• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 6 Comments

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 11 Comments

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Read more about the Nokia N78.

Once again your printer is out of ink way before you think there is any way it should be. Yet somehow, BOOM. It just refuses to print another page until you replace the cartridge. Well, when Farhad Manjoo’s Brother printer suddenly stopped printing; he started to wonder if his printer wasn’t simply lying to him that it was out of toner just so he would buy more before he actually even needed it. His prints hadn’t been fading at all; his printer just suddenly simply refused to keep going without a new cartridge.

Manjoo decided to look to the ‘Net for a way around this. And he indeed found some answers. He learned that by covering up the sides of his toner cartridge with a piece of electrical tape he could “trick” his printer into thinking it was full. He says the printer was been chugging along just fine ever since...eight months and hundreds of pages down the road...printing out perfect pages.

It’s not just Manjoo this had happened to, the whole “you don’t really need a new cartridge but your printer tells you that you do” bit.  The problem is actually becoming so widespread that there have actually been class action lawsuits filed against Epson and Hewlett-Packard over the trickery. It seems this is even more common for inkjets than laser printers...because inkjets make their money off, guess what? The ink.

There are many ways to get extra life out of your printer ink or toner, from the standard “shake the heck out of it” approach, to finding the options in your menus that will override “cartridge check” features. In his Slate article though, Manjoo suggests a web search for specific advice, since there are just so many kinds of printers out there. He suggests looking up the model of your printer along with words like toner, override, cheap, and perhaps lying bastards.  Although if that fails, FixYourOwnPrinter is a pretty good place to start.

Read [Slate]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 18 Comments

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

A few days ago, we covered the Suunto X10, a GPS device that fits on your wrist. While there may not be a huge market for the GPS on the wrist, some concept designer apparently has a plan for a wrist GPS boom.

The designer, Jukka Roitto, has taken the wrist GPS one step further by putting a search engine and navigation guide on his concept model, which he has dubbed the Seek. The name may be simple, but what the Seek does is pretty complex.

The Seek is meant to help a person look for local attractions in an area, such as theaters, restaurants, or clubs. So, if you’re in a strange new town, and you’re looking for a place to eat or have fun, just Seek and you will find!

The user interacts with the Seek with a full touchscreen. I have seen other photos of the Seek that have the touchscreen retracted, but I don’t see how it could, unless they are using that new LED screen technology that can somehow roll up.

There are other functions that the Seek has, such as a Portable Music Player. In fact, it can even give the name and artist of the track, and I think I see a place for a headphone jack.

Well, this is a concept product for now, so one cannot say if any of these features will ever come to pass. You got to admit that the Seek looks very futuristic, like something you would see in a classic science fiction movie.

Source

• Email to a friend
• Leave a comment
• 
  

Nokia have just announced that the sequel to their N95, the N96 dual slider (has there ever been a more exciting turn of phrase than dual slider?) will be released in North America before the end of the year.

The sleekly gorgeous cell packs an impressive 16MB plus a micro SD slot, 5 megapixel autofocus camera with Carl Zeiss lens, 2.8 inch display and an integrated DVB-H mobile TV tuner.

The only downside? Expect to pay (wait for it...) $895. It's not yet legal to sell organs for tech, right?

Via Engadget.

With so many connection standards available to the computer user these days, it goes without saying that sooner or later you’ll run into compatibility problems, trying to let one device talk to another without some sort of middleman involved. Brando has your data transfer interests at heart with the USB + eSATA to SATA adapter that enables one to connect virtually any SATA device to your computer via the USB/eSATA port. Perfect for cloning, data transfer or backup purposes. This USB + eSATA to SATA adapter is compatible with all SATA devices, ranging from DVDs to 2.5″ and 3.5″ hard drives. You can place your pre-order for $33 today, and shipping will commence in October.

Product Page

• Email to a friend
• Leave a comment
• 
  

A little while back there was the USB stick that came in packaging resembling a mixed tape.  However, all it really was, was a bit of fancy packaging and not much else.  Well this new USB drive resembles a mixed tape all the time.  Instead of just getting sent to you in packaging that looks like it, then once out of it just looks like a boring USB drive.  This one not only comes in the shape of a tape, but it comes decked out in fun stickers too.  Luckily they allow you to choose the stickers and just include them when they ship it out.

