Spam Flood Blog: Interesting Stuff

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Interesting Stuff

6/13/2007 7:51:00 PM

Filed under: Wearables

Cramming a heart rate monitor into a wristwatch isn't all that difficult, but Tokyoflash's BPM watch does the trick in style. This multipurpose timepiece dons a stainless steel face, spits out the time in digital fashion, keeps track of the date, and includes a "mini-torch" backlight to find your way to an empty seat when entering a theater seven minutes late. The standout feature, however, is the built-in beats-per-minute mode, which allows you to "tap the button to the rhythm of the beat" or monitor your current heart rate. Additionally, BPM mode brings out textual inspiration in the form of random DJ phrases that are presumably meant to get you even more amped up. Not too shabby for ¥7,900 ($65), eh? Check the closeups after the jump.

[Via PlasticBamboo]

Continue reading Tokyoflash's BPM watch: for DJs and runners alike

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/tokyoflashs-bpm-watch-for-djs-and-runners-alike/#comments

6/13/2007 7:21:00 PM

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

While we've seen some fine marriages between game room entertainment and over the top electronic heaven, Heiron & Smith's flagship pool table just entered a league of its own. The aptly-dubbed Executive measures eight- x four-feet, sports Australian molded cushion rubber, Italian slate, handmade pocket nets, and some of the finest cloth England had to offer. The good stuff, however, consists of a side-mounted LCD TV, stereo with flat-panel speakers, neatly adorned PlayStation 2, racks for your books, games, and other media, and of course, a mirrored indention to stock the sauce. Unfortunately, it'll take a phone call to figure out how many thousands this thing will set you back, and unless you live Down Under (or own a barge), you won't be acquiring one anyway.

[Via TechDigest]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/heiron-and-smiths-executive-pool-table-sports-lcd-ps2/#comments

6/13/2007 6:51:00 PM

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Continuing its strange obsession with unveiling products by the flocks, Philips has yet again given us numerous things to juggle at once. This time around it's a trio of iPod-friendly music / AV stations, two of which also include Bluetooth support. The $199 three-piece BTM-628 iPod speaker station conveniently docks and plays your jams from either the DAP or your BT-enabled cellphone, plays back MP3 discs and CDs, shows caller ID and enables handsfree conversations, and also includes a USB port and SD / MMC slot for playing back tunes from a flash card; the BTM-630 steps it up by adding a CD writer that can create MP3 discs from music stored on flash media. The $399 DCD-778 undercabinet system touts an AM / FM tuner, DVD player, ATSC TV tuner, 8.5-inch LCD, flip-down iPod dock, and the ability to play back videos stored on your Apple. Look for these goodies as well as an iPod clock radio to land sometime this fall.

[Via T3]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/philips-unveils-ipod-friendly-bluetooth-speaker-stations/#comments

6/13/2007 6:21:00 PM

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Sure, Epson and Philips' endeavor to create a mini projector may be novel, but projectiondesign's forthcoming device packs the power we AV freaks admire. Touting an almost unbelievable assortment of niceties, this 3.7- x 9.2- x 10.8-inch DLP machine is reportedly the "world's smallest" Full HD projector to date, and if that wasn't inspiring enough, it also uses TI's 0.95-inch 1080p DMD, the firm's proprietary RealColor technology, and plays nice with home automation systems with RS-232 and IP interfaces. Additionally, it sports a 10-bit video processing engine, HDMI 1.3 compatibility, 1,000 lumens, and a even-segment, 5x color wheel. Best of all, this HD-lovin' projector is available for purchase as we speak, but we're assuming that the unlisted price is a good sign that we common folk should just keep on looking.

