The Gadgets Guide: June 2005

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

iTunes Phone 'Ready to Ship' Says People Who Might or Might Not Know

Colin Wright told me that someone else is reporting that someone else told him the iTunes phone from Motorola is "ready to ship." We'll believe it when we see it, but Moto did confirm a July launch last month.

# posted by GWHSE : 6:02 PM 0 Comments

ScriptCenter: ATM for Drugs

New ATM-like prescription machines are being rolled out in the USA, where new changes in states' laws allow medicines to be dispensed without a pharmacist. This new machine, called the 'ScriptCenter,' has been installed at a Longs Drug in Del Mar, California, and coughs up as much medicine as your pharmacist has loaded into it. That's the thing—it's not like there's a robot in there with a mortar and pestle. Instead, you call your orders in like normal, and the techs load the machine up with your prescription, which you unlock with a secret code and pay for with a credit card. That means you can pick up your prescriptions any time you want, not just when the pharmacy is open.

# posted by GWHSE : 6:00 PM 0 Comments

Motorola 'RAZRBerry' Details Leak

It's been the worst kept secret in smartphones: Motorola has plans to make a Pocket PC RAZR-like phone, dubbed the 'Franklin,' to fight the Blackberry. People have been calling it the 'RAZRberry,' which if you take a look at this prototype picture, it's not too hard to figure out why. As pretty as it is, though, the initial specs don't list Wi-Fi as a built-in feature. I like thin, but I don't want to sacrifice anything to get it.

# posted by GWHSE : 5:56 PM 0 Comments

Ringtones make sweet music for record labels

Ringtones, those song snippets that announce incoming mobile-phone calls, are now making noise at the top of the pop charts and on the bottom line of multibillion-dollar businesses.

# posted by GWHSE : 5:52 PM 0 Comments

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Nyko Movie Player for iPod

iPodlounge has an extended preview of the Nyko Movie Player for iPod, which uses Apple's hard disk-based players as dumb storage from which to play back video on its LCD screen. The idea is cool enough, but there is an implication that the Movie Player will only support ASF format videos, which is far from optimal.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:34 PM 0 Comments

Three New Bluetooth Headsets from Motorola, Including RAZR H3

Three new Motorola Bluetooth headsets were announced yesterday, including this 'RAZR H3,' designed, obviously, to capitalize on the popularity of the good looking phone Motorola has produced. Two other models, the H700 and H300, look similar to previous designs from Moto.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:31 PM 0 Comments

Logitech Wireless Bluetooth Headphones for iPod - WOW

Listen to your music in style—no wires attached! Logitech´s Wireless Headphones for iPod® use advanced Bluetooth™ frequency hopping technology for interference free, crystal clear audio. Digital wireless technology provides over 30 feet of range, and rechargeable batteries can play up to eight hours per charge. These headphones include a wireless adapter that snaps onto your iPod or iPod mini, plus integrated controls so you can adjust the volume, play, pause, or select tracks without touching your iPod.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:27 PM 0 Comments

Google Confirms Payment Service Plans

Web search leader Google is developing an online payment system but not a direct rival to eBay's PayPal, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said Tuesday. Schmidt spoke after several days of heated speculation over reports that Google was working on a potential rival to PayPal, eBay's popular online payment system.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:19 PM 0 Comments

Telstra drops off Microsoft IPTV early-adopter list

Telstra this week dropped out of a Microsoft early adopter program for its end-to-end IP (Internet Protocol) TV software platform. The carrier cancelled a deal to use Microsoft TV IPTV Edition for the deployment of its IPTV services, and is mulling using software other than Microsoft TV IPTV Edition for its IPTV plans. By leveraging IPTV software platforms such as Microsoft's, carriers hope to roll out a range of advanced TV services, such as video-on-demand, HDTV and remote DVD recording.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:05 PM 0 Comments

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Is Wal-Mart good for America?

There is a big buzz about China at the moment. Also about what is happening in the retail space with low prices and low margins and what effect that has in AV and IT. Wal-Mart's "everyday low prices" benefit millions of American consumers, and it is Fortune magazine's number-one most admired company in the United States. But others argue that Wal-Mart is a bad bargain for American workers. Here, Gary Gereffi, professor of sociology at Duke University; Brink Lindsey, vice president for research at the Cato Institute; Jon Lehman, a former Wal-Mart store manager; and Ray Bracy, Wal-Mart's vice president for federal and international corporate affairs, address the question: Is Wal-Mart good for America?
Wtach the story online by clicking below.

