Spam Flood Blog: Interesting Stuff

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Interesting Stuff

6/10/2007 7:35:00 PM

Filed under: Peripherals

Over at Compudex in Taipei, Global Link is showing off a "Ring Mouse" which straps to your finger and allows for cursoring on pretty much any surface, including your thumb. The plastic case and strap means that this is probably not something you'd want to propose with, but the design is chunky enough so that unsuspecting passers-by in cafes will understand why you're repeatedly stroking your thigh. It's hard to tell how the mouse operates (is that a ball or a frickin' laser?), and we've no idea about pricing or availability, but that tends to be how it goes with these zany foreign gadgets.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/10/the-ring-mouse-from-global-link-for-convenient-cursoring/#comments

6/10/2007 5:45:00 PM

Filed under: Household, Peripherals

Battling over control of the office thermostat / air conditioning tends to be a passive aggressive flashpoint in any place of work, so even though this will undoubtedly set off some environmental alarms, the C2 climate control definitely fills a niche. Replacing the role of a regular personal fan, the C2 from Herman Miller allows users to adjust the surrounding temperature up to a 40 degree increase, and an 8 degree decrease, taking 72 degrees F (22 degrees C) as the starting temperature. The aforementioned environmental issues does raise the question of how far this technology should go, especially since office unity can't be that great if an issue as trivial as temperature can't be agreed upon. Still, we're not one to complain about having things easier in our work environments: not that we'd know anything about working in an office.

[Via Reuters]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/10/c2-personal-temperature-device-creates-office-micro-climates/#comments

6/10/2007 4:02:00 PM

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Hey wait Microsoft, weren't you supposed to be working on reducing the prices for that other consumer electronics device? The Zune appears to be in the middle of a sale at the moment, as several US retailers have put the price of the portable media player down with reductions being above 20% in the case of Staples's $60-off promotion. We all know how fickle retailers are when it comes to pricing -- if one does it, they all do it -- but surely it's not a great sign for the Zune to get such significant discounts under a year after its launch. This could be an indication of an impending announcement of a successor for the Zune (in which case this price cut is doubleplusgood), but it's not like you know who ever had to lower prices to raise interest in their outgoing PMP models.

[Thanks, Bryan P]

Read - BestBuy ($220)
Read - Amazon ($209)
Read - CircuitCity ($200)
Read - Staples ($190)
Read - Wal-Mart ($199)

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/10/zune-fire-sale-sees-reductions-of-up-to-sixty-bucks/#comments

6/10/2007 2:17:00 PM

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

We all knew this one was just a matter of time, but it sounds like the Japanese faithful will finally have the opportunity to purchase a glaring yellow Pikachu DS Lite system in the not too distant future. Of course, this isn't the first time the infamous Pokemon has taken over a Nintendo handheld, but getting your palms around this machine will be even more difficult than those other hard-to-get hues. The limited edition machine will reportedly sport Pikachu's face on the bottom right corner of the cover, include a matching yellow stylus, and in order to procure one, you'll have to show up in person at the Japanese Pokemon Center and submit your name into a lottery system. Supposedly, the winners will be able to pay their ¥16,800 ($139) and walk out happy starting on July 20th, and afterwards, the rest of you can shell out small fortunes on various auction sites if you just can't do without.

[Thanks, Mitch]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/10/limited-edition-pikachu-ds-lite-system-to-hit-japan/#comments

6/10/2007 1:26:00 PM

Filed under: Announcements

Monday morning El Jobso takes the stage to discuss Apple products for the first time since the iPhone unveiling in January (no, we don't really count D where he chatted with Mossberg and sat down with Gates). As always, you know where to turn for the whole spread, including real-time blow-by-blow coverage, live photography, and only the largest ring of iBookies taking bets on what Steve's gonna announce with Leopard and the iPhone.

Go here and bookmark this page, it's where the action happens Monday morning.

