Squish, Splash, and Waft Beautiful Lighting

This series of interactive light objects by Viktor Alexander Kölbig aims to strengthen the relationship between object and user through light sources that not only illuminate the space they occupy but capture the users interest through a variety of unique interfaces and physical interactions like “smooshing” the smooth textile surface of the Seide lamp or stirring water in the Water Light to control power, color, and intensity.

Seide- this lamp develops its fascination the moment you touch the soft, smooth textile interface. Depending on how far it is pushed inside, the user can brighten and dim or turn it off by petting it gently.

Air Light- this lamp is developed to give the user the ability to adjusting the light without touching it. Just the presence of the hand inside the ring is enough to turn it on. A magic color change is triggered when the user simply turns their hand!

Water Light- fascinated by moving water and the reflections of light on the surface, this lamp consists of a light source and container holding water. The water not only spreads the light, but also acts as the interface for adjusting brightness and color. The amount of water added or taken away adjusts the amount of light, and stirring the water with your finger changes the color of the light- just like mixing water colors.

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Music Bell

Glocke is a unique cradle for an MP3 player and is inspired by the Korean Buddhist Bell. The bell works on the principle of resonance and amplifies sound, spreading its outreach. So when you dock the MP3 player on this device, it amplifies the low sound using the glass cylinder and glossy plastic body to full effect. The LED lamps are cute and glow according to the volume of the music…simply magnificent!

Glocke is a 2011 Sparks Awards Bronze winner.

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Beautiful Electric Motorcycle “Orphiro”

Orphiro is not just an electric bike, it’s efficient, quiet and an all around a great option for sustainable mobility. This battery-powered cruiser made in the Netherlands. Company founder Alexander Steegh says the slick streamlined exterior covers five lithium-ion batteries putting out 72 volts. Top speed is 75 mph, and recharging the batteries takes six and a half hours. “Sustainable fun, a cool design and comfortable driving. Orphiro combines all ideals when it comes to new motorcycling: fully electric, fast loading and one with nature.”

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New Panasonic LUMIX (DMC-)LS5 really shines in low light situations

Panasonic has announced a new LUMIX series point-and-shoot camera today in the (DMC-)LS5 which is expected to debut in November.

The (DMC-)LS5 features a 14.1-megapixel sensor with 5x optical zoom and a 26mm wide-angle lens. One of its major strengths is said to be its ability to deliver high-quality photos in low-light settings.

Other features of this compact camera include the 2.7-inch LCD, ISO sensitivty of up to 1600 (which can be extended to ISO 6400), O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization), 720p video recording (at 30fps) and a built in image uploader for easy social network sharing.

Pricing on the (DMC-)LS5 will come out around 30 days before the retail release of the model in November.

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Cooler Master goes all out with its first CM Storm series gaming headset

Cooler Master has extended its CM Storm branding into the world of gaming headsets today with the launch of the CM Storm Sirus 5.1 headset.

While being Cooler Master's first shot at a gaming headset, they look to have gone all out when running over the feature set, promising 'true' 5.1 channel surround sound with its eight internal speakers (four on each side), uni-directional mic, gold-plated USB connectors and a cool piece of supporting software included with it that CM calls the "Tactical Mixing Console", allowing players individual adjustment for each speaker and better overall control of the sound delivery, along with customized profiles being possible that better suit individual game titles.

The two main 40mm speakers promise a deep powerful bass along with six 30mm drivers that provide crisp, directional audio that make up the 5.1 experience. The specs state a frequency response of 10Hz - 20,000Hz and an impedance of 32 Ohms.

Meanwhile, the earpads are interchangeable with the inclusion of leatherette and breathable waved earpads, with the former being better for noise cancellation and the latter for a better 'oxygenated' experience.

To give you an idea on price, the Sirus will first reach European shelves mid August at an RRP of €119.99.

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Cooler Master's much anticipated COSMOS II pictured

In case you weren't already aware, Cooler Master are paving way for the return of COSMOS, their widely loved, iconic enthusiast tower chassis of years past. All the attributes we loved about the COSMOS are said to be remaining, with a ton of exciting new features added into the mix.

Now we can get an even better idea of what to expect from the COSMOS II, thanks to the folks over at TPU posting up a number of images of what looks to be a very close to final form version of the chassis.

The case remains true to the original with its suspended box shape design, albeit a little more curvey this time around, and is roughly the same overall size, but adds all the good stuff expected from a high end tower of today including USB 3.0 ports, touch sensitive buttons, accommodation for 2.5-inch SSDs and a smarter cooling sub-system arrangement.

The wide opening behind the CPU socket area is also indicative that the case may even be able to accomodate dual-socket boards including the eVGA SR-2.

We're not sure as to when CM intends to launch the case yet, nor at what price point. For obvious reasons expect to pay a pretty penny for it though.

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LG take a new approach in glasses-free 3D with D2000 LCD

With a vision toward what is inevitably the future in 3D viewing, LG has managed to bring it closer to reality here and now with the launch of its new D2000 panel today.

The inevitable future for 3D? Glasses-free of course, and that is what the D2000 is all about. This 20-inch monitor boasts glasses-free parallax barrier 3D technology in conjunction with the world's first eye-tracking feature that maintains an optimal 3D image from multiple viewing angles.

Unlike other existing glasses-free 3D technologies, LG's D2000 allows much more freedom in terms of not having to be positioned within a tightly restricted angle and distance for the effect to work properly. LG have also added a conversion feature to the monitor that allows 2D content (games, movies etc.) to be viewed in a third dimension. As to how effective that feature is, we'll have to get our hands on a sample and let you all know in the near future.

