All about technology in here!

Fast Reboot Pro v2.4 Download

2011-09-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

Requirements : Android 1.5+
Overview : Simulates a reboot and thus frees up memory - your phone will be much snappier!

Simulates a reboot by closing/restarting all core and user processes (configurable) and thus frees up memory.
Your phone should be much snappier after using Fast Reboot Pro.

- Select processes that should be excluded from being restarted/closed!
- Schedule automatic fast reboots (e.g. every day at 4am)
- Option to automatically fast reboot when you unlock your device (from standby)
- Comes with a widget to instantly start a reboot

What's in this version :
-Improved Exclude-List
-Added option to "Auto reboot on *lock*". This will perform a "fast reboot" everytime your screen goes off

Download :
Fast Reboot Pro v2.4

Absolute System Root Tool 1.7.1 Download

2011-09-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

+Root(SU) File Browser/File Management

+Preview/DL 106 Boot Animations!
+Preview/DL 202 Fonts!

+App Backup+Data to SDCard
+App Mgmt Remove System/Data apps from phone.
+App Mgmt Cache/Data Clear

+Text Editor to modify ASCII Files!(Build.prop etc)

+AD Block Support

*****NOT SUPPORTED******
Samsung Devices (ALL)
-Option Not Supported : Changing Boot Animations.
************************

root tools system utilities absolute font boot animations fonts ad block adblock backup clear cache uninstall apps file browser bootanimations text editor app killer logcat scripts removal install copy move delete

Recent changes :
+Added a beta File Search to File Browser, use the Hardware Search button on your device in File Browser to Search for Files containing your search String. (Took me 2+days to get something I felt was usable :) )
+Added Running Apps Viewer/Killer
+Other UI + minor Code Changes
+More to come

Requirements : -(Requires Root+Busybox+NAND Unlocked Device!)-

Download : Absolute System Root Tool 1.7.1

FPse 0.10.39 Download

2011-09-10T06:28:00.000-07:00

FPse for Android is the fastest and most compatible PSone (also known as PSX or Playstation 1) emulator for handheld devices.

Create an ISO image from your favorite games and enjoy playing them on your Android phone.

FPse features the following:
-High performance
-High compatibility
-High sound quality
-Real-time save states
-Audio track emulation (using .cue files)
-Force-feedback
-Dynamically loadable Overlay Pads
-Guncon emulation
-Analog Stick emulation (using touchscreen slide)
-Compatible with G-Sensor, Touchscreen and Hardware keys
-Supports .img, .iso, .bin, .cue, .nrg and .Z disc image formats
Grab and enjoy this initial release!

A few tips to improve your gameplay experience:
-Create a default configuration by setting your desired options and then selecting “Default Config Save” in the System Menu.
-CALL, BACK, VOLUME UP/DOWN buttons can be assigned as PSone buttons but can be used is not assigned.
-Guncon emulation requires the A and B buttons to be mapped to Hardware keys. By default: L3 = A and R3 = B.
-SPUSync is required for proper sound quality in certain games such as MGS and FFVII.
-Frameskip set to 50 will avoid sound stuttering on load end device or with somes games that use much CPU.

What’s in this version:
Fixed CDROM emulation (TR series works fully now, compatibility is better too)
Added SMALL screen pads skin from Tatumaki by default. (for external Skins, you must add to your skin two new files: ovrfull.png and ovrfull.bmp)

Overlay pads are now in Fast mode by default in landscape mode, this make emulator more stable because much less memory used, but Sharp Overlay can be activated into Video menu.

Requirements: Android OS 2.1 – 2.3

Download : FPse 0.10.39

Keyword Winner Make Money Blogging

2011-09-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

Keyword Winner Make Money Blogging - Are you a blogger and struggling to make money online, are you spending hours researching keywords for your headlines for each blog post you do? It is known that if your headlines have the right keywords you can rank your pages to the top of Google in literally hours.

Keyword Winner Make Money Blogging allows you to have full easy control right inside your blog dashboard to get all the right stats and information at once saving you time and headache and most of all giving you the keywords you need to get clicks and of course make money.

This tool has seriously revolutionized the way we do SEO today. With this tool you can type in a keyword right in your blog post dashboard as what you normally would do and right under your fingertips you will have results displayed telling you what has low competition and a continued high search trend over the months and what the overall search percentage is over the current month.

Less then 1 minute to find keywords for your headlines.

To have all this information there you are now able to get highly searched non competitive keywords for your headlines skyrocketing your pages to the 1st page in no time.

Here is an overview of what Keyword Winner has to offer:

1. Competition, Insights, Search Trends and Backlink Analysis

Once you type a headline in your blog post, you can click "get suggestions" making it easy to get instant stats so that you can choose the best headline based on its overall searches per month, competitive nature and search trend! (1. Google Insights 2. Google Competition 3.Google Trends 4. Bing Backlinks) You can even add tags as well!

2. Keyword Suggestions for Low Competition Headlines

Keyword suggestions are there at your finger tips making it easier to target the right headlines and rank to the 1st page easily.

3. Colors Highlighted to Target Specific Search Terms

Less competitive phrases are highlighted green, orange for average competing keywords and more competitive phrases are highlighted red! You can drill down on any suggested keyword until you get a low competition keyword.

4. Page Competition Rank Checker

Bloggers can quickly view the competition rank in admin area of their old blog posts and easily edit and improve page competition.

5. Awesome Bloggers SEO Tool

Bloggers can now write reviews by targeting specific keywords on affiliate products to get to the top of Google and convert pages into sales.

Price is as follows: $47 - 1 site license $97 - Unlimited site license

When Keyword Winner Make Money Blogging first launched Pro bloggers and Top Internet marketers could not wait to get their hands on Keyword Winner, pros such as John Chow, Zac Johnson, Jonathan Volk, Tyler Cruz, Kelly Felix, Ian Fernando, Zubin Kutar and many more are using keyword winner and absolutely love it! Wait no longer... So I do not think I need to go on and explain any more, as I think it is very clear how this program can benefit you and your online business.

But one thing we already know is time is money and money is time, let get the ball rolling and start making money today, the longer you wait the longer you will lose out, take action get the results your online business needs and purchase this plugin at the one time price with no ongoing fees and unlimited support and updates.

So what are you waiting for, act quick..

Get your copy of Keyword Keyword Winner Make Money Blogging today!

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Specifications

2011-09-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

General
2G Network : GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network : HSDPA 900 / 1700 / 2100, HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 / 800 - X10a for Americas

Size
Dimensions : 119 x 63 x 13 mm
Weight : 135 g

Display
Type : TFT capacitive touchscreen, 65K colors
Size : 480 x 854 pixels, 4.0 inches (~245 ppi pixel density)
- Scratch-resistant surface
- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
- Timescape/Mediascape UI

Sound
Alert types : Vibration, MP3 ringtones, composer
Loudspeaker : Yes
3.5mm jack : Yes, check quality

Memory
Phonebook : Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records : Practically unlimited
Internal : 1 GB storage, 384 MB RAM
Card slot : microSD, up to 32GB, 8GB card included, buy memory

Data
GPRS : Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
EDGE : Class 10, 236.8 kbps
3G : HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps
WLAN : Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
Bluetooth : Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
Infrared port : No
USB : Yes, v2.0 microUSB

Camera
Primary : 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, check quality
Features : Touch focus, image stabilization, geo-tagging, face and smile detection
Video : Yes, WVGA@30fps (720p@30fps with cont. autofocus via Android 2.1 Eclair update)
Secondary : No

Features
OS : Android OS, v1.6 (Donut), upgradable to v2.3
CPU : 1 GHz Scorpion processor, Adreno 200 GPU, Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon chipset
Messaging : SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push email, IM
Browser : HTML
Radio : No
Games : Yes + downloadable, motion gaming
Colors : Sensous Black, Luster White
GPS : Yes, with A-GPS support
Java : Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
- Digital compass
- MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player
- MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player
- Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk
- Facebook and Twitter integration
- Document viewer
- Voice memo

Battery
Standard battery, Li-Po 1500 mAh (BST-41)
Stand-by : Up to 415 h (2G) / Up to 425 h (3G)
Talk time : Up to 10 h (2G) / Up to 8 h (3G)

Misc
SAR US : 0.87 W/kg (head), 0.81 W/kg (body)
SAR EU : 1.25 W/kg (head)

Nokia N91 Specifications

2011-09-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

General
2G Network : GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network : UMTS 2100

Size
Dimensions : 113.1 x 55.2 x 22 mm
Weight : 164 g

Display
Type : TFT, 256K colors
Size : 176 x 208 pixels, 2.1 inches, 35 x 41 mm (~130 ppi pixel density)
- 5-way configurable navigation key

Sound
Alert types : Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
Loudspeaker : Yes
3.5mm jack : Yes

Memory
Phonebook : Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records : Detailed, max 30 days
Internal : 4 GB/8 GB storage (microdrive), 64 MB RAM
Card slot : No

Data
GPRS : Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
EDGE : Class 10, 236.8 kbps
3G : Yes, 384 kbps
WLAN : Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
Bluetooth : Yes, v1.2 (A2DP - 8 GB version only)
Infrared port : No
USB : Yes, v2.0, miniUSB

Camera
Primary : 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels
Video : Yes
Secondary : No
Features : OS Symbian OS v9.1, Series 60 UI 3rd Edition
CPU : Dual ARM 9 220 MHz processor
Messaging : SMS, MMS, EMail, Instant Messaging
Browser : WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
Radio : Stereo FM radio; Visual radio
Games : Java downloadable
Colors : Light Blue Chrome, Dark Gray Chrome, Black (Music Edition)
GPS : No
Java : Yes, MIDP 2.0
- Predictive text input
- Voice dial
- Voice memo
- Organizer

Battery
Standard battery, Li-Ion (BL-5C) 900 mAh
Stand-by : Up to 190 h (2G) / 170 h (3G)
Talk time : Up to 4 h (2G) / 3 h (3G)
Music play : Up to 10 h

Misc
SAR US : 0.74 W/kg (head), 0.58 W/kg (body)
SAR EU : 0.48 W/kg (head)

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc Specifications

2011-09-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

General
2G Network : GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network : HSDPA 900 / 2100 - LT15i, HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 / 800 - LT15a

Size
Dimensions : 125 x 63 x 8.7 mm
Weight : 117 g

Display
Type : LED-backlit LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size : 480 x 854 pixels, 4.2 inches (~233 ppi pixel density)
- Scratch-resistant surface
- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
- Multi-touch input method
- Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
- Timescape UI

Sound
Alert types : Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker : Yes
3.5mm jack : Yes, check quality

Memory
Phonebook : Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records : Practically unlimited
Internal : 320 MB storage, 512 MB RAM
Card slot : microSD, up to 32GB, 8 GB included, buy memory

Data
GPRS : Up to 86 kbps
EDGE : Up to 237 kbps
3G : HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.8 Mbps
WLAN : Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
Bluetooth : Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
Infrared port : No
USB : Yes, v2.0 microUSB

Camera
Primary : 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Features : Touch focus, image stabilization, geo-tagging, face and smile detection
Video : Yes, 720p@30fps, continuous autofocus, video light
Secondary : No

Features
OS : Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
CPU : 1GHz Scorpion processor, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon
Messaging : SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push email, IM
Browser : HTML
Radio : Stereo FM radio with RDS
Games : Yes + downloadable, motion gaming
Colors : Midnight Blue, Misty Silver
GPS : Yes, with A-GPS support
Java : Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
- Digital compass
- HDMI port
- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
- MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player
- MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player
- TrackID music recognition
- NeoReader barcode scanner
- Google Search, Maps, Gmail,
YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk
- Facebook and Twitter integration
- Document viewer
- Adobe Flash 10.2
- Voice memo/dial/commands
- Predictive text input

Battery
Standard battery, Li-Po 1500 mAh
Stand-by : Up to 430 h (2G) / Up to 400 h (3G)
Talk time : Up to 7 h (2G) / Up to 7 h (3G)
Music play : Up to 31 h

Nokia C7 Specifications

2011-09-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

General
2G Network : GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network : HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100

Size
Dimensions : : 117.3 x 56.8 x 10.5 mm, 64 cc
Weight : 130 g

Display
Type : AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size : 360 x 640 pixels, 3.5 inches (~210 ppi pixel density)
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
- Multi-touch input method
- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
- Scratch resistant Gorilla glass display

Sound
Alert types : Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker : Yes
3.5mm jack : Yes

Memory
Phonebook : Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records : Detailed, max 30 days
Internal : 8 GB storage, 256 MB RAM, 1 GB ROM
Card slot : microSD, up to 32GB, buy memory

Data
GPRS : Class 32
EDGE : Class 32
3G : HSDPA, 10.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps
WLAN : Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth : Yes, v3.0 with A2DP
Infrared port : No
USB : Yes, microUSB v2.0, USB On-the-go support

Camera
Primary : 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, fixed focus, dual-LED flash, check quality
Features : Geo-tagging, face detection
Video : Yes, 720p@25fps, video stabilization
Secondary : Yes, VGA

Features
OS : Symbian^3 OS, upgradable to Symbian Anna OS
CPU : 680 MHz ARM 11 processor, Broadcom BCM2727 GPU
Messaging : SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser : WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
Radio : Stereo FM radio with RDS, FM transmitter
Games : Yes + downloadable
Colors : Charcoal black, Frosty metal, Mahogany brown
GPS : Yes, with A-GPS support; Ovi Maps 3.0
Java : Yes, MIDP 2.1
- NFC support (via software update)
- Web TV
- TV-out
- Digital compass
- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
- MP3/WMA/WAV/eAAC+ player
- DivX/XviD/MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV player
- Quickoffice document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)
- Adobe Reader
- Flash Lite 4.0
- Voice memo/dial/command
- Predictive text input
Battery : Standard battery, Li-Ion 1200 mAh (BL-5K)
Stand-by : Up to 552 h (2G) / Up to 648 h (3G)
Talk time : Up to 9 h 30 min (2G) / Up to 5 h (3G)
Music play : Up to 54 h
Misc : SAR US 1.03 W/kg (head) 0.83 W/kg (body), SAR EU 0.73 W/kg (head)

Nokia X7-00 Specifications

2011-09-07T08:14:00.000-07:00

General
2G Network : GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network : HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100

Size
Dimensions : 119.7 x 62.8 x 11.9 mm, 85 cc
Weight : 146 g

Display
Type : AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size : 360 x 640 pixels, 4.0 inches (~184 ppi pixel density)
- Gorilla glass display
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate

Sound
Alert types : Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker : Yes, with stereo speakers
3.5mm jack : Yes

Memory
Phonebook : Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records : Detailed, max 30 days
Internal : 256 MB RAM, 1 GB ROM
Card slot : microSD, up to 32GB, 8GB included, buy memory

Data
GPRS : Class 33
EDGE : Class 33
3G : HSDPA, 10.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps
WLAN : Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth : Yes, v3.0 with A2DP
Infrared port : No
USB : Yes, microUSB v2.0, USB On-the-go support

Camera
Primary : 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, fixed focus, dual-LED flash, check quality
Features : Geo-tagging, face detection
Video : Yes, 720p@25fps, check quality
Secondary : No

Features
OS : Symbian Anna OS
CPU : 680 MHz ARM 11 processor, Broadcom BCM2727 GPU
Messaging : SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser : WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
Radio : Stereo FM radio with RDS
Games : Yes + downloadable
Colors : Dark steel, Silver steel
GPS : Yes, with A-GPS support
Java : Yes, MIDP 2.1
- Stainless steel panels
- Digital compass
- MP3/WMA/WAV/eAAC+ player
- DivX/XviD/MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV player
- Quickoffice document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)
- Adobe Reader
- Flash Lite 4.0
- Voice memo/dial/command
- Predictive text input
Battery : Standard battery, Li-Ion 1200 mAh (BL-5K)
Stand-by : Up to 450 h (2G) / Up to 450 h (3G)
Talk time : Up to 6 h 30 min (2G) / Up to 4 h 30 min (3G)
Music play : Up to 50 h
Misc : SAR EU 0.61 W/kg (head)

Link2SD 1.6.0 Download

2011-08-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

Link2SD description

Link2SD is an application that makes it easy for Android users with root privileges on their phone to move applications to the SD card.

