Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Rob Meek and Frank Miller’s not-so-humbly-named Meek FM “typographic synthesizer” has been making the rounds for a little while now, but in case you weren’t able to check out one of the few live “performances” of it, the pair have now thankfully let loose a video that shows just what the device is capable of. As you can see for yourself after the break, the one of a kind rig lets you take a distinctively Moog-like approach to designing fonts, with a slew of good old fashioned knobs provided to let you tweak things to your heart’s content. Needless to say, the pair apparently have no plans to produce any more to sell, and this is one project where we’re guessing a DIY guide would be of little help to anyone other than a very select few font-loving synthesizer aficionados.

[Via technabob]

Continue reading Meek FM “typographic synthesizer” gets demoed on video

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Clad in standard issue silver and black and weighing in a little on the chunky side, we’d be lying if we said Toshiba’s entry-level LCD was a real looker. It’s not that it’s particularly ugly, mind you: there are just way better looking 32-inch screens out there, including some that cost less money.

Reservations concerning the chubby waistline are speedily banished when you flip the on switch, because the picture quality is as good as anything else in this price range — or at least it is when you feed it a high quality HD source. Use the built-in Freeview tuner and the results are a bit noisy and dirty, but Hi-Def movies and games benefit from the adjustable backlight and blazing colour reproduction. The former means you can tone down the light behind the screen when viewing in a dark room, which helps keep blacks looking black, rather than grey. 24p from Blu-ray and HD DVD is also supported, so hi-def movie discs deliver their eye candy with nary a judder in sight.

Likewise, the inclusion of SRS WOW and a bass boosting mode means that sound quality resides a healthy notch above average. It’s nothing on a decent external audio setup, mind you, but it does a better job than most smallish screens, meaning that if you hook up a DVD player, games console or piece of HD kit you won’t be left disappointed.

. With Sony and Samsung already shaving inches off their google boxes, Toshiba are also looking to get in with the super skinny sized models. No dates were given on when these would be hitting our fat shelves, but expect an announcement later this year.

Adding to the super slim hinting Toshiba unveiled their updated REGZA X series with the XV series. Available in March the range includes 32, 37 and 42 screen inches – all of which boast a full 1080 HD resolution. The 32″ model is the smallest REGZA model to display 1080p Full HD to date.Oh yeah.

Want to enjoy all the fun of High Def telly without having to fork out for a swanky Plasma? It looks like there might be a solution, in the form of the ASUS HDTV Suite-HDMI.

The analogue standalone TV box provides HD viewing at the highest video quality. All users have to do, if they so desire, is hook the box up to their PC monitors.

Housing a bucket-load of features – “Dynamic Deblocking”, “Flesh Tone Correction”, “Advanced 3D Comb” (anybody?) – the wonder box uses advanced hardware which means video playback is top notch.

The hardware removes the need for your PC monitor to feature an image-processing unit usually seen on top-of-the-range TVs.

No software add-ons are required and the box can also be used as a media centre, with connections for gaming consoles and DVD players.

We still don’t know if we’re that excited about sitting in front of our computers to watch a flick, but this sort of thing itches us that little bit closer to life at a desk.

This is a motion-activated video recorder, tucked away inside a fully functioning radio alarm clock. The perfect way to catch your philandering partner in their dastardly act.

Of course, if you’re in a harmonious and trusting relationship – surely someone out there must be? – it can deployed as a homemade blue-movie recorder. You can even tune into late night love on the built-in radio as you get your groove on.

For all you non-pervs out there who’re actually more concerned with someone breaking in and stealing your porn collection, it’s an FBI-style surveillance camera that can snare thieving toe-rags with great aplomb.

The CCD camera is concealed within the front of the clock radio and contains an SD memory card for transferring covert operational footage onto your PC. The manufacturers – Spy Chest Inc – say this makes the files easily email-able to friends and family. It’s the ultimate revenge gadget and it’s yours for $399.00. Roger that?