techtalk week

April 15, 2005

2005-04-15T07:28:00.000-04:00

Panasonic 42in Plasma $2099

Limited local stock. Circuit city has the Panasonic 42in Plasma 852x480 EDTV with ATSC Tuner, Cablecard slot (TH-42PD25U) for a low $2099.99. $39.99 delivery rebated.

Get more info.

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Posted at 06:11 AM | Permalink

April 14, 2005

iPod Mini 4GB $179 shipped free,

Amazon has the 4GB iPod Mini Generation 1 Pink for $179 shipped free. Tax in KS, ND, WA. Comes with earbud headphones, belt clip, AC adapter, FireWire cable, and USB 2.0 cable. New version drops AC Adapter and Firewire cable.

Get more info.

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Posted at 06:07 AM | Permalink

April 13, 2005

Toshiba’s new battery gets charged in 60 seconds

You still won’t get more than few hours of battery life out of it (and it’ll still probably run out of juice at exactly the wrong moment), but Toshiba’s just introduced a new Lithium-Ion battery that can be recharged (up to 80% capacity) in a mere 60 seconds (it has something or other to do with “nano-particles”). Should start showing up in gadgets sometime next year.

Get more info.

Posted at 06:07 AM in Gadgets | Permalink

April 12, 2005

The All-In-One Solar Bag

We’ve been majorly stressing over the fact that Earth Day is just over three weeks away. Apparently teaching the Aibo how to recycle old newspapers wasn’t enough to satisfy the eco-concerns of the hippie protesters camped out in front of Engadget HQ (they have some “issues” with our tech-laden lifestyle), so we’re going to try and placate them with the All-In-One Solar Bag, a gadget bag that’s not quite big enough for a laptop, but does have a solar cell capable of pumping out 2.6 Watts of power and that can charge any 600 mA battery in less than three hours on a bright, sunny day.

Get more info.

Posted at 06:03 AM in Gadgets | Permalink

April 11, 2005

ITmedia checks out Panasonic’ SV-SD90 and SV-SD100v

So it looks like ITmedia in Japan got to peep Panasonic’s D-snap SV-SD90 and SV-SD100V. Of course, we can’t really read Japanese to give you the full rundown (well, our man Gareth can, but he’s busy at his day job being a ninja flipping out and stuff) but we’ve got a pretty good idea of what they’d say: it’s small, it’s cute, it runs on SD, so what’s not to like? Besides the fact that we can’t get them over here, yet, of course.

Get more info.

Posted at 06:00 AM in MP3 players | Permalink

April 08, 2005

Shimadzu’s million-frame-per-second video camera

It may only shoot in monochrome at a size of 312 x 260 pixels and take up to 100 frames at a time, but Shimadzu’s HyperVision HPV-1 camera can record at a million frames a second (you can step down through a range of slower rates to a crawling 30 fps should you wish), enabling you to capture those precious split seconds of blindingly fast motion in all the loving detail you need. The rest of the package consists of a Windows-XP powered control unit with a 20GB hard drive and Ethernet/USB2.0 connections; images are stored as either AVI, TIFF or BMP. The whole thing will set you back a stinging Y22 mn ($205,000). We hear the Wachowski brothers will be using this in their next film to capture up close the subtle vibration of Agent Smith’s nostril hair as he takes a punch to the head.

Get more info.

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Posted at 06:14 AM in Digital Cameras, Gadgets | Permalink

April 07, 2005

Dorothy Parker's iPod Shuffle range

So the latest influence on iPod accessory designs is err Dorothy Parker… Looking like an art-deco refugee from the Algonquin Hotel in New York in the 1920s the DecoDock is basically a standard station for the iPod Shuffle. The only key difference is that its retro white columns illuminate when the iPod Shuffle is plugged in. It’ll be available in the US shortly for both Mac and PC owners at the pretty reasonable price of $28. Read.

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Posted at 06:00 AM in Apple iPod, MP3 players, Music | Permalink

April 06, 2005

Bodybugg calorie management system

Ever wondered exactly how many calories you burn while sitting perfectly still but having a massive panic attack? You can't find out those kinds of things in fitness magazines. Bodybugg, an armband calorie monitor can tell you exactly (well with 92% accuracy) how many calories you expend not only while exercising but while doing everyday activities like typing and um, vigorous typing while playing games. The bodybugg measures your resting and active metabolic rates by using several sensors: body temperature (core temperature), heat flux (how much heat your body puts out), sweat rate, forward motion, and up and down activity.

Bodybugg works with a web-based food journal which will calculate how many calories you've consumed vs. how many burned and will recommend foods and exercises which will accelerate weight loss. The bodybugg syncs to your PC via USB.

Bodybugg isn't available in stores yet, so contact Apex Fitness for ordering information.

Posted at 06:11 AM in Gadgets, News | Permalink

April 05, 2005

FirstShot - (kids) digital camera

HS Design has created a digital camera which illustrates the characteristics of Toray Ultrasuede , a micro-fiber material for use with consumer products. FirstShot has a writable display screen and a built in stylus to personalize photos. The USB dock can display or "picture frame" the image or send images to friends.

Maybe I should also mention that it was designed as a child's first digital camera, but that won't prevent me from trying to get my hands on one whenever it lands on the market.