The idea behind is same with apps2sd scripts, linking applications to SD card's second partition but differs in two ways.

One, instead of linking /data/app folder (that means moving all applications), you can select applications that you want to move.

Two, it's an application, which means has a user interface. You can manage your applications, create or remove links with just one click.

What you need:
- root permission.
- a second partition on your SD card.

You should have two partitions on SD card and both should be primary.

The first FAT partition is your standard SD card storage. The second partition is used for application files and can be ext2, ext3, ext4 or FAT32.

Some phones lack the ext2, ext3 or ext4 file system support and you may get mount errors like "no such device", "invalid argument". These phones need ext2.ko or ext3.ko modules and even some additional modules to be able to mount. Using FAT32 on the second partition will eliminate such problems, because FAT32 is supported on all phones.

Link2SD does not create ext2 partition, you need to create it yourself. You can use any partition manager such as Minitool, Paragon, Easeus etc. for this.

How it works:

Link2SD mounts the second partition of your SD card and makes OS mounts it at boot time.

When you press "Create Link" button it moves apk file and dalvik-cache file (if you select) to SD card's 2nd partition and creates symbolic links in original directories.

Note: After this step, application icon disappears from the phone on Android 1.6 and 2.1, but after reboot you can see and run without problems (if any, shourtcut and the widget of the app should be re-added to homescreen after reboot).
On 2.2+ reboot is not required.

Requirements :

· Android 1.6 or later
· root permission
· a second partition on your SD card

Download :

Link2SD 1.6.0

Root Explorer v2.15 Android Apk (2.15) Download

2011-08-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

Requirements: Android OS 1.1 - 2.3

Overview: The ultimate file manager for root users. Access the whole of android's file system (including the elusive data folder!).

[break]

Features include SQLite database viewer, Text Editor, create and extract zip or tar/gzip files, multi-select, execute scripts, search, remount, permissions, bookmarks, send files (via email, bluetooth etc), image thumbnails, APK binary XML viewer, change file owner and group.

Recent changes :

v2.15

New change owner function. Allows owner and group to be changed for files and folders. Accessible from context menu.

Added special permissions (Set UID, Set GID, Sticky bit) to permissions dialog.

Respect "Show friendly file sizes" preference when displaying size in properties dialog.

Download :

Root Explorer v2.15

Toshiba Thrive Tablet Specifications

2011-07-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

Platform: Android 3.0 Honeycomb
Processor: NVIDIA Tegra 2
1GHz Dual-Core Mobile Processor
NVIDIA GeForce Graphics
Internal 1GB DDR2 RAM
Display & Interface: 10.1? diagonal high resolution screen at 1280 x 800 native resolution
Capacitive Multi-touch (supports Optional capacitive stylus)
Wide-viewing Angle
LED backlight
Widescreen 16:10 aspect ratio
Toshiba Adaptive Display Technology
Toshiba Resolution+ Video Enhancement Technology
Virtual Keyboard with Swype
Storage: Internal Storage: 32GB
Sound: Stereo Speakers: SRS Premium Voice Suite; Toshiba Sound Enhancements; 3.5mm stereo Headphone jack
Cameras: Front 2MP HD webcam with microphone; Back 5MP webcam with Auto-focus and Digital zoom: 720p Video capture
Ports & Expansion:
Full-size SD Card slot: Support for optional SD, SD-HC, and SDXC (reads/writes at SDHS speed) cards
Full sized HDMI port: Support for up to 1080p output
Full sized USB v2.0 port
Mini-USB v2.0 port
Dock connector port
Wireless & Connectivity: Wi-Fi Wireless Networking (802.11b/g/n); Bluetooth version 3.0 + HS
Sensors & Location: Gyroscope; Accelerometer; Ambient Light Sensor; GPS; Digital Compass;
Power & Battery:Prismatic Lithium ion Battery: up to 23 W-hours

Motorola Xoom MZ604 Tablet Specifications

2011-07-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

Full Specification :

Camera: 5 MP, 2592х1944 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED flash, video capture 720p@30fps
Secondary camera : 2 Mega pixel
OS: Android OS, v3.0 (Honeycomb)
Processor: 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 AP20H Dual Core processor
Memory: internal 16/32/64 GB storage 1 GB RAM, external microSD up to 32GB
Size / Model: 249.1 x 167.8 x 12.9 mm, 730 g
Color Options: Black
Connection: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n dual-band, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP EDR, microUSB v2.0
Browser: HTML
Screen: TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 800 x 1280 pixels, 10.1 inches, Multi-touch input method, Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, Gyroscope and barometer sensors
Application: Email, Push Email, IM, Games

Other Features:
- Photo viewer/editor
- Predictive text input
- Digital compass
- MP3/WAV/WMA/AAC+ player, MP4/WMV/H.263/H.264 player
- Document viewer
- A-GPS support
- HDMI port
- Adobe Flash Player 10.1
- Voice memo
- Organizer
- Up to 10 hour video playback
- Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk

Nokia E6 Specifications

2011-07-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

GENERAL
2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100

SIZE
Dimensions 115.5 x 59 x 10.5 mm, 66 cc
Weight 133 g

DISPLAY
Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 640 x 480 pixels, 2.46 inches
- QWERTY keyboard
- Multi-touch input method
- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off

SOUND
Alert types Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker Yes
3.5mm jack Yes

MEMORY
Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records Detailed, max 30 days
Internal 8 GB storage, 256 MB RAM, 1 GB ROM
Card slot microSD, up to 32GB

DATA
GPRS Class 33
EDGE Class 33
3G HSDPA 10.2Mbps, HSUPA 2.0Mbps
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth Yes, v3.0 with A2DP
Infrared port No
USB Yes, v2.0 microUSB, USB On-the-go support

CAMERA
Primary 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, fixed focus, dual-LED flash
Features Geo-tagging, face detection
Video Yes, 720p@25fps
Secondary Yes, VGA

FEATURES
OS Symbian Anna OS
CPU 600 MHz ARM 11 processor, 2D/3D Graphics HW Accelerator with OpenVG1.1 and OpenGL ES 2.0
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
Radio Stereo FM radio with RDS
Games Yes + downloadable
Colors Black, White, Silver
GPS Yes, with A-GPS support
Java Yes, MIDP 2.1
- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
- Digital compass
- TV-out
- MP4/H.264/H.263/RV player
- MP3/WMA/WAV/RA/eAAC+ player
- QuickOffice document editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)
- Organizer
- Flash Lite 4.0
- Voice command/dial/commands
- Predictive text input

BATTERY
Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh (BP-4L)
Stand-by Up to 681 h (2G) / Up to 744 h (3G)
Talk time Up to 14 h 48 min (2G) / Up to 7 h 30 min (3G)

HTC Evo 3D, View 4G available for pre-order at Sprint

2011-05-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

Sprint customers holding out for the HTC Evo 3D can now inch slightly closer to that glasses-free display -- without dropping by RadioShack. The carrier has confirmed that you can reserve the WiMAX handset by visiting a Sprint-owned retail store and plunking down $50 for a gift card. There's still no word on when you'll be able to get the device in-hand (and the 3D's exclusive carrier is mum on pricing), but, if you don't mind reserving a phone without any hint as to how much you'll eventually need to pay, then Sprint seems happy enough to swap your Grant for a spot on the list. It's also taking names for the Evo View 4G tablet and, like the 3D, that $50 deposit can be used to take a bite out of a 2D handset. You know, in case you decide that a third dimension is too hot to handle.

[Thanks, Brett]

source

Toshiba enters pixel density fray with 367ppi LCDs for cellphones

2011-05-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

Toshiba just fired its own salvo in the pixel density wars at SID 2011. The company is showing off a range of LCDs for cellphones that top out at an almost imperceptibly fine 367ppi on its 4-inch HD (720 x 1280) model. Beyond just cramming more red, green, and blue dots in each inch, these panels also top the bar-setting Retina Display in the contrast department with an impressive 1,500:1 ratio. The company also brought a smaller 3.3-inch screen with a resolution of 480 x 864 to Display Week that hits a respectable 300ppi. They're not quite as impressive as these HAST LCDs, but who really needs to put 1080p in their pocket? (Want is a different story.) Of course, Engadget is on the scene and, if you're lucky, we'll let you live vicariously through us as we tour Toshiba's booth -- you know, as a reward for your loyal readership.

source : engadget

Casio G’zOne Commando review

2011-05-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

For years, construction workers, thrill-seekers, and everyone else unfettered by cubicle walls have had rubberized, rugged handsets to keep them company on the road. Until fairly recently, though, the price of durability has been settling for a dumbphone. And frankly, the selection of toughened-up smartphones remains pretty sparse today. Casio’s G’zOne Commando ($199 on contract) isn’t the first quasi-invincible Android device, but it is the first to be sold on Verizon’s network. As expensive as a flagship handset, the Commando offers military-grade resilience against drops, water, extreme cold, and other elements. But is it capable enough for everything else? Let’s find out.

Android beats out iPhone in Japan, celebrates with buffet of alphabetical desserts

2011-05-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

Google's steady march toward global smartphone dominance scored another major victory, this time in the Land of the Rising Sun. According to new numbers from Tokyo-based analyst group MM Research, Android shot to the top of the mobile OS market share heap, nabbing 57 percent of that country's smartphone market for the last fiscal year. That number is up from 11 percent the year prior, increasing from 250,000 to 4.91 million devices shipped -- it's also a good deal higher than the 37.4 and 38.5 percent that Google commands in the US and internationally, according to recent studies. Apple, meanwhile grabbed second place in Japan at 3.23 million iPhones, according to MM -- or 38 percent of the market -- with Windows Mobile and BlackBerry rounding out the top five. Dessert enthusiasts who don't believe numbers until they see them in pie chart form can check out the graphic after the jump.

Intel refreshes Wireless Display with support for DRM-protected DVDs, Blu-rays

2011-05-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

We were bowled over from the start by Intel's Wireless Display technology, which lets you stream HD content from select laptops to an HDTV (with the help of a small adapter, of course). But while WiDi's been good for watching The Colbert Report on Hulu and streaming flicks stored on your hard drive, it hasn't played so nice with DVDs and Blu-rays. At last, though, Intel is supporting HDCP-protected discs (along with some online content) through a free driver update. One catch: it only applies to Sandy Bridge laptops, which just started shipping this spring. If your notebook's a few months too old, well, using an HDMI cable isn't the worst consolation prize.

DIYer builds his own CNC mill, fabricates a Weighted Companion Cube to show off

2011-05-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

So you've built your own homebrew CNC mill and want to test out some recent modifications? That's a question few ever have to ask themselves, but DIYer Jamie Nasiatka recently did, and came up with the bright idea of making his very own Weighted Companion Cube. As you can see above, things turned up pretty well, and you can check out the complete build process at the source link below -- yes, it lights up, and changes colors. Let's just hope no one tries to throw this cube through a Portal t-shirt.

Nokia Chairman Jorma Ollila to step down next year, complete exodus of old guard

2011-05-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

Anssi Vanjoki, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Symbian, and Qt are all either already departed or on their way out of Nokia. It’s of little surprise, therefore, to hear that the company’s Chairman, Jorma Ollila, will soon be following in their footsteps and clocking out of the Espoo office for the final time. Ollila has been a member of Nokia’s Board of Directors since 1995 and in his present position since 1999, however the recent change in direction and leadership at the company has clearly made it unfeasible for him to continue as Chairman. He’s expected to step down at some point next year, with Nokia now commencing the search for his replacement.

ViewSonic ViewPad 10 is no longer suffering with Android 1.6; gets the Froyo treatment

2011-05-04T11:43:00.001-07:00

There are some aspects of the ViewSonic ViewPad 10 that we adore, namely its truly affordable cost as a decent Windows 7 tablet, but what makes the experience sour is the fact that it sports the super outdated Android 1.6 experience. Adding to the misery is the fact that the Android experience is truly marred by a bunch of things, like its confusing set of Android buttons, but thankfully it’s getting its fair share of love.

Specifically, the dual-boot tablet is getting its tasting of Android 2.2 Froyo, which provides plenty of new and recent features that should make it a more tolerable Android tablet. However, there’s no mention if it’ll be getting any official Flash 10.2 support, but then again, Internet Explorer on the Windows 7 side is a true desktop web browser.

Unfortunately, getting Froyo onto the tablet isn’t as easy as you’d expect, especially when most things nowadays go through the usual over-the-air process. Instead, you’ll have to read the instructions provided in the PDF file, then load an image of the Android 2.2 install on some sort of flash media, and finally get access to the BIOS to install the new firmware.

Once all of that is squared away, you can breathe a sigh of relief that it’s no longer sporting an aged Android experience.

LG Blade P430 Laptop

2011-05-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

Laptops are getting thinner and lighter without having to change their size in terms of viewing displays. This may be an appropriate route for laptops to go since they need to compete in a market now shared with those for tablets and netbooks. And with manufacturers like LG of Korea, laptops get even thinner and lighter with its new Blade P430 laptop.

The new LG Blade P430 Laptop is an ultra-thin notebook that has a depth of 23.8mm and only weighs 1.94kg. It is significantly lighter than the conventional notebooks with 13 inch display screens. This makes the notebook quite handy to bring along and comfortable enough to carry around.

Despite its slimmer profile the LG Blade P430 Laptop features a second generation Intel Core i7 processor. It also comes with a NVIDIA Graphics GeForceGT 520M with 1GB DDR3 RAM. Additionally, the notebook comes with a maximum of 8GB memory, a 1.3 HD webcam, up to 750GB 2.5 SATA HDD, DVD optical drive as well as Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. The new LG Blade P430 Laptop is expected to be available in the market by the end of May. Pricing for this new ultra thin notebook has not yet been provided.

Olympus LS 20M PCM Recorder

2011-05-04T11:31:00.000-07:00

Live recording may be something that people wish to get right. PCM recorders seem to provide the best quality live recording for ordinary folk without access to more advanced gadgets. Interviews, live recitals and other similar recordings can have CD quality audio in the using PCM recorders. But Olympus may be offering something different with its new LS 20M PCM Recorder. This time, HD video might be added into the mix.