7:00AM - Hawaii
10:00AM - Pacific
11:00AM - Mountain
12:00PM - Central
1:00PM - Eastern
5:00PM - GMT
6:00PM - London
7:00PM - Paris
2:00AM - Tokyo (June 12th)

P.S. -Feel free to leave the usual timezones / predictions / wish lists / "STEVE I LOVE / HATE YOU!"s in comments.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/10/wwdc-monday-at-10-00am-pst-1-00pm-est-set-your-alarms/#comments

6/10/2007 12:29:00 PM

We've got to give credit where it's due, and our Chinese extension is definitely delivering the hands-on goods of late. The most recent device to get caught under their camera is EB's Menlow-based MID UMPC, which was seen still sporting a 4.8-inch 1,024 x 600 resolution display and packing Red Flag Linux, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, a 3.5-millimeter headphone output, and WWAN connectivity to boot. Of note, it seems that the version they caught could still see some changes before the final release, but do your eyes the favor of hitting the read link and viewing the gallery for yourself.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/10/ebs-mobile-internet-device-snagged-by-engadget-chinese/#comments

6/10/2007 11:02:00 AM

Filed under: Wireless

Dutch Umbrella -- a startup focusing its efforts in and around the city of brotherly love -- is looking to take the idea of courtesy umbrella rentals to a new level by incorporating RFID tags and marketers. Currently, the firm has landed eight partners that will toss logos on the stark white umbrellas and utilize the tantalizing tracking information that gets recorded each time a rainy day encourages patrons to grab some cover. Merchants are required to pony up $100 per month in order to receive the marketing intelligence, and can then use it to determine where umbrella carriers go once the downpour begins in order to better position future ads. Unfortunately, we tend to hear that It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but there's probably not much truth to that.

[Via DailyWireless]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/10/gratis-rfid-umbrellas-track-movements-excite-marketers/#comments

6/10/2007 8:35:00 AM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Early last year, gurus at the University of Michigan were devising a newfangled type of cochlear implant, but now it looks like the Wolverines are more interested in a fresh auditory nerve implant that is being dubbed "a superior alternative" to the (now) old fashioned option. The uber-thin electrode array would purportedly "transmit a wide range of sounds to the brain," and could give profoundly and severely deaf people the ability to "to hear low-pitched sounds common in speech, converse in a noisy room, identify high and low voices, and appreciate music." Researchers on the project are convinced that this technology trumps cochlear implants in every way, and while preliminary patents have already been filed, it'll still be nearly a decade at best before these things can invade human ears en masse.

[Via Physorg]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/10/auditory-nerve-implant-could-drastically-benefit-deaf-individual/#comments

6/10/2007 6:07:00 AM

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

AU Optronics seems to know a thing or two about LCDs, and the engineering minds behind the scenes have apparently developed a few mobile screens that replace those wide borders with more pixels. The firm will be showing off its new 2.2-inch transflective panel with the "world's slimmest border of 0.9-millimeters" and its 2.7-inch panel which touts the "world's highest contrast ratio" (for its size, we presume) of 2,100:1, which just barely edges Sharp's iteration. The near-borderless display is reportedly "a half size smaller" than existing renditions, and the 2.7-incher claims to be uber-bright and offer up an unusually wide viewing angle as well. Unfortunately, it sounds like this technology won't be making its way up the LCD food chain, as one researcher noted that what you see here will be "mobile device-exclusive."

[Via FarEastGizmos]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/10/au-optronics-squeezes-more-real-estate-onto-mobile-screens/#comments

6/10/2007 4:11:00 AM

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops, Peripherals

Although external graphics on a laptop were once a pipe dream, things are starting to come together for those yearning for desktop-style graphics processing on a mobile machine. MSI's first shot at the solution is apparently dubbed Luxium, and our Chinese brethren were able to steal a few shots from the display kiosk at Computex. Details are a bit scant at the moment, but the device will apparently provide a PCI-e to ExpressCard interface to get your desktop GPU interfacing with your lappie, several USB ports, a "USB to LAN" connector, S/PDIF in / out, optical audio input, and 7.1-channel Dolby Digital support. Yeah, we can't wait to see the benchmarks on this one either, but for now you'll have to be content with tapping the read link and taking a good first look at this promising product.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/10/msis-luxium-external-grernal-graphics-solution-spotted/#comments

6/10/2007 2:05:00 AM

Filed under: Portable Audio

Looks like ginormous SSDs aren't the only products PQI's been cranking out of late, as the firm's latest DAP was showing off its sparkle at Computex. The JoyTone U820 features a glossy black exterior, 1.5-inch 128 x 128 resolution LCD, ID3 tag support, MP3, WMA, and SMV playback, a photo viewer, digital voice recorder, and USB connectivity. Unsurprisingly, there was no word as to when the U820 would find its way from the show floor onto store shelves, but as you already know, more pictorial delight awaits you after the break.

