast ratio of 10000:1 and a 20mm thick display panel. It requires about 30% less power than regular LCD TVs and gets its juice from one of Sharp's triple-junction thin-film solar cell modules. The modules are about the same size as the television's screen.

Sharp plans to market the LCD and the energy system as a pair and says that its product could be a hit with both people living off the grid and environmentally-conscious consumers. The company will be exhibiting this, and other energy-saving technologies, at the G8 summit on Monday. [Physorg]

Its Segway-esque legs dance to the beat of any MP3 player via 3.5mm jack, and its 49 LEDs stay shining like some kind of cybernetic Rhinestone Cowboy. The A.M.P. has touch-sensitive DJ scratching pads and 62 sound effects built in so you can spice up your songs with a little "wiki-wiki", and an IR sensor so he will follow you (and his remote) from room to room and keep the music playing in your direction.

Too bad the A.M.P. costs 500-f'ing-dollars, which won't even buy you a Li-ion battery, since you either plug the knee-high bot into the wall (huh?) or fill it full of D cells. What's this thing made of? SOLID GOLD? It sure dances like it. Bring the price down to $99, and I will buy it. Available in October. [A.M.P., Gearlog]

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]

We don't want to get into heavy economics, but here's what we can break Slate's take down to. Raw material costs are going up, the Chinese renminbi is appreciating, Chinese wages are going up, and importers' (the people who buy goods to sell to us) negotiating position are weakening.

What's even worse is that there's no suitable "next" China to take China's place in manufacturing cheap goods for us. This in turn means that sooner or later, "Made in China" will make the same transition "Made in Japan" did in the 1960s and 1970s, and will be less a sign of cheap, low-cost electronics, and just a sign that someone who looks like me built that DVD player you're using. No guarantees on whether or not they pantsed it, however. [Slate]

AUDIOVOX WIRELESS COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM MOUNTS BEHIND LICENSE PLATE

Prevents Obstruction to License Plate Data-Minimizes Theft

Las Vegas NV - January 2008 - Audiovox Corporation (NASDAQ: VOXX) today announced its newest collision avoidance system that is a company first. A wireless camera that mounts on the back side of the vehicle license plate holder, making it nearly invisible, which not only reduces the risk of theft, but also prevents any obstruction to the data on the plate (It is illegal in most states to block license plate data). In addition the camera is the first product to provide wireless transmission to the monitor inside the vehicle. For ease of installation, the vehicle's back-up lights rather than the vehicle power source supply camera power.

The camera angle is adjustable to accommodate different size vehicles and the lens comes complete with a 130-degree wide-angle view. The 4.5-inch TFT color screen delivers 640 x 480 resolution and 400 cd/m makes the screen ideal for daytime viewing. An AC adapter plug and hardwired power cord for the monitor as well as both a visor clip and suction cup monitor mount are included.

Other features include a selectable normal or mirror image view and a waterproof weather-resistant camera housing. Model ACA450: MSRP $299.00

I'm not saying I'm anti-progress. We've reached a point in this industry where everything worth a damn is more PC than CE on the inside anyway, and we have to take the growing pains if we want the growth. But suffering a Blu-ray disc error on the PS3 the other day caused me to consider the issue: is it so wrong for us to ask for reliable CE products, ones whose added functionality is not complemented by added hassle? I feel like half of the products I've reviewed this year were cool but had at least one feature that was not ready for primetime. Yet they are sold in Best Buy. Even the beloved TiVo, role model for the New CE, has an occasional propensity for misbehavior.

So, for 2008, I want consumer-electronics product developers to spend more time on quality assurance, and less time shopping for gimmicky third-party software to tack on at the last moment. The temptation is highest in the realms of high-def disc players, "connected" receivers and sound systems, DVRs, game consoles and digital picture frames. Keep 'em clean, guys—we love all the added functionality, but if it doesn't work 100% of the time, for the love of God don't ship it. [All Giz Wants]

• In January, Intel will introduce what they claim is the smallest SSD in the industry. Officially named the Z-P140 PATA SSD, the drive holds 2GB or 4GB and is 12x18x8mm (about the size of a penny if you couldn't tell from the pic), and 0.6 grams. The Z-P140 can act as a controller for compatible NAND memory, which means these drives are expandable to 16GB. Intel says that this new style of SSD should be showing up soon in several UMPCs and other mobile internet devices from companies such as Asus, BenQ, Clarion, Lenovo and more.

