Maybe there’s some mass conspiracy to tackle an overweight epidemic among humans, or maybe folks these days are running just for the fun it, but regardless of the real agenda, Casio is cashing in on the statistically-driven-jogger craze by unveiling the GPR-100. Hailed as the “world’s smallest GPS-enabled watch,” the unit combines all the goodness found in your average wristwatch with the swank abilities of GPS in order to better analyze your exercise. Similar to other arm-dominating contraptions we’ve seen, this waterproof wristwatch syncs up with GPS satellites to calculate the time, speed, distance, pace, and averages of your run, while keeping track of your route should you deviate from the beaten path. You also get a “fully automatic” calender, stopwatch, alarm, and even a backlight for those late night excursions. The biggest dig on this otherwise fanciful little timepiece is the battery life; the rechargeable LiOn apparently lasts just 2 hours in “normal operation,” while legging out 4.3 hours in “low power mode.” While this GPS watch will certainly attract less negative attention compared to earlier efforts, the compactness comes at a price — at a whopping Â¥54,000 ($476), you might be better off evading the GPR-100 entirely this September, and redirecting your energy (and cashflow) towards that tried and true Nike+iPod setup.

[Via Engadget Japanese]
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TechArt has just unveiled a customization kit for the Porsche Carrera GT. This kit includes a “new air outlet on the upper half of the front fascia,” three-piece gurney flap, one-piece spoiler lip, and a new exhaust system that increases output to 635hp (from 612hp). More pictures after the jump.

The team developed aerodynamically efficient custom-tailored body components made from exposed carbon fiber that serve as a visual contrast to the metallic-orange special paint

[via LeftLaneNews]
from techeblog

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So you’ve seen FOLED, now check out the latest “flexible active matrix e-paper SVGA display” by PlasticLogic. This could be the future of newspapers, magazines, and other paper media. One of our readers just sent in a new video clip — view previous one here.

Direct-write manufacturing techniques to achieve high resolution patterning on distorting substrates. Low processing temperatures allowing the use of flexible and low-cost plastic substrates

(Thanks, Zipped)
from techeblog

While more than a few portables have gone the Core Duo way, the Asus W7J intrigued us a few months back thanks to its dedicated GeForce 7400 Go graphics, very respectable pricetag, and gigantic stickers on the palmrests. The 13.3-inch lightweight notebook has finally come to fruition, and although the specs on PC Perspective’s test unit were a bit tamer than we originally hoped, it still proved to be a solid performer. The unit was highly praised for combining the graphics of a gamer-centric laptop (albeit a mid-level one) with the mobility of an ultraportable, all while throwing in a “superb user experience” to boot. Every aspect of the W7J was said to be “polished,” and niceties such as the firm, responsive keyboard, plethora of wireless options, integrated webcam / microphone, and the above average 1.83GHz Core Duo CPU and 1GB of RAM that comes standard were regarded quite highly. The biggest digs came from the puny speakers, uninspiring battery life (about 2.5 hours), and the uncomfortable amount of heat this little guy emitted; particularly when taxing that dedicated GPU, it was recommended to stay away from “soft surfaces” to keep the excessive heat from marring your carpet, or worse, starting a blaze. Overall, the laptop performed very well (considering the size limitations), and was recommended to “business users and students” looking for a small footprint and the occasional fragfest — if that’s you they’re talking about, the nimble (yet toasty) W7J can be snapped up now for a very modest $1,498.

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