The new Olympus LS 20M PCM Recorder is a hand held recorder that can now record live audio as well as video. Aside from recording in CD quality audio, the Olympus LS 20M is now equipped with a 4.1mm auto focus lens with 4x digital zoom that can record video in HD quality. Audio recording in better than CD quality is possible by the integrated studio grade condenser mics on the device. The Olympus LS 20M also features a 2 inch color LCD screen that displays the video as it is being recorded. A separate 1.46 inch display displays data like time, audio levels and battery life. The Olympus LS 20M is expected to be available in the market by June of this year. It is estimated to cost around US$300 to have one.

Thunderbolt update ready, OTA rolling out soon

2011-05-01T04:53:00.000-07:00

Though the HTC Thunderbolt is a great device, we know that you may still have some grudges about Verizon’s 4G outage this week. If you need something to improve your mood, you will be happy to know that Verizon is ready to push out a software update for the HTC Thunderbolt.

This update was actually leaked through a rom last week, which led us to believe that this was coming soon, but with Verizon posting a pdf file on their website, things are now starting to look good. As you can see, the first improvement is “Enhanced data connectivity when accessing the Verizon 3G network,” which could have probably helped many users during the outage, but regardless, it is nice to hear that better days are coming. Aside from the 3G enhancement, the update includes better organization for text messages, and better access to some apps, as well as some other performance improvements.

Verizon’s PDF is posted below if you would like to check out the specific details on this update, and stay tuned for your next OTA, which should be here anytime. Don’t forget to share your comments and opinions below, and let us know when you start seeing your updates!

Apple: iWeb For iPad Patented

2011-05-01T04:46:00.000-07:00

Apple finally brought popular Mac apps like Photo booth and Garageband to the iPad. iWork has already been there, and it looks like Apple may be bringing iWeb to the iPad as well, according to PatentlyApple.

Obviously, details regarding iWeb for iPad are shady at the moment. However, its highly possible that Apple will port iWeb to the iPad, considering the fact that Photo booth, Garageband and iWork have all made their way to the iPad 2.

People are hoping that iWeb for iPad will sync with its Mac counterpart, thus offering similar set of features across both devices. Also, a new iWeb for iPad means that a new iWeb for Mac is in the works as well.

Nevertheless, one can not be too sure about the expected release of iWeb for iPad.

T-Mobile Use Dual Core Android Powered G2X

2011-05-01T04:40:00.000-07:00

T-Mobile have lifted off the covers of their latest Android phone addition and they are calling it G2X. Does the name G2X ring any bells? Yes it is the T-Mobile variant of world’s first dual core smartphone LG Optimus 2X which was announced back in February at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

As always, lets take a look at the hardware profile of the seemingly speedy device. LG Optimus 2X has a 1 Ghz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core processor, a gigantic 4 inch capacitive multi-touch screen, 8GB of internal memory with a microSD card slot with support for expandable memory up to 32GB.

If you love snapping pictures and recording videos, then you are going to love T-Mobile G2X as it has a rear facing 8 MP camera with LED Flash, autofocus and HD video recording capabilities. On the front lies a 1.3 MP camera that will allow you to engage in video chats using Qik which will come pre-installed with the phone.

Review: Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG100

2010-07-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

Name: Xacti VPC-CG100 (Sanyo)
Type: Pistol grip HD camcorder
Specs: (Click here for full specs)
Price: Circa £230

Capable of 1080p video recording and 14 megapixel still photography, while Sanyo's latest pistol grip HD camcorder falls a little short in a few key areas, it does enough right to make it worth a look.

It may share a similar look and spec sheet, but it's a noticeable improvement over its predecessor the VPC-CG10, squeezing in a CMOS sensor, 5x optical zoom, and SDXC card support among other features.

While 1080p recording still isn't as crisp as some of the rivals, suffering from the odd bit of artefacting and not quite pin-sharp visuals, the VPC-CG100's main video capturing faults lie with the accuracy of its colour reproduction. Though there are plenty of manual settings to manipulate, I struggled to find one that gave me a natural skin tone, never really finding a middle ground between washed-out or over saturated.

Motion blur was also an issue on some occasions, particularly when shooting in full HD. Likewise, the image stabilising function wasn't very effective. Walk around with the VCP-CG100 at anything more than a brisk walk and you'll end up with some noticeably shaky footage.

As mentioned earlier, as part of Sanyo's dual camera range, the VPC-CG100 also features a 14 megapixel still imaging sensor. The VPC-CG100 performs very well with still photography. There are plenty of scene selection modes on offer in the camcorder's menu, and the high-res photos returned vibrant colours and detailed shots. It had a few problems focussing on close-up objects, but apart from that, no complaints.

Though the gun-like design can feel a little uncomfortable after extended shooting sessions, the VPC-CG100's style does give it a few notable plus points. Firstly, it's an incredibly light camcorder at just 176g, and also highly portable at just 86x110x37 mm when closed. Secondly, with only really your thumb free when holding the camera, Sanyo have wisely kept the number of hardware buttons to a minimum, meaning you wont have to fuss about too much to get shooting in just the way you want when an unexpected "YouTube moment" rears its head. Likewise, the menus are clean and easy to navigate, despite having just a few dedicated hardware buttons. Sanyo have also included a HDMI-out port too for viewing your flicks on the big screen, though the lack of an included cable dilutes this addition somewhat.

If you're prepared to live with the device's colour quirks and below-par image stabilisation, the Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG100 stakes a good claim for your cash. It's easy to use, manages great still images and wont break the bank at around the £230 mark either, even if it doesn't win any awards for the quality of its HD footage.

Motorola Droid X is not recommended if you are a power user

2010-07-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

Online sources are indicating that Motorola has designed their Droid X smartphone in such a way that if you play around with the OS by modding it, the phone would practically self destruct!

The company has loaded it with an eFuse security system which is designed to instantly brick the device if it notices any form of modding.

Google Android is an open platform. It encourages development by third party developers. Third party Android mods are very popular online. They become crucial in fact for users who own devices which are no longer being updated by their manufacturers.

This is a bad decision taken by Motorola. It is not going to do any good to their already battered reputation in the US market.

We can only hope that customers are made aware of this hardware based restriction.

UK Review: Toy Story 3 3D

2010-07-11T06:45:00.000-07:00

I have to admit to being a little bit sceptical about the need for another Toy Story film when it was first announced a year or so ago. The first two films are, in my opinion, classics, capturing all the imagination of childhood, full of lovingly realised characters and friendships, not to mention some hysterical gags.

But after the beautiful and, dare I say, challenging Up and Wall-E, I couldn't believe that Pixar re-visiting our old plastic friends could lead to anything more than an enjoyable, if unnecessary nostalgia trip. Pixar had grown up, and were confidently covering some quite difficult subject matter in their more recent films. What else could be done with the Toy Story crew, other than milk the cash cow by slapping a 3D suffix to the title?

Well, forgive me Pixar, for I had too little faith; Toy Story 3 is a stunning tale, every bit the equal of both its predecessors and Wall-E and Up.

A long time has passed since the events of Toy Story 2, and Woody, Buzz and co. are feeling a bit neglected. As their owner Andy has become a teenager, they've been left sitting in the toy box, whilst friends like Bo Peep and Wheezy have either been donated to charity or simply thrown away. Andy's off to college, growing up, and growing out of love with his toys. He decides to take Woody along for the ride, but pack the other toys up in the attic, which they resignedly accept as a sort of retirement period.

Trailer

However, a mix-up sees the gang left out as trash, a betrayal Andy would never have intended, and a quick-witted Woody thinks fast, sending his pals off to the SunnySide daycare centre instead. While Buzz and co are initially thrilled to be played with again, all is not what it seems at SunnySide, and it's soon down to Woody to help get the gang home again.

It's a rip-roaring adventure, every bit as imaginative as previous entries into the series. Again the Pixar team have mined memories of childhood to great effect, pulling together a hilarious cast of recognisable childhood toys, wonderfully animated, and playfully poking at our expectations of each character.

Mr Potato Head, Hamm the moneybox and Buzz Lightyear still get big laughs, but the funniest scenes are reserved for newcomers the Ken and Barbie dolls. The too-cool-yet-sickly-sweet pair have a fiery, hilarious romance in the film, and Ken's camp and oh-so-misunderstood outlook on fashion and life are superbly written.

But for all the humour on show, Toy Story 3 will be best remembered for its heart. It's truly touching, and downright sad at some points. The toys are coming to terms with the loss of their owner and best friend, moving on from relationships and dealing with the grief of losing their pals. It's never patronising, and some of the finer points may go straight over a younger audience's head, but it goes pretty deep for a children's film. A 15-minute sequence at the end of the film is one of the most suspenseful, intense and heart-wrenching scenes you are ever likely to watch. I defy you not to cry, or to at least scream "nooooooooooooooooo!" out loud at one particularly magnificent moment.

This being a tech-blog after all, I'll give a quick review of the 3D tech on show during my screening of the film. We were lucky enough to catch Toy Story 3 in a 3D RealD showing on a Sony 4K screen at the Apollo Cinema on London's Regent Street. RealD screenings on 4K screens have a few significant differences compared to the technology used in other 3D cinemas. Sony's kit projects two images to both eyes simultaneously, rather than high-speed alternating left and right images for each eye used elsewhere. It makes for a far more comfortable viewing experience, and those who have suffered from 3D-induced headaches in the past should seek out a similar screening near them. The 4K display itself is also far sharper than other cinema screens I've seen, though the necessity for 3D glasses throughout still remains an issue, with brightness levels suffering once they are over your eyes.

As for the 3D effects on show in Toy Story 3, apart from a few notable scenes, it's yet another film that hasn't quite managed to capture the sense of depth and movement as well as Avatar did. I wouldn't be too upset if you can't catch a 3D screening of the film however, as thankfully the story itself is excellent either way.

A masterfully told adventure, full of belly laughs and some of the most touching scenes you're likely to ever see in a film, I can't recommend Toy Story 3 highly enough. For a kids flick, this will be as emotionally resonant with adults as it will be entertaining for the starry-eyed children it's aimed at.

source

New Toshiba UX600 LED TV features built-in Wi-Fi

2010-07-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

Toshiba have just announced a brand spanking new LED backlit TV. Available in 40, 46 and 55 inch models, the UX600 sets itself apart from the crowd thanks to its built in Wi-Fi adaptor.

As this is a so-called "connected TV", a whole host of internet streams and feeds can be delivered straight to the set. There are widgets for YouTube, music streaming service Pandora and also image hosting sites such as Flickr.

There is also a customisable news Ticker within the TV's UI, which can be set to display a multitude of news feeds, weather updates, stock movements and Twitter updates.

The 1080p set will also feature movie streaming courtesy of VUDU. The on-demand film service has a catalogue of 1080p HD films that can sent straight to the UX600, each featuring 5.1 surround sound audio encoding.

In terms of picture quality, Toshiba boast that their "Pixel Pure 5G" engine optimises HD sources for maximum clarity, as well as enhancing standard definition sources. "ClearFrame" 120Hz technology will reduce the effects of motion-blur in fast action scenes, whilst a Gaming Mode ensures that there's little delay between controller inputs and the action on screen.

The Toshiba UX600 sets will launch in the US this month, with a starting price of $1,400. A UK release is expected to follow soon afterwards, with pricing yet to be announced.

source

Review: Sharp Aquos Quattron HDTV

2010-07-11T00:54:00.000-07:00

Name: LC-46LE820E Aquos Quattron (Sharp)

Type: 46" LCD LED Backlit HD TV

Specs:

Contrast Ratio: 6,000,000 :1
Resolution: Full HD (1920 x 1080p)
Connectivity:4x HDMI, 1x VGA, 1x USB, 1x Scart, Composite adaptor
Speakers: 2x 10 watts speakers
Dimensions: 1127mm H (including base) x 785mm W x 39mm D
Features: Quad-pixel technology, LED backlighting, 100Hz motion processing, DLNA home networking

Price: Circa £1,400

(NB. The LC-46LE820E model we were sent to test was a European model that did not feature the HD Tuner that we have been assured comes as standard on the UK model. Therefore any HD sources described refer to either a Sky+ HD box or PS3 and its built in Blu-ray player)

While the rest of the industry has thrown itself head-first into the 3D TV race, Japanese manufacturers Sharp have taken a different tact. They've been working on what they've dubbed quad-pixel technology, which they've stuffed into their new range of Aquos Quattron HD TVs. It adds a fourth yellow pixel pixel to the standard red, green and blue make up used by other sets, which they claim will redefine colour processing in TVs. But just how revolutionary is the quad-pixel technology? Read on to find out.

The 46 inch LC-46LE820E Aquos Quattron set we tested was quite a sight to behold. Incredibly slim, with a curved black bezel that features a near transparent strip along its bottom edge, it's a very attractive set in terms of design. Either sitting on a metal base with glass support or wall mounted, it features an illuminated Sharp logo (which can be switched off if you prefer) and a few simple, touch-sensitive controls on its right lower edge.

In terms of the actual aforementioned quad-pixel technology, the set's "big sell" if you will, it's not quite as revolutionary as Sharp would have you believe. There's no denying that colours are incredibly vibrant and defined, but you'll be hard pressed to note a remarkable difference between the Quattron's colours and similar top-end models from other manufacturers. Sharp apparently are planning to introduce the same technology in their forthcoming 3D sets, which can suffer from colour and brightness issues, so perhaps its influence will be more noticeable there. For the time being however you're getting solid if not ground-breaking colour response here.

With that said, picture quality on offer here is still very impressive. Sharp by name, sharp by nature, the set delivers 1080p HD images in great detail, providing you've tweaked the (frankly atrocious) out-of-the-box image settings. There are plenty of colour and sharpness options to play about with, and messing with them can lead to some excellent results in picture quality. Blu-ray playback of "The Road" revealed startlingly deep black levels, fine detail in its post-apocalyptic setting, and managed to show excellent definition between the movie's somewhat muted colour palette. Conversely, Blu-ray playback of manga animation "Paprika" showed just how vibrant the colours can be with the Quattron, with the vivid cartoon really shining on the screen.

Sharp's image processing techniques also seem to have been given a bit of a overhaul. The 100Hz motion technology present here leads to perfectly smooth action scenes in movies and games, though we'd suggest avoiding the highest settings as they can make certain scenes move a little unnaturally. Likewise, the TV handles standard definition sources with aplomb, tidying up the image without causing any glaring artefacts to appear.

It's also worth noting however that the glass panel over the screen's display was incredibly reflective, even in relatively low light. It didn't make the TV un-watchable by any means, but it was quite annoying at times, and is definitely worth considering if your living room is a bit of a sun trap.

The Quattron's speakers are worth applauding. As ever with a screen not even an inch thick, they will never compete with a dedicated sound system, but the clarity on offer here is commendable, as is the bass response in comparison to other slim-style TVs.

Sharp make great use of the massive screen real estate on offer here when it comes to displaying menus. As I mentioned earlier, the preset image settings are pretty poor, so initially at least you're going to be fiddling around quite a lot with menu options. This is made far easier thanks to the way the TV intelligently scales the entire image around the menus when tweaking settings like colours, allowing you to see exactly how the changes you are making are affecting the picture. The intuitive menu system also makes navigating the set's basic home-networking capabilities nice and easy (allowing you to play back MKV files, HD video, photos and music from either a USB or LAN connection), though it's no replacement for a dedicated media streamer.