# posted by GWHSE : 2:10 PM 0 Comments

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Strange Nokia Device

What is it? Could it be a giant pill that you eat in order to become Bluetooth compatible? Is it the world's biggest Snake handheld game? It looks kind of like the 770 v2, but who knows? Very shiny and pretty, though.

# posted by GWHSE : 12:00 PM 0 Comments

iRiver T20 and T30

iRiver has announced the T20 and T30 [pictured left and right, respectively], both of which are not anything special in the 'function' department, but have fairly unique designs. The T30, especially, looks as if it could be holding the power core that drives a giant mecha, as long as that power core was a AAA battery. The T20 happens to be the first iRiver player with a sliding USB plug, a feature of which we are fans.

# posted by GWHSE : 11:46 AM 0 Comments

Firefly Phone Reviewed - It's for Kids!

The Firefly, which is available through Cingular, is a mini mobile for the 8-12 set. It has dedicated Mum and Dad button and has an Emergency 911 button. General usage is uber-simple—press and call. The review found some quirkiness with the initial set-up, but one can only assume that once the Mother-Unit and Father-Unit numbers are programmed in, all the Child-Unit has to do is press a button.The phone uses prepaid cards to charge usage and supports 850 and 1900Mhz GSM and offers about 6 hours of talk time. It's quite small and rounded, making it a perfect "I-lost-it-in-the-river" item for the youngster in your life.

# posted by GWHSE : 11:41 AM 0 Comments

Real-Life Look at the iPaq 6500

Its been a while since I talked about one of the best communicating machines coming, the Ipaq 6500 which will launch in Australia soon. This machine integrates all that you can dream in term of communication, and navigation. Here is a real life look - not the PR shots we have seen in the past.

# posted by GWHSE : 11:32 AM 0 Comments

Nokia 6630 Navigation Pack

Nokia and Wayfinder Systems announce the availability of the Nokia 6630 Navigation Pack. The navigation pack consists of a Nokia 6630 smartphone, a Nokia Wireless GPS Module and the Wayfinder Navigator application. Looks like Wayfinder Systems was able to convince Nokia to bundle their navigation software, nice success for them.

# posted by GWHSE : 10:45 AM 0 Comments

Monday, June 20, 2005

McDonald's Flagship Aims at the Hip

Just outside its wooded headquarters campus, McDonald's Corp. is offering sneak previews of its fast-food future.Now playing at its new flagship restaurant: Digital-media kiosks for burning CDs, downloading cell-phone ring tones and printing photos. Dozens of plasma-screen TVs. Wi-Fi Internet access.

# posted by GWHSE : 2:17 PM 0 Comments

Microsoft readies BitTorrent alternative

It was only a matter of time. Microsoft are developing a file-sharing technology that they say could make it easier to distribute big files such as films, television programs and software applications to end users over the Internet. Code-named Avalanche, the technology is similar to existing peer-to-peer file swapping systems such as BitTorrent's, in the sense that large files can be divided into many smaller pieces to ease their distribution.

# posted by GWHSE : 10:31 AM 0 Comments

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Google readying Web-only video search

Google is expected to unveil a search engine for Web-only video this summer that will let people preview media clips from its Web site, CNET News.com has learned. Google's planned service will let visitors find free short-form videos such as the popular "Star Wars" video spoofs, according to sources who asked to remain anonymous.

# posted by GWHSE : 4:58 PM 0 Comments

Walkman Phone Reviewed

Here is a report that gives us the pros and cons of the new SE Walkman phone. Although it is quite clearly one of the first audio phones out there, it does have a few problems.First, there's no WMA and only supports DRMed contact from Sony's CONNECT service. There is also no memory card slot, which sucks bigtime.Other than that, it's really nice.

# posted by GWHSE : 3:12 PM 0 Comments

NHJ Wrist TV VTV-201 now available

The NHJ VTV-101 TV-wristwatch is a gadget-guru's fantasy toy, a must have for sports fans (never miss the final out or buzzer-beater), and a conversation-starter for any occasion.
Never miss an important news bulletin, TV show, or sporting moment again!

