Sony paints gadgets pink, donates to breast cancer research

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops, Portable Audio, Portable Video

As companies continue to give their products pink makeovers in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Sony is joining the fray by introducing a trio of items that all give back. Up first is the 14.1-inch VGN-CR290EAP laptop (starting at $1,369.99), which features a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 200GB of hard drive space, DVD writer, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, integrated X3100 graphics, 2GB of DDR2 RAM and a slew of ports to boot. The 4GB NWZ-A816PNK Walkman ($149.95) boasts a 320 x 240 display, up to 33-hours of battery life (8-hours when playing back videos) and support for MP3, WMA, AAC, MPEG4 and M4V formats. Finally, the 8-inch DVP-FX810/P portable DVD player ($189.99) offers up a swiveling flip-screen and promises around 5.5-hours of life on a full charge. And just so you know, Sony will be donating $75, $10 and $10 (respectively) from the sale of each aforementioned gadget to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

[Via ChipChick]

 

[via] Engadget

NME's HD VMD players hit for under $200

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Considering that the war between HD DVD and Blu-ray is still raging, we'd really be hesitant to jump on board NME's bandwagon. Nevertheless, New Medium Enterprises' proprietary HD VMD players are starting to show up for under two Benjamins, but of course, there's only a handful of notable films available on the format (for now, at least). Those still interested in giving it a whirl can jump on the ML622S ($189) or ML777s ($199) right now, but don't blame us if the content you're dreaming of never makes its way over to HD VMD.

[Via Technabob]

 

[via] Engadget

Dream Arcades intros cocktail Dreamcade 2.0 arcade cabinet

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

Those wild 'n crazy kids over at Dream Arcades are at it again, and just when you thought you had your holiday budget ironed out, along comes the four-player cocktail Dreamcade 2.0 to put you back in the red. This arcade cabinet features an "integrated trackball, lighted buttons, a Windows-based DreamPC and a collection of more than 145 licensed games including classic titles from Midway, Digital Leisure, Atari, Namco and Capcom." The 2.0 version of the Dreamcade boasts a 21-inch "real arcade monitor," tinted safety glass and the ability to connect your own console. Sure, it'll cost you $1,899, but that's a small price to pay for all this retro.

[Via I4U News]

 

[via] Engadget

GeoPic II geotags your Nikon shots, saves on battery

Filed under: Digital Cameras, GPS

Geotagging kind of loses its appeal when it's cutting your battery life to ribbons, which is where GeoPic II comes in. The unit slides into your DSLR's hot shoe and embeds GPS information off of a SiRFstar III chip onto your photo's meta data, just like the competition, but what sets the GeoPic II apart is that in comparison to its predecessor, the unit get three times as much battery life, allowing you to tag a good many more photos. The device accomplishes this by only streaming GPS data to the camera when needed, which sounds like a given, but apparently took a good bit of R&D to pull off. There's no telling how this tech compares in power savings to NXP's swGPS, which was built with a similar purpose, but GeoPic II is available now for £200 ($408 US), while swGPS hasn't quite made it out of the labs just yet. GeoPic II is compatible with most Nikon DSLRs and the Fuji S5 Pro.

 

[via] Engadget

FCC delays 700MHz spectrum auction by 8 days, finalizes bidding rules

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Back in August, it seemed pretty certain that the 700MHz spectrum auction would go down on January 16th of next year. Now, however, the FCC has officially delayed the auction by eight days to "provide interested parties with additional time after this announcement of competitive bidding procedures to develop business plans, assess market conditions and evaluate the availability of equipment for new 700MHz band services." Reportedly, the aforementioned parties only have from November 19th to December 3rd to fill out a short-form license application, and if all goes as planned, a "mock auction" should commence on January 18th, 2008. If you'd like to get into all the reserve prices, upfront payment deadlines and top secret details about the hors d'oeuvres that will likely be served at the forthcoming event, feel free to hit the read link for all 122 mind-numbing pages. [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via PhoneScoop]

 

[via] Engadget

Altec Lansing intros inMotion iM414 Zune speaker system

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio

Altec Lansing was among the first to offer a speaker dock for the original Zune, and it now looks set to accommodate the latest batch as well, with the company apparently nearly a release for its "Designed for Zune" inMotion iM414 speaker system. While we're a bit skeptical of Altec Lansing's claims of "immersive, crystal-clear sound," the system does look to be fairly decent as far as these things go, with it boasting some 3.2-watt speakers with 2-inch neodymium drivers, a built-in FM radio, a remote, and a spare input jack for your other audio gear. It'll also, of course, charge your Zune while it plays, and it'll even hold some batteries if you want to tote it along with you. As they've shown in the past, Altec Lansing hasn't forgotten about SanDisk users either, with the nearly identical inMotion iM413 model for Sansa players also said to be "coming soon," for the same $100 price as the Zune version.

