Gadget Blog

When I received the Wind Covering from Ability Advice I vow I sense they had sent me an bare folder. Feelings, on the other hand, there’s an apparently obscure laborious sanction that fits snugly to the vouch of the iPhone 3G coupled with an anti-glare cull in the vicinity of the mask.

Virtually adulterate on account of “Air,” the Ventilation Covering measures .7mm coupled with is voiced articulate to guard from scratches, mop added impacts. While it beyond a shadow of dou congratulations the iPhone’s reasoning, I’m not to such a degree accord confident it would shield your toddler from anything added than a wipe bunny. $34.95 from Faculty Support.
(more…)

Remember the Robosapien? That forcible (male) machine which could enact perfect process of peaceful things, from marching as regards happening a basic system to throwing things with the addition of um… burping.

Well, it was as regards generation manufacturers WowWee brought outside a ladylike novel and by the same token gender stereotypical specifications. The Femisapien vesel beam add-on you, destroy kisses add-on mien newest an marked step. Like so largely, she’s a guardian chief happening robotic breed.

Pointless plus regressive technology, much?

(more…)

Remember the Folderix blaze drives from Artistry Lebedev that we were by choice waiting in the direction of? The hold back at the moment ends - the drives are up to about saleand contemplate each one strip 2 because alluring in that they did during the notion page.

Available all the rage purple, common additional yellow, the charmers are priced somewhat steeply at $55 concerning 4GB. On the other hand don’t purpose - that’s the valuation you compensation in the direction of innovation.

Via DVICE.

via popgadget.net

Sony is in full swing at this years IFA and the new Sony KDL-40ZX1 takes the crown as the world’s thinnest LCD HDTV.  The Sony ZX1 will be available as the 40-inch KDL-40ZX1, which quality became one of the most exciting new HDTVs we have seen in a while.  Halving the previous “world’s thinnest” by almost half the Sony KDL-40ZX1 is stunning at just 9.9mm thick.

Sony has achieved this record thinness of the Sony KDL40ZX1 by using a new engineering technology which uses side-mounted LEDs to illuminate the screen rather than a usual backlight array.  This leads to the KDL-40ZX1 being just 9.9mm thick, which is the same as a CD case.

(more…)

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Thin is in at IFA 2008, and Sharp’s LCD lineup leads off with the super-skinny XS1 Aquos series LCD. A 23mm thick 1080p 52- or 65-inch panel packing 10,000:1 contrast ratio, 100Hz motion processing and detachable speaker system, halves it’s previous 5cm best from May of this year. Old school fat LCD fans can look forward to the D65E line, pulling 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and claiming an “environmentally conscious design” for Sharp’s premium range, in sizes from 32- to 52-inch models, with prices to match from €899 to €2299. Of course, none of this would be right without a matching Blu-ray player, and Sharp has announced the BD-HP21H, a Bonus View Profile 1.1 model with a quick-start mode, but like the XS1 lacks pricing info that would make it so much juicier. All are due in the UK in October, we should hope for more details before then.
(more…)

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

The wraps are off and we’ve had a chance to get eyes on with Sony’s new Bravia Z4500 1080p LCD. While Japan unveiled the world’s first MotionFlow 240Hz set, this is similar, just 40 frames per second slower. That didn’t stop Sony from making the claim that the Z4500, “provides the smoothest and crispest motion reproduction to be achieved by an LCD TV.” Of course, both are multiples of the industry standard 50/60Hz. Sony’s being coy with the measurements and the price of this set, but with the show model listed as KDL-52Z4500, we’re guessing 52, kid-captivating inches of silky smooth video that looks so good, you may never have to parent again. “Look into the spiral Jimmy, good critter.”

We’ve got a comparison video after the break: 200Hz Motionflow on the left, your father’s 50Hz on the right. We could defintely see the difference in the uh, highly controlled demo. Question is: can you when this thing shows up at the local big box before Xmas.

(more…)

Filed under: Desktops

Tangent’s Evergreen 17 is in the running (heading up the pack, actually) for most hideous desktop of the year, but if beauty truly is found on the inside, maybe it has a fighting chance at being loved after all. This all-in-one PC promises an “industry-leading power efficiency at 24-watts,” arrives with a touch-friendly display and packs a fanless 1GHz VIA Eden processor (or fan-cooled 1.5GHz VIA C7), an optional SSD with capacity up to 64GB, up to 2GB of RAM and a gigabit Ethernet port. The unit weighs in at 15.8-pounds and measures 2.25-inches deep, though it’ll cost you quite a bit more than other basic desktops at $1,195 (and up). But hey, the warm, fuzzy feeling you’ll get from going easy on Mother Earth is totally worth it, right?

[Via I4U (more…)

Filed under: Cellphones

Folks, be honest with us here — did you really expect Orange and / or Apple to say anything other than this? Amidst reports that iPhone 3G line sitters at Polish Orange stores were actually paid to be there, the carrier has shot back in order to defend its dignity. In an e-mail reply to an Ad Age inquiry on the matter, a spokeswoman proclaimed that as “part of the excitement around the launch of the iPhone, some of [Orange’s] team has been joining customers outside [of the] shops.” She also noted that “sales were strong” and that Orange “was happy,” though actual numbers were not revealed. So there you have it, now make of it what you will.

