Video: Sony Unveils Paper-Thin OLED Screen That Rolls Up While Still Playing Video

Sony's Organic Thin-Film Transistor Screen Roll up the screen, and the video keeps on playing. Sony

We're putting things that used to be on paper on video devices, things usually associated with large video screens onto pocket-sized devices, and now Sony is putting video on a flexible OLED screen thin enough to be rolled around a pencil like a sheet of paper, without interrupting the video.

The 80-microns-thick (that's 80 millionths of a meter, or about as thick as a human hair) full-color display can be rolled up and unfurled repeatedly without degrading picture quality. It was made possible by a breakthrough in OLED tech, in which Sony researchers created organic thin-film transistors with 8 times the performance of conventional OTFTs.

More details will emerge Thursday when Sony presents the technology to Society for Information Display's 2010 symposium in Seattle. But suffice it to say, such technology points to a future where everything, even media usually associated with paper like newspapers and magazines, have the capacity to handle full color digital media. See it in action below

Air Force's Hypersonic X-51 WaveRider Ready For First Test Flight

X-51 WaveRider The X-51A WaveRider, a wingless scramjet, will make its first hypersonic test flight Tuesday over the Pacific Ocean. Air Force Research Laboratory

The military’s new wingless plane is set to make its first hypersonic test flight Tuesday, after it is released from a B-52 bomber off the California coast.

The X-51A WaveRider, which sort of resembles a shark, will fly for about five minutes, powered by a scramjet engine. It should reach about Mach 6 and transmit data to ground stations before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, according to the Air Force Research Laboratory.

The longest previous hypersonic scramjet flight test, performed by a NASA X-43 in 2004, was faster, but lasted only about 10 seconds and used hydrogen fuel. The X-51 uses JP-7 jet fuel, the same juice that powered the SR-71 Blackbird.

The WaveRider is basically wingless — it has some little fins on its side — so it is designed to ride its own shockwave, hence the name. The flight will test the SJ61 scramjet engine, built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, as well as the craft's thermal protection systems, airframe and engine integration.

Tuesday’s flight will be the third time a WaveRider has been aloft, but in the past it had remained attached to a B-52. This time, the bomber will drop the craft and a solid rocket booster will accelerate it to about Mach 4.5. Then the scramjet engine, which uses the same fuel as the SR-71 Blackbird, will push the X-51A to Mach 6 as it climbs to about 70,000 feet. Scramjets can burn atmospheric oxygen, so they don’t need to carry huge, heavy fuel ta

The latest version of the LittleDog Robot

Japanese Researchers Create Biomimicking Artificial Butterfly, and Fly It

As elegance in engineering goes, it doesn't get much better: a functioning ornithopter modeled after a swallowtail butterfly. Japanese researchers fashioned their faux swallowtail to mimic the precise flying motion of the real thing, hoping its unique flying motion can inform future aerodynamic designs.

Unlike most other butterflies, swallowtails don't actively control the aerodynamic force of their wings, instead achieving forward flight through simple flapping motions. Many other butterflies actually control their flights by making small adjustments to their wing motions as the fly, but the swallowtails' wings are simply too big. Their flapping frequency is low, and their ability to control those massive wings is quite limited.

To prove this, the researchers built their ornithopter to the exact specifications of the swallowtail, right down to the thin membranes and veins that cover the wings of real butterflies. They then used special software to analyze the model swallowtail in flight, demonstrating that unsophisticated flapping motions with little feedback control can still produce precise, controlled flight.

Japans Largest elevator

Enormous Elevator This elevator can hold 80 people. Mitsubishi Elevator

A new Japanese office building that opened earlier this month in Osaka is home to two dozen ginormous window-view elevators, the largest in Japan.

Each can hold 80 passengers and are 12 feet wide, 9 feet long and 8.5 feet high, with a floor space of about 102 square feet.

Japanese architecture is often notable for its smallness -- this is the country that invented the capsule hotel , after all. But the commodious elevator is a more efficient way to move large amounts of people.They are operated as shuttles between Hankyu Department Store’s Umeda store and several floors of offices, according to a press release [PDF].

The department store is located near one of Japan’s largest train terminals, and the shops nearby are a popular destination, meaning the elevators will probably see much more traffic than the picture shown above.

The Japanese also want to be the first to elevate to space, so perhaps it makes sense they’d install an enormous one in a building first.

Sharp Unveils 3-D-Shooting Cellphone Camera

Sharp 3-D HD Camera Module Sharp

Today Sharp announced plans that could turn your cellphone into a 3-D-shooting mini film studio as early as next year. The company today unveiled a mobile-phone 3-D camera capable of shooting in high def.

The module captures 720p stereoscopic (two-eyed) video and is only about two inches wide. To put that in perspective: Fuji's 3-D camera uses much larger, heavier sensors and only records standard-def video.

The camera on its own, though, needs help to produce a 3-D image. As with a3-D TV or blu-ray player, there needs to be an integrated circuit capable of decoding the stereoscopic signal, converting file formats, and then sending the information to a 3-D-ready display. Oh, yeah, Sharp has one of those, too: the glasses-less kind.In March, the company announced a small-format screen consisting of two stacked LCD screens; the screen on top only displays thin vertical black lines, which block half of the image at a time, so that your right and left eyes only see their own angles. The meshing of the two images is your brain's job.