[Via Slashgt;Slashgear]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/projectiondesigns-action-m25-dlp-projector-does-1080p/#comments

6/13/2007 5:51:00 PM

Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras

We already knew that Kodak was up to something good when it began to phase out low-end digicams and refocus on developing new technologies, and now it seems like we've got one more innovation from its laboratory to look forward to. Reportedly, Kodak has developed a "color-filter technology that at least doubles the sensitivity to light of the image sensor in every digital camera." Bold words, we know, but even Chris McNiffe, general manager of the photography company's image sensor business, went so far as to say that this very invention would enable a "2x-4x improvement in light sensitivity." The company also suggested that a variety of camera manufacturers could expect samples of said technology during the first quarter of next year, and while consumer rollouts weren't detailed, we do know that this magical concoction will hit P&S cameras first with cameraphones to get equipped shortly thereafter.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/kodak-color-filter-technology-could-redefine-low-light-shooting/#comments

6/13/2007 5:31:00 PM

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Good news for all you video-playing SanDisk owners out there, as the creator of your PMP just inked a licensing agreement to support DivX in the very near future. As a part of the deal, future SanDisk video products will include interoperability with the DivX Stage6 video website, and while it wasn't directly stated that firmware would be pushed out to upgrade existing units, we've got our collective fingers crossed. Unfortunately, SanDisk apparently isn't quite ready to divulge exactly what products (if not all of the video-playing varieties) will indeed be stickered with a DivX-certified logo, but it did say that it would relieve that tension and let us all know "later this year."

[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/2007/06/13/sandisk-inks-licensing-agreement-to-support-divx/#comments

6/13/2007 5:11:00 PM

Filed under: Robots

WowWee's lovable Robopanda has been making the rounds since CES earlier this year, but it looks like it's just recently wound up in the hands of the FCC, which could possibly signal a US release sooner rather than later. As you can tell by the mugshot above, it doesn't appear to be too happy with its unfamiliar surroundings, but it did manage to pass through with flying colors, and has the test reports to prove it. Also up for your perusal is Robopanda's user manual, which doesn't appear to have any surprises but will give you a chance to familiarize yourself with it in advance, cause you just know you're gonna have to get one.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/wowwees-robopanda-snuggles-up-to-the-fcc/#comments

6/13/2007 4:50:00 PM

Filed under: Cellphones

It's no secret that the actual launch of Nokia's E90 was imminent, and while you've had plenty of time to read reviews, stare at press shots, and drool over hands-on photo sessions, now it's time to party. A camera-wielding blogger was able to drop in on the fairly large launch event held in Jakarta and snap a few photos of geeks grappling to boot theirs up the fastest. Of course, we're sure you wish you were somewhere amongst the hordes, but feel free to leap on through for more of the action -- and to think, just under a month ago some impatient soul paid a whopping $5,000 for this bad boy.

Continue reading Nokia's E90 launch party held in Jakarta

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/nokias-e90-launch-party-held-in-jakarta/#comments

6/13/2007 4:31:00 PM

Filed under: Gaming

Sony's PS3 anti-hacker walls are crumbling, with an exploit for 1.10 and 1.11 firmwares recently found, and the announcement of the first copied game to boot on the heretofore unassailable console -- though it isn't actually playable yet, just booting. Sony, of course, isn't taking this lying down, and has threatened legal action to anyone using these new exploits illegally. "Unfortunately, hackers will try to exploit any hardware system software," said SCEA spokesperson Dave Karraker. "The best we can do as a company is to make our security that much stronger and aggressively pursue legal action against anyone caught trying to use an exploit in an illegal manner." Of course, Dave wasn't abundantly clear as to what's "illegal" activity, but soundbites aren't exactly the best place to start bantering about fair use. What is clear is that these are only the opening shots in what promises to be a long war between Sony and the homebrew scene, with the PSP community providing the best example of what Sony most hopes to avoid, for reasons not wholly comprehensible.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/sony-preaches-the-smack-to-circling-ps3-hackers/#comments

6/13/2007 4:08:00 PM

Filed under: Transportation

Adding its name to the ever-growing list of all-electric cars that never seem to seep onto lots is Lightning, which is apparently developing a 700bhp whip that unashamedly rips styling cues from quintessential British cars of the past and present. Designed to "compete with premium market sport cars," the GT is hoping to "combine high performance electric motive power with an advanced regenerative energy system that recharges the car's batteries under braking by capturing lost friction energy." Additionally, motorists can expect a sub-four second 0-60 time, and better yet, just a ten minute charge time to sustain a 250 mile range. As expected, Lightning would love to secure your deposit on the not-yet-launched car right now for a 2008 delivery, but we'd recommend checking with its shipping department before you place an order from outside of Britain.