Lastly, the remote control. It's a little long and thin for my personal liking, but it is light, intelligently laid out, and seemed sturdy enough to withstand a few bumps and drops. It's also got a dedicated button for sending the set into ECO mode, which should help save on the electricity bills of anyone too lazy to turn the set off the old fashioned way.

All in then, its a very strong set. It's quite expensive at around £1,400, and the quad-pixel technology doesn't really justify such a high premium. It remains however a top notch goggle-box, with sharp HD pictures, vivid colours and speakers far better than its rivals, and is well worth your cash so long as you aren't expecting the visual revolution that the adverts have touted.

source

Cisco Cius Tablet PC announced for business users!

2010-07-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

Cisco has announced a Tablet PC model of their own aimed at the business customers.

It is based on the Google Android mobile platform and features a eight hours of battery backup.

The company said that they would begin testing this new device with some of their customers later this year.

It is expected to go on sale sometime early next year.

Cisco Cius features a seven inch touchscreen display. It also feature two cameras one of which is capable of recording at HD quality.

Cisco spoke about this product: “This platform can transform how healthcare professionals advance patient care, how retailers deliver service experiences to consumers, or how universities deliver world-class education to their students.”

Motorola Droid X Specs And Release Date Revealed

2010-06-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

After months of Droid fans anxiously awaiting the release of the second iteration, we yesterday announced that the Motorola Droid 2 would be officially announced on June 23. Today we bring you some even more exciting news.

Yes, the phone is being teased on Verizon’s website. Officially named “Droid X”, the phone is getting very close to its release date, which will likely be June 23rd, when the phone is “officially” announced by Verizon.

We don’t know for sure yet whether the phone will be released on the 23rd, though it seems very likely given that they’re already teasing it. In any case, Verizon’s website gives some very limited specs on the phone, and they are as follows:

4.3″ Display
HDMI Output
Captures 720p (HD Video Recording!)

This should be an excellent improvement on the features of the original Droid, and we can wait to see it hit stores!

What other features do you think the Droid X will have?

HTC confirms Droid Incredible browser issue, plans fix

2010-06-19T05:53:00.000-07:00

HTC just let us know that their team has been able to replicate the browser privacy issue we posted about a couple of days ago. Here’s the official statement:

HTC has identified the root cause of the DROID Incredible not deleting web page thumbnails after a factory reset, and is creating an update which will eliminate this issue. This will be distributed through a software maintenance release that will be pushed to devices in the near future. Until this time, consumers who wish to manually delete these thumbnails can do so by following these steps:

1) Go to the “Settings” menu
2) Select “SD Card and Phone Storage”
3) Select “Format Phone Storage”

*NOTE* This will delete all files in internal storage, including music and image files. So these files should be backed up before taking these steps.

Other Android devices with HTC Sense, like the DROID Eris, save these thumbnails to the SD card, instead of internal memory, so users can easily keep this information from being shared simply by removing the SD card from their device before trading in the device, sending in for repair, etc.

Since the Incredible memory is built in, it makes sense that this would happen, but it should be all good in no time.

O2 UK to initially sell the iPhone 4 to current customers only

2010-06-19T05:50:00.000-07:00

O2 UK announced today that it will only offer the iPhone 4 to current customers when the handset launches on June 24th. The wireless carrier cites extremely limited stock as the basis for this potentially controversial decision. Folks looking to score an iPhone by signing up now with O2 are out of luck as the iPhone will only be offered to wireless, home broadband, and home phone customers who have been with O2 since May 24th, 2010. Current customers will have to travel to a brick and mortar store to snag an iPhone as the incredibly hot handset will not be available online from O2 until the end of July. Once the supply of iPhones is no longer limited, O2 will finally make the handset available to new customers.

Read

Source

Police to investigate Google data

2010-06-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

New Zealand police are investigating whether Google committed a criminal offence when it gathered personal wireless Internet data during filming for its Street View feature in New Zealand.

Last month, Google acknowledged it had mistakenly collected data from public WiFi networks in more than 30 countries, including New Zealand.

The admission has sparked fears that Google intercepted personal e-mails, passwords, personal banking details and even web browsing histories at home addresses.

New Zealand's Crimes Act makes it an offence to intercept data. Assistant Privacy Commissioner Katrine Evans said earlier the commission had formally referred the issue to police. "They can consider whether Google has committed a criminal offence by collecting payload data from WiFi networks during its Street View filming," she said in a statement following a meeting with police officials.

Police spokesman John Neilson said the police national cyber crime center was investigating the complaint to determine "whether any criminality has been committed." Law firm Taylor Shaw privacy specialist Kathryn Dalziel said it would be a breach of the Crimes Act if Google was found to have intercepted any communication. "This will create an interesting issue in terms of international law, since the company is based outside of New Zealand," she said.

Penalties of fines and imprisonment can be imposed for breaches of the Crimes Act. Google New Zealand spokeswoman Annie Baxter said in an email the company was "profoundly sorry" for the mistake and that the data collection would have been limited by the fact that the Google cars "were on the move."

Internet users would have needed to be using their network as a car passed their house.

"Our in-car WiFi equipment automatically changes channels five times a second. That said, it's possible that the fragments of data we collected could contain entire e-mails or other content if a user broadcast personal information over an open network at that moment," she said.

"We will work with all the relevant authorities to answer any questions they might have," she said.

Baxter, Google's publicity manager based in Australia, said the equipment used was bought from a third party and though the software would have recognised encrypted transmissions, that particular data would have been discarded immediately. Encrypted data includes banking and other commercial transaction details.

Hydrogen car to be tested on roads

2010-06-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

A hydrogen fuel-cell powered car is to be tested on British roads by the public for the first time, it has been announced.

Thirty of the cars, which have a top speed of 50mph and can go 200 miles on one tank of hydrogen, will be leased to motorists in Leicester from spring 2012.

The two-seater car has been developed by Riversimple, a small British manufacturer based in Ludlow, Shropshire. The prototype was built at Silverstone, Northamptonshire.

If the trials are successful, the company will consider building a factory in Leicester which would employ 250 people and manufacture 5,000 of the cars each year.

The cars would not be sold but instead leased out to drivers for about £200 a month plus mileage.

So far the company has spent around £3 million developing the technology and the car, which goes from 0-30mph in 5.5 seconds and does the petrol-equivalent of 300 miles per gallon.

It has now signed a deal with Leicester City Council for a 12-month pilot which will see 30 of the cars rented out to private customers, businesses, car-share schemes and local government officials in the city.

Part of the project involves identifying suitable places for hydrogen pumps where drivers can refuel.

Hugo Spowers, the founder of Riversimple, said: "The age of fossil-fuelled cars may not be over yet but it is surely dying.

"Contrary to what we usually hear, sustainable, near pollution-free transport is possible, here and now, using existing technology."

Sharpshooter helicopter fires up the imagination

2010-03-11T10:01:00.000-08:00

Men seem to be losing their masculinity for many reasons, and more husbands are now hen-pecked than ever before. Could this have something to do with the lack of more macho toys for boys? If you want little Johnny to grow up being testosterone filled, then the Sharpshooter remote controlled helicopter might be just the thing. This missile-firing toy comes with a dozen missiles for you to wreck havoc on enemy lines, and you can always practice your firing skills with 6 targets bundled in the package. Each $19.95 purchase comes with a rapid charging controller so that you can always dive back into the action soonest possible.

GPS Travelogue for world travelers

2010-03-11T09:58:00.000-08:00

If you like to keep track of your travels, this small device is the way to do it. It’s small enough to keep in your pocket and it will keep track of your journey, wherever you end up. Then you can upload the information to your computer and have the information to cherish for all time. It’d be great for parents sending their children off to travel in foreign countries.

It has 64MB of internal memory and can hold up to 260,000 waypoints. You can set it to record points between one second and 59 minutes. It has a durable water-resistant frame that’ll allow it to survive in different environments. When you charge the small gadget for 2 hours it’ll give you 30 hours of use at one-second intervals. After you’ve tracked all of those points you can upload the information to Google Earth. You can purchase the GPS Travelogue for $149.95 through Hammacher.

Feeling Egg glows to soothe

2010-02-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

If you have some extra cash to spare and feel the absolute need to spend instead of save, the Feeling Egg from Banpresto is the perfect shopping fodder. Sharing the same dimensions of a real egg, each Feeling Egg emits a relaxing glow of light thanks to the internal LED. Each carton contains four eggs of different colors, and being waterproof, they’re perfect for company when taking a bath. The LED provides fading light that help you unwind after a long day at work. Each Feeling Egg is powered by three LR44 batteries. You can pick up one carton for $59.

8.9-inch ExoPC Slate has iPad looks, netbook internals, Windows 7 soul

2010-02-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

Yes, we realize that it's hard to provide too much visual differentiation between tablet PCs with large, ebony bezels, but we can't help but think that this 8.9-inch multitouch tablet looks a lot like another, recently announced 9.7-inch multitouch tablet. Nevertheless this one's quite different on the inside, delivering "the web without compromise," meaning full browser support with flash courtesy of Windows 7 on an Atom N270 at 1.6GHz, with 2GB of DDR2 memory and a 32GB SSD with SD expansion. Yeah, those specs are familiar too, and while we're not thinking this will deliver the sort of snappy performance seen on the iPad, it will certainly be a lot more functional. Battery life is only four hours, but at least it's user-replaceable, and a price of $599 matches the 32GB iPad. Likewise it will be available in March -- or you can get a non-multitouch prototype for $780 right this very moment. If, that is, you speak enough French to manage the order page.

iPad

2010-02-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

The Apple iPad, formerly referred to as the Apple Tablet, is a touch-pad tablet computer announced in January 2010, to be shipped in late March (for WiFi-only units) and April (for 3G units). It has internet capabilities running on either WiFi or 3G, and offers an optional dock with a full size mechanical keyboard.

The 3G is provided by AT&T, but comes unlocked with microsim cards on the GSM network. The 3G does not require a long-term contract.

Pricing scheme

WiFi Model

* 16 GB - $499
* 32 GB - $599
* 64 GB - $699

3G Model

* 16 GB - $629
* 32 GB - $729
* 64 GB - $829

iPad Specifications

* 1GHz Apple A4 processor (custom)
* 0.5″ thick
* 1.5 pounds

Display

* 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
* 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
* Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
* Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Sensors

* Accelerometer
* Ambient light sensor
* Compass

Input and Output

* Dock connector
* 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack
* Built-in speakers
* Microphone
* SIM card tray (Wi-Fi + 3G model only)

Audio Playback

* Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
* Audio formats supported: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
* User-configurable maximum volume limit

Battery and Power

* Built-in 25Whr rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
* Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music
* Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system

Other Specs

* 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1
* Runs iPhone apps in window or pixel doubling
* Hardware-accelerated OpenGL graphics
* SDK released 1/27/10
* Syncs over USB through iTunes, just like iPhone or iPod touch, syncing photos, music, movies, tv shows, contacts, apps, etc.
* Offers touch-ready iWork version which includes versions of the Pages, Numbers and Keynote applications at $9.99

Before announcement, the iPad was also rumored to be named the iSlate and the iTablet.

(source)

Panasonic Twin-lens Full HD 3D Camcorder

2010-01-17T02:11:00.000-08:00

With the popularity of the 3D version of Avatar, a lot of people are going to be taking 3D movies more seriously now, and Panasonic looks like it’s in a good position to capitalize on that, thanks to its newly announced twin-lens full HD 3D camcorder. It sports twin-lenses (obviously) and dual memory card slots, allowing you to capture 3D footage immediately, without all the hassle of doing it the traditional way. Even better, its recording medium is SDHC memory cards, helping you lower the cost. That being said, the device itself is more than pocket change, as it’s going for $21,000, though that’s not too bad if you’re doing some big budget film, it’s probably more than Joe Average can afford. The Twin-lens Full HD 3D camcorder will be available in Q4 of 2010, and Panasonic is also looking to release a 3D Full HD LCD monitor for use in the field, and a digital mixer for live 3D broadcasting shortly after.

Panasonic does it again, introduces 152-inch 3D 4k HDTV

2010-01-17T02:01:00.000-08:00

If that gigantic HDTV above looks a few inches shy of 152-inches, its because it is. While Panasonic has shared a few details about the existence of its new biggest HDTV ever (full release after the break) it has not been shown to the public yet. We imagine it'll look a lot like its little brother pictured above, after all, it features the same 4k resolution and a relatively unobtainable price. What will make a bigger difference than the extra two inches though is the fact that this one is will display 3D content. Panasonic is giving a sneak peak of their new stuff in a bit, so with any luck we'll get a real life picture of the new behemoth in action.

(source)

Acer's Aspire TimeLine 1820PT hits US

2009-12-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

Another 11.6-inch notebook with preinstalled Windows 7 Home Premium has come up to United States. New technology multitouch screen makes this device more convenient to use. By the way, touchpad has multitoutch built-in too. The screen is twistable lets you convert your notebook into usual tablet PC. The screen has resolution of up to 1366 x 768.

Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor has 1.2GHz frequency, supported by 8GB RAM and GMA X4500HD makes it a pretty good device for its size. TimeLine 1820PT has also 320 GB hard drive, not that much for today's technologies. As for connectivity this Acer is filled up very well: 3G, Bluetooth, WiFi for wireless. As for wired and other outs: 3 USB ports, HDMI and VGA outs in addition to card reader. All these features make this notebook a piece of high end technology. If you liked the idea of good old tablet PC's you will love this puppy.

Acer Aspire Timeline 1820PT specs:

* Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300
* Memory: DDR3 4GB
* Hard disk: 320GB
* Display: 11.6 inch HD 1366 x 768
* Graphics: GMA X4500M HD, Intel
* Networking: Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, WiFi Link 5100
* Interfaces: 3 USB 2.0 ports, multi card reader, VGA, HDMI
* Weight: 1.72 kg

Samsung i8910HD Gold announced, comes soon to Europe and Middle East

2009-12-07T07:31:00.000-08:00

As we all know, designing a successful smartphone nowadays takes much more effort than it used to even a year ago. This time last year we had no iPhone 3GS, no HTC Hero, not even a single proper image of Palm Pre. Android was just raising his green head and Nokia hasn't yet sold a million of 5800s. Despite all that and considering the fact that Christmas time sales craze should start very soon, managers at Samsung decided they can do without revamping hardware and adding more functionality to software but replace some body panels. Body panels in question are from Samsung i8910HD, also known as OmniaHD, and they are substituted by golden ones.

I always thought of Samsung i8910HD as a good social networking mobile phone for youths. A fair Sidekick LX rival with its full physical QWERTY but more humble camera and price tag. No matter, replacing plastic with gold should make i8910HD Gold more appealing to… whom? Come to think of it, if I was on the market with my own money in search for a premium class mobile phone I'd walk straight to Nokia booth and grabbed something from 8xxx series, preferably an Erdos. For the last five years it was a yardstick for premium class cell phones. I'd consider i8910HD Gold as a present only. Yes, it's flashy and glamorous. I do like Champagne Gold styling, Luxury Brown is not so pretty by me, but you still get a leather case for it. For those interested, Samsung i8919HD sales will start soon in Europe and Middle East.

