Cool Tech Gadgets: Oct 1, 2007

Monday, October 1, 2007

Zune 2 leaks out in three flavors

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Well, we'd heard new Zunes were coming tomorrow (or maybe October 16th) and it looks like retailers are starting to receive display units -- everyone, say hello to the new Zunes. Barring some Photoshop trickeration, it looks like we're getting two flash models and a slimmed-down hard drive edition, but we'll leave it to you to figure what this all means in the comments.

Update: We're also hearing that a Zune 1 firmware update rolled out today -- interesting. We'll dig out our Zunes and let you know what (if anything) got updated ASAP.

[Thanks, Nate]

Canon's 12-megapixel SD950 IS review roundup

Filed under: Digital Cameras

You've had a moment to ponder over that SD870 purchase, so how's about yet another option, cool? On the docket today is Canon's SD950 IS (IXUS 960 IS elsewhere in the world), which packs an awful lot of megapixels into a pocket-friendly shell. As expected from Canon's SD lineup, this one fared pretty well throughout, garnering praise for its sleek design, superb image quality, effective optical image stabilization / face detection and sturdy feel. The only real knocks came from the less-than-perfect noise performance, slower than expected startup / image capture and the admittedly lofty pricetag. Granted, this one should be close to ideal for poster printers needing a camera minuscule enough to reside in a rear pocket, but for the rest of us, one of Canon's "lower" models should fit the bill (and our budgets) a bit better.

Pentax intros Optio A40, V10 digital cameras

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Pentax sure does seem to like trotting its digital cameras out in pairs, and it's done just that again today, with the company now introducing its new Optio A40 and Optio V10 models. On the higher-end of the lot, the Optio A40 (pictured above) boasts a mighty 12 megapixels, along with a 3x optical zoom, a 2.5-inch LCD, a range of shake-reducing measures, and face-recognition, among other features. The V10, on the other hand, scales things back to just 8 megapixels, with a slightly larger 3-inch LCD, and that same 3x optical zoom in an even slimmer 19 mm thick body (check it out after the break). Look for the A40 to roll out first sometime this month for $300, with the V10 set to follow in November for $250. If that's all a little too low end for you, you can also look forward to Pentax's just-announced DA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3ED AL [IF] high-performance zoom lens, which is designed specifically for its DSLR cameras, and boasts an approximate zoom ratio of 14x, among other top end specs. Look for it to land later this month for just under $500.

Continue reading Pentax intros Optio A40, V10 digital cameras

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

Internal AT&T site foretells Tilt launch

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

We figure this website wasn't intended for public consumption -- either that, or we're all invited to the "2007 National Launch Tour" for the imminently available AT&T Tilt, and we should be speaking to our regional sales managers immediately to confirm our eligibility. The picture here looks pretty much like what we'd seen of the HTC Kaiser variant in the wild, confirming that the front cam is gone (no surprise), though it's a little chubbier looking than we thought, yeah? Or is it just us? Anyway, the site gives nary a clue about when we might actually be able to get a Tilt in our hands simply by walking into a store, but happily, everything we've heard still points to an October launch. Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to go track down our regional sales manager.

[Thanks, regenC]

Niklas Zennstrom resigns as Skype's CEO

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Niklas Zennström, who we had the pleasure of sitting down with nearly three years ago for an interview, is officially stepping down as CEO of Skype. Reportedly, he will now become the non-executive chairman of the Skype Board of Directors, and while searching for a "permanent successor," eBay's Chief Strategy Officer (Michael van Swaaij) will take the reigns as acting CEO. Additionally, "Henry Gomez, Skype's President, who remained a Senior Vice President at eBay during his two-year tenure at Skype, will return to eBay as Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs." Lastly, eBay also made known that it has paid out €375 million (around $530 million) "to settle all of its future obligations under the earn-out agreement signed with certain Skype shareholders when eBay acquired Skype in 2005."

[Thanks, Randall B.]