It's been rumored for a while now that Sharp's screen will be what makes Mario pop on the forthcoming 3-D Nintendo DS, so it's only natural to intuit that maybe (just maybe) the DS will both display and capture in three dimensions. For the time being, though, it's all just conjecture -- especially considering that these camera modules won't go into production for several more months, and Nintendo's still mum on when the 3DS rollout might start.

Luxury Yachts

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, the 531-foot Dubai has interiors designed by Philippe Starck, space for 115 guests and 88 crew members, six guest suites and five VIP suites — all with open balconies. Interior spaces are channeled towards a “massive” foyer and atrium that connects each of the mega-yacht’s eight deck. Outside, the ship hosts a large pool, squash court, helipad and a small aircraft hanger. $350 Million

"Sea Kites" Could Harness Tidal Energy For Future Power Plants

Sea Kites An artist's rendering shows sea kites harnessing the power of ocean tides. They would be tethered to a power station on the ocean floor. Courtsey Minesto

A new underwater kite being developed in Sweden could be a low-cost, low-impact method for harnessing ocean energy. Swedish start-up Minesto has obtained $2.5 million to start testing the kite in Northern Ireland next year.

The kite, called Deep Green, is able to capture tidal energy at 10 times the speed of the water in which it operates.

The prevailing methods of capturing tidal energy mimic two common power sources -- there are tidal barrages, similar to the method used in hydropower stations, or stream systems, which capture the motion of the tide and work like wind turbines. The kite falls into the latter category, but its airfoil design is fairly unique. Submerged turbines are more commonly designed like windmills under the sea.

It consists of a 3-foot-long turbine attached to a rudder and a 39-foot wingspan, tethered to the ocean floor with a 330-foot cable, according to CNN.

The turbine rotates quickly and doesn't require a gear box, making it lighter and cheaper than other alternatives, according to Minesto representatives. The key is the tether -- anchoring and steering the kite allows it to capture much more energy. The kite travels 10 times faster than the water it operates in, resulting in 1,000 times more energy, the company says.

The project started at automaker Saab in 2003 and Minesto spun off in 2007. CNN says the company hopes to begin scale-model trials next year at Strangford Lough, in County Down, Northern Ireland, which is already home to a commercial tidal power device operated by SeaGen, a British renewable energy company. The prototype is expected to produce 500 kilowatts of power.

Sea kites would need fairly large swaths of ocean to operate, but they would inhabit small parts of that swath at any given time, as they moved in figure-eight patterns through the water. Minesto representatives say in the future, the technology could be combined with offshore wind farms to produce ocean-driven power plants.

Most Expensive Bass Guitar

A financially endowed bass player might look at any one of Jens Ritter’s bass guitars, which start at $6,000, and be content. After all, the German luthier’s expensive basses are made with some of the same techniques used to make Stradivarius violins. One customer, however, wasn’t satisfied with one of Ritter’s “normal” guitars and we’re lucky for it. After all, if it weren’t for this customer, we wouldn’t be able to tell you about the world’s most expensive bass guitar.

The Ritter Royal Flora Aurum, as it’s called, has a body carved from a rare, solid piece of maple while the nut is carved from 10,000-year-old mammoth ivory. The fingerboard is decorated with a floral inlay pattern made of 24-karat gold. There’s even a black diamond set in platinum decorating each leaf. Even the bridge, tuner buttons and knobs are cast in gold. The knobs on this luxurious bass hold an additional embellishment—they’re both topped with brilliant-cut diamonds (3.3 carats total).

The Flora Aurum is a work in progress and is on hold for one lucky buyer.

The most expensive bass guitar in the world is valued at $100,000.

Eight Best Computer Keyboards

There's perhaps nothing more essential to a happy computing experience than a great keyboard. Whether your machine is of the desktop or laptop variety, a solid, full-size clacker will make writing papers, designing flyers, or just getting around the Web significantly faster and more comfortable. Some keyboards take the "lighter is better" approach in terms of the keys, while in recent years, "clicky" models, reminiscent of those chunky IBM keyboards of yore, seem to be all the rage with more and more manufacturers. And nothing cleans up a cluttered desktop more than a wireless keyboard. Go with what feels best to you: As with a pair of eyeglasses, you'll be using your keyboard every day, so it's worth an investment. Your hands will thank you.

Cellphones, Mobile Handsets Dell Aero is AT&T's second Android phone

Looks like Dell's finally entering the modern US smartphone market with a renamed mini 3 called the Aero for AT&T. There's some serious Android UI skinning going on here -- it looks like a riff on what we've seen on the streak/ mini 5 but that's all we know specs-wise at the moment. To be honest, we're somewhat concerned that this custom UI skin will be built on top of Android 1.5 or 1.6 instead of 2.1, and that AT&T will mandate a Backflip style app lockdown until we get some hard details all we have is this pic and our usual hope for the future.

PS4

Welcome to our site dedicated to all you future PS4 addicted maniacs out there. Comment on any of our articles and join our forums for up to the minute insider info as well as the latest PlayStation news or whatever else is happening in the PS4 world. Send us your Ps4 ideas , images, YouTube links, etc. Guest writers are always welcome! As long as what you write is interesting we will post it. Hell, if you're really good we might even get you some free Sony goods. Enjoy and welcome to our corner of the world.