Yinlips YDP800 projector PMP teases your wallet with video

2009-12-06T04:16:00.000-08:00

We’re not sure what’s taken so long, but the Yinlips YDP800 pico projector PMP is finally available to the US, courtesy of online store Ownta. The good folks have released a demo video of the projector in action — not quite at the maximum 80-inch picture that Yinlips boasts, but hey, we’ve just about done it before on another pico projector. For around $270 including delivery this feature-packed PMP seems to give a good run for your money, especially when compared to the $299 WowWee Cinemin Swivel. No sign of any sample pictures or videos from the 1.3 megapixel camera yet, so for now just enjoy the video after the break.

Intel: Initial Larrabee graphics chip canceled

2009-12-06T03:44:00.000-08:00

Intel said Friday that its Larrabee graphics processor will initially appear as a software development platform only.

This is a blow to the world's largest chipmaker, which was looking to launch its first discrete (standalone) graphics chip in more than a decade.

"Larrabee silicon and software development are behind where we hoped to be at this point in the project," Intel spokesman Nick Knupffer said Friday. "As a result, our first Larrabee product will not be launched as a standalone discrete graphics product," he said.

"Rather, it will be used as a software development platform for internal and external use," he added. Intel is not discussing what other versions may appear after the initial software development platform product, or "kit," is launched next year.

Graphics chip analyst Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research, said Intel is not hitting performance targets and this became apparent at the SC09 supercomputing conference last month.

"Justin Rattner (Intel Senior Fellow) demonstrated Larrabee hitting one teraflop, which is great but you could walk across the street and buy an ATI graphics board for a few hundred dollars that would do five teraflops." A teraflop is 1 trillion floating point operations per second, a key indicator of graphics chip performance.

Larrabee, a chronically delayed chip, was originally expected to appear in 2008. It was slated to compete with discrete graphics chips from Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices' ATI graphics unit.

Intel would not give a projected date for the Larrabee software development platform and is only saying "next year."

Intel says its plans are unchanged to deliver this month the first chip with graphics integrated onto the CPU. This new Atom processor is referred to as "Pineview" (the platform is called "Pine Trail") and will be targeted at Netbooks.

Most Popular Cars of 2009

2009-11-28T00:41:00.000-08:00

The year 2009 will go down in history as a watershed moment for the automotive industry. American icons General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection, seizing as much taxpayer money as possible in their efforts to fend off impending doom. Both survived, but under much different circumstances than anticipated decades earlier.

Going or almost gone from the GM’s portfolio were Hummer, Saturn, Pontiac and Saab along with a myriad of employees. Chrysler, sold to Italian automaker Fiat SpA, was now under the control of Canadian-born chief executive Sergio Marchionne and harboured an immediate need for new product. A summer launch of the Cash for Clunkers program would help both, but for how long?

2010 Chevrolet Camaro

Ford was in amazingly good shape, declining offers for government aid in an effort to keep its counterparts from going under. Ford realized, without a healthy GM and Chrysler, it too would be out of business, not large enough on its own to keep afloat the supply network necessary to run an entire industry. New products were streaming full speed into the market, with Taurus, Fusion and Flex leading the way.

Not surprisingly, Yahoo! Autos most searched for car brands in 2009 represent the strengths and sometimes failures experienced in the auto industry this past year. Toyota and Honda placed first and second on our list. Both companies shared the spotlight with successes in new products, the 2010 Toyota Prius, and continuing sales of mainstays such as the Honda Civic and Accord. Not all was roses, however, Toyota suffered from unexpected recalls while both companies encountered downward trends and the need to exit racing, specifically Formula 1, to conserve cash and develop new products faster.

Ford ranked third, with Nissan fourth and BMW fifth. Nissan did feel the pinch of a tighter economy, but under the strong leadership of CEO Carlos Ghosn, it seemed well positioned to tread carefully while others succumbed to economic pressures. BMW continued their A-plan of designing new and exciting vehicles such as the 535i Gran Turismo, and for the most part, consumers responded. With additional product set to launch, both Nissan and BMW appear poised for additional success in 2010.

When it came to ranking the most searched for individual models, it turns out that the enduring popularity of the iconic American muscle car, such as the Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang, is still tough to beat. In fact, five of the top 10 most searched cars are American made. However, smaller, fuel-efficient models are still top of mind with consumers as evidenced by the continued popularity of the Honda Civic, Mini Cooper and Smart ForTwo.

(source)

iPhone 3GS Supreme is diamond encrusted, spectacularly expensive

2009-11-27T02:50:00.000-08:00

Seeing as how the iPhone’s exclusive status has been slipping, it was inevitable that the bourgeoisie would invent a new way to distinguish themselves from the lowly masses. Enter a designer by the name of Stuart Hughes, already expertly familiar with slapping precious metals onto slightly less precious mobile phones. He classes up a 3GS handset with a 22 carat solid gold body, which he then sprinkles with no less than 190 diamonds. And just to make sure none of the riff raff can get their hands on it, this creation is priced at £1.92 million ($3.2 million), which places it precisely £1.92 million outside our budget. Completing the, erm, value proposition is a storage chest cut from a single block of granite, which you may peep after the break.

LG / Cyon SU630 caught in the wilds of South Korea

2009-11-27T02:42:00.000-08:00

Were you shocked and surprised when LG put out a Christmas Edition of its Korea-only LG-SU630? Neither were we — but we are mighty amused that a certain reader named James Roberson was cool enough to take us up on our (joking) plea for pictures of the handset when he came across one at the electronics market in Seoul recently. This isn’t the Christmas edition, but it’s all LG-SU630 — as indicated by the Cyon logo and 8 megapixel camera ’round back. Get a closer look in the gallery below. And for our next request, do you think you could send us a Sciphone Dream G2? We hear they’re pretty amazing.

Olympus Pen E-P1 Gets Covered In Swarovski Crystals

2009-11-24T07:05:00.000-08:00

The retro-styled Micro Four Thirds Olympus Pen E-P1 digi-cam has been ruined, sorry enhanced with a "dazzling makeover" by Crystal Roc.

Now covered in hundreds of "sparkling" Swarovski crystals it will be available exclusively to order from Harrods' Micro Anvika department.

In a special limited edition wooden box, which includes "two lenses" (no details provided - presumably the 14-42mm zoom and the 17mm "pancake" lens) and a matching flash, the crystal-encrusted Pen gets a price tag of £1999.99.

Those not interested in stuck-on crystals would do well to hang on for the launch of the next-gen, slightly tweaked Olympus Pen E-P2, due in January.

(source)

What is Blu-Ray?

2009-11-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

Blu-Ray is an optical storage format developed by Sony and Phillips. Blu-Ray was created to store large amounts of high definition video and sound. Blu-Ray gets its name from the type of laser it uses to read and write data from and to the disc, the color of the laser is a hue of blue-violet. Due to the extreme density of these optical discs the data needs to be smaller to fit onto the disc, a blue-violet laser has a shorter wavelength than the normal red lasers used today.

Blu-Ray technology is so-named because of its use of blue laser technology in storing and reading data. Being on the shorter wavelength end of the light spectrum than the red laser used for DVD and CD technologies (405 nanometer for Blu-Ray versus 650 nanometer and 780 nanometer for DVD and CD technology), blue laser is capable of storing a much larger amount of data using the same space because of a much smaller "spot size" requirement. Blu-Ray's 405nm wavelength blue-violet laser uses an 0.85nm pickup aperture.

Single-layer Blu-Ray disks currently store 23.3GB of data, which dual-layer Blu-Ray disks are able to store 46.6GB of data.

There is currently a market war taking place against both HD DVD's and Blu-Ray DVD's. These two types of DVD's are fighting to see who will be the new form of media for the years to come. As of yet, neither media type has made enough inroads to garner a champion.

Obviously the major benefit of Blu-Ray DVD's is that it is able to hold more data on one disc, therefore allowing high definition audio and video. The more data you have, the more data can be read to give a clearer picture with more color and vividness.

One of the benefits of Blu-Ray technology is that because data is so close together, early types of Blu-Ray discs would be contaminated by slight scratches. However, a new coating has been developed that makes Blu-Ray discs extremely difficult to scratch.

Blu-Ray is looking to make inroads into the consumer electronics market with the Blu-Ray DVD player with its Sony PlayStation. The Sony PlayStation will include a basic Blu-Ray DVD player which might spur sales of media and make it the de facto standard.

The disadvantages to Blu-Ray discs are that they are quite expensive. For instance, players are selling at about the $1,000 mark and DVD discs will be more expensive than their standard DVD counterparts. Another disadvantage is that since there are two standards, both Blu-Ray and HD, most people are sitting on the sidelines to see who the winner is. Because Blu-Ray has been developed in part with Sony, Sony has included DRM or digital rights management that will make it more difficult for people to place shift and time shift their content.

Blu-Ray Technology

BD Formats

There are three formats being developed for Blu-Ray technology. The BD-ROM or Blu-Ray read-only disc format will be used to store movies, computer games and software. The Blu-Ray recordable or BD-R will provide users the opportunity to store larger amounts of data and HDTV recordings in one disc. The BD-RE or Blu-Ray rewritable disc format will provide users the ability to change the disc's contents.

Disc Capacity

The main advantage of Blu-Ray technology is its capability of storing massive amounts of data in one disc. Blu-Ray technology will enable users to store an average of 25GB-27GB worth of data into just one layer. This is equivalent to 4 hours worth of HD video and audio. Moreover, Blu-Ray dual layer discs will have a storage capacity of up to 54GB. Research on Blu-Ray discs with up to four layers and with storage capacities of up to 200 GB is currently underway.

Supportable File Formats

Blu-Ray discs are capable of supporting different file formats such as MPEG-2, MPEG-4 High Profile AVC and VC-1 coder decoders which enables the discs to store up to four hours worth of HDTV audio-video per layer. It is also capable of supporting the different multi-channel audio file formats such as the different file formats of Dolby and DTS as well as PCM audio file formats. BD rewritable and recordable disc formats will also be backwards-compatible with older formats such as MPEG-2 while newer codecs will enable Blu-Ray technology to support new file formats in the future. The integration of Java cross platform will also enable the Blu-Ray disc to have interactive menus as well as the capability to add new content or updates such as new subtitles through the Internet.

Regional Codes and Security

For security, Blu-Ray supports mandatory HDCP encrypted output, ROM-Mark watermarking, BD+ dynamic cryptology, and the Advanced Access Content System (AACS).

Blu-Ray discs will have three regional codes: one for countries in the Amercian continent as well as countries in east Asia except China and Japan, another for countries in the European and African continents and another one for all the other countries in the Asian continent such as China, Russia, etc.

Google-powered netbooks to debut in 2010

2009-11-22T08:34:00.000-08:00

Washington - Google on Thursday provided a peek beneath the hood of its new Chrome operating system, making the software public and promising it will run netbooks by the end of next year.

Google-crafted Chrome OS will be tailored exclusively for applications hosted as services in the Internet "cloud" and debut on low-cost, bare-bones netbooks that have been a booming segment of the laptop computer market.

"We believe there is a better model of computing we can give users," vice president of Chrome OS Sundar Pichai said while demonstrating the in-progress software at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California.

"That is what Chrome OS is. Speed, simplicity and security. We want Google Chrome OS to be so blazingly fast... We think it should be like a TV, you turn it on and you are in the application."

Google is working with computer makers to build Chrome OS into netbooks to be available in stores in time for holiday season shopping at the end of 2010.

Chrome OS will only be available pre-loaded on netbooks that are compatible with the software, according to Pichai.

"We are really focused on making a netbook that is lean and mean and runs the Internet really well," said Chrome OS engineering director Matt Papakipos.

Chrome OS will eventually expand to other computing devices, but the priority is to have it in netbooks within a year, according to Pichai.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin brushed off questions about whether Chrome OS will challenge the long-time dominance of Microsoft Windows operating systems in the global computer market.

"Call us dumb businessmen, but we really focus on user needs rather than on strategies related to other businesses," Brin said.

"There is a real need to use computers easily. We believe the web platform is a much simpler way; where web machines are more stateless and more cache-like."

Google made the Chrome OS code available on Thursday to outside developers so they could start crafting software or applications to work with the system.

LTE

2009-11-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

Definition: LTE (Long Term Evolution) is a wireless broadband technology designed to support roaming Internet access via cell phones and handheld devices. Because LTE offers significant improvements over older cellular communication standards, some refer to it as a 4G (fourth generation) technology along with WiMax.

With its architecture centered on Internet Protocol (IP), Long Term Evolution promises to have excellent support for browsing Web sites, VoIP and other IP-based services. LTE can theoretically support downloads at 300 Megabits per second (Mbps) or more based on experimental trials. However, the actual bandwidth available to an individual LTE subscriber will likely be significantly less.

Long Term Evolution technology remains in a research and development mode, and industry specifications are not fully ratified. Expect networking products and services based on LTE to be globally available only in a few more years.

History of Video Recorders

2009-11-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

Jerome Lemelson

Digital Handycam

A camcorder can be used to make memories for future generations to enjoy. Previously, the world of record and memory-keeping was limited to still pictures or text. Today, individuals can use camcorders to store actual events, as they take place. Capturing memories has never been quicker or simpler thanks to the invention of the high tech, video recorders that are seen in today’s world.

In 1980, the inventor by the name of Jerome Lemelson received the first patent on the now popular camcorder. He had tried to patent the idea in 1977, but the U.S. patent office rejected the idea, claiming that it was too far fetched. Little did they understand about the revolution that the video recorder would undertake in so short of a time frame. In addition to the invention of camcorders, Lemelson also invented components for the ATM, the barcode scanner, and the Walkman. The world of technology and digital video production has come a long way thanks to Jerome Lemelson and his incredible mind.

When a person thinks of camcorders, they most likely do not consider the internal components. Inside those small digital handycam recorders are many components, including a mini VCR. The handy cams are so tiny that one may have a hard time believing this, but in every type of camcorder, this crucial component exists. Also included inside is a CCD, which helps measure the light used to show the images, as well as lens and motors that deal with zoom, focus and aperture.

The camcorder was one of the most fascinating inventions to come around in a long time. With this invention, the world was given the opportunity to not only record the faces of people and the events of their lives, but to also capture the sounds of the events. As time goes on, a person’s memory fades and the voices of loved ones become a distant sound never to be heard again. With one of the many high definition video recorders on the market today, a person can capture a voice in time that will last for generations to come.

Digital Camera : History

2009-11-19T07:49:00.000-08:00

Camera is one of the best way to keep the memory of the old time. One can anytime take picture and just print it or keep it in computer so to keep safe his/her old memories.

Digital camera is one of the best creation done by the scientist’s. It was Steven J. Sasson who gave the final result by developing the complete Camera.In 1975 he began to start the research on the project which was given to him by his supervisor at eastman Kodak Company.He set about building the digital circuitry from scratch, using oscilloscope measurements as a reference.

In 1972 Texas Instruments introduced the first film-less electronic camera. In 1981 Sony released the Mavica, the first electronic still camera. Mavica recorded the still images to a mini disc, that could be read by a video recorder.

The true Digital camera arrived in 1986 it was a still camera.The Image sensor could record 1.4 million pixels and produce 5 x 7 photo print. However the camera was not used by many people because very less people could afford it as it was too costly at that time.