• Intel will also bring WiMax and other wireless connectivity options to these devices. A WiMax/Wi-Fi combo chip, code-named Echo Peak, will also come to market in 2008. Of the 25 devices in the mobile computing category planned for next year, Intel says that 20% will have WiMax, 60% will have 3G and 40% will have GPS. 100% will of course support both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

• For desktop users, processor capacity and hi-def performance will see major enhancements in 2008. "Skulltrail", a new dual-processor based platform, will enable high-end and professional computer users to run dual quad-core Core 2 Extreme processors for a massive 8-core performance, for gamers and other hardcore users. In addition, a new feature called HD Boost is an instruction set that will provide faster video encoding/decoding, 3D rendering and photo editing.

• Consumer electronics such as set-top boxes and digital televisions will also get a boost from "Canmore", a "system-on-a-chip" that combines 1GHz processing core with A/V processing and graphics and I/O components onto a single chip. Intel sees increased internet connectivity in these types of devices, and cited examples such as playing video games over your cable box as possible implementations.

• Santa Rosa Refresh, an updated version of the Centrino processor, is a 45nm Penryn chip with better graphics capabilities. The Refresh will be offered in notebooks and desktops and is geared to improving the quality of HD DVD and Blu-ray, among other graphic intensive applications.

• Finally, Intel says that the Gateway One and Dell XPS All-In-One will get the Penryn boost next year, and I was also told that they are "talking to Apple."[Intel]

Event sponsors often take the cheapest hired gun they can find and don't ask questions about what's going where and how. The "recyclers" then turn around and hawk the wares, handing off what they can't sell to export brokers. And if they get busted, they just say they were selling secondhand goods to poor countries that need them.

The article-concluding solution propagated by Green Earth hippies actually makes sense: Make companies take back their own goods for recycling. Some companies already do, like Apple and Dell, and it's the law in eight states. Besides the obvious benefits, the hippies argue it'll push them to develop products with fewer dangerous chemicals, since the stuff will be back in their hands. It's better than the hands of underpaid, underprotected workers trying to scratch out a living. [CNN/AP, Flickr]

Yep, black. Huzzah! Expect to pay 34,600 ($295) when it launches in Japan at the end of this month. [Clarion and Akihabara News]

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]

So if you were having difficulty choosing a gift for your girlfriend this Christmas, Gizmodo has just pointed you in the right direction. If she doesn't love you after that, well, at least you have a small penis. Hang on, that's no conciliation—we tried. [Product Page via Wired]

The unit also accepts USB devices and even has optional iPod and Bluetooth interfaces, providing you with almost every possible way to load music onto it. At $160, the sweet little player may as well come with a shovel you can use to bury your beloved CD collection. [Blaupunkt via SciFi]

However, I will warn you to be careful with bikes like these. Back at CES '07, I tried out a similar bike (not the 8i). And while it was 99.5% realistic, that fraction of a percent caused me to peddle much harder than necessary, and left me just short of an asthma attack. Long story short; unless you're a pro just go get a real bike, a real friend and go outside. [CNET]

This is one of several $300 TVs that Disney will be rolling out this fall. (This one should be available in September at Toys"R"Us and Wal-Mart.)
All of the Disney LCDs are 15" and use Sharp panels. And anyone worried about the digital switchover can rest assured, these TVs include ATSC tuners. Stay tuned for a gallery of Disney products from the ex-frog team.

From fact sheet: High School Musical 15" LCD TV Features: • 15" LCD Screen • Cable-Ready Digital Tuner • Resolution: 1024 x 768 • Full-Function Remote Control (2 "AAA" batteries required - not included) • Headphone output • Composite A/V input/output • Component video input

High School Musical Clock Radio
for iPod & Disney Mix Stick
Features:
• Digital AM /FM Stereo
• Wake up to the sounds of your radio, music player or alarm
• Charges iPod with AC Power
• Back-lit LCD display
• Compatible with most iPod versions
• Video output supports iPod content on TV

Rick Clancy, head of Sony's US public relations, quickly reminded reporters that Sony would still innovate in this category, but when discussion turned to the Sony Connect service, Glasgow said that, looking to the future, it would be more focused on movies and books. (It is currently the content hub for Sony's E-Ink Reader.)

