Info spot

Free-Press-Release

2010-02-02T07:37:00.001-08:00

Free Press Release is a free press release distribution service, has been found since 2001 to help small, medium or large sized enterprises optimize their online marketing strategies. FPR (Free Press Release) is a matching service — bringing authors, publishers and social media together. The Writers and Authors are able to post your articles to be featured within Free Press Release.

Their searchable database of hundreds of thousands of quality fresh articles can be distributed to news engines, search engines and social bookmarking services immediately!

You can get lots of benefit from FPR. They can be listed out…..
* Increase Your Online Visibility in search engines like Google and Yahoo!
* Added social bookmarking tools to get more exposure
* Approved in real-time, if your free article submission service accords with the Editorial Policy
* It will indirectly bring traffic to your website, and also to enhance the link popularity.
* Build up the brand image. It can improve the quality image and market competition
* Easily to communicate with your customer
* Make you easy contact your potential customers online
* Preferential policy and free credits & points
* More humanized services

NVIDIA outs 300M mobile graphics series, causes little excitement

2010-01-13T04:05:00.001-08:00

Many a mind might've strayed from all the CES crazy-talk about future tech and wondered as to what exactly is going on in the war against bad graphics on otherwise totally sweet laptops. The answer from NVIDIA is, disappointingly, not much. The green giant of GPUs quietly snuck out its 300M mobile GPUs over the turn of the year, and there was good reason for the lack of fuss -- the top tier GeForce GTS 360M sports the same number of processing cores as its 260M predecessor, accompanied by the same 2GHz memory clock and identical 128-bit memory interface. But don't despair yet, sailor! There's the stark omission of any GeForce GTX models among the new 300Ms, which should fuel hopes that this gap in what NVIDIA calls the enthusiast market will be filled by Fermi-shaped chips come March of this year.

Silverpac Silverstat 7 provides energy usage data, responds to touch

2010-01-13T04:04:00.000-08:00

Boy, if it's not car dashboards, it's thermostats -- you just can't get away from touchscreens these days. The latest 7-inch temperature regulator from Silverpac comes with a bunch of extra goodies to entice the touch control-loving generation into the energy conservation game. With WiFi built in, the Silverstat 7 can pump data out to the internet or your home network, and is equally adept at streaming photos, music and other content back from those connections. A full week's worth of water temperature instructions can be programmed into the device, which can also inform you of weather conditions and your home's energy consumption. The latter part is most intriguing, as you'll be informed of power usage on a per-appliance basis, which can be mighty beneficial when a certain bit of home hardware gorges on electricity without you knowing. June 2010 is set as the release date, but the wallet damage remains unrevealed.

Jawbone Icon Bluetooth headset leaked on Craigslist?

2010-01-13T04:03:00.001-08:00

We know the rule of thumb is to not trust everything on Craigslist, but when an unreleased refresh of the cool-looking Jawbone Bluetooth headset pops up for sale, it'd be wrong to ignore it. HTCPedia managed to get cozy with Mr. Blurrycam and got a few shots of the supposedly forthcoming Jawbone Icon, which appears to don the same skin pattern as the Jawbone Prime but in a form factor similar to the original Jawbone -- quite an odd decision so we remain skeptical, but it'd be a welcoming addition for the market nevertheless. A couple of close-up shots after the break.

Guru'board's Miniguru keyboard aims to keep you on the home row, might take some getting used to

2010-01-13T04:02:00.000-08:00

A new keyboard concept from the unproved Guru-board, dubbed Miniguru, could certainly shake up a few things if it hits the market. The basic idea is to keep your fingers from leaving the home row, with special modifier keys to move you through three "layers" of functions. Hold down the modifier with a free thumb and you get the JKLI keys turned into arrows, and the capslock into control. Naturally you can configure this in software to your heart's content (or just do this in software without a fancy new keyboard, if you're a rebel like that), hopefully without causing too much harm to your poor, inflexible fingers. The mouse nub is also designed to keep you keyboard-centric, but it can be removed in the highly-custom sales configuration panel, which also works in an option to choose between three different switch parts, a multitude of colors and the existence of keycap symbols. That custom bit sounds a little like optimism on the part of a company that hasn't shipped anything yet, but we're rooting for this one to make it to market someway or other, if just out curiosity.

Hivision's $149 Android-based netbook reminds us we're not really shopping for a netbook right now

2010-01-13T04:01:00.001-08:00

We know, we know, it's only $149! What could possibly be stopping us from entering the marvelous world of Android-powered netbooking? Well, maybe it's the fact that it's been tried before, and just didn't make any sense. Maybe for someone who doesn't have $50 more to get a "real" netbook, or $150 more to get a "great" netbook, it could make sense to be subjected to a 7-inch screen, 500MHz ARM Cortex A9 processor in the name of "lightweight" web surfing, but we'd like to imagine we have a little more self esteem than that. Oh shoot, we just accidentally bought four. Check out the Charbax-infused hands-on after the break.

Dell Mini 11 quietly leaks out

2010-01-13T03:58:00.001-08:00

We've been expecting a Dell Mini 11 to hit eventually, and it looks like the company is gearing up to make it reality: eagle-eyed tipster Bryce just noticed the Dell Mini 10 configuration tool now lists an extra battery for the "Dell Mini 10 and Mini 11." Sadly that's all we have to go on at the moment, but we'd bet whatever's coming down the pike is closely related to that Alienware m11x we just saw at CES -- a similar case minus the NVIDIA graphics, perhaps? We'll have to wait and find out.

Update: This could be just a typo'd reference to the Inspiron 11z, we suppose -- curiouser and curiouser.

Popcorn Hour casually announces the A-200 NMT for its most dedicated media streamer fans

2010-01-13T03:57:00.001-08:00

Not satisfied by the new retail-friendly Popbox that just debuted at CES? Popcorn Hour has announced it is introducing the A-200 Networked Media tank, internally as powerful as the bigger C-200 but with the A-110's profile and lacking a Blu-ray drive port. Priced at $179, or with optional WiFi dongle for $20 more, preorders are to begin January 18 at 10 a.m. PST, it still has a slot for an internally mounted SATA HDD, and reported support for "simple" Blu-ray menu browsing. As far as other features, they've listened by including NTFS write support and also confirmed a new Flash Lite menu announced for the C-200 will arrive on this box, but unfortunately Netflix support on the Popbox doesn't appear to have worked its way into the A-200. Check for even more specs and pics after the break, for those PCH fans once again choosing between flexibility and all-in-one ease.

T-Mobile Fender MyTouch 3G in the wild, due for launch January 20

2010-01-13T03:53:00.000-08:00

A lot's happened since T-Mobile first announced the myTouch 3G Fender Limited Edition, but if you're looking for last-gen Android hardware in the sweetest case around, your wait is almost up: test units are going our to T-Mobile reps, and that formal launch will occur on January 20th. No word on pricing, but we can't imagine it'll be cheaper than the current myTouch 3G, especially since it adds a much-needed 3.5mm headphone jack and has that fancy woodgrain finish, bundled 16GB microSD card, and preloaded music. Yeah, we'll still take the Nexus One, although we'd bet the myTouch 3G actually has... 3G.

Casio EX-10HG 'hybrid GPS' prototype taps into accelerometers for pinpoint accuracy

2010-01-12T09:27:00.001-08:00

It's not a completely new idea, accelerometers have been enhancing GPS devices for a while now with additional velocity and directional information when the GPS signal is weak, but now Casio is giving it a shot in its new Exilim EX-H10 prototype camera. The "hybrid GPS" shooter does the regular geotagging thing with its onboard GPS, but when signal is weak (like when indoors, for instance), the camera augments the location data with guesstimates gleaned from its onboard accelerometers. The camera also has pretty detailed maps, so you could almost use the device for navigation, though the "pushpin" view is a good start. Hit up the source link for some more shots.

T-Mobile killing @Home service, softly

2010-01-12T09:26:00.004-08:00

Those of you making use of T-Mobile's VOIP offerings to save some minutes, hang onto your WiFi. The newly Google-favored carrier has decided to axe its HotSpot@Home service, meaning no more landline VOIP calls through the service calls over WiFi from home. T-Mo will allow existing subscribers to carry out their existing contracts (if only to avoid giving them an early out), and everyone can still make calls over WiFi at the company's public hotspots, but no new folks will be able to add the service to their accounts, meaning this old offering won't die, it'll just fade away.

Update: As a number of you pointed out it seems we've got things a bit wrong here courtesy of some conflicting reports. The HotSpot@Home service will live on, but the @Home service, which provided VOIP access through landline phones, is the one being put out to pasture here.

Zune HD getting Xvid, Smart DJ, ever more appealing

2010-01-12T09:26:00.003-08:00

We know you were put off by the whole Twitter censorship debacle last month, but Microsoft and the Zune HD have moved past that (honest) and they want you to come along as well. They're enticing everyone to forget about that bone-headed move by, well, throwing everyone a bone and adding in Xvid support, part of full compatablity with MPEG-4 part 2 Advanced Simple Profile. DivX will not be coming out to play, but Smart DJ will be, a feature that isn't so much new but is newly portable, providing a counterpoint to the iPod's Genius and, since you can use it to stream content from the Zune Marketplace (when connected via WiFi) it begins to approach the functionality of apps like Pandora or Slacker Radio. Tasty, indeed, though at this point we're not sure when Microsoft will be throwing us this juicy firmware update.

Branex iTamTam iPod docking stool ensures your backside breaks it on day one

2010-01-12T09:26:00.001-08:00

Hey, can you feel the vibe? That was actually your iPhone being snapped off by your reclining-inclined back. Anyhow, some genius at Branex Design of France decided that people would totally buy this $570, 11.5-pound speaker stool. Underneath the hood are four 1.5-inch 10W tweeters and a 5.25-inch 80W subwoofer to shudder your pelvis, all of which contribute to an overall power rating of 70W. There are over ten colors to choose from, too. Let's just hope that Philippe Starck doesn't see this and cry.

