NerdBeach

Prime Concept Computer Mixes Portability With Expanding Fun

 

 Wouldn't it be great to carry a 13" notebook and have a 26" desktop when you get down to work (or play)? Prime, a concept computer by Kyle Cherry, could deliver that in a pleasing notebook package.

 

 

While still just a concept, the Prime manages to do this through a clever arrangement of sliding panels. The ideal calls for a machined aluminum body (ala Macbook Pro), and there is room for dual CPUs. With the multiple CPU design, it might be easy to guess what Kyle's intended purpose for the machine is – an awesome portable gaming rig.

 

 

 

 

However, it could be easy to imagine the Prime being used for a lot of other applications, including business and entertainment applications. With the multiple screen capability I could see developers flocking to it for their work. Business people could certainly impress clients with the added screen real estate without the need for a projector. And who wouldn't find it handy to pull up a video on the side while they go about their computing tasks. 

As stated, the Prime is only a concept at this point, but I do hope that it is an example of what the future of laptops might be like. If so, I am excited again at the potential toys tools that could be waiting for us around the corner. 

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Thanko Cooler Keyboard Keeps Typing Hands Cool

 I have two laptops I generally use, a small one for travel and an older nine pounder (yes, a nine pound laptop) that manages to heat up the keyboard and make toast on the side.  So, a keyboard with cooling vents definitely caught my eye.  The Thanko Cooler Keyboard incorporates its own fan forced air cooling, making for a cool typing experience.

Of course, those who do not use keyboards with a CPU sitting under them (i.e. desktop users) may not notice a warm keyboard quite so much, but it still might feel nice to have a gentle breeze keeping their hands a bit less sweaty as they toil away on the keys (and while surfing, but why this could cause sweaty hands I'll leave to the imagination of the reader).

The Cooler Keyboard uses three small fans to draw air up from the bottom and through the hand rest.  The unit is powered from a second USB cable, so you will need to have 2 available USB ports to use it. 

Expected price for the Thanko Cooler Keyboard is about $62 when it is released.

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Honda Lightweight Powered Exoskeleton is Downright Practical

HondaExoskeltonIt is a beautiful sunny morning, and I breathe deep, enjoying the feel of the air expanding my chest. I strap on the lightweight robotic exoskeleton (a recent find from the Cyber Sea) and start the climb on the cliffs close by the surf.  After about an hour into the effort, I stop to look out to sea, marveling as always the way the curve of the flat horizon shows how small of a planet we live on.  I still feel fairly fresh, thanks to the mechanical assist from the device.  I figure I have about an hour of charge left, so  I plan on using the lightweight exoskeleton for the climbing up portion of my little adventure this morning.  The coming back down part I can manage just fine on my own.

The promise of the robotic full body exoskeleton, giving the wearer inhuman powers and endurance, is becoming closer to fact every day. However, it is still years away from being widely available.  In the meanwhile smaller units,which are designed to assist, are to the point of being almost practical today.  Take, for example, the Honda “Experimental Walking Assist Device”, a unit that can run for 2 hours at a pace of 4.5 km/h on its self-contained charge, thanks to a brushless DC motor design and careful but practical engineering.  The unit, which naturally features an on-board CPU, uses hip angle sensors to drive the assist motion. Weighing in at 2.8kg,  the Honda device is planned to be available in three different sizes.  That is, if it does make it to market, and eventually a robotic exoskeleton will do so. This design, with its emphasis in practicality, would make a great market entry device.

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