[Via Crave]

 

[via] Engadget

Zune 4 / 8 won't include video out functionality

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

While we recently heard that the new Zunes would boast DVD quality video outputs, that will apparently not include the Zune 4 and Zune 8. Zune Insider now has it that only the flagship Zune 80 will boast outputs of 720x480 at 30fps or 720x576 at 25fps without transcoding, and the two flash-based siblings will be going sans TV out altogether. Tough break, but at least you've got one more tidbit to base your purchasing decision on, eh?

[Via Zune Online]

 

[via] Engadget

Sony's 40GB PS3 headed for America next month?

Filed under: Gaming

Go on and file this one away in the rumor drawer, but on the same token, don't be utterly shocked if Sony looses its 40GB PlayStation 3 on American soil next month. According to The Hollywood Reporter, SCEA "will unveil a $399 40GB PlayStation 3 on US shores," and moreover, sources were quoting November 2nd as a likely launch date. Currently, we've no reason to believe that we Americans would receive anything other than the pared down machine that the Europeans were introduced to last week, but we'll be sure and keep you posted on any further developments.

[Via PS3Fanboy]

 

[via] Engadget

15.4-inch Gateway ML6230 going for $300?

Filed under: Laptops

Sure, for $300 you could get your order in for a minuscule Eee PC or cross your fingers while calling dibs on a Medison Celebrity, or you could just stroll into your nearest Best Buy and hope for the best. According to a recent circular, the big box retailer is offering up a 15.4-inch Gateway ML6230 for just $299.99 sans rebates, but it has been noted that not every Best Buy location is apt to honor the price. Nevertheless, stores that are participating will be giving the first ten buyers to dash in for one a Vista-equipped lappie with a 1.6GHz Intel Celeron M 520 processor, 512MB of RAM, 80GB of HDD space, a DVD burner, multicard reader, 802.11b/g, and a basic array of ports that includes S-Video, FireWire, four USB 2.0 jacks, audio in / out and Ethernet. Hurry up, stocks are likely dwindling.

[Via CNET]

 

[via] Engadget

iPhone, iPod touch v1.1.1 jailbroken, apps ported and running

Filed under: Cellphones

Well lookey see here, sounds like v1.1.1 isn't all doom and gloom after all. The iPhone dev community's apparently not only moved past accessing the nigh-unbreakable file system protections Apple implemented in the latest iPhone and iPod touch firmwares, they've also managed to hack the SpringBoard app into shape enough to properly launch 3rd party apps (which were, as expected, recompiled to function with the new iPhone frameworks). The iPod touch has apparently also been hacked for root access, and apparently those freshly recompiled apps are functioning there as well. But it's still not without some bad news: unfortunately, it sounds like most (if not all) of these new hacks rely solely on that single TIFF exploit in Mobile Safari, meaning that everyone's back to square one the moment Apple beams v1.1.2 to the public at large.

[via] Engadget

Janky V688 PMP does Skype, too?

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Yeah, we've seen a Skype phone and a PMP awkwardly merged into one before, but this unit adds its own layer of sketchiness for good measure. The V688, supposedly offered up by Shenzhen Went Wide Shine Electron Company, claims to boast a 1.8-inch display, MP3 / video playback, USB connectivity, an FM radio, rechargeable Li-ion and an integrated Skype phone. Per usual, we wouldn't expect this piece to posses any signs of expert craftsmanship, but you can toss over an inquiry if you're really curious as to what it will run you.