Posted at 06:08 AM in Digital Cameras | Permalink

April 04, 2005

Cowon's personal media player

Here at TD we like to feel we have a special relationship with Korean manufacturer Cowon as we were first to spot its fantastic super slim iAudio M3 hard disk audio player at CES way back in 2004. So we are very excited by the news that the company is now sizing up the personal media player market too with the impending launch of the A2.

From the look of the player and its line up of features it sounds as if the company has once again got it spot on. The A2 will play just about everything; including MP3, WMA, Ogg and WAV audio, DivX and WMV
video and JPEG, GIF and BMP image files. It has striking looking white and grey casing, boasts a four inch widescreen (16:9) monitor, is available with a 20, 40 or 60 Gigabyte hard disk and sports an input that enable it to record directly from a TV. The company's traditional UK distributors reckon it will land here in the summer. Can’t wait.

Get more info.

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Posted at 06:06 AM in Gadgets, MP3 players, Music, News | Permalink

April 01, 2005

Pogo sticks out AM/FM recorder*

Remember when you used to tape the Top 40 on your portable cassette deck in deathly silence so you didn't get the noise of granny coughing when playing back Kajagoogoo's Too Shy. These days it's all so much simpler. And don't have to buy one of those ridiculous looking Bug digital radios to be able to do it. American firm PoGo! Products (yes they really do have an exclamation mark in their name - how w***y is that!!) has just announced an AM/FM radio recorder called Radio YourWay LX in 128Mb and 512 Mb versions.

* That's a pun for our UK readers. Not sure if you got Pogo sticks over the pond

The US press release bangs on about being able to record Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or the James Brown Sports Show. Now I have no idea who these people are, though I'm guessing that it's not the same James Brown - the old sex machine doesn't look particularly sporty to me.

But I'm sure there's nothing stopping you buying the product to record Tony Blackburn, Jonathan Ross and Terry Wogan - though of course you shouldn't record the music as you could be banged up for copyright infringement, probably. The Radio YourWay LX comes with built-in MP3/WMA player, voice recorder and direct MP3 recording. Users can listen to live or recorded broadcasts through the built in speaker or headphones provided.

The RadioYourWay LX costs from just $199 ($199) - that's about £2.20 at the current exchange rate isn't it? The 512Mb version is $249.
Pogo!Products

Get more info.

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Posted at 06:04 AM in MP3 players, Music | Permalink

March 31, 2005

2005-03-31T07:28:00.000-05:00

Sharper Image iPod Travel Soother

Sharper Image has come up with this Travel Soother that will work with your iPod. The Radio Alarm Clock will connect to iPods and other players, supplying an external speaker for you to listen to your music files out loud - although just how good the sound quality is going to be from one speaker remains to be heard. Not only that, the Travel Soother also has a built in Sound Soother which basically plays calming sounds to drown out noises that might disturb you. Sounds include things called "Fireside," "City" and "Wind Chimes." There's an FM/AM radio with a choice of alarm sounds with 6 presets for FM and 6 for AM. Not quite sure what to make of this, but if you're looking for some external speakers for your music player, it might make a decent solution - with the added benefit of the extra features.

Read

Get more info.

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Posted at 06:07 AM in Apple iPod, MP3 players, Music | Permalink

March 30, 2005

Virtual driving online

Boy, we were excited when we heard that Blinkx, an online TV search tool, had inked a deal with verdictoncars.com, 'to enable users to view virtual test drives.' Excited until we read on in the release that by virtual it meant footage of real people driving the cars, not a system that used latest 3D graphics to let us burn through Virtualville in the Ferrari of our dreams. The system lets you watch ad-type videos of gorgeous people driving cars viewed from pleasing angles. Perhaps it is of interest to high end motor buyers, but it certainly isn’t online motoring as we’d imagined it.

Posted at 06:04 AM in Gadgets, News | Permalink

March 29, 2005

Apple bites back

Oh dear. It looks like Apple has already found a way of disabling the Pymusique bypass of its Digital Rights Management system. While we always believed that Pymusique had the life expectancy of a music pirating hippy in a room full of corporate lawyers, this little affair has had an unfortunate knock-on effect. From now on all those wishing to purchase and download Apple music must download the latest iTunes (version 4.7.1).

Posted at 06:03 AM in Apple iPod | Permalink

March 28, 2005

Channel Five first to offer programme downloads

OK, so illegal copies of TV shows have been floating around the internet for quite a while now, but at last some marketing genius at UK TV station Channel 5 has realised that it might be possible to legalise it, package it and flog it. For as of Monday, fans of the motoring show 5th Gear will have the opportunity to download content to their PCs for a fee of £1.50. This is apparently the first time a UK TV station has offered a download of one of its current programmes. So what’s next? With a little luck soon we’ll be able to catch up on missed episodes of 24, check old Neighbours story lines, and maybe even watch archived Countdown footage all day. Here’s hoping.

