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Archive for January, 2008

Dell to close down kiosks in the US

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

Dell’s shifting global retail strategy has resulted to the close down of its 140 kiosks scattered nationwide. Started in 2002, these kiosks are part of the Dell Direct Store model to augment its core direct-selling business via the Internet and phone.

It’s a very logical decision considering Dell’s recent partnership with major retail stores such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart Stores and Staples. These kiosks are now redundant as customers can visit more than 10,000 outlets worldwide to check the latest Dell laptops and desktops.

“Moving into retail is a prime example of Dell listening to its customers,” said Tony Weiss, vice president for Dell’s Global Consumer business. “Ever since we began our journey into retail, we wanted to give customers the opportunity to call, click, or visit Dell and have access to our award-winning products. This move fits in with how our broad global retail strategy is evolving.”

On the other hand, the computer maker has confirmed that kiosks outside the US will remain open. Still, it’s possible that it will also be closed as soon as Dell fortifies its store partnership worldwide.

Read [Business Wire]

Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-W110 leaks as well

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

Posted Jan 30th 2008 6:07PM by Nilay Patel
Filed under: Digital Cameras We’re not certain why Sony didn’t include the Cyber-shot DSC-W110 with all the other pre-PMA camera updates it hit us with the other day, but here it is, in titillating shady scan form. The shooter boasts 7.2 “effective” megapixel resolution, 4x optical zoom, a 2.5-inch LCD, a Carl Zeiss lens, ISO3200 sensitivity, and face detection software that distinguishes between kids and adults. No word on price (probably lower than the W120’s $200), but it’ll hit in the May with the rest of its Cyber-shot bretheren.

General Dynamics Itronix intros rugged Duo-Touch II tablet PC

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

Posted Jan 30th 2008 3:32PM by Donald Melanson
Filed under: Tablet PCs General Dynamics Itronix sure took their time producing a follow-up to its original Duo-Touch tablet pc, but it has finally come though, with its new Duo-Touch II offering a fairly sizable leap after that nearly three year dry spell. It’s still far from a powerhouse, however, with it boasting a 1.2 GHz Core Duo U2500 processor and a max 2GB of RAM, although that’s somewhat made up for by its extensive connectivity options, including 3G support and GPS in addition to the usual WiFi and Bluetooth. Most importantly, the die-case magnesium unit should also be more than rugged enough for all but the most demanding users, with it meeting or exceeding MIL-STD 810F durability standards and thoroughly sealed to keep water and dust out. Just be prepared to shell out for all that durability, with the tablet set to demand a full $3,595 when it becomes available in March.

HP Bluetooth laser mouse plays dress-up

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

I’m in the market for a Bluetooth mouse right now and think I may have found the one. It bears the most boring name on the planet, but the HP Bluetooth Laser Mouse still deserves a spot in my gear bag for its fashion sense. I’m going through a black-and-white phase right now, you see, so the two swappable covers that ship with the battery-powered mouse are a nice match for my wardrobe. Add to that the supplied travel pouch (I’m a fool for cases), energy-saving sleep and standby power modes, and scroll wheel, and what you’ve got is . . . my brand new Bluetooth mouse.

Available now for $60.

Via Crave.

Sony intros the makeup-inducing PCS-XG80 1080i video conferencing system

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

Posted Jan 30th 2008 9:25AM by Joshua Topolsky
Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV
The kind, loving folks over at Sony claim that they’re about to explode the video conferencing market wide open — HD style — and we’ve got front row seats to the festivities. According to the electronics-maker, the PCS-XG80 is the industry’s first 1080i, HD conferencing solution, and will provide dual streaming, 30 FPS performance over IP or ISDN connections. The system is backwards-compatible with its older SD setups, and we assume it plays nice with the behemoth’s earlier HD effort, the PCS-HG90 — though you might want to double check on that before dropping the $8,999 that the company is asking for the system. Finally, you can really see just how ugly the home office is.

Minox intro’s the DC 6033 all resistant digital camera

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

Minox is set to introduce the DC 6033 digital camera, which could be the ideal camera for the outdoors. This 6-megapixel camera is rubberized making it very tough and impact resistant; it can withstand sand, dust, dirt, salt. It also can be submerged in up to 33-feet of water, where its built-in flash may come in handy to take well-light pictures. It features 16MB of internal memory, a 2-inch TFT screen for previewing pictures and adjusting settings and 4x digital zoom. It also takes SD cards of up to 2GB in size. Its powered simply by 2 AA batteries and should set you back around $300. No word yet on availability.