Continue reading PQI shows off JoyTone U820 digital audio player

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/10/pqi-shows-off-joytone-u820-digital-audio-player/#comments

6/10/2007 12:10:00 AM

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

Continuing on with more glimpses of foreign gadgetry from the floors of Computex comes the seven-inch CE261 UMPC from FIC. This laptop-styled machine sports a glossy black exterior, noticeably large gap beneath the display's bezel, and a swank looking keyboard to boot. Aside from the WVGA display and reported five-hours of battery life, this sucka also touts a pair of stereo speakers, miniature trackpad, a pair of USB ports, audio in / out, Ethernet, DVI output, flash card reader, 0.3-megapixel webcam in the bezel, and a number of LED indicators to keep you informed. Per usual, there's no word yet on when certain sects of the world can snag one of their own, so click on through for the obligatory snapshots to tide you over.

Continue reading FIC's seven-inch CE261 UMPC spotted at Computex

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/fics-seven-inch-ce261-umpc-spotted-at-computex/#comments

6/9/2007 10:34:00 PM

Filed under: Gaming

It's honestly not too often that these homegrown DIY efforts actually end up going big, but just as it was predicted, the tiltBoard 360 is legit. Talismoon has officially released the second generation of the tilt sensitivity add-in for the Xbox 360 controller, which is supposedly "easier to use" than Sony's SIXAXIS. The board comes pre-loaded with tiltTune technology, which purportedly allows gamers to adjust the tilt sensitivity, tweak the 0-degree point, invert the Y-axis, and even deactivate the tilt feature if you should desire. Unfortunately, this iteration is still not a simple drop-in mod, as you'll be busting out the soldering iron for no fewer than seven wires. Still, for those not afraid to their hands dirty, the next-gen tiltBoard 360 will be shipping later this month.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/talismoon-unveils-second-generation-tiltboard-360/#comments

6/9/2007 8:27:00 PM

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Looks like we were right about DivX developing some hardware: say hi to the DivX GejBox (no, we're not spelling that GejBox;-), sorry guys). Basically this thing is a media streaming beta box to test out DivX's new connected hardware platform initiative, so it's safe to say that while a select few beta testers will get to play around with a GejBox, this device will most likely never make it to market -- at least not in its current form. (DivX is really trying to get harware-makers to pick up their platform, we don't think they want to be in the box business.) Still, it does have some interesting features, like S/PDIF, and HDMI, and because the platform is intended to be incredibly extensible, not only do you have the requisite home network video / picture / audio streaming, but it's also got support for live DivX Stage 6 high-def internet video streaming, and even a Google Video plugin not too different from the YouTube Apple TV plugin we saw debuted at D. Check out the pictures!

Gallery: DivX GejBox media streamer hardware revealed

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/divx-gejbox-media-streamer-hardware-revealed/#comments

6/9/2007 7:50:00 PM

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Following up on yesterday's brief glimpse into the potential fifth generation of Archos' PMP lineup, it looks like the rumor mill is reaching full tilt, as a supposed product page detailing the specifications was quickly pulled after "accidentally" hitting the net a bit before its prime. Nevertheless, GenerationMP3 was able to snag a screenshot of more details surrounding the PMPs, so here's what we know now. The 405 will supposedly accept both miniSD and micro SD cards, support MPEG2/3/4, WMV, H.264, and AAC formats, play nice with JPEG, BPM, and PNG photos, and weigh 146 grams. The 605 may end up supporting SDHC, and users could also find themselves choosing between a 30GB, 80GB, or 160GB edition. Of course, we're still taking all of this lightly until official information begins to flow, but be sure and visit the read link for a glimpse at the newly leaked information regardless.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/fifth-generation-archos-rumors-intensify/#comments