Verizon to double ETFs on FiOS TV contracts

2010-01-12T09:25:00.001-08:00

You might think that if only Verizon's FiOS service was available in your area, then life would be nearly perfect. And although FiOS offers some of the fatest internet in the US as well as some of the highest quality HD and a fantastic selection, it isn't all rosy over there. In fact the service has been riddled with billing issues since its launch in 2005 and in order to take advantage of some of the great promotional offers, you're forced to sign a two year contract. Up until January 16th 2010, that ETF has been $179, and according to DSL Reports on the 17th, that fee is set to go up to $360. That's not it though, as Verizon is expected to raise the price of services another $10 or $20 a month. You can of course avoid this by not signing a contract and going month to month, but of course this'll only work out saving you money if you end up canceling, and really if you had fiber to your home do you really think you'd cancel? Us either. Regardless, if you were thinking of switching to FiOS or taking advantage of a new promotion, we wouldn't waste any time getting it before the terms change next week. And as always be sure to read the fine print before signing anything.

Sugar-powered phone concept robs us of perfectly good Coke

2010-01-12T09:24:00.002-08:00

This wouldn't be the first time we've seen a sugar fuel cell, but gosh darnit, it just might be the sexiest. Chinese designer Daizi Zheng has conjured up a vision for a soft drink-powered cylindrical Nokia of the future that pounds Coca-Colas to stay juiced: just screw off the top, pop the can, and pour. Daizi estimates that that a single can of the stuff could outlast a traditional lithium ion battery by three to four times -- never mind the obvious ecological benefits -- but don't you dare steal our caffeine the next time you need a charge, alright?

Mouse Computer Lm-mini20 nettop crawls out with NVIDIA Ion

2010-01-12T09:24:00.001-08:00

ASUS and Acer have made sure we'd never have a shortage of Ion nettops, but it appears Mouse Computer is sneaking through the cracks with its Lm-mini20. Unlike the company's CD drive packing netbook, there isn't really much of note here. The 34800 yen ($376) version has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom 230 processor, Windows 7 Home Premium, 160GB of storage, 1GB of RAM, and NVIDIA ION graphics. And you can configure the standing mini-desktop to your hearts content with a larger hard drive and more RAM. We can't exactly say we are waiting for this little guy to hit the U.S. market when we have the competent ASUS Eee Box EB1501, but if you must have a Mouse Computer, at least for the jokes, you can hit the source link and order it up.

Android 2.1 SDK now available, Nexus One says 'geez, finally'

2010-01-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

In a break from tradition, the availability of an official SDK for Android 2.1 trailed availability of a phone running it -- the Nexus One, of course -- by nearly a week, undoubtedly leaving countless developers sleepless. Despite the Nexus' fistful of new goodies like active wallpaper and a far flashier 3D-enabled Gallery app, Google's simply referring onlookers to the 2.0 documentation to learn about user-facing changes: "Android 2.1 does not add significant user features, see the Android 2.0 Platform Highlights document for the latest user features." From a development perspective, the latest SDK includes hooks for creating your own active wallpapers, so get moving, guys -- a whole bunch of HTC and Moto devices are going to be able to use 'em soon enough.

Cheap Digital Printing

2009-10-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

Short run print gives you a special feature that enables you 24 Hour turn around on their Digital printing. If you order before noon on any weekday, they guarantee to deliver same the next working day anywhere in the UK. They also offer a Next Day before noon and Saturday deliveries.Over the last few years digital printing services has come a long way with regards to quality. If you look at a sample of the digital and litho work, you will be hard pressed to work out which is which. We still have to look twice!
Special features:
Next day printing Delivery Available on our Digital Printing! ..
Our Digital Printing is as good as Litho

The MacBook Micro is here, also might have a camera

2009-08-15T04:10:00.002-07:00

Guys, the MacBook Micro has been announced. You're going to love it. It's three things: a Powebook from 1998, a student's art project, and a really short email. We hear it may boast a camera, too. Check out the gallery below to see this wonder of modern technology doing its thing... you will not be disappointed.

How would you change Nokia's N97?How would you change Nokia's N97?

2009-08-15T04:10:00.001-07:00

It's the phone that Nokia should've used to introduce the world to Symbian S60 5th edition, but is it the "hero"-type device that it was marketed as? Nokia's N97 is undoubtedly expensive, debatably beautiful and thoroughly polarizing (as two of our own found out). While it's impossible to say the handset was introduced to go head-to-head with Apple's iPhone (the whole "only sold off contract" thing kind of hampers that), there's little doubt that this phone was Espoo's most significant attempt yet to make a name for itself in the full-touchscreen smartphone market. If you handed over the handful of C-notes required to take this bad boy home, why not tell us exactly how you feel now that you're an owner? What would you like to see changed on Nokia's next attempt? What measures up? What falls short? You've got one shot (maybe two, depending on the mood of our comment system) -- don't screw it up.

Nokia / InterDigital patent drama continues with ITC ruling in Espoo's favor

2009-08-15T04:09:00.001-07:00

Corporate legal teams are so large, so powerful, and often so evenly-matched that when you combine them with the glacial wheels of justice, patent disputes can take years to resolve -- in fact, we'd say it's the rule rather than the exception -- and inevitably, they end in anticlimactic fashion with the alleged offender agreeing to shell out some fraction of the plaintiff's original request in exchange for sweeping the whole matter under the rug. Nokia's had its fair share of such spats, and one that's been dogging the company for a good long while now is with InterDigital, which has been systematically targeting firms in the industry for years with claims that it holds patents inherently required for UMTS -- in other words, if you make UMTS gear, you automatically owe InterDigital money. Of course, Nokia has been politely disagreeing with that claim all along, and the US International Trade Commission has just issued an initial determination in its favor, saying that it doesn't violate the four patents InterDigital's all worked up over. For the record, the US ITC has been investigating this issue for a solid two years now, so yeah, if someone's ripping off your IP, don't expect a speedy resolution. The commission's initial determination will be followed by a final, binding determination this December; in the meantime; Espoo "will continue to present its case." Now that we think about it, we're pretty sure we saw this episode of Law & Order already.

Palm Pre, iPhone 3GS owners' satisfaction polled, compared in new study

2009-08-15T04:08:00.001-07:00

Studies just released by RBC Capital and ChangeWave Research polled iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre owners on their respective levels of satisfaction with their devices -- then compared them. In the studies, 200 iPhone 3GS users and 40 Palm Pre owners were polled. Overall, 99 percent of owners of Apple's phone proclaimed themselves to be "satisfied," while 82 percent of that number declared they were "very satisfied." The poll of Pre owners showed that 87 percent are "satisfied," and 45 percent of those owners describe themselves as "very satisfied." Interestingly, the 42 percent of "very satisfied" customers are the highest score ever attained by a Palm device, and it's a number that's only ever been bested by RIM and Apple. When asked about their respective reasons for buying their devices, Palm Pre owners listed the touchscreen interface, ability to multitask, and ease of use in the top three, while iPhone users cite its touchscreen, ease of use and faster web browsing as its biggest draws. So what about drawbacks? iPhone users (a whopping 55 percent of them, in fact) say that AT&T's network is their main gripe with the device, while Pre owners list short battery life and lack of third party apps as the devices biggest drawbacks. All in all, a pretty good showing for both -- though the microscopic sample size (especially for the Palm Pre) makes us wonder about the validity of the findings a bit.

Starline NB1000 netbook's giant, invisible touchpad is the only thing it's got going for it

2009-08-15T04:07:00.003-07:00

Starline -- a Hong Kong-based PC manufacturer -- has unleashed the netbook you see above, the NB1000. This 10-incher's got all the standard, yawn-inducing specs -- an Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB HDD, three USB ports, plus ethernet and VGA ports. The thing that makes this little guy stand out? Well, it's got a massive touchpad running all along the palm rest beneath the keyboard, and that's enough for us to want one -- or at least to touch one, repeatedly. Sadly, this baby is a Hong Kong-only affair, and runs HK$2,498 (about $322), but there's a video of it after the break.

Zune 4.0 software won't play nice with HDTV Media Center recordings

2009-08-15T04:07:00.001-07:00

With the launch of the Zune HD and the CEDIA show just around the corner, we've been hoping this could mean an all new integrated future for Windows Media Center and other Microsoft platforms -- until now. As a few commenters pointed out yesterday, the corrected spec sheet received from Microsoft indicated HDTV and protected Windows Media Center DVR-MS (the files used by Vista Media center) recordings were not supported. We reached out for clarification and received the following:

"Zune HD, and the forthcoming Zune 4.0 PC software, will support and transcode Windows Media Center recorded TV file formats from Windows Vista or Windows 7 that contain MPEG-2 video, in either the DVR-MS or WTV formats. Support is limited to unencrypted SD and HD recordings. HD Files with AC3 audio are not supported by Zune."

As you may or may not be aware, at least in the U.S. , and most other countries, any high definition broadcasts you snag from antenna, ClearQAM or otherwise use Dolby Digital AC-3 audio, meaning the Zune software won't be able to convert them. Current workarounds for bringing Media Center recordings on the go should still be a go, but all we can see is the missed opportunity to tie the two platforms together with easy one click transcoding support. Hopefully Microsoft still has something up its sleeve to pull together Zune and Windows 7 Media Center, but portable DVR recordings ain't it.

Palm prepping Pre with North American GSM, but for whom?

2009-08-15T04:06:00.002-07:00

Palm seems to be making an active, conscientious effort to say as little as it can about the GSM version of the Pre, possibly in an effort to give Sprint as much spotlight as possible before its exclusivity expires -- but as we all know, it's real and it's coming. Thing is, Palm has always implied that it's being limited to European duty with a 3G radio that fails to cover bands that are of any interest to North Americans, so what the heck is this noise all about? Multiple certification bodies are now reporting the existence of a Pre model number P100UNA, as opposed to the P100UEU that's launching in Europe -- and it doesn't take a lot of detective work to gather that those codes on the end stand for "North America" and "European Union," respectively (for the record, the CDMA version on Sprint is P100EWW, so it ain't that). One distinct possibility is that Palm's preparing a version to cover Bell's new HSPA network since the carrier is Palm's exclusive Pre launch partner in Canada and they're smack in the middle of a transition from CDMA -- and needless to say, if that's the case, there'll be an unprecedented effort to get that sucker unlocked on the double.

