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DISH to Get USB Storage Expandability?
2007-08-14 21:21:00
A post over on TV Predictions, er, predicts that...
More About: Storage , Dish

Animation studio Imagi inks distribution deal with Wowwee
2007-08-14 21:15:00
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Robots Imagi, the animation studio behind the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, and the upcoming Gatchaman and Astro Boy movies, has inked a deal with Wowwee Ltd., makers of the infamous Robosapien (amongst others), which will grant the toy-maker exclusive distribution rights for the studio's properties. According to the company press release, Wowwee will provide some of its proprietary technology for use in toys related to the upcoming pictures, which will closely replicate the look and story of the films in both design and "play patterns." As Imagi co-CEO Douglas Glen puts it "All too often, film-licensed toys fail to live up to kids' expectations, because they fall so far short of what the kids see on the movie screen," but Imagi and Wowwee will seek to avoid this by having toy designers and filmmakers work closely with one-another. Our personal hope is to see a life-size, fully functional Astro Boy... with feelings. Maybe we're expecti...
More About: Animation , Distribution , Studio , Deal

iPod-controlling Nike Amp+ watch makes FCC appearance
2007-08-14 20:54:00
Filed under: Portable Audio, Wearables, Wireless Nike 's iPod nano-controlling Amp+ watch has been making itself known since late last year, but it looks like it could finally be getting close to a release, with it recently making its debut on the FCC's website. That, of course, means that we can get a look at some less than flattering photos of it, along with the user manual and the usual test reports. One particularly interesting detail in that last item is that the watch apparently operates on the non-Bluetooth 2425MHz frequency, the very same frequency that the Nike+iPod Sport Kit uses. As further explained in the user manual, that means you'll be able to use the watch with your other Nike+ gear, with the watch giving you control over both your tunes and your workout. Click on through for a few more pics, including a look at the watch's innards. Continue reading iPod-controlling Nike Amp+ watch makes FCC appearance Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsO...
More About: Watch , Apple , Ipod

Stylish CD/MP3 Player looks pretty, dangerous
2007-08-14 20:42:00
Minimalism is being taken to great heights these days. Designer Yong-Seong Kim has created a DMP that is definitely on the bleeding edge, in terms of looks. Closed, the device is a normal MP3 player that can clip to your pants, put in your pocket, or hang around your neck. Features include a LCD display, microphone, ...
More About: Video , Stylish , Other , Player , Pretty

Palm?s update for the Treo 700p/w/wx causing network connectivity issues
2007-08-14 19:58:00
Palm has taken down the recent update for the Treo 700 p/w/wx after reports of buggy data connections. The update has been making the Treo’s unable to access the data network, giving users a message that reads “Error 3000 - Data network is not available”. Due to all the complaints Palm has pulled the Verizon ...
More About: Mobile , Wireless , Cellphones , Smartphones , Issues

Researchers develop bendable, paper-based battery
2007-08-14 19:43:00
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets Nah, the researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute won't be crowned the first to develop a flexible (or paper-based, for that matter) battery, but their minuscule prototype "is an integrated device, not a combination of pieces" as others typically are. The battery uses "paper infused with an electrolyte and carbon nanotubes that are embedded in the paper," and could eventually be utilized in combination with solar cells or "scaled up and shaped into something like a car door, offering moving electrical storage and power when needed." Currently, however, the wee samples can release just "2.3-volts, or enough to illuminate a small light," but the idea of using these things to power pacemakers and the like isn't that far fetched.[Via BBC, thanks to everyone who sent this in] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: Battery , Paper , Develop , Base

Verizon and Bank of America now offering mobile banking
2007-08-14 19:25:00
Verizon and Bank of America are now offering customers account access directly from their mobile phones. In order to take advantage of the mobile access you will need to have your online banking setup with Bank of America . You will be able to check your balance, view transactions, pay bills and transfer money between ...
More About: Mobile , Wireless , Cellphones , Household

