Best Gadgets World

We recently saw some leaked footage of the upcoming Windows 7. Along with the footage came the rumor that it’s release was being pushed up and could be expected to hit stores sometime in 2009. Well, it turns out that was not accurate. According to an email that WinVistaClub received from Microsoft:

Q. What is the expected timeline for the availability of Windows 7?

A. We are currently in the planning stages for Windows 7 and expect it will take approximately 3 years to develop. The specific release date will be determined once the company meets its quality bar for release.

That seems to answer that, we will just have to learn to like Vista or learn to use other alternatives. Lets just hope there are not any delays in the development.

Via [Gizmodo]

Posted Jan 28th 2008 3:41PM by Donald Melanson
Filed under: Announcements

It’s not often we get to boast about 100,000,000 anything but now, thanks to many of you, we can happily announce that Engadget’s Folding@home team has crossed the 100,000,000 point mark, a number likely only rivaled by our combined Xbox Live Achievement Points. Of course, there’s plenty more Fold@home points where those came from, and it’s never too late to hop on board and put those spare computing cycles of yours to good use (we hear you can even use a certain game console nowadays). Head on over here for all you need to know about getting started.

Now that the latest disc based format war seems to be coming to an end with Blu-ray as it’s winner, it’s a good time to look at how it’s doing compared to the venerable DVD format that it’s attempting to replace. It’s important to remember that DVD was essentially unopposed as the new standard bearer of next generation video during it’s run (no I don’t count Laser Disc as a viable competitor.) In turn, there was little more than consumer demand to drive the prices of DVD players down. With the competition between Sony and Toshiba’s formats forcing the prices down earlier, Blu-ray players are out-pacing DVD at the same stage.

“There is a much larger spike at the end of the year for next-generation DVD due to strong performances by both formats for November and December, as well as heavy competition-driven promotions for both Black Friday and the December holiday season,” said Paul Erickson, DisplaySearch director of DVD and HD Market Research.

Within the first year of it’s release DVD players were still in the $400-$500 range, Blu-ray players are currently being sold for an average of $300. This type of pricing is certain to continue trending down, which can only be good for quick adoption of the new standard. This will hold until broadband speeds and service providers get to the point where HD content of the web can take over. Sadly, I think that day may be further down the road than we all hope for.

Read [Video Business]

Dasur has introduced two new touchscreen keyboards for Windows Mobile that each promise something that we would imagine most users are looking for; “superior accuracy, efficiency and speed.” The new keyboards are called SlideIt and ThumbKey, both were designed to enhance the on-screen typing experience and each work in unique ways.

First up we have the SlideIt method, this according to Dasur is the “first technology to combine three features: sliding, prediction and graffiti.” The SlideIt method works by sliding your fingers or stylus from letter to letter as opposed to tapping on each letter. You can have a break or space by simply lifting your finger or stylus, with the Slideit method it is estimated that users can “easily” hit the 50wpm level.

Next up we have the ThumbKey method, this offers the ability to begin typing your word and then use your thumb to pick the word out of a list that appears to the right side. This method uses an algorithm to predict the correct word and seems to rely heavily on the users ability to trust the system.

Both methods have support for all versions of Windows Mobile and are available in English, French and Hebrew. Dasur also has plans to make keyboards available for other operating systems in the future. Both the SlideIt and ThumbKey keyboards are currently available and can be downloaded from the companies website.

Read [MobileTextInput]

Posted Jan 28th 2008 11:55AM by Paul Miller
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
Hey, it’s not Microsoft’s fault that 2011 sounds like the realm of jet pack VR massage cars, but it’s certainly a long ways away any way you slice it. Contrary to previous rumors of Microsoft planning a Windows 7 release sometime in 2009, Microsoft has apparently gotten in touch with WinVistaClub and set the record straight: Windows 7 is in “planning stages,” and development will take approximately three years. Microsoft wouldn’t comment on that supposed leak we spotted last week, and of course denied any implications that development was being accelerated to make up for Vista shortcomings. We can’t help but wonder how different the OS landscape will look three years from now, with Linux rapidly reaching feature and usability parity, while Apple plugs away at OS X and cloud computing lands everywhere, but we’re sure Vista SP1 won’t be the last bid Microsoft makes at this generation.