WildCharge brings 'wireless' charging to hundreds of devices

2009-08-15T04:06:00.001-07:00

We know you're jealous of your friends' ability to charge up their RAZRs and iPhones sans wires, so how would you feel if we told you that WildCharge's newest solution -- the PowerDisc -- would allow you to use its WildCharger with literally hundreds of devices? It's true! All you need to charge your previously incompatible hardware wirelessly is this one little wire that attaches the PowerDisc to the PowerLink adapter for your Nokia, Palm, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Micro USB, or Mini USB device. Available on its own for $19.99 or bundled with the WildCharge pad for $64.99. And it looks like the PowerDisc also includes a lanyard -- we know how much you love lanyards! So, have you ordered one yet or what?

Next-gen iPod touch photos supposedly leak out; Cocktail part of Apple announcement? (Updated)

2009-08-15T04:05:00.001-07:00

No surprise that the Zune HD announcement has resulted in a flurry of iPod rumors, and there's a couple good ones going around today. Obviously the big news is a set of photos purporting to show a next-gen touch with a camera -- the sourcing and the backdrop in some of the pics make it feel like it's a publicity stunt, but the shots of the motherboard next to a current-gen touch's board seem convincing -- especially because of Apple's recent propensity to leak this sort of thing. The other piece of news? CNET says that whatever Apple does next month, the new Cocktail "next-generation album cover" will be a part of it, at least according to "multiple music industry sources." That might link into the major labels' CMX initiative, it might have something to do with iTunes 9, it might be a fun little Tom Cruise movie, or it might be nothing at all -- but it sure seems like we're in for a hell of a September.

Update: As commenter Joseph pointed out, these look pretty fake when you zoom in Photoshop -- there's a distinct square of pixels around the lens. Nice publicity stunt, guys -- we'll totally start listening to your show now.

Update 2: After seeing some high res versions of these pics, we think we can safely rule out the JPG artifacting as the tell-tale sign that these are fake. You know what we can't rule out? The really bad looking Photoshop work around the lens. Much clearer pic after the break. [Thanks for the pic, Manny]

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXI: Nokla E97 probably looks much better than it performs Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXI: Nokla E97 probably looks m

2009-08-15T04:04:00.001-07:00

You know what? The Nokla E97 is not a bad looking handset. Of course, with a 2.2-inch touchscreen, things could get ugly real quick if the UI isn't up to snuff -- and we're guessing it ain't. And sure, the detachable keyboard looks a little flimsy -- but all in all, not too shabby for 800 yuan, or about $117 (before you factor in the flight to China, of course). Also featured: handwriting recognition, dual SIM card slots, FM radio, and an MP3 player. But really, with a device like this what you're paying for is the class and prestige associated with the Nokla name. And how can you put a price on that? More photos after the break.

Verizon tests first data connections on LTE network in Seattle and Boston

2009-08-15T04:03:00.002-07:00

Big Red's flexing its 4G muscle today, announcing that it has successfully completed the first true tests on its nascent LTE network -- end-to-end data calls that presumably approximate real-world usage. The action actually happened way back on July 15 in Seattle, while Boston just went down today -- the two markets where Verizon said it'd be running the first trials -- both on 700MHz spectrum won not terribly long ago. LG and Samsung provided the mysterious, unspecified "trial devices," but don't worry, Motorola fans -- Verizon says they've got devices in the pipeline as well. Both Seattle and Boston currently have ten LTE cell sites live as the carrier trudges toward a 2010 date with destiny when it'll take "up to 30" markets live, at which point EV-DO and HSPA will theoretically feel like trying to send packets via carrier pigeon. Progress!

Update: We just spoke with Verizon Wireless CTO Tony Melone to expand a bit on the trials. Here are some of the key takeaways:

* Though they're not talking speeds with these trials specifically, they're confident in saying that everything's in line for 7-12Mbps down and 3-5Mbps up at launch.
* The trials are being conducted on commercial LTE base station hardware, but everything else is prototype (and changing very rapidly). The end-user equipment doesn't currently resemble anything you'd actually buy.
* Data modems will be the priority at launch, which makes sense considering the amount of industry flux with regard to voice over LTE. Though Verizon believes the solution will ultimately be some form of VoIP, there are several outstanding issues, including handling of 911 calls.
* Everything in the trial so far leads Verizon to believe that they're on track for a 30-market launch in 2010.
* This doesn't spell the end of EV-DO deployments -- far from it. Melone says that upgrades could continue all the way through to the initial LTE launch and beyond.

LG X130 goes from dawn till dusk on standard 9-cell battery

2009-08-15T04:03:00.001-07:00

12 hours. That, according to LG, is the new benchmark by which all wannabe long-lasting laptops will have to measure up. Of course, we've seen similar aftermarket solutions before, but it's good to see a manufacturer stick a flag in the ground -- and a big rump on the back -- in the race for the highest endurance netbook. And boy is the X130 a netbook: 1024 x 600 resolution, 10-inch screen and the predictable Atom N270 et al. Koreans can grab one now for 789,000 Won ($639), with almost worldwide availability to follow shortly. Check out our review of the X120 for a flavor of LG's history in the market, while we go look for actual benchmarks undermining that legendary battery life claim.

HTC Leo rendered again -- maybe by HTC, more likely by fans

2009-08-15T04:02:00.001-07:00

So here's what we know about the Leo with some certainty: it's going to be awesomely high-end. Other than that, though, the sky's the limit; no spec is too wild, no physical design too outlandish until we actually get some official information (or at least some really solid leaks). We wouldn't call these latest renders "solid" by any stretch -- in fact, we're willing to bet it's the result of a daydreamer with some graphic design background -- but we want to believe, especially since the front is basically consistent with what we've seen previously. Imagine a rounded-off Touch HD with WinMo 6.5, a 1GHz Snapdragon, and a 5 megapixel cam accompanied by two high-output LEDs. We love the stylish "Pro.Three" branding (and we guess we're going to forgive the "lorem ipsum" gibberish beneath it since this is a rough, unbranded render), but there are a few holes in this story: for one, we still don't know how this dovetails with Firestone; two, the Touch Pro2 just came out, so we're not sure why they'd release a device with the conflicting "Pro.Three" name so soon thereafter, particularly in a different form factor; and three, this might make more sense as one of HTC's inaugural WinMo 7 devices. Given the rumored pie-in-the-sky October availability date, we'll get this sorted out soon enough.

Sony to court iPhone devs, match App Store pricing?

2009-08-15T04:01:00.000-07:00

We've known for a while now that "snackable" content (inexpensive apps for instant gratification) was in the cards for the PSP, a fact that supports rumours reported by Pocket Gamer that handheld games for the PlayStation Network will be priced in the €1-5 range -- on par with Apple's App Store. In addition, it seems that the company has been "actively sourcing" iPhone developers to bring their existing titles to PSN. Who knows? Maybe the quick'n'easy approach to games (and someday apps?) will take some of the sting out of the PSPgo's "premium" price point. Either way, if all this is true it's turning out to be a red letter day for iPhone devs.

Ainol announces V8000HD PMPs with HDMI, h.264 support

2009-08-15T03:59:00.000-07:00

Well, well... it looks like Microsoft isn't the only company overhauling, upgrading, and generally "swankifying" its handheld devices. We just received a dispatch from iMP3.net detailing the new V8000HD line from Ainol and, while we doubt we'll be seeing one of these guys in the States any time soon, they do manage to pack a lot in a little package. Available in three flavors, the V8000HDA（4.3-inch / 800 x 480), V8000HDB (4.3-inch / 480 x 272), and V8000HDG (5-inch / 800 x 480) are being billed as PVPs (Portable Video Players) -- because, you know, there aren't enough arbitrary product categories out there as it is. According to the company, the PVP concept centers around full support for the H.264 codec (up to 1280 x 720), HDMI output (in addition to your standard component and A/V outs), and hi-def audio support. Also included is a USB port for access to external storage. No word on prices or release date, but we'll keep you posted. In the meantime, feel free to feast your eyes on some Chinese-language PR in the gallery below.

Pre gets the on-screen keyboard it's been missing, yet has always had

2009-08-15T03:58:00.001-07:00

When we asked how you'd change Palm's Pre, one group of respondents requested a virtual keyboard, a group that should really quit its bellyaching because the phone already has one... it just doesn't offer any particularly useful keys. That's changing thanks to the modders at WebOS Internals, who are taking the control that pops up when you hit the "sym" key and expanding it to actually contain some symbols you might use more than once a week -- like, you know, letters and jazz. They have a functional keyboard operational at this point that works in both phone orientations, but it's still decidedly pre alpha, meaning only those whose delicate thumbs are blistering on the Pre's soft, smooth, physical keys should even think about this modification right now. The team has made huge strides in just the past few days, though, so perhaps before the end of the month everyone can be soft-typing pain-free.

Myvu's Crystal EV is 30 percent more Crystal, 0 percent less ugly

2009-08-15T03:55:00.000-07:00

We know, we know -- we're a little harsh on these so-called "personal media viewers," but really, when's the last time you saw someone you would actually speak to wearing these in public? Precisely. For the introverts and social outcasts who just couldn't care less about public perception, Myvu is introducing its very latest in video eyewear: the Crystal EV. Sporting the same SolidOptix technology as the original Crystal, these buggers boast a 64-inch equivalent screen size, which amounts to a 30 percent uptick over the originals. Curiously enough, Myvu asserts that these are available to purchase right now, but it completely failed to dish out a price. Bollocks.

[Stas] Free printable cards

2009-08-15T02:34:00.000-07:00

NetFunCards.com is a place where you can get the whole lot of greeting cards and others cards to surprise your close one's. Congratulate friends and relatives with birthdays and memorable events by sending unique free animated cards. Also there you can find a wide range of free virtual cards for various occasions like federal, national and religious holidays.
Among their free greeting cards to send you will find following sections:
Congratulation cards for major holidays — ceremonial religious greeting free printable cards to print Christmas and Easter, greeting fun cards Happy New Year, humorous cards for All Fools Day, congratulations cards for Independence Day ecards, Mother's Day ecards, Halloween ecards and other favourite holidays. Also you can find only at NetFunCards.com

Xbox 360 officially the only console able to stream Netflix -- sorry, PS3 and Wii

2009-08-11T04:54:00.001-07:00

We actually had to brush the fog off of our spectacles to ensure that hazy conditions weren't clouding our comprehension abilities, but sure enough, that Netflix streaming that Xbox LIVE members have grown to love won't ever (ever!) land on Sony's PlayStation 3 nor on Nintendo's Wii. At the very bottom of Microsoft's long list of details surrounding today's Xbox LIVE update, we're clearly told that the Netflix Watch Instantly integration is now an "exclusive partnership," with Microsoft going so far as to say that the "Xbox 360 will be the only game console to offer this movie-watching experience, available to Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also Netflix unlimited plan subscribers." Of course, we'd heard rumors over the years that Netflix could sashay over to other consoles in due time, but it looks like the suits in Redmond had the foresight to lock things down while they still had a chance. So, are you reconsidering that Xbox 360 purchase, or just looking that much more intently in Roku's direction? Full blurb is after the break.