Sony's 3-mm thin XEL-1 OLED TV makes video appearance

Filed under: Displays

If all those pics and details of Sony's svelte new SonyDrive XEL-1 OLED TV we brought you earlier today weren't enough to whet your appetite, then perhaps NHK's video of the display will be more to your liking. While it offers little new information, it does show the display nearly performing a disappearing act as it makes its turn for the camera, thanks to its double-take-inducing 3 mm thinness. Impressive to be sure, although likely not quite impressive enough to make you forget about its $1,700+ price tag. Click on the image above or the read link below to check out the complete video

RIM announces BlackBerry Pearl 8130 for CDMA networks

Filed under: Cellphones

While it hardly comes as much of a surprise after leaks from both Sprint and Verizon, RIM has finally made its long-awaited CDMA-enabled Pearl 8130 (a.k.a. "Pearl 2") official, with it likely headed to the aforementioned carries sometime between now and Thanksgiving. As we had heard before, this one comes with built-in GPS (which Boy Genius speculates will be disabled on Verizon's offering), along with A2DP/AVRCP Bluetooth, a 2 megapixel camera (with video recording capability), and a standard 3.5mm audio jack. According to RIM, you can also expect an overhauled interface, complete with an updated browser and some improved multimedia features, including the ability to create and edit playlists. Still no word on a price, but we'd expect Sprint and Verizon to be doling out that info before too long.

[Via The Boy Genius Report]

Microsoft's Zune 2 just around the corner?

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Don't go betting the farm or anything, but "according to sources close to the situation," Microsoft will be unveiling the second-generation of Zune players come Tuesday. Apparently, Mr. Gates and J Allard will be attending the shindig, and it sounds like both the "thinner" HDD-based Zune and the flash-based Zune will indeed be launched. The overall design of the HDD Zune isn't set to change all that much, but the 3- x 1.25-inch flash Zunes "are said to look much like the iPod nano," and they should include video playback capabilities and larger storage capacities than "competing products." As expected, Redmond wouldn't respond to the hunches, but if these rumors prove true, we could see the new flock of Zunes hit shelves "this November."

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Qualcomm hit with antitrust case from European Commission

Filed under: Cellphones

Qualcomm finding itself in more legal trouble? Say it ain't so! Sure enough, the chip maker is now facing even more heat as the European Commission "has launched formal antitrust proceedings" against it after "mobile phone manufacturers complained it charged far too much for vital technology licenses." The move had reportedly been expected for some time, and while the Commission noted that this would be considered "a matter of priority," no deadline was immediately set for a resolution. Apparently, Qualcomm feels that mobile phone makers were trying to "stifle the competition that it brought to the market," and while the probe could eventually be scrapped, the other outcomes are likely to involve Qualcomm coughing up some dough unless it proves that the allegations were without merit.

Asus debuts GPS-packing P527 smartphone

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Handhelds

Well, it looks like Asus has finally come though with a follow up to its P526 cellphone / PDA / GPS combo device, although anyone (like us) hoping that it'd make the jump to 3G will likely be sorely disappointed. As before, the new P527 model tops out with quad-band EDGE connectivity, a shortcoming Asus seems to be trying to make up for with added shininess. Otherwise, you can expect the same SiRFStar III GPS chipset that got all the attention last time around, along with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, an intergrated 2 megapixel camera, an FM radio, and a microSD card slot, with Windows Mobile 6 again running the show. No official word on pricing or availability just yet, but GPSAndCo speculates that it could possibly hit France by the end of the year for about €500 (or just over $700).

[Via Navigadget]

iriver's G10 WiBro gamer reborn as the Postdata G100

Filed under: Gaming, Portable Audio, Portable Video

iriver's G10 / Wing handheld game console has been a pretty serious flame-out for the company -- while the concept of an 8GB 4-inch touchscreen handheld that rocked wireless multiplayer features over WiBro and WiFi seemed like a winner, endless delays eventually resulted in the device falling off the radar, and eventually just falling off the company's plans. It looks like the G10 is about to get another go-around, however, as Postdata (iriver's development partner on the G10) is showing off a revised played called the G100 at the WiMAX World conference. The G100 features a 4.3-inch touchscreen, WiMAX, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, and a slightly modified keypad. No word on availability, but at this point Postdata's way ahead of the game by just showing off actual devices.

[Thanks, Brian]

Rock Band gets official pricing, ship date details

Filed under: Gaming

Although Rock Band was available for pre-order from a number of e-tailers earlier this summer, we're now hearing the "official word" from the suits at MTV regarding pricing. According to the MTV Multiplayer blog, both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions "will launch on November 23rd at a cost of $169.99." Bundled in will be the game, a single guitar, a mic and a drum kit. Additionally, the PlayStation 2 version -- which seemed to be on track for a 2008 release -- will reportedly make it onto store shelves just before the last ditch holiday rush, as it is now scheduled to land on December 10th for $159.99. As expected, the PS2 / PS3 packages will include wireless guitars, and while an optional cordless axe will certainly be available for the Xbox 360, its bundle will (sadly) include one with a tether. Oh, and Amazon has already updated its pages to reflect the finalized figures.