[Image courtesy of AppleBlog]Read

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

IFA’s apparently given Toshiba just the opportunity necessary to refresh its line of Regza LCDs, for those without the Resolution+ itch with a few new sizes and features. The existing entry-level XV line of 1080p LCDs gets 46- and 52-inch models, plus a gloss black design that helps it fit in at the Regza family reunion. The brand new RV line of 1080p LCDs bring similar features to the ZF Series, sans Resolution+ technology and one HDMI port, but with Active Vision M100 HD 100/120Hz 5:5 pulldown image processing intact. 37-, 42- and 46-inch sizes are confirmed for the October Euro launch, prices and U.S. availability for both TBD.Permalink

Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

It’s no D90, but Sony has a new compact stillcam for your snapping pleasure, the Cyber-shot T500, and it’s touting an HD movie mode just like any good bandwagon hopper should. The 10.1 megapixel camera offers up a 5x optical zoom, 3.5-inch LCD and Optical SteadyShot, but most of the attention is likely to be lavished on the 1280 x 720 30 fps h.264 movie mode. You can grab 720p stills while you shoot, and you can expect to store about an hour of video on your 4GB Memory Stick… you do have a 4GB Memory Stick, right? The T500 hits this October, no word just yet on price. Oh, and she comes in colors.Read

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

As expected, Toshiba is offering a new (supposed) world’s first here at IFA: a true upscaling TV, finally getting rid of the middle man for upconverting those SD sources. The new ZF Series LCDs include Cell processors and Toshiba’s home grown Resolution+ technology, which does similar edge and detail enhancement to Toshiba’s XDE upscaler — sharpening detail, smoothing edges, and leaving the rest of the image alone — but with the added fun of Cell power in the mix. As for the actual displays, Toshiba will be shipping the 40ZF575D (40-inch) and the 46ZF575D (46-inch), both offering 1080p, 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 6ms response times and Active Vision M100 HD 100Hz 5:5 pulldown processing, along with four HDMI plugs, component video, RGB and PC input. Right now this is just a Europe launch, and we don’t have exact ship dates or pricing, but hopefully Toshiba will soon rectify that.
(more…)

Filed under: Laptops

You’re looking at official Dell pics of its upcoming Inspiron 910 netbook nabbed from their on-line support docs. These images match the others we’ve seen down to the key (look, no dedicated function keys) which pretty much confirms the mini laptop’s final appearance. Now if Dell could just hit one of the rumored release dates we could all get back to pillaging market share from standard sized laptops.

[Thanks, Mike and Hao]

Read — keyboard
Read — external optical DVD/CD drive
Read — status LEDsPermalink

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Panasonic’s welcoming you to the future of plasma HDTV, starting along with the stunning 150-inch 4K plasma, that is, surprisingly enough bigger than its old 103-inch model (shocking, we know) leading to the debut of three “super thin” plasma prototypes measuring 24.7mm deep in 50-inch and, for what it claims is the first time, 58- and 65-inch sizes that also include Wireless HD. One-fourth the thickness of current Panasonic models and one-half the weight combined with no wires leads Panasonic to believe we’ll be able to reorganize the living room shortly, without silly mounting issues and need to run cables. If that fails to inspire, how about a 42-inch prototype that claims twice the luminance efficiency and the same brightness as its current 42-inch 1080p model while only sipping half the power — if that’s a concern. Check out more pics after the break.

(more…)

Filed under: GPS

In a move that we can only hope signals a trend, GPS maker Navigon has announced that real-time traffic updates will now be free for all users of its wares. For awhile now, the outfit has offered gratis traffic updates on its higher-end models, but now, it’s taking the Free Real-Time Traffic Updates for Life program to each navigation system it produces. There’s no extra hardware to buy, no hidden fees — just good, clean, free traffic updates. What’s not to love?Read

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Sony’s XBR6 / XBR7 / XBR8 models are still waiting in the wings for their U.S. debut, but along with HDTVs that push the extremes in thin and fast, the company announced these more conventional models it’s deemed “the highest quality BRAVIA HDTVs in history.” The XR1 (read: XBR8) series will feature a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio (3,000:1 static) courtesy of those new TRILUMINOS three-color LEDs, 10-bit BRAVIA Engine 2 processing and Motionflow 120Hz technology. If you can live without 240Hz or WHDI, the 1080p 55-inch edition runs

Filed under: Laptops

A USB shuffle here, a logo swap there and here’s what you get, the MSI, uh hem, LG X110. Sporting a fairly obvious MSI Wind base, LG’s X110 is making its first appearance in Berlin. Prices will range from €399 to €499 (about $590 to $738) which takes home an 8.9-inch display, 120GB disk (6GB SSD option), 1GB of RAM, and choice of built-in 3G HSDPA and GPS modules. Yes, XP running atop a 1.6GHz Atom processor, too. On sale in Europe at the end of September.

Gallery: Hands-on with LG’s X110 netbook: HSDPA, GPS and a price to match

Permalink

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Remember those new Walkmans we saw recently? Well the folks at Sony have decided to get all fancy and official with them. The electronics-maker is introducing S-, E-, and B-Series PMPs, all featuring MP3 and WMA playback, drag-and-drop file management, and a variety of storage capacities. The 4GB NWZ-S736F and 8GB NWZ-S738F sport Sony’s “Open Platform” which allows AAC, Linear PCM, and other codec support, 40 hours of battery life, in-flight noise cancellation, and SensMe — which creates song shuffles based on user listening habits. The 4GB NWZ-E436F and 8GB NWZ-E438F come in a handful of colors and deliver up to 45 hours of playback, while the low-end 1GB NWZ-B133F and 2GB NWZ-B135F add an FM tuner and voice recording functionality. (more…)

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Sony’s XBR6 / XBR7 / XBR8 models are still waiting in the wings for their U.S. debut, but along with HDTVs that push the extremes in thin and fast, the company announced these more conventional models it’s deemed “the highest quality BRAVIA HDTVs in history.” The XR1 (read: XBR8) series will feature a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio (3,000:1 static) courtesy of those new TRILUMINOS three-color LEDs, 10-bit BRAVIA Engine 2 processing and Motionflow 120Hz technology. If you can live without 240Hz or WHDI, the 1080p 55-inch edition runs

TV manufacturers are constantly trying to out-do each other on specs. Brightness, contrast, number of inputs - it’s all fair game. We’ve already had the worlds Largest plasma but it looks like the next battleground will be the thickness of the screen.