Read [Aving] Via [Gizmodo]

Sprint offers up over-the-air update for LG Rumor

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

LG Rumor users are being encouraged by Sprint to download and install the latest software upgrade. According to Sprint the update will “provide important updates to text messaging and enhance the user experience.” It will also fix that nasty keypress debug menu issue. Current users can either download and install the update by going to the main menu, settings/tools, tools, update firmware or by visiting a local Sprint retail store. Any new LG Rumor’s should have the latest firmware installed, but it may be wise to go ahead and give it a quick check.

Thanks [Ashley Hahn]

Sprint is pleased to offer an over-the-air software upgrade for those customers who have purchased one of our newest consumer phones, Rumor by LG. This free software upgrade will provide important updates to text messaging and enhance the user experience. There are two simple ways to obtain the software update. Your can initiate the update yourself by following this path on your phone, main menu>settings/tools>tools>update firmware. If you prefer, you can also go to a Sprint retail location for assistance in updating your phone software. Sprint believes in being proactive about providing updates to our products to ensure the best user experience. While we have confidence in the quality of this device, we do encourage Rumor users to take advantage of this simple over-the-air upgrade to ensure that your Rumor by LG is performing at its best.

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!

-Michelle

Michelle Leff Mermelstein

It’s a done deal: Dell puts an end to all 140 US mall kiosks

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

Posted Jan 30th 2008 12:13PM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
Just as we feared, Dell will indeed be axing 100-percent of its US mall kiosks — 140 in total. Unsurprisingly, the official word attributes the move to Dell’s shift into big box retail stores, but we’re sure that’s not the least bit consoling to the fine folks who were pushing Round Rock’s machines to mall-goers just yesterday. According to Tony Weiss, vice president for Dell’s Global Consumer business, the move “fits in with how its broad global retail strategy is evolving,” and for whatever it’s worth, kiosks outside of US borders are still safe for now. You may still be getting a Dell, but dude, it won’t be from the mall.

[Image courtesy of NotebookReview]

New Concept Stereo Allows You to “Sleep with Bamboo”

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

If the words “sleep with bamboo” got your attention, I want you to know that this phrase is not innuendo in any way. That’s right, it has nothing to do with having unnatural relations with a certain digital tablet and pen combination. So now that your mind is cleaned up, let’s talk about the Bamboo that this lady is sleeping with (in a non-sexual way).

The snuggle-able Bamboo is a very unique audio playing system that comes in three parts. The first part is the speakers. They are completely wireless and detachable, and they can be put anywhere within close range. These speakers can even attach to each other.

The second part is the control ring (for lack of a better word) with an integrated LCD screen. It is quite small compared to the rest of the Bamboo. In fact, the lady here is concealing it with her arm.

The third part is the base station which is a docking place for the Bamboo. The base station has a subwoofer and even a CD slot, believe it or not. To my surprise, there is no dock for an iPod, but there is an MP3 line-in.

Also, the entire Bamboo is Wi-Fi enabled, so it can sync with a desktop system. So unless you got a CD in, your music will be downloaded into it from another source. You can sleep with the Bamboo as long as it has power, which is about 12 hours on a single charge.

This is still in the design stage, but hopefully it will be reality. I also hope that they will remove the pink color before that.

Source

Digi Connect WAN 3G: yet another portable HSDPA / EV-DO router

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

Posted Jan 30th 2008 12:27PM by Darren Murph
Filed under: cellphones, WirelessYeah, we’re starting to feel slightly bombarded with portable cellular routers, but we can’t help but crack a smile each time one of these wonderful creations rolls into the commercial realm. Today, we’ve got Digi unveiling its new Digi Connect WAN 3G, which is hailed as an upgradeable 3G WWAN router for “primary and backup connectivity to remote sites and devices.” Besides supporting both EV-DO and HSDPA standards, it also aims to provide “a fast and easy Ethernet-to-3G wireless connection” and even includes a built-in VPN. Sadly, no price is mentioned, but we’re sure the folks at Digi wouldn’t mind coughing up that information if you called up with the right tone of voice.

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