Meizu?s prepping the mDock for blasting M6 tunes
2007-08-14 19:18:00
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio Just like its favorite "inspiration" did so infamously last year, Meizu is getting into the speaker game to prop up those DAPs it's been pedaling. Also true to form, Meizu seems to have skipped over the R&D phase and looks to be rebadging the existing Fiio PS1120 Meizu-compatible speaker dock. Now known as the "mDock," the unit will support the M6 Mini Player out of the box, and has a top adapter that can replaced to support other Meizu models in the future, like the M3 Music Card. Brace yourselves for a September-ish release. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: Tunes , Ipod , Prep

Fujitsu gets official with U810, T2010 tablet PCs
2007-08-14 18:57:00
Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs Thanks to the oh-so-disclosing FCC, we already knew that Fujitsu 's U810 and T2010 were headed this way, but now the firm is making things official. The 1.56-pound U810 will boast a snazzy LED-backlit display, last up to 5.5-hours on a single charge, will don the "world's smallest tablet convertible" label, and will be available for you to cuddle next month. The larger T2010 (pictured) weighs in at 3.5-pounds and also manages to pack a LED-backlit screen, but this pen-enabled convertible boasts a whopping 11-hours of battery life on the extended cell, or an impressive 9-hours on the standard iteration. Best of all, folks interested in the latter machine can get their orders in now starting at $1,599, and those eying the cutesy U810 will be coughing up a minimum of $999 when it's available.[Via Wired] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to l...
More About: Official , With U , Jitsu

IOGEAR intros MiniView Micro DVI PS/2 KVM switch
2007-08-14 16:04:00
Filed under: Desktops, Peripherals IOGEAR already has more KVM switches to its credit than most, but it looks like the company has managed to find a bit more room for improvement, today introducing its new MiniView Micro DVI PS/2 model. As you may have surmised, this one will let two computers share a DVI monitor (at up to 1600 X 1200 and 60Hz) along with a PS/2 mouse, a keyboard, a microphone, and a set of speakers. To switch between computers, you simply press the small button that can be placed on your desk, leaving the remaining jumble of cables free to be discreetly tucked away. If that sounds like the KVM switch for you, you can grab one now for $160.  Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: Switch , Witch

Craftbits
2007-08-14 16:00:00
Well, we have all seen USB flash drives stuffed in various objects. I think I am going to stuff one in my sock and do a write up on it. Nonetheless here is a USB flash drive stuffed in a PEZ dispenser from Katie over at craftbits.com Well, if that doesn’t do much for ...
More About: Pod

Alvin, Simon, & Theodore?s Video Game Debut
2007-08-14 15:51:00
It caught me by surprise when I first learned that...
More About: Video , Game , Video Game , S Video , Simon

Virtual PSP Modder lets you try before you hack
2007-08-14 15:37:00
Filed under: Gaming Those of you aching to pull open your PSP and do a little modding but afraid to void your warranty -- or worse, brick your baby -- will want to check out the Virtual PSP Modder software from AcidMods . The Windows tool allows you to practice taking a PSP apart, look at the inside at up to 5X resolution, poke around with a virtual screwdriver and tweezers, tinker with the LEDs, apply random mods to see what works, and more -- all without having to crack open your actual, working PSP. Or course, there's no PSP emulation, so you can't play any games, and you'll have to somehow translate what you do on the screen to real life at some point, but hey -- even Ben Heck had to start somewhere. Check out a fairly boring video of the software in action after the break.Continue reading Virtual PSP Modder lets you try before you hack Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring ga...
More About: Hack , Fore

HTC Iris S640 CDMA smartphone outed by FCC
2007-08-14 15:05:00
Filed under: CellphonesIt's been just under two months since getting a whiff of the forthcoming S640, and now it's time for US-based CDMA users to (officially) celebrate, as FCC documentation has finally outed the HTC Iris S640. The paperwork shows that the smartphone will indeed operate on CDMA850 / 1900 bands, include WiFi and Bluetooth , offer up EV-DO connectivity, and sport USB for syncing and charging. Additionally, the handset will reportedly tout a 2.4-inch 320 x 240 resolution LCD and a two-megapixel camera, and while it doesn't look like this one will be aimed at the elitists in the crowd, it should do quite well as a low-to-mid-range smartphone on whichever CDMA carrier(s) it ends up on.[Via MobilitySite] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: Windows , Mobile , Smartphone

