Best Gadgets World

Acer is preparing to release a redesigned model of its Aspire 5920 laptop featuring built-in support for WiMax. The Aspire 5920 will be sold through Sprint as well as other companies, and the purchase will be similar to a mobile phone purchase - that is, tied-up with a multiyear agreement.

With WiMax, users will be treated with a faster broadband connection speed within a few miles of an access point as compared to the limited range of Wi-Fi hotspots. The 15.4-inch Aspire 5920 is said to be already being manufactured by PC contract maker Quanta Computer. Acer did not provide any further details about the new Aspire 5920 yet, but it will most likely sport the same features as the original Aspire 5920, which include a 2.5GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 320GB hard drive, Blu-ray drive and GEForce 8600M GS video.

As for the pricing details, since Acer plans to release the Aspire 5920 with WiMax through Sprint and other mobile operators, its final price will probably depend on the service plans of the mobile operators. The WiMax-enabled 5950 is expected to be available sometime later this year. Hopefully WiMax coverage will be available at the time, or else it will end up like the Nokia N810 WiMax Edition and upcoming Cloudbook Max, a nice product, but one that can never be fully used.

Read [PC World]

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It looks like a 10-inch version of the Asus Eee PC will be coming our way later this year. None other than Asustek CEO Jerry Shen stated they are already working on a new Eee PC with a larger display.

“The feedback we’ve received from users has been great. Many have asked us for bigger screens and better usability. That’s what made us start developing the Eee PC 900. People are asking for bigger keypads and more software as well, issues the company continues to work on,” said Mr. Shen.

Shen also said that Asustek will probably stop upgrading the display screen of the Eee PC after they have released the 10-inch version, and that any display bigger than 10-inches shall no longer be called an Eee PC. I couldn’t help but agree more with Mr. Shen, actually the 9-inch screen would have been enough. But we have to understand Asus for trying to milk the Eee PC for some more dough, a larger screen would certainly attract more sales into the Eee PC product line. Mr. Shen did not give an exact release date or any pricing details for the 10-inch Eee PC, but alluded that the new Eee PC will probably come with a bigger keypad and more software.

Read [PC World]

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Man, nothing gets me up in the morning like my iPod and hot cup of joe. Hey, I’ll bet it would work twice as good if I combine the two…there! Oh man, I really need to get sober, fast.

Yes, that does sound stupid, but the photo to the left is not the product of a hangover, but an actual product. This is a designer’s bright idea of an ipod speaker “disguised” as a coffee mug.

The Music Mug works on any mp3 player, provided it has a headphone jack. All you need to do is plug the Music Mug’s cable into the MP3 Player, and let the music play. Just don’t try and pour coffee or some other hot beverage into your Music Mug. The Product Page clearly warns about that.

Is this Music Mug really meant to be some sort of subterfuge for your iPod? If so, then I recommend a smaller MP3 Player that won’t stick out the top, such as the Creative Zen Stone. That way, if your office allows coffee, but not MP3 players, you will finally be able to “beat the system”. Of course, your boss and other co-workers might wonder where the music is coming from. They’ll never suspect the innocent coffee mug!

You can buy the Music Mug on the Generate site for about $69. It is available in white or black.

Source

If you’re into strange-shaped watches that feature top-notch technology, I guess you already know the Twelve 5-9, Q Version?

If you’re not familiar with it, the next paragraph describes the working mode:

A single touch of the button sparks a brief animation of lights before the time is displayed. A second touch of the button skips this function, presenting the time instantly.

The time is displayed via LED lights that have different colors - green, red, yellow - and each LED line represents an hour/minute. The Twelve 5-9 Q Version is available in silver, or gunmetal.

Priced at 77.

Product Page

eBay has given Skype one more year to prove its viability and relevance to eBay’s online auction service. Skype was acquired by eBay with the hopes of the VoIP company helping boosts its online commerce business. However, since its acquisition, Skype failed to live up to eBay’s expectation of bringing more tie-ins between Skype and eBay’s online payment system through call-billing arrangement.

Citing an interview with the Financial Times, News.com reports that eBay CEO John Donahue said that eBay is giving Skype until the end of this year to test its synergies and if the synergies are strong, eBay will keep Skype in its portfolio. For eBay, its not a question of whether Skype is generating revenue for the company but more on the question of whether Skype blends well with eBay and its other web products and services.

In fact, Skype has managed to generate around $126 million in revenues during the first quarter of this year, which is a 61-percent increase from previous year’s first quarter revenue. Profit wise, it is expected to generate $500 million and still manage to post a profit. But this seems to be not enough for eBay to keep Skype. It wants something more from the PC-to-PC calling service. And whether Skype can give what eBay wants remains to be seen. Skype has a few more months to shape up, before it finds itself lost in limbo or still with eBay’s care and comfort.

Read [CNET]

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by Thomas Ricker, posted Apr 22nd 2008 at 12:53AM
After years of whispers which ultimately turned to shouts of corruption, Lee Kun-hee, Chairman of Samsung and son of Samsung’s founder, has resigned following an indictment on tax evasion charges. Lee said, “We, including myself, have caused troubles to the nation with the special probe. I deeply apologize for that, and I’ll take full responsibility for everything, both legally and morally.” Lee Jae-yong, the Chairman’s son and heir to the Samsung throne also resigned as did Vice Chairman Lee Hak-soo, Lee’s closest advisor. Lee Soo-bin, chairman of Samsung Life Insurance, takes on representation for Samsung Group although the group chairman position remains unfilled. So it’s over. Now lick your wounds Sammy and get back to your hyperbolic announcements of world’s first, fastest, biggest, etc… we miss you.

[Thanks, Dave L.]

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