[Via IGN]

Sprint to ditch traditional contracts with Xohm, rely on subscriptions

Filed under: Cellphones

We've yet to find an average joe (or jane) who just adores that two-year agreement they signed to receive a single subsidized device on day one, and while Sprint hasn't been one to let folks off the hook early, it is trying a slightly different approach with Xohm. Reportedly, the carrier will be relying on "subscriptions," which will enable customers to save more when paying for larger chunks of time, while not forcing them into anything long-term. On the same token, this also means that you'll likely be paying full price for any hardware. Notably, the outfit's CTO also made clear that Xohm "would not be backed by what the industry calls service-level agreements," so don't count on any kind of minimum bandwidth guarantee. As for pricing, the numbers are apparently still being worked, but it was suggested that the service would "probably be based on tiers."

[Via TechDirt, image courtesy of BroadbandReports]

iPhone 1.1.1 "bug" unleashes music over Bluetooth

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Wireless

The iPhone 1.1.1 update has a hidden little surprise for y'all: Bluetooth audio streaming is now available off of your iPhone for whatever you darn please, meaning you can finally listen to music from the phone wirelessly. Oddly enough, this "function" has been unleashed by a Visual Voicemail bug that leaves Bluetooth audio on even after you've left the Voicemail interface. Of course, it's only mono audio, and the audio keeps playing out of your built-in speaker -- if you plug in headphones to cut off the speaker you'll lose Bluetooth streaming as well -- but it's nice to see Apple forking over some "should have been there in the first place" functionality accidentally to go along with all that stuff of the same ilk 1.1.1 took away from us.

Engadget Mobile scoops new Verizon lineup

Filed under: Cellphones

Engadget Mobile's got the word on four new Verizon phones headed for a simultaneous launch in the next couple of weeks, so head on over and get the dirt on the new Juke, Pearl, Venus and Voyager before somebody beats you to it.

Blog Tang A+ PMP won't write your diary for you

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

While the Blog Tang A+ seems to fall short in the blogging department, there's plenty to make up for that. Like a 4.3-inch LCD, 30fps "high-def" video and up to 160GB of storage. Codec support is plentiful, including fan-faves like OGG in addition to the usual video and audio suspects, and there's line-in recording as well as TV out. The 40GB version starts the bidding at 1,299 yuan ($173 US), with prices up to 2,199 yuan ($293) for 160GB.

[Via PMP Today]

iPhone 1.1.1 to 1.0.2 downgrade instructions released!

Filed under: Cellphones

Well would you look at that, instructions are now available for downgrading your iPhone from 1.1.1 to 1.0.2. It won't downgrade your baseband, meaning so far you can't re-unlock an iPhone that's been 1.1.1-ified, but it's still 1.0.2 in all its third-party application glory. The iPhone Dev Team folks are working on a way to downgrade the new firmware to let people unlock their phones again, but for now AT&T users sitting pretty, and non-AT&T folks can at least do the WiFi thing. There's a video tutorial after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Newman MP4P E350 3.6-inch PMP

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Hello Newman, your MP4P E350 video player is looking a little smudgy today, but but we're willing overlook that for your 3.6-inch screen and touch controls. Well, not really, but maybe somebody in China will, 'cause it's available there now, and that's probably where it's going to stay.

Japanese research group developing next-next-gen optical Internet

Filed under: Networking

Word that Brett Favre broke the NFL's touchdown pass record shot around the world pretty fast today, but if Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology has anything to do with it, you'll be hearing about such things even faster in 2015, when the group and several private companies intend to launch a next-generation optical network with peak data-transfer speeds of 10 gigabits. Although similar projects are underway in both the US and Europe, the Japanese effort has some heavy-hitters behind it, including NTT, Fujitsu, KDDI, Hitachi, Toshiba, and NEC. The system, which will cost a projected $260M over the next five years, will be able to support 100 billion devices but still maintain those gaudy transfer rates, even for mobile users. No word on when the tech will hit the States, sadly, but here's hoping.

Audio Technica unveils ATH-ESW9 Sovereign Wood Headphones

Filed under: Portable Audio

Audio Technica's no stranger to high-end cans, and we must say, its flagship set for 2007 (its words, not ours) looks mighty sexy. The ATH-ESW9 Sovereign Wood Headphones are crafted from "Japan's finest Hokkaido cherry tree," feature 42-millimeter neodymium magnet drivers with fiberglass housing support, and come bundled with a carrying case to keep these beauties clean when not in use. You can pick these up to listen to (or just look at) come October 19th for ¥37,800 (or about $330).