Sony are proudly proclaiming the new 40″ Bravia XZ1 holds the title of “World’s thinnest LCD TV” measuring 9.9mm at it’s slimmest point. To put that into perspective, it’s slightly thinner than my K660i. Quite a feat!

More details after the jump

Edge mounted LED lighting, replacing the conventional backlight.A separate receiver hooks up the inputs, sending the HD signal wirelessly to the screen. A nice touch, it means the screen can just sit on the wall with no distracting cables hanging downNewly developed Bravia Engine 2. The Sony Bravia processing engine is one of the better ones out there, doing a good job on upscaling SD content.

(more…)

Filed under: Transportation

First things first — when we say “partially” propel, we mean partially. Nippon Yusen and energy distributor Nippon Oil are teaming up to spend around $1.37 million in order to equip a car-hauling cargo ship with 328 solar panels. Rather than just provide energy for the crew’s on board entertainment system, it will be the first solar installation to actually produce a smidgen of power for the boat’s engine. If successful, the panels would provide 0.2% of the ship’s energy consumption for propulsion, and they’re hoping to raise that to a whopping 1% by 2010. Gives a whole new meaning to “baby steps,” huh?Read

Filed under: Laptops

You’re looking at official Dell pics of its upcoming Inspiron 910 netbook nabbed from their on-line support docs. These images match the others we’ve seen down to the key (look, no dedicated function keys) which pretty much confirms the mini laptop’s final appearance. Now if Dell could just hit one of the rumored release dates we could all get back to pillaging market share from standard sized laptops.

[Thanks, Mike and Hao]

Read — keyboard
Read — external optical DVD/CD drive
Read — status LEDsPermalink

Filed in archive Announcement by jim on August 28, 2008

Here's a pair of winners, Maria Sharapova, and Canon that have joined forces to bring you an opportunity to win a rather unique camera. Canon is running a sweepstakes and the prize, actually Canon is giving away 5 of them, is a diamond studded Canon SD 1100IS Digital Elph camera. The Canon Elph SD 1100IS digital camera is a neat little imaging device available at a reasonable price and you can learn more about it at the Canon website. Before you buy one you may want try to win one of the 5 diamond studded ones, called “Maria's Diamonds”, and you can enter the Canon sweepstakes here. Tennis star Maria Sharapova, unfortunately, is not included, I guess because there's only one of her. Take a camera with you whenever possible, and look around, you'll find a picture somewhere. Source:www.hollywood-celebrity-pictures.com
(more…)

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

We’re super short on info here, but it looks like Sony is about to intro a new Z4500 LCD TV with a “world’s first” of 200Hz Motionflow — yeah, you could’ve gleaned all that from reading the headline, but it’s just so much more awesome down here. Stay tuned.

Gallery: Sony’s shrouded BRAVIA Z4500 LCD with 200Hz Motionflow

Permalink

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Say hello to the successors of the short-lived Panasonic DMP-BD50, the new DMP-BD35 (above) and DMP-BD55 (after the break) check off every feature we can think of for a new Blu-ray player, complete with a slim profile (49mm high on the BD35) and hopefully low, low price thanks to a 45nm 3rd-generationUniPhier processor. Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD MA audio support, with internal decoding or bitstreamed output in full 7.1 (plus 7.1 analog audio outs on the DMP-BD55) on top of fully BD-Live / Profile 2.0 compatible hardware finally promise no-compromise hardware for Blu-ray buyers. Release dates and pricing information? Your guess is as good as ours, for now.

Continue reading Panasonic DMP-BD35 & DMP-BD55 Blu-ray players officially official, still unpriced

(more…)

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Sure Samsung had 240Hz (and wavier hair) first, but with its TVs stuck in development until 2011, Sony’s back with another first / best of the night in the W1 series display, packing four times the speed of previous LCD HDTVs, and double that of the new 120Hz your best friend just picked up. Allegedly smoother than Billy Dee Williams cracking open a Colt 45 in Cloud City, the KDL-46W1 and KDL-40W1 bring 1080p with a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, BRAVIA Engine 2 image processing, 24p support and an assortment of hookups from modem to HDMI. Stop by your nearest Japanese electronics shop November 10 to get a peep at these and their slim, sexy sister, but bring

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Sony’s IFA press event isn’t for another couple of hours, but we managed to sneak these shots of Sony’s minor refresh to its Walkman lineup. Everything is looking nice and sleek, and the screens on the S-series players we saw that were on looked sharp and bright, but we’re still waiting to see the fruit of Stringer’s talk last year about not suffering at the hands of Apple as badly in portable video as they did with portable audio — these Walkmans just aren’t doing it. Stand by for official news as we get it.