Atree?s UM10 e-dictionary with trick sliding keyboard
2007-08-14 14:15:00
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video It must be nice to live in a culture where it seems like having a dictionary on hand at all times is a must -- but sadly we in the US seem doomed to describe everything as either "awesome" or "sucks" while kids in Asian broaden their vocabularies with devices like Atree's UM10 e-dictionary / PMP. The unit, which sports a sliding flip keyboard much like the HTC Shift, also takes stylus input on its 3-inch screen and can play back media in a wide range of formats, including MP4, WMV9, MP3, WMA and Ogg. The unit also has FM and DMB tuners, a Microsoft Office reader app, and either 2 or 4GB of storage expandable via microSD. No word on price, but unless you're planning a trip to Korea sometime soon it doesn't really matter. Too bad -- it sucks that we can't get a device this awesome over here. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs t...
More About: Trick , Keyboard , Dictionary

Roman Kriheli?s bendy cellphone concept!
2007-08-14 13:38:00
Designer ?Roman Kriheli? is ready to amaze you with his breathtaking conceptual phenomenon ? a soft bendable mobile phone. Similar to a bendable keyboard, this conceptual phone is yet another advancement in the field of ?mobile communications?. This...
More About: Cellphone , Concept

GE?s E850 digital camera gets reviewed: it?s not so good
2007-08-14 13:20:00
Filed under: Digital Camera s GE sounded pretty cocky when it announced its first entries into the crowded digital camera market earlier this year, with the company's lead of sales is running around saying things like, "Our aim is to be Number 1 in all aspects - quality, technology, performance and value - and these cameras will do that." Unfortunately, however, it doesn't look GE is going to reach that goal as fast as they'd hoped -- Photography Blog got their hands on the 8 megapixel E850 model and although the design and price are attractive, the camera itself took "horrible" pictures and suffered from sluggish performance. According to the reviewer, the E850 has "the worst noise performance" he's ever seen, and the higher ISO settings make "great impressionistic paintings out of your photos." Ouch. All in all, it looks like you're better off spending your $200 elsewhere -- sorry about that, GE fanboys. Read | Permalink | Email this | C...
More About: General , Good

Crave Talk: ISPs upset by BBC iPlayer hogging bandwidth
2007-08-14 13:16:00
It didn't take long, but the UK's ISPs are up in arms because the BBC is using their bandwidth to provide its iPlayer video-on-demand service
More About: Talk , Bandwidth , Layer , Upset , Crave

Sony Ericsson?s ?Victoria? gets official as the Cyber-shot K770
2007-08-14 12:29:00
Filed under: Cellphones She's here and right on schedule. Meet Victoria , Sony Ericsson 's latest candybar to wear the Cyber-shot crown. Officially unveiled as the K770, the 14-mm thin cameraphone features a 3.2 megapixel, autofocus camera with LED photo light, and 1.9-inch QVGA display just like we heard. It ships with a 256MB M2 card and goes tri-band GSM with 2100MHz UMTS 3G for Europe. She's expected sometime around Q4 for an undisclosed price. Check the full gallery over at Engadget Mobile. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: Shot

Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd: Is zoom the new megapixels?
2007-08-14 12:15:00
With the Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd bringing its 18x zoom to bear on the US soon, we consider the recent crop of superzooms and ask which size really matters: zoom or megapixels?
More About: Zoom , Megapixels , Megapixel , Pixels

