Sony makes LocationFree Vaio, introduces Vaio LF-V30 Base Station
17 Jul
Posted by admin as Home Entertainment
Good by LocationFree, hello Vaio Base Station LV-V30 (”with LocationFree technology”). We were hoping Sony didn’t kill LFTV, and thankfully it looks like that’s not the case. The LF-V30 takes component in/out and converts into standard def and QVGA, and will run you about $250 come September. Another hot shot after the break.
Besides moving low-priced HD DVD players, the HD DVD Promotional Group is taking advantage of Home Media Expo 2007 to announce its most recent sales data, with HD DVD going up, and Blu-ray going down. Specifically, the Nielsen Netratings mentioned show HD DVD hardware sales up 37 percent, and software sales up 20 percent from the first to the second quarter of this year. Over the same period, overall Blu-ray hardware sales (no word on if this includes the PlayStation 3 or not) were down 27 percent and software sales down 5 percent. Shockingly, this trend is attributed to aggressive marketing campaigns and cheaper standalone HD DVD players hitting the market, causing a 183 percent increase in dedicated player sales for the quarter, and over 180,000 players (up from 100k back in April) sold altogether. Whether HD DVD focus on standalones over consoles gives them an edge is unknown, but it seems like Blu-ray may be catching on to the strategy of giving away movies and cutting prices.
Shortly after Samsung and Hitachi unveiled their swank HDTV lineups, along comes Pioneer with a sexy plasma lineup of its own to shake things up. The KURO displays are segmented into two divisions, one which includes the 42- and 50-inch standard KUROs, and the other packing “Elite” KUROs of the same sizes. The 42-inch versions sport a 1,024 x 768 resolution panel, four independent HDMI 1.3 inputs, a built-in CableCARD slot, advanced PureCinema with 3:3 pulldown, and more tweakable settings than you can shake a stick at. The 50-inch flavors up the ante with a 1,365 x 768 resolution, and the Elite versions add the Home Media Gallery, come ready for ISFccc calibration, and include a few more choices throughout the display setting menus. Pricing and availability information doesn’t look to be available just yet, but judging solely by the specifications on these beauties, we’d say you better bring the purse (as in, the whole thing) if looking seriously at one of these.
From the infamous Apple rumor mill comes another shocking revelation which all of us should take as lightly as possible, knowing how these things tend to go. The current hot gossip comes from ThinkSecret, wherein the oft cited “reliable sources” recount Apple’s exact date (August 7th) for announcing the brand-spanking-new iMac, replete with updated specs and the sexy brushed aluminum casing we keep “hearing” about. The article also suggests that a new version of iLife will be emerging at the same time, but reports are less clear on a solid release date. Of course, both of these rumors carry no backup from the boys in Cupertino, so as of right now all we can do is play wait-and-see.
As if you weren’t already super into Google maps, now geek airline supreme Virgin America is getting Gmaps integrated into its Linux-based Red seatback system. As with other seatback GPS systems, users can see position, airspeed, and temperature, but we’re stoked to finally get a flight ETA and some interactivity up in here. VA’s implementation lets users have eight levels of zoom, as well as pan off the aircraft if they want to go exploring the city they just flew over. Plus, all the map data is cached on the plane’s local network, so it’ll be even faster than sitting across the street from Google HQ at a Starbucks in Mountain View.
An Ultramobile PC, All of Six Inches Long, Is an Importer’s Latest Find
17 Jul
Posted by admin as Technology
Few e-commerce companies scour Asia’s electronics markets like Dynamism.com. This company imports and sells cellphones, laptops and accessories fresh from the streets of Tokyo and Seoul. Its latest catch is the Raon Everun ultramobile PC, a minicomputer that is six inches long and runs Microsoft Windows XP.
The PC, which starts at $799, has a 4.8-inch touchscreen and a full mini-keyboard with touchpad. It has a comparatively slow processor from A.M.D. — about 500 megahertz in the $799 configuration — but it can run Microsoft Office applications and simple games. Dynamism sells the device with a 30- or 60-gigabyte hard drive or 6 gigabytes of solid-state flash memory, which the PC uses like a regular drive. A hybrid version with both a drive and flash memory is available for $1,099.
The Everun, which will be available later this month, weighs about a pound and is compatible with the 802.11b/g and Bluetooth wireless standards.
While the Everun looks like a Palm Treo on steroids, the device can make only Skype and other Internet calls, with the right software. JOHN BIGGS
So far, the accessories for the iPhone are mostly limited to a variety of cases, connectors and armbands. But the variety of add-ons is expected to proliferate now that the phone is being sold. By one estimate, owners will spend about $225 on accessories.
It’s been a tick since we’ve seen any swank LCDs come out of BenQ’s doors, but we’re quite pleased that the SH4241 seems to be a finely tuned piece that could prove worth the wait. Unfortunately, there’s not too much dirt on this one just yet, but we do know that the 42-inch LCD HDTV will sport a piano black finish, black / red accents, bottom-mounted speakers, a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, and a mysterious assortment of ports that AV freaks and gamers will apparently drool over. No word just yet on price nor availability, but we’ll be sure to keep an eye on this (admittedly attractive) set.
As we’ve seen time and time again, the desire to really know what’s going on behind the scenes seems to be a growing trend, and while there’s a number of pre-fabricated methods to keep track of your vehicle, mischievous offspring, or straying SO, why not take a little initiative and build an alternative yourself? Thankfully, a crafty DIYer has done just that, and has spelled out the details in order for you to replicate his work. The homegrown device is built around the Telit GM862 GSM-GPS module, and all told, he spent around $286 to scratch the mobile GPS itch. The device is small enough to be crammed into nearly any nook or cranny, and can transmit its position via text message to the owner. So go on, give the read link a visit and bust out your credit card — just be sure to not let the soon-to-be-tracked individual know what you’re up to, capiche?
Keyspan’s Presentation Remote Pro sports audio controls
17 Jul
Posted by admin as Audio, Home Entertainment
Hey, mundane PowerPoint presenters need to interact with their tunes from afar too, right? Apparently, Keyspan sure thinks so, as its Presentation Remote Pro not only provides a 100-foot range to flip through slides, but it also plays nice with Apple’s Keynote software, sports audio controls, and packs an obligatory laser pointer for movie theater antics. Moreover, it’s entirely plug ‘n play capable with both Windows and OS X-based machines, and doubles as a mouse with integrated cursor control, scrolling, and two-button clicking capabilities, too. Of course, $79 may seem a bit high for a wireless substitute for your right index finger, but just put it on the corporate card and fuhgetaboutit. Check out another angle after the break.