6/9/2007 6:15:00 PM

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Laptops

Intel's been throwing so many mobile processor codenames around in the past 12 months or so that we've resorted to hiring droids to constantly update pivot tables as chips are named and nixed from its ever-evolving roadmap. But being the weekend and all, it looks like we're stuck telling you about yet another presumably vital processor that's likely destined to hit cellphones, UMPCs, and other handheld computing platforms sometime in the not too distant future. According to an interview by Germany's FAZ, Intel's CEO compared the chip "to the original Pentium" in terms of importance to the company, and while Mr. Otellini didn't go into too much detail beyond that (can't blame him for keeping us curious), he did note that the firm hopes the 45nm CPU can infiltrate "10 to 20-percent of the mobile phone market."

[Via TGDaily]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/intel-ceo-compares-silverthorne-criticality-with-original-pentiu/#comments

6/9/2007 4:50:00 PM

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

All sorts of Gandolf action is coming out of the woodwork, with Morning Paper following up the grainy shot it released yesterday with a shiny color version, shown after the break. The rumored specs remain unchanged, and while we're not at all delighted to hear this one will be running Garnet, we're guessing it could be a halfway decent option for low-end users, since it's rocking that lovable $200 pricetag. Even more interesting is the white Windows Mobile version of the form factor that emerged on TreoCentral today, rocking the Vodafone branding. It appears to be running Windows Mobile Standard (once known as Smartphone) -- which would be a first for Palm, who's stuck with the touchscreen-input Professional (Pocket PC) edition for its Windows Mobile phones -- and positions Palm to better compete with the likes of the Motorola Q and Samsung's BlackJack. Plus the photo is blurry, so you know it has to be good.

[Via PalmInfocenter]

Read - Windows Mobile version
Read - Color Gandolf shot

Continue reading Palm "Gandolf" images look legit, Windows Mobile version on the way as well

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/palm-gandolf-images-look-legit-windows-mobile-version-on-the/#comments

6/9/2007 3:51:00 PM

Filed under: Gaming

Xbox's director of product management, David Hufford, said to Bloomberg yesterday that "We are well aware that the sweet spot of the market is really 199 bucks.'' Peter Moore and Albert Penello, the big guys of Xbox marketing, also stated that the company needs to "expand our demographic" and build content that appeals to people other than the 20-something males (in other words: "hello Moms!"). Why exactly Microsoft has decided to take the metaphorical mouth freshener at this point isn't quite clear, although we're guessing it comes down to an attempt to differentiate the Xbox from the PS3 in the minds of household purchasing decision makers and take a little sheen of the Wii's apparent domination of the lucrative casual gaming market. Hey, if these veiled marketing quotes eventually means cheaper consoles, who can complain? Microsoft, just cut the prices all-freakin'-ready.

[Via Joystiq]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/microsoft-aware-xbox-360-sweet-spot-is-199-not-limited-to-20/#comments

6/9/2007 2:45:00 PM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Granted, we'd be a tad more surprised about this if it wasn't found in Russia, but this one defies logic regardless. While we're unsure if tricksters have figured out a way to siphon unthinkable quantities of cash from this particular ATM, the owners should be ashamed of themselves for running a (presumably pirated) unactivated copy of Windows on the public banking machine. Of course, there's quite a few workarounds for this problem if you take the time to look, but seriously, who skimps on a product activation code when running a multi-million (billion?) dollar banking operating?

[Via TheRawFeed]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/russian-atm-runs-on-unactivated-copy-of-windows/#comments

6/9/2007 1:28:00 PM

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

If you'd been wondering when you'd ever hear anything more about Meizu's M6 Second Edition PMP, today's your lucky day. Looks like it'll officially sport a seven-millimeter thick enclosure, support MPEG4, MPEG2, WMV9, H.263/264, and RM(VB) movies at 720 x 480 resolution (30fps, too), and include TV out for piping multimedia to your tube. Additionally, the viewing angles have been improved and the screen size was bumped up a mere 0.01-inches (huzzah?), and we're told that it can purportedly last 30 solid hours playing back music or between 3 to 5 hours when watching videos. The bad news, however, is that the August ship date has slipped to Q4, and we're warned that even that may end up falling through. Way to test our patience, Meizu.