[Via PMPToday]

 

[via] Engadget

TiVo picks up Rhapsody support, learns to love music

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Yep, TiVo is re-announcing support for Rhapsody today, finally ready to roll out to Real / TiVo crossover customers. Real's hardware integration list, which includes iRiver, Nokia, SanDisk, Sonos, etc., gets finally getting another notch in the bedpost, and you get to thumbs up / down your music selections (thanks, TiVo peanut) couchside. It doesn't sound like you can do much more than stream tracks and Rhapsody radio from the cloud, though, so if you're expecting some crazy TiVo-centered device syncing or portable media integration, think again. And say, while we're on the topic of TiVo updates, not that we want to look a service-supporting gift horse in the mouth or anything, but we're still waiting for TiVoToGo and TiVoToComeBack for our Series3s and HDs, y'hear TiVo?

Gallery: TiVo picks up Rhapsody support, learns to love music

 

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

[via] Engadget

Microsoft backports Vista features for new Windows XP SP3 beta

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

It looks like Vista isn't the only OS Microsoft is working to improve, with the folks at Neosmart now reporting that a beta of Windows XP SP3 Build 3205 has been sent out to a select group of testers. Apparently, it includes more than a thousand patches and hotfixes, some of which have actually been backported from Windows Vista. Those include a new Windows Product Activation mode, which doesn't require you to enter a product key during setup, as well as new a network access protection module that replicates many of the features found in Vista. Other notable additions (to some) include a new Kernel Mode Cryptographic Module and so-called "Black Hole Router" detection, which protects against "rogue routers" attempting to discard data. All this, of course, follows the recent extension of XP sales until June of 2008, so it certainly seems that there's quite a bit of life left in the venerable OS that many are still clinging on to.

[Via Slashdot]

 

[via] Engadget

Wokka wokka wokka: Acer to acquire Gateway to acquire Packard Bell

Filed under: Desktops, Displays, Laptops

The rumor was spot-on: Gateway has delivered a binding offer to acquire all shares of PB Holding Company S.à.r.l. from Lap Shun (John) Hui and Clifford Holdings Limited. If approved, Acer would nab themselves an improved foothold in Europe as part of their acquisition of Gateway announced back in August. Final regulatory approvals for the three-way love-in are expected before the end of the year or Q1 at the latest.

 

[via] Engadget

Fujitsu unveils 15.4-inch LifeBook V1010 for the budget-minded

Filed under: Laptops

Although it's no $300 Gateway, Fujitsu's LifeBook V1010 does manage to come with a bit more oomph than the aforementioned cheapie. Designed for "price-conscious markets," this machine can be had starting at $799, and it offers up a 15.4-inch WXGA panel, 1.86GHz Intel T2130 processor, Windows XP, GMA 950 graphics set, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 120GB SATA drive, 59k modem / Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g support, a dual-layer DVD writer, and a six-cell Li-ion rated for 2.25-hours of usage. Granted, you can spend more than eight Benjamins if you'd like, but at least the base configuration won't break the bank too badly.

[Via Laptoping]

 

[via] Engadget

Jammie Thomas to appeal $222,000 RIAA file-sharing suit

Filed under: Portable Audio

Nothing's been filed yet, but Jammie Thomas and her lawyer were on CNN today discussing that ridiculous $222,000 damage award for sharing songs on Kazaa and confirmed that they will, in fact, appeal. The exact nature of the appeal is still up in the air, but Thomas' lawyer says it'll have to do with whether or not Thomas actually transferred a song to another Kazaa user or just made it available on the network. That's a pretty unsettled part of the law and a fairly weak part of the RIAA's case, but we'll have to wait and see what the actual appeal says before we'll have an idea of how this will play out. Peep the full interview on CNN at the read link.

[Via TG Daily]

 

[via] Engadget

Sony Japan's ceramic white PS3 and DualShock 3 announced

Filed under: Gaming, HDTV

Nope, not an early sign of cataracts, you're looking at Sony's ceramic white 40GB PS3 and DualShock 3 controller just loosed in Japan. Like its European 40GB cuz, the CECHH00 Series PS3 aces the backward compatibility, memory card slot, and 2x of the 4x USB slots in favor of a low, low ¥39,980 (about $341/€242) price tag when it ships on 11 November. The DualShock 3 wireless rumbler (sold separately) first revealed at Tokyo Game Show hits shelves the same day for ¥5,500 or about $47/€33. Yes, both the PS3 and DualShock 3 are available in black if you're feeling the ebony over new-school ivory.

