A long time ago in a galaxy far far away Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone 9G with holographic text messaging. Maybe some day this will be a reality. Source

Designer Yasmin Sethi was inspired by Lewis Carroll's novel 'Alice through the Looking Glass,' while designing this unique Chess Set. The chess pieces have an opaque mirror finish, but when they touch the surface of the board, they "magically turn transparent", revealing their true identity. When removed from the board they regress to being opaque, This just goes to show how a chess piece useless outside the board. If removed from the board, a pawn and a queen are equal; neither have any value. The Chessboard is made out of LightPoints, which is glass that has LED's embedded in it. The pieces are coated with Mirona, a Material that turns transparent when light shines through it. When the piece is placed on the board it completes the circuit and lights up the LED. With reference to the White Knight from the book, who talks about being able to think better when he is upside down; all of the white knights on the board will not illuminate unless placed in the upside down position. Via - Luxurylaunches

Tokyoflash is synonymous with wrist gear and their latest offering is the Galaxy. It features a powerful formation of multi-colored light bars, developed using digital tube technology. The watch is housed in a silver case and finished with a custom linked, brushed silver strap with polished detail. Don't be fooled by the cryptic looking display, it's not as tough as it seems. One touch of the upper button initiates a programmed animation of light, and then presents the time. Twelve yellow bars represent hours in a clockwise direction, eleven red bars represent groups of five minutes and four green bars show single minutes. Pressing the lower button presents the time immediately. Galaxy is only available from Tokyoflash for $131.

The MCE 6x Blu-ray burner is available for both PowerMac and Mac Pro. It is predominantly record-able with Mac OS X 10.5.2 or later with the ability to record data directly from the Finder without the need for any additional software. The device can also burn BD-R media up to 6x, DVD ± R media at up to 16X, CD-R media at up to 40X, and does read HD DVD-ROM media as well, allowing you to view those cheap HD DVD movies. MCE 6x Blu-ray burner is available for $499, and an external FireWire/USB 2.0 option, will cost you $750. Source

New software has been developed by researchers at Newcastle University for the latest mobile phones and handheld computers that utilize pictures instead of letters and numbers for security codes. This new system could prove to be a boon for those who are forgetful and have a tough time recollecting their passwords and bank pins. The idea could be expanded into other areas, as the images will be harder than text passwords to copy by fraudsters, and easier to remember. Background Draw-a-Secret (BDAS) technology that is being developed works on a range of gadgets including i-phones, laptops and PDAs. This is how the system works: The 'graphical passwords' are drawn over a background, such as a photo of a flower, a map, a playing card or the night sky. The computer remembers the number of 'pen' strokes used, where the image was started and the order in which they were made. The system allows users to create passwords which are much more complex than the traditional numeric or alphabetical versions. Source

If the Portable Washing Machine was hard to believe, then maybe the portable Air Conditioner will be hard to digest. DeLonghi Portable Air Conditioners come with an 11,000-BTU cooling capacity and an electronic control panel with LED display, an LCD remote control, 24-hour programmable timer, adjustable thermostat. For $650, it's a cool deal to invest in! Source

My children often get projects from school that involves growing plants at home. I simply dread these projects because I don't have a green thumb and more often than not these poor plants die. But from now on I think the PlantSense GardenGro may come to the rescue. The device is actually a sensor that are USB powered and you push them like stakes into the soil of the plant and hook it to your comp from the other end. The sensor then transmits data to the PlantSense web site and the feedback tells you where you're going wrong with the plants that they keep dying. PlantSense GardenGro USB Sensor is quite a costly affair; each stake will cost you $59.95 when it comes out in Q4 2008. The price also includes a year's access to the PlantSense website where you can chronicle your plants statistics. Source

Viewsonic is offering a 26-inch display that will feature a DVI, VGA and HDMI input for your video connection needs and two built-in 2.5-watt stereo speakers. Viewsonic VA2626mw boasts of a dynamic contrast ratio of 6000:1, which is a very high number. For a price of $530, it is cheaper than Dell's 24-inch model. The display will be out this month. Source

Keeping a tab on your pet's whereabouts is not an easy task. Especially if they are the mischievous kinds, there's no knowing of how truant have they been. A good way of keeping tabs is clipping on the ultra-compact and extremely durable Pet-Eye View Digital Camera. You simply clip it on to your pet's collar, just like an ID tag. Its water-resistant ABS housing keeps it secure. The internal memory stores lots of photos, and the timer can be set to automatically take a shot every 1, 5, or 15 minutes. The camera includes a USB charger, USB cable, and lithium-ion battery. Hook the cam up to your comp and see where your pet has been roaming. Pet-Eye View Digital Camera is available for pre-order now but will be out on October for $44.99. Source