Posted at 06:02 AM in News | Permalink

March 25, 2005

Handheld Gaming's Next Wave

The next generation of home consoles is still some time away, but the handheld war has already arrived. The Big N (or "Nintendo" for those of you with a life) has long dominated the handheld market, but rival Sony has entered the fray with both controllers blazing. Its entry in the battle, PlayStation Portable (henceforth known as the PSP), goes on sale at midnight. Naturally, the unwelcome competition has Nintendo fearing for its fiscal future, and rightly so. Sales of Sony's game playin', movie watchin', music rockin' machine are expected to be brisk. Searches are certainly heating up on the $249.99 (plus tax) toy -- over the past month, we've seen mondo spikes on "Sony PlayStation Portable" (+378%), "Sony PSP release date (+422%) ," and "Sony PSP games" (+71%).

Part of what makes the PSP so powerful is its ability to do more than just play Qbert. Searches on "PSP movies" and "PSP music" indicate fans are eager to learn more about its multimedia talents (hint: your DVDs aren't gonna work). Interest in the PSP's lineup of games is a decidedly mixed bag. Big gun title "Metal Gear Acid" isn't garnering many searches, but queries on "Twisted Metal Head-On" are on the rise. We're also seeing a stampede of searches on "PSP review," indicating many gamers will take a wait-and-see approach before trading in their Game Boys.

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- Nintendo
- Sony
- playstation portable
- PSP

Posted at 06:04 AM in Handheld | Permalink

March 24, 2005

First ever free TV station for 3G mobiles

Details are sketchy but it appears that Luxembourg-based Tele2 looks set to win the race to deliver the first worldwide free TV station that’s accessible from 3G mobiles. Tango.tvis set to launch imminently, though quite what it is going to show is anyone’s guess .Tele2 has also unveiled Sunshine Radio, which it is billing as the first net radio station for 3G phones. If you’re in the mood for bland inoffensive pop grooves coming at you straight out of Luxembourg, get out your mobile and rock on here.

Posted at 06:08 AM in Cell Phones | Permalink

March 23, 2005

Poker on your mobi

PokerRoom.com, Sweden’s massive online poker site is going mobile. From April, the site, which apparently has over 3.5 million users, will be available to Sony Ericsson K700i owners. And what’s more you’ll be able to gamble with real money too, although you’ll still have to the option to practise with play money or against a computer player. The game offers an experience interactively that has not been available in any mobile poker games before. Players can choose between three different views; Normal View which has graphics similar to those seen on PokerRoom.com, Symbol View which gives a view over the whole table with simplified graphics or the Text View which also gives history of how the hand was played. Additionally, there is a chat function allowing players to text one another during the game.

Posted at 06:06 AM in Cell Phones | Permalink

March 22, 2005

Logitech's gaming mouse

Anyone whose battled in the frantic melee of Unreal Tournament, laid down a barrage of deadly accurate sniper fire in Counter Strike or crushed vast armies in Rome: Total War knows the value of a good mouse, which is why the Logitech MX518 Gaming Grade mouse is set to cause a stir.

Although benefiting from the ultra precise 1600dpi resolution, Logitech has taken into account that hardcore gamers will often need lower resolution for pixel precise aim one moment and lightning fast movement the next. To that end the mouse boasts a revolutionary new system that enables the mouse sensitivity to be changed at the touch of a button. All these settings can apparently be quickly and easily tweaked in suite of advanced driver and interface software to ensure that every player can have their own setup uniquely tailored to suit them.

Logitech has also widened the data path to ensure that previous issues of USB mice eating up valuable CPU cycles have been overcome with a new 16bit system. The MX518 will retail for $49.99 when it hits the shelves in April.

Get more info.

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Posted at 06:02 AM in Gadgets | Permalink

Friday, Mar 18, 2005

2005-03-18T00:04:00.000-05:00

Vonage Third Party Call Control

Third party call control allows third party developers to write their own software applications to initiate a call from their Vonage phone to any other phone in the world.

For example, an Outlook plug-in could be created that would initiate a call by clicking on a phone number in the Outlook contact list. Another example would be a browser plug-in that would place a call to a phone number on any web page.

You will need your Vonage account login/password and your Vonage phone number to use this feature.

Vonage exposes two HTTPS URLs to make this happen.

Read

Get more info.

Thursday, Mar 17, 2005

Samsung Cell Phone for $9.99 w/ Verizon

At radioshack.com with verizon cellular plans from $34.99/mo

RadioShack.com is featuring the compact 3.6 ounce Samsung A650 cell phone with any new cellular plan for $9.99 at time of purchase with free 2-Day delivery. It's available with Verizon cellular plans starting as low as $39.99 per month for the Verizon America's Choice 450 Plan.

Get more info.

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Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005

PRICE DROP: Motorola RAZR V3 $209.99

New low price on RAZR cell phone for new cingular customers

The hottest new cell hone in years is now $209.99 after rebate at Intelenet Wireless with any new Cingular cellular plan. That's the lowest price we've seen on this ultra-slim Bluetooth camera cell phone.

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Tuesday, Mar 15, 2005

Ear vacuum cleaner

The Ear Vacuum Cleaner is today's how-can-we-live without-it Japanese gadget. It is suitable for all ages, compact and runs on batteries. Its strong suction keeps your ear canals clear of wax and other debris.
Comes with a cleaning brush and two nozzles.

Get more info.

Monday, Mar 14, 2005

Sony Flat-Panel Monitors

The good: Stunning design; unholy brightness; sharpness & contrast; dazzlingly vibrant colors; competitive price.