[Via Autoblog]

&l/p>

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/uks-lightning-to-build-all-electric-gt-sports-car/#comments

6/13/2007 3:48:00 PM

Filed under: Digital Cameras

We'll admit, we certainly like where all this is going, but until we hear anything official, you'll still have to restrain yourself and take this tidbit with a spoon of NaCl. Just days after getting wind of D3 rumors galore, a "photo editor at a major newspaper" has tipped us on a phone call he received from Nikon in which his presence was requested at a meeting where a "new professional camera that is leaps and bounds better than anything Canon is offering" would be showcased. As expected, that's about all the details he could pry from the caller, but since the meeting is purportedly scheduled for June 26th, at least we've got some sort of timeframe to get our hopes up about.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/nikon-getting-set-to-unveil-next-gen-professional-dslr/#comments

6/13/2007 3:28:00 PM

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Media PCs

While a plethora of companies having already joined forces to create a modern day Captain Planet of sorts, England is making sure it doesn't fall off the green bandwagon just yet by launching a Green Shift taskforce to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. But the most intriguing aspect of the operation is how it could translate into more dummy terminal usage and lower sales of, say, more popular home PC software. Led by the Manchester City Council, the crew will reportedly "host functions such as office applications, email, and internet surfing on data centers rather than on individual computers," and it also aims to use 75-percent fewer resources in the actual production of computers. The initiative is said to be a full out assault on "cyber-warming," as local Government Minister Phil Woolas so eloquently put it, and the service should hit full stride late in 2009 after a brief pilot program gets executed early next year. Unfortunately, mum's the word on how these elusive data centers will connect with users and what types of hardware will be required to run them.

[Via PCWorld]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/uks-green-shift-could-result-in-dummy-terminals-galore/#comments

6/13/2007 3:08:00 PM

Filed under: Transportation

Just as soon as we finished cheering for the Texas Legislature's stance on those pesky speed cameras, the state's Department of Transportation is apparently trying to override their good will. According to a June 10th filing, the Texas DOT is looking to install "turnkey automated speed notification services" on Highway 10 in Hudspeth County and Highway 6 near College Station (watch those lead feet, Aggies). Reportedly, this project is simply to "assess and evaluate all elements" of such a system, but it doesn't take a genius to guess that money's on the brain. Notably, the "quality assurance" section of the plan points out that these suckers will be accurate to within two miles-per-hour in either direction, so your wiggle room is sliced dramatically. Of course, we can all hope that Texas' iteration of the SPECS-style camera is as easy to circumvent as those in Britain.

[Via FARK]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/texas-dot-could-institute-specs-style-speed-cameras/#comments

6/13/2007 2:48:00 PM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Personal voice recorders simply aren't likely to start up any serious controversy anytime soon, but Logitec's latest spin on taping audio just might raise a few hairs. The LIC-TRA056SD is a "private telephone recorder" that plugs right into your home phone and captures conversations conveniently on the built-in 128MB of storage. If those 50 hours of capacity aren't enough to catch someone red handed, you can also throw in a spare SD card and create an audio archive of every phone call you'll ever make. Additionally, the USB connectivity ensures that extracting dubious MP3 / WAV files won't be a chore, and considering that everything looks to be password protected, the digital eavesdropping crowd will be out of luck. Unfortunately, there's no word just yet on how much this dodgy device will run you, but it should hit the shelves of Japan before the month's end.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/logitec-intros-digital-recorder-for-consumer-telephones/#comments

6/13/2007 2:28:00 PM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

It may have taken longer than expected, but the International Space Station is slowly starting to come up to full speed, with a new solar array now fully unfurled after being installed earlier during Atlantis' mission. Measuring 240 feet long, the twin solar panels are the third of four "wings" to be installed on the Space Station, which are required to provide the necessary power to the new modules set to be attached to the ISS later this year and next. Before they can be put into service, however, the astronauts have to retract part of an older solar array in order to make room for the new wings to rotate, which so far appears to be going off without a hitch.

[Via Scotsman.com, photo courtesy of NASA]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/space-station-gets-boost-from-new-solar-array/#comments

6/13/2007 2:08:00 PM

Noted security expert Marc Weber Tobias contributes The Lockdown, exposing the shoddy security you may depend on.

