Although a predecessor or two exists, the Sony Watchman is generally recognized as the first and most successful line of mass produced pocket televisions.

The original FD-210 model featured a 2-inch Black & White screen that was actually a flat cathode-ray that projected the picture onto the screen from below, unlike most cathode-ray screens that project from behind  (other products were using a mirror). This technology was later replaced by LCD, which allowed for the introduction of larger, color screens in smaller packages.

The Watchman ran on 4 AA batteries, which provided about 2-3 hours of watchable TV time. Rechargeable battery packs lasted a bit longer. It also featured a flip-out stand on the back so you could rest it on a table for easy viewing. Originally, the Watchman retailed for about $300. And, no, there was no remote (-_-;) !

Mitsubishi Electric has completed construction of the world’s largest high-definition video screen at a horse track in Tokyo. The screen employs Mitsubishi’s Aurora Vision LED technology and measures 11.2 meters (37 feet) x 66.4 meters (218 feet), giving it a surface area of 744 square meters (8,000+ square feet), or the equivalent of 3 tennis courts. Mitsubishi manufactured the screen for the Japan Racing Association (JRA) at its Nagasaki factory in the town of Togitsu, Nagasaki prefecture. The screen was divided into 35 pieces for delivery to the Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo.

The bright, high-definition display is 3 times larger than what was previously installed at the horse track, and the screen’s three sections allow the audience to take in the action at other tracks. Total cost is reported to be 3.2 billion yen (US$28 million).

The video shows a girl sprinting from one end of the 2,651-inch monster to the other (in 12.8 seconds). You’d have to stack 1,550 32-inch TVs to match the size of this screen.

Seiko Epson has developed a paper-thin fingerprint sensor measuring 0.2 millimeter in thickness, which may help bring an extra level of security to a range of items in the future. When touched, the sensor reads fingerprint patterns based on the faint electric current emanating from the user’s fingertip.

The fingerprint sensor’s ultrathin profile means it can easily be incorporated into a variety of commonly used items. Among the applications that Seiko Epson is targeting are self-authenticating credit cards, in which a tiny on-card processor is used to compare the captured fingerprint data with the user’s fingerprint data stored in an embedded memory. A non-matching fingerprint would render the card unusable, preventing abuse in the case of loss or theft.

The company aims to commercialize the sensor by 2010

Source: Nikkei Net

These are cool photos of a defunct underground Soviet submarine base. Looks very inspiring for mappers of FPS Games.

Get lost? Do you? Well, a bright young designer from the U.K is developing a system that will have tag and name exactly what your staring at. Google Vision is a conceptual product developed by Callum Peden, for the worlds favorite search engine. The product provides the user with a truly unique information hub by combining GPS, OLED technology and advanced image recognition in the form of a retractable screen device.