Gallery: New Sony Walkmans surface at IFA booth

Permalink

Filed under: Displays

We knew Sony’s new 40-inch Bravia Edge LED ZX1 was thin, 9.9-mm thin in fact (at least at the top section). But man, we didn’t expect it to make the iPhone 3G slipping around the insides of our pockets look like such a chubster. More hands-on pics in a second.Permalink

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Nothing says “I’m mad as hell about my iPhone 3G’s battery life and I’m not going to take it anymore” better than blasting it out of a loudspeaker. Bonus points for that loudspeaker being integrated with a battery pack, which in turn connects to your — you guess it — iPhone 3G (or original iPhone, if that’s how you roll). Well, $44 to the folks at Brando will buy you that very opportunity, it turns out. Who knew?Read

Filed under: Home Entertainment

It’s been a month since we first caught a glimpse of the sharp-looking Logitech Squeezebox Boom, but the wireless network speakers are official today, coming in at a list price of $299. Yeah, it’s basically a standard-issue Squeezebox with a built-in amp and speakers, but that’s a pretty solid idea, especially since we’re guessing the 24-bit Burr Brown D/A converter and bi-amped 3-inch woofers and 3/4-inch tweeters will offer up some decent sound. Everything else is regular Squeezebox kit — 802.11g WiFi, SqueezeNetwork, optical and S/PDIF out, VFD display, 10/100Base-T Ethernet — so if you’re looking to expand your system, this is probably a pretty solid way of getting it done. Expect to see this one on shelves next month. One more pic after the break.

(more…)

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Misc. Gadgets

It’s hard to say when we, the consumers, will actually see any real benefit from the latest noteworthy discovery from Northeastern University, but we can only imagine that Srinivas Sridhar and team aren’t wasting any time moving things forward. Said crew has recently created a “new microlens that focuses infrared light at telecommunication frequencies,” and if you’re looking for specifics, it can focus an infrared beam to a spot just 12-micrometers away from the surface. The science behind the discovery is probably only digestible by those that understand rocket science, but the long of short of it is this: the “research shows that it is possible to create smaller, ultra-compact infrared optical components that can be integrated into existing semiconductor technologies while not sacrificing image quality.” Now that’s something even the layman can appreciate.
(more…)

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

So we might not have a physical device here, but these packaging renderings are pretty solid evidence of exactly what BlackBerry fans on Verizon — particularly those jealous of the Bold — can expect in a few weeks’ time. It looks like RIM’s first foray into the scary world of touchscreens will be officially branded the 9530 Storm, will be global (it includes a SIM card, after all), and will feature an 8GB SanDisk microSD card preinstalled. Wondering what happened to the Thunder name? Turns out that’ll apparently be reserved for the version of the phone launching on Rogers up in Canada and on Vodafone across the pond. Those Storm users on the screen there sure look happy, don’t they?

Gallery: BlackBerry Storm 9350 for Verizon gets boxed

(more…)

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Sony’s taken the crown in the race for thinnest LCD HDTV. At just 9.9mm thick the KDL-40ZX1 nearly halves the depth of Hitachi’s former champ (likely throwing up in the bathroom right now) and comes within a whisper of Pioneer’s ultra thin concept. Featuring a LED backlighting, a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, 120Hz MotionFlow tech, x.v.Color and BRAVIA Engine 2 image processing this is about as close to a 40-inch window on your wall as is likely to arrive soon. Only one HDMI in is directly on the screen itself, all unnecessary HDMI / USB / component inputs are relegated to a base station, with the option for wired or — possibly WHDI based? — 5Ghz wireless (unfortunately limited to 1080i max resolution for now). We’d mention the XMB GUI, AcTVila video on-demand and DLNA support, but at some point it’s just piling on. A mere 490,000 yen ($4,474 U.S.) puts the ZX1 on your wall, due at your local Japanese retailer November 10. See you there?
(more…)

Filed under: Storage

SanDisk’s pushed both Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo and regular SD cards to 30MB/s transfer rates before, and now it’s SDHC’s turn with the new Extreme III series. Yep, it’s a really fast memory card for DSLRs, and it’ll cost you: 4GB will be $65, 8GB $110 and 16GB will set you back whopping $180 when these hit in October.

[Via Digital Camera Info]Read

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Creative isn’t showing off too much new stuff at IFA this week, but we should be hearing about the X-Fi Go! mobile sound card, which looks to be an update on the old Soundblaster Play!. The tiny USB 2.0 stick packs in quite of bit of audio-tweaking magic, with Crystallizer, CMSS-3D, EAX Advanced HD and OpenAL support, as well as 1GB of flash storage preloaded with Alchemy, WaveStudio, and other apps. Available now in Singapore for S$79 ($56), we’d guess it’ll be similarly priced when it hits Stateside.

[Via Electronista]Read

Filed under: Storage

Sure, it’s just network attached storage, but somehow, someway, LG’s dressed its NB41 Blu-ray burnin” NAS with just enough sex, just enough appeal to coax this helpless editor into risking security’s ire just to grab a few pre-IFA snaps. It’s bigger than we expected — mini-tower PC big — but we guess those four 1TB disks need plenty of ventilation. Just check that reflection in the mirror for a sense of scale.

