Jay Garrett's Gadget News

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Nokia Tube - Better than iPhone?
2008-04-08 11:04:00
This was a rumour back last year when O2 and Nokia were threatening to release this. Now it appears that Nokia is getting ready to release its iPhone rival named ”Tube ” - This is nothing to do with the London Transport trial where your mobile blower can double up as an Oyster travel card! The new handset, which is said to closely resemble Apple’s device including a touchy interface, was shown during a slideshow at the Evans Data Developer Relations Conference in Redwood City, California. Tom Libretto, vice president of Forum Nokia, believes that the company can compete for the iPhone’s marketshare - there’s no actual “street date” set for it as yet. After being informed that Apple has sold more than 4 million units since the iPhone’s launch, Libretto smugly noted that, “We’ve done that [volume] since we’ve had dinner on Friday,” - granted he didn’t elaborate that it was 4 million low-end candybar hand...
More About: Iphone

LG Black Label - Tastier than Chocolate, Flasher than Shine?
2008-04-07 11:45:00
Most of you will be aware of LGs range of sexy fashionable phones. The Chocolate was tasty as its name suggests and the Shine  was a little star.  LG is now launching another assault on our style sensibilities with its classy Black Label series. The designers promise us that the phone will be the world’s slimmest 5-megapixel camera phone.  That’ll be no small order as to beat the Samsung G600 it’ll have to be thinner than 14.9mm. Styling will come in the fashion of carbon fibre and tempered glass - that’s so now sweety.  It resembles the Chocolate more than the Shine, with no scroll wheel and touchscreen controls are here as standard. T3

The Best Portable MP3 Player?
2008-04-04 11:51:00
What is it with iPod? Everywhere I look there are accessories for them, adverts for home hi-fis stating proudly ’includes iPod dock’.  Where are the stereos that include ‘iRiver’ station or ‘Zen Dock’? Are iPods really that good?  Or have we been all wowed by the advertising campaigns and the fact that Apple managed to make it a fashion accessory rather than just a portable music player? Go back a little while and when we wanted music in our pocket it was all about the Walkman - now it’s more likely “what have you got on your iPod?” (whether it’s the actual branded player or some other Mp3 reader). A while ago I bought a Creative Zen as it felt more sturdy than the iPod at the time and also had a larger memory - well that was back in 2001 (I think) and that was the last purpose-built Mp3 player I had (I went through 2 AC adapters and then got a PSP). After checking out a few ‘Top 10 Mp3 players’ charts - they...
More About: Portable , Player

Minimalist External HDD - Neil Poulton Design
2008-04-04 01:14:00
Some of you might wonder how someone could design a hard drive and make it sexy in a minimalist kinda way. Well, have a goosey at LaCie’s Hard Disk. Design ed by the Scottish born, Paris based Neil Poulton; its subtle black design blends perfectly into dark workstations, home entertainment setups and my Bauhaus inspired mansion…………&h ellip;.. Connectivity comes in USB 2.0, eSATA and FireWire 400 offerings so you can hook up via USB 2.0 to share files or, if speed is of the esscence, the eSATA offers a fast transfer rate of up to 80MB/s. With two FireWire ports, it can connect to your computer and to another device like a camcorder or camera. This is all plug & play and offers automatic formatting with LaCie Setup Assistant. For 500gig you’re looking at £110 or there abouts whereas the 1TB version stomps (albeit in black patent boots) in at £210 all but coppers.
More About: External

Kokoro Dreams a Secretary Droid
2008-04-03 15:03:00
Kokoro Dreams , you know- they made the Actroid Der 2 Fembot, are back with another droid. She’s called ’Phorone’, stands 175 cms tall and is a secretary. Granted, a secretary on an anime show aired on Nippon network. Phorone is powered by pressurised air and is able to deliver human like expressions and can even talk! Unfortunately, as with the Actroid, there are no plans of putting up the Phorone for rent or mass production………&hellip ;……yet. Newlaunches

Snap of Intel SSD
2008-04-03 13:47:00
Crave has reported that Intel are going to release their own brand of Solid State Drive (SSD) and this is a snap of the pre-production model. Knut Grimsrud, an Intel fellow who leads an R&D group responsible for developing new mainstream storage innovations, described in a blog the difference between using a hard disk drive (HDD) and an SSD. At the Intel Developer Forum in Shanghai, an Intel executive demonstrated upcoming Intel SSDs and said the chipmaker is on track to deliver SSDs later this year - rah!!!! As we all should know by now SSDs are based on flash memory chip technology and have no moving parts.  Whereas Hard-disk drives use read-write heads that hover over spinning platters to access and record data.  As SSDs have no moving parts avoid both the risk of mechanical failure and the mechanical delays of HDDs.  This means that SSDs are generally faster and more reliable.  The main catch is the cost: SSDs are currently much more expensive than HDDs.
More About: Snap