To use it, there is a sliding button on the top that when pushed will pop out the USB connector.  So you won’t have that awkward piece sticking out the side all of the time.  The drive is 1GB and will hold up to 250 songs.  Which means if you intend to pass this along to someone special you’ve got plenty of room for cheesy love songs.  The tape is being sold for  £19.99 or about $37.

Source: RGS

• Email to a friend
• Leave a comment
• 
  

FROM GAMERTELL - Some of you might remember a few weeks ago when I covered the ezShot from ezGear, a lightweight gun frame designed for the WiiMote that I didn’t recommend. Now for something a bit more positive: The Dual Trigger Gun NW by Thrustmaster is a step in the right direction for… MORE »

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

Sanyo has introduced out a new LCD projector for the masses, and although it might be pretty expensive at first glance, the features and functions offered on paper more than make up for the price. The Sanyo PLV-Z700 might be classified as an entry level projector, but it offers a performance that is a class above. How does full High Definition support sound to you over a projector? This model will make use of a 3LCD panel coupled with one of the most advanced lens-shifting technology in the industry, a variable iris and Sanyo’s very own 3D color management system.

The PLV-Z700 is one of Sanyo’s least expensive projectors designed for residential installations, offering a Full HD panel providing 1920 x 1080 resolution from high definition sources such as Blu-ray discs, HD camcorders, a wide variety of video on-demand services plus paid TV services from cable and satellite companies, in addition to terrestrial-based HD broadcasts. Outfitted with an extremely versatile lens-shifting function, the PLV-Z700 can effectively adjust the equivalent of 3 screens vertically and 2 screens horizontally. Combined with the 2x zoom, which allows for an extremely long or short focus, it is possible to create a large screen projection virtually anywhere, even in small rooms such as dens or bedrooms.

Some of the specifications are :-

• Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
• Native Aspect Ratio: 16:9
• Color range: 1.07 billion (10 bit)
• Brightness: 1,200 ANSI lumens (Dynamic Video Mode)
• Contrast Ratio: 10,000:1 (Dynamic Video Mode)
• Projection Lamp: UHP 165W
• Screen Size: Minimum 40″, Maximum 300″ (with projection distance of approx. 4-60 feet)
• Projection Lens: Manual Zoom 1-2.0x (f=22.6-45.3mm, F2.0-F3.0)
• Video Modes: 5 (Brilliant Cinema/Creative Cinema/Natural/Living/Dynamic)
• Noise output: 21 dBA (Cinema Black Mode)
• PC I/O: Mini D-sub 15-pin, analog RGB
• Video Input: HDMI x 2 (ver1.3b w/Deep Color), Component (Y/Cb/Cr) x 2,
• Composite (RCA) x 1, S-Video x 1
• Dimensions: 15.75 (W) x 5.75 (H) x 13.6 (D) inches
• Weight: 16.5 lbs

Interested parties will be able to pick up the Sanyo PLV-Z700 this October for $1,995.

Product Page via Press Release

• Email to a friend
• Leave a comment
• 
  

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 6 Comments

Filed under: Displays

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 25 Comments

Filed under: cellphones

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 22 Comments

Filed under: cellphones, Handhelds

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 22 Comments

Filed under: cellphones, Handhelds

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 35 Comments

Filed under: Laptops

I’ve seen a lot of varieties these days when it comes to design, and these bejeweled USB thumb drives by Brando are among the sparkliest, most eye-catching ones which really make people want to get them. Brando’s Jewel Thumb Drive line is composed of numerous styles and designs, each one laden with glittering decorative crystals. They have a storage capacity of 4GB and can either be attached to phones or be used as necklaces using the straps included in the package.

There are six of these bejeweled USB thumb drives available for sale at Brando. First of which is the one pictured above in the shape of a tear drop. The other models are the ones pictured below:

USB Jewel Thumb Drive (Diamond)

USB Jewel Thumb Drive (Ribbon)

USB Jewel Thumb Drive (Fortune)

USB Jewel Thumb Drive (Skeleton)

USB Jewel Thumb Drive (Classical)

• Permalink
• Email this
• 4 Comments

Filed under: Home Entertainment

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 28 Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 60 Comments

Filed under: Handhelds

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 121 Comments

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 20 Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Amazon just announced the acquisition of the start-up book sharing company Shelfari. They are on a roll with literary-related purchases, as just earlier this month, they bought AbeBooks, an online seller of rare and used works.  Now, what makes this Shelfari purchase a tad more interesting is the fact that one of their main competitors is LibraryThing.  And AbeBooks just happens to own 40% of LibraryThing.  Keeping it in the family Amazon.