The bad: Only analog RGB inputs; wide bezel; minimalist feature set.

The bottom line:Everything you’d expect from a Sony: Incredible looks, great performance and, given its visual capabilities, a solid price tag.

At first glance, Sony’s latest SDM HS-93 Flat Panel LCD (liquid crystal display) looks incredible--and is even more stunning when turned on. From its mammoth 19-inch viewable screen, to a 170-degree viewing angle, to an almost unheard of contrast-ratio of 700:1, this head-turner of a panel will not only impress Sony-style fans with its sleek looks and visual prowess, but also laggards intending to make the transition from CRT to LCD. Forget extras, though; to keep pricing at a competitive S$1,699 (US$985) Sony has skimped on the SDM HS-93's feature set.

Get More info.

Friday, Mar 11, 2005

2005-03-11T04:42:00.000-05:00

Cebit 2005: First day round-up

Cebit 2005, one of the world's most important technology fairs, has opened its doors in Hanover, Germany.

The fair showcases many of the consumer electronics and technology products that will be released to the market in the coming months.

The latest announcements and developments will be published here over the next week of events.

THURSDAY 10 MARCH

APPLE JOINS BLU RAY
Computer giant Apple has thrown its weight behind the new high-definition DVD format Blu-ray, according to backers of the format.

"Apple has joined us," said Victor Matsuda, vice president of Blu-ray disc group Sony Corporation of America, at a presentation at Cebit.

Blu-ray, backed by 100 firms including Sony, is competing against Toshiba and NEC-backed HD-DVD to be the format of choice for future films and games.

MOTOROLA iTUNES NO SHOW One of the early talking points of Cebit is the lack of the much heralded Motorola phone to incorporate Apple's iTunes software.

The phone firm had said the device would debut at the fair.

Volker Haebel, marketing director of Motorola's German division, said many people had been asking about the phones and a launch could come in the United States within a few weeks.

INTEL AND SAP TEAM UP US chip maker Intel and the German business software firm SAP, are teaming up in the area of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to develop applications that could eventually replace bar codes on products in shops.

RFID uses electronic labels with tiny microchips to identify individual items via radio signal and is already used in warehouse adminstration by big distribution companies such as Wal-Mart and Metro.

But the relatively high price of the chips has so far prevented their more widespread use, while consumer concerns that their shopping habits could be monitored have started to surface.

HARD DISK IN A PHONE Electronics giant Samsung has unveiled a mobile phone with a three gigabyte hard drive built in.

The SGH-i300 phone is designed for multimedia use, specifically music.

Mobile handset manufacturers are targeting the successful MP3 hard disk player market - which is currently dominated by the Apple iPod.

The company also unveiled a phone with a seven mega pixel digital camera - the highest resolution camera currently on the market.

PALM READER Fujitsu has launched a "Palm Vein" scanner which can identify people without any direct contact.

The company speculates that the scanner could be used by bank customers to withdraw funds from cash points with a single hand gesture.

The device uses infrared light to scan the palm vein, creating a map of individuals' hands to check the unique vein layout to identify users.

Data about your hand layout can be stored on a computer or on a bank card.

Thursday, Mar 10, 2005

The robot that teaches golf swings

Top Swing is a robot used to learn or perfect golf swings. Using computer controls, it allows the individual nuances of every swing to be taken into account, as well as the body height and range of motion of the player.

Top
Swing consists of six shafts controlled by a PC, and the shafts conjoin together at a point to which a golf club is fastened.

No, it's not a Japanese wacky invention. It's 100% made in Germany.
Movie.

Get more info.

Wednesday, Mar 9, 2005

Massaging Bed Rest with Heat

"Relieve the day's tension with a soothing, heated massage right from the comfort of your bed. Choose high or low speed or an innovative pulsating program to invigorate sore muscles. Add concentrated heat for gentle relief to your lumbar region and lower back. Flexible LED reading lamp bends into any position to properly light up reading materials or any project. Constructed of a high-density material and layered with soft, visco-elastic foam, the bed rest ergonomically contours your back for maximum comfort and
support. Bed rest folds down for easy storage during the day. Light uses 3 C batteries (not included); heat and massage use included AC adapter."

Get more Info.
More News: User Interface Design
Resources: Ergonomics, User Interface Design, Human Factors

Tuesday, Mar 8, 2005

myPower external iPod battery

I love my iPod so much that I feel a little guilty criticizing it, but I can't hide it anymore: the battery life really really disappoints me. Apple says the 4G iPods have "up to 12 hours" of playback time on one charge but I think in reality it's less than half that. You can practically see the little battery indicator slide down with each song.

myPower, an external iPod battery by Tekkeon, more than triples the battery time by adding 32 hours of playback in a 5.6 oz power dock. The myPower uses the iPod's charger cables so you don't have to carry additional adapters. When the myPower is connected to your PC for charging, the docked iPod is also connected to your PC so you can manage playlists, download or listen to music. There's also a line-out for connecting the myPower to speakers. Also a belt clip for attaching the whole nearly 10 oz. package to your pants. I don't know if I'd wear this (I'm not quite that geeky) but I'd love to have it for my car or for long plane rides.