HP to sell contract-free, WWAN-equipped PCs in Japan

2009-08-11T04:53:00.001-07:00

In a presumed effort to shake up the Japanese wireless industry and provide consumers with 3G-equipped PCs that aren't tied to multi-year contracts, Hewlett-Packard has quietly announced a deal with Japan Communications that will allow its machines to be sold with SIM cards that can be used on a pay-as-you-go basis. For those unaware, JCI leases network space from NTT DoCoMo, and as part of the agreement, HP will not only get to choose which devices can connect, but it'll get to keep a nice slice of the mobile data revenue as well. Here's the crazy part: the initial wave of netbooks will be sold for between $50 and $100 sans contract. That's about what users pay in America now for subsidized WWAN-ready netbooks, but there's a two-year contract tagging along. If all goes well, we could even see full-sized laptops, smartphones and digital cameras hop on the same bandwagon, but for now, we'll be keenly watching how brisk sales are when things kick off next month.

Turtle Beach keeps tweens boasting with Ear Force X41 Xbox 360 headset

2009-08-11T04:52:00.002-07:00

Just over a year after Turtle Beach gave whining teenyboppers a decent Xbox 360 headset to annoy mature gamers with, the outfit is hitting back with the third-generation. We should caution you that these are far from a major upgrade, but those just now looking to take the plunge into cord-free bragging should find plenty to appreciate. The Ear Force X41 cans claim to handle Dolby 7.1 channel surround sound, but given that there are precisely two ear cups here, we're somewhat (read: tremendously) skeptical of said claims. At any rate, the RF-based headphones now sport a dedicated Digital Signal Processor along with a feature that will likely entice young brats and frighten those with actual jobs: Chat Boost. As you can imagine, this enables users to automatically jack the volume of the Xbox Live chat as the game gets louder, which -- in our experience -- is probably not a good thing. Those with the patience of Job can buy in anyway for a nickle under $200.

Apple reinstates matte display option on 15-inch MacBook Pro, charges $50 for it

2009-08-11T04:52:00.001-07:00

We'd heard just under a month ago that Apple was mulling the possibility of adding matte display options to more than just its flagship 17-inch MacBook Pro, and lo and behold, it seems the anti-glare revolution has begun. Starting now (like, right now), those in the market for a new unibody 15-inch MacBook Pro can order one directly from Apple with an anti-glare widescreen display, packing 1,440 x 900 pixels and a LED backlight. Sadly, the privilege will run you an extra $50 over the traditional mirrored glossy panel, and it will replace that svelte borderless look present on glossy MBPs with a silver frame bezel (check here to see just what we mean). A brief look around Apple's international sites also shows it available elsewhere in the world for similar amounts, though we're still curious as to what machine will be next in line for the upgrade, er, "option."

Bluetooth-enabled Modula therapy lamp changes color via cellphone

2009-08-11T04:50:00.000-07:00

Details are exceedingly light (almost dangerously light, in fact), but the Modula color therapy lamp is simply too soothing to overlook. The three-ringed lamp is built with a slew of multi-color lights (LEDs, we're guessing), all wired up to be controlled via Bluetooth. The video demonstration shows a Sony Ericsson W880i doing the dirty work, but there's no indication of how exactly end users are supposed to accomplish the color changing once it arrives. Those in the camp of "buy now, ask questions later" can get their pre-order in through the read link, but considering that only an EU-friendly 230V version is currently available, those on this side of the pond will need to invest in some serious converters to make it all compatible. The pain? Just €199 ($281) for hours upon hours of endless entertainment.

Logitech's Harmony 900 remote controls components behind closed doors

2009-08-11T04:49:00.000-07:00

Remember Logitech's Harmony Adapter for PS3? How could you forget, right? Turns out a similar device is shipping alongside the company's fresh Harmony 900 remote, as it seeks to turn RF signals into IR commands that components in your AV rack can understand. The device ships with an IR blaster and two "mini blasters," all of which work together in order to get crucial instructions from your remote to devices neatly hidden behind closed doors. The remote itself packs a full color touchscreen and can pull down codes for over 225,000 devices, and there's also a rechargeable battery and a base station to keep things juiced up when not in use. As with most Harmony remotes, this setup definitely won't run you cheap, with the entire kit getting priced at $399.99 when it ships later this month.

Update: Looks like CNET has a review up, and we'd say the bottom line pretty much sums it up: "The Logitech Harmony 900 is, hands down, the best universal remote control we've ever tested."

Kingston dials things up to 256GB with new SSDNow V+ line

2009-08-11T04:48:00.000-07:00

Kingston is still a relative newcomer to the SSD game, but it looks like it's already well on its way to endless, somewhat confusing product refreshes, with it now rolling out three drives in its new SSDNow V+ line. Available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB capacities, the new drives best the previous non-plus SSDNow V line with read and write speeds up to 220MB/sec and 180MB/sec, respectively, and pack some higher input and output operations per second (or IOPS) to boot, which should also help to deliver an overall boost in speed. As you might expect, however, while things start a somewhat reasonable $254 for the 64GB model, things get decidedly more out of reach from there, with the 128GB drive running $500 firm, and the 256GB drive setting you back a hefty $992.

BlackBerry 9700's arranged marriage to T-Mobile leaves its mark, seen in the wild

2009-08-11T04:47:00.000-07:00

Sure, it's more or less just a BlackBerry Onyx with a trackpad, but slap a T-Mobile logo on it, and the excitement is all rejuvenated. Such a device was spotted in the wild by the folks at Crackberry, sporting a silver chrome and a leather-clad battery cover. Not much to say here, but with that branding, we're hoping it's not long before heading into the consumer channels. Don't worry AT&T friends, we're sure your GSM-equipped 9700 is just around the corner, too.

Roku Video player now streaming live HD baseball games from MLB.TV

2009-08-11T04:46:00.000-07:00

We've always loved the Roku Video Player, and it's getting even more flexible over time -- in addition to Netflix and Amazon video rentals, the $99 box can now play, pause, and rewind live HD baseball games in 720p from MLB.TV, as well as play archived games from the previous week on demand. You'll have to pay the one-time MLB.TV subscription fee of $35, but that's not terrible, especially if you're an out-of-market fan looking to catch your favorite team without having to trek out to a bar. Now if only the NFL would let anyone but DirecTV carry Sunday Ticket, we'd be all set.

Dell's China-bound smartphone possibly called 'mini 3i,' but questions abound

2009-08-11T04:45:00.000-07:00

Alright, you know how Dell's seemingly been going through hell and high water for years now to try to bring a smartphone or two to market? China's been a special focus of this clandestine effort, and we've got some new information here -- possibly. Chinese site NetEase is reporting on an email supposedly received by developers on China Mobile's Mobile Market mailing list, discussing a handful of S60, WinMo, and Android-based Open Mobile System (OMS) devices that the carrier would really love devs to concentrate on as Mobile Market goes live and tries to gain some footing. Most of the content is mundane, but there's a section for an OMS device called the Dell "mini 3i," a name that would certainly fall right in line with Dell's branding -- but there are a couple issues here. First, the phone is said to operate on China Mobile's legacy GSM network, not the homegrown TD-SCDMA 3G tech that the carrier is working diligently to deploy right now; it seems illogical at best for Dell to get into the game with a phone that's immediately walloped by Lenovo with its 3G-capable O1 as the first volley of OMS phones comes to market over the coming weeks. Secondly there's absolutely zero discussion about the supposed email on OMS' official forums, which seems odd if the email's real. To its credit, the claimed 640 x 360 -- that's a perfect 16:9, if you can't be bothered to get out your graphing calculator -- sounds about right to match the rumored shot we've seen floating around lately, but we're still staying guarded on this one until we hear something official from the folks in Austin or Hong Kong.

TG Sambo announces trifecta of Full HD 16:9 monitors

2009-08-11T04:43:00.002-07:00

TG Sambo is all set to refresh its display line with four new models, three of them proudly pimping full 1080p panels and making your 4:3 display look all the more tired and washed up. The 24-inch TGL 2400A, 23-inch 2300A and 21.6-inch 2250A all have an integrated digital TV tuner, 2ms response time, 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio (which probably means real contrast is around 500:1), HDMI, DVI, VGA, and menu presets for internet, movie and gaming use. There's also a similarly outfitted 2000A version, which alas loses the 1920 x 1080 resolution. Only the price for the biggest 'un is known at present: 449,000 KRW ($336), but the PR indicates "the second half of the market strategy is to attack," so we'll go ahead and assume availability is coming shortly.

USAA's Deposit@Mobile app puts check deposits a mug shot away

2009-08-11T04:43:00.001-07:00

The problem with banks, you see, is that they're one of the few remaining weak links in our ultimate goal of eliminating all human interaction. If you've got a check you need to deposit in your account, you've got to trek all the way out to your local branch; sure, granted, you can slip the check in an ATM, but your odds of encountering another living creature in the process of doing that are nonzero. Fortunately, USAA -- which counts military personnel as a significant percentage of its customer base -- is helping to close that loop with its "Deposit@Mobile" service, a component of its just-launched mobile banking app in the iPhone's App Store. The secret, you see, lies in the iPhones magical camera which can "take" a "picture" of the check, transmit it to USAA, and boom -- your cash is instantly deposited. No muss, no fuss, and no pesky people to get between you and your hard-earned cash. Of course, that doesn't change the fact that you've got to get the check from someone in the first place... but, you know, one thing at a time.

