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Averatec has updated its Voya semi-rugged laptop line with two new models that offer the same rugged features and the drop-and-vibration-resistant internal components of the previously released Voya 2757 notebook, except of course for the bigger screen and some added power. These new laptops are the 14-inch Voya 4473 and the 15.4-inch Voya 6494.

To fully support the durable features both 4473 and 6494 are made from the magnesium alloy materials which is typically found in Averatec’s other laptops. For additional durability, the laptops designs were complemented by corner bumpers and anti-shock mounted hard drives.

For their individual features, we have the Voya 4473 with its Intel Core Duo processor, 1GB of RAM, 120GB hard drive, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g, Intel GMA 950 graphics, 4-in-1 card reader and a dual-layer DVD burner. The 4473 also comes with pre-installed Windows Vista Home Premium. Bearing a higher model number, we also have the more powerful Voya 6494 with its Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive and Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor.

Both laptops are currently available with retail pricing starting at around $1,300.

Product [Averatec] Via [Electronista]

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I wanted to publish a quick opinion piece today following Microsoft’s decision to cancel all MSN Music DRM keys after August 31, 2008, one specifically regarding the concept of DRM.

DRM, or Digital Rights Management, is not good for consumers. It is only good for companies. DRM attempts to enforce that only legal purchasers of music can play it back but, it goes further than that. Often times the DRM only lets the music be played back on a particular machine. And, as I recently experienced, suppose that machine crashes… what then? In my experience you’re pretty much lost at that point. Your DRM-enabled music no longer works and unless you can be re-issued the appropriate “certificates” for use, it’s simply lost.

DRM in any form is harmful to consumers. It almost never protects the true, legal consumers. It causes problems for portability. It ultimately means you’re not actually buying the music, but rather renting it, and even then only as long as the renting company decides you can listen to it. The same is true for movies and everything else.

In my personal opinion, this world would be far better off if companies simply offered the best stuff they could for consumers and let them buy it the way they wanted to. With true competition in place the market would eventually sort itself out, and it would constantly push companies to really release better products than releasing whatever they think it is that will keep the cash cow mooing. After all, how many gadgets do most Americans own, specifically those that if there was something else offered that was a little better (due to competition), we wouldn’t own the things we own today?

I think DRM is a huge mistake in all forms. It’s one of the reasons I like Linux so much. In addition, for everyone trapped in the DRM landscape … I advise you learn how to use a free software program called Audacity, and then play your music into your microphone port on your sound card and record yourself a DRM-free version of any music you want, including radio stations, TV stations, anything that can be listened to can be recorded in that way. And with a PC, you simply need to play the music and capture the line-out to the microphone-in and it will always work. Many other sound cards and audio software allow direct digital capture without the sound card’s microphone-in requirement.

Sony have just announced a huge selection of eight new HHD (hard disc drive) DVD recorders for the European market. The great looking recorders make it very easy to record and time shift your favorite tv shows and play them back at your own pleasure. The large storage capacity can manage a very large media collection. As well as recording TV programmes, you can also store MP3s, CDs, camcorder recordings and digital photos.

The flagship top of the line model, the Sony RDR-HXD1090 features a huge 500GB HHD which can record a massive 1,420 hours of TV! Recording can be also backed up to DVD from the DVD burner. The RDR-HX680, HX780, HX980 and HX1080 models all come with an analog tuner to directly receive and record broadcasts, while the higher end RDR-HXD790, HXD890, HXD990 and HXD1090 models also feature a digital DVB-T for pure digital recordings.

All of the 8 models feature a HDMI port and 1080p upscaling for the very best quality, USB 2.0 connections, X-Pict Story, Bravia Sync (HDMI CEC) and a special SD HDD Hanycam connection.

No prices as of yet, only model numbers. But expect to see them in stores around July. More details on the Sony Press post.

