The Gadgets Guide: July 2005

Friday, July 29, 2005

Heavy-Duty Vista Coverage

What is it about new Operating Systems? They're like ice cream or toys—you get so excited about them at first and then you're sitting there staring into the Tiger Dashboard or the little shadow under the mouse pointer in XP and just ask yourself "I waited for that?"Anyway, Extremetech looks at the new gaming features of Windows Vista. Some interesting features including parental controls and some sort of "Games Browser."

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# posted by GWHSE : 3:00 PM 0 Comments

Intel pushes 'East Fork' home PC 'back to Q1 2006'

Intel's bid to put its processors at the heart of future living room PCs will not take place until early next year, motherboard-maker moles have claimed.

# posted by GWHSE : 10:08 AM 0 Comments

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Motorola Q Launched, But You Can't Have It

The Motorola Q, which is known in some circles as the Blackberry-killer, won't be killing any Blackberries until Q1 2006. In the intervening months it will train with the famous swordsmith Hattori Hanzo in preparation for its massive showdown with the Blackberry in a sprawling, 4-star hotel in California.

# posted by GWHSE : 6:08 PM 0 Comments

Hop-On Phone and MP3 Player

Apple is finally releasing the combination iPod cell phone! Ha, got you good! Actually Hop-On is releasing a new phone that looks strangely like an iPod. This phone packs a quite a punch with a 2.0 megapixel camera, MP3 player, touch screen and even a video recorder. On top of that the prices are strangely low for this high end of a phone compared to others currently out.

# posted by GWHSE : 6:03 PM 0 Comments

Color iPod Mini in October

A number of people foresee a color iPod Mini in October, meaning that the iPod line is definitely going to the video side soon. You don't buy up color LCDs just to show a sexy blue Aqua UI and pictures, right?

# posted by GWHSE : 5:58 PM 0 Comments

PSP 2.00 Released In Japan

Browsing, wallpapers, AVC video ... the whole slam-bang.

# posted by GWHSE : 5:25 PM 0 Comments

Monday, July 25, 2005

Longhorn becomes Windows Vista

It's not Longhorn anymore. Microsoft today announced that Windows Vista will be the official name of the next version of its flagship operating system, and that beta 1 of the OS will arrive by August 3. The announcement was made Thursday afternoon at a briefing in Atlanta to some 10,000 Microsoft sales and service employees and then revealed this morning via a video posted on Microsoft's Web site.

# posted by GWHSE : 12:40 PM 0 Comments

Friday, July 22, 2005

Qualcomm Slingshot Concept Multimedia Phone

Qualcomm, of 1990s cell phone fame is back with a vengeance with their new concept phone developed by PDT, the Slingshot. The Slingshot excels in all areas media related. 2MP cameras, QVGA display,video-conferencing, 3d gaming and enhanced stereo sound are only a few of the features. Only a couple thousand will be made, so don’t get your hopes up on getting one.

# posted by GWHSE : 5:14 PM 0 Comments

Nokia 7280 Reviewed

Nokia just released the 7280, which looks like a pocket vibrator. This phone features a slender shape and will definitely make heads turn. Overall the phone performed quite well in all areas, including interface and reception. Probably the most unique feature is the lack of a keypad. In replacement there is a “Navi Spinner.” If strange looking functional phones is your bag, then this may with worth checking out.

# posted by GWHSE : 5:14 PM 0 Comments

Motorola v1150, errr, RAZR V3x

I'm really loving the RAZR. Motorola v1150 is now the RAZR V3x and it has two cameras, one inside and one on the front, especially for video calling.Nothing much else: nice screen, Bluetooth, removable MicroSD/Transflash/TinyMemoryCardTechnology.

# posted by GWHSE : 5:11 PM 0 Comments

Aeronix Zipit Wireless Messenger

Perfect for the IM addict, the Aeronix Zipit Wireless Messenger is a dedicated IM machine that supports all three major IM networks, and can handle up to 99 simultaneous conversations. It comes with a full thumb keyboard layout as well as quick-access buttons for emoticons and buddy lists. It uses 802.11b WiFi for connectivity, which means you don't have to pay any subscription fees. And here's a bonus for open source aficianados; the Zipit is an embedded Linux platform.

