Maximum PC concept RSS Feed

Chrysler Concept Has Built-In Computer With iPhone-Style Touchscreen

Andy Salisbury — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:04:10 -0500

Thanks to some obvious inspiration from Apple, it looks like the Nartron Corporation is going to bring a very iPhone inspired dashboard to Chrysler’s 200C concept car.

The 200C concept will feature a next-gen dashboard system, dubbed iQ Power. Thanks to iQ Power, drivers of the car will be able to use “any smartphone” as a smart key for the car (primarily used to unlock doors and even view a video stream of the car’s interior). And, thanks to some big colorful controls and cover-flow for browsing album art, it’ll no doubt be easy for iPhone users to feel right at home in this environment. iQ Power will even feature a wireless tablet that allows passengers to send music recommendations straight to the driver’s console (though, it seems like a simple tap on the shoulder would work well too).

Image Credit: The New York Times

Dreaming of a Simpler, More Cylindrical Time? D-Roll's Got You Covered

Andy Salisbury — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:24:51 -0500

Your laptop is pretty cool by today’s standards, but designer Hao Hua has something entirely different in mind for the future. That machine of the present that features an archaic hinge has served humanity well, but he plans to fit all that inside a fancy tube, making an already easy to carry machine, even easier.

The D-Roll (short for “digital roll”) concept allows anyone carrying one of these portable babies around with them to sling it under their arm, much like a purse. And, when you need some quick computing power, your screen will come out on one side and the keyboard will slide out the other.

While this is only a concept for what the portable computer of the future may look like (for some reason, the idea of carrying a murse just doesn’t sit right with me), it is an interesting look. Who knows, it might not be far off!

Image Credit: Hao Hua

HP's "Chameleon" Concept Laptop Designed to Surf the Web, Avoid Predators

Andy Salisbury — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:02:02 -0500

Designer Nikita Buyanov was commissioned by HP and Intel to design a series of conceptual laptops aimed at women, and the Chameleon is the end result.

The conceptual Chameleon features a series of three cameras, which it uses to blend in to its surroundings, by means of “adaptive microcell coverage” (also, it’ll blend into your pants pretty well).

Some of the other concepts are a machine that can be used as a scale that’s aimed at fitness, and even a pink notebook that can give manicures. While these ideas seem a bit lofty, it sure is fun to see what designers come up with when they’re put under a bright light!

To see the other concepts, check out Buyanov’s page, here.

Image Credit: Behance Network

Lenovo's Mysterious Portable is a 2-year-Old Concept, Still Sexy

Paul Lilly — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:15:04 -0500

With the netbook craze in full swing and Intel's Atom processor opening all kinds of doors for smaller, low power devices, you can expect to see some groovy gadgets make it to market. And after two years in development, maybe we'll soon see Lenovo's svelte-looking pocket-sized PC.

Currently in concept form, the "Pocket Yoga" is an extension of a folding notebook with a detachable keyboard, says Johnson Li, director of Lenovo's Beijing Innovation Center. And like its larger inspiration, the Pocket Yoga comes covered in leather, a fitting touch for a device shaped like a large wallet.

From a usability standpoint, a 360 hinge transforms the Pocket Yoga into a multifunction device. Open at a normal angle and you can use it as a laptop complete with full-function keyboard. Flip the cover all the way back and it suddenly becomes a tablet notebook.

Ensuring that geek stays chic, the leather-covered Pocket Yoga comes with a belt. And ensuring that chic stays geek, that belt turns into a mouse when removed. Pretty slick.

No word on projected price or availability, but we already want one.

(Image Credit: Lenovo)

Movable Powerstrip Concept Lets You Play Tetris with Your Sockets

Paul Lilly — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 09:52:46 -0500

If after seeing the PowerSquid you thought to yourself, "Self, what's next in powerstrip design?," then prepare to have that question answered. Meet the movable powerstrip.

Currently in prototype form, the Movable Powestrip purports to solve the problem of needing to rearrange furniture to fit the powerstrip rather than the other way around. Six bright blue-bordered sockets can be bent into a variety of orientations, from a straight line, to an L formation and every other Tetris combination you can think of to mesh with your environment.

And here we thought the only fun to be had with power sockets was by using a fork.

Is designer Jeff Carter on to something? Tell us what you think below.

Image Credit: Jeff Carter via Yanko Design

Mitsubishi Intros Depth-Sensitive Touchscreen Tech

Andy Salisbury — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:40:01 -0500

While some touchscreens seem to react when you hover your finger near it, Mitsubishi has turned this concept into something tangible with their latest tech – 3D motion tracking.

This 3D motion tracking is done with no extra cameras or sensors, and with an extremely high level of precision. So high, that it can measure your finger distance in increments of .08mm, up to a distance of 20mm, and does this action quickly enough that it can correctly guess the approach speed. It’s reported that this will most likely find its home in mobile devices, adding an extra level of interaction.

No word yet on when this will become available on a consumer level, but it has been mentioned that they’ll first use it in their own products (duh).

Image Credit: Mitsubishi

Asus' Origami Laptop Concept is Real, Will be Available This Year

Andy Salisbury — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:01:09 -0500

While Asus has already shown off one new concept with their dual touchscreen “flipbook,” they’re setting one more loose – an origami inspired notebook.

According to Asus CEO Jerry Shen, this new concept is the product of work put in by groups of designers from France, Italy and Korea.

Sadly, there are no details as to what platform the machine will be based off of, and no word yet on pricing. But, what we do know is that Asus is planning to release this by Q3 of this year.

If you’re looking to see what this puppy will look like in action, be sure to check out a video here.

Image Credit: TechRadar

Asus Debuts High-Tech Marine Cool Motherboard at CeBIT

Paul Lilly — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:49:17 -0500

Asus has been showing off its cool and quirky Marine Cool concept motherboard at CeBIT, and it's like nothing you've ever seen before. We say 'cool' in a literal sense, as the board's underbelly comes equipped with a backplate the company says utilizes "micro-porous ceramic" technology. According to Asus, the backplate provides "aerospace-grade thermal dissipating," while also adding to the board's structural integrity. Combined with the metal heat-pipe module covering the chipset and PWM, Asus says "these revolutionary designs improve heat dissipation by up to 2 fold."

The prototype board also boasts an onboard UPS consisting of a built-in polymer battery in the gray portion of the backplate, providing backup power and preventing damage in the case of a blackout. But the quirkiness comes in the form of SO-DIMM memory slots typically found on notebooks. We suppose the space-saving slots might have made sense on paper, but that's probably where it should have stayed. However, we do dig the built-in Failover Memory, which Asus says guarantees the system will boot when using incompatible or faulty memory.

Thoughts on the Marine Cool motherboard? Hit the jump and sound off.

Image Credit: Anandtech