[Via MeizuMe]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/more-details-revealed-about-meizus-m6se-pmp/#comments

6/9/2007 11:28:00 AM

Just over two months ago Robo-Ollie, a robotic tuatara, was loosed into the wilderness on Stephens Island in New Zealand, and now that its creator and her colleagues have had a chance to monitor it in the wild, it looks like Mr. Oliver is performing toppingly. Sporting a nickel-cadmium battery, servos, and a rubberized skin suit, the creature has spent its time bobbing its head, gaping its mouth, and providing researchers with some intriguing data about aggressiveness and mating tendencies within the species. Unfortunately, the current iteration is essentially paralyzed from the neck back, and it took its masters a tick to understand how the head bobbing gig was "sending mixed signals" as it showcased feminine tendencies -- but now that he's regained his masculinity, it's on to figuring out what olfaction and infidelity have to do with tuatara life.

[Via Digg]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/robotic-tuatara-successfully-generates-research-data/#comments

6/9/2007 11:13:00 AM

Filed under: Digital Cameras

It sure feels like we've been around this block before, eh? Nevertheless, it seems that the ever-popular D3 rumors are cropping up again en masse, and while there's still no true signs of an imminent release, a whole heap of fanboys and girls are doing all they can to will it into production. A smattering of message boards are harping on the "forthcoming" high-end DSLR from Nikon, stating hopes that it'll sport 18.7-megapixels, a nearly full frame sensor, and an uncanny ability to cope with low-light conditions. As expected, guesstimates surrounding a release date are literally all over the Gregorian calendar, but majority sects believe that a summertime launch is definitely plausible. So if you're game for getting swept up in all the commotion, be sure and hit the read link for all the unconfirmed mayhem you can stand.

[Image courtesy of Flickr]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/nikon-d3-dslr-rumors-running-rampant/#comments

6/9/2007 7:36:00 AM

Filed under: Cellphones

Here's some dirt that's sure to heat up the iPhone debates over the next 20 days. According to alleged scans from the "iPhone Sales Training Workbook," we're seeing a vast array of features that we were already fully aware of, but here's the skinny on what you may have not known until now:

No one-touch dialing (two touches at a minimum)
Vibrate mode is included
Voice dialing is not mentioned as a feature, though it's not specifically excluded either
Users can have a voice conversation whilst browsing the web "when WiFi access is available"
iPhone users will not be able to conduct IM conversations with instant messaging users
Emailing videos and pictures are a go, MMS is not supported
MEdia Mail won't be used for ringtone and answertone downloads
MEdia Net, MobiTV, and Cellular Video are (unsurprisingly) not available for the iPhone
iTunes will sync iPhone with the Address Book on Macs or Outlook/Outlook Expess on PCs
No GPS or TeleNav support, sorry Google hopefuls

Of note, it seems that AT&T and / or Apple has conjured up a few canned, customer responses that point out the obvious shortcomings of Apple's handset, so do click on to see what you're up against.

Update: It's worth pointing out that only 15 of at least 33 pages have been published so far.

Continue reading iPhone details uncovered in Sales Training Workbook

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/iphone-details-uncovered-in-sales-training-workbook/#comments

6/9/2007 6:48:00 AM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

As we've seen countless times, the temptation to cheat on tests using various gadgets and wireless technology is often too great for students to overcome -- even chess players have occasionally given themselves an unfair advantage. While much of the test cheating involves nothing more than hidden iPods or cellphones, it can sometimes raise to the level of elaborate test cheating crimes rings, with students forking over big bucks for a little assistance. As Reuters reports, that appears to be what has gone down during China's recent national college entrance exam, where three men were arrested for relaying answers to a student from a van parked outside the school. Apparently, the student (who paid $1,500 for the "service") woree") wore a wireless microphone to read out the questions, with the men in the van using a pair of computers to look up the answers. That's not all the police had to deal with, however, with them also reportedly turning up 42 pairs of so-called "cheating shoes" with "transmitting and reception ability" prior to the exam, as well as some "cheating wallets" and hats.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/chinese-police-arrest-three-in-high-tech-exam-cheating-scheme/#comments