# posted by GWHSE : 5:05 PM 0 Comments

Garmin GPSMAP 376c - GPS+XM = Heaven

Garmin has announced a new all-in-one GPS unit that uses standard global positioning, XMWX Satellite Weather and XM Satellite Radio. The XMWX will give all kinds of information, including NEXRAD radar that displays in full color goodness. Navigation, weather and uncensored satellite radio.

# posted by GWHSE : 4:26 PM 0 Comments

Your Mug on an iPod Cover

I've decided a while ago that to be epitome of coolness one must own an iPod. If you can't live without it, Arty is a new service that allows you to design your own customized cover for your little status symbol. Launched by Wrappers, Arty makes it possible to have any picture reproduced as a cover.

# posted by GWHSE : 4:24 PM 0 Comments

White PSP Sighted

Oh boy. It's a PSP. It's white. Unless you're a Gomi-boy with fifty pairs of Air Jordans—"Look at the differences in the tongue length"—I'm going to bet that this white PSP isn't high on your Amazon wish-list. But if you MUST know everything about it, here's the skinny: it's white. So is the case. Wee!

# posted by GWHSE : 4:21 PM 0 Comments

New Sony PSP Firmware Update To Include Web Browser

Finally -- after months of using my copy of Wipeout Pure to browse the web on my PSP, Sony has released a new PSP firmware update that will include a legitimate web browser. The new firmware update will also include a virtual keyboard, a "portable TV" which will presumably feature streaming video, and WPA-PSK encryption for wireless networks. The Japanese firmware release date is on July 27th; no news on when it'll be available anywhere else.

# posted by GWHSE : 4:08 PM 0 Comments

Friday, July 15, 2005

LG9200 Qwerty Phone, Etc

LG launched a bunch of phones today including the 9200, a hot little qwerty phone with VGA camera.Also available are the LG500, a dedicated music phone with controls on the face, and the LG8100, a 1.3-megapixel EVDO flip-phone. Finally, there's the 3G LG320 smartphone and the entry level PM-225 and C2000.Generally it looks like a nice strong line-up, especially the music phone. People are running scared as the iTunes phone approaches, which is why these things are dropping so quickly this summer.

# posted by GWHSE : 12:19 PM 0 Comments

PalmOne is Now Palm

See, Palm made good PDAs. Then people from Palm made Handspring. Then Handspring bought Palm and sold the OS so you had PalmSource and PalmOne. Then PalmOne got confused and people stopped buying PDAs so they did poorly until their recent release of the LifeDrive. Now, however, we're back to Palm again. Got it?

# posted by GWHSE : 12:03 PM 1 Comments

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Fujitsu Creates Electronic Paper

Here we go. Real electronic paper that's coming out next year. Very nice. Fujitsu has created a form of epaper that can hold images even when unpowered and can gather information wirelessly, leading to some interesting potential uses. The first, and most obvious, thing would be digital newspapers and magazines. You walk up to the kiosk, pay your money, and get a copy of Ralph sent down to your epaper for later consumption.

# posted by GWHSE : 4:38 PM 0 Comments

PS3=PS3-Router

First they kill the HD, then they kill the router. The PS3 was originally supposed to have three Ethernet ports "for the kids" but Sony has pulled the ports in hopes of reducing the already expensive device. See, it's not really about game consoles anymore. These things are supposed to be "home entertainment centers" with downloadable content, video playback, and other cool stuff. By stripping pieces of the PS3 over time, Sony is scaring away the less hardcore market who might consider buying an XBox 360 for DVR/Media Center features.

# posted by GWHSE : 4:34 PM 0 Comments

MobileLime Mobile Payment Service

It begins. MobileLime is a cellphone-based payment service that allows you to pay for taxi rides, ice cream, and whatever via SMS. At a store, for example, you call a toll free number, pre-approve the charge, and then type in a PIN. The same happens in a restaurant or wherever: you get a merchant ID number, make the call, type in your PIN, and you're on your way. Not exactly RFID-tastic, but I guess we have to start somewhere.

# posted by GWHSE : 4:31 PM 0 Comments

MobiTV Starts Broadcasting

My dreams have come true! Now I will never miss an episode of Big Brother, thanks to MobiTV and their new mobile television service. NBC stations are offering their broadcasts for mobile television via cell phones. Right now this service is only available for Sprint and Cingular in the United States, but expect more carriers to pick this up in the future.