As the time passed, the advancement in the cameras took place at a very faster pace. Also, their prices started to reduce .

Since the mid 90s, the cost of Cameras has reduced to a significant amount, so that it can be afforded by the common man. The advancement in technology has has been rapid and so is the reduction in price. Nowadays, a person can afford more than 1 camera in a family. Also the cameras have started to come in the latest Mobile Phones which has even increased it’s popularity.

A Boon For Professionals-D3 Cameras

2009-11-19T06:25:00.000-08:00

The newest experience of the world and thrill of photography is here for the people of the world now as now the time has gone when photography was considered as the work of only professionals and was looked upon as a fairly difficult job to hang out with. With the launching of the new D3 from Nikon, the definition of a digital camera has faced an extreme change as it has truly changed the face of the normal experience of photography in the present day world.

The days of easy as well as user friendly photography are now in the race as the exciting new features of the D3 camera of Nikon is designed in a way which aims to make photography a thrilling experience without any complex systems to interfere in the experience of fun. The new exciting highly advanced gadget named D3 comes with a price of around $5,800.As this hi-tech gadget is a fairly expensive one, it is far beyond the reach of the people belonging to middle class but as far as professionals are concerned, this gadget is a boon as it provides features and functions that give an entirely new face to their profession of photography as taking photos is now a lot more smooth as well as easy task now.

The D3 camera comes with a new technology of Big Pixels ISO range that enables it to take excellent photos even in conditions when the surroundings are too un suitable to take a photo.Moreover,D3 camera is also loaded with an anti blur system that contributes to its high picture quality and also improves the quality of the images even when the camera is unable to be in a still position in order to take a photo.D3 in real sense is a complete package for the professionals of the field of photography as they are entitled to receive each and every feature they require in order to make their customers happy by presenting them life like photos of their memorable moments to them.

What is EVDO?

2009-11-19T05:55:00.000-08:00

EVDO is an acronym for "Evolution Data Only" or "Evolution Data Optimized" which is a standard for high speed wireless networks used for Broadband Internet connectivity. EVDO enables computer users to have high speed Internet access without the help of a hotspot. Just by inserting an EVDO card into the computer, users get connected to the Internet within seconds and have Net access at DSL-compatible speeds.

While traditional wireless networks assign a dedicated path between the source and destination for the entire duration of the call very similar to fixed-line telephone networks, EVDO transmits several users' data through a single channel using Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) as well as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) to achieve higher throughput and better utilization of network bandwidth.

The standard underwent many revisions denoted as Rev. 0, Rev. A, and Rev. B and so on. Rev. 0 supports forward link speeds up to 2.4 Mbit/s. while Rev. A can go up to 3.1 Mbit/s. EVDO is part of the CDMA2000 family of standards and has been adopted by many service providers offering high speed broadband connectivity for mobile phone users through CDMA networks. It was developed by Qualcomm during the late 90s. Since the standard was a direct evolution from the 1xRTT standard which carried only data, it was initially called Evolution Data only. Later on, since the word 'only' seemed to add a negative connotation to the name, the name was switched to Evolution Data Optimized. Since the new name was more marketable and sounded more hi-tech, it stuck.

EVDO uses the current broadcast frequencies of existing CDMA networks which is a major advantage when compared to competing technologies which often require expensive hardware and software changes or upgrades to the network. Verizon and Sprint are the two major service providers in the US using EVDO. Verizon has implemented Rev. A throughout its network, and Sprint is rapidly catching up. While there is also a large presence of EVDO technology in Korea, it has made relatively no impact in Europe and countries in Asia which predominantly use the W-CDMA standard for high speed data access.

Sony PSP Go

2009-11-18T06:34:00.000-08:00

Product Summary:

The good:

For starters, Sony has removed the UMD media slot and opted instead for 16GB of internal storage. It’s also shrunk the screen from 4.3 inches (diagonally) to 3.8 inches while maintaining the same resolution at 480×272 pixels and its wide-screen aspect ratio. Also, the Sony-proprietary Memory Stick Pro Duo slot has been swapped out for the smaller M2 Micro memory card slot. And finally, a slider mechanism has been incorporated to hide the controls when not in use and it now comes with Bluetooth for syncing with headsets.

The bad:

First of all, it’s expensive – despite lack of touch screen and second analog stick. The position of the display controls, analog stick, and volume is gauche. Users would not be able to play UMD games or use old PSP accessories and finally, the battery’s no longer removable, meaning no chance to bring a replacement for longer trips.

Bottom line:

If you’re an existing PSP owner and planning to upgrade, think again. Yes, the PSP Go is a sleek and sexy design, but its high price tag and some frustrating caveats is something to think about.

Specifications:

Size & Weight

* Approximately 128 mm (W) x 69 mm (H) x 16.5 mm (D)
* Approximately 158g

CPU

* PSP® CPU (System clock frequency 1 – 333MHz)

Memory

* 64MB main memory

Sound

* Built-in stereo speakers

Main Input / Output

* Wi-Fi (802.11b)
* Microphone

Supported Video Codec

* Memory Stick Video Format:
o MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC LC)
o H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile (AAC LC)
* MP4 Format:
o MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC LC)
o H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile – CABAC only – (AAC LC) / Baseline Profile (AAC LC)
* AVI
o Motion JPEG (Linear PCM or µ-Lau)

Supported Music Codec
* Memory Stick Audio Format:
o ATRAC3™
o ATRAC3plus™
o MP3
o MP3 (MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer3)
o MP4 (MPEG-4 AAC)
o WAVE (Linear PCM)
o WMA (Windows Media Audio 9 Standard Only)

Supported Photo Codec

* JPEG
* TIFF
* BMP
* GIF
* PNG

Samsung Galaxy Spica i5700

2009-11-17T04:55:00.000-08:00

Samsung officially enters the Android phone market-after Motorola, T-Mobile, and Sony Ericsson-as they introduce the Samsung Galaxy Spica i5700. Running on Google's Android operating system, this new touchscreen mobile phone also comes with a number of Google services like Maps, Search, Google Talk, and YouTube.

Like any other Android phone, the Galaxy Spica will support the Android Market service for your application needs, but what sets this apart among its contemporaries is that it will be the first to support DivX videos without having to convert them. Other features include 800MHz processor, a built-in 3-megapixel camera, a USB port, microSD storage, Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi connectivity, and 1500 mAh battery.

The Samsung Galaxy Spica i5700 is available in Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States (countries that were part of USSR), and is slated to be available in Africa and the Middle East. It is unsure whether this phone will be available in the United States.

What is HSDPA?

2009-11-17T04:50:00.000-08:00

HSDPA is associated with various Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) networks. These include the Global System for Mobile (GSM) Communications.

High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) is also known as High-Speed Downlink Protocol Access. HSDPA is a protocol for mobile telephones. It is a third-generation (3G) High-Speed Packet Access technology designed to speed up network capacity and data transmission rate of cellular phones.

Currently, HSDPA can support speeds ranging from 1.8 Mbps to 14.4 Mbps. While this is not very fast compared to various wired networks, it is a major milestone considering the speed available to cellular technology.

Although HSDPA is mostly identified with its downlink speeds, it also has the ability to greatly expand transfer capacity. HSDPA networks can transfer up to 30 GB of data monthly and as much as 300 minutes of cellular television viewing and 1000 minutes of talk time.

Current HSDPA Technology

At present, there are 100 HSDPA-capable networks operating in 54 countries worldwide. A large number of these networks offer 3.6 Mbps downlink speeds. However, more networks are beginning to switch to faster 7.2 Mbps downlink speeds. Only a number of networks presently offer a full 14.4 Mbps speed

HSDPA competes with a rival format, the Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) provided by Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) cellular providers.

HSDPA Capable Devices

Aside from having a cellular plan with a company offering HSDPA access, the only requirement for logging into the HSDPA network is having a cellular device capable of using the technology. A current total of 171 handset models and other mobile devices can use an HSDPA network. Some of these HSDPA capable devices are famous cellular brand and model names such as the Nokia N95, the Palm Treo 750, and the Motorola RAZR as well as many of its various versions.

In addition to the various HSDPA handsets in the market, several HSDPA notebooks and laptops with access to the data network are available. Such products are offered by several major computer manufacturers including Dell, Acer, Hewlett-Packard, Siemens, Fujitsu, Panasonic, and Lenovo.

Future HSDPA Technology

Although 14.4 Mbps is the current cap on downlink speed over HSDPA, networks are preparing to be upgraded with a new type of HSDPA system. Dubbed as HSPA Evolved, this new HSDPA technology is designed to increase download speeds to 42 Mbps upon release, with the possibility of reaching greater speed values in the future.

Spawn HD-720

2009-11-17T04:46:00.000-08:00

The gaming industry has become quite popular that more people today have around two or more different gaming consoles in their homes to play with. Too bad that the number of TV sets in the home may not follow such increases. This can sometimes mean that other family members may be using the TV set and prevent you from playing with your favorite video game for the meantime. It's a good thing that there is now the Spawn HD-720 available in order to help resolve such issues.

The Spawn HD-720 is a device that you can connect with your gaming consoles and allow you to access them through your PC or laptop. You do not have to wait for other family members to stop watching television before you can play your video games. Spawn HD-720 allows you to play them through your PC or laptop through a broadband Internet connection.

All you need to do is to hook up your gaming consoles to your Spawn HD-720 and a broadband Internet connection. You can then go to your computer, connect to the Spawn website through an account that you need to create and download the Spawn player in your PC to allow playing video games. You can them play your console games through your PC in real time speed, whether you are a a floor below or even thousands of miles away from your gaming console. You can also invite your friends for access into your gaming console in case you wish to play together with them. The Spawn HD-720 is available at spawn Labs for US$200.

What is WCDMA?

2009-11-16T07:26:00.000-08:00

WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) is the radio access scheme used for third generation cellular systems that are being rolled out in various parts of the globe. The 3G systems to support wideband services like high-speed Internet access, video and high quality image transmission with the same quality as the fixed networks. In WCDMA systems the CDMA air interface is combined with GSM based networks. The WCDMA standard was evolved through the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) which aims to ensure interoperability between different 3G networks.

The standard that has emerged through this partnership project is based on ETSI's Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) and is commonly known as UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA). The access scheme for UTRA is Direct Sequence Code Division Multiple Access (DS-CDMA). The information is spread over a band of approximately 5 MHz. This wide bandwidth has given rise to the name Wideband CDMA or WCDMA.

In WCDMA, there are two different modes of operation possible:

* TDD: In this duplex method, uplink and downlink transmissions are carried over the same frequency band by using synchronized time intervals. Thus time slots in a physical channel are divided into transmission and reception part.

* FDD: The uplink and downlink transmissions employ two separated frequency bands for this duplex method. A pair of frequency bands with specified separation is assigned for a connection. Since different regions have different frequency allocation schemes, the capability to operate in either FDD or TDD mode allows for efficient utilization of the available spectrum

Key Features of WCDMA

The key operational features of the WCDMA radio interface are listed below:

1. Support of high data rate transmission: 384 Kbps with wide area coverage, 2 Mbps with local coverage.

2. High service flexibility: support of multiple parallel variable rate services on each connection.

3. Both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD).

4. Built in support for future capacity and coverage enhancing technologies like adaptive antennas, advanced receiver structures and transmitter diversity.

5. Support of inter frequency hand over and hand over to other systems, including hand over to GSM.

6. Efficient packet access.

WCDMA Technical Specifications:

Multiple Access Scheme: DS-CDMA

Duplex Scheme: FDD/TDD

Packet Access Dual mode: (Combined and dedicated channel)

Multirate/Variable rate scheme: Variable spreading factor and multi-code

Chip Rate: 3.84 Mcps

Carrier Spacing: 4.4-5.2 MHz (200 kHz carrier raster)

Frame Length: 4.4-5.2 MHz (200 kHz carrier raster)

Inter Base Station synchronization:

FDD: No synchronization needed

TDD: Synchronization required

The chip rate may be extended to two or three times the standard 3.84 Mcps to accommodate data rates higher than 2 Mbps. The 200 kHz carrier raster has been chosen to facilitate coexistence and interoperability with GSM.

Hallods F43 MP4 player packs a 4.3-inch 720p screen, outed in Japan

2009-11-15T02:35:00.000-08:00

Looks like the wait for a real HD PMP is finally over: Hallods of Japan has just released their F43 MP4 player featuring a 4.3-inch 1280x720 screen, easily beating other sub-5-inch, 480p screens found on big names like the Archos 5 and Viewsonic's VPD400. Under that sharp screen is 8GB of internal storage and a hot-swappable microSD slot, along with a battery life of about four hours and ten hours for video and music, respectively. Like many PMPs out there the F43 supports videos encoded in MPEG4, FLV, RMVB and DivX-WVGA. Sure, there's the ironic lack of HDMI output, but for ¥16,800 ($188) this is still a pretty good deal. Let's just hope Hallods will send them over to the US soon.

(source)

Motorola i9 made memorable by ModeShift Morphing

2009-11-14T10:51:00.000-08:00

It’s been a while since we talked about the Motorola Stature i9, the “thinnest iDEN Push-to-Talk flip ever”. Granted, it is a slim 15 mm thick, but you can’t sell a cell on thinness these days.

I had a chance to try it out for myself, and one of the features that I found very amazing is the ModeShift Morphing technology. You know how most clamshell phones have that secondary screen that does nothing more than just show the time and what the camera can see for self-portrait shots? The i9 really fulfills the potential of the Secondary Screen.

In fact, I had more fun accessing the features of the camera when it was closed than when it was open. All I had to do was push the menu button on the side, and I could access the main menu which included the Media player, 3.1 MP Camera, and Camcorder. The secondary screen had this odd frame with light up buttons that included haptic feedback for navigation. In short, the ModeShift Morphing allows the i9 to become a PMP when it is shut.

All in all, I would have to say that the i9 is one of the better basic cell phones that you can buy. It is available now from Sprint for $199 after mail-in rebate or Boost Mobile for about $299.

BigShot Camera lets you handle assembly

2009-11-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

It used to be you heard about electronic and mechanical geniuses getting their start through tearing apart any gadget or motor they can get their hands on. Purely to see what made it tick and if they could perhaps get the whole mess back together again. Sadly, today’s kids get a little bit jipped in that department. A lot of electronics once taken apart have a void warranty and on occasion can even have harmful materials within. Well BigShot is a working camera that allows for the kids to build the camera.

It’s a great way to get kids interested in the technology world and gives them a camera of their own that they can proudly show off. Once the camera kit is all put together it can be powered by either a battery or by cranking it. To work the crank you just need to crank it 6 times per picture. It also has lenses on a rotating wheel that allow for prism, wide angle and other type shots to be taken. Right now the BigShot camera kit isn’t available. BigShot hopes that they’ll be able to make the camera cheap and available to kids worldwide. However, it’s too early to tell as to whether or not they’ll actually succeed at that.

Voice Recording Email Sender

2009-11-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

At first you might look at the Voice Recording Email Sender with some skepticism, thinking to yourself, “Well, if I need to send them an e-mail, I’ll just sit down at my computer and type up my message, or, heck, I’ll just text ‘em! If I really need to leave them a voice message, I’ll just pick up my handy-dandy conventional-as-hell cell phone and give ‘em a call!”