[Via Akihabara News]

 

[via] Engadget

Yamaha's Tenori-On music maker gets reviewed

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

It's been over two years since we first heard of the Tenori-On instrument, and it's just now hitting boutique audio shops and a particular reviewer's hands. For those who have been hyping themselves up over this thing, we don't exactly have oodles of good news to share, and while the negatives did seem to outweigh the positives, here's the gist of it. On the bright side, the music maker is unique, cute and quite intuitive. It also got brownie points for boasting internal speakers and for being able to run on batteries. Unfortunately, it rings up at £599 (around $1,200), and it simply "feels too cheap" to cost so much; additionally, it lacks touch sensitivity and a hardware volume control. Granted, the hardcore fans may still find the issues acceptable, so do yourself a favor and hit the pros and cons list in the read link below before jumping to conclusions.

 

[via] Engadget

Via's vm7700 bolt-on VESA PC: the modern Prometheus

Filed under: Desktops, Displays

What's so interesting about the back of that LCD monitor you ask? Well, you're actually looking at the computer. VIA's VESA mounted vm7700 PC in fact, which converts any standard VESA display into a make-shift all-in-one PC. Completely fanless, the PC sports your choice of VIA C7 1GHz or Eden ULV 1.5GHz processors, up to 1GB of memory, optional 802.11b/g WiFi, and choice of standard 2.5-inch SATA disk or DOM (Disk on Module) supporting Linux or WinXP/XPe pre-loads. Hardware-based MPEG-2/4 and WMV9 acceleration turns the device into an instant digital signboard from which to advertise your gothic loathings about modern man. Continue on for the (re)animation.

Continue reading Via's vm7700 bolt-on VESA PC: the modern Prometheus

 

[via] Engadget

Envision's latest 32-inch LCD HDTVs handle ATSC, Clear QAM

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Envision's latest duo of LCD HDTVs aren't apt floor anyone with cutting edge extras, but they do manage to pack enough features to satisfy a large chunk of those scouting a new 32-incher. Up first is the L32W661, which features a 1,366 x 768 resolution, 1,200:1 contrast ratio, eight-millisecond response time, 500 cd/m2 brightness, 178-degree viewing angles and an integrated NTSC / ATSC tuner that supports Clear QAM. Furthermore, the set boasts built-in 16-watt speakers, two HDMI sockets, a pair of component / S-Video / composite jacks and a S/PDIF audio output. For those only needing a single HDMI port, the L32W698 (shown after the break) is available for the same price, but it sports a debatably sexier frame.

Continue reading Envision's latest 32-inch LCD HDTVs handle ATSC, Clear QAM

 

[via] Engadget

DeviceVM's SplashTop: more info about the five second Linux system

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

In Asus's new P5E3 Deluxe we saw the first hardware launch of embedded Linux developer DeviceVM's new SplashTop platform, but we didn't exactly get a lot of hard info about what the system is or how it's supposed to work. While specifics of the hardware might change from implementation to implementation, SplashTop refers to the software platform -- kind of an embedded Linux-based internet appliance-like environment running off a flash memory chip, which is linked directly to the BIOS (read: not on the IDE / SATA bus). This, of course, allows quick and painless pre-boot access to the included sandboxed browser (FireFox) and VoIP (Skype) environment. As of this time users can't yet add their own apps (though that might change later), but hey, they can get online pretty fast, and that's a start, right? Of course, it's arguable that if you need to get online there's always suspend mode for your Vista or XP machine, and that internet appliances didn't work then, so why should they work now? Then again, suspend mode still draws more power than "off", and internet appliances were never built into your day to day computer either -- so we'll be tracking where this one heads.

Gallery: DeviceVM's SplashTop: more info about the five second Linux system

 

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

[via] Engadget

UK says Bluetooth spam not prohibited by privacy laws

Filed under: Wireless

Spammers in the UK just got a little pick-me-up from the Information Commissioner's Office, which recently evaluated its rules and decided that Bluetooth was not covered by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, which prohibits advertisers and marketers from sending unsolicited messages on a "public electronic communications network." Since Bluetooth doesn't operate over a public network like SMS or email, the ICO can't apply the privacy regulations as they're now written to Bluetooth messaging -- advantage, spammers. The ruling isn't official yet, but we'd be surprised if the regulations weren't re-written to include Bluetooth and other short-range wireless connectivity standard pretty quickly.

