Gadgets Mobile

Posted Jan 31st 2008 12:38PM by Nilay Patel
Filed under: Storage
The bits, they just keep coming — now that 16GB SDHC cards are old hat, SanDisk’s gone and upped the ante with these new 32GB cards. That’s the new record, but you won’t be able to get your hands on one until April, when they ship for $349. A 16GB version and a new 8GB Ultra II SDHC Plus with flip-out USB connecter will also hit in March for $179 and $99, respectively — but you know you want the big’un, don’t lie.

There is no doubt that everybody likes watching movies and video clips. At the moment there are a lot of compact DVD players that can easily fit into a simple back pack. Due to their small size we can watch movies almost everywhere. However, it does not mean that they can’t be even smaller.

Thus, in the near future it will be possible to put a DVD player into your pocket. The report about new concept of the most compact DVD player rings true. It became possible to create such a compact device due to the cutting-edge technology. There are no optical disk drive and usual display. The last one is replaced by the latest invention of Sony Corporation - a flexible ultrathin display. Given gadget looks great and it’s really very compact. So, with this DVD player you will be able to watch movies everywhere for sure. The only disputable thing concerns battery life and speakers loudness of this concept gadget. In case designers are able to find a solution to this problem, this product will become a very competitive one, because quite a significant amount of people would like to buy such a small and useful device.

High technology makes our life easier and more pleasant. And given gadget that will soon come into the world reaffirms this statement. As for now we can still use some slim models of our modern portable DVD players.

Posted Jan 31st 2008 12:22PM by Nilay Patel
Filed under: Wireless
There was a brief, tense pause in the bidding this morning, but some anonymous giant telecom company (Google, perhaps?) has just pushed the price of the 700MHz C-block over the FCC’s reserve price of $4.6B — and the rest of us straight into the promised land of open access. Yep, January 31, 2008, Round 17 will be the day to remember — to think it was all a dream, we used to read Free Spectrum magazine.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Posted Jan 31st 2008 4:01PM by Steven Kim
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Sony fans, the fun’s not over yet. Besides going hands-on with that pair of new 300-series alpha DSLRs and that alphabet soup of H, S, and T series cams, we also managed to take a look at all four new W series Cyber-shots. Differing mostly in resolution and optical zoom, the 10.1 megapixel DSC-W170, 8.1 megapixel DSC-W150 and DSC-W130, and 7.2 megapixel DSC-W120 all feature the company’s “smile shutter” technology, which we found to work pretty well at recognizing our grins during a demo. Look for these to start shipping in March and April, for between $200 and $300.

Gallery: Hands-on with Sony’s new W series Cyber-shots

Maybe I am just jaded and twisted as I head towards middle age at the speed of a bullet train, but I think that these ThinkGeek 8-Bit Dynamic Life Shirts are sad. They are not cute, they are not funny, and they are unlikely to put a smile on my face and will certainly not brighten up my day. The only people that are going to wear these are overly affectionate young couples in the most sickening stages of puppy love, or those that are so revoltingly desperate that they wish to advertise their loneliness by means of a glowing shirt.

As you draw near your special someone, the life meter lights up. You can get up to six lives. The battery is good for three hours, if you can go that long without taking a big time monster beating. Go on get your matching set for Valentine’s Day. It is kind of romantic in an ultra-nerdy way. You can rub all of your single friends faces in how wonderful your new relationship is and wonder why your weekends suddenly involve watching old romantic comedies starring Hugh Grant.

$25 for the shirt, $12 for the transmitter from Think Geek.

Oh Gizmo!

Posted Jan 31st 2008 11:10AM by Paul Miller
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
Just like expected, Acer has formally bought into Packard Bell, snapping up 75% of PB Holdings, Packard Bell’s parent company. Things got a bit hairy for a bit there when Packard Bell started speaking with Lenovo as well, since Acer fears losing its strength in Europe to the Chinese giant. Luckily for Acer, Gateway was the real clincher here, since Gateway started talks with Packard Bell before getting bought by Acer itself, and had nabbed the right to counter any offers Packard Bell might get from other companies. The deal officially went through on Wednesday for $45.8 million.