Tony Hawk: RIDE makes official US debut on November 17th

2009-08-11T04:41:00.002-07:00

Turns out GameStop's October 13th listing for Tony Hawk: RIDE was just a hair off, to the tune of 36 days or so. Activison Blizzard's sent word today that the skating simulator's official North American launch is set for November 17th -- plenty of time to practice your faux ollies before showing your family some virtual board skills over Thanksgiving meals. Additionally, Europe's now official for November 20th, but we already heard that last week. No word on pricing, but across the pond, GAME.co.uk is pushing that £99 / $168 figure pretty hard, and while we're willing to bet that's the official Europe price, we're not convinced that's any indication of what we'll be paying stateside.

Verbatim Tuff-Clip flash drives for the adventure nerd

2009-08-11T04:41:00.001-07:00

We can't honestly say we've ever had a flash drive go bad because it wasn't tough enough, but apparently there's a market of globe-trotting ex-military jungle assassins out there big enough for Verbatim to join in with the Tuff-Clip USB stick. (Actually, it's TUFF-CLIP, because all-caps names are water-resistant to 100 feet.) Of course, you'll have to pay for those rugged good looks: the 4GB version is $30, while the 8GB is $50. Not exactly a steal when you consider this Hello Kitty stick we've been using cost us nothing more than our pride.

Onkyo TX-NR807 and TX-SR707 receivers keep the updates rolling

2009-08-11T04:39:00.000-07:00

More than a few people have been interested in Onkyo's x07 receiver updates, and now the newness has come to the TX-SR707 and TX-NR807 models. The outgoing TX-SR706 and TX-SR806 models are well-specced to begin with, and thankfully Onkyo didn't mess with that formula. As you can guess from the "NR" designation, the $1,099 TX-NR807 adds in network streaming (including Pandora, Rhapsody, DLNA and Windows 7) to the 135-Watt/channel output. If you can do without the networking and only need 100-Watts, the TX-SR707 will save you a couple hundred bucks. Both models are THX Select2 badged, Faroudja scaling, and let you pick how to use your rear surround outputs by including both Dolby ProLogic IIz and Audyssey DSX processing. Like we said, Onkyo knows how to fill up the spec list, so head past the break for the full PR details.

SlingPlayer 1.1 for iPhone promises DISH integration for US, 3G streaming elsewhere (maybe)

2009-08-11T04:38:00.001-07:00

As history tells us time and time again, iPhone apps / updates submitted to Apple aren't a sure deal for approval. Still, we can't help but like where SlingPlayer Mobile is going with the recently-submitted version 1.1. In addition to providing true 16:9 widescreen support that stretches across the whole screen, Slingbox owners with DISH Network can now navigate using a touch-supported native browser, instead of pushing through the TV-standard browsing screen being streamed in. That last bit's great for US customers, but it's what the rest of the world might get that has our interests very piqued. The company's submitted a version for use outside of AT&T's homeland that would finally allow for streaming over a 3G connection -- again, not a certainty for approval, but we'll be most interested to see if that one makes its way through the system.

Nintendo's Iwata says Vitality Sensor is coming "not too late" in 2010

2009-08-11T04:37:00.001-07:00

We know, it's been tough waiting for word of a release date for Nintendo's Wii Vitality Sensor. Almost as tough as figuring out what it actually does. Nintendo's Satoru Iwata now looks to be clearing up a few details on both fronts, however, telling investors that the company "would like to deliver the actual product not too late in the year next year," and adding that the first game for it will have a "theme of relaxation, which is completely opposite from traditional ones, to enrich the users' lives." He also again mentioned the idea of using it to measure "how horrified a player is in a horror title" as another possibility, and compared the device to Wii Fit, which he says also initially caused people to doubt how well it would sell.

Don't let retailer's lights distract you from buying the right HDTV

2009-08-11T04:36:00.000-07:00

In case you hadn't already learned your lesson and started checking behind the displays while HDTV shopping, the HD Guru points out another element of the in-store experience that throws off buyers (and likely contributes to the LCD vs. plasma choices we find so infuriating): lighting. In case you don't recall from your last trek to a big box superstore, the lighting is quite often stuck on blinding making it nearly impossible to discern any difference in picture quality between televisions, specifically in terms of contrast and black levels (the pictures above are of the same value priced display, at left, under normal home lighting, at right, how it looks under some store lighting setups.) Tested with an illuminance meter, all the stores (except Best Buy's Magnolia showrooms) averaged well above home ambient lighting levels, with Wal-Mart and Costco measuring the highest at 411.66 and 742.77 lux. Still, there's tips on how to get a good idea of a TV's black levels even under those circumstances, plus some choice words left over for the incredible (and useless) dynamic contrast ratio numbers every manufacturer trots out these days, so go ahead and get educated.

New 'flow router' may save the Internet from collapsing under the weight of all your v-blog posts

2009-08-11T04:34:00.000-07:00

The prospects of a Future Inevitable Internet Collapse™ has some of our readers seriously freaked out. You know the type -- they live in places like Idaho and Montana, in fortified mountaintop retreats, where they hoard digital media like it was canned food in December 1999. And concerns over bandwidth aren't limited to a lunatic fringe -- no less august a publication than IEEE Spectrum has recently posted an article by Lawrence G. Roberts (who pretty much helped invent the modern router) in which he discusses the state of the Internet. According to Roberts, our current routers are still designed to handle much smaller amounts of data than they are currently pushing. Streaming data only works at all, he says, due to extreme over-provisioning -- "Network operators," he says, are throwing "bandwidth at a problem that really requires a computing solution."

One possible solution is something called "flow management." Instead of routing each packet individually, a flow router attaches an ID to each packet in a specific stream ("flow"). After the first packet is routed, each subsequent packet with the same ID is sent along the same route -- cutting down on time and on the amount of lost packets. Roberts' company, Anagran, has one such device on the market now -- the FR-1000, which he says consumes one fifth the power of a comparable (traditional) router, one tenth the space, and should reduce operating costs in GB/s by a factor of ten. And this, dear readers, may be the key to the survival of the Internet -- that is, until the robots get us.

NVIDIA inks deal for SLI support on Intel Core i5, i7 systems

2009-08-11T04:32:00.002-07:00

The relationship between the two companies may have descended to the level of a schoolyard fight at times, but it looks like NVIDIA and Intel are now doing their best to get along -- in public, at least -- united, in part, by AMD's entirely in-house CrossFire graphics solution. This latest gesture of goodwill comes in the form of an announcement that NVIDIA will indeed be licensing its SLI graphics technology to Intel and various motherboard manufacturers for use in upcoming Core i5 and Core i7-based systems, which Intel describes as the "perfect complement" for each other. Intel further goes on to say that "NVIDIA and Intel share a combined passion for furthering the PC as the definitive platform for gaming," while unconfirmed reports also have NVIDIA holding up its fingers in a comical gesture behind Intel's head during the announcement.

Samsung ST1000 GPS-enabled camera appears in blurrycam shot

2009-08-11T04:32:00.001-07:00

We've been waiting for some more compact cameras with integrated GPS features to hit the market, and this blurry shot of an upcoming Samsung ST1000 gives us a little hope. It's actually looking like a pretty hot piece of kit in addition to the geotagging features, with a 12 megapixel sensor with ISO 4800 sensitivity behind a stabilized 5x zoom lens, 3.5-inch touchscreen with gesture support, face detection that prioritizes the most-common faces, and WiFi support all cooked in. The rumor says we're looking at an August 13 launch, so we should know more soon -- hopefully the £349 ($580) price tag is a bit more reasonable when it officially comes Stateside. Hit the read link for some more shots.

Intel's Core i5 750 spotted in the box, hastily removed and photographed

2009-08-10T04:36:00.002-07:00

If you're itching to get your hands on Intel's latest mid-range supremo, here's another good sign. Last week it was a dual-retail listing of the so-called 570 entrant of the upcoming Core i5 line, now we have pictures of the 750's retail box and specs -- making us wonder if, perhaps, those two retailers don't share a case of mild dyslexia. This new source has a definite case of Русский язык, but from what we can glean from our high-school Russian lessons (and a little help from The Googles) this is, again, a 2.66GHz chip with 8MB of cache that's due in the very near future. This site mentions the price as "estimated at $196," a bit cheaper than we've seen so far and perhaps good tidings for bargains to come. Stay tuned for more info on that front, but go ahead and click on over for more pictures of this chip and its companion heat sink.

Samsung's AMOLED-packin' YP-M1 PMP available in Korea, secret sauce still unknown

2009-08-10T04:36:00.001-07:00

Surely we aren't the only technophiles in attendance champing at the bit to find out if Samsung's fresh YP-M1 has some of NVIDIA's hotness inside, but it seems as if we'll still have to wait a bit longer to find out. Right on cue, the AMOLED-equipped portable media player has launched over in South Korea, bringing with it a laundry list of supported file formats, a WQVGA panel, up to 32GB of inbuilt storage and even a DMB TV tuner. If anyone feels like sashaying over to Seoul in order to crack one open and find out what it's really made of, then by all means, be our guest. Just try not to wander too close to that DMZ -- we hear Bill Clinton's rescue fees are through the roof.

Webcycle provides pedal-powered internet, reason to dodge browser-enlarging Flash sites

2009-08-10T04:34:00.000-07:00

Need an excuse to get some cardio into your life? Can't live without ye old internet? Thanks to Matt Grey and Tom Scott, the answer to your weight loss woes is pictured above. The aptly-titled Webcycle is essentially a sensor-laden fitness bike that requires users to pedal faster in order to snag more throughput. An Ubuntu-based laptop is wired up to an Arduino and an array of sensors that allow more bits and bytes to seep through based on how hard the rider is working. A simple slow pedal is all it takes to load mobile pages and text-heavy sites, but if you're hoping to actually watch the video after the break, you'll certainly need to kick things up a notch. Pure brilliance, we say.

I-O Data's SEG Clip brings 1seg mobile TV to iPhone and PC

2009-08-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

Softbank's own 1seg tuner / battery charger was a novel idea, but leave it to trained assassins at I-O Data to really expound upon the concept and concoct something nearly worthy of relocating to Tokyo for. The new GV-SC310 SEG Clip is a relatively vanilla USB 1seg TV tuner that plugs into one's PC in order to pull down some of Japan's finest OTA programming. Once captured, users with an iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS or iPod touch can download a TVPlayer app (shown after the break) that enables them to wirelessly watch whatever content they've stored. Think of it as TiVo for your iPhone, but only for those lucky enough to live in the Land of the Rising Sun. Not too shabby for ¥6,615 ($68), huh?