Nokia-branded batteries at risk of exploding ? 46 million devices affected
2007-08-14 11:37:00
Filed under: Cellphones Here we go again kids. After all those notorious fires related to the batteries used by the world's largest handset manufacturer, Nokia has issued a product advisory related to the BL-5C, Nokia-branded battery. That's right, Nokia branded, not just those third-party knockoffs everyone had been pointing the finger at previously. A staggering 46 million batteries in fact, all manufactured by Matsushita (aka, Panasonic) between December 2005 and November 2006, are said to be at risk of "dislodge." According to the release, "in very rare cases" the Nokia-branded BL-5C batteries could short circuit leading to an explosive burn. Nokia goes on to say that the danger only exists while charging the battery and of the 100 or so reported incidents, "no serious injuries or property damage have been reported." Oh really? So the loss of a leg no longer constitutes serious injury? The BL-5C is one of just 14 different batteries used in Nokia products so be sure to check t...
More About: News , Batteries , Devices , Risk

New microscope allows live 3D imaging of cells
2007-08-14 11:12:00
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets Top level researchers and high-school science students alike have long been restricted by the tradeoffs of traditional microscopy: either you can look at live cells at low resolutions, or you can stabilize your sample and see some more detail. A new technique developed at MIT aims to change that, though, enabling scientists to look at live cells at high resolution -- in 3D. The microscope, which was developed by professor Micheal Feld and his team, generates images by analyzing how different parts of the cell refract light, and combines those images from different angles to create 3D models in real time. The unit has already been used at Harvard Medical School, and based on our struggles to see anything under the 'scope in college, we foresee quite a few students and professors clamoring for these at universities everywhere soon. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the po...
More About: Science , Michael , Live , Microscope , Imaging

Samsung?s Yepp YP-P2 touchscreen DAP with Bluetooth
2007-08-14 09:56:00
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video Ok we admit it, we thought the device pictured over the weekend by Akihabara News was just the iPhone obscured by that iLuv case. You have to admit, those pics were a bit preoccupied with something other than the, ehem, gadget. Fortunately, the good kids over at dapreview sorted it out with pictures and a video of Samsung 's sleek new flash player: the Yepp YP-P2. A bit of digging also reveals plenty of specs courtesy of several unsubstantiated German language sites. These include up to 8GB of flash; biggie 3-inch, 428 x 240 pixel touch-screen display; MP3, WMV, WMA, and H.264 (MPEG4 AVC), MPEG-4 (ASF) support; Bluetooth (oh yes); integrated speaker and mic; and FM radio in a device just 100 x 52 x 9.2-mm thin. They've even implemented some of that virtual scroll-wheel action hinted at by Apple patent applications but never quite implemented. Check another pic and video walkthrough of the interface after the break. Read -- dapreview Read ...
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DXG unveils uber-cheap DXG-572V camcorder
2007-08-14 09:04:00
Filed under: Digital Cameras The bargain-bin-phenom has struck again, and this time it's the five-megapixel DXG-572V camcorder that's delivering a lot of promises for an uber-cheap price. 'Course, we wouldn't expect the built-in CMOS sensor, 4x digital zoom, white balance adjuster, voice recorder, digital still camera, or "near DVD quality" 640 x 480 MPEG4 / AVI video that this thing captures to win any awards, but those who don't mind chintzy ought not find any issues with this. Moreover, the unit boasts 32 measly megabytes of internal storage, an SD / MMC expansion slot, USB 2.0 connectivity, and a flip-out LCD screen to boot. If you're still sold, you can call the DXG-572V yours for just $149.99, and feel free to click on for a couple more angles.Continue reading DXG unveils uber-cheap DXG-572V camcorder Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: Camcorder , Cheap , Veil , Amcor , Corder