# posted by GWHSE : 4:28 PM 0 Comments

Belkin Releases New iPod Gear

Belkin has a couple more iPod accessories available. The TuneTalk is an attached omni-directional microphone. Appearance wise the TuneTalk is obviously a microphone, so stealthy Bond spying may be a little tricky. It's nice and sproingy and looks like something you can stuff into someone's face in order to ask hard hitting questions.Next is the TuneCommand, a wireless remote that will be available in August for. It supports ranges up to 150 feet. The TuneCommand uses wireless radio frequency, so walls are not a problem.

# posted by GWHSE : 4:25 PM 0 Comments

Microsoft Remote Keyboard

It’s been a little while since we’ve heard anything out of Microsoft’s peripherals department but they have busted out their own MCE-centric wireless keyboard, the Microsoft Remote Keyboard. Yes, it’s even got backlit buttons and an integrated touchpoint mouse, and should go for about $199; in other words, we’d totally love it. They also released a new Wireless Optical Desktop 5000 kit, but it’s more of the usual standard multimedia keyboard biz, so we’ll move on.

# posted by GWHSE : 2:34 PM 0 Comments

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

New Wave of Logitech Headphones

Logitech is jumping on the MP3 bandwagon by releasing three new models of headphones for cool kids. The Curve and Identity models are similar to standard behind-the-head headphones but use more heavy duty materials to withstand the X-treem personalities of digital music listeners. The new wireless headphones use frequency-hopping Bluetooth 1.2.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:07 PM 0 Comments

Netgear Storage Central

This little box from Netgear has two slots for IDE drives and an ethernet port that you’ll plug into your router, making your data available as a network drive. Striping, mirroring and partitioning are all available options, and future updates will include more dedicated server-like features, such as the ability to stream content to your TV even when your PC is off. The Netgear Storage Central looks to be shipping out in about a month.

# posted by GWHSE : 12:57 PM 0 Comments

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Schtickers LapSchticks

What makes the LapSchticks Schtickers more appropriate for laptop decoration than other stickers? Not much—except the stickers can be easily applied and removed, allowing you to swap out and customize your laptop as the spirit moves you. The designs aren't amazing, but they aren't terribly gaudy, either. This 'DJ Turntable' Schticker, for instance, is actually pretty slick.

# posted by GWHSE : 3:39 PM 0 Comments

Infill T3: Big Time Car PC

It's big and it's brawny and it wants to live in your car. No, it's not your mother—it's the INFILLL T3, a double-tall car in-dash car PC with a 1.6GHz CPU, a 40GB hard drive, GPS, and a lot more (although maybe not Wi-Fi, which seems miraculously shortsighted). Price and availability is still up in the air, but it looks like a beast. Too bad it's retarded to watch movies while driving.

# posted by GWHSE : 3:36 PM 0 Comments

Zen Vision is Alive?

This is all he-said, she-said still, but the Zen Vision has appeared AGAIN on Creative's website. They're being so coy with this. Why doesn't Creative just come out and say it: that they don't love you any more and they want to hurt you. Why else would they torture us so with such a charming piece of PMP.Standard specs: 3.7" TFT LCD and a case made out of futuristic magnesium alloy.

# posted by GWHSE : 3:11 PM 0 Comments

Sony Nav-U GPS Unit

Sony long avoided the GPS market, leaving it to guys like TomTom and NavMan to have all the fun and get all the chicks. Well TomTom beware: the Nav-U—maybe there's an aviation version called the Up-U - is Sony's first car GPS unit.Highlights include a nice UI, 2GB HD, detailed maps, and sexy styling. No word on price or availablity, but when Sony takes on a market it likes to stay in the higher end. We'll see.

# posted by GWHSE : 3:02 PM 1 Comments

Monday, July 11, 2005

Motorola Phones Already Support iTunes?

Apparently Podcasting isn't the only thing that iTunes 4.9 added to the mix. Apple has updated some of the preferences to support syncing to some Motorola phones. We'll get the model numbers for you as we find them, but it's clear that something in the Motorola firmware is definitely talking to iTunes and the ITMS.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:38 PM 0 Comments

Olympus m:robe MR-F30

The best part of this flash player is the beautiful 650,000 OLED LCD, which, as always, makes us wonder why they don't make mini media players using flash memory. It's actually very frustrating, because, as we all know, the value of being able to display JPEGs on something this small is more of a gee-whiz feature rather than a must-have.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:36 PM 0 Comments

Talking Wine Label

Now you don't need to be drunk to hear your wine. Italian printer Modulgraf has created a system for embedding chips into paper labels that can be read with handheld devices. Based on RFID, the system allows buyers to listen to information about the wine and even hear a bit of music before their tipple.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:34 PM 0 Comments

Mobile Phone Door Keys

Japan has created a system for unlocking doors using mobile phones. Instead of RFID, the system connects via a wireless connection to a local server and allows wireless entry.