If you don’t want to use the officially sanctioned Wii nunchuk, there is always the wireless Kama model from Nyko. It is already available for sale online despite having an official retail launch date that lies somewhere in May. Choose to pick one up today and you will be in the running to pick up a limited edition grey, black, pink or gold unit that sync wirelessly to your Wiimote adapter. This limited edition cannot be found in stores, but you can bet your bottom dollar that it will surface on eBay sooner or later at an exorbitant price.

VTech has announced the retail and online availability of its latest phone systems, where the 2008 line up will feature the trend-setting LS6117 that spearheads VTech’s effort, touted to be the first cordless phone which is capable of delivering creative control over the phone’s aesthetics with customizable graphics. Other additions in the DECT 6.0 family are also stylish, providing the marriage of both form and function for your living room. According to Matt Ramage, senior vice president of product management, VTech Communications, “The 2008 lineup addresses what consumers want today — stylish designs with advanced technology features. Consumers want phones that fit their homes and lives, and that’s why we’ve added even more options for customization, expandability and organization, along with advanced technology for call clarity and interference reduction.” Do you think the man is right?

The customizable LS6117 received inspiration from skateboard and snowboard designs, where the front features all the key functionality of a cordless phone while the back side makes a pretty strong design statement. The back of the handset can be altered to feature one of five special design inserts, or you can always print your own for a more personalized approach. As for the DECT 6.0 DS6121 digital expandable cordless phone, this cordless handset boasts a silver metallic finish and blue backlit keypad and display to fit in contemporary-designed rooms with ease. Alternatively, those looking for both convenience and flexibility can always settle for the triple-handset DS6121-3 and five-handset DS6121-5, which is similar in terms of features where the DS6121 is concerned.

Those who are on a tighter budget can always check out VTech’s chic CS5121. This 5.8 GHz cordless phone system enables users to embrace the latest in cordless phone features, including a digital answering system, 20 name/number phonebook directory and caller ID/call waiting without breaking the bank. All you need ro fork out is a mere $25 - that ought to be affordable no matter what your station in life is.

Press Release

Kicker iK500 iPod Dock

Do you live above me? If not, go ahead and buy this astonishingly bassy, badass iPod dock. The Kicker iKick (iK500) even looks mean: With a Vaderesque design and scowling speakers, it actually looks like it’s a little pissed. And while it will kick you around a little with its loudness, it can just as easily play nice on the quieter stuff too.

Kicker has made a name in auto subwoofers — chances are last time someone pulled up alongside you with his trunk rattling with ear-bleeding bump, it was a Kicker. But the iK500 is made to shake your wainscots and windows indoors. Its two 5-inch subwoofers and passive radiator on the back pump out the shock waves while the dual tweeters take care of the crispy bits. Whether its thump or twitter, the Kicker sounds equally good, and it can attain its maximum volume without any kind of distortion. It gets so loud that your teeth will throb with delight even if your ears complain.

More than a brutish and simple set of speakers, the Kicker comes with a remote that lets you navigate your iPod menus to select playlists or songs and adjust the volume, not just the shuffle and volume of lesser remotes like the Bose SoundDock’s. But every rose has its thorn: Directional buttons (rather than a wheel) make for slow going when scrolling in menus, especially if you have 80 GB of songs.

Knob revivalists will dig the prominent protuberance on the front of the case, which covers power, volume, bass, treble and aux-in selection. The back of the box offers a 3.5mm line-in port and stereo RCA-out for connecting external speakers, but — and I’m not complaining here — a video-out or mic-in would have been welcome additions.

Eight dock adapters snap onto most iPods for a snug fit on all but the Touch and iPhone. You can still perch an iphone on there pretty snugly, but don’t be surprised if the bass jiggles it off mid-song. The only problem is that the iPod stands stock-straight, making it hard to read at anything below eye level.