Toshiba applies for BDA admission, Blu-ray players and laptops coming soon

2009-08-10T04:30:00.002-07:00

We'd already heard that Toshiba -- the outfit best known for solidly backing HD DVD during the two-year format war of the early 21st century -- was preparing to swallow its pride and kick out a Blu-ray player by the year's end, but now it's official. The outfit just announced moments ago that it has "applied for membership of the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and plans to introduce products that support the Blu-ray format." Sadly, Tosh doesn't bother to mention exactly what kinds of BD-capable wares it hopes to produce, nor is it ready to disclose product launch time frames. We'd tell you exactly how it wants us to just be patient and all, but you're probably better off hearing it directly from the horse's trap:

"In light of recent growth in digital devices supporting the Blu-ray format, combined with market demand from consumers and retailers alike, Toshiba has decided to join the BDA. Toshiba aims to introduce digital products that support the Blu-ray format, including BD players and notebook PCs integrating BD drives, in the course of this year. Details of the products, including the timing of regional launches, are now under consideration. We will make announcements in due course."

Crapgadget: "Oh yeah, they're totally serious" edition

2009-08-10T04:30:00.001-07:00

Every so often, we come across a gadget (or five) that's so offensive, so absurd that we simply can't help but stick it in our back pocket and show it to the general public. Today, we're rounding up the worst of the worst once again, proving that there literally is no end to the spewing of gadget-related garbage that comes from unknown caverns in undisclosed corners of the universe. We mean, just listen to these products: "fried eggs night light," "Bic lighter spy camera," "hungry caterpillar USB hub," and "half-eaten chocolate mouse." Does those even sound like kit that any partially sane individual would purchase? No, no it doesn't. Have a gander while shaking your head furiously below, and feel free to drop a vote for the king of the crap while venting in comments below. Trust us, it's therapeutic.

Indilinx firmware cleans dirty SSDs, restores performance while idleIndilinx firmware cleans dirty SSDs, restores performance while idle

2009-08-10T04:29:00.001-07:00

You know those quirky, not-at-all convenient issues that can cause certain solid state drives to lag with extensive use? Yeah -- not cool. Thankfully, the engineers at OCZ Technology and Indilinx are fed up, and rather than sitting around doing nothing, they've both collaborated on a breakthrough firmware that can actually clean and restore one's "dirtied" SSD while the drive sits idle. In short, the firmware instructs the SSD to perform a "garbage collection" process in order to mitigate the unwanted block re-writing quandary, where the drive actively seeks and removes garbage that hinders read / write performance when handling small chunks of data. The crew over at HotHardware managed to run a few speed tests with said firmware firmly implemented, and the results are downright shocking: after just five minutes of idle time, the SSD was restored to near new, with an hour of downtime being enough to "totally restore" performance. Don't believe us? Give that read link a tap, bub.

Sony laptops can't use Windows 7's XP mode due to disabled hardware virtualization

2009-08-10T04:27:00.000-07:00

Bad news for VAIO owners out there hoping to use Windows 7's XP mode or run any other hardcore virtual machine applications -- Sony disables the required hardware virtualization features of its laptops for "security reasons." That means XP Mode won't work on any VAIOs, but there's hope yet: Sony's Xavier Lauwaert says that the company will re-enable VT on "select models." We'll see what that means going forward -- XP Mode is a niche feature, but it's still pretty lame for Sony to be intentionally disabling hardware features.

HTC Touch Pro2 spotted again, this time with AT&T branding -- to be called Tilt 2?

2009-08-10T04:24:00.000-07:00

Alright, listen up: we're going to play a little game we like to call, "what carrier isn't getting the Touch Pro2?" Sound easy? Not so fast, partner -- this bad boy gets around like a record, if you know what we're saying. In fact, the beefy, all-business WinMo superphone is well on its way to becoming the first handset carried by every top-tier North American carrier in we-don't-know-how-long (granted, we don't have solid intel on Bell or Rogers, but we wouldn't be surprised to see them coming). We suspected AT&T was signed up for it some time ago, and now we've got it snapped in the flesh, complete with an AT&T logo conveniently assigned as the function on the down key. We don't know when this'll be available, but seeing how all notions of exclusivity appear to be out of the window on this one, we could see an announcement any day now. Better list that Fuze on eBay now, ladies and gentlemen.

[Thanks, Ahres]

Update: It'd stand to reason that this is going to be branded Tilt 2 in light of the screen shot posted earlier; kinda strange that AT&T would return to the Tilt branding, but... you know, marketing departments work in mysterious ways that we'll never understand.

Sprint HTC Touch Pro2 shows up sporting a 3.5mm headphone jack

2009-08-10T04:23:00.001-07:00

We already knew the CDMA HTC Touch Pro2 headed to Telus and Verizon had been upgraded with a 3.5mm headphone jack, so it's not a huge surprise that the Sprint version has one too, but it's still nice to see proof. Still no word on a release date or pricing, but if these things are sneaking out there like this we can't imagine we have long to wait.

VIZIO VBR100 Blu-ray player freed from superstore confines, unboxed on video

2009-08-10T04:22:00.000-07:00

We'd heard VIZIO's VBR100 BD-Live ready (& timed Wal-mart exclusive) Blu-ray player would be making an appearance this month, and our friends over at FormatWarCentral have not only spotted the rare bird in the wild, but brought one home and performed a video unboxing for all to experience. Be prepared for bad news like a lack of high definition cables included in the $178 package, though coax and optical audio outputs plus the too often-forgotten rear mounted USB port are welcome bonuses. Still avoiding the potential trampling issue at Wal-mart? Other stores should have a similar VBR110 model soon, check the video beyond the link or embedded after the break and imagine the packaging splayed about your own living room.

Zune HD interface and media playback demoed on video

2009-08-10T04:21:00.001-07:00

Looks like Microsoft wasn't able to keep all the cameras away from the Zune HD at the gdgt launch party in San Francisco after all -- we just got tipped this video of a hands-on demo showing the interface and media playback. The OLED screen looks lovely as always, and the UI appears to be fluid and smooth, but we're a little bummed that the multitouch browser doesn't make an appearance. Still, it's definitely intriguing stuff -- hop on past the break to check it out.

Walls are no longer a limitation for U-verse with new RF Point Anywhere remote

2009-08-10T04:20:00.001-07:00

For those who have far too often felt confined by having to point remotes at the devices being controlled, news of AT&T's new Point Anywhere RF remote for its U-Verse customers should be a sweet siren song. The relatively simple remote is backlit for your convenience, letting home theater owners hide their set-tops away in a closet without having to go all aftermarket for a control solution. Changing channels from previously impossible areas like the bathroom, kitchen or outside comes at a cost of $49 for the remote and USB dongle, available from AT&T's online store beyond the read link.

Nokia 5530 XpressMusic out of box, handled on video, preferred over 5800

2009-08-10T04:19:00.002-07:00

As far as we're concerned, Nokia's 5530 XpressMusic far and away out-classes its more expensive older brother the 5800, even if it is lacking in the 3G department. British phone retailer mobiles.co.uk thought it best to tease us with an unboxing video of their own, along with some quick impressions of the touchscreen device. It's certainly a looker, and a sleek device they're pretty confident will do well. Some of the S60 5th edition additions are very welcomed, such as the new scrolling contacts bar, but for better and for worse (mostly worse), it's still S60. See it for yourself after the break, and if you wish really hard, there's a good chance this still won't get 3G, but at least you can say you tried.

RAmos T11 RK boasts 720p H.264 support, a stylish but all too familiar UI

2009-08-10T04:19:00.001-07:00

Decent design, nice specs, bargain price, and a pretty poor chance of coming stateside? Yep, this must be RAmos. Its latest touchscreen media device, the T11 RK, sports the same Rockchip RK2806 processor as the Terminator T12, and also has a 5-inch, 800 x 480 display, 8GB internal memory, 720p TV out, FM radio, and support for numerous codecs including H.264 HD, DivX, XviD, MPG, and FLV. As you can tell from the picture above, it's also wielding the ever-important clock and calendar widgets, as well as a dock with some all-too-familiar, borderline KIRF inspiration, although judging by the other pictures, the UI is overall pretty classy. If you find yourself in China, this baby can be yours for 699 Yuan, or about $102 in US currency, and if not, feel free to live vicariously through the video after the break.

Hitachi one-ups WD with industry-first 2TB 7200RPM 3.5-inch hard drive

2009-08-06T05:15:00.000-07:00

Western Digital may have been first to launch a two terabyte 3.5-inch desktop hard drive, but it's Hitachi snagging the first 7200RPM 2TB crown (WD's entry hummed along at 5400RPM). Launched today, the 2TB Deskstar 7K2000 also features 32MB of cache and a 3Gbps SATA interface, but unfortunately, few other details are being disclosed. As in, there's no pricing or release information whatsoever. In related news, the company is also refreshing its 7200RPM Deskstar 7K1000.C line, which is available in sizes ranging from 160GB to 1TB. The full, completely unprovocative press release is just after the break.

Sony's Party-shot dock snaps incriminating Facebook photos while you drink

2009-08-06T05:07:00.002-07:00

As if your Facebook profile doesn't have enough hard evidence that you're completely unfit for any job you might strike up the courage to apply for, here's a thoughtful accessory for producing even more regret-inducing snapshots. Launched tonight alongside Sony's DSC-WX1 and DSC-TX1 Cyber-shot digicams, the $150 IPT-DS1 Party-shot (ships in September) is a newfangled camera dock that pans 360 degrees and tilts 24 degrees, automatically detects faces, adjusts composition and takes photos for you. It's like the GigaPan, sans the whole "useful panorama" aspect. The dock can churn for up to 11 hours on a pair of AA batteries (an optional AC adapter is also available), though at least for now, it only works with the aforesaid TX1 and WX1 models. Also of note, anyone with half an ounce of dignity will likely freak out and leave upon seeing this set up at your next shindig. Just sayin'.