Xperia X1 to Run Mobile 6.1
2008-04-02 16:16:00
Sony Ericsson have confirmed that their stand-out arc-slider phone thingy, the Xperia XI, will be having Windows Mobile 6.1 as its OS of choice. With WinMob 6.1 and Sony Ericsson’s unique XPERIA panel user interface, owners will enjoy a highly user-focused experience with enhanced connectivity, messaging and multimedia features. Users will be able to personalise their experiences through a distinctive touch screen, panel-based UI that will continually update the phones active dashboard as they want, to match their activity and information needs in the course of every day. Service providers will also be able to custom build the touch panels that run on the X1 to provide the consumer with a “rich, aggregated offering of their applications and services”.

Lenovo IdeaPad U8 rides the Atom
2008-04-02 14:19:00
This is what Lenovo is teasing us with and it’s fitted with Intels new Atom . Unveiled at Intel’s IDF in Shanghai, the new Ideapad U8 device features a 4.8-inch touchscreen display and bullseye, optical mouse for single-handed operation while surfing the web via EDGE or 3G data. The handheld also features “Live GPS,” hand writing recognition, and support for MS Office applications - it praps could even be used as a phone - check out the numeric pad. With Intel calling this a MID, don’t expect to see a Microsoft OS being run on it. UMPC Portal

Consoles Dead in a Decade
2008-04-02 12:58:00
Sandy Duncan, the former boss of Xbox Europe, has stated that consoles will disappear in the next 10 years! He told ThatVideoGameBlog that consoles will be phased out as everything gets “virtualised”.  He said:  “The industry is fundamentally driven by technology. I think dedicated games devices, i.e. consoles and handhelds, will die [out] in the next five to ten years.” “There’s hardly any technology difference between some hard disc video recorders and an Xbox 360, for example,” “In fact in five to ten years I don’t think you’ll have any box at all under your TV; most of this stuff will be “virtualised” as web services by your content provider.” Duncan worked at Microsoft for 15 years before leaving in order to co-found YoYo Games. >> Via - The Inquirer
More About: Consoles , Dead

Gran Turismo 5: Prologue Tops Charts
2008-04-02 11:47:00
Sony’s Gran Turismo 5: Prologue budget racer has stormed to the top of the latest all-formats games chart. The racing prequel, a taste of what is to come in the full Gran Turismo 5 release, is now the fastest-selling PS3 title after seven days on sale, beating the previous holder Resistance: Fall of Man, a PS3 launch game. The top ten games in full: 1. (-) Gran Turismo 5: Prologue (Sony) 2. (1) Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (Ubisoft) 3. (2) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Sega) 4. (11) Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Konami) 5. (4) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Activision) 6. (10) Sega Superstars Tennis (Sega) 7. (3) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision) 8. (-) Viking: Battle for Asgard (Sega) 9. (9) FIFA 08 (EA Sports) 10. (5) Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training (Nintendo) Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2008 ELSPA Ltd Via Digital Spy
More About: Tops , Charts , Gran turismo , Gran Turismo 5 Prologue

April Fools Japes
2008-04-01 14:16:00
There’s been some good ones on T3’s site ranging from Bill Gates and Steve Jobs being the same person to the fact that Blu-ray was finished and the new PS3 will be shipped with VHS as standard. So far my favourite April Fools funny comes from Blizzard and their WoW - The Molten Core.  Be amazed by the lush 2D and resolution on this console gaming experience! World of Warcraft: The Molten Core will initially be available for the Atari 2600 platform, with plans for additional console systems to be announced in the near future. Keep them coming in!

DX1 Keyboard - Put The Keys Where YOU Want
2008-03-31 22:49:00
If you’re fed up with buying specific keyboards with shortkeys for editing, gaming, recording and the like - here’s a possible solution. The DX1 is about as customisable a keyboard as you can get. Alright, you only get 25 keys but this isn’t about replacing a keyboard for another full keyboard. The point is that EVERY key can be placed ANYWHERE on the board, and moved as you feel appropriate. You’re able to assign shortcuts and macros to each key without having to be worried about how it interacts with multiple programs as it will remember your preferences for each. You’ll be looking to fork out in the region of £70 but then you’ll have a totallybespoke keyboard for Counter Strike Source, ProTools, etc.   :0) Coolest Gadgets & UberReview
More About: Keyboard , Keys

