Thursday, September 27, 2007

JVC unveils the KT-HDP1 "plug and play" portable HD radio

Filed under:


We've seen a lot of slick tabletop HD radios hit the market in the past few months, but for those of you just looking to add a little high-res broadcast goodness to an existing stereo, JVC's KT-HDP1 seems like a simpler solution. The $129 device rocks an AM / FM / HD tuner and a white LCD screen to display track info and other data. JVC's also releasing three home / car docking kits that should allow you to just pop the HDP1 in and out without a lot of fuss. These should be trickling into Best Buys relatively soon, according to JVC, and should signal the start of a wave of similar products that'll be out in the next 18 months.

 

[via] Engadget

Longest-ever space tether fails to deploy, flings capsule towards Earth

Filed under:

We've seen some pretty wild ideas for space tethers, but it seems like actually executing is a little trickier than people expect -- a joint Russian Space Agency / ESA Young Engineers Satellite 2 mission just screeched to a halt as the deployment of an 18-mile space tether went awry. The project, which was to involve the longest object ever deployed in space, was part of a challenge issued to European university students to safely return an object from space, but failed when the the capsule accidentally released after just 5 miles of tether had unwound. The team thinks the idea still has merit, saying that "they are extremely satisfied and would like to do more mission testing." Here's hoping the next time goes a little smoother.

[via] Engadget

AT&T talks with new Sling-owner EchoStar said to be "heating up"

Filed under:

EchoStar sure seems to be keeping itself busy these days, with its long-running talks with AT&T now said to be "heating up" just days after it acquired Sling Media for a cool $380 million. According to TheStreet.com, EchoStar is apparently considering splitting the company into two publicly traded units, one that would focus on its consumer TV service (which is where Sling fits in) and one that would focus on its wholesale satellite transmission service. As you can probably guess, it's the former that AT&T is interested in, and it's apparently prepared to pay $55 a share for the potentially separate company. According to TheStreet, however, EchoStar is currently holding out for a hefty $65 a share, although at least one analyst "sensing a deal in the works" is speculating that AT&T will "likely pay about $56 a share for the TV service." As TheStreet points out, the acquisition would likely help out AT&T with it's so-called Project Lightspeed, which aims to combine TV, phone, and internet service on a single fiber optic network.

 

[via] Engadget

iPhoneSimFree-unlocked iPhones require AT&T SIM to reactivate

Filed under:

As we've sure a few readers have noticed, unlocked iPhones upgraded to 1.1.1 today aren't exactly unlocked anymore. Unlocking aside, the jailbreaking procedure that was used to load pretty much every application onto firmwares of old isn't working at the moment, so it seems the community's got a little work ahead of it in the next few hours. In the meantime, though, iPhoneSimFree has updated its site with the results of preliminary testing on the latest revision. The good news for buyers is that they apparently aren't getting the "Incorrect SIM" lockdown messages being observed by some anySIM users -- the bad news, though, is that you've gotta reactivate the darned thing with your original AT&T SIM after the upgrade takes place, then you're cool after that. Until the jailbreak is reestablished, activations won't be possible with alternative SIMs. EDGE usage looking a little lighter at the moment, there, T-Mobile?

[Thanks, Wireless Imports]

 

[via] Engadget

Hands-on with iRobot's new ConnectR and Looj bots

Filed under: ,


There's not much to see and feel with these two -- iRobots are all about the action -- but we got a quick look at the new ConnectR and Looj today. The Looj seems well enough suited to its purpose, with solid construction and a powerful thwap. We saw it running through a gutter earlier, and it certainly seems like it can clean as advertised. The ConnectR seems less well polished, but that's to be expected, since iRobot seems to be pretty flexible on what the finished product will be like when it ships in 2008, with changes based on customer feedback from trial sales. One feature in the works is an IR emitter, for controlling home automation and AV products, and hopefully iRobot can clean this one up and add another "killer" feature or two before unleashing it on the public.