Available now at Tekkeon for $90. Seen on Japan Today.

Get more info.

Monday, Mar 7, 2005

On/Off lampshades

The On/Off lampshades are printed on both sides. Switch on the light to discover what really happens in the innocent looking scene.
Eight styles available, including Bank robbery (my favourite), Birdeye and Skeletons.
US$19.99/set of 3

Get more info.

Friday, Mar 4, 2005

2005-03-04T06:35:00.000-05:00

Tatung's Elio iPod Photo alternative

We're trying to wean ourselves off referring to everything as an iPod "killer" since we - and everyone else - have been saying that with alarming regularity for many months, and it's now abundantly clear that the iPod family is far from being killed. But Tatung's elio player at least adds another option to the mix. The 20GB hard disk player is a photo jukebox that will set you back £230. The 2.2-inch screen displays 65,000 colours and the player supports MP3, WMA, and WAV music files and JPEG photos. Considering the 30GB iPod Photo costs just £19 more at £249, this isn't exactly a budget alternative, but it does at least offer direct transfer of images from digital cameras via a USB connection as well as an SD memory card reader.

Read

Thursday, Mar 3, 2005

Bluetooth stereo headset on sale

Shoppers at the the Carphone Warehouse will be able to grab themselves a pair of Bluetooth headphones as of tomorrow (1 March) in the form of BlueShark Systems' Sonorix headset. The headphones, which cost £175, aren't just able to direct music wirelessly from a PC to your ear, they can also play back MP3 music files thanks to the in-built 128MB of flash memory. The Bluetooth audio player also lets you make wireless phone calls, with the side mic picking up your every word. The headset looks reasonably small to us, and the inclusion of a charging dock and a USB Bluetooth dongle for adding wireless to your computer, makes the price far easier to stomach.

Blue Shark

Wednesday, Mar 2, 2005

JVC's headphone selection

JVC has been taking the trouble to show us some of its new gadgets for the coming year. These Gumy earphones weren't the most top spec things on offer, but they certainly look nice and bright and that's good enough for us. The idea behind the soft touch earbuds is that they'll be on point of sale displays in shops so that people will hopefully pick up a pair on a whim. Since they only cost around £3 this seems highly likely to us. We've got a pair and they do the job nicely. Also on show were these HA-E200 headphones which will set you back a few quid more.

Tuesday, Mar 1, 2005

Inverto: 80GB Digital PVR

>
Unbeatable's just got its hands on a new PVR that's set to go on sale this week. The Inverto IDL 7000 PVR is an 80GB hard disk recorder that comes with two digital tuners so you can record two channels (or record one and watch another). It gets a bit tick from us for including digital, since pretty much all the big league PVR manufacturers are still stuck on analogue (what with Freeview not being such a selling point in Europe and all...) The finish is as white as the snow currently outside our London abode and the price is £219.99. Other features include PiP Channel Search14 Day Programme Guide, Series Record (Weekly/Daily), Instant Replay, RW Live TV, Twin Scart Sockets (RGB Loop) and Trick Playback Modes.

Monday, Feb 28, 2005

UltraStethoscope Works Through Clothes

Highland Innovation Centre, Ltd. shows off their new UltraStethoscope, offering "improved sensitivity, convenience and PC compatibility." A teaching version will be available soon, allowing multiple users to listen simultaneously. ("Hear that? That's pneumonia," et cetera.) "The improved sensitivity of the UltraStethoscope allows it to operate through several layers of clothing," which ruins half the fun of metal-on-flesh hissing. PC connectivity lets users store and compare sound samples and volume control prevents the customary hearing loss associated with someone flicking your 'scope when you're not looking.

Friday, Feb 25, 2005

2005-02-25T13:37:00.000-05:00

Sony planning another stab at the "iPod Killer"

A report on the Register suggests that Sony's set to try again with the grabbing of Apple's pie, plotting the launch of a portable music player to end all iPods. The company's president, Kunitake Ando, said that the new player, planned for the end of this year, will be "much more competitive than the iPod". Saddened by the loss of the top slot, Sony is hoping that an agressive plan will enough to win back its number one position. The key to Sony's success is simple: make a music player that's as easy to use as the iPod and it can beat Apple. This means developing new software that makes Sony's Walkman products more straightforward to use (preferably so that the app doesn't keep making my laptop cry, thanks Sony). The company has already gone some way to seeing the error of its ways by adding native MP3 support to its players on top of its own ATRAC format. Now it's planning on doing the same for its MiniDisc players, apparently. Speculation that Sony might one day buy up Apple has been one of life's constants over the years, but Ando attempted to put those rumours to bed, saying that Apple is now just too expensive to acquire.

Read

Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

TeenTech Portable DVD Player

Just like any sensible manufacturer, TeenTech has got its eye on the kids' consumer market, but the TeenTech Portable Colour DVD/CD player is for the adults as well - how else are you going to get your squalling offspring to stay quiet in the car? With a 3.5-inch colour screen, remote control, 2 headphone jacks to stop sibling rows, and an external speaker, the portable player can handle VCDs, CD, and MP3 Playback as well as DVD. It's a nice price, as well, at just $99 on Amazon. Only problem is, judging by those reviews, the plug is liable to blow up at any moment, leaving you with a scorched and disgruntled child. Still, if it keeps them quiet, who's complaining.