[Via The Inquirer]

Posted Jan 28th 2008 12:31PM by Joshua Topolsky
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Well folks, that Nikon D60 DSLR we’d heard whispers about way back in the crazy, carefree days of December 2007 appears to be on the verge of coming to light at this year’s PMAs. Digital Photography Review has gotten a leaked press release from the company concerning the new shooter, and now we’ve got a sheet of specs to backup the rumors. It looks like the 10.2-megapixel camera will be sporting a number of improvements, including a 0.19-second power-up, continuous shooting mode at three frames per second, Nikon’s 3D Color Matrix Metering II, compatibility with AF-S and AF-I Nikkor lenses, RAW image handling, in-camera retouching capabilities, and a slew of other, incredibly technical functions that the true camera-geek will surely salivate over. Our suggestion? Hit the read link, and take your good old time poring over the details.

[Via Photography Bay]

Google quietly listed this page on their site, which I don’t recall seeing before.  After Gadgetell commenter “Tony” claimed he got IMAP and Gmail to play friendly-like, I gave Gmail IMAP a try on my Windows Mobile 6 phone and whammo: it works.  All the text is there, no matter the email format.  Sounds like Google got on task and solved the issue.

Previously, IMAP did not play well -at least Gmail’s IMAP- with Windows Mobile phone leaving the body of emails blank in some cases.  Frustrating problem for folks that moved to Gmail for its simplicity.

While no official word from Google, there is still a disclaimer “Please note that emails downloaded in HTML format may not be displayed in your Windows Mobile client. We’re currently aware of this issue and working on a fix,” something has changed on Gmail’s part as I can attest to it working well now.

Thanks Tony!

Previous ”Gmail IMAP giving Windows Mobile users fits”

Cool looking thumb drives are wasted on me. Everything that I own gets trashed. For those of you out there that own a cell phone that does not look like it has been thrown in a tumble drier full of jagged rocks, these could be for you. The Zana drives come in 1GB and 2GB sizes and are constructed from some rather exotic materials. You can choose from Merbau (allegedly a kind of exotic wood; I have not heard of it either), flint or my personal favorite, amber.

While these do look very nice, you have to wonder if a 1GB or 2GB drive is really big enough to justify the $66 starting price.  Still, they are handmade and do look mighty fine.

pocket-lint, Slash Gear

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I would wear these circular watch cuff links.  They look absolutely stunning, solidly constructed from Sterling silver and “vintage watch parts.”  They look almost steampunk, though I have to say that they would be perfect with a nice suit.  I love cuff links and seeing great pieces like these only reminds me that I need to make a trip to Hong Kong some time soon for some budget bespoke corporate monkey suits.

You can buy these Circular Watch Cufflinks for a total of $235 for the pair.  They are, perhaps, slightly overpriced (but cuff links get a whole lot more expensive).

Geek Alerts

Okay, if this picture doesn’t freak you out, then you are obviously too used to robots. Honestly, this is looks like a brand of Terminator robot that John Conner’s band of human rebels would open fire at. That, or the last thing you would see before the machines put you in the Matrix for the rest of your artificial life.

Yet the Robovie is a project under development by the Advance Telecommunications Research Instituted (ATR) in Japan, and it has the ability to spot people in a crowd who are lost. It is then programmed to go up to them, and give them directions to their location.

The Robovie uses 16 cameras, six laser-range finders, and nine RFID tag readers in order to watch 20 people at a time. All those sensors can somehow determine who is lost and who isn’t, and then does its mobile mall directory action.

It is slated to work in shopping malls in Osaka, but I don’t know what is going to happen when Robovie is available everywhere. What happens when a child gets lost in a mall? If that kid has been told by his parents not to go anywhere with a stranger, then he or she will be running the other way when Robovie tries to help him or her.

Let’s hope this technology will not be as scary-looking by the time it is fully developed.

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