Gallery: Hands-on with iRobot's new ConnectR and Looj bots

 

[via] Engadget

Mio unveils the C720t GPS at DigitalLife

Filed under:


Mio's not shy about pumping out the GPS devices, and the company tooks the wraps off its latest model, the C720t, at DigitalLife this week. The 4.3-inch widescreen PND hits all the major bases for $599, with a geotagging 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth handsfree capability, a Traffic Message Channel receiver (that'll cost you $65 / year, ouch), and some pretty extensive media-playback options. We played with one for a minute at DigitalLife and were impressed: the slick, fast interface was nice, as was the quality of the camera's photos. Check it all out in the gallery.

Gallery: Mio unveils the C720t GPS at DigitalLife

 

[via] Engadget

KDev intros cameraphone-friendly FoxBox MMS

Filed under: ,

If the original Linux-based FoxBox SMS didn't boast quite the capabilities you were looking for, then perhaps KDev's upgraded FoxBox MMS will be more to your liking. Like the original FoxBox, it'll act as a cellphone-to-web gateway, in this case accepting photos sent from a cameraphone via MMS and putting 'em straight up onto the web (it'll even able to do conversion to JPG, GIF, or PNG in the process). As before, it'll also give you FTP and HTTP interfaces to manage all that uploaded content, which can either be stored on an SD card or on up to two attached USB drives. According to LinuxDevices.com, KDev's David Cantaluppi says that makes the box ideal for websites looking to do photo contests and the like, although it's appeal to the general public would seem to be quite limited, especially considering its $1,240 price tag.

 

[via] Engadget

Sony about to release another YouTube-centric camcorder?

Filed under:

We've already seen Sony's first shameless attempt to court the YouTube crowd with the NSC-GC1 5 megapixel web-corder, but a quick look through the instruction manual reveals specs for another model, the NSC-GC3, which apparently cuts shooting time down from 2 hours to just 29 minutes. We're not certain if that's because of higher resolution or less memory, but either way, expect the GC3 to make an appearance soon.

[Thanks, maxmasa31]

 

Permalink | Email this | Comments


Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

[via] Engadget

iPod touch gets updated to 1.1.1, too

Filed under: ,

It looks like the iPhone's not the only touchscreen-based Apple device getting an update today, with the iPod touch now also moving on up to version 1.1.1. While it's yet to be confirmed, some users at the MacRumors forums are reporting that the update (which clocks in at a hefty 150MB) actually fixes some of the screen problems that users have been experiencing on the device -- still no calendar editing though. For its part, Apple only describes the update as containing "bug fixes," although touch users needn't go very far to see exactly what that entails, with the update now available though iTunes.

 

[via] Engadget

Evesham launches Cosmos family of gaming rigs

Filed under:


Evesham's no stranger to the gaming laptop realm, but the company is lookin' out for the desktopers too with its lineup of Cosmos gaming rigs. The standard Cosmos comes equipped with a 3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 processor, 2GB of Corsair DDR2 RAM, a 500GB SATA drive, NVIDIA's 768MB GeForce 8800 Ultra graphics card, a dual-layer DVD writer and a 24-inch widescreen monitor for good measure. The Elite system ups the ante with a 3GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 CPU, double the RAM, a pair of 500GB HDDs, and twin GeForce 8800 Ultras. Both machines come bundled with a Microsoft wireless keyboard / mouse combo and include a three-year warranty, and while you can certainly customize these things till your credit card cries uncle, they start out at £1,999 ($4,027) and £3,199 ($6,445), respectively.

[Via Pocket-Lint]

 

[via] Engadget

Zipit reveals Z2 Wireless Messenger for IM addicts

Filed under: ,


It's been quite some time since we've heard from Zipit, but the company is hitting back with a second version of its trendy Wireless Messenger. The Z2 doesn't deviate too far from the original's design, but the keyboard left a lot to be desired during our limited playtime. As expected, this handheld unit works on any WiFi network and supports AOL, Yahoo and MSN IM platforms so users can carry on multiple conversations. Furthermore, you'll find an integrated music player (dubbed MyTunez) that can play back files stored on your miniSD card or tunes streamed from the 'net, and the MyPhotoz feature lets you view photo slideshows, too. For those interested, it'll be available next month for $149.99, and if you hadn't already noticed, a host of hands-on photos are waiting below.