[Via Tech.co.uk]

 

[via] Engadget

Sonos ZoneBridge 100 gets price, release date

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wireless

Sonos' ZoneBridge 100, which managed to surface on the FCC's website just days ago, now has a price and release date. According to Automated Home, the BR100 "will be available from October 24th and will have a retail price in the UK of £69" (it'll be $99 here in the US). Furthermore, the box will reportedly enable Sonos users to "extend the range of their Sonos system without having to sacrifice a proper ZonePlayer," or it could be used "in between two zones that are too far apart to link currently." Check out another picture after the jump.

Continue reading Sonos ZoneBridge 100 gets price, release date

 

[via] Engadget

AMD casually intros new 45-watt processors

Filed under: Desktops

Shortly after (quietly) unveiling the Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Black Edition, AMD has used a similar tactic with a half dozen more processors. The new 45-watt offerings span the Athlon X2, Athlon and Sempron lines, and come in like so (with prices reflecting batches of 1,000): the 2.3GHz Athlon X2 BE-2400 ($104), 2.4GHz Athlon LE-1620 ($53), 2.2GHz Athlon LE-1600 ($47), 2.2GHz Sempron LE-1250 ($53), 2.1GHz Sempron LE-1200 ($48) and the 1.9GHz Sempron LE-1100 ($37). No word yet on what OEMs will be integrating these chips into their machines, but we wouldn't be surprised to see 'em filter into smaller, more energy-conscience rigs.

[Via ExtremeTech]

 

[via] Engadget

OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown hits the brakes on jacked cars

Filed under: GPS, Transportation

Although OnStar has offered Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance to its subscribers since 1996, the firm is getting set to add a snazzy new enhancement for 2009 vehicles. The feature, dubbed Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, can use GPS to pinpoint a vehicle once it has been reported as stolen, and after OnStar confirms with local police that it has the vehicle within sight, it can then be slowed down remotely. The system actually receives a signal that "interacts with the powertrain to reduce engine power, which will [in turn] slow the vehicle down gradually." Interestingly, customers will have the option of opting out of the service if they so choose, but we'd rather be safe (and potentially paranoid) than sorry.

 

[via] Engadget

Sony's BWU-200S Blu-ray burner reaches 4x speeds

Filed under: HDTV, Storage

We know, 4x still isn't all that speedy in the grand scheme of things, but the BWU-200S can still toast BD-R discs twice as fast as last year's BWU-100A. Aside from filling a 50GB BD-R in around 45 minutes, the new drive can also burn to BD-RE at 2x, DVD±R at 16x, dual-layer DVD±R at 8x, CD-R at 40x and CD-RW at 24x. Furthermore, the unit boasts a SATA interface and comes bundled with the CyberLink BD Solution software that "provides a comprehensive application for capturing, authoring, editing, burning and viewing high-definition personal content." If all this looks good to you, get set to pony up around $600 when it ships out next month.

 

[via] Engadget

Help Engadget Energize Education in the DonorsChoose blogger challenge

Filed under: Announcements, Features

We like to have a lot of fun around here, but we also know that there are times to get serious and use our semi-prominent position to rally our readers around a good cause. Or in the case of the 2007 DonorsChoose blogger challenge, 25 good causes. Engadget has partnered with numerous different tech-centric programs around the country to help raise funds for the children that they serve, and with your assistance, we're hoping to collect a total of $25,000 to be distributed among these various organizations. The best part? As its name suggests, DonorsChoose allows you to allocate your donation however you please; so instead of contributing to the general "Engadget fund," you're actually giving directly to one or more programs impacting high-need public schools.

You have until October 31st to make a donation -- either by clicking here or on the Read link below -- and we sincerely hope that you'll consider helping out these projects that really do have a chance to give kids a better future. We'll keep you updated with Team Engadget's progress, and while it would be almost criminal to guarantee every reader a new HDTV if we meet our goals, well...