On a brighter note, Sony confirmed that it would be using the PlayStation-style Cross Media Bar (XMB) in most or all of its TVs and audio-video products going forward, including Blu-ray players and audio receivers. In some instances, two connected players can be controlled by the same XMB interface; I plan to follow up and figure that out, since it would make a one-remote, one-interface relationship with your home theater possible. (I am skeptical as to the execution at this point, but will get the facts soon.)

Sony was overall upbeat about the LCD TV business with new 720p Bravias hitting Wal-Mart and Target at the end of July. In the consumer electronics industry in general, Sony says it grew 7% last year and plans to grow more, and it has an 18% market share in the US. It was No. 1 in over 20 different categories, including&emdash;depending on how you crunch the numbers—digital cameras and camcorders.

When it came to Blu-ray, Sony said BD titles were outselling HD DVD movies 3 to 1, and that the forecast for standalone players would be five or six times the 100,000 sold in 2006. The elephant of this discussion was the PS3, clearly the reason for Blu-ray's momentum. One thing is sure: Sony Electronics is glad to have PS3 on its side, even if it is some sort of competition.

When the subject of iPhone inevitably came up, Sony said it was proud of its sister company Sony Ericsson and would support it in various marketing initiatives. When pressed, however, the Sony brass did acknowledge that iPod compatibility was an important part of A/V strategy these days. – Wilson Rothman

Each button is backlit by three LEDs (RGB) for a near endless array of possible colors only limited by programming and the processing power of the 16 microcontrollers. Remember that ugly Windows version you used to play? We're ashamed, too.

Hit the jump for video of the product that Sparkfun now needs to actually put on the market.

Product Page [via technabob]

Project Page [Via Slashgear]

Their Media Center uses Gracenote and AMG metadata to figure out what exactly it is you're listening to, and loads up with maps from Navteq. It also has a TV tuner, which is sure to be one of the more dangerous additions to the car-electronics lineup in some time. –Adam Frucci

Bose Filing [FCC]

If it ever comes into existence, its makers say it will have pretty much standard complement of features along with that external surface covered with solar film, including a 1.3-megapixel camera and a 320x240 display. HTW says the phone ships in China next month; we'll believe it when we see it. – Charlie White

HTW S116 Solar Mobile Phone [Unwired View]

Overkill, or just enough kill? Consider this scenario:

Jack has a PhD in economics out of Harvard, anxious to score "the big deal". Threatened by your naturally gregarious disposition, Jack decides it's time to unveil his other PhD...in nuclear physics. He plants a small, nuclear bomb under your desk, and sets it to detonate 5 minutes before the "big meeting". While all of your building and most of your city is decimated—but—no, the Iron Drive is pretty much a goner too. Maybe if he used biological warfare and your body could actually fit inside the Iron Drive...– Mark Wilson

Product Page [via everythingusb]

As always, the LCD color on these things generally suck when they come from the off brands. You've been warned, mmm-kay?–Brian Lam
UPDATE: Turns out, this thing doesn't even do powerpoint. You have to save your slides as JPGs. Marketing bullshit, at its finest.
[Fidelity Electronics]

This project captures a mouse by having a solenoid (electromagnet) drop a bucket over the mouse. The bucket is triggered by the mouse interrupting one of the infrared emitter/detector pairs around the bait. The enclosure that holds the electronics is mounted directly over the bait. Ok, so the "bucket" is actually a semi-clear storage container. The clear container allows a person to see if a mouse was trapped when the container dropped.

Bucket Mousetrap [Via MAKE]

I ran. – Louis Ramirez

"But Travis, I don't live in NYC!"

Well, Timmy, that is okay too. You can click this link right here to get the breakdown on electronics recycling state-by-state. Now get recycling! – Travis Hudson

New Yorkers: Recycle Used Electronics This Sunday [Gearlog]

Boots hit the ground Saturday, and we'll be in the middle of all the biggest events and press conferences, as well as behind the scenes where only Gizmodians are allowed. Plus, it'll be fun, we promise. Don't miss our on-the-spot coverage, starting Saturday.