Sony's CyberShot DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1 cameras boast pet-friendly settings, 'Exmor R' sensor for low-light scenarios

2009-08-06T05:07:00.001-07:00

If you've been waiting on the edge of your seat for some confirmation of last month's leak of the CyberShot DSC-TX1 and DSC-WS1, wait no longer. Sony's just gone official with the pair of 10.2 megapixel point and shoots, and they're about what you were expecting. The WX1 (pictured left) sports a Sony G lens, 2.7-inch LCD, 5x optical zoom with f/2.5 max aperture, 720p HD movie recording (MPEG4 format), and a new "Exmor R" back illuminated CMOS sensor for better low-light handling. The fancier TX1 has the same Exmor R sensor and 720p movie mode, but also comes with a 3-inch LCD and Carl Zeiss Vario-Tesar lens with 4x telescopic zoom. Both beauts possess the same anti-motion blur and multi-shot modes found in the DSC-HX1, as well as a BIONZ processor, facial detection, smile shutter (for snapping shots when people are smiling, of course), wide panorama capabilities, 10 frames per second burst shooting, and a "pet mode" for taking pictures of your little loved ones, helping to alleviate issues with blurring and pet red-eye. You want street date and price? WX1's coming in October for $350, black only, while the TX1's due out in September for $380 and a palette choice of silver, gray, pink, and blue. Full press release after the break.

Update: Akihabara News got some hands-on time during the Japanese unveiling.

Verizon-branded Touch Pro2 plays 'spot the difference' with previous spy shot

2009-08-06T05:04:00.001-07:00

It's been some time since we last spotted HTC's Touch Pro2 in the wild with a Verizon tattoo, and yet, there's a tinge of unfamiliarity with these new shots. For whatever reason, on this model the HTC logo has been banished to the opposite reaches of the front display, whereas previously it was fit to share space right next to the Verizon logo / check mark. Everything else seems to be identical, however, including any indication of when and for how much we'll be able to pick one up ourselves. Hey VZW, how's that fire sale of the original Touch Pro coming along?

Update: As a good number of readers have pointed out, there's now also video of the phone, with 3.5mm headphone jack to boot. See it after the break.

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXIX: we see right through the N68's antics

2009-08-06T05:03:00.000-07:00

f you absolutely, positively must be able to see the palm of your hand while dialing, you might think that LG's lovely GD900 is the only game in town -- but you'd be very, very wrong. In fact, for the price of a single GD900, you could have a whole army of these $70 N68s delivered to your door, each bearing a pirate's booty of knicked branding and design. From the Nokia Nseries-esque model name, to the nav button layout vaguely reminiscent of the N95, to the thick slab of Lexan masquerading as a keypad, this one's a keeper -- and if that's all not enough to convince you, the "8.0 pixels" camera around back just might seal the deal. Still not sold? See some sample output after the break.

Uber-nano nanolasers could lead to faster computers, reliable internet, neverending list of awesome things

2009-08-06T05:02:00.000-07:00

Researchers at Arizona State University and Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands have been collaborating on a project to make lasers significantly smaller than the ones that are currently available, by finding a way around the traditionally accepted diffraction limit -- the idea that the size of lasers in any one dimension (say, thickness) is limited to half of the wavelength involved. One way around the size limitation, they've found, is to use a combination of semiconductors and metals like gold and silver, which causes electron excitement which helps confine the light in a laser to smaller spaces than that of the supposed limit. Using this method, the team has created nanoscale lasers that are one quarter of the wavelength or smaller -- as opposed to the previously accepted size limitation of one half of the wavelength. As far as consumer applications go, the smaller the laser, the easier it will be to integrate them into small electronics components, leading to things like faster products and more reliable internet access. Sounds great, right? Well, chill out: they're still working on it, with no word on when we'll see any street application of the nano nanolasers.

Pentax debuts waterproof Optio WS80 alongside P80 and E80 point-and-shoots

2009-08-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Not turned on by Pentax's recently released Optio W80? How's about a colorful variant for $50 less? This fine evening, the waterproof Optio WS80 is being unveiled alongside two other entirely less enchanting point-and-shoots. The $249.95 WS80 (shown above) looks about as natural as a waterproof camera can, arriving this September in "his-and-her designs" with a 10 megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom, a sub-1-inch thick body, 2.7-inch LCD and the ability to withstand depths of up to five feet (lackluster, we know). Still, the ability to snag underwater video at 720p is a real boon, and there's even face detection, shake reduction and sensitivity modes as high as ISO 6400.

As for the other guys, the Optio P80 gets things going with a 12.1 megapixel CCD, 2.7-inch LCD, 720p (30fps) movie mode, face detection, shake reduction, a 4x wide-angle optical zoom lens (equivalent to 27.5 - 110mm focal length) and support for AA batteries. It's expected to ship this September for $199.95 in black, pearl and mint hues. Finally, the low-end E80 is pretty much the same as the P80 save for its 10 megapixel sensor, 15fps 720p movie mode and 3x optical zoom lens with a focal length equivalent to 32 - 96mm. It should also ship in September for $129.95. Check the full releases and specification sheets after the break... if you dare.

Vice President Biden announces $2.4 billion in battery-related grants

2009-08-06T04:56:00.000-07:00

It hasn't been much of a secret that the US government was planning to dole out a couple of billion in battery-related grants to automakers this week, but we only got the details on who gets what today when Vice President Joe Biden made the big announcement himself in Detroit. As you might expect, the big three automakers all got a sizable chunk of the $2.4 billion up for grabs, with GM snagging $240 million for three separate grants, Ford getting $92.7 million (part of which will fund an electric-drive-parts facility in Michigan), and Chrysler receiving $70 million to develop and deploy advanced plug-in hybrid pickups and minivans. The single biggest winner, however, is Johnson Controls Inc., which got close to $300 million to produce battery parts for hybrid and electric vehicles. Chrysler partner A123 Systems Inc. was the next highest with $249.1 million, while EnerDel got $118.5 million that it'll use for its Indianapolis plant that produces lithium-ion cells and battery packs.

Creative Zii EGG gutted for expanded FCC report

2009-08-06T04:54:00.000-07:00

Now that the cat's out of the bag on Creative's Android-powered Zii EGG, the FCC has gone ahead and released its full report on the touchscreen handheld, after giving us a teaser early last month. Now online are external and internal photos, for the gadget fiend who likes to see products gutted, and a user guide that conspicuously fails to mention its "Android" or "Plaszma" platforms at any point in the guide. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but we've got hope someone can cram a 3G chipset in that array of circuitry. Hop on through the read link to peruse the expanded report for yourself.

Mac OS X 10.5.8 now available, way less than 0.1 away from Snow Leopard

2009-08-06T04:53:00.004-07:00

Apple's just unleashed its latest 10.5 update on an unsuspecting (well, totally suspecting, actually) crowd, so go ahead and fire up Software Update and see if Cupertino's left you any 10.5.8-flavored presents under the tree. We bet you didn't expect Wednesday to be this amazingly, incredibly awesome, now, did you? Follow the break for the full changelog.

iPhone and Wiimote brought together by Bluetooth

2009-08-06T04:53:00.003-07:00

It's been a long time going, but it looks like the invisible divide between the iPhone and the Wii remote has finally been bridged through the magic of Bluetooth. That was apparently made possible thanks to the portable Bluetooth stack from the BTStack project, which got paired with some custom OpenGL-ES code to allow the Wiimote to control a virtual representation of itself on the iPhone. Practical? Of course not. But it's a Wiimote controlling an iPhone. Video after the break.

Zune HD's browser previewed, sounds just as sexy as the hardware

2009-08-06T04:53:00.001-07:00

The folks over at CNET got a quick look at a recent build of the Zune HD, and the player seems to be getting rather close to a final product. Among praise for the hardware, video playback and a quite refined music player and music discovery experience, they found the Zune HD's browser to be particularly excellent. It's been built by the IE team, which bodes well for prospective Windows Mobile 6.5 users, and it's apparently very comparable to the iPhone in features and speed. There's pinch to zoom, accelerometer-based reorientation, and a good onscreen keyboard -- no Flash, but from the pain it's inflicting on the Android browsing experience, perhaps that's a good thing.

White Samsung Galaxy spotted in the wild

2009-08-06T04:51:00.000-07:00

We just caught a glimpse of a white / silver Samsung Galaxy yesterday, but it looks like any doubts about its realness have now been put to rest, as the very same Android-based phone has now been spotted in the wild. As you might expect, however, there's apparently no other differences compared to the standard black Galaxy we've been seeing all along and, just like the black model, this one will reportedly be available first on O2 Germany before rolling out to other carriers in Europe. And, no, there's still no word of a release 'round here.

Apple phasing out iPhone 3G in favor of 8GB 3GS?

2009-08-06T04:50:00.002-07:00

As brilliant as the $99 subsidized iPhone 3G strategy might seem on paper, the fact remains that the 3G now is a 13 month-old device -- the better part of a lifetime by smartphone standards -- and it stands to reason that Apple wouldn't be interested in consuming manufacturing capacity indefinitely with outdated equipment, especially since that game plan cuts into economies of scale on the 3GS' chipset and superior camera hardware. The solution? Let iPhone 3G inventory cool down for a few months -- $99 is a nice, round number after all that's plenty low enough to move units -- and when the carnage is over, phase it out in favor of a new lower-cost 3GS. That's sure to leave new 3G owners fuming, but newly leaked screens out of Rogers seem to indicate that's exactly how this is likely going to go down: add a black 8GB 3GS into the mix that can serve as the company's new entry-level device below the 3GS in two colors, likely for $100 less than the 16GB model. There's no word on when this might happen, but Apple's likely to host its usual Fall event to roll out new iPods (and more?), so this could serve as an interesting -- if not ultimately predictable -- footnote.

First 21 Xbox 'Games on Demand' titles revealed

2009-08-06T04:50:00.001-07:00

Next Tuesday (that's August 11th), a dream we have long held near our hearts will be fulfilled -- Xbox 360 will add the first twenty-one titles to its Games on Demand service. Now, we don't have any details about pricing for these yet, but Microsoft has said that the games, which include such august titles as Mass Effect, Call of Duty 2, and Tomb Raider: Legend, will be priced similarly to the physical games. We could whine about that all day, but we're going to hold off until we see actual pricing details, and move on to dreaming of a trackpad that doesn't become unresponsive when we spill orange juice on it. Check out the video of the newest addition to the dashboard after the break, hit the read link for the full list of twenty-one.

Update: A Microsoft spokesman just emailed us a list of the Games on Demand titles for the US, which has a couple of notable differences. BioShock, Ridge Racer 6, Karaoke Revolution American Idol, Dance Dance Revolution Universe, and Sonic The Hedgehog are in, while SEGA Rally and Tomb Raider: Legend are decidedly Europe-only for now. Full US list after the break.