LibraryThing however, is not seeming to have that much respect for the Shelfari site. Just yesterday they wrote on their site that Shelfari is a “clone” and that it is “..somewhat less intellectual, less featureful”, among other zingers. And there they are practically cousins.

Others seem to have glowing praise for the stand out user interface of Shelfari, which is rather different from the same old-same old seen on many such sites. They provide what basically amounts to pop-ups within the pop-ups when you mouse-over a book...something you just rarely see done...and it actually works surprisingly well for the choices it offers you. Once you are in the menu, you are given check boxes instead of buttons, which allow for multiple selections, although again breaks standard UI “rules”.  The thing is, this gadget is very intuitive while you are interacting with the book; it makes your choices simple even for the novice.

Despite the praise for the Shelfari UI, there are those out there that feel they have some less than above-board practices in other areas. Words like ”shady spamming and astroturfing” were flung out there by people commenting on the acquistion in defense of why Librarything was less than thrilled with the competition they would be getting from Shelfari.

I guess time will tell whether they will be around for a while, or shelved rather quickly.

Via [TechCrunch]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

Motorola, a company known to produce stylish and latest cell phones, has come up with an elegant cell phone called Moto U9. Bearing a graceful look, Moto U9 Cell Phone comes fitted with a dedicated music player making it a complete entertainment device and not just a mobile phone.

Features

• Bluetooth Stereo Technology
• Windows Media Player
• CrystalTalk Technology
• Up to 25 MB internal memory

Featuring a 2.0 mega pixel camera with 8x zoom, Moto U9 Cell Phone comes with an optional microSD memory card up to 4GB storage. Push Email, SMS, MMS, WVIM and voice dialing are some other features of Moto U9 Cell Phone. This stylish cell phone allows you a one-touch access to music library.

Price and Availability

Moto U9 Cell Phone is available at a price of $ 275.99. Moto U9 Cell Phone is available in two attractive colors, including pink and purple.
Source: Motorola

<!-- ch_client = "mmliewcf"; ch_type = "mpu"; ch_width = 468; ch_height = 180; ch_color_title = "0065CE"; ch_non_contextual = 1; ch_default_category = "200001"; var ch_queries = new Array("Moto U9 Cell Phone"); var ch_selected=Math.floor((Math.random()*ch_queries.length)); if ( ch_selected

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 31 Comments

Filed under: Gaming

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 25 Comments

Filed under: Handhelds

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 55 Comments

Filed under: Gaming

Always wanted to take a walk on the wild side? Then the InsideOut Glasses will definitely make you stand out from the crowd.

Super stylish, these sleek glass cylinders contain inner chambers shaped like iconic drinking vessels. Simply pour in a drink and the familiar shape of a champagne flute, a martini glass or a liqueur glass appears. How cool is that! Handmade and mouth-blown, InsideOut Glasses are guaranteed to wow guests with their elegant and contemporary styling. Better still, drinks stay cooler for longer because mitts only make contact with the outer cylinder. Chill one in the freezer and the effect, both visually and practically, is stunning. Sub-zero glassware? Absolutely.

Purists will probably cry foul that this desecrates centuries old tradition of how certain liquors are drunk, but hey - if I can afford to pay for bottles of Kristal without flinching, nobody tells me how I should drink my champagne. You can pick up a set of InsideOut Glasses (2 glasses) for £39.95. Choose from champagne or martini varieties.

• Email to a friend
• Leave a comment
• 
  

Enjoy capturing all your memorable moments in the newly launched Canon VIXIA HG20 Camcorder. Allowing you to record up to 22 hours and 55 minutes, this camcorder comes packed with latest features like HDMI Connector, 60GB Hard Disk Drive and Instant AutoFocus. Canon VIXIA HG20 Camcorder incorporates Pixela ImageMixer 3SE Video Editing Software.

Features

• Genuine Canon 12 x HD Video Lens
• SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization
• Superb Shooting Control
• 24p Cinema Mode
• DIGIC DV II Image Processor

Canon VIXIA HG20 Camcorder allows you to do 1920 x 1080 Full HD recording. It features a 3.3-mega pixel HD CMOS Image Sensor. Canon VIXIA HG20 Camcorder works efficiently with an intelligent Lithium-ion battery. With this camcorder, you can also record HD video directly to SDHC memory cards.