6/9/2007 5:50:00 AM

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

We're fairly sure Amigo Technology's R622AG WiFi router meant no harm when it came out of the laboratory looking exactly like Microsoft's latest console, but we'll be surprised if no legal teams are contacted over this one. The four-port router supports 802.11a/b/g, includes a pair of USB 2.0 connectors for sharing external data or printers over the network (shown after the jump), and should look like a long lost twin situated beside your Xbox 360. No word yet on price nor availability, but this thing definitely outdoes the other 360 copycat we saw just days ago in terms of closest resemblance.

Continue reading Amigo's R622AG WiFi router mirrors Xbox 360 design

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/amigos-r622ag-wifi-router-mirrors-xbox-360-design/#comments

6/9/2007 4:44:00 AM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

While this mishap may not look as if it would cost Vietnam nearly as much as the Alaskan vaporization, losing 27-miles of critical fiber-optic cabling connecting the underdeveloped nation to Thailand and Hong Kong is fairly serious (and pricey). As it turns out, hordes of Vietnamese fishermen were given permission to salvage war-era undersea copper lines to fetch whatever price they could on local markets, but things got out of hand when vital telecommunication pipelines began getting swiped instead of antiquated cabling. The country has since disallowed the removal of any underwater wire until things pan out, but it looks like Vietnam will be relying on a single cable to the outside world until it can pony up the $5.8 million in replacement costs.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/vietnamese-fishermen-mistakenly-swipe-miles-of-fiber-optic-wire/#comments

6/9/2007 3:26:00 AM

Filed under: Laptops

Bringing back some of that 80's flair, MSI is showing off their GX600 gaming laptop at Computex. The black 15-incher is normally clocked at 2.1GHz, but hitting the 386-style Turbo button overclocks the Core 2 Duo to 2.6GHz. Apart from that, it's the usual Santa Rosa action: 800MHz bus, 802.11n, webcam, 512MB GeForce Go 8600M GT, and HDMI out. The GX600 also has some chintzy flame graphics, but they look positively half-hearted next to the GX700 MSI's also got at Computex: we saw this 17-incher back in January, but MSI has decided to throw a "feminine" mural on the lid. MSI's been experimenting with strange cases for a while, and we gotta say, it's not working for you, guys. Check the turbo button in action after the break.

Continue reading MSI releases the GX600 gaming laptop and GX700...for the ladies

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/09/msi-releases-the-gx600-gaming-laptop-and-gx700-for-the-ladies/#comments

6/9/2007 1:51:00 AM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Peripherals

There's no denying that macros make all of our lives a bit less tedious, and while having a few here and there will suffice for the most of us, the hardcore RTS gamers and graphic designers can certainly appreciate the overkill on this one. PI Engineering's X-keys Stick (full shot after the break) is a programmable, customizable rod sporting no fewer than 16 buttons ready to bow to your commands. Available in PS/2 and USB flavors, the backlit device ships with Macro Works software (or iKey(or iKey for OS X) and a template for printing out your own key labels. Nah, this won't hold a candle to the tweaking abilities of the Optimus Maximus, but the reasonable $99.95 pricetag also manages to (thankfully) pale in comparison. If you feel like really nerding out, X-keys also has X-keys Professional and X-keys Desktop editions designed to sit next to your keyboard. The X-keys Pro version even comes with a WoW sticker set to push things off the deep end -- as if the macro madness hadn't gone far enough already.