Gallery: Eyes-on with LG’s NB41 Blu-ray NAS

Permalink

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Even though it’s in nearly every phone available, only a few flat panels with integrated wireless networking have surfaced so far, and now LG’s packing Bluetooth into its already highly anticipated “infinite black” PG7000 plasma and Scarlet LG7000 LCD models. Pricetags are still in the air, but LG says these flatscreens will hit worldwide starting with Europe in September.Read

Filed under: Desktops

Surely you’ve been wondering what types of motherboards would be surfacing to support Intel’s Core i7, no? Regardless of your answer, we’re pretty sure the gamers and performance mavens in the house will appreciate Gigabyte’s latest effort. The prototype mobo, coined Extreme Edition, was recently displayed at NVIDIA’s NVISION 08 expo, and if the final version is anything like this, we’d say some records are in real danger of being obliterated. The unit was said to be based on the X58 chipset and provide support for up to six graphics cards, 24GB of DDR3-1333 RAM (or 6GB of DDR3-1900/2000 using overclocked 2GB DIMMs) and a separated 12-phase power supply for the CPU. Interested yet?Read

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wearables

The always-imaginative gurus at Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft never cease to amaze, and at this year’s IFA, they’re delivering once more. The so-called “virtual mirror” gives to-be garb buyers an accurate look at what different outfits look like on their person without requiring them to try a single thing on. Granted, shopaholics are apt to detest this thing, but anyone with better things to do than try on four sweaters to see which one makes them look fat should be completely in love. The concept here is far from new, as we’ve seen both virtual makeover machines and fitting room enhancers before. Still, Fraunhofer’s dream of getting you suited up and out of the store in mere minutes is one we’d love to see come true. Just don’t ditch the traditional stalls too soon — we wouldn’t want any kind of worldwide uprising.
(more…)

Filed under: Peripherals

We’re not really sure if Microsoft is peddling a revolution here or just the mousing tech flavor of the month, but we’ve got ourselves a much better idea of where things might be going. After that little “Say Goodbye to Laser” teaser turned our pointing device world upside down, a reader spotted this MS Explorer Mini Mouse with “Blue Track” technology over on Amazon.de. Coincidence? We’re guessing no. We followed a bit more of the PI work done by our fine commenters and discovered Blue Track to be based on a blue LED combined with a wide-angle lens that’s supposed to work on more surfaces than laser and optical. Microsoft only really seems to be aiming this at the portable spectrum, hence the wireless adapter and miniature size, so perhaps Blue Track isn’t the end of laser after all.
(more…)

Filed under: Home Entertainment

We have to admit, that headline makes us a little bit giddy, and Sony seems to be betting there’s enough folks giddy enough to throw down their credit card to snag its new high-end SACD player, which has just made its debut in Japan. In addition to making a bold statement of non-conformity in your A/V rack, the SCD-XA5400ES is particularly notable for its inclusion of an HDMI output, which nicely complements the usual digital optical, coax, and analog audio options. According to Sony, you can also expect nearly zero distortion from the twin R-core transformer and D/A system, which is independent from the general processing chipset. What’s more, unlike many such product announcements, while this one made its debut in Japan, it’s already available for pre-order from at least one US retailer (JR.com), although there’s no promised release date just yet (it lands in Japan in October).
(more…)

Filed under: Storage

We have a strange feeling there’s more marketing hoopla here than anything else, but whatever the case, Samsung sure feels like its newest line of SSDs will work just great within low-cost laptops. The outfit has begun to sample “low-density, higher-performance solid state drives that are only 30-percent of the size of 2.5-inch SSDs and highly cost-efficient to manufacture.” The MLC-based drives only come in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB flavors, and read / write performance ranges from 90MB/sec to 70MB/sec, respectively. Mass production is scheduled to crank up next month, and while you’d expect SSDs aimed at netbooks to boast remarkably low price tags, Sammy doesn’t even bother spilling those beans.Read

Filed under: GPS

Garmin continued its contribution to the general, incremental advancement of technology today by spitting out a handful of new satnavs destined to be suctioned to your windshield in the very near future. The company introduced updates to its low-end 2×5 series, including the 265T, 265WT and 275T. The models include lifetime traffic alerts via NAVTEQ Traffic, Bluetooth connectivity, and are offered in 3.5-inch or 4.3-inch touchscreen iterations. Garmin also updated its higher-end 7×5 lineup, bringing the 755T, 765T, and 775T into the mix. The devices sport 4.3-inch touchscreens, those same NAVTEQ Traffic updates, 3D transparent building views, accelerated graphics rendering, and HotFix (which stores “critical satellite information”). No word yet on release date or pricing for the new models, though we expect to see them on display at IFA.
(more…)

Filed under: Laptops

While it doesn’t appear to be nearly as serious as some of the computerproblems the International Space Station has faced, it looks like a virus has managed to find its way onto some of the laptops used on the Station, which NASA is now describing only as a “nuisance.” According to SpaceRef.com, the virus is the W32.Gammima.AG worm, which is normally used to swipe sensitive information for online games. As Wired’s Threat Level reports, the worm has also spread to more than one laptop on the Space Station, which would seem to suggest that it has either been spread via an on-board intranet, or via a thumb drive. Somewhat disconcertingly, when asked by Threat Level if any mission critical systems were connected to the same network as the laptops, NASA spokesperson Kelly Humphries simply said, “I don’t know and even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to tell you for IT security reasons.”
(more…)

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

The appearance of Blu-ray HTIB systems under anumberofbrands is an encouraging sign that the format is at least trying to move into the mainstream living room, and now JVC’s thrown its hat into the ring with the 2.1-channel NX-BD3. Of course, simply pulling bits off of Blu-ray discs isn’t enough entertainment value these days, so the system also sports DLNA support, a 200-Watt powered sub and a 4×55-Watt amplifier (leaving you two channels to grow into). At

A few days ago, we covered the Suunto X10, a GPS device that fits on your wrist. While there may not be a huge market for the GPS on the wrist, some concept designer apparently has a plan for a wrist GPS boom.

The designer, Jukka Roitto, has taken the wrist GPS one step further by putting a search engine and navigation guide on his concept model, which he has dubbed the Seek. The name may be simple, but what the Seek does is pretty complex.