Price and Availability

Canon VIXIA HG20 Camcorder is available at a price of $ 949.00.
Source: Canon

<!-- ch_client = "mmliewcf"; ch_type = "mpu"; ch_width = 468; ch_height = 180; ch_color_title = "0065CE"; ch_non_contextual = 1; ch_default_category = "200001"; var ch_queries = new Array("Canon VIXIA HG20 Camcorder"); var ch_selected=Math.floor((Math.random()*ch_queries.length)); if ( ch_selected

The Circuit Board Necklace is definitely one great way to recycle old electronics, especially with more and more people jumping onto the computing bandwagon, you can expect our landfills to fill up with more printed circuit boards in due time. What better way to recycle those than turning them into something else that can be sold?

Made from recycled printed circuit boards, these pendants are a little over 1.5 inches in width and come on an adjustable-length waxed cotton cord. The circuit boards used are pre-consumer waste, aka they’ve been printed wrong. So they’ve never been soldered, which means none of the lead concerns that sometimes accompany reused circuit boards. They come in a gift box for ease of gifting. Each necklace is unique, just like every snowflake. Only with more circuit board than your average snowflake. So yours won’t look exactly like the one in the picture, but it’ll be the same shape, style, and size.

The next time you scratch your head wondering what to get for your geek-inclined girlfriend/wife, why not give the $19.99 Circuit Board Necklace a try?

• Email to a friend
• Leave a comment
• 
  

Finnish phone manufacturer Nokia is all ready to roll out the N85, one of the latest handsets to come out under the N Series banner which aims to deliver perfection when it comes to entertainment, gaming and sharing over a cell phone. According to Juha-Pekka Sipponen, Director, Nokia N Series, “The Nokia N85 was created to be more than the sum of its parts, offering a complete mobile entertainment package designed for connecting, sharing and discovering. The iconic Nokia Nseries dual slider design has evolved to become smaller and sleeker while integrating the newest features and services to deliver the best mobile experience to date.” Let us take a look at how it fare by checking out its specifications right after the jump.

As with most of the newer N Series handsets, the Nokia N85 will sport a digital camera of high megapixel count. This time round, you will get a 5 megapixel camera complete with Carl Zeiss optics in order to capture just about anything in great detail. Sure, it won’t be the same as a dedicated digital camera, but at least it beats out the iphone. In addition to shooting sharp images, the camera can also be used to capture DVD-quality videos at 30 fps. Perfect for those moments when you have forgotten to bring out your dedicated digital camera. I only hope the shutter lag won’t be as pronounced as in earlier N Series models like the N73. The N85 also ships with A-GPS that makes it a snap to geotag all your favorite images, allowing you to keep a log of where you’ve taken those pictures using Nokia Maps or various online sites (Share on Ovi, Flickr, etc).

Other features of the N85 include a lovely 2.6″ OLED display, N-Gage gaming support, audio and video playback with an integrated FM transmitter, three month integrated license for turn-by-turn voice navigation, 3G/HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity, and a microSDHC memory card slot. Each Euro 450 purchase (that’s before taxes and subsidies, of course) will be accompanied by an 8GB microSDHC memory card to get you started.

Press Release

• Email to a friend
• Leave a comment
• 
  

Europe might have gotten the N96 earlier than their friends across the Atlantic, but better late than never, I say. It is now the latter’s turn to welcome the arrival of the Nokia N96 - the designated successor to the N95 which was the flagship N Series model for some time already (available in two variants - the vanilla N95 and the 8GB model). I must admit that the Nokia N95 was a highly desirable smartphone due to the hardware capability and specifications it comes with, but one major gripe I have against it would be the form factor which was rather unwieldy. Let’s take a look at how the N96 fares this time round.

For starters, it already comes with 16GB of internal memory - yes, as much as what the iphone 3G has. All that space ought to be sufficient to get you started, be it taking photos and videos or storing large amounts of audio and video on the N96. In addition to that, you will also be able to expand upon the whopping 16GB thanks to a microSDHC memory card slot. Of course, being able to hold larger amounts of video would mean this will be your portable media player whenever you aren’t chatting on it, so Nokia has thoughtfully included an integrated kick stand to support it at an optimal viewing angle without burdening your hands. Try holding an ipod for long periods of time - you’ll notice that your hands get restless after a while.