Two years ago I published an alert on my site regarding the inherent insecurity of gun trigger locks in the hope that manufacturers would remove them from the market or modify their design to make them more child-proof. Although some manufacturers now produce a more secure model to meet statutory requirements in California, even some of these can be easily compromised. Essentially nothing has changed: many manufacturers continue to sell products that are poorly designed, the consequences of which can be fatal -- literally. Even th Even the cable locks that are provided under a US Justice Department grant to law enforcement agencies through Project ChildSafe for free dissemination to gun owners are inadequate.

I hope that this article will once again place all gun owners on notice of the dangers stemming from any form of trigger or cable lock to protect a weapon from unauthorized use by anyone -- but most importantly children. Have you ever seen an untrained eleven year old demonstrate the removal of three of the most popular trigger locks on the market from a rifle in just a few seconds? You will today. Read on.

Continue reading The Lockdown: Gun locks - unsafe at any caliber

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/#comments

6/13/2007 1:38:00 PM

Filed under: GPS, Portable Video

While Mio's range of navigation systems is figuratively all over the map, the firm's latest offering packs a screen size that would have a hard time fitting in some dashes, let alone a cargo pocket. The seven-inch WVGA LCD that dominates the C517 isn't found in too many competitors, but bringing it in at just 22-millimeters thick and weighing 0.86-pounds could help convince users that it's not all that burdensome. Additionally, you'll notice USB connectivity, audio out, a media player, built-in antenna, and support for voice commands. Of course, it does manage to pull double duty as a DMB-tuning television for those in the Korean market, but unless you're positive that this thing won't be headed out into the wilderness with you, you may want to spend your 400,000KRW ($429) elsewhere. More snapshots after the jump.

Continue reading Mio unveils seven-inch C517 DMB navigation system

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/mio-unveils-seven-inch-c517-dmb-navigation-system/#comments

6/13/2007 1:18:00 PM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Just we always wanted, a DNA tester to call our very own! We've been waiting for them to break that crucial $15k pricepoint, and now Spartan Bioscience has finally accompliaccomplished such a feat with its Spartan DX Personal DNA Analyzer. The thing can do 4 samples at a time, and takes about 30 minutes to run a Polymerase Chain Reaction to identify the perp. Unfortunately, Spartan claims the device isn't approved for anything beyond research use, but that shouldn't stop us from doing a bit of home-based forensics: no more name calling, we'll know once and for all who stole the cookie from the Engadget HQ cookie jar.

[Via Gadget Lab]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/spartan-dx-personal-dna-tester-goes-for-a-mere-15k/#comments

6/13/2007 12:58:00 PM

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Bad news for those sticking it out with AT&T's U-Verse. According to a slide presented at the company's investor relations webcast, it looks like a number of key features will be delayed -- some well into next year. Among the niceties that subscribers won't see until Q4 of this year are photo integration, consumer VoIP, U-Bar, Yellow Pages, etc. More importantly, however, is the note that the highly anticipated Whole Home DVR won't be ready until Q3 of next year, Caller ID will remain absent until Q4 of 2008, and two HD streams, pair bonding, and an "intelligent network interface device" won't be released until about 12 months from now. Hey, we're all for getting a product right before tossing it out to the masses, but we can imagine the patience of U-Verse customers wearing a tad thin by this point.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/tasty-atandt-u-verse-features-seeing-delays/#comments

6/13/2007 12:38:00 PM

Filed under: Cellphones

Egads, could it be? Journeying a long, thorny path from executive teaser to fanboy mockup to reality, the mythical Motorola SCPL has finally shown up in the hands of someone who isn't a suit-wearing Moto employee. Bearing a fairly strong familial resemblance to the ultra low-end MOTOFONE, Boy Genius tells us that the SCPL is insanely thin -- thinner than the RAZR 2 -- and sports a QVGA display, 2 megapixel cam, quadband GSM, and JUIX. Missing from the specs are 3G data and any sort of memory expansion, but if Moto can get this one out the door with a non-bank breaking sticker price, they may have a winner they desperately need.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/motorola-scpl-in-the-wild/#comments

6/13/2007 12:20:00 PM

Filed under: Gaming

Only took 'em a couple of years, but Microsoft is finally taking a bit more of a proactive approach to its perennial "ring of death" problems of overheating 360s. Yeah, that means instead just doing the towel trick to get your 360 up and running again, you can send your Xbox off to Microsoft, and they'll actually improve the cooling internals -- in some countries anyways. MaxConsole had been getting some reports of French Xbox 360s getting this special treatment, and now they've got the first solid proof from Czech reader Ikari. We're no cooling experts, but it sure looks fancy in there!