You know something’s good when it can turn an erstwhile drawback into an advantage: Let’s face it, this thing is sort of ugly, but it’ll still look good on a bookcase or desk — badasses aren’t supposed to be cute.  —Roger Hibbert

WIRED: You can’t get busted for disturbing the peace if you can’t hear the cops banging on your door. Achieves ear-stinging volume without distortion. Volume, bass and treble controls are accessible with a poke and pinch of the front-facing knob. Zune owners can pick up a similar zK500 model.

TIRED: The ipod docks vertically (rather than at an angle), making the screen hard to read. The direction buttons on the remote slow down scrolling. No mic-in for high-decibel karaoke.

Price/maker: $350, kicker.com

Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.com

Microsoft will be switching off its PlaysForSure licensing servers on August 31st 2008. What does this mean? It means that if you bought music from the MSN Music store, you’re going to be shafted by your lackadaisical attitude to DRM.

Technically, tracks will continue to play forever on licensed machines (of which you can have up to five), but if you upgrade your OS, buy a new computer or just make enough hardware changes to your existing machine, you’re screwed come September.

Microsoft sent an email to customers detailing the delights of DRM’ed music. This is the pertinent part:

As of August 31, 2008, we will no longer be able to support the retrieval of license keys for the songs you purchased from MSN Music or the authorization of additional computers

If you attempt to transfer your songs to additional computers after August 31, 2008, those songs will not successfully play.

So if you’re still thinking that all our complaining about locked music is just hippy whining, this should finally set you straight. Sure, most users don’t care or even notice DRM in everyday use. They buy music from the iTunes Store and it works just fine on their computers and iPods. “People who complain about DRM must be pirates”, they say. The real sting in DRM’s tail is that when you buy something so encumbered, you will never, ever own it. PlaysForSure? Pah.

DRM sucks redux: Microsoft to nuke MSN Music DRM keys [Ars]

Rain gauges tend not to be the most technical of devices. However, this latest one ads a bit more geeky-ness to your garden. The Digital Rain Gauge has been created and it’s wireless too (but not in a wi-fi type of way). What it allows you to do is track the rain which is then displayed on a small LCD screen which can be read up to 10 feet away. The only reason it gets the “wireless” added to it’s name is due to it being powered by an AA battery. Surely it should have been named a “Battery Powered Digital Rain Gauge”. Not to worry!

The digital rain gauge is designed for farmers who need to know how much rain there has been so they can best look after their crops. Accuracy of the gauge can see it measure to within 1000th of an inch which is not too shabby at all. The rain gauge also does not collect and store the water. The rain water just merely passes through the device and the amount of water is measured by counting as the rain falls through it. Resetting the device can be done at the touch of a button.

The digital rain gauge costs $60.

Via: TechChee

Guest Post by Matthew of Gadget Venue.

Pioneer recently came out with the NavGate AVIC-F series and so far we have the NavGate AVIC-F900BT, and now we have the NavGate AVIC-F700BT, which overall is pretty similar.

It is missing key features such as built-in MSN Direct, and it is only CD compatible and not DVD compatible. Of course, not many people are likely to use a CD since it is already ipod compatible and you can also add your own songs via SD or USB. Additionally, both models will need a 2-DIN radio slot and to use the iPod function, it is necessary to purchase a CD-IU230V cable, which is not included. Likewise with the F900BT, it will also start shipping in June, but it will be less expensive, as it will retail for $850.

Via [NaviGadget]

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by Thomas Ricker, posted Apr 23rd 2008 at 7:30AM
Volkswagen is showing off its new Park Assist Vision technology at the Hanover Fair in Germany. Unlike VW’s previous attempts, this version of Park Assist is fully automatic. As such, the driver-turned-spectator can stand outside the car while the Passat maneuvers its way into cramped spots with the help of external cameras and proximity sensors. The driver selects his space on the monitor of the navigation system and then sets the vehicle into “P” mode. It’s just a trial for now so you’ll still have to get by with the ol’ bump-smile-n-flirt approach that’s gotten you and your Aquanet hair into the city up until now. Video demonstration after the break.

[Via Gizmag]

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