[Via EverythingUSB]

Read - X-keys Stick
Read - X-keys Pro and Desktop

Continue reading Programmable X-keys Stick takes you to macro heaven

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6/9/2007 12:32:00 AM

Filed under: Transportation

We certainly can't say that we'd voluntarily place ourselves on a Segway in order to patrol Long Beach, but officer Jose Miguez managed to utilize the breakneck (ahem) speed available on the two-wheeled Personal Transporter to arrest a horrifically embarrassed 13-year old carjacker. Notably, the Segway was no match for the Mercedes-Benz's engine at first, but after the obviously unlicensed driver and his partners in crime leaped from the car just before it slammed into a utility pole, their worn legs were no match for the potent battery-powered engine. Sure, it doesn't sound like the most exciting police chase ever witnessed or anything, but it's not everyday you see a Segway extending the long arm of the law.

[Via Wired]

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6/8/2007 11:14:00 PM

Filed under: Cellphones

You know how much we lovh we love an ugly Photoshop job around here, and this grainy, pixelated image of a rumored Palm "Gandolf" certainly brings the ugly. We have no idea where this pic came from or if it's real, but if it is, it'll represent a pretty big design departure for Palm -- it actually looks pretty HTC-ish to us. The source says this EV-DO unit is actually the much-rumored "Hollywood," and will debut on Sprint for under $200, but we'll believe it when we see it.

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6/8/2007 10:27:00 PM

Filed under: Gaming

The rumor mill was at full tilt earlier in the day with reports that up to 90% of Nintendo's sales and marketing team in Redmond was leaving, along with key marketing execs Beth Llewelyn, Perrin Kaplan, and George Harrison -- and now Nintendo has issued a pretty murky non-denial denial, confirming with Gamesindustry.biz that it's opening new offices in Silicon Valley and New York, but not addressing the staff issue, so it's still not clear if the staff is leaving to move to the new offices, or just, you know, leaving. Further muddying the waters, the company called the rumors about Kaplin, Llewelyn, and Harrison "speculation," but when we called NOA and its PR firm, both parties declined to comment, leaving it totally uncertain as to why anyone might speculate about that -- it's not exactly watercooler material. Expect to see some interesting spin coming out of Marioville in the next few days as this whole thing sorts itself out.

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6/8/2007 9:53:00 PM

Filed under: Networking

Looks like a heartfelt apology just wasn't enough for the SEC -- the agency is expected to fine formerly high-flying communications company Nortel up to $100 million this week for inflating revenue on quarterly reports by an estimated $3.4 billion. The SEC is also suing a handful of former Nortel executives who approved the bogus numbers, allegedly to trigger bonuses for themselves. Nortel just settled several outstanding class-action lawsuits from shareholders for slightly more than $2 billion, so another $100 mil probably seems like a drop in the bucket at this point, but here's hoping this whole sad chapter is over -- we still want to see that MIMO WiMAX rig start shipping.

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6/8/2007 9:07:00 PM

Filed under: Desktops

For some reason we kinda doubt that many Engadget readers are in a hurry to load the kids into the station wagon and head on down to Wal-Mart for some cheap computer action, but we'd be remiss in our journalistic duties were we not to give you the final lowdown on that pair of Dell bundles hitting the retail behemoth this weekend. Since we already knew the specs of the 'high-end' $698 package, the only real surprise here is that you're getting almost the same machine for $498 -- the only difference being a 250GB vs. 320GB hard drive -- with the price drop instead coming at the expense of "extras" like a monitor, speakers, and memory card reader. A little later in the month, those lucky enough to have been accepted into Sam's Club will have their choice of an $828 multimedia bundle featuring the same Dimension E521 desktop supplemented by NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE graphics and another gig of RAM, or a 15.4-inch dual-core Inspiron 1501 notebook with a DVD burner, 2GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive for a few cents under $900. Seems like Wal-Mart should be able to push a pretty decent amount of these out the door -- which is good news for Dell, because Michael and friends need all the help they can get to reclaim their top spot from those crafty competitors over at HP.