Initially becoming available in Korea later this month, the LG D2000 will also be introduced elsewhere around the globe in the coming months.

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Google spruces Android Market app, adds Movies and Books tabs

Android 2.2 and above user? Strap in and get ready to have an updated Android Market experience. Google have a new version of the Android Market coming, a version that adds tabs for easy access to Google Books and Movies. From $1.99, you'll be able to start watching movies virtually instantly, offline access is also available which will allow users to download the movies to their devices for later viewing.

Books is now integrated also, saving the hassle of having to launch the app, which required one to open the browser to actually buy any digital books. The new design is also cleaner, finger-friendlier (Engadgets wording!! haha) and the addition of Editor's Choice apps should make your experience easier than ever. The update is rolling out over the next few weeks.

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BREAKING: Facebook announces Video Calling powered by Skype

During Facebook's "Awesome" event that is going on now at Facebook's HQ in Palo Alto, CEO Mark Zuckerberg just announced "Video Calling".

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Samsung Galaxy S II has over 3 million units sold in just 55 days

Samsung have announced (and most likely, very proudly) that they have passed the 3 million units sold milestone of their latest and greatest (and may I add, amazing) Samsung Galaxy S II Android-powered smartphone. The Galaxy S II is expected to launch in no less than 120 countries on over 140 mobile operators, so these numbers will expand pretty quickly. Keep in mind that the phone has only launched in South Korea and the UK, these numbers are mighty impressive for just two markets.

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Samsung Intros Five More Series 9 Ultra-thin Notebooks

Samsung's ultra-thin Series 9 line-up of notebooks has just been extended with five more Intel powered models; three of which are 13.3-inch and two 11.6-inch sized ones. This family of notebooks are only 0.62-inches thick and no more than 1.31kg in weight.

All five models use SSDs and have an LED-backlit SuperBright panel running a 1366x768 resolution, Intel IGP, USB 3.0 support, FastStart technology (can ready up a machine in as little as 3 seconds), packed in a duralumin chassis with pre-loaded installation of Windows 7 Home Premium.

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Two-way Skype video calling now possible on select Android handsets

For the folks on Android who are, or plan to make use of Skype on their mobile device, a significant update has just come out which now makes it possible to initiate two-way video calling.

As it stands, however, this feature is currently only functioning on four (Android 2.3) handsets; the Google Nexus S, HTC Desire S, Sony Ericsson Xperia neo and Xperia Pro. Of course, support will be expanding in the near future.

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Gmail gets a new look

Google are on a rampage this week, not only launching their social networking extravaganza Google+ (which is awesome btw) but now a new look Gmail is out and being previewed. The new look is virtually identical to Google+ which helps keep an overall theme for Google and has cut the clutter away and still keep it as a powerhouse e-mail solution. Google have stated it's a Google-wide effort to bring you, the user, an experience that is more focused, elastic and effortless across all of their products.

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Facebook Set To Launch "Something Awesome" Next Week, says Zuckerberg

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, has confirmed the launch of a new Facebook feature/product which is set to be announced next week. Now, before you start salivating about what it could be, let's think. Could it be something to combat the huge positive launch of Google+, could it be video chat? Maybe the rumored iPad app?

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Internet Explorer 10 PP2 Now Available

Internet Explorer 10 Platform Preview 2 is now available for download, includes site ready HTML5, improved performance and increased security. One of the biggest changes in PP2 are some new technologies like Web Workers with Channel Messaging and Async script support which makes IE much more efficient when it comes to battery life - notebook users will love this!

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Google+ launched, Social Networking Gets Rebooted

 Google+ has been launched today and it is quite the bundle of joy. Included are multiple parts which create one large social networking web of connectivity, social fun and constant information on friends and more specifically the friends you want to know your whereabouts or specific posts.

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RumorTT: Apple iPhone 5 to be announced and released in August

Apple's usual announce and release dates for iPhones have always been this time of the year, but Apple have missed the mark this year and are now rumored to be announcing and releasing the next-generation iPhone 5 in August. Apple has been rumored to be giving some developers access to a device known as the iPhone 4S, an iPhone 4 with upgraded internals. This is not the iPhone 5, which is rumored to include anything from an 8-megapixel camera by Sony to a larger, but thinner bezel.

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Nokia N9, 3.9-inches of MeeGo goodness

Nokia have unveiled their MeeGo device, the Nokia N9. It features a 3.9-inch AMOLED screen rocking a 854x480 resolution, includes no keyboard or physical buttons of any kind (apart from the volume rocker and camera button). Comes in 16GB and 64GB on-board memory options, 1GB of RAM and is hugged by a polycarbonate shell that is colored all the way through which means scratches and dents shouldn't show unless it's a deep scratch of course.

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Acer intro Aspire Ethos notebook PCs

Acer today introduce two new top-of-the-line multimedia notebook PC lines for both the US and Canada. The new Acer Aspire Ethos AS8951G and AS5951G are designed to deliver an unparalleled high-definition personal theatre experience for a wide range of activities, including graphics-intensive gaming, video streaming and enjoying high-definition DVDs, photography or videos.

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PhotoFast Releases i-FlashDrive (UltraDock and GDock Power)

PhotoFast Global Inc. have released three new Apple products today. First up they have introduced the i-FlashDrive which is a two-way storage device between iOS-based devices and Mac/PC. The device doesn't require your iOS-based device to be jailbroken, the i-FlashDrive is a two-way file transfer accessory for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The product is Apple-approved and allows users to copy files from desktop to iOS devices and vica versa.

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