Hot off the heels of its existing MHL 3.0 cable spec that delivers 4K Video over MicroUSB and keeps the device charged, The MHL Consortium has taken the wraps off of SuperMHL, which goes even further. SuperMHL – which appears to be geared towards being a HD Cable replacement – not only increases the maximum picture resolution up to 16 times that of “Full HD” 1080p – in other words, what other media is referring to as “8K HD” – but is cable of a wider range of colours. 281,474,976,710,656 of them in fact, thanks to support for up to a 48-bit colour space, which should allow for more true-to-life shades. Future devices that support the new standard – which aren’t even available to the public as yet – will also be able to use the cable for linked communications; so theoretically if one had a TV, receiver and Blu-ray player all linked up using SuperMHL cables, then one remote could control them all.

Both ends of the SuperMHL Cable

The new standard is capable of delivering power output up to 40 Watts, even while it delivers video, meaning it will also be capable of simultaneously charging a device while you watch. 40 Watts is powerful for most high-end tablets to charge efficiently; it might even be in the range for certain laptops. As for Audio, there’s also support for all-encompassing sound technologies like Dolby Atmos and DTS-UHD for clear, crisp HD sound as well. Finally, the cable is reversible; allowing it to be used either way around much like USB Type-C. The cable technology will be available later this month – but devices that use it are likely to be a while away still, so while the technology will be in our hands shortly it will still be a long wait before we’re watching 8K TV regularly.

With the growing trend of late being to listen to music at the highest possible quality (even when it doesn’t actually make a discernible difference to the human ear), Sony took to the stage at CES today to reveal its second high-resolution music player: the Walkman ZX2. Designed both to upscale the quality of more compressed music formats and online streams using DSEE HX tech; and to keep music of all kinds sounding crystal clear with an S-Master HX digital amp, this new aluminium-bodied offering from Sony is designed to offer the best quality music whatever your format, with MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, AIFF, WAV and ALAC including DSD files supported at bitrates up to 192kHz/24-bits. A sizeable 128GB of internal memory is on-board, but should you have a music collection at half as big as that of one of our DJs here at Sanitarium.FM, a microSD card slot is also available for extra space; or you can use the built-in Wi-Fi to stream your music from online radio stations (cough) or download your tracks from online music stores.

In terms of the software on board, the Sony Walkman ZX2 takes the unusual step of running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, though Sony say using such an old build of Android as the base for their new music player was a concious choice due to its stability. By being Android-built, the Walkman ZX2 will also be compatible with many music and other Apps from Google’s Play Store, although apps targeting only newer Android versions beyond 4.2 will obviously be out. You will be able to use services such as Tidal and many other high-res streaming services though. You’ll also be able to listen to the music through compatible wireless headsets through Bluetooth, which will also make use of LDAC tech for enhanced clarity – though this is likely to cut into the battery life. Still, with the device rated to last 60 hours on a single charge, there should be plenty of power available to let you rock out until you crash out if you so choose.

Sony are not yet confirming a price point for the new device, which press rumours place at a range around $1,100 to $1,200; however, representatives state that a final decision on pricing will be made soon in time for the device’s planned release this spring.

Ever since Nintendo revealed upgraded new models of its popular Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL Handheld consoles (called, appropriately, the “New Nintendo 3DS” and “New Nintendo 3DS XL” respectively), Nintendo fans around the world have been eagerly awaiting their launch. Both models hit store shelves in Japan last October, followed by Australia and New Zealand a month later, but elsewhere in the world Nintendo has kept quiet on their plans – all we know for sure is an international release is planned for “2015”. Now though, we have a hint that a European release may not be far away.

Similar to what it did for the launches of the Wii, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo has announced a new Ambassador Promotion giving additional rewards to early adopters of the new console. Although the promotion is currently limited to selected Club Nintendo members, interestingly this does not seem to be limited to people in the original 3DS ambassador program – so all Club Nintendo members may want to check their inbox in the next few days to see if they’re eligible.

