Projection television has finally seen the future. Sony has replaced the bulky, conventional picture tube with three LCDs measuring 3.5 cm diagonally. Each LCD is assigned to one of the primary chrominance signals - red, green and blue - and a dichroic prism recombines the output into a full-colour image. How's that for a science lesson? Available in the UK from September (a 94 cm screen is yours for about £2,000 in Japan), these projection TVs are less than 40cm deep and include a 3D sound system.Sony UK: (0181) 784 1144.
When the computer leaves the desktop, most people immediately think laptop. Why not take a shorter leap and move that box of wires onto the wall? Vent Design Associates' PC is part of GE Plastics' concept house of the future, built in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The vertical case houses a printer and a CD-ROM jukebox, while the wireless screen and keyboard sit on the desk. This is the PC as home appliance.Contact Vent Design Associates: +1 (408) 559 4015, fax +1 (408) 559 4036.
Meiwa Denki is a Japanese performance and musical group whose name is often mistaken for that of an electronics firm (denki means electric machinery). Rather than change its name, the group decided to develop a line of "art-utility goods". Its first release: the Na Cord, an extension cord shaped like a fish skeleton. Piles of power cords are an eyesore, but chains of fish skeletons?Na Cord: approximately ¥5,000 (about £30). Available only in Japan. Sony Music Entertainment: +81 (3) 3266 5799, fax +81 (3) 3288 7255.
Isaac Newton may have been into dropping apples, but Apple Newtons are rather less keen on being dropped. So Digital Ocean builds Newtons for people who can't be doing with namby-pamby PDAs. The Seahorse wraps a Newton MessagePad 130 in a reliably rugged rubber sheath, offers extended battery power and a range of communications options, including wireless LAN, GSM/CDPD modem, GPS and diffused infrared.Seahorse: US$2,100. Digital Ocean: +1 (913) 888 3380, fax +1 (913) 888 3342, on the Web at www.digocean.com.
Everyone says their product is amazing. But Bang & Olufsen's BeoSound 9000 six-disc CD changer delivers. Under its translucent cover, six CDs fit snugly inside individual slots. The 9000 can sit flat, mount on the wall, or stand on its side attached to an optional stand. Best of all, Bang & Olufsen's design avoids the black-box pretension that usually surrounds audio equipment.BeoSound 9000: US$4,000. Not yet available in the UK. Bang & Olufsen: (01734) 692288.
Ever tried making a physical model from your funky 3-D on-screen designs? Me neither; it's all far too much like hard work. The MicroScribe-3D might change your mind. This balanced, robot-like arm is a high-precision digitising instrument that simplifies the modelling process down to tracing an object's contours. The MicroScribe is accurate to within 0.43 millimetres and comes with a choice of digitising software. Is this the end for Plasticene?MicroScribe-3D for Mac and PC: US$3,495. Immersion Corp.: +1 (408) 467 1900, on the Web at www.immerse.com.
The trumpet is the flower of the band. But finding a place to practice isn't easy. Unless your nearest neighbours live miles away, some unfortunate soul will always suffer as you honk away. The nice peeps at Yamaha feel your neighbour's pain. The Silent Brass System plugs into the bell of your bugle, acting as a mute. It also connects to a mixer and headphones that provide a practice session only you can hear.Silent Brass System: £199. Yamaha Campbell: (01908) 366700, fax (01908) 368872.
Nobody sits at a desk all day anymore, so why tether a computer there? Rather than burden employees with PDAs and new software, Zenith has developed Multi-Cruise, a system that frees PCs to follow their users around the office. Wireless CruisePADs let employees run Windows-based sessions off a central server; unlike other PDAs, MultiCruise utilises all your existing Windows programs. Suddenly a normal network doesn't seem quite such a bargain.MultiCruise: US$68,575 for a typical 30-user system, options vary. Available in UK by end 1996. Zenith Data Systems: (01442) 884007, on the Web at www.zds.com.
Thanks to Anna Pastor, Larry Smith, John S. Couch, Chiyo Toda and Wired Japan.