Lenovo's 3D projecting, floating, jet-powered, armored laptops

We love a good viral gadget video as much as the next guy, so what the hell, lost Lenovo test lab tapes recovered from "a long standing acquaintance?" Ok, why not. Footage that shows the "Skywalker" holographic projection unit (ala "Help me Obi Wan Kenobi"), a laptop dropped that lands gently thanks to retractable rocket boosters, and Batman-esque armor plating that prevents coffee spills? Sure, what the hell. After all, not too many people gonna argue that outside some especially ruggedized machines (Panasonic, we're looking your way), you don't get many laptops more sturdy than a good ThinkPad. With armor.

[Thanks, mc steelcut]

[Cody @ Mar 28th 2006 9:32PM]

Thank you for giving me the oppurtunity to be the first to call bullshit.

[Lenovo @ Mar 28th 2006 9:35PM]

uhh....can't believe engadget has post like this...the videos are sooooo fake..

[Hudson Pridham @ Mar 28th 2006 9:37PM]

It all looks good I guess... but where are the sharks with lazer beams attached to their heads? Come on guys!

[erik @ Mar 28th 2006 9:37PM]

Yeah I've got to agree with #1 there is no way those are real.

[phenostar @ Mar 28th 2006 9:44PM]

I can't believe you engadget guys bought those super fake videos!! /end sarcasm

Well done virals, for sure. Beats the hell out of the cat getting its head cut off by the ford.

[Ryan Block @ Mar 28th 2006 9:45PM]

Of course they're fake! What part of "viral video" or the constant sarcasm of the post did not make it across? There's no way we think these are real, just a very humorous attempt at a viral gadget video.

Best, Ryan

[SebS @ Mar 28th 2006 9:46PM]

from reading engadgets write up i thought they knew it was fake...no?

nice...the skywalker setup would be great for my j-o-b

[Brian B @ Mar 28th 2006 9:51PM]

There is no way these videos are fake. My source (the guy who has supplied me with an 8th generation ipod video micro with a duo processor) is bringing me the coffee spill protector version tomorrow. It also comes equipped with true hands free typing via brain waves ala Stephen Hawkings style. no joke

[XGM @ Mar 28th 2006 9:52PM]

Fake, but heck there cool. I guess these are vids of what there dreaming to accomplish in the future. Anyways it was cool too see what there developping over there :D

[JakeH @ Mar 28th 2006 9:57PM]

Fake? You really think so? Does that mean Cadbury eggs aren't really laid by clucking rabbits too?

Serously, I can't believe this is even a discussion...

This is like seeing a Batman flick and saying "no way did that ever happen! in fact, i don't think Gotham is even a real city!"

I *sigh* for the world...

[chris @ Mar 28th 2006 10:06PM]

April fools isn't until Saturday..

[Henry @ Mar 28th 2006 10:07PM]

Well done, but nitpicking, they forgot to add motion blur to the flying laptop.

All three of those features look cool, but are pointlessly extravagant.

[mike @ Mar 28th 2006 10:12PM]

Wow, what an amazing scientific achievement. This is really incredible! How could they test holographic technology with no one knowing? Amazing!

Whoever spends time making an entire website on this trash needs to get a hobby. A new hobby.

[Jerome @ Mar 28th 2006 10:17PM]

HAHAHA!

JakeH (#10) got it all right!

quote:
Serously, I can't believe this is even a discussion...

well said!

word

[kyle @ Mar 28th 2006 10:20PM]

#13, do you really think that somebody did this for free? it was obviously all done by lenovo's ad agency.

isn't it lenovo who has the tv commercial where a laptop is dropped and a cage comes out of it, cushioning it's fall?

[Pal @ Mar 28th 2006 10:25PM]

I can't believe that someone even thought that this was real.

I'm a computer graphics major and these are very nicely done. Nice compositing!

The laptop doesn't fall on the ground all too naturally, and the coffee didn't splash either (mabe it was meant to be gooey), but it would definitely get an A on a project.

The weakest video, in my opinion, was the hovering laptop video. I don't find the concept too interesting and zooming in on a test video seems fake, even in a video of this nature (parodies must be inspired by real events after all).

[JD Salinger @ Mar 28th 2006 10:26PM]

Ryan,
I'm sorry but the vast majority of Engadget fans are either true tech heads (which means they suck at anything literary), or they are the wanna be tech heads (which means they understood the sarcasm, but don't have time to post)

[Deepthroat @ Mar 28th 2006 10:56PM]

uh, i definitely work at lenovo and those aren't fake.

[Joey @ Mar 28th 2006 11:25PM]

You can't throw cheese at the sun. Remember that.

"Whoever spends time making an entire website on this trash needs to get a hobby. A new hobby."