# posted by GWHSE : 2:17 PM 0 Comments

1.52 For You

The latest PSP update is available. An update to PSP system features was made available on June 15, 2005.
With this update, the system software is version 1.52.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:47 PM 0 Comments

Mobile home phone launched in UK

LONDON, England -- The world's first cell phone that can switch between fixed and mobile networks has been launched in the UK.The new service is being offered by British Telecom, which said it expected "millions" of customers to sign up for its "BT Fusion" package over the next five years.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:37 PM 0 Comments

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Mio 269 GPS/MP3 Player

Mitac has released a multi-capable GPS device that gives users 2.5 GB of storage space and built-in MP3 player. The Mio 269 is a palm-sized navigation systemfor anyone wanting to get around and have some fun listening to their music.Ready to go, the Mio 269 is fully equipped with all your maps and software the first time you power it on. It has 64 MB SDRAM, 32 MB flash ROM, 3.5-inch colour display, Intel 300MHz processor and a 4.5 hour Lithium-Ion battery.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:04 PM 0 Comments

Fox to provide TV series for wireless phones

In what appeared to be the first arrangement of its kind, Twentieth Century Fox said Wednesday it would create a unique series of one-minute dramas based on its hit show 24 exclusively for a new high-speed wireless service being offered by Vodafone, the world's biggest cell phone company. These episodes are known as "mobisodes".

# posted by GWHSE : 10:40 AM 0 Comments

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Skype and Yahoo playing kissee kissee?

The world of instant messaging is exploding with emoticons as rumors are surfacing regarding Skype and Yahoo. According blogs there are discussions going on between Skype and Yahoo. Just imagine the possibilities of instant messaging and voice over IP possibly combining to redefine the meaning of LOL. Everything is still rumors so nobody knows whether it will be a merger or if Yahoo will be buying Skype outright, but regardless it will a big step up in the world of instant messaging.

# posted by GWHSE : 4:04 PM 0 Comments

Sony Ericsson Launches Four New Phones

Now have a look at 4 brand spankin new Sony Ericsson phones.First, there's the basic J210, a candybar. Then there's the Bluetooth-enabled clamshell Z520 with "light tones" that light up when special people call you. Oh, but let's not forget the slider with 1.3-megapixel camera, the sexy K680 and the super-ninja-tastic S600 with horizontal gaming mode a la N-Gage and 1.3-megapixel camera.

# posted by GWHSE : 3:58 PM 0 Comments

Sony VAIO VGN-T2XP

Weighing in at a lightweight three pounds, this Sony small laptop packs a lot of punch. Low voltage 1.2 Pentium mobile chip, DVD writer, 512MB memory, Bluetooth, Memorystick slot, 60GB hard drive, integrated wireless, 10.6” screen, PC card slot, USB 2.0, firewire. The benchmarks are coming back showing this little beast topping out in the next best in most categories.

# posted by GWHSE : 3:53 PM 0 Comments

New Nokia Mobiles Announced

So Nokia had to top Sony Ericsson on the same day with announcing seven new mobile phones. The new Nokia 6280 (photo) is a compact 3G slider mobile phone featuring a 2 megapixel and a VGA camera, QVGA screen, real time video sharing, two way video calls, video ring tones. The Nokia 6280 is expected to begin shipping in the fourth quarter of 2005, at an estimated retail price of 375 EUR before subsidies or taxes.

# posted by GWHSE : 2:15 PM 0 Comments

New Sony Ericsson Walkman Phone W600

Sony Ericsson also announced today a second Walkman mobile phone, the W600.
The Sony Ericsson W600 features a 1.3MP digital camera, 176 x 220 pixel TFT display, 2 stereo speakers, RDS FM Radio, MP3 and AAC music player, 256MB internal memory, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, USB and Bluetooth.

# posted by GWHSE : 2:12 PM 0 Comments

BenQ Siemens Mobile Phones

As reportedBenQ bought the Siemens Mobile business last week. An interview with the BenQ CEO Lee Kuen-Yao shed some light on how BenQ sees the future of Siemens mobile phones. Interestingly BenQ seems not to see too much value in the Siemens brand, as they will start selling BenQ Siemens double branded handsets starting already in October.

# posted by GWHSE : 2:03 PM 0 Comments

Yahoo looks to boost voice services

Internet services company Yahoo Inc. is looking to boost its business in the Internet's next big growth area -- voice communications.The largest U.S. provider of Web e-mail services, Yahoo already has deals with several landline and wireless telephone companies, including SBC Communications, Verizon Communications Inc. and Sprint Corp., for a variety of Web-based services.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:50 PM 0 Comments

Real PSP Grand Theft Auto Pics!

Exciting to see REAL screenshots of GTA on the PSP! Rockstar has released GTA Liberty City Stories screenshots to a select group of people from the Official Playstation 2 Magazine.See it here.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:25 PM 0 Comments

Replay Music is here!