[Via AudioJunkies]

Thermaltake's DH 102 HTPC chassis rocks 7-inch touchscreen

Filed under: Desktops, Media PCs

We know, not everyone sits within touching distance of their HTPC, but tossing a seven-inch touch panel into such a chassis provides excellent bragging rights if nothing else. Thermaltake's DH 102 HTPC enclosure manages to include just that, along with a piano black mirror coating and aluminum front panel, wireless remote, front-mounted jog dial, USB 2.0 / FireWire ports, built-in Media LAB interface, and space for a number of internal hard drives. Unfortunately, pricing details have yet to be released, but if it ends up a bit too pricey for you, there's always the DH 101 that forgoes the snazzy (albeit potentially unnecessary) touchscreen and replaces it with a smaller LCD (or none at all).

[Via DarkVision Hardware]

Ginormous RAZR 2 crashes into Mercedes, film at eleven

Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation

They sure do look beautiful flying in formation during their annual migration, but when one of Illinois's rare Aves Razeruses crashes and burns on a busy Moscow street corner, well, it's never a pretty sight. Check out another pic of the carnage after the break...

[Via Tech Ticker Blog, thanks chirag]

Continue reading Ginormous RAZR 2 crashes into Mercedes, film at eleven

Suzuki's PIXY + SSC concept thrives in post-nuclear wastelands

Filed under: Transportation

Let's face it, we've only got what, maybe three or four hundred years left to enjoy the great outdoors before pollution levels eventually prohibit even stepping foot outside without our personal breathing apparatus. Well Suzuki thinks that it will be in this bleak and toxin-filled future that motorized single-passenger vehicles like the Segway will finally thrive, and is preparing to capture a piece of this potentially lucrative market with a concept transportation system known as PIXY + SSC. Scheduled to be unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, this dynamic duo consists of a rolling transporter (SSC, or Suzuki Shared Coach) which can carry up to two PIXY runabouts -- fully-enclosed, three wheeled pods that will let you comfortably navigate a toxic or post-nuclear world. Suzuki plans to make these available "well before it becomes impossible to walk to our dealerships." Click on for a high-res pic...

[Via Autoblog Green]

Continue reading Suzuki's PIXY + SSC concept thrives in post-nuclear wastelands

iPhone protest vid uses Apple's own words to support the "crazy ones"

Filed under: Cellphones

A lot of people out there aren't too happy with Apple right now. Some of them express their displeasure with expletive-filled tirades in the comments section of any pertinent blog post they can find. Other, arguably more creative folks use the popular medium of the day to make the object of their frustration appear foolish and hypocritical in an entertaining manner. To witness just such a protest, head over to the video after the break...

[Thanks, Scott]

Continue reading iPhone protest vid uses Apple's own words to support the "crazy ones"

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

Nintendo pushes 50 millionth DS out the door

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

Well if there are still any doubts as to who's winning the portable console war, let them be dispelled here and now: in the less than three years since it's been on the market, the Nintendo DS (in both its Lite and Phat flavors) has sold a total of 50 million units, according to the unofficial VG Chartz. Sony's PSP (released less than one month later in Japan)? Less than half that number. While the PSP will surely get a sales boost now that it too has slimmed down, DS still seems to be the clear choice of the majority of gamers. Next challenge for Mario and friends: hitting 100 million faster than the iPod.

Happy 30th birthday, Atari 2600!

Filed under: Gaming

See that Wii or Xbox sitting under your TV? The PSP or DS tucked away in your messenger bag? That copy of Pac-man on your cellphone which cost five bucks and expires next month? Each of them owe a debt of gratitude to the granddaddy of all videogame consoles, the Atari 2600, which ushered in an era of unprecedented television usage, and which turns 30 years old this month. That's right, the first 2600 units rolled off the assembly line in October of 1977, delighting both children and kids at heart with games like Pitfall and Pole Position, and helping distract the nation after the untimely death of the King, the tragic crash of Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane, and Pele's retirement. So here's to you, dear 2600: Atari may only be a shadow of its former self today, but you've lived on in our fond memories, in retro Flashback products, and last but not least, in tricked-out mods from the great Ben Heckendorn.

Poll: did you upgrade your iPhone to firmware v1.1.1?

Filed under: Cellphones

Ok, time for another unscientific reader poll. Did you upgrade your iPhone to v1.1.1? If so, what happened? Tell us all about it (why you did or didn't upgrade, what happened if you did, etc.) in comments. Let it all out, we're here for you.