The Seek is meant to help a person look for local attractions in an area, such as theaters, restaurants, or clubs. So, if you’re in a strange new town, and you’re looking for a place to eat or have fun, just Seek and you will find!

(more…)

Filed under: GPS

Sony’s Nav-U line of PNDs hasn’t made big waves in the States yet, but the company’s keeping at it, releasing four new touchscreen navs today. The new $400 NV-U94T (pictured) takes over from the NV-U83T at the high end, featuring a 4.8-inch touch screen in a 30 percent thinner case, gesture commands, POSITION plus accelerometer and barometer (wild)-based dead reckoning in case of signal loss, Quick Links POI icons, and an RDS-TMC traffic receiver built into the cradle, as well as basic PMP functions, Bluetooth with A2DP output and Memory Stick Duo expansion; the $300 NV-U74T is basically the same package minus the PMP features and with a 4.3-inch screen and the $350 NV-U84 keeps the 4.8-inch panel but doesn’t have Bluetooth, dead reckonings, or traffic. There’s also a totally new 3.5-inch unit, the $250 NV-U44, which is pretty basic but seems like a fine deal: text-to-speech nav, maps of the US and Canada, and split-screen 3D views with lane guidance. All four should be out in September.
(more…)

Filed under: GPS

We got a brief glimpse at Garmin’s new n

Filed under: Displays

It’s one thing to take good pictures. It’s another to show ‘em off on a good display. Epson Imaging Devices has just made official its new 4-inch high-resolution LTPS LCD, which is featured in the forthcoming P-6000 / P-7000 photo viewers. The diminutive display has an 80-degree viewing angle (from all sides) and covers 94% of the Adobe RGB color gamut. Built upon the Photo Fine Premia technology, Epson is hoping that this newfangled screen will find its way into digital cameras and PMPs so owners can be proud of playing back photo slideshows on the go. Funny thing though — we’re never told just how “high” high-resolution really is. Is the sky the limit, or what?

[Via Physorg]Read

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang just can’t resist throwing more jabs at Intel, distracting the inaugural NVISION crowd from Battlestar Galactica star Tricia Helfer with the claim that “Larrabee hasn’t shipped so you don’t know what it is and I don’t know what it is.” The fact that we do know what it is — a next-gen hybrid CPU / GPU — shouldn’t be a concern according to Huang, because “By the time it does ship, Nvidia’s technology will be so far advanced it won’t matter.” Besides stuffing Usain Bolt-type speed into a GPU the company will keep busy working on its WinMo smartphone hardware, and software for the not-exactly-Atom-killing VIA Nano, but forget about that rumored x86-compatible hardware ‘cuz, as Jen-Hsun reminds us, “the Internet doesn’t run on x86.” (more…)

Sanyo has introduced out a new LCD projector for the masses, and although it might be pretty expensive at first glance, the features and functions offered on paper more than make up for the price. The Sanyo PLV-Z700 might be classified as an entry level projector, but it offers a performance that is a class above. How does full High Definition support sound to you over a projector? This model will make use of a 3LCD panel coupled with one of the most advanced lens-shifting technology in the industry, a variable iris and Sanyo’s very own 3D color management system.

The PLV-Z700 is one of Sanyo’s least expensive projectors designed for residential installations, offering a Full HD panel providing 1920 x 1080 resolution from high definition sources such as Blu-ray discs, HD camcorders, a wide variety of video on-demand services plus paid TV services from cable and satellite companies, in addition to terrestrial-based HD broadcasts. Outfitted with an extremely versatile lens-shifting function, the PLV-Z700 can effectively adjust the equivalent of 3 screens vertically and 2 screens horizontally. Combined with the 2x zoom, which allows for an extremely long or short focus, it is possible to create a large screen projection virtually anywhere, even in small rooms such as dens or bedrooms.

(more…)

Come now, you didn’t think we’d let something like IFA pass by without shipping a few editors off to Berlin did you? We’re on the ground and taking names in the best ninja gear we could sew with $5 worth of felt and tin foil. But hey, it’s not the costume that keeps you coming back, it’s the content. So stay tuned.Permalink

Filed under: Desktops

While it likely won’t cause the same clamoring for benchmarks that we see around the release of a new high-end NVIDIA card, those on a budget will no doubt nonetheless be pleased to know that the company’s just bolstered it’s low-end offerings a bit, with a new card that starts at just $59. That, of course, won’t exactly get you a Crysis killer, but the GeForce 9400 GT does at least boast 16 processor cores, a 128-bit memory interface, dual-link DVI, DirectX 10 support and, in its standard configuration, 512MB of graphics memory (from the looks of it, 1GB versions are also available). Unlike something like a GTX 280 SLI config, this one also likely won’t make a noticeable impact on your power bill.

[Via Computer Monger, thanks Ivana]
Read

Filed under: Gaming

Immersion, the company that owns virtuallyevery vibration and haptic tech on earth, is getting a taste of its own medicine now that it owes Microsoft $21 million. You may remember back in 2003 when Microsoft floated an unknown sum of cash in the direction of Immersion in order to include patented vibration technology in its Xbox 360 controllers. Around the same time, Sony told us all that we don’t need no stinkin’ vibration and passed on paying up. Last year, though, Sony bowed to customer pressure and paid Immersion $121 million in order to unleash the Dual Shock 3. Immersion was supposed to share some of that Sony booty with Microsoft — and they didn’t. So there we have it: we all got a piece of Sony and we have the DualShock 3. Everyone happy now?Read

Filed under: Displays, Transportation

We’ll be honest — we still kind of prefer the days when hacking Wiimotes and other household gadgets was the preferred method for extracting more enjoyment from one’s vehicle, but we suppose there’s no stopping progress. Starting in 2009 (a few years too late for the Fast & Furious crowd), General Motors will begin to offer up a $295 Reconfigurable Performance Display option in the Cobalt and HHR SS. Said display will enable easily distracted drivers to quickly see how many Gs they’re pulling, enable / disable Traction Control, Stability Control and Competition Mode, and get a visual on boost, cam phaser angle, spark advance, engine torque, etc. Oh, and it totally adds 10-horsepower when installed alongside a spare NoS sticker.