Sony BMG using Pirated Software - Surly Not!
2008-03-31 16:28:00
Slashdot has discovered that Sony BMG has been caught in a BSA raid with a ton of unauthorised software - potentially up to 47% of the software at the offices. If  Sony BMG is using the naughty software, the company has some explaining to do as it’s one of the major labels that also happens to be a huge supporter of the RIAA’s “anti-piracy” campaign. Pot / Kettle anybody?
More About: Software

Suzuki Crosscage - Hydrogen Powered Bike
2008-03-31 14:31:00
Suzuki has decided to put its fabby looking Crosscage concept motorcycle into production and it’s hydrogen powered! The bike, developed with with British Intelligent Energy, is powered by a lightweight air-cooled fuel-cell system and a high-performance secondary battery. The rest of the details are still cloaked in mystery - but a hydrogen powered bike!?!  How cool is that!
More About: Hydrogen , Bike , Suzuki

Novatech Adds Blu-Ray to X80r
2008-03-31 13:52:00
Those wonderful people at Novatech have now added a Blu-ray and X9000 loaded lappy to their X80r range. You know I love these machines - the top of the range is a very reasonable £1989 with XP pro already installed.  You get a choice of no OS, XP or Vista in various flavours and prices.

Porsche is All White
2008-03-31 13:34:00
If, being a monochrome minimalist, you shudder at the new range of colourful Rollies this will be more up your alley. Porsche Design is releasing a white collection. It contains some serious tech, including a pen and an inflatable jacket, my favourite being the P9521 mobile.  It’s carved from an aluminium block and has fingerprint identification amongst its list of functions. The new white collection will be available in May. T3
More About: White

Beamz Makes You Jean Michel Jarre!
2008-03-31 11:44:00
For all of you JMJ wannabes you get can one step closer by playing lasers just like the great man himself! The Beamz Laser Music System uses a series of six lasers which you can break with your hands in order to ’play’ instruments such as guitars, violins and even a cowbell (!!??) There’s 30 preloaded backing tracks and musical genres that can be played whilst you’re making music by throwing shapes. Beamz goes on sale on April 15th. The Sharper Image
More About: Jean , Jean Michel Jarre

The Colour of Rolly
2008-03-31 10:25:00
Sony is going to release a black Rolly music player into the wild. Their big surprise was usurped by the FCC just last week.  You’ll also be able to customise your Rolly with a selection of colourful end-caps at a cost of ¥1,500 (about £8) per set. If you’re still confused about the need for a roving speaker, then the Japanese release date of April 19th for the new ¥40,000 (about £200) dancing-speaker bot isn’t really going to do anything for you either. Via Impress
More About: Colour

Nokia N96 Review
2008-03-29 14:03:00
Still counting down the days til the release of the delectable Nokia N96? Mobile-review apparently knows the right wheels to grease in order to get their mits on a prototype unit scarily early! There’s a HUGE review of the new N Series which will give you intimate knowledge of the N96’s strengths and points for improvement. Strangely, the vibe I came away with from their tome was that they were a bit non-plussed. Problems for them included a penchant for picking up dirt and fingerprints (the price you pay for a beautiful glossy face - get a snazzy cover then?), a cramped nav key layout with the tricky touch-sensitive Navi Wheel front and center, audio performance that wasn’t bad but was expected to be far better in light of the dedicated DSP, and a “shovel” like feel in the hand - but then the N95 wasn’t voted slimmer of the year now was it? I for one am still eagerly awaiting the chance to bet my hands on a REAL N96 and give it a thorough testing...
More About: Review

Is This What The EeePC Desktop Looks Like? (Wii)
2008-03-29 13:18:00
If, like me, you’re still waiting to see what the Eee PC Desktop will actually look like……. Hot Hardware is claiming that these (very Wii looking) Asus branded things is it. These are the clearest pics around at the moment - I’m still searching though!

Blu-ray - The End is Already Nigh
2008-03-29 13:07:00
With the sweet smell of victory still strong in its nostrils could the winning of the HD format war be short lived for Blu-Ray? In an interview with Home Cinema Choice magazine a head-honcho at THX has said: “Personally, I think it’s too late for Blu-ray. I think consumers will only become interested in replacing DVD when HD movies become available on flash memory. Do we really need another spinning format?” “In the future I want to be able to carry four to five movies around with me in a wallet, or walk into a store and have someone copy me a movie to a USB device.” This might not be as daft as it sounds as 20th Century Fox will be trialing movie vending machines later this year!