Should you be lucky enough to qualify, the exclusive Ambassador Edition set will be available to you at an asking price of £179.99. For this, you’ll receive a white New Nintendo 3DS model (note this is not the XL, which does not seem to have a similar promotion at this time) in a special ‘Ambassador Edition’ box; along some exclusive Ambassador Edition cover plates, and a slick Super Smash Bros. set in case you want to mix things up. Nintendo is also throwing in a charging cradle, stylus and a 4GB microSDHC card.

Although Nintendo are still keeping mum on the final launch date for the New Nintendo 3DS existence of this special, limited-availability promotion (which is basically a glorified invitational pre-order bonus) suggests that we may not have much longer to wait.

Washing clothes in a washing machine can be a bit of a nightmare when you have lots of different types. You might have heavy fabrics that was better at 40C but also delicates that could be damaged if washed above 30C. You might have jeans with heavy soiling that need extra cleaning power; but you might have silk or other thin fabrics that need a lighter touch. Often these things can’t be washed together, requiring you to split them into separate loads and wash one at at time, waiting an hour for one load to completely wash before putting in another.

LG think there’s a better solution.

Look at the bottom of your washing machine. You’ll probably find it has a pedestal – basically a chunk of empty plastic that helps raise the machine higher up the ground. While this can reduce some of the shakiness of the machine and reduce the reach required to load it up, that pedestal is really just wasted space – so why can’t we utilise it? Revealed at CES last night, LG’s crazy new solution is the Twin Wash, a slimline washing machine designed to fit in the pedestal space underneath your existing washing machine to give you a second, smaller, independently-ran drum you can slide out. Rather than purchase a single unit, the Twin Wash drum can be purchased separately and integrated with any of LG’s most recent models of front-loading washing machines. The company guarantees the machine’s slim inverter direct-drive motor technology with a 10-year warranty; while the machine itself will also come equipped with the company’s signature smart diagnosis feature that allows faults to be determined easily by support techs over the phone.

LG are yet to comment on pricing an availability.

Back in the 1980, when computers were expensive, far more basic and far less capable, a number of computers that tried to keep everything simple gained cult followings. The landmark of these was the ZX Spectrum, a simple plug-in-to-your-TV affair which was inexpensive (for its time), but had a wide variety of uses and many additional options such as modems and printers. It also was easy to develop for thanks to its simple BASIC programming language, which caused it to turn a number of children, teenagers and adults working in their bedrooms overnight into game and software developers; and the ZX quickly gained a following in Britain as an early game console with classic home-grown hits such as Elite, R-Type and Manic Miner.

A 3D model of the ZX Vega Controller, which may not be the final design. Image courtesy IndieGoGo.

Flash forward to today, and now – thanks to efforts by Retro Computers – the Spectrum is being reintroduced to a modern audience. The Sinclair Spectrum Vega is an all-in-one controller and console that's styled after the original, but uses modern advancements to reduce the cost and streamline the design. While designed to look similar to the most well-known and iconic of the original Spectrum designs, with that classic rainbow motif in the corner, the Vega's design is focused solely on playing those classic Spectrum games of old, to the extent that the full QWERTY keypad of old has been simplified to just the five most commonly-used buttons – R, F, S, 1 and 2 – plus a brand new D-Pad for directional control and a dedicated "Reset" function.

Retro Computers – a startup backed by Sinclair Research, the company founded by ZX Spectrum inventor Sir Clive Sinclair – are pitching the new computer on IndieGoGo after successfully completing a prototype model of the device. The company are aiming for an initial production run of just 1,000 of the new devices, and are asking for £100,000 ($157,115 USD) to begin work; with pledges of £100 ($157 USD) or more bagging one of the first models. Retro Computers says it'll come with 1,000 games pre-installed and support additional Spectrum titles loaded from an SD card, plus further free games are planned to be added down the line.

[Via Technically Motivated]