 

Permalink | Email this | Comments


Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

[via] Engadget

LaCie rolls out 500GB Ethernet Disk mini Home Edition

Filed under:


Apparently, releasing one external hard drive with 500GB of storage isn't enough for one week, as LaCie has now introduced its half terabyte Ethernet Disk mini Home Edition Personal Media Server. As with previous iterations, this drive is meant to "save, show, sync and share" your media, and it boasts the ability to "stream multimedia files through DLNA-compatible UPnP media players and act as an iTunes music server." Additionally, users can setup "free remote access to their personal information via LaCie's media portal," and aside from the gigabit Ethernet port and USB 2.0 socket, you'll also find an additional USB jack for backing up data to another external HDD. This one's slated for an October launch and should carry a $199 pricetag.

 

[via] Engadget

FCC fast-tracking 700MHz open-access rule changes under intense Verizon lobbying?

Filed under: ,

Prepare to feel your carrier-hate well from within. Remember Verizon Wireless' lawsuit against the FCC claiming that the 700MHz open-access auction rule -- the rule enabling the likes of Google, Apple, and others to take home a slice of the spectrum pie -- "violates the US Constitution?" Well, according to "industry sources," FCC chairman Kevin Martin is "aggressively pushing" for revisions to the 700MHz open-access rule in response to Verizon Wireless' lobbying efforts. However, having been met with an internal FCC "backlash" last week, Martin is said to be preparing a "declaratory ruling" in an effort to fast-track support for VZW's claim outside of the normal public-comment process. Insiders worry that Martin is caving to VZW pressure as the auction, expected to generate some $15 billion in FCC fun-money, draws near. Man, nothing says free market capitalism like a little protectionist bullying -- "can we sue you now."

[Via Phonescoop]

 

[via] Engadget

Sprint ups the Palm Centro teaser: $99 on October 14

Filed under: ,


Sprint just brought up their Palm Centro site and with it, a few more details to make the dealio all official-io. The "world's smallest Palm device" will cost you $100 beans after $100 mail-in rebate, minimum $25 data plan, and two year commitment to Sprint (and Garnet) when it launches on October 14th. We're also seeing a choice of a candy-red finish for the first time if black is a bit too staid for your tastes. Perhaps we'll hear a little more later today when the DigitalLife show kicks off in New York.

[Thanks, Conrad A-B.]

 

[via] Engadget

Sony's Walkman NW-A910 series slakes that media jones

Filed under: ,


Nice huh? That's the latest Walkman from Sony. However, unless you live in Japan, you can forget about using it to watch your mobile digital TV. This little pup packs a 1Seg tuner, not DMB, DVB-H, or Flo. Measuring just 86.8 × 48 × 12.3-mm, the NW-A910 series player holds up to 16GB of flash memory and a 2.4-inch, 320 x 240 pixel display. The included EPG even allows you to schedule up to 10 programs for recording up to one month in advance for up to 100 hours of MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 formatted television inside the device. As this is Japan, it still supports ATRAC in addition to non-DRMed WMA and AAC, MP3, and linear PCM audio playback with SonicStage doing the sync work back to your PC. Rounding things out are an FM tuner, direct encoding from your CD/MD player, clear audio noise canceling headphones, and a battery capable of juicing up to 6 hours of television or 36 hours of audio. The premium NW-A919/BI (pictured) will sell in November for ¥47,800 while a 4GB NW-A916 should pop for about ¥30,000 ($259).

Gallery: Sony's Walkman NW-A910 series slakes that media jones


[Via Impress]

 

[via] Engadget

Germany gearing up for maglev railway

Filed under:

While folks living near Shanghai are already enjoying the luxuries of a maglev (magnetic levitation) railway, Germany is getting set to build a similar line to shuttle citizens from Munich's city center to its airport. The €1.85 billion ($2.61 billion) project is finally on track to become a reality after securing the necessary funding, and it should be able to whisk travelers around at nearly 310 miles-per-hour when it's complete. Sadly, there's no word as to when the Munich service will launch, but at least we're moving in the right direction, eh?