Kingston offers up 4GB Class 6 miniSDHC cards
2007-08-14 08:05:00
Filed under: Storage Although Kingston 's latest trio of 4GB miniSDHC cards aren't first on the scene per se, that Class 6 iteration is sure sitting at the head of the class. Partnered by Class 2 (2MB/sec) and Class 4 (4MB/sec) versions, the Class 6 miniSDHC card boasts an impressive minimum sustained data transfer rate of 6MB/sec, which ought to be more than sufficient for those unexpected video captures on your mobile. Most interesting, however, is the pricing scheme for the aforementioned devices, as the 4GB Class 6 card runs just two bucks higher ($66) than the Class 4 version ($64), and a mere four dollars more than the lowly Class 2 ($62) sibling, so it's a pretty safe bet that you'll be going for the speed on this one.[Via ChannelTimes] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: Flash , Offers , Cards

Automated drink slinger takes orders via LCD
2007-08-14 07:19:00
Filed under: Household Sure, we've seen legions of automated bartenders and coffee machines that conjure up your preferred cup of joe each morning, but the Digital Beverages MyFountain takes things up a notch. Sporting a touchscreen LCD, an internet-linked Windows XP computer, and the ability to be "100-percent customizable," this mechanical drink slinger reportedly interfaces with a "dorm-style refrigerator" that holds a dozen types of alcohol and mixers along with a water line and carbon-dioxide cartridge. Furthermore, the grown-ups can even password protect the non-virgin beverages on tap, and while it would sure be nice to kiss tips goodbye and hold all of your parties in-house, this bad boy supposedly starts at a stiff $2,575. Click on for a couple snapshots of the interface.[Via CNET, image courtesy of PopSci]Continue reading Automated drink slinger takes orders via LCD Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum...
More About: Drink , Orders , Sling , Tomate

Panasonic develops walkthrough iris scanner to hasten ID checks
2007-08-14 06:04:00
Filed under: Misc. GadgetsSnappy retinal scanners have been in the works for some time, and now Panasonic is apparently hoping to hasten those annoying ID checks by enabling security personnel to confirm the true identity of a person walking through in just "two seconds." Additionally, this scanner does not require subjects to "focus on the equipment," packs "multiple two-megapixel cameras," and in case you couldn't guess, is being marketed towards airports and high-security office buildings. No word just yet on when these may be rolled out for public use, but anything (well, almost) that speeds up our traveling is smiled upon by us.[Via TechDigest] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: Iris , Scanner , Develop

Rumors of hard drive production shortages bubble to the surface
2007-08-14 05:32:00
Filed under: Storage The tech-world rumor mill tends to ceaselessly turn, and this week is no different as its attention gets focused on hard drives, or more specifically -- hard drive production. According to ETNews, a Korean tech blog, increased demand for PMPs and GPS navigators, as well as recent earthquakes in Japan, have led to a price hike in 80GB and 160GB drives due to shortages from the manufacturers. Obviously this story calls for a healthy grain-of-salt attitude, as we've seen no outward sign that there's any significant movement when it comes to hard drive prices (except to say they're steadily shrinking), though according to ETNews, prices jumped 10 percent this month. If you believe the report, domestic demand for drives is expected to be in the region of 13 million units (in Korea, we assume), but current estimates have production falling 1.95 million (or 15 percent) off the mark. Obviously, that kind of slip would have an impact on the manufacturers bottom line, ...
More About: Rumors , Drive , Hard , Production , Hard drives

Happy Left-Handers Day!
2007-08-14 04:21:00
Because of a systemic campaign of de-emphasis by the Man...
More About: Happy , Left , S Day

Archos? 105 will be matching your outfit in September
2007-08-14 03:54:00
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video For those of you not wanting to go all out with one of Archos ' big boys like the 405, 605, or dreaded 705, the company offers a drop-in-your pocket solution known as the 105. Now, if you were hoping to accessorize with the little media player, you're in luck, because the company will be offering the PMP in three "sporty" colors: red, silver, and black. The player offers 2GB of internal storage, a 1.8-inch OLED screen, can play back WMVs at 25 FPS, and does all the usual formats like MP3s, WMAs, and WAVs. The super-fans over at Archos Lounge managed to locate some pics, and word on the street is that the 105 will be out at the beginning of Sept ember for the rock-bottom price of $89.99.[Thanks, Tom] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: Media , Outfit