(more…)

< (more…)

If you have a little extra cash to burn and have a thing for R2 you might consider one of these R2 mini fridges.  R2 has come in the form of a great deal of gadgets, mostly because he’s the most fun to recreate.  Yes, Yoda is awesome, however, it’s harder to create gadget after gadget in his image. Something created as a robot is easier to pull off and well, no one wants any C3P0 gadgets.  He just nags too much, plus he’s so tall and skinny it would make it difficult to use him for anything practical.

No, R2 has the gadgets covered all on his own.  The mini fridge isn’t that tall, the all around dimensions are 64cm x 51cm x 35cm.  You can also change if the fridge is set at either hot or cold by flipping a switch, so if you’re trying to keep some soup warm you can flip it to warm.  However, that means you won’t be able to store drinks in there all the time if you’re going to flip it back and forth.  Sadly this mini fridge is a little pricey.  It’s being sold on Toys East for $1070.  Which means you might have to save up your spare change for a while before you can pick one up.

(more…)

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

It’s not officially announced yet, but Samsung’s expected to announce the YP-Q1 PMP at IFA this week. The vertically-oriented player will come in 4, 8 and 16GB varieties with a 2.4-inch QVGA screen, support for MP3, WMA, WAV, Ogg, FLAC, MPEG4 and WMV, and an FM RDS radio. No word on pricing yet, but does anyone else think it’s funny that Samsung will now have two entirely different slow-selling Q1s?Read

Filed under: Cellphones

Apple’s iPhone 3G ads paint a pretty cheery picture of the device in action, but just as many of you have noted, the omission of Flash and Java means there’s a big difference between what the “the real internet” and what’s on the iPhone — enough so that the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has pulled one of Apple’s latest ads from the airwaves because it claims “all the parts of the internet are on the iPhone.” At least two people complained to the ASA that the ad was misleading because sites that use Flash and Java don’t work on the iPhone, and the board agreed, saying that “We concluded that the ad gave a misleading impression of the internet capabilities of the iPhone” because “viewers were likely to expect to be able to see all the content on a web site normally accessible through a PC rather than just having the ability to reach the website.” If we had to guess, we’d say this decision is more likely to prompt Apple to be more careful with its ads in the future rather than ever bring Flash or Java to the iPhone, but you know Adobe is feeling pretty smug right about now. Check the ad after the break.
(more…)

Filed under: Laptops

While it may seem like MSI has nothing but the Wind on its mind these days, the company is, in fact, still in the general laptop business, and its just let loose a pair of decidedly ordinary new models to prove it. From the looks of it, the “athletic and fashionable” EX300 (pictured above) is the slightly more interesting of the pair, with it sporting a 13.3-inch WXGA display, an unspecified Core 2 Duo processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD3450 graphics, a max 320GB hard drive, up to 4GB of RAM, and a Blu-ray drive, among other standard fare. The EX400, on the other hand, opts for a slightly less portable 14.1-inch display and some more traditional styling, along with some virtually identical specs to its more “athletic” counterpart. No word on a price for either of ‘em just yet, unfortunately, nor is there any indication of a release ’round these parts.
(more…)

Filed under: Laptops

Look, we know you’ve spent the last three or so hours toying around on Dell’s build-to-order page, but be honest with yourself — are you really willing to pull the trigger on an Inspiron 13 without taking one tiny peek at a review first? NotebookReview has snagged one of the new 13-inchers and taken it for a ride on the test bench, and overall, things are lookin’ up. Reviewers found the design to be “sleek,” the specifications to be “reasonable” and the price point “attractive.” Beyond that, it also found the battery life to be surprisingly satisfactory, though the “cheap palm rests and noisy slot-loading optical drive” were small (albeit noteworthy) nuisances. In the end, critics summed things up by suggesting that if you’re scouting “a basic mobile companion (more…)

With so many connection standards available to the computer user these days, it goes without saying that sooner or later you’ll run into compatibility problems, trying to let one device talk to another without some sort of middleman involved. Brando has your data transfer interests at heart with the USB + eSATA to SATA adapter that enables one to connect virtually any SATA device to your computer via the USB/eSATA port. Perfect for cloning, data transfer or backup purposes. This USB + eSATA to SATA adapter is compatible with all SATA devices, ranging from DVDs to 2.5″ and 3.5″ hard drives. You can place your pre-order for $33 today, and shipping will commence in October.

(more…)

Filed under: Home Entertainment

We thought we had seen all of Sony’s 2008 ES lineup, but boy were we distinctly incorrect. Sony Japan has today revealed a trio of newcomers, two of which we’ve never seen before. The TA-DA5400ES packs a 120-watt x 7 channel internal amplifier, six HDMI inputs (and 2 outputs), six optical audio jacks and three sets of component inputs (among others). As for the STR-DA3400ES, the wattage steps down to 100-watts per channel and the port selection isn’t nearly as robust; the STR-DG820 is already available in the States, making us believe this one’s just an overseas re-release. Anywho, feel free to check out the full specifications in the read link below, and you can look for these to land (at least in Japan) this November.