Wouldn't it be great if you could record music from online radio stations or music subscription services, and play it back on your iPod or MP3 Player? You can with Replay Music!

# posted by GWHSE : 12:35 PM 0 Comments

Blu-ray and HD-DVD merger dead

Ken Kutaragi, Sony Computer Entertainment president, has spoken out about the issue of a unified next generation disc standard. He said that they have chosen to use Blu-ray for the PlayStation 3 because he feels the chances of a unified format are very slim.

# posted by GWHSE : 12:08 PM 0 Comments

Friday, June 10, 2005

Sharp LCD TV with Integrated WiFi

Sharp's new "IT-32X2" LCD TV is loaded to the teeth with functionality.It features integrated 802.11a/b/g wireless or wired LAN for connection to digital media files, a USB hub for connecting your camera, and a 32" ASV TFT screen with 1366 x 768 resolution. It also offers a multi-screen function for those who like to hit the CounterStrike pipe while watching Law and Order.

# posted by GWHSE : 10:47 AM 0 Comments

Sony NW-E507 Network Walkman

Sony has released their Shuffle competition with the NW-E507. This baby packs a ton of features into a tiny 3.3” long device. This is a 1GB model that uses flash memory. One of the highlights is the estimated 50 hour battery life and a quick charge feature of three hours with a three minute charge.

# posted by GWHSE : 10:41 AM 0 Comments

Thursday, June 09, 2005

Is portable TV TiVo's winning ticket?

TiVo said it will join forces with Microsoft and Intel to permit its TiVoToGo -- a portable television service -- to run on Microsoft computer software and use Intel microchips. That means users with Microsoft's Media Centers and several other portable entertainment systems will be able to download television programs onto their computers to watch on the go.

# posted by GWHSE : 12:27 PM 0 Comments

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Airtrack Passenger GPS Display

Lufthansa-Technik hopes to do away with the Nintendo-era airplane position displays we all know and love. By using real GPS data and satellite photos, Airtrack supplies a realtime view of the ground and surrounding airspace.That will keep me flyin!

# posted by GWHSE : 12:31 PM 0 Comments

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Xbox 360 User Interface

AKQA, a global interactive marketing agency, has collaborated with Microsoft to create the striking new console game interface at the heart of the Xbox 360, the most powerful next-generation game and entertainment system.

# posted by GWHSE : 5:02 PM 0 Comments

Logitech to Offer Licensed Products for Xbox 360

Logitech announced today plans to manufacture officially licensed peripherals for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.
"One of the best ways for gamers to take advantage of the graphics, games and processing speed of Xbox 360 is with first-class peripherals," said Fred Swan, Logitech's director of strategic marketing for interactive entertainment.

# posted by GWHSE : 4:48 PM 0 Comments

PVr's Selling Like Hot cakes

The number of households subscribing to personal video recording services has grown to 9.2 million, up about 155 percent from a year ago, according to a new study from In-Stat. What's more, in a survey conducted by the same market research group, 89% of DVR users are "very satisfied" or "extremely satisfied" with their DVR.

# posted by GWHSE : 3:20 PM 0 Comments

Logitech PlayGear Amp Review

Logitech impressed me quite a bit with their first PSP accessory, the PlayGear Pocket case. Now they are back with another accessory, the PlayGear Amp. The PlayGear Amp is a portable set of speakers for the PSP designed for easy travel and as a stand for the PSP while connected.

# posted by GWHSE : 3:11 PM 0 Comments

Akimbo reviewed, playlists mixed

I think the sweetspot for Akimbo is the MCE plug-in, as well as building ties to other DVRs and set-top box, since when you add the cost for the hardware, it's a pretty big hurdle for most consumers to jump for better video on demand.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:38 PM 0 Comments

It is Official: Apple switches to Intel

Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference begins this morning, and you know what we’re waiting for: Stevie J. is expected to drop a bombshell and announce that they’re switching to Intel chips.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:12 PM 0 Comments

E-books coming to PSP?

Sony Computer Entertainment may be planning to bring digitized texts to the PlayStation Portable. The company recently filed trademarks for "PSP Comics," "PSP Books" and "PSP Magazine" with the Japan Patent Office.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:07 PM 0 Comments

Acer Ferrari PDA

Oh wow! A Ferrari PDA! Me being a Beemer guy would prefer something with a bit more German flavour but this is still cool.WIndows Mobile 2003 SE, 128 MB storage, Bluetooth, WiFi, and SD/CF slots!

# posted by GWHSE : 12:45 PM 0 Comments

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