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005

New Sober Worm Spreading Quickly

A new version of the Sober worm wriggled out of its hole early on Monday and set about quickly attacking computers in Europe and the U.S., a security services company says. The worm is a mass-mailer, meaning it spreads itself via e-mail using contacts listed in the address books of computers it infects.
he first instance of the worm, called W32.Sober-K-mm, was intercepted by U.K. security company MessageLabs. The company detected 663 instances of the worm in the first hour, and the figure climbed quickly to more than 2,200 instances over the next five to six hours, prompting MessageLabs to give it a high-risk rating, says Maksym Schipka, a senior antivirus researcher with the company.

Read

Monday, Feb 21, 2005

iPod

The holidays have come and gone, and if the snowballing searches are any indication, many music lovers received iPods (+36%) from ol' St. Nick. So now that you've had a couple of weeks to figure out where the earphones go, you're likely wondering what else you can you do with your new toy. You're not alone. Searches on iPod accessories (+139%) and modifications are jumping in the post-Christmas period, as proud owners seek ways to make their MP3 "playas" uniquely their own. Of course, all the usual suspects are spiking -- stuff like protective cases (+940%) and mini-speakers (+1,661%) -- but some less obvious iPod extras are busting out as well. Most notable are iPod tattoos (a cheap but effective way to spruce up the white box's outer shell) and iPod voice recorders (for recording your vocal ramblings for posterity). Interest in things you can buy is hot, but the hottest iPod search is "podcasting," a free and legal (for now) way to download Internet radio broadcasts to your iPod (or any MP3 player). Perfect for those who like to listen to something new every day instead of the same ol' Raffi tunes, this trend is expected to really take off in the coming months.

Friday, Feb 18, 2005

2005-02-18T07:44:00.000-05:00

Consumer Reports' Five-Step Guide to Buying a High-Definition Television

Sky-high costs may have scared many consumers away from large-screen high definition TVs until now, but prices have dropped sharply and the March issue of Consumer Reports says that they could hit new lows in the coming months. Even with prices falling, a big-screen TV is still a four-figure investment, and shoppers will find a host of new display technologies to consider along with a growing list of unfamiliar brands. The March issue of Consumer Reports offers a step-by-step guide to buying a high-definition television and advice on financing, warranties and installation.

The experts at Consumer Reports recommend that shoppers ask themselves these five questions when shopping for a high- definition television.

Continue reading "Consumer Reports' Five-Step Guide to Buying a High-Definition Television"

Thursday, Feb 17, 2005

A Big LCD TV that Won't Break the Bank

HDTV has become the hot item in the consumer electronics world. The bull market on HDTVs kicked into high gear last holiday season and shows no signs of slowing. Most price/performance offerings leverage older panel technology to drive down price. Gateway attempted this strategy, with only limited success. A relative newcomer to the scene, The Syntax Group has brought its Olevia line of HDTVs to market this year, and today we take their largest LCD HDTV for a test drive.

Many 30-inch LCD HDTVs have street prices in the $2500 to $3000 range, Olevia's LT30HV checks in at around $1,700, and is one of the lowest-priced HDTV panels of this size that we've seen to date. There are now others around that price-point (Westinghouse, Albatron and ViewSonic to name a few), but this is the first offering we've seen in this price range that we'd actually want to recommend. To find out why, click on Read.

Wednesday, Feb 16, 2005

Firefly emergency cellphone for kids

We’re pretty sure within a few years nary an American adult worth their weight in salt (or soccer balls) will be satisfied until every family member has some time of cellular device, from grams and gramps to their pre-pubescent little darlings. A little less novelty and a little more sombre than the MyMo kids’ cellphone, the decidedly more advanced GSM-roaming Firefly has a screen (that’s a plus), dedicated mom and dad call buttons, a 20-number phonebook, a backpack hook, and, of course, a 911 button. Of course, we’d be a bit concerned about that 911 button getting triggered at such inopportune time as, well, any time it’s not intended, but we remain hopeful they’ve 8-12-year old-proofed it sufficiently.

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Tuesday, Feb 15, 2005

Sony SDM-HS75P and SDM-HS95P X-Brite Flat-Panel Monitors

Sony has two new LCD flat-panel monitors out in a very appealing design—I'm sure they'll be both attractive, with Sony's X-Brite screen technology, and considerably more expensive than less swanky models. Both the 17-inch SDM-HS75P and the 19-inch SDM-HS95P have a native resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels, with an 8ms refresh for the former and a 16ms refresh time on the latter (LCD refresh determines how much 'ghosting' you'll get when watching video or playing games).

Both are available in silver or black bezels, with DVI digital video connections. The 17-inch will retail for $350, while the 19-inch will show up for $500. That's maybe a little steep, but not as bad as I was expecting, actually.

Monday, Feb 14, 2005

Mitsubishi’s PocketProjector

Maybe barely pocketable if you’re rocking the XXXL cargo pants, Mitsubishi just announced the PocketProjector, a tiny DLP projector that weighs just 14 ounces and has a resolution of 800x600 (which is plenty good for all your non-high def needs). Should be out in July with a retail price of $699.