Bonus side poll ONLY for those whose iPhones were bricked:

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

The Sony Drive XEL-1 OLED TV: 1,000,000:1 contrast starting December 1st

Filed under: Displays

It's here friends, Sony's Drive teaser is none other than their 3-mm thin, 1,000,000:1 OLED TV, just announced official with a December 1st Japanese retail date. The 11-inch SonyDrive XEL-1 set features a 960 x 540 pixel resolution, terrestrial digital tuner, 2x 1W speaker, and HDMI, USB, and Ethernet jacks in a package measuring 287 x 140 x 253-mm and 2-kg (3.3-pounds). How much? Well, ¥200,000 or about $1,740 -- That's about $160 per inch of OLED. Rich indeed, but so it goes for first generation technology.

Gallery: The SonyDrive XEL-1 OLED TV: 1,000,000:1 contrast starting December 1st

[Via Impress]

Whirlpool Espresso refrigerator brings the coffee to the cream

Filed under: Household

Today's "Adventure in Laziness" is brought to you by Whirlpool, which has just -- rather cleverly, we must admit -- announced an upcoming refrigerator with built-in espresso maker, saving you several precious steps during your rushed morning routine. No longer will you flutter between fridge and coffee machine like a caffeine-addicted idiot; instead, your milk, creamers, and sweeteners are just inches away from a freshly-brewed cup. Coming in January of next year for what will likely be significantly more than your standard icebox, the "20RI D4 Espresso" bodes well for future fridge-tech, and makes us yearn for the day when our Whirlpool sends us off to work with a warm cup of joe and welcomes us home at night with a frosty, self-brewed lager.

[Via The Appliancist]

HTC's S730 Vox-followup spotted in the wild?

Filed under: Cellphones

If these spy shots of the purported S730 are to be believed, then HTC looks to be drumming up a successor to their S710 Vox. Besides sporting an improved 400MHz Qualcomm processor and 3G radio, we're told that it features a like, totally, "way better keyboard," Bluetooth, and the "excellent build quality" we expect from an HTC device. We can also see a new front-facing camera and WiFi option in that picture above. With any luck, HTC will make it official at one of their rumored announcements coming today and tomorrow. Until then, hit the read link for plenty more pics.

iPhone users calling for class action lawsuit over firmware v1.1.1

Filed under: Cellphones

Angry with Apple over the absolute lockdown of the iPhone? You're not alone. Angry enough to start a lawsuit over it? You're probably in a far smaller group entirely, which now includes a number of rabble-rousers on Apple's forums, whose comment threads were killed shortly after beginning discussions of calling for a class action suit against Apple. (Really though, what'd they expect?) There's no question that users want some retribution for the sorry, sometimes even bricked state the iPhone's now in, but big talk is infinitely smaller than even minor action, so until some brave (or publicity hungry) individuals step up to the plate to test legality of disabling hacked features on personal electronics, it sounds like we'll all just have to be content with our $100 refunds or reduced-price purchases until this thing works itself out.

T-Mobile Shadow unboxed, still not released

Filed under: Cellphones

Here it is again, the HTC Juno / Pheobus / Dopod C750 all boxed up in its soon to be announced T-Mobile Shadow branding. A tipster over at The Boy Genius Report claims that it might be sporting a VGA screen like we've already heard and that center-button is actually a scroll-wheel which serves as a 4-way navigation pad. The green and brown colors are said to "look great" with your fall wardrobe while sporting a soft-touch finish around back to keep this slider, sliding in your hand and not off the tabletop. BGR's got a full gallery just beyond the read link.

Nokia unlocks anti-Apple campaign

The quartet of posters above was photographed in New York city over the weekend by a MacRumors forum jockey. Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen Nokia pounce on Apple foibles, and it certainly won't be the last. Even if Nokia can't help but copy the iPhone interface design in its own future-looking presentations.

[Via reddit]

HTC's Shift with HSDPA and SnapVue gets a ship date

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops, Tablet PCs

Although it feels like it's already launched, the HTC Shift with HSDPA data just received its final push out the door today. Nothing new spec-wise to report. It's still the same 7-inch, touch-sensitive "slide-n-tilt" device sporting HTC's new SnapVUE shell -- a Sideshow-like, Windows Mobile-like, information display with its own dedicated processor for instant access to your email, SMS, calendar and contacts without booting into Vista. While the 2 days of SnapVUE standby time is indeed stellar, the 2-hours of Vista juice is generation-one UMPC pathetic. Available "across Europe" starting November for an undisclosed price.

Gallery: HTC's Shift with HSDPA and SnapVue gets a ship date

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