"All three of those features look cool, but are pointlessly extravagant."

"Fake, but heck there cool. I guess these are vids of what there dreaming to accomplish in the future. Anyways it was cool too see what there developping over there :D"

Either you all are upping the anti with some irony, or you don't get what viral marketing is AT ALL.

Phenostar. I liked the cat thing better. It had more violence.

[Timothy @ Mar 28th 2006 11:45PM]

I love all the tards that think they're so smart. "That's fake!" Hahahhaa. No shit sherlock. You must've been the first kids in High School to realize there's no Santa too.

[Mike @ Mar 29th 2006 12:01AM]

Nobody's saying it's real. Even the article says they're fake. Notice the sarcasm and the use of the term "viral video." Dur.

[Twigg @ Mar 29th 2006 12:22AM]

Must be a marketing thing by/from Lenovo. The "WhoIs" info is blocked for this site, and there's extensive use of javascript for tracking - 4 cookies, reference to Google Analytics, etc. Shameless promo and we all bought it (the promo, not the "fake" part):
http://www.lenovo-tapes.com/js/general.js

[SKINp @ Mar 29th 2006 12:25AM]

Fakes... but funny.

[Sh4rky @ Mar 29th 2006 12:59AM]

the jet one really gives it away. The others are a bit more subtle.

[Richard Lai @ Mar 29th 2006 1:26AM]

Whoever made those video clips must be really sad... Or maybe Lenovo just wants to boost their share prices.

[Deadend @ Mar 29th 2006 1:59AM]

I like the choices of names. Kent for flying laptop, Skywalker for hologram and Wayne for armor. Now, where is my Jordan video that is operated on willpower?

[mike @ Mar 29th 2006 7:32AM]

uuuhh ... do any of you wankers serious think that anyone was expected to believe these were real?!?!

The real problem is that they're simply stupid and not remotely funny. Viral marketers everwhere should be hanging their heads in shame.

[Lee @ Mar 29th 2006 8:26AM]

for #25, mike...
sarcasm on
uuuhh. In case you missed it, people DID believe these... which makes them nearly as silly as you for thinking them to be not funny.
sarcasm off

[Moogle @ Mar 29th 2006 9:07AM]

So the real question is, are the posters that say "No way that's real!" really expecting anyone to think it could be, or are they just trolling? If it's the latter, everyone's falling for the blatant-disregard-of-sarcasm trolls hook line and sinker.

Jeez, it's like some sort of insideos meta-troll! Netcraft confirms it: Endgadget is dying!

[r19578 @ Mar 29th 2006 10:14AM]

I love my new Lenovo laptop, but its jet engine burned my feet when I dropped it yesterday...I'm in a wheelchair now.

[andrew @ Mar 29th 2006 10:20AM]

mirror...

please....

[quandmeme @ Mar 29th 2006 11:17AM]

Yes, can engadget mirror these or does anyone know where else they are (going on the basis that virals spread).

[torkhum @ Mar 29th 2006 12:51PM]

All words that describe this gadget: 3D projecting, floating, jet-powered, armored laptops, make me want to get me one of these sweet computer. Though I don't work for government, who wouldn't.

[Frank @ Mar 29th 2006 9:16PM]

I don't think engadget is seriously suggesting these videos are real; they're just for laughs...right guys?

[Vince Cuares @ Mar 30th 2006 12:39AM]

Seriously, They might indeed come from Lenovo. I assume that they might be proposals to execs or management as brainstormed ideas to encourage patents well ahead of everyone else even it is not doable and feasible at the moment. This innovative thinking process might have brought us the Thinklight, Trackpoint, HDD accelorometers and fingerprint sensors.

[crosshair @ Mar 30th 2006 6:01AM]

the hologram one's not too bad, the other are just stupid.
the links make for goo reading too:
http://www.holodemo.com/
http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/08/japans-real-3d-image-projector/
http://www.io2technology.com/technology/applications

[Dark_sHadow @ Apr 6th 2006 10:17PM]

I honestly don't know what to think...they really do look fake, but do you really think that some average joe would spend his time building a claw robot, and waisting laptops? It's probably fake...but who knows?

[toodles @ May 18th 2006 11:56AM]

cool i guess, but they made a huge mistake... the momentum of the fall would have obviously closed the laptop when the boosters kicked in.. so dumb.

[Timerider @ May 19th 2006 10:13AM]

Uhhh, duh... Of course they're fake. No laptop has booster rockets.

[Timerider @ May 24th 2006 2:49PM]

Timothy, #20:
lol
Just what i was thinking.


And to all those people thinking "Why is Engadget wasting their time on this?", It's gadget/tech related, including the ads and cheap-o crap from Japan and China. (Not that that's all they make, of course.)