Read

Friday, Feb 11, 2005

2005-02-11T06:03:00.000-05:00

Creative Labs Nomad Juke Box Zen Xtra 30GB MP3 Player

get for $179.99 (after rebate) at ZipZoomFly

Featuring a large, hi-res, blue backlit LCD, the NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra builds on the industry-leading music features of the NOMAD Jukebox Zen product line. Simply transfer all your music into the player with Creative MediaSource™ or the new NOMAD Explorer™ using ultra fast USB2.0, press the play button and get set to enjoy high-fidelity music. With advanced features such as Quick Scroller Navigation, Find, Playlist Creation and automatic ID3 tag categorization, managing and organizing your music will be a breeze

And the NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra doubles up as an external hard drive for storing all your photos, documents and other data files. Simply open NOMAD Explorer (integrated into Microsoft® Windows® Explorer) and drag and drop data files into the data folder or music files into the music library. The Zen Xtra also is priced at up to 30% less than the Apple iPod!

Podwave iPod Portable Speakers

Podwave iPod Portable Speakers Version 2 - FREE* While Supplies Last at PC Connection

To share your sounds anytime, anywhere- PODWAVE tiny, portable, battery-operated stereo speakers

The Podwave is the ultra-portable, battery operated mini stereo system for your iPod. Enjoy your iPod music without headsets or large wired external speakers. Share music with friends anywhere, anytime. 500mW power ouput per channel delivers exceptional stereo sound. An On/off switch saves battery life while unit is not in use and a single AA battery provides up to 8 hours of continuous use. The Podwave works with iPod, iPod Mini or any audio players with a 3.5mm jack.

Thursday, Feb 10, 2005

Apple rebuffs Sirius on satellite radio iPod

Remember all those crazy rumors from a couple of months ago that Apple and Sirius were teaming up on some sort of iPod with a built-in satellite radio receiver? Seemed a little dubious at the time (simply cramming a Sirius chipset into an iPod in the first place would be the opposite of easy), but now we know why everyone gossiping in the first place. Sirius prez Mel Karmazin admitted during a talk at a media conference yesterday that he had approached Steve Jobs about adding Sirius to the iPod and found no love. In Mel’s words: the “current thinking” at Apple is that “they don’t need to put satellite radio in their box”.

Read

Wednesday, Feb 9, 2005

The iDisk II 120x, the world’s smallest 8GB USB flash drive

When you think about it, the really amazing thing about Pretec’s iDisk II 120x, which Solid Alliance (who is selling it in Japan) claims is the “world’s smallest 8GB flash memory drive” is that it just looks like any regular old USB flash drive. Just don’t go losing it like any regular old USB flash drive.

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Friday, Feb 4, 2005

2005-02-04T08:41:00.000-05:00

Vodafone and Toshiba's Motion Sensing Phone

Vodafone Japan is getting two new Toshiba handsets, the V603T and V603SH, both of which are clamshells. The V603SH has a motion sensor, allowing users to wave it around to perform basic commands (not unlike using mouse gestures)—neat, but ultimately pointless, I fear. At the very least, it's golden, which should be worth some price premium. Its companion V603T appears to be essentially the same phone minus the motion sensing—in its case, Toshiba is focusing on the ability to pick-up analog television broadcasts (something the V603SH can do, as well).

Both phone will be available in February in a Japan near you.

Vodafone K.K. launches motion, tv phones

Thursday, Feb 3, 2005

2005-02-03T10:17:00.000-05:00

Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505

Casio has released the new XP-P505, a 5-megapixel camera with a 5x optical lens and a 1cm macro mode (that means you can get really close to that bug or flower before you accidentally crush it). It has a decent start-up time of just under a second and can also take movies in MPEG-4 format at 30 frames per second, stored on SD/MMC memory cards.

Press Release [Casio]

Wednesday, Feb 2, 2005

Personal smoothie blender

I got a little geekily excited when I thought this blender was USB powered for some reason. It's actually better that it's not because even though the Personal Blender is tiny, its motor is 200 watts, about the same as many full-sized home blenders. The blender cup can be used as a single serving size cup so you can blend a fruit smoothie and just detach the cup and go. The motor and blades can cut through solidly frozen fruit and ice. I'm slightly skeptical about the ice because I've found that the only blenders that really can mash ice into a smooth pulp are the restaurant models. My 900 watt Waring Pro is the only inanimate thing I'd save from my house in a fire.

The personal blender, with two smoothie cups, is $59.99 at SmartHome.

Monday, Jan 31, 2005

Thinking Materials

If your company’s mission statement talked about “radically rethinking what the modern mobile lifestyle is", It wouldn’t be such a stretch to assume that they’d have a wristphone lurking in their portfolio, as in the case of Thinking Material, a Swedish company that showcased their prototype at the “Fashion in Motion” fashion show held last year in Atlanta.

The watch comes with a wireless headset, and a keypad that is only half fixed to it’s wrist band, so that it can be lifted up for thumb-typing.

Also, the company plans to shy away from plastics. Instead, they hope to try out fabrics or color-changing textiles in order to grab the fashionistas market.

Saturday, Jan 29, 2005

Tales from Panchatantra - version 2003

Once upon a time, there was a software engineer who used to develop programs on his Pentium machine, sitting under a tree on the banks of a river.

