Friday Tech Files

==== IRiver Clix player ====

The new Clix player, from iriver (not apple related, just starts with an "i"), isn't all that impressive when you read the specifications. It's your basic media player with a voice recorder and FM radio that comes in 2, 4, and 6-Gigabyte versions. The impressive thing is that it has a new technology active matrix organic light emitting display (or AMOLED, or OLED). These have been working their way out of the lab for several years and should provide much better battery life since they require less power.

Sony is also looking to use OLEDs in their next PDA (allegedly). Kodak is the most familiar name selling OLEDs, but the main tech player is probably Cambridge Display Technology, which trades on NASDAW under the ticker OLED. They are still tiny, with a market cap of 128 million, but I have been following them for about 5 years (including before they went public in 2004). I don't recommend companies without profits due to the risks, but if you like to hold a few high risk tiny tech plays, this could be a good one. Keep in mind the stock is currently priced well below it's 2004 IPO price, and anything could happen, the technology is pretty good but it's business models that make money.

==== The iPod that ate the skyline ====

You're not imagining things, that building model looks an awful lot like an iPod. The base even looks like a charger. Note the person in the picture for scale.

According to the press release this "iPod inspired" design will actually be built in Dubai by Omniyat Properties for $800 million. The building design was done by James Law Cybertecture International in Hong Kong.

Now keep in mind that many, many, MANY, buildings are announced in order to try to drum up investors and then scrapped if the money doesn't appear. So this may be just a publicity stunt (I would go so far as to rate this a "probably"). It is rather impressive that they build a model, though.

Can you imagine if it was really built? The iPod will no doubt change completely by the time this is finished. It would be like living in "Betamax Towers." How odd.

More pictures and details at Luxury Launches.