However, you’re assuming that in those dire moments when you absolutely need to speak to someone in particular, everything is going to be fine and dandy. You are assuming that you will have your phone on your person and that they have their mobile on their person; you are assuming that it’s charged and ready to go and that the ring volume is set loudly enough to be heard. You are assuming that you will have a computer readily within reach, and that they will have a mobile phone that will be able to respond to your nonsense.

The point is, you assume too much.

With the Voice Recording E-Mail Sender, you can ensure that that monolithically essential message gets relayed. Before you find yourself in a troublesome position, head on over to Computer Gear and purchase your easy-to-use E-Mail Sender at an obnoxiously reasonable price of $39.99!

(source)

NPR Internet Radio by Livio

2009-11-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

Internet radio takes another big step as Livio introduces its latest device that aims to broadcast stations and programs from the National Public Radio (NPR). The NPR Radio gives users free access to over 1,000 NPR radio streams from across the United States, more than 800 podcasts, as well as NPR's audio archives. It also comes with a "My NPR" button so users can quickly store and access their favorite states.

In addition to NPR stations and content, the NPR radio provides a comprehensive list of more than 16,000 Internet radio stations from around the world, all of which can be accessed by either WiFi or Ethernet connection.

The NPR Radio is available in the US for US$199.99 at NPR's online store as well as LivioRadio.com. Proceeds from the sale go to support NPR programming and its stations.

Makita LXT Cordless Lithium Ion Flashlight

2009-11-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

Heavy duty flashlights can be quite a godsend especially in dark places that one may experience during storms, blackouts and other unfortunate circumstances. Having a handy light source at home or in the car may prove to be valuable in times like these. The Makita LXT Cordless Lithium Ion Flashlight may prove to be just the thing you might look for.

This handy flashlight offers high illumination power at 4,500 Lux, thanks to its Xenon light bulb for extra brightness. It is powered by an 18 volt lithium ion rechargeable battery that can provide continuous lighting for up to 4.3 hours per charge. Its compact design makes it quite easy to use and handy to carry anywhere. A 4-point head position pivot provides added versatility when used. The Makita LXT Cordless Lithium Ion Flashlight is available at Makita for US$60.

(source)

LG Chocolate Touch from Verizon Wireless

2009-11-08T07:42:00.000-08:00

So you’ve heard about a brand new kind of chocolate in town that won’t help lower your blood pressure due to the presence of anti-oxidants, especially when this is the type of chocolate which requires you to fork out a monthly subscription fee. We’re talking about the LG Chocolate Touch here that is available from Verizon Wireless, boasting qualities that will make audiophiles happy thanks to its patented Dolby Mobile feature that offers a dramatically richer listening experience with its potent bass and sparkling clarity. Among the other functions of the LG Chocolate Touch include :

FM radio with 12 presets
Integrated Song ID
Dedicated side key for easy access to favorite songs
Bluetooth-capabilities
“Join the Band” feature
The “Join the Band” piano function allows customers to play along on a full scrolling 88-key keyboard
Dolby Mobile equalizer
Touchscreen display
Access to Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites
3.2 megapixel camera

Expect to exchange $79.99 with a $50 mail-in rebate for the LG Chocolate Touch in a new two-year customer agreement that is on a Nationwide Calling Plan.

Press Release

A light between your credit cards

2009-11-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

With about the size of a normal sized credit card, this small flip up lightbulb is convenient to have in your wallet.

Whenever you need a small light to search for your keys, simply grab this cut-out lightbulb and flip it up. It'll immediately light up.

What's the point of this when we have lights in our cellphones? I guess it's just a cool thing to have.

More info available here.

(source)

Japanese Nano Tech Water Maze Game

2009-11-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

Pachinko with water? That's what the Nano-Tech Japanese Aqua Dance Game accomplishes with hyper-beading "Adesso WR" technology using a nano-tech agent invented and patented by Nikka Kagaku Co., Ltd. of Japan. On a game-scale we're happy, on a water park scale where you zoom down slides with giant balls of water chasing you we're even happier. Maybe one day, until then...

(source)

Sharp releases AQUOS LX series, prepares for the tenth anniversary

2009-11-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

Sharp is approaching to the tenth anniversary of its AQUOS LCD flat panels. To give it a proper pump, they have prepared a new line-up for AQUOS series. The LX series is coming November 10 in Japan and only then it will spread to other markets. Sharp engineers have done a good job improving AQUOS over the years, and with the latest LX series they haven't changed their habits. As usually, there is a choice between four models with different screen sizes and other features. Follow the link to see the detailes.

Four different screen sizes for AQUOS LX are 60", 52", 46", and 40". First three of them sport cool duo bass sub-woofer ARSS 6 speakers,. The 40 inch would not be sold with them. Anyway, most of other features are common for all four of LXs. The newly developed LED backlight system provides 2,000,000 : 1 contrast ratio, but they haven't stopped with that. Sharp’s exclusive UV2A photo-alignment technology manages to improve white and black shades while keeping energy consumption in two-thirds scope of the previous GX series result. Practically almost every piece of technology was updated for LX, it hard to bring them altogether, but, from what hasn't been mentioned, I emphasize new High-Picture-Quality Master Engine and Preferred Image Sensor. AQUOS Familink II has also been updated. All in all AQUOS remained AQUOS, only ten years better. Happy anniversary!

Lexmark T656dne monochrome laser printer

2009-11-01T10:38:00.000-08:00

Lexmark is an old hand when it comes to printer technology, and their latest T656dne single-function monochrome A4 (8.5″ x 11″) laser printer will be the first in the industry to come with the current rage these days – a touch screen display. What’s the point of this, you ask? Well, we will take a look at it in greater detail after the jump, but before we do that, we will provide a further introduction of the T656dne. Utilizing Lexmark’s award-winning Embedded Solutions Framework (eSF), the T656dne is able to offer businesses the ability to tap into its powerful solutions platform and function more efficiently as eSF is able to expand the usefulness of the T656dne by meeting specific needs within the business.

Apart from the Lexmark T656dne monochrome laser printer to enable solutions capabilities for large workgroups, it is also able to offer access to preloaded and customizable applications with but a simple touch of an icon on the touch screen display. Once the Lexmark T656dne is powered up, users can access a variety of unique applications available from the 7″ color touch screen including the following :

Forms and Favorites, which reduces waste associated with preprinted forms
Eco-Settings, which helps increase energy savings and reduce wasted pages and toner
Showroom, which demonstrates the possibilities of using the touch screen as a unique communications medium
Change Background, allowing businesses to display a company logo or personalize the background image
Change Language, which can be enabled during setup, allows users in multilingual environments to easily change the display language

Expect the Lexmark T656dne to churn out up to 55 pages per minute (ppm), and interestingly enough, it will even come with an internal 80GB hard drive that will store all the tailored software applications while providing ample storage capacity. If you’re a home user you might not want to pick this up and settle for something more entry-level, however small businesses and home office setups might want to consider the Lexmark T656dne printer if one does handle monochrome documents from time to time.

(source)

Silicon Power Armor A50 Portable HD

2009-10-31T11:03:00.000-07:00

Silicon Power have created the Armor A50 rugged hard drive that comes in four different capacities of 250GB, 320GB, 500GB and 640GB.

Each of the drives are built with an aluminium construction and actually meet military standards for being capable of drops and shock. The MIL-STD 810F is the standard that requires rugged drives to meet certain conditions. The Armor A50 drives meet those specs.

For connectivity you have a USB port working at either 2.0 for highspeed file transfers or 1.1 for legacy type stuff. The rugged drives also support a one touch backup system that allows specified data to easily backed up in a hassle free way.

Cool Playstation 4 Concept Designed!

2009-10-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

Although still a number of years away, a concept designer has decided to create a 3D model of a PlayStation 4. It was created by designer Tai Chiel and has a number of interesting features such as an embedded OLED screen in the transparent section to allow you to view menus, saved games and what looks to be like a game playing on one of the screen shots.

It is unclear when a PS4 will be made available as there are many years left in the PS3 and other consoles like the XBox 360, but that still doesn’t stop the design from being great.

What are your thoughts on a PS4. Will one be coming in the next few years?

Many Playstation 4 concept...

2009-10-31T10:42:00.000-07:00

Many Playstation 4 concept...?

Looks cool i think...

Cool and elegant concept

Are you joking? looks like a toaster!

Joking again!? crazy concept for Playstation 4 controller

Palm Pixi on sale November 15 exclusively at Sprint for $100 on contract

2009-10-30T08:59:00.000-07:00

Just as we'd heard earlier this morning, today's the day that Palm and Sprint come clean with their undercover plans for the former's second-ever webOS device. The Pixi, which we toyed with back on our first Engadget Show, is slated to hit Sprint stores, Best Buy, RadioShack and select Walmart locations on November 15th for $99.99, but that's after a $50 instant rebate and a $100 mail-in rebate that you'll be waiting ages for. Nothing here is all that surprising -- after all, we knew it'd be on shelves before the holiday season -- but the $100 price point is downright depressing. The Palm Pre can be had right now for just $150 (also on contract), and beyond that, both webOS devices are being offered on the exact same network. Throw this thing on Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile, and you've got a whole new wave of Palm customers; as it stands, who's really buying this with the Pre just $50 away?

(source)

LG roadmap predicts 'OLED panels will cost less than LCD panels in 2016'

2009-10-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

Speaking at the FPD show in Japan, Won Kim, VP of LG Display's OLED sales and marketing group laid bare its OLED plans for the future. Pretty significant as LG is one of only two players currently manufacturing production OLED TVs; though unlike Sony, LG has yet to ship anything -- that bit of consumer magic begins in November. So here's the deal: LG will release 20-inch and larger OLED panels in 2010, 30-inch and larger in 2011, and 40-inch and larger OLED panels in 2012. While 40-inch OLEDs will still be "fairly expensive" in 2012, Kim predicts that "OLED panels will cost less than LCD panels in 2016." We'd love to believe that but it sounds overly aggressive to us considering the enormous investment panel manufacturers have made in LCDs (they'll be milking profits just as long as they can) and new push towards 3D televisions. Besides, LG's been all over the map with its OLED dates so let's not go carving anything in low-temperature polycrystal silicon just yet.

(source)

Behold Entire Universe in Your Hands

2009-10-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

Yes it is true! It is from Japan. Limited edition cell phone lets you enjoy the beauty of cosmic wonders. Want to have a look at it?

This limited edition Toshiba phone is named as Cosmic Shiner. The elegant look is awarded by the encrusted diamonds. The personalised hand made lacquer box saves it from dust and scratches. This phone is custom designed by the renowned fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto. How to get one?

Only a lucky 1000 out of the entire Japanese population can own it. Yes you have to be really lucky to own one. But how? You need to get an invitation to be eligible to buy the phone.

Well as it is for the elite class, the price is $4000. And the delivery process takes about 30 days.

(source)

Twin Sided LCD Display Shapes into a Huge LCD TV on Demand

2009-10-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

Brilliantly Awesome! Nothing else could be a better compliment for this spectacular LCD wonder. A double sided transforming LCD screen could be the future displays. Read on for the exclusive feature coverage.

This concept display can be divided into two back to back monitors allowing two persons to indulge in their own worldly pleasures. With this you can be working on your next project on one screen and your room mate can be busy with the sci-fi movie on the other. If you want to watch the same stuff together, fold it back to recreate a big LCD TV. Isnt that a cool concept?

Unfortunately it is still in the concept phase and may take some more time to get finer details revealed. And so about pricing. Lets wait for that golden moment when this one finally gets launched in our part of the world.

(source)

Ropid Robot! can run and jump on your command!

2009-10-29T05:07:00.000-07:00

You got to admit that Ropid the robot looks like it should have been in the recently released Astro Boy movie. By the way, that movie is actually pretty good, just so you know.

Ropid is the creation of a Kyoto based group known as Robo Garage, and it has the ability to run and jump. By the way, the robot is programmed to jump with a vocal command. In other words, if you say “jump”, then the robot may not say “how high”, but it will jump as high as it can, which is 8 centimeters high.

That’s not bad considering Ropid measures 38 centimeters tall, and weighs 16 kilograms. The robot has 29 joints and four gyro-sensors, and is powered by a lithium-ion battery. By the way, the vocal commands will also run when you tell it to run, and stop when you say stop. Now if it could run and jump, perhaps it could beat the Olympic long jump record.

So far, there is no plans to market this guy, but I think that Wowwee would be all over this thing. Ropid’s movements aren’t as fluid as say, a human, but it is enough to beat the snot out of any toy robot out in the market right now. Now, if only it could fold up into a car or something.

(source)

Magnetic Elecom Memory Card Reader

2009-10-29T05:03:00.000-07:00

Elecom has announced some new gadgets for you to enjoy, one of which is this card reader. This cute little card reader will allow for you to keep your desk tidy and look great doing it. As many additions as sometimes get added onto your computer, it’s always nice to find a small USB gadget that doesn’t cause even more clutter within your work area.

This one comes with a magnet on the back so that it can attach to metal objects you might have around. Such as the side of a computer case, a magnetic dry erase board or even would attach to a mini fridge if you keep one of those underneath your desk. Plus to top it off this card reader comes in great bright colors that’ll make it stand out from the boring gray and black electronics. Although you’ll have to decide if the $27 price tag is a bit much for a card reader.

(source)

HP Pavilion dv8-1000 Entertainment PC is Home Entertainment in a Laptop

2009-10-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

It’s big, it’s got an integrated subwoofer, and it comes with genuine Windows & Home Premium. The Pavilion dv8 Notebook PC from HP is all about home entertainment at high quality. With an expansive 18.4-inch screen, it’s pushing into the desktop replacement category and with high-definition, an ultra-widescreen display and a built-in TV tuner it looks like it’s also trying to replace your TV. Oh and there’s a blu-ray disk reader as well.

The HP Pavilion dv8 Notebook PC also comes with the world’s first and only green battery. This Eco Battery can sustain over 1,000 recharges and delivers like-new performance for three years. That means fewer batteries end up in landfills! Design and style wise, the HP Pavilion dv8 Notebook PC is stunningly crafted with the chic HP Espresso Imprint pattern. The sophisticated design extends to the notebook interior with an expansive BrightView infinity display.

And yes it does have the brains to power all the entertainment challenges. The Pavilion dv8 runs on an Intel Core i7 processor and comes with a NVIDIA GeForce GT 230M graphics card with 1GB video RAM, plus the 640GB hard drive, more than enough power for even the most demanding entertainment needs. It also supports WiFi 802.11a/g and Bluetooth connectivity. At a glance, other features include 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards, 4 USB 2.0 (4th shared with eSATA port), 1 HDMI connector, 1 eSata + USB connector, 1 VGA port, 1 RJ45 ethernet connector, expansion port, 2 headphones-out, 1 mic-in, 1 IEEE 1394, remote control infrared port, cable docking connector, 1 ExpressCard/54 Slot (also supports ExpressCard/34), HP Pavilion Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone, HP Mobile ScrollSmart Remote Control, and Altec Lansing speakers with Dolby Home Theater.