He used to earn his bread by selling those programs in the Sunday market.

One day, while he was working, his machine tumbled off the table and fell in the river. Encouraged by the Panchatantra story of his childhood (the woodcutter and the axe), he started praying to the
River Goddess.

The River Goddess wanted to test him and so appeared only after one month of rigorous prayers. The engineer told her that he had lost his computer in the river.

As usual, the Goddess wanted to test his honesty. She showed him a match box and asked, "Is this your computer ?" Disappointed by the Goddess' lack of computer awareness, the engineer replied, "No."

She next showed him a pocket-sized calculator and asked if t! hat was his. Annoyed, the engineer said "No, not at all!!"

Finally, she came up with his own Pentium machine and asked if it was his.

The engineer, left with no option, sighed and said "Yes."

The River Goddess was happy with his honesty. She was about to give him all three items, but before she could make the offer, the engineer asked her, "Don't you know that you're supposed to show me some better computers before bringing up my own ?"

The River Goddess, angered at this, replied, "I know that, you stupid donkey! The first two things I showed you were the Trillennium and the Billennium, the latest computers from IBM!". So saying, she disappeared with the Pentium!!

Moral: If you're not up-to-date with technology trends, it's better keep your mouth shut and let people think you're a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Friday, Jan 28, 2005

Night Photography

This free lesson assumes the student has some knowledge in practical photography (equivalent to a pass level in our Basic Photography course).

If you like what you see in this lesson, but cannot understand all the information given, enroll in our Basic Photography course and get all the help and encouragement you need! All our courses enjoy tutor assisted learning so you are never left alone wondering what it all means.

Once the sun has set many photographers will pack away their cameras and go home. They are missing out capturing some of the most stunning and visually exciting images to be had (fig n-1).

Throughout our courses we emphasise the importance of light for the photographic image. This does not mean that if there is no daylight, there are no good photos to be captured.

Taking photographs at night is a lot simpler to achieve then one might think. The results can be very stunning and strange effects are easy to master. It is also possible to take top quality night images with just basic equipment.

Here we have some guidelines on the possibilities open to us with night photography.

Read

Thursday, Jan 27, 2005

iTech XFM DAB Radio

We surely likes the iTech XFM DAB radio, a pleasant-looking mantis-headed radio with lots of features, including 10-minute live rewind and MP3 playback from SD/MMC flash memory cards. If it's got any shortcoming, it would be the 5 D-cell batteries it takes to power it off the wall—you'd be better off keeping it on mains power permanently. Otherwise, though, for £130, it sounds like a keeper.

Wednesday, Jan 26, 2005

MP3 Watch

Gadgets.co.uk is selling this MP3 playing watch to delight and entertain. The watch doesn't appear to have a name - unless you count MP3 Watch - but it's capable of playing MP3 and WMA files. With 128MB of memory you might think it's not worth it, but being able to record your voice is an added bonus and it should provide enough battery life for 6 hours music playback. We're still not convinced that we want to be seen wearing headphones plugged into our plastic watch, but for those that quite fancy the idea, this player can be had for £100.

Gadgets.co.uk

Tuesday, Jan 25, 2005

PC sofa for lovers

Fancy cuddling up to your loved one while divvying around with your expenses docs? No me neither, but for those who really can’t bear to be parted from their significant others for more than just a second, Bluebroc has announced the C-Station, a weirdo kind of sofa for PC loving couples.

The theory is that can curl up together while watching a DVD, or downloaded movie which is displayed on the LCD screen integrated into the sofa’s side. The design also incorporates space for those other little essentials like a remote control, phone and take-out Pizza.

Obviously there’s housing for your PC or Mac too. Apparently the chair came (in a vision?) to its inventor Paul Tasker as he motorcycled across Australia. ‘Sitting on the bike, I dreamt of comfort. By the time I crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge the concept for the ‘C-Station’ was formed.’ We know what you mean Paul. We have similar epiphanies while trying to get a seat on the 73 bus. There’s no word on price and availability, but you can check out the website here.

Wednesday, Jan 19, 2005

VoIP Howto

Voice Over IP is a new communication means that let you telephone with Internet at almost null cost. How this is possible, what systems are used, what is the standard, all that is covered by this Howto.

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005

Apple gouging Europeans on the Mac mini?

nicollette sheridan

Apple’s not the only company that charges more in Europe for their products than they do in the US—obviously local market conditions, taxes, and other variations in the cost of doing business mean that different countries will have different prices for the same products—but a lot of European Apple fans are peeved that they will have to pay a lot more for the world’s “most affordable Mac” than their American counterparts (recall that Apple’s been slammed before for charging Brits more for iTunes Music Store downloads than they charge everyone else, too). For example, when it comes out, customers in the UK will have to pay £339 ($632) for the version of the Mac mini which costs $499 in the US; in Germany the cost is even higher at €489, or $636. So have these disgruntled consumers launched a boycott or organized a sit-in at the Apple Store in London? Nah, instead they’ve chosen to employ the most effective method of protest known to man—an online petition asking them to lower their prices. Best of luck with that!angelina jolie

ReadMartin Luther King, Jr