It will still have a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, retaining other features that made its predecessor so multi-purpose such as built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and A-GPS navigation. Of course, this time round you will be able to enjoy N-Gage games support for on-the-go gaming with friends and strangers around the world. I wouldn’t throw away that DS Lite or PSP just yet though since cell phones aren’t exactly perfect platforms for gaming just yet, but the industry sure is moving in the right direction. Each purchase of the Nokia N96 will come with three months of navigation service for Nokia Maps 2.0, which enables the Nokia N96 to deliver detailed turn-by-turn directions for both automotive and pedestrian navigation. How much do you think you have to fork out for this stunning 3G handset? Well, how does $895 sound to you?

Press Release

• Email to a friend
• Leave a comment
• 
  

How many of you use VOIP on a regular basis? I know there are many VOIP handsets available in the market, but how many of them are lookers like the Tatung VOIP?

The Tatung VOIP, winner of the 2008 IF, IDEA, and Red Dot awards is one classy phone with aims to making internet phones user friendly. Featuring Bluetooth, wireless and a touch pad design, the Tatung VOIP Phone is easy to connect to your VOIP service. Its casing can be customized but other than that the phone is devoid of unnecessary features with the exception of a faux antenna which is just for retro nostalgia.

Makes me wonder why such a classy design (that is not impractical to boot) cannot be turned into reality. Hello, are there any hardware manufacturers reading this?

Source: Yanko Design

• Email to a friend
• Leave a comment
• 
  

How many of you use VOIP on a regular basis? I know there are many VOIP handsets available in the market, but how many of them are lookers like the Tatung VOIP?

The Tatung VOIP, winner of the 2008 IF, IDEA, and Red Dot awards is one classy phone with aims to making internet phones user friendly. Featuring Bluetooth, wireless and a touch pad design, the Tatung VOIP Phone is easy to connect to your VOIP service. Its casing can be customized but other than that the phone is devoid of unnecessary features with the exception of a faux antenna which is just for retro nostalgia.

Makes me wonder why such a classy design (that is not impractical to boot) cannot be turned into reality. Hello, are there any hardware manufacturers reading this?

Source: Yanko Design

• Email to a friend
• Leave a comment
• 
  

It has been over a year since we covered any mi Jam products from the B2 company, so I say it is high time we covered something by them. One of their most recent products is the mi Jam Drummer.

I suppose this product would probably best be suited for children, or for anyone at any age who aspires to be a drummer. Simply put, this device hooks up with a digital music device, stereo, personal computer, ipod, or any other Portable Media Player to allow the user to be the drummer.

The mi Jam Drummer has two modes: interactive and standalone. Standalone allows the user to plug into the miJam to the external speaker or earphone, and he or she can simulate a full drum kit including a snare drum, tom toms, bass, hi-hat, even cymbals. There are even some newly added keys that allow the drummer to add roll effects. The interactive mode allows for the user to play the music, and the user can drum along with the sound.

The best part about the mi Jam drummer is it can be used with the user’s stereo speakers or personal headphones. The personal headphones mode means that parents can be oblivious to their son or daughter’s drumming, and the silent home leads to fewer headaches for mom and dad.

You should be able to pick up the mi Jam Drummer for about $25 at retail and online stores everywhere.

Source

• Email to a friend
• Leave a comment
• 
  

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 40 Comments

Filed under: cellphones, Handhelds

When I first heard the word “Albatron”, I got it mixed up with the major grocer Albertsons, and couldn’t help but think of their motto: “It’s your store”.  Now, after looking at the Albatron Tee PC, I can’t help but think Albatron’s motto should be: “It should be my PC”. 

The Albatron Tee PC is essentially a tablet pc in the form of a netbook.  It has a 7-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 800 x 480.  It also has an ARM926 400MHz processor as well as 128MB of flash memory.  If you want any more memory, you can always use the included SD memory card slot. 

The Albatron is ready to go with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options and has a 1.3-megapixel webcam.  The user also has the option of inserting it into a docking station that will equip it with USB ports, audio ports and integrated speakers. 

We have no word on the pricing, availability date, or where it will be available.  However, I would be willing to put down a few hundred dollars on this, as I can think of some good mobile uses for it. 

Via [SlashGear]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

If there's one woman I like despite having seen her colon (okay, so I didn't actually look) it's Katie Couric. This week she'll be presenting a series of live webcasts presenting the highlights of the Democratic National Convention, followed by a roundtable discussion.

You can tune in to watch the 'casts from 7-8 PM PDT untilTuesday, Wednesday and Thursday by clicking here.

Via CNET news.