In addition to the new dv8, HP also announced several updates to its current HP Pavilion dv6 and HP Pavilion dv7 Entertainment Laptop PCs. Both the mid-size 15.6- inch dv6 and the larger 17.3-inch dv7 will offer users the choice of either the new Intel Core i7 processor or the latest AMD Turion II ultra Dual Core processor. Furthermore, NVIDIA graphics and DDR3 SDRAM will be available on select dv6 and dv7 models.

W-100 – The Wristphone from Hyundai

2009-10-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

W-100 is the most advanced watchphone that has multiple features integrated in it. The pretty looks and functionalities surely make it the best among watchphones available now.

Besides being a GSM phone and a digital watch, W-100 owns much more features to be highlighted. The outstanding functionalities include Bluetooth, 1.3 MegaPixel camera, integrated mp3 player and video player.

This watchphone from Hyundai has a touch screen and a microSD memory for storing your favourite mp3s. W-100 is actually a modified version of the prototype created by CECT.

The W-100 wristphone is available in English as well as Chinese. Final word on price is not yet released though.

Epson PowerLite Pro Z8000WUNL now shipping

2009-10-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

Talk about projectors and some of the more notable names will probably pop up during tehe conversation, where we’re pretty sure that Epson is one of them as they are currently the number-one selling projector brand worldwide, and aims to leverage on that position by announcing the PowerLite Pro Z8000WUNL projector that has already started shipping to Pro AV dealers. This is no ordinary projectors, since it will boast a high-bright, WUXGA projector that comes in 1,920 x 1,200 native resolution while being accompanied by a super high price tag of $20,499, placing it well out of reach for ordinary home owners (save for the select few who are insanely rich or have just struck the national lottery).

The Epson PowerLite Pro Z8000WUNL is touted to be the industry’s only 3LCD WUXGA projector, where it is capable of delivering outstanding image quality, powerful performance and unqualified value which will cater for auditorium venue applications. Meant to work for large venue applications in corporations, education, and houses of worship, the PowerLite Pro Z8000WUNL also holds the distinction of being Epson’s brightest projector to date, full well able to roll out 6,000 lumens color light output and 6,000 lumens white light output, accompanied by other specifications and features including 5,000:1 contrast ratio, an innovative liquid cooling system, durable optical chips and a dual-lamp design which will bring image quality, performance and reliability up another notch.

Some of the features that the projector comes with were meant to reduce the amount of time and money spent on maintenance, lowering the frequency as well. You get easy access to lamps and filters, where it ought to serve you flawlessly if you follow the recommended 10,000-hour filter cleaning schedule. Apart from that, the Z8000WUNL will also boast Epson’s high-aperture 3-chip 3LCD technology for clear and crisp images.

Press Release

Kempler & Strauss unveils Billionair 7 smartphone

2009-10-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

We recently covered a device from Kempler & Strauss in the form of the highly interesting W PhoneWatch, and it seems that the company wants to extend its 15 minutes of fame by another quarter of an hour by unveiling the Billionair 7 smartphone. Guess all the money in the world can’t buy an education since the world Billionair is mis-spelt (on purpose, no doubt), making us wonder what happened to the first six iterations of the Billionair range. Making its debut at the International CTIA Wireless event, this next-generation feature-rich business-class smartphone is touted to integrate the best user interfaces of the most popular business and consumer smartphone platforms available in the market today in order to deliver the first GSM quad-band 3.5G phone based on the Microsoft Windows Mobile Platform.

To make matters all the more interesting, the Billionair 7 smartphone is touted to offer a frameless touchscreen display accompanied by a full QWERTY keyboard for those who prefer the more traditional way of composing text messages and emails while on-the-go. This combination of interfaces will provide the user with various avenues to quickly and easily access applications via the touchscreen, while making replying of text messages and emails a snap. A 624MHz processor runs at the heart of this device, where it ought to be able to offer enough muscle to support advanced applications and handle multi-tasking without missing a beat. In addition, you will find a front-facing VGA resolution camera to handle all your video calls via 3G (or Wi-Fi), while the rear 3-megapixel camera is perfect to capture snapshots of impromptu moments when you forgot to bring out your normal digital camera.

Other features of the Billionair 7 include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, a stylus, an earpiece, a microSD memory card slot, a microUSB port, 3.5 hours of talk time and 200 hours of standby time. With a name like Billionair 7, you’d expect this smartphone to cost a bomb – apparently not, as it will retail for a mere $275 unlocked.

Press Release

Stylish Bluetooth Headset designed as dogtag

2009-10-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

This BlueTrek Levis is a bluetooth headset which looks exactly like a dogtag. It is designed as a necklace, or a "neckset" since you can wear it under the neck.

Featuring a low battery notifier and voice alert, this bluetooth device from Levi's (the jeans manufacturer) provides enough battery power to let you talk 7 hours.

Even if your battery is dead and the gadget is useless, you can still wear it is a nicely designed necklace.

Kawaii Bear lets you plug USB gadgets into the wall

2009-10-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

This walks a very delicate line between cute and just plain wrong. Sure, the bear is absolutely adorable, however, the place to plug in the charger seems a bit unfortunate. It might be better if they chose to plug him in at his mouth or even the center of the bear’s back. Yet for some reason they had to go for the rear, we’ll just think of it as an overly long tale.

This plug makes it possible to plug in all of your devices that usually require a USB port to charge. There’s no shortage of adapters that make it possible to plug your USB gadgets into the wall, but none do it all the while being a pastel little bear. It comes in not only the adorable pink, but in white and black as well. In order to pick up your very own, it’ll cost you 1980 yen or about $9. Of course it might be difficult since it is a Japanese product.

Sega GenMobile

2009-10-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

The Sega Genesis has been around a long time. Like Nintendo, the designers at Sega understand that individuals want the freedom of enjoying games outside of the home. The company created the Sega GenMobile to give consumers a new option in the portable gaming industry.

One of the first releases by Sega was a clunky device called the Nomad. With the Nomad, a person merely had to insert their Sega Genesis cartridge and being playing from anywhere. The Nomad was poorly designed and expensive.

Sega understood that future devices needed to be slimmer and better priced so the company designed the Sega GenMobile. Consumers who like to game on the run might be interested in the Sega GenMobile. The best thing about the Sega GenMobile is that the games are already programmed into the device. There are 20 official Sega games that are already built-in.

Although the Sega GenMobile was designed for the road, consumers can play with the game at home by connecting to their TV. The Sega GenMobile has a TV output connector device that allows the games to appear on the TV screen.

Some of the features of the Sega GenMobile include:

2.5” TFT Color Screen

Headphone Jack

Rechargeable battery with an AC adapter

AV Cable

FireCore compatibility

The Sega GenMobile comes in two colors, black or sonic blue. Gamers should expect to pay about $55 for the device.

StressWatch tells you its time to relax

2009-10-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

My source called the StressWatch “the mood ring of the 21st century”, but all I can say about it is that someone should have invented it a long time ago.

After all, we live in an age where people wake up at ungodly hours, go to demeaning jobs, come home to face family issues, and barely have time to wind down before they go to sleep. In short, we live in age where everyone is under stress. And if that doesn’t stress you out, then you don’t need the StressWatch.

As you can see from the pic, there is a black bar graph to show your stress levels. The blues and greens that you see there means that you are mellow, but pink, red or orange means you’re one stressed out fellow. I am going to assume that it reads your pulse, sweat from your wrist, or something.

Not only that, it can also tell the time. So that way you can get to your next appointment, so that you can always stay ahead and…I suppose that deadlines are the source of our stress, isn’t it? Just breathe deep and think calming thoughts to get back into the safe zone.

Well, this device is merely concept as now, but it deserves to be made reality. I could use a little reduced stress now.

Ekahau T301W Wristband

2009-10-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

In this age, people normally use a cell phone to track their child. Although this is sometimes a savvy decision, some parents are finding that their child is either losing their mobile phone or abusing the phone. The Ekahau T301W wristband uses a Wi-Fi technology to pinpoint a child’s location information to a parent. The Ekahau T301W wristband is small and waterproof which makes it even more attractive.

The Ekahau T301W wristband is not a GPS system, although it is similar. With a GPS system, it is possible to get off of the grid and become undetectable. The Ekahau T301W wristband was created so that parents could track their child from anywhere and the device works in places where there is no GPS coverage. Consumers can expect to pay around $60 for the Ekahau T301W wristband.

Although the device would make a great buy for errant children, the designers of the Ekahua also had business owners in mind when they created the wristband. Business owners can use the Ekahau T301W wristband to track their visitors while they are on the premises. It may also be a good buy for rescue workers, underground workers, and even soldiers. The accuracy of location embedded in the Ekahau T301W wristband allows the users of the band to get tracked within a few feet of their location. The battery on the device can last either a few weeks or a month depending on how often it is used.

Wooden Clip Flash Drive keeps your data close

2009-10-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

Keeping your USB drive from getting lost isn’t always the easiest task out there. On occasion it almost seems close to impossible. Especially for those that have a hectic lifestyle, it’s easy to lose track of something so small. Well the design of this drive might help things out a bit. It’ll clip to anything you need it to stay clipped to, because not only is it a USB drive, it’s a clothes pin as well.

Something very similar to this was covered quite some time ago, but the big difference between this drive and that one is that this one is easily purchasable. Instead of only finding a designer’s website, you can pick it up from a retailer that’s well known for their novelty gadgets. You can find the drive in a total of 3 different sizes. There is the 2 GB, the 4GB and the 8GB, which is a great range of sizes for the general public. They’re also not priced too badly. They start out at $20, then $21 and finally the 8GB is $34. You can pick up all three of the sizes the USB Brando.

JVC PICSIO GC-FM1 HD Video Camera

2009-10-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

JVC has added a new pocket video camera to its range with the launch of the JVC PICSIO GC-FM1 HD Video Camera.

The JVC PICSIO GC-FM1 HD is capable of shooting HD video in 1080p as well as taking 8 megapixel still photos, on top of that there is built in image stabilization, and 4 x digital zoom.

The JVC PICSIO GC-FM1 HD features an 8 megapixel CMOS image sensor, as well as HMDI out so you can watch your videos on your HDTV, storage comes in the form of SD/SDHC cards.

The JVC PICSIO GC-FM1 HD Video Camera comes in three funky colors, black, blue and pink and it is available now for $199.95 from JVC.

TV Mirror Wall Unit: AdNotam’s Multimedia Mirror Furniture

2009-10-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

It’s a TV. A mirror. A wall-unit. And a glass. It’s called Glass TV by AdNotam. In effect it is a a multimedia mirror wall unit. It has all connection ports and LCD Mirror TV, making the gadget a unique interior piece and the new-age décor furniture.

AdNotam makes contemporary mirror wall units in sleek styles. And customized to perfection. The units are based on LCD TV Matrix.

For instance, one TV can come up as a wall mounted option or with a black or white base. Another can come with matching shelving for a different wall-design in case you want the technological playthings showcased in style.
The unit can connect to DVD, Cable, or Satellite and play the picture on the screen to near perfection.

Glass TV measures in 37 inch or 46 inch screens. You can customize the glass element too through Magic Mirror. You can keep it black and white, or choose your own right look. Glass TV comes with a remote control. So get your TV viewing tailor made in style.

Pi electric bike burns a hole

2009-10-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

Not in the ozone layer, but in your pocket. It retails for a whopping $7,500, which could get you a decent second hand family sized sedan that is still running just fine. Well, if you feel that your pockets need a little lightening up while aiming to get some exercise in the process, the Pi electric bike sounds like a pretty good idea. The Pi comes with an aluminum monocoque frame that is constructed from a single piece of made-up metal that shares a similar thickness all over. In terms of electronics, the batteries are of the nickel metal hydride variety and not lithium ion which we have all come to know and love in our fair share of gadgets and gizmos these days. As for the motor, it is a 36-volt brushless DC model that cranks out around 1 horsepower, or 750 watts. Needless to say the final output depends on just how much human power you put in, but I seriously doubt you’ll reach double digits in terms of horses since you’re, well, only human.

The Pi electric bike is currently available from Design Within Reach (although a company name like Price within Rich would surely elicit a laugh or two) and has a maximum speed that registers less than 30 miles per hour. Of course, the bike does hold more power underneath its, er, hood to go faster than that, but you’ll need to get a motorcycle license for that. Each purchase also comes with a designer helmet so you and the Pi will look like one complete entity whenever you take it out for a spin.

The NuVinci planetary gearbox is unique as it changes gear ratios without actually manually switching gears, making it much easier to navigate steeper terrains. Throw in another $1,800 and you’ll be rewarded with a solar charger that further reduces your carbon footprint.

Panasonic Lumix GF1 reviewed

2009-10-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

The typical Micro Four Thirds review seems to come down to a matter of tradeoffs -- size and convenience for a bit of a drop from the image quality and performance of a real DSLR. The GF1 doesn't break that trend, but it has some pretty nice things to offer for the inquisitive interchangeable lens shopper. The most notable feature when put up against its direct competition, the E-P1, is the GF1's built-in pop-up flash, and the primary drawback of both of these cams versus their regular Micro Four Thirds counterparts is the lack of an eye-level viewfinder, though the GF1 does offer a pricey hot-shoe mounted approximation. As for images PhotographyBLOG says the camera gets "almost everything right," and video doesn't look bad neither -- a couple samples are after the break. The camera is no ultra-compact, but it seems another good proof for the existence of Micro Four Thirds as a DSLR alternative.

LaCie and Philippe Starck join forces

2009-10-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

Ever seen products designed by the famous Philippe Starck? If you’re a huge fan of this work, then you might want to consider his latest collaboration with hard drive manufacturer LaCie, where their teamwork has resulted in the LaCie Starck Desktop Hard Drive and the LaCie Starck Mobile Hard Drive. Both of these new models will offer much more than Starck’s iconic touch – they’re intelligent designs through and through, and here’s Starck’s artsy-fartsy explanaiton of his work, “Technological genius explodes exponentially, each time with incredible power whose limits are yet to be known. The power remains, never abating, symbolically characterized by the sculptural magma that one attempts to cleave, to master within this geometrically perfect strongbox. A symbol of strength mastered, of freedom guided, of incandescent magma heeding to the form of its cast. The interpretation is free. But the mystery remains.”

The LaCie Starck Desktop Hard Drive and LaCie Starck Mobile Hard Drive will both come encased in aluminum that is tough enough to handle the everyday rigors of work, boasting a durable exterior that protects the hard drives within from shock and overheating – perfect for you to access your data whenever you need it, wherever you are. The LaCie Starck Desktop Hard Drive comes with a status LED that will resemble Starck’s signature symbol, glowing in the all-too-familiar orange or green color to point out the current activity taken by the hard drive. As for the LaCie Starck Mobile Hard Drive, you get a built-in USB cable that is uniquely placed for convenient storing and data accessibility.

Both models will connect to computers using the USB 2.0 interface – sorry folks, you’ll just have to wait for some time more if Starck decides to dream up of another design that will cater to USB 3.0 fans. This makes it PC and Mac friendly, and will ship with LaCie Backup Assistant and LaCie Desktop Manager software to help you format, back up and customize your hard drive any way you like. The LaCie Starck Desktop Hard Drive will come in in 1TB and 2TB capacities, retailing from $129.99 onwards. As for the LaCie Starck Mobile Drive, you can choose from 320GB and 500GB capacities, with prices starting from $99.99 a pop.