[via] Engadget

MTube does Linux, WiMAX, weighs five ounces

Filed under: Handhelds

Check out the MTube. Sure, the name is weird and maybe a little pointless, but the device itself is pretty interesting. We don't have a ton of detail on the little guy -- which was put together by Taiwan's Science and Technology Advisory Group -- except that it's built atop VIA's Mobile-ITX motherboard, features a 2.8-inch, 640 x 480 touchscreen, 8GB of flash memory, a 1GHz VIA CPU, and is running some form of Linux. The new, miniscule ITX form factor apparently also includes a CDMA baseband chip, which opens up wireless connectivity possibilities for devices of this type. Right now this is just a prototype, but production is planned for 2009, and once VIA's credit-card sized motherboard hits the market, we suspect we'll be seeing all kinds of new gadgetry like this popping up.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

 

[via] Engadget

Adobe develops 3D camera technology, dubs it computational photography

Filed under: Digital Cameras

At a recent event in France, Adobe showcased a prototype 3D lens that could essentially capture a scene from 19 slightly different angles simultaneously, giving photographers a lot more to work with when they return home for post-processing. Essentially, the firm boasted that by using this lens along with software designed to understand the 3D nature of the image, individuals could utilize newfangled tools such as a "3D healing brush" and make perspective shifts based on the different viewpoints originally captured. Dave Story, vice president of digital imaging product development at Adobe, called the technology "computational photography," and suggested that it could open up an entirely new window of image transformation opportunities. As always, these type things are better explained in motion, so be sure and hit the read link to check out the video.

[Via CNET]

 

[via] Engadget

"Largest ever" study finds tasers safe

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Not that you needed any kind of study to prove that your shiny new personal stun gun was safe to use, but Dr. William Bozeman and colleagues have just wrapped up an independent study that "suggests the devices are safe, causing a low occurrence of serious injuries." The research was conducted at Wake Forest University, and it showed that out of "nearly 1,000 cases, 99.7-percent of those subjected to a taser had mild injuries, such as scrapes and bruises, or none at all," while the remaining sliver received injuries severe enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. Granted, Dr. Bozeman did admit that tasers could "clearly cause injuries and even deaths in some cases," but insinuated that the risk was quite low. Tase on, we guess.

[Via Physorg]

 

[via] Engadget

AT&T snaps up Aloha Partners' wireless spectrum stash

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

It looks like AT&T sure is serious about expanding its network, with the company now following up its recent purchase of Dobson Communications with an acquisition of a stash of spectrum from Providence, R.I.-based Aloha Partners LP, the largest owner of 700MHz spectrum in the US (and parent company of mobile TV firm HiWire). According to The Wall Street Journal, the deal totals some $2.5 billion, and includes spectrum covering 72 of the United States' top 100 markets, covering about 196 million people in all. No word on how this will affect T-Mobile's current arrangement with HiWire, or HiWire itself, for that matter, but we suspect there'll be some rather, um, interesting discussions going on behind the scenes.

 

[via] Engadget

Alienware adds 64GB SSD option to ALX desktops

Filed under: Desktops

Alienware has already brought some 64GB SSD drives to its laptops, and it's now giving some of its desktops the same solid state treatment as well, with both the AMD-based Aurora ALX and Intel-based Area-51 ALX available with the speedy, and pricey new option. What's more, apparently sensing that its customers wouldn't be satisfied with a mere 64GB, it seems that Alienware is only offering the drives in dual RAID 0 configurations, giving you a total of 128GB and an extra $1,700 on top of the already multi-thousand dollar price tag.

 

[via] Engadget

Optimus Maximus box design: will the madness end?

Filed under: Peripherals

You've already caught a glimpse of what the innards of the Optimus Maximus box should look like, so if you're intrigued, you can now take a peek at the outside. Additionally, the folks laid out a number of previous concepts, but it sounds like they're going with the white shown above to match the keyboard's color. We know, it's just more teasing, but click on through if you're able to endure it.

Continue reading Optimus Maximus box design: will the madness end?

 

[via] Engadget

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XLVI: Skype's former CEO admits eBay paid too much

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Apparently former Skype CEO and co-founder Niklas Zennstrom isn't just one to take the money and run. No, he found time in his busy schedule to confess that eBay payed too much for Skype, which is something that's become increasingly evident to eBay in the past months: the company is cutting up to $1.2 billion off the $4.3 billion potential price it agreed to with Skype two years ago. "We had to chart the trajectory of growth and how fast that would run, (but) we found out that was a bit front-loaded," said Zennstrom. "We overshot in terms of monetization ... Our position in the market has strengthened ... you need to look at the long-term value of companies." Seems a little odd for Niklas to be preaching it to eBay in this scenario, but perhaps he just wanted to clear his name now that Joost has gone public and is potentially looking of suitors. He wouldn't predict if Skype could've made its original goals if he had stuck around until 2009, but somehow we doubt it.