I eat a lot of pizza, one might even call me a connoisseur of the pizza pie. I sample the (usually) circular dishes from a variety of restaurants on a regular basis. I’d say about half the time I choose the option to have my food delivered. During those forty minutes or so, I’m constantly wondering exactly when my pizza will get here. Well the fine folks at Domino’s Pizza have gone above and beyond to make sure you know where your pizza is, and what it’s doing.

If you’re sitting at home wondering if your pizza has even left the store yet, you can hop on the Domino’s website, plug in your phone number and get the details. The website will tell you which of the five phases (order placed, prep, bake, box and delivery) your pie is in, and even when exactly it left the store.

I’m curious whether or not this works on carry-out orders. Domino’s is the one place that I don’t (usually) get delivery from, as I can almost see their store from my house. Every now and then I’m just too lazy to drive two blocks to get my food.

Source: SlipperyBrick

Posted Jan 31st 2008 9:59AM by Paul Miller
Filed under: Peripherals, Wireless
If you’ve been holding off on Logitech’s budget-busting MX Revolution in hopes of a Bluetooth version, your time may well be at hand. The FCC just gave the stamp of approval (way to keep down those “spurious signals,” Logitech) to a certain M-RCL124 model of Bluetooth mouse that appears to be an exact replica of the MX Revolution in shape and buttonry. Obviously we’ve got nothing as far as price or release date, but we’re hoping for “soon” and “less than our next paycheck.”

Posted Jan 31st 2008 10:44AM by Paul Miller
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Wireless
The FCC is on a roll this morning. It appears RIM has a Bluetooth music streaming device in the works, the BlackBerry Remote Stereo Gateway, and the device just got the A-OK from the FCC. The unit works pretty much exactly like you’d expect: you just pair your BlackBerry device with the Gateway, plug some speakers into the 3.5mm jack, and you’re off to the races. Music is in stereo, and while we’re guessing that means A2DP, there’s nothing in the user manual that indicates this is compatible with other types of phones. While RIM has been leaning this way for a while, it’s still odd to see the company produce something so overtly media-oriented, but we guess we’re just old fogies like that. No word on price or a release date.

[Via BlackBerry Cool]

We all know Valentine’s day is coming up. And men all over the world are scurrying around trying to find the right gift for their Valentine that won’t disappoint them. (We all know men have given up on trying to find the perfect gift, because that will never happen). It’s hard enough trying to find a gift for the average woman, but what do these poor guys do when faced with a woman who is a geek/nerd? Most guys fall back onto the default of chocolate and flowers, but this year, there’s a great alternative for your geeky Valentine.

Think Geek is has come out with the Chocolate Molecule T-Shirt just in time for Valentine’s Day. Well, technically it’s not Chocolate, but the chemical Theobromine. The description from Think Geek:

…Theobromine, and she’s the tasty little number who puts your mind in a happy place while you are eating chocolate. Molecularly similar to caffeine, but with just enough differences to make her a much smoother date, Theobromine is slower to burn out of your system and induces gentle, sensual stimulation to your muscular and cardiovascular systems.

Granted, you can’t eat this lovely chocolaty brown t-shirt with the Theobromine molecule imprinted in a lovely Valentine’s raspberry pink and get the same chemical effects on your body - but your geek girl may just swoon over the geekiness (and your thoughtfulness) of this nearly perfect gift. Also, the t-shirt has no calories, so your sweetheart can wear this t-shirt proudly without gaining an ounce (well, technically only 6.1 oz, but that’s how much the shirt weighs).

I’m pretty happy that this t-shirt has a looser “classic” cut than a traditional babydoll tee, because let’s face it, only stick figures can fit into a babydoll tee. The t-shirt is 100% combed ring-spun cotton with a common 1×1 rib will make the (nearly) perfect gift for the nerdy love of your life. Pick one up for $17.99.

[Think Geek]