Gadgets and New Technologies

Our sultriest gadget fantasy? Wirelessly combining a PC chocked full of HD content with a  HDTV…and then adding a deadly laser network to deter anyone brazen enough to  muck with the carefully calibrated settings. It may be a dream deferred (for now), but in the meantime we’ve been watching pr0n tinkering with the next closest thing — SageTV’s STX-HD100 media extender. At its core, the STX-HD100 is a by-the-numbers extender: We installed the software on our home theater PC (turning it into a server), threw the unit onto our network, and then streamed all our landlocked content via the HD100’s high-def video outputs. (Read the full post about ‘Review: SageTV HD STXHD100 Media Extender Plays Matchmaker Between Your HDTV and PC’…)

Share This

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

We all know that Samsung is pretty much the champion when it comes to slim handsets, thanks to the massive marketing push of its Ultra II line of cell phones. LG isn’t too far behind though, having rolled out a 13.3mm thin 3G handset known as the LG-KH1800. Alternatively, you don’t have to call it by the long model number since it can be better remembered as the ‘Orange color phone’ whenever you’re in Korea, thanks to its enhanced orange colored keypad. Features include SMS service support, telephone directory, alarm setting, a multitasking button, 3G WCDMA automatic roaming service, MP3 playback, text viewer, a camera and an electronic dictionary just in case you come up short on words during a debate. (Read the full post about ‘Svelte 3G phone from LG’…)

Share This

Sony has thrown in Bluetooth connectivity into a couple of its new PMPs, namely the 16GB NW-A829 and the 8GB NW-A828. Both of these PMPs feature MP3, WMA, ATRAC, Sony PCM, AAC/High Efficiency AAC, and MPEG-4/H.264 support, playing virtually every single popular format of today (and tomorrow). Some folks might not be too happy with the 2.4″ LCD display, but you can’t really complain much considering the body measures a mere 9.3mm wide while tipping the scales at 59 grams. A 36-hour battery life for audio is pretty decent, while a 10-hour viewing time for videos before a recharge is required makes this a suitable companion for prolonged travel. There is no word on pricing or availability as at press time. (Read the full post about ‘Sony Bluetooth-enabled PMPs’…)

Share This

The U-Mate Lap-Around-Japan pedometer is definitely one healthy idea to encourage folks to walk more. It takes a different method to mark the number of miles you and your sneakers have covered, doing away with tradition that involves showing off the same old landmarks such as a skyscraper, convenience store and roadworks, but instead transforms the miles into the Japanese coastline. In addition, it keeps you to speed by entertaining you with the geography of Japan just in case you were sleeping in class back at school. For example, assuming you take one mile to reach your office by foot and the same distance back home after work. (Read the full post about ‘U-Mate Lap-Around-Japan Pedometer’…)

Share This

Looks like the Wii Fit will be landing on US shores this May, enabling people living Stateside to take advantage of the weight-and-motion sensing device known as the Wii Balance Board right smack in the middle of their comfortable living room. This isn’t an exercise replacement, so spending too many hours with your Wii won’t make you lose more pounds than you would when sitting down idly - in fact, chances are you might even gain some weight with all the pizza and soda you’re consuming. I wonder whether the Wii Balance Board has been modified to cater for obese folks living on this part of the world. (Read the full post about ‘Wii Fit US Launch in May’…)

Share This

Since HD DVD is dead (but not buried just yet), what are you to do if you are an early adopter? Why, the answer is pretty easy. All you need to do is convert your HD DVDs to Blu-ray and you’re done. At least your new movie collection will be able to survive the death of hd dvd, unless of course, you pick up a hybrid player. While the process sounds simple, it is actually pretty hard to do so due to the complex technology involved. Check out the wiki on how to do it. (Read the full post about ‘HD DVDs to Blu-ray’…)

Share This

Posted Feb 20th 2008 3:40AM by Thomas RickerFiled under: Gaming The idea of wearing a funny hat to mind control software is certainly nothing new ’round these parts. Now Emotiv Systems returns with an update to their Project Epoch USB headset. Crave went hands-on with the system which required a short, six-second calibration before entering the first “game.” At that point, Crave was able manipulate a simple cube on the screen with varied success at making it disappear or pull forward. Oooh, what fun! Mind you, it’s just a prototype and we’ve seen this tech applied to old-school arcade games like Pong and Space Invaders to great effect. (Read the full post about ‘Emotiv to make mind-controlled games a reality by Christmas’…)

Share This

In the UK, Vodafone and Orange have got together to share cellphone mast sites, promising better coverage for customers of both companies. Orange CEO Toma Alexander spins it thus: This deal will see our two companies work together to ensure our customers benefit from better, deeper and faster mobile coverage in more places, with fewer mast-sites across the country. It will be better for our customers, better for our businesses and better for the environment. This is something so obviously good for the consumer that we wonder why it wasn’t done before. Wait. It wasn’t done before because coverage is used as a marketing tool. (Read the full post about ‘The Real Reason Orange and Vodafone Are to Share UK Cellphone Mast Sites’…)

Share This

What looks like a drivable pyramid is actually the Dream Car created by a father-son team working from home. It might tip the scales at 8,000 pounds, but it doesn’t use any gas as it is powered by 80 batteries and four electric engines. The top speed is nothing much to shout about anyway at 45 mph, and it can go 80 miles before the batteries require a recharge. It takes four hours to juice up the Dream Car before it is ready to give another crack. Greg Zanis and his sons’ effort is culminated in the Dream Car as they call it, featuring a bumper that wraps around the vehicle, gel-filled tires, an electric braking system and a 4-wheel drive. This is definitely not the ride to take if you plan on picking chicks up at night club. (Read the full post about ‘Dream Car Goes Green’…)

Share This

Posted Feb 20th 2008 5:44AM by Thomas RickerFiled under: Handhelds, Laptops A report by the Commercial Times says that HP will launch its 8.9-inch UMPC in April for “more than” NT$20,000 or about $630 bucks. Sure sounds like the UMPC 2133 we showed you yesterday, eh? That’s about right when you compare it to the $300, entry-level 7-inch Eee PC. The paper claims it’ll run a “high-end” Penryn processor as well which is fine by us if true. (Read the full post about ‘HP’s UMPC 2133 to cost $630 when shipping in April?’…)

Share This