 

[via] Engadget

Birthday girl gets two rock-filled iPod boxes

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

We're tempted to believe this story just isn't true, but if the details are indeed factual, we're a bit flabbergasted to say the least. Turns out, a teenager's mother scurried to Target in order to snap up a video iPod for her daughter's upcoming birthday, and she put it on a Target credit card in order to receive a discount. Upon opening it up, the gal's 14th birthday party took a turn for the worse as Regan Ritter found nothing but rocks packaged neatly inside. After demanding a refund and getting rejected, store employees were able to locate another iPod at a different Target location. As you can probably guess, that box was also stuffed with rocks. Target still refused to refund the lady's dough and insisted that she blow the $350 on other store merchandise instead. As it stands, Ms. Ritter is expecting some higher-ups to contact her and truly resolve this, but there's no word as to whether or not Regan ever acquired an iPod from anywhere else.

[Via Techmeme]

 

[via] Engadget

Sony's Darth Vader PSP-2000 hits stores today

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

If you've been looking to jump into PSP land for personal reasons, perhaps are looking to upgrade to a new PSP-2000 "slim," consider yourself a Star Wars fanboy, or maybe just like white things, the new Darth Vader PSP could be just the ticket. The limited edition unit should be on store shelves today, but only comes as part of a $199 bundle which includes the new Star Wars Battlefront game. Of course, we're guessing most people willing to track down a PSP with Darth Vader's likeness silkscreened on the back aren't going to balk at playing a little bit of Battlefront now and then. And if paying money for things isn't really your style, you can always try your luck over at our siter site Joystiq, since they're giving away five of these bundles to some lucky readers.

[via] Engadget

Samsung SDI is building first WVGA OLED panel for handhelds

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Handhelds

While the technology is still in preliminary stages, it's not hard to imagine the kind of devices inside which a 3-inch WVGA (480 x 800) OLED display would find a home, and we want one yesterday. Samsung SDI is prepping just such a display, and claims to have overcome the manufacturing and performance barriers that have kept the technology stuck at QVGA in consumer devices. The new technology is being developed in conjunction with Clairvoyante, using Clairvoyante's proprietary PenTile RGB tech, allowing for low battery consumption and high performance, to the tune of 1000:1 contrast and 200 nits of brightness. Sounds good to us, mass production starts Q3 2008.

 

[via] Engadget

Samsung's BlackJack II outed as the i617

Filed under: Cellphones

Don't worry BlackJack fans, Samsung does indeed seem to have a true BlackJack II successor in the works for you, unlike that stylus-based i780 pretender to the throne. Turns out the i617 -- which we saw pass the FCC yesterday -- will be doing the honors, but unfortunately it's not terribly clear what those honors will be. AT&T is a lock, thanks to the HSDPA 850 / 1900, and of course Windows Mobile 6 will be the main attraction, but there's no confirmation of WiFi or any other notable hardware upgrades just yet other than a bump to 2 megapixels from the original's 1.3. As for looks, we'll let you make up your own mind, but the design isn't much of a departure -- there's still a back hump -- but everything is considerably more shiny this time around. No word on price or availability. There's a shot of the back after the break.

[Via Mobile Phones Reviews and Tips]

Continue reading Samsung's BlackJack II outed as the i617

 

[via] Engadget

Potential robospies spotted at political events

Filed under: Robots

Yeah, it's very possible that reports of "robospies" at political events are nothing more than propaganda or the result of blurred vision, but a number of protesters have recently been "seeing" creatures that appear to be "large dragonflies" while out exercising their rights. Some folks noted that they were akin to "little helicopters," and while "no agency admits to having deployed insect-size spy drones," there's always the possibility. As you know, it's not impossible to add spy abilities to bug-like robots and rodents, but many experts question the ability of a camera-equipped device that minuscule to collect useful information in a crowd. Regardless, this is one sure to get the privacy advocates all riled up.

[Via The Raw Feed]

 

[via] Engadget