[Via Slashdot]

 

[via] Engadget

Clay artist whips up Wiimote earrings, keychain

Filed under: ,


We've definitely seen some of our favorite gizmos turned into jewelry in the past, and while thiakosia's polymer clay-based Wiimote pieces aren't nearly as tasty as some other homemade controllers we've seen, they'd look mighty geektastic hanging from your lobes. The artist claims to use Sculpey clay along with a single coat of satin glaze finish to construct each of the items, and so far, there's Wiimote-based cellphone charms, keychains and earrings for you to pick up. Best of all, these oh-so-cute items aren't outrageously priced, ranging from just $6.50 to $15 before shipping. Check out the rest of the gang after the jump, and be sure and hit the read link if you're scoutin' a gift for your favorite nerd.

[Via Technabob]

Continue reading Clay artist whips up Wiimote earrings, keychain

 

[via] Engadget

California Kohl's store turns on giant rooftop solar system

Filed under:

The Laguna Niguel Kohl's location certainly isn't the first notable venue in California to benefit from a large solar panel installation, but this particular setup is being dubbed the "largest planned US photovoltaic solar rollout to date." Reportedly, Kohl's Department Stores is planning on equipping 63 of its 80 California locations with solar electric systems, which should total "approximately 25 megawatts," and upon completion, the program would "represent approximately 15-percent of California's photovoltaic installations to date." Granted, the US Tesco building's solar roof may still hold the crown (at least for now) for "world's largest," but Kohl's is hoping to impress by "generating more than 35-million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of renewable energy annually" when its massive rollout is complete.

 

[via] Engadget

Toshiba tosses gigabeat V41 brick at Sony: misses, throws like girl

Filed under: ,


First Sony, now Toshiba introduces a new flash-based 1Seg TV totin' media player onto the Japanese market. However, unless you're after SD/SDHC card expansion, Microsoft DRM support, and a larger 3.5-inch display (albeit at the same resolution as the Sony) for the same price but twice the weight, there's just not much to like from the latest Toshiba slab sporting the gigabeat logo. Impress did the dirty work of pitting the gigabeat V41 head-to-head with the smokin' Sony NW-A910 for a feature-by-feature comparison. Damn Tosh, we can feel your embarrassment from here.

 

[via] Engadget

Hasbro serves up toys galore, aims for tweens

Filed under:


Gateway and Linksys aren't the only firms using Digital Life to showcase new wares, as Hasbro is making the most of its opportunity by inviting fun-lovin' tweens over to its booth to play with a number of new holiday must-haves. Aside from the familiar Power Tour guitar and NET JET game, the company is also showing off its Littlest Pet Shop VIPs (virtual interactive pets), which will launch next month for $14.99 apiece, and a few new critters in the Furreal Friends family, one of which is pictured above. Additionally, Tiger Electronics is introducing its October-bound I-Dog Amp'd ($34.99), which will "tap its paw to the tune, bob its head to the beat, swish its ears and wag its tail to the rhythm of your favorite songs." Lastly, the I-List Music Party game sounds like the perfect way to entertain guests at your next sleepover, and should be available soon to test your knowledge of music for $19.99. Click on through for a few more pics.

Continue reading Hasbro serves up toys galore, aims for tweens

 

[via] Engadget

Microsoft, HP add Media Center Extender functionality to MediaSmart LCD HDTVs

Filed under: , ,


Just in case Linksys and D-Link's introductions weren't enough to satisfy, Microsoft is now announcing yet another partner in its refreshed Extenders for Windows Media Center effort. Beginning in "early 2008," owners of HP's current 42- and 47-inch MediaSmart LCD HDTVs will be able to utilize all of the features of the Media Center Extender platform sans any additional hardware. According to Microsoft, users will simply download a software update for their set, after which they'll be able to kick back and enjoy a little Windows Media Center Internet TV while basking in the glory that is added functionality.

 

Permalink | Email this | Comments


Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

[via] Engadget