Apple's new low: censoring a dictionary

2009-08-06T04:48:00.000-07:00

You know guys, you're not really doing yourself any favors at this point. We've seen plenty of stories thus far detailing the company's absurd, reactionary, and typically confusing application rejections or changes for its App Store, but the treatment given to dictionary app Ninjawords seems particularly telling. In essence, the program, a simple and fast reference tool -- a straight-up dictionary -- has omitted a handful of common words seen as objectionable by the Star Chamber of application reviewers at Apple HQ. What kind of words, you ask? Well, namely the same kind of words which you can find in any standard dictionary in just about any classroom in this country. John Gruber of Daring Fireball fame succinctly calls out what is patently obvious:

Apple censored an English dictionary.

A dictionary. A reference book. For words contained in all reasonable dictionaries. For words contained in dictionaries that are used every day in elementary school libraries and classrooms.

But it's far worse than that.

Hello Kitty limited edition Casio Exilim EX-Z2 with 12.1 meowgapixels up for pre-order Hello Kitty limited edition Casio Exilim EX-Z2 with 12.1 meowga

2009-08-06T04:47:00.001-07:00

You didn't expect Hello Kitty's 35th anniversary to pass without a flurry of new products did you? Now, this is not the first Casio digital camera we've seen carrying the HK moniker, but the Exilim EX- Z2 is the first 12.1-megapixel affair we've ever seen with the meow meow on it. Bedazzled with Swarovskis and all pinked up, this Casio boasts a 2.7-inch LCD, and a 3 x optical zoom, plus the package seems to come with some other items of interest -- a camera case, lanyard, and giant poofy pink thing! All this can be yours (available for pre-order now) for $500.

Sprint's new mobile broadband routers pack WiMAX and 3G, MiFi looks on in jealousy

2009-08-06T04:46:00.001-07:00

As if the MiFi hadn't already piqued our interest, Sprint's new foray into mobile broadband routers is downright riveting. The Sprint Personal Hotspot PH300s and Cradlepoint MBR-1000 Broadband Router (pictured) both do essentially the same thing, pulling down EV-DO Rev. A or WiMAX data and sharing it with your closest compatriots over WiFi -- and finally sporting enough bandwidth to do it in style. The PH300s obviously has a more "personal" slant, with only four simultaneous 802.11g WiFi connections, while the MBR-1000 is meant for business use and can serve up to 32 users over 802.11n. They're priced at $160 and $250, respectively, and the PHS300S should be showing up at Sprint stores in WiMAX-equipped areas -- business users will have to track down the MBR-1000 through the appropriate channels.

NXG Technologies is first with HDMI 1.4 cables for the 3D HDTV you don't own yet

2009-08-06T04:45:00.001-07:00

Cancel that next-day air shipment from Panasonic Japan, those in need of cables today that are compatible with the 4K and 3D displays of tomorrow can get NXG Technologies Black Pearl Series HDMI v1.4 cables. Not installing cables inside a wall or under a floor? You can probably wait for more reasonably priced (or not so reasonable, if that's what you prefer) alternatives. At around $44.95 for 1m up to $380 for a 20m cable, these available-to-dealers-only connectors promise (despite lacking certification, promised once testing is completed) to future proof custom home theater installations for beyond-1080p resolution, HDMI Ethernet Channel, Audio Return Channel and other HDMI 1.4-only features that should start rolling out in HDTVs, receivers and other equipment early next year.

HP Compaq's $300 laptop reviewed, makes strong case to bypass netbook

2009-08-02T00:26:00.001-07:00

For all intents and purposes, HP's Compaq Presario CQ60 is a pretty unremarkable laptop -- but slap a $300 price tag on it like Walmart has done, a price comparable to most netbooks on the market, and that reframes the entire conversation. Computer Shopper has gotten some hands-on time with the machine, and while not spectacular, it seems to outperform Intel Atom-based machines. You're still not gonna be able to do much more than check your email and browse the web, though, and the tradeoff for having a 15.6-inch display and DVD burner is a bulkier, less travel-friendly form factor. Still, this seems to do an apt job at filling in that gap between netbook and laptop, and we're sure someone out there will appreciate or feeling nostalgic over that modem jack.

Acer Timeline 8000 series arrives at Office Depot

2009-08-02T00:24:00.001-07:00

Well, that didn't take long. Less than a day after Acer announced the new Timeline 8000 series, the 14-inch AS4810T-8480 has popped up on an Office Depot shelf for $699. It's not bad for the money -- you're getting a 1.4GHz Core Solo SU3500, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB disk, and eight hours of battery life -- but we'd wait to buy until next week, when our tipster says it'll be on sale for $549. Anyone planning to pick one up?

BlackBerry App World 1.1 unleashed, makes welcome improvements to store navigation

2009-08-02T00:23:00.003-07:00

If you've been using your BlackBerry in the last 24 hours or so, you've probably noticed that red star plastered on the App World icon, signaling it's time for an upgrade. Yes, RIM's version of the app store has hit version 1.1, and the bulk of the update concerns better navigation options -- new categories, top downloads for free and premium apps, and the ability to sort search results by name, release date, rating, price, and developer. Outside of that, we've also got the option to now archive apps on SD card or other memory, but unfortunately there's no option to run those programs without reinstalling to internal memory. The update is available for all countries, including the recently-introduced group of ten. Full details after the break.

Sony Alpha 850 DSLR manual pops up on Hong Kong support site

2009-08-02T00:23:00.001-07:00

Sony's Alpha series DSLR cameras are almost notorious for how often they leak, and as is custom with an introductory assertion like that, we've got another one to show you. The company's Hong Kong support site has an instruction manual available to download for an as-of-then unknown iteration, the α850. The gang at Dyxum forums have gone through it more thoroughly than we have so far, and the Initial reaction is that it's similar to the α900 but with only three FPS, a smaller viewfinder, and still no video (unlike its competition). We've assembled some highlights from the guide, including full specs, in the gallery below. Hit up the read link to grab the full manual for yourself, but just a word of caution, even though the PDF's only 3.54MB in size, the download has proven to be rather painfully slow.

iJoyPad demoed on iPhone 3GS, full screen PSX games looking rather sweet

2009-08-02T00:22:00.001-07:00

The iJoyPad has been floating around for a bit now, but we've never seen a full demo of the add-on gamepad. Well, it's back in a video demoing its performance on an iPhone 3GS, using the psx4iphone emulator in full screen glory. The demo shows off Wipeout XL and Ridge Racer performing quite quickly and smoothly, and the iJoyPad itself seems totally functional -- and while it's a tiny bit clunky looking as far as we're concerned, we'd still like to swipe one for ourselves. Hit the read link for the video.

MiLi Universal Charger for the psychedelic world traveller

2009-08-02T00:21:00.003-07:00

Are you a globetrotter with a penchant for vivid colors? Mili's got your back with its compact and surprisingly practical Universal Charger. Capable of plugging into US, UK, EU or Australian-style sockets, this unit covers quite a bit of ground and can power a pair of devices at once via USB. Technically then, you're unloading the chargers from your bag and refilling it with USB adapters, but a lot of UK road warriors would carry live rattlesnakes around if it meant freedom from those humongous plugs. There are nine color options -- some of them are even socially acceptable -- for the discerning customer with £20 ($33) in his pocket, and pre-orders are being taken now for August 14 delivery.

Acer rolls out ASM5800, ASM3202, ASX5810 desktop PCs

2009-08-02T00:21:00.001-07:00

Sure, Acer's newly-refreshed Predator gaming rig is all well and good if you like your PCs orange and menacing, but less adventuresome folks need PCs too, and Acer's more than happy to cater to them as well with a range of decidedly more understated offerings. New on that front is the company's just-announced ASM5800 (pictured above) and ASM3202 models, the former of which packs your choice of Intel Core 2 Quad or AMD Phenom II X4 processors, 4GB to 8GB of RAM, 750GB or 1TB hard drives, and ATI Radeon HD 4650 or NVIDIA GeForce GT 230 graphics, while the later is an AMD-only affair with a Phenom II X4 925 processor, ATI Radeon HD3200 graphics, 2GB to 8GB of RAM, and a 640GB or 750GB hard drive. Rounding out the lot is Acer's slightly slimmer ASX5810 Aspire X PC (pictured after the break), which offers up a Core 2 Quad Q8200 processor, 3GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive, GeForce 120 graphics, and a bundled 20-inch LCD. No word on a release 'round here just yet, but all three will be available in Japan by next week for between 69,800 and 139,800 (or about $730 to $1,460).

Intel discontinuing Z-series Atoms?

2009-08-02T00:20:00.001-07:00

It's sourced from Digitimes, so don't get too worked up, but word on the street is that Intel's no longer accepting orders for Z-series Atom chips. If you'll remember Intel's initial distinctions, the Z-series was for MIDs and the familiar N-series was for netbooks, but since the Z-series didn't carry the same max hardware restrictions as the N-series, it became popular in a whole host of devices that didn't fit the traditional mold, like the Sony VAIO P and the ASUS Eee PC T91. Of course, Intel's got the next-gen Pine Trail Atom platform on tap, so killing the Zs might not have a huge impact in general, but it's just one more nail in the MID coffin.

[Via SlashGear]

How would you change Apple's iPhone 3GS?

2009-08-02T00:19:00.001-07:00

Some might argue it's the most subtle update in the iPhone family thus far, but Apple's iPhone 3GS still seems to be moving the sales meter, regardless. The latest and greatest iPhone officially hit the market a few weeks back, and even though Apple claims that demand is still far outpacing supply, we're of the belief that most everyone who wanted one has managed to snag one by now. During our time with the unit, we definitely didn't find too many reasons to upgrade from the already solid iPhone 3G, but given that you probably did anyway, we're eager to hear how things have turned out. Did you upgrade from a prior iPhone to this? Are you joining the iPhone family for the first time? What gripes have you found impossible to ignore? Are you still up in arms about AT&T's inability to provide MMS / tethering service? Are you, like us, completely roiled by the unit's lack of multitasking abilities? Go ahead and let it rip in comments below -- we're guessing Apple has about 11 months or so to take your opinions to heart.