Beeb Creators Reunite
2008-03-20 10:17:00
A reunion of the creators of the BBC Micro (fondly named the Beeb) has been organised by the Computer Conservation Society. The meeting will take place at the Science Museum in London to discuss the legacy of the computer. Hermann Hauser and Steve Furber, who worked at Acorn, will be joined by former BBC staff John Radcliffe and David Allen. More at the BBC News Site

PSP Powered Arcade Console….
2008-03-19 20:38:00
….well………&hel lip;…..not really. From the people who brought you the flatpacked ghetto blaster comes a housing that will transform your humble hand held into a miniature arcade machine through the power of cardboard. Great if, like me, you own a PSP and also still dream of owning a classic coin-op - all for under £8 for a pair!! Go to Suck UK and get yourself ‘Dirt Track Rally’ and ‘Cosmic Intruders’.
More About: Arcade

Test-Drive the Nokia E51
2008-03-19 16:08:00
If you’re a Nokia user and have signed up to My.Nokia.Com you can get the chance to be a “Test Pilot” for their E51. Click the link and register :0)
More About: Drive , Test Drive

Price Cut Works Magic for Xbox 360 - 40% Raise in Sales
2008-03-19 12:29:00
Sales of the XBox 360 have rocketed since the price cut. Gamesindustry.biz are reporting that the sales hike was immediate. The cuts came into effect on Friday 14th March and by midnight on Saturday they’d gone crazy-bananas! The cut, planned to stem the PS3’s post-format-war buoyancy, saw the basic 360 Arcade sliced from £199.99 to £159.99, making it the cheapest third generation console on the market. The X-Box 360 (20GB) dropped from £249.99 to £199.99 and the Elite (120GB) incarnation fell from £349.99 to £249.99. With the expected Easter Holiday surge around the corner Microsoft must be ready for a happy holiday indeed.
More About: Xbox , Magic , Sales , Xbox 360 , Works

iRiver Gets DVB!
2008-03-18 16:00:00
iRivers B20 is going to be able to do even more pretty soon! A spokesperson has informed T3 that the little thing will be able to receive DVB-H from September -  This means that as well as packing an MP3 and video player, and DAB radio you’ll be able to catch up on your goggle-box fix as well! Ok - so an iPod will trounce this gadget in the memory stakes but then the Apple doopher can’t keep you up-to-date with the tele now can it? The 2GB version will set you back just £130, with £150 for the 4GB.
More About: Iriver

DVB-H Standard is Standard
2008-03-18 13:56:00
As thought would happen, the European Commission has just made the EU’s DVB-H standard, well, err, standard. This ruling is expected to accelerate the deployment of mobile television services across Europe (N96 anyone?) in the same way that the GSM standardisation in the early 90’s gave Europe a head-start on the likes North America back in the day. This basically means MediaFLO and DMB mobile television technologies will become a no-no in the EU. Via Hollywood Reporter
More About: Standard

When Toys Turn Bad!!
2008-03-17 23:44:00
This is one not to click on if you have a mouth full of breakfast bap! Wired have compiled an article including video footage of potty-mouthed play buddies ranging from Elmo, a Furby and a pair of Teletubbies!! Go on over and watch and be afraid, very afraid!
More About: Toys , Turn

It’s a Flipping iPhone! - I call it the iPhlip
2008-03-17 23:29:00
It’s kinda groovy-funky but you’ll have to take this with a pinch of ‘Pat. App.’. Unwired has spotted one of Apple’s recent filings; it seems to indicate that it may be considering the possibility of an ‘iPhlip Phone‘. The application itself is for what is described as a “dual sided trackpad” which would be translucent and boast touch sensitive panels on each side, allowing it to be used both when it’s opened or when it’s covering the main display. The design could also be a pointer towards the excitedly anticipated iPhone Nano, but the patent application doesn’t stop there, oh no. This is also open for use for laptops and tablets. BACK TO THE REAL WORLD!! This might not ever happen; never to see the light of day or the caress of your sticky digits. Still, it is comforting that it shows that there may be someone within Apple that dared dream of such a device.
More About: Iphone , Flipping , Call

Samsung YP-S3 Nano Rival on Film!
2008-03-17 12:24:00
Tech Digest have managed to get their mits on and video Samsung ’s new YP-S3 MP3 player. The iPod nano rival should be out and about in June. It has a screen that’s only 0.2-inches smaller than the little Apple and has comparable music, photo and video playback abilities.  The Samsung adds a built-in FM radio and a 2GB option to accompany the usual 4GB and 8GB models. Click here to see Tech Digest’s vid-flick   :0)
More About: Film , Nano