Telsa has just announced their $60K Model S, which is a five passenger, all-electric "sports" sedan competent of 225 miles in a single charge. Telsa boss Elon Musk has said that they hope to develop their technology to the point where future cars may be priced at $30,000 and below, but that won't be the case when the first models roll out in four years. Although there are no images of the car or details on the date, Governor Schwarzenegger was present at the announcing ceremony. The car is being built in a new manufacturing facility somewhere in California. Tesla Model S announcement comes at a time when new plans are being formulated by the California Air Resources Board to encourage zero emissions vehicle adoption. Governor Schwarzenegger Celebrates Clean Technology Investment in California, Welcomes Tesla Motors Production to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today joined with State Treasurer Bill Lockyer and Tesla Motors representatives to announce Tesla's decision to locate its new manufacturing facility for its Model S, Tesla's second-generation vehicle, in California. As part of the state's ongoing commitment to clean technology, the Governor also announced a new program that waives the sales tax on investment in new manufacturing equipment for Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs). This program was developed in conjunction with the State Treasurer and the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA). "Today's announcement is great news for California, our economy and our environment. We want these cutting-edge companies not to just start in California and do their research and development here-we want them to build in California," Governor Schwarzenegger said. "Tesla's announcement today is just one of many we will celebrate as we implement AB 32 and reach our greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. I have always said that we must protect our economy and our environment at the same time, and today it is clear that we are once again demonstrating to the world how to do that." California's green-friendly atmosphere is encouraging clean businesses from around the world to invest in California, stimulating our economy and contributing to the fight against global warming. According to the California Green Innovation Index by Next10, a non-partisan research organization, in 2006 venture capital investment in energy technology companies in California was just shy of $1 billion, more than double the total from 2005. Last Thursday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released its AB 32 Draft Scoping Plan, the market-based roadmap which will guide California toward its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. This roadmap will motivate companies like Tesla to come to California and bring their innovation, reduced emissions and thousands of jobs with them. Last Wednesday, CAEATFA approved a new program that exempts new ZEV manufacturers from paying sales and use tax on the purchase of manufacturing equipment to encourage ZEV manufacturing in California. For Tesla, these incentives will mean millions of dollars in savings when the company invests in building their new plant in California. And if they choose a city that is in an Enterprise Zone, they will save millions more. Tesla will also be eligible for at least $1 million in Employment Training Panel Workforce Development Funds to train employees. Tesla's Model S will be a fully electric, five passenger, multi-use sport sedan with a driving range of approximately 225 miles on one charge. The projected cost of the Model S is $60,000. "These vehicles can play a big part in helping California successfully implement its groundbreaking laws to fight climate change," said State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, who chairs CAEATFA. "By offering this financial incentive, our goal is to ensure zero-emission vehicles realize their full potential in our state. In the bargain, we believe the policy will bolster our emerging green economy, create good-paying jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. I'm very pleased the policy helped convince Tesla to build its high-performance electric cars in California." In addition, California's new Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicles Technology Program, AB 118 by Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles), which the Governor signed into law last year, established a new program that will generate more than $100 million annually for development of new technologies, vehicles and fuels. Funding is expected to be available in March 2009. California's ZEV program is the world's only enforceable requirement for the development and production of zero-emission vehicles. The following state and federal programs support ZEVs: * Alternative Fuel Vehicle Incentive Program: Offers up to $5,000 for the purchase or lease of alternative fuel vehicles. Battery electric vehicles, such as a Tesla, typically receive the full $5,000 grant. * High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane Access: Vehicles are eligible to receive the white HOV lane access sticker allowing them to be driven in the HOV lane with only one occupant. This white sticker is different from the yellow stickers issued to hybrid vehicles in that their availability is not capped at a specified number of vehicles. * California's Environmental Performance Label: Requires all new cars starting in 2009 to display a sticker to inform consumers about the smog forming and greenhouse gas emissions of each vehicle. Vehicles are scored on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best. ZEVs will receive a score of 10 for both smog forming and greenhouse gas emissions. * Federal Tax Incentives for Recharging Stations: A federal tax deduction of up to $100,000 per location is available for qualified electric vehicle recharging property used in a trade or business. * Local Community Programs: Offers public charging, free parking and supportive building codes for installation of home charging units. * Low Carbon Fuel Standard: Requires fuel providers to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels sold in California. This first-of-its-kind standard firmly establishes sustainable demand for lower-carbon fuels without favoring one fuel over another. To start, the standard will reduce the carbon intensity of California's passenger vehicle fuels by at least 10 percent by 2020 and more thereafter. Source