nec

Japan's NEC has unveiled a wireless camera that can be powered by something as frugal as fluorescent light, which provides an indoor version of solar power. The magic lies in a ring-shaped component attached to the bulb, which then generates a magnetic field of power.

Tech-On reports that the wireless camera can automatically adjust its video-shooting frequency according to the power supply from the fluorescent light. It can be set to shoot images every 10 seconds and supports VGA (640x480), QVGA (320x240) and QQVGA (160x120) resolutions.

(Source: Crave Asia)

Be prepared to enter into a monolog with NEC's translation software for mobile phones. Why? Because it's capable of translating only verbal Japanese to English text, and not the other way around. What this basically means is that, if you are a Japanese tourist in an English-speaking country, chances are you won't be able to understand the answer to your question even if a local managed to decipher what you are asking from your phone's screen. Sounds silly to us, but we have to give credit to NEC for solving half the equation.

(Source: Crave Asia) … Read more

Companies are always looking for a gimmick to distinguish their products from the pack and, when the direct competition means the likes of Apple and Dell, they may well need all the help they can get.

That, at least, is the predicament Japan's NEC finds itself in where all-in-one desktop PCs are concerned. So what unique feature does it boast? A handle. Yes, NEC's "PowerMate P5000" series has grown a handle in what seems to be part of some odd trend that has seized part of the technology industry. Other than that, this "hybrid" … Read more

It seems hard to believe that, well into the 21st century, so many offices still must keep fax machines to do business. But at least some manufacturers are trying to evolve their Paleolithic technology, whether by going mobile or making lattes. (A little perfume never hurts either.)

NEC is taking an even more ambitious route that, surprisingly, involves the most analog form of communication of all: handwriting. The SP-NA640 will scan the worst of your chicken scratchings or doodlings and send them to any mobile phone as an image document, even in color, according to Akihabara News. With such great … Read more

We've known for awhile that NEC's co-branded LaVie G laptops have been cursed, ever since they did a deal with the Sanrio devil. So there wasn't much new to report when the Japanese company came out with yet another Hello Kitty model, though we do think that its black color is a more accurate reflection of evil feline's soul.

But that, as it turns out, was only the beginning of this latest assault. Hello Kitty Hell reports that the black laptop is only one component of a new hardware set that also includes a Swarovski-studded mouse … Read more

NEC has announced a wideband wearable antenna that you can attach to your clothes to supplement the signal when reception is poor. Or when you want to look like an insect.

The mobile antenna uses a conductive fabric that can be attached to garments or other items, and folded up for easy carrying. NEC says the wearable antenna works equally well in open spaces and when situated close to the signal-impeding human frame.

NEC will first test the antenna to receive digital TV broadcasts between the 470 and 770MHz frequency bands, but the principle lends itself to other applications, which … Read more

We've got to hand it to NEC and Nissan. As silly as we found the their SUV-inspired laptop, there's something admirably cheeky about their special edition that's supposed to match Nissan's March mini-car (aka the Micra in Japan), in all its striped insanity.

The pattern looks as if it was lifted from a drawer liner created by an overcaffienated interior designer of the '60s. It even comes with a slip cover made of the same material used for the car's seat upholstery, according to Digital World Tokyo.

We really shouldn't be surprised by any … Read more

Speaking of co-branding mania: It's one thing for a company to seek out a racing dynasty such as Ferrari or Bugatti to boost sales, but the Nissan X-Trail?

The laptop in question is an NEC LaVie G that's been outfitted with a contoured lid and rust paint job that's supposed to look like the body of the SUV, according to Gizmodo, as well as some assorted logos. Again: Why a Nissan X-Trail? We don't know either, but earlier this year this same laptop took on a hideous (redundant) Hello Kitty persona. So the bar, it seems, … Read more

Contrary to popular belief, not all of Japan's R&D goes into robots and Hello Kitty (or so we're told). In fact, it's not even all destined for the consumer market.

NEC, for example, has applied its technological prowess to "the world's first automated border control system that uses facial recognition technology capable of identifying people inside their automobiles," according to Pink Tentacle, and it's already being used at checkpoints between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The biometrics system was developed to break immigration logjams in China and elsewhere, checking chip-embedded national ID … Read more