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6/8/2007 8:17:00 PM

Filed under: Desktops

The idea of running your rig with 8-cores working their magic has already been available in various forms, but Intel is apparently hoping to effectively fire back at AMD's Quad FX with the unveiling of the V8 platform. Reviewers found that flexing the muscles of twin Xeon processors provided speed that was simply unparalleled in several testing scenarios, but for common jobs such as 3D gaming and unzipping gigabytes of data, the setup essentially fell flat on its face. Sure, blasting past competition in SiSoft Sandra XI and POV-Ray 3.7 is admirable, but unless you're looking to whisk away your day crunching AutoCAD and 3D Studio Max (read: working), this V8 isn't likely to be worth the investment. Notably, the reviewers were flabbergasted by the peaks and valleys in performance depending on what application was being critiqued, so be sure and hit the read link for the full skinny if you've got this one tabled on your must-have list.

<>

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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6/8/2007 7:35:00 PM

Filed under: Peripherals

A friendly tipster pointed us to this shot of the unreleased Logitech MX Air mouse. Not a lot of info on it, but apparently it does the cursor thing with a combination of an in-air gyration mouse and traditional desktop laser mouse tech. No Bluetooth for this one, Logitech is sticking with its RF dongle method, and purportedly plans to release it this summer. Our Wiimote isn't so sure it's ready to fork over the friendly skies so soon.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

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6/8/2007 6:53:00 PM

Little Bill is all growed up now, and has finally made his father proud. "I've been waiting for more than 30 years to say this: Dad, I always told you I'd come back and get my degree," said Gates, who received a law degree on Thursday from Harvard after giving a commencement address to the students, the school he dropped out of to focus on Microsoft. "We recognize the most illustrious member of the Harvard College class of 1977 never to have graduated from Harvard," said Harvard University Provost Steven Hymen, who didn't seem too humbled to present the honorary degree. "It seems high time that his alma mater hand over the diploma." Bill Gates seemed more concerned with padding his resume, however, considering the fact that he's calling it quits at Microsoft soon. "I'll be changing my job next year, and it will be nice to finally have a college degree on my resume." Oh, we're sure he'll get by alright.

[Image via Seattle PI];/a>]

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6/8/2007 6:10:00 PM

Filed under: Desktops, Media PCs

MSI isn't stopping with a longevous DAP at Computex, as the firm is also taking the opportunity to announce a new desktop and HTPC. The compact Hetis 965 offers your choice of Intel's Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Extreme, or Core 2 Quad processors, handles up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, touts Intel's GMA X3000 integrated graphics set, and also includes MSI's Specific Linear Fan Speed Control to intelligently vary fan speeds based on current cooling needs. For the AV crowd, the Media Center PC is powered by AMD64 dual-core processors, features AMD's Cool 'n Quiet and AMD Live! technology, and includes a mysterious NVIDIA integrated graphics set, HDMI output, 7.1-channel surround sound, 12-in-1 card reader, built-in DVD optical drive, and a host of USB 2.0 ports as well. Per usual, there's no word on price nor availability at the moment.

[Via 64-Bit-Computers]
Read - MSI Hetis 965
Read - MSI Media Center PC

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6/8/2007 5:23:00 PM

Filed under: Transportation

Sorry K.I.T.T., you had a nice run there, but we're pretty certain the newly created Mach 5 could destroy you in the quarter mile. As the crew readies for the Speed Racer-inspired motion picture to land in May 2008, this blast from the animated past has finally become a reality, and it even parked for a photograph and an unveiling ceremony, too. The sparkly white ride sports a blinding red interior, stripped down dashboard, push button start, and a hint of nostalgia to boot. We know, next May is a long ways off, but feel free to click through and see the presentation of the tangible Mach 5 in all of its glory -- now go, Speed Racer, go.

[Via CNET]

Continue reading Speed Racer's Mach 5 comes to life

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6/8/2007 4:53:00 PM

Filed under: Storage

It doesn't seem too long ago that a 16GB solid state disc was a sight to behold, but now that SSDs are creeping up to 256GB and beyond, it's about time the flashy guys caught up. While we knew Kingmax was aiming to unveil its 16GB SDHC (only to match the early moving MICRODIA) card at Computex, pictured proof is always preferred, and it looks like all you digicam owners with SDHC-capable slots can rejoice as the sizes beneath this one quietly tumble in price. Notably, it was suggested that the cards were practically "ready for mass production," and should be available worldwide fairly soon.

[Via Inquirer]

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