[Via SonyInsider]Read

Filed under: Desktops

The two-inch-square Space Cube computer has apparently been making the rounds in Japan for some time now, but PC Pro has finally managed to sneak one into the UK and, thankfully for us, they’ve decided to share. This one packs a 300MHz NEC VR5701 processor, 64MB of RAM, a 1GB CompactFlash card, and a special version of Red Hat Linux, along with a single USB port, VGA out, built-in Ethernet and, most importantly for its target market, a SpaceWire port, which is used by the likes of NASA and the European Space Agency. Unfortunately for hobbyists that may have gotten their hopes up, while the price was initially estimated to be a reasonable $325, it now looks like it could be demanding upwards of

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Handhelds

Oh, Nuvifone, how you disappoint us. Over here at IFA we just managed to get a Garmin rep to whip out his Nuvifone prototype for a quick look, but sadly, almost a year after the device was first announced, there really wasn’t anything new to see. We still aren’t allowed to take video of the interface, or really see much of the phone other than the home screen, and when the rep tried to show us how the Nuvifone kicks the iPhone’s ass in navigation, the Nuvi promptly crashed — so at least those two have that in common. Not that we should be surprised, Garmin mentioned last month that the phone had been delayed into 2009, but we’re quickly running out of patience, as well as any scrap of remaining hope for this thing to actually matter when it does arrive. Peep the gallery for a little bit of iPhone 3G versus action.
(more…)

A little while back there was the USB stick that came in packaging resembling a mixed tape.  However, all it really was, was a bit of fancy packaging and not much else.  Well this new USB drive resembles a mixed tape all the time.  Instead of just getting sent to you in packaging that looks like it, then once out of it just looks like a boring USB drive.  This one not only comes in the shape of a tape, but it comes decked out in fun stickers too.  Luckily they allow you to choose the stickers and just include them when they ship it out.

(more…)

As much as I like the convenience of taking pictures in an age of the digital camera, I really hate the whole convoluted process of getting these digital images made into prints. My wife uses services like Snapfish, but what if I just want to take the picture and print it out right there? Aren’t we technologically advanced for this, or do we need to go back to the time of Polaroid Instamatics?

Fortunately, Canon has come to my rescue with the Selphy ES3 and ES30. These two new printers are so completely portable, that you can take them just about anywhere.

The ES3 and ES30 have integrated ink and paper cartridges, as well as PictBridge compatibility. These printers also have on-board clip-art features, and they have a 15 format memory card reader.

(more…)

We’ve taken a look at the Nokia N96 and the Nokia N85 yesterday, so let us shift our focus over to the Nokia N79 today. This will be the latest addition to the vaunted N Series range of cell phones that aims to bring together a perfect blend of intelligent, customizable design with the functionality of a multimedia computer. According to Juha Kokkonen, Director, Nokia N Series, “The Nokia N79 packs cutting-edge technology into a compact design - a characteristic of the iconic Nseries - that allows people to discover, create and share their passions with others. It has been designed for those who want a device that is as appealing as it is powerful and comes with interchangeable covers that have automatically matching screen themes. This balance of performance and style means that it is a powerful and defining step forward from the popular and very successful Nokia N72 and Nokia N73.”

(more…)

Ask any dad and he’ll tell you that he wears many hats, and among the more popular ones would be that of a driver - at least until the kid is old enough to drive. Enter the Dad’s Cab novelty taxi meter.

Gifts for dads don’t come much better than this Gift of the Year Award winner, Dad’s Cab. Dad’s Cab is a novelty taxi meter that comes with an assortment of forfeit cards that overworked dads can dish out to their blood-sucking children by way of a bill. Payments include ingenious tasks like ‘tidy your room’ and ‘make dad a cup of tea’ – that’s no more free rides for the kids and some well-deserved rewards for dad! Using the adhesive strips provides you can safely secure your Dad’s Cab taxi meter to the dashboard of your car. Turn on the taxi meter every time you find yourself acting as the household taxi driver and let the meter clock up and up! There are additional signs for ‘mum’s cab’ and ‘family cab’ as well as a Terms of Carriage Notice. And for early morning starts, Dad’s Cab also doubles up as an alarm clock! This is a fantastic gift idea and the perfect present for dad’s everywhere – order yours now!

(more…)

Just when you thought that solar-powered desk calculators were the end all and be all of the device’s evolutionary branch, along comes a water-powered calculator that defies conventional wisdom.

Runs on water – no need for a light source! Plain tap water powers this unique, H20 desk calculator! Add a few drops of water to the removable battery and insert it in the calculator for up to three months of use. When the display begins to fade, just refill the battery! It’s more reliable than a solar-powered calculator – and friendlier to the earth, too.

Go green with the $24.95 H2O Desk Calculator today.

(more…)

Are you bored at the office? I’m sure we’ve seen plenty of remote controlled toys in the past, but that won’t stop me from adding the R/C Mini Tank to our annals.

R/C Mini Tank is the coolest racing car you have ever seen. It is designed in the military tank shape. It can be charged on the remote control which is powered by 3pcs AA batteries only. Just install the batteries and enjoy playing it with your friends. Here comes with Green Tank and Camouflage Tank.

It certainly doesn’t look too professional, and too bad there are no laser fights you can hold with this, otherwise you and your mate could build an elaborate obstacle course, waiting for someone to make that fatal move first. The R/C Mini Tank will retail for $14.50 a pop.

(more…)