# posted by GWHSE : 12:44 PM 0 Comments

Scythe A-Pod PC Case

Japanese manufacturer Scythe is soon shipping this 'A-Pod' PC case, which takes its cues from the Japanese iconography for the... no, it's just an iPod. Other than the design it's a pretty stock-standard ATX case.

# posted by GWHSE : 12:31 PM 0 Comments

'Lost' coming to UMD

Buena Vista Home Entertainment has become the second studio to release TV content on UMD. The two-part pilot episode of "Lost" will be part of the studio's latest wave of UMD titles, streeting in September. The "Lost" UMD will arrive in stores Sept. 6, the same day as the complete first season of the popular Touchstone TV series -- about the survivors of a plane wreck who are stranded on an island -- comes out on DVD. TV is a natural for UMD because statistics show that more and more consumers want to take their home entertainment with them when they travel.

# posted by GWHSE : 11:45 AM 0 Comments

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Disney Mobile

Start 'em early, I always say. Disney is teaming up with Sprint to offer branded phone service for kids and kids-at-heart and people-who-collect-the-hearts-of-kids. The service, which will include special cellphones, ringtones, wallpapers, and other obvious moneymakers along with downloadable video and audio content. Just imagine the joy of hearing "It's a Small World" sung over and over by your child's Donald Duck phone. Heaven, I assure you.

# posted by GWHSE : 12:11 PM 0 Comments

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Sky IMB-1000 DMB Mobile Phone

Digital Media Broadcasting (DMB) via Satellite is available in Korea. SK Telecom has a very cool handset for the service available - The IMB-1000. The IMB-1000 features a 2.4 inch QVGA Touch-screen, Transflash slot and a 2MP digital camera. The screen slides up revealing the keyboard. It looks like there are only six keys, but I think the have two pressure points. The IMB-1000 measures 116x52x25.3mm and weighs 153g.

# posted by GWHSE : 10:10 AM 0 Comments

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Sony responds to questions over media functions, online ambitions

PlayStation 3 may allow users to browse the web and download movies directly over the Internet, but online is only one part of the firm's overall strategy according to Sony Computer Entertainment America boss Kaz Hirai.Speaking to US magazine EGM, Hirai said that the advent of HDTV displays makes web browsing on a console device practical, and said that "there's really no reason why we or some other software publisher can't come out with a web browser."

# posted by GWHSE : 1:05 PM 0 Comments

Monday, July 04, 2005

Motorola iTunes Phone First Look Again Perhaps

From purportedly leaked internal documents, here's a first look at the Motorola iTunes phone. The most striking feature is clearly the scroll wheel, which could come into play for even non-music things like moving through stored phone numbers. There also appear to be dedicated buttons on the side—that's not quite as 'iPoddy' as one would hope.

# posted by GWHSE : 3:55 PM 0 Comments

Creative Zen Sleek

I hate the word "sleek." Otters are sleek and snakes are sleek. Sleek describes something that has shiny, healthy, and slick fur. So unless this Creative Zen Sleek is hitting puberty, it ain't sleek. I know that there's another usage, but that applies more to cars and boats than every single electronics product on the market .

# posted by GWHSE : 3:41 PM 0 Comments

Apple Patent: Notebook With Integrated iPod mini

Apple filed a patent for a Notebook that has an iPod placed where usually the touch pad is.
In the context of an ultra portable notebook, where the iPod is also the hard-drive this could be a cool idea.

# posted by GWHSE : 1:21 PM 0 Comments

Friday, July 01, 2005

BT chooses Microsoft TV technology

US software Microsoft's internet television software received a big boost on Tuesday when BT Group, the top UK telecommunications company, said it would use the technology to deliver videos over broadband lines in the UK.BT's decision is a significant win for Microsoft, which has been trying to establish its internet protocol TV (IPTV) software for years. The software enables telecoms carriers to offer a wide range of advanced broadband video and other services in direct competition with cable TV groups.

# posted by GWHSE : 3:20 PM 0 Comments

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