[Thanks, Dutchman]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/microsoft-beefs-up-xbox-360-cooling-freaking-finally/#comments

6/13/2007 12:00:00 PM

Filed under: Cellphones

What's better than a black Samsung UpStage? Why, the very same handset in red, of course. As rumored last week, Sprint has chosen June 18th as launch day for its freshly re-colored UpStage. While nothing new is under the hood, we know some of you out there will appreciate this new -- and perhaps prettier, depending on taste -- iteration of this two-but-really-should-be-one-useful-faced handset. Pricing is set at $99 on a two-year deal and $50 service credit.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/sprint-rolls-out-samsung-upstage-in-red/#comments

6/13/2007 11:40:00 AM

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

In AT&T's latest missive on the iPhone, they rehashed a bunch of well-known information about the device, just to make sure those who signed up for the "notify me" emails are well prepared for the June 29th launch -- though, of course, actual launch day info is nowhere to be found. At the bottom of the email, it's casually mentioned that you'll need an iTunes account to set up your iPhone. This should come as no surprise to those familiar with the practices of Apple, who regularly confines its users to fairly enclosed systems out of "ease of use" or "privacy" concerns, but anyone who was hoping to manage the iPhone and its contents with open and free (as in speech) software should probably give up hope now. Or make friends with a really good group of hackers.

[Warning: subscription required]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/itunes-account-required-for-iphone-setup/#comments

6/13/2007 11:20:00 AM

We don't have a Vista Business DVD of our own to confirm this one, but we'll just stick with the tried and true "it's on the internet, so it must be true" mantra. Apparently a blogger named Kwisatz has uncovered a "secret" photo embedded into the hologram that encompasses the Windows Vista Business DVD. This being Microsoft, the photo naturally depicts three total nerds, grinning excessively at their own cleverness. Of course, this could be a total Photoshop, but somehow we find such an embedding eerily plausible, so we're going to stay cautiously optimistic that this is real. Hit up the read link for full res versions of the discovery.

[Thanks, Gordon]

Update: A friendly tipster just sent us some pretty solid proof of the photos (yeah, multiple). Check after break to give 'em a look-see. Thanks, Matt!

Continue reading Microsoft embedding nerdy photo in Vista DVDs?

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/microsoft-embedding-nerdy-photo-in-vista-dvds/#comments

6/13/2007 10:46:00 AM

Filed under: Laptops

Your idea of the Lenovo buying experience has probably been all but tainted if its latest ThinkPad T61 was, er, would have been your first machine from the company. According to an incredibly long thread over at Notebook Review, more than a few would-be customers are getting progressively angrier as each passing day goes by without any sign of their new laptop. Apparently, a number of manufacturing hiccups are delaying the process, and some users are even reporting ship dates into the first week of September. Moreover, it seems that some loyal users even received consolation emails that tried to explain the delays and apologized by offering up a free accessory and a chance to easily cancel the order. So if you've had a T61 on order since day one and weren't already aware of all this behind the scenes turmoil, do yourself a favor and take a very deep breath before hitting the read link.

[Thanks, Craig]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/irate-would-be-lenovo-customers-seeing-delays-on-thinkpad-t61/#comments

6/13/2007 10:26:00 AM

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Microsoft's Xbox 360 controller is no stranger to hacks 'n mods, but unless your drawing skills are on par with Mr. Todd McFarlane, you won't soon be duplicating these on your own. Both the Spartan and Covenant wireless controllers are splashed in artwork by none other than the Spawn man himself on "high-quality, scratch and wear resistant plastic," and include a limited edition Halo 3 figurine to boot. Moreover, those who aren't down with wrapping their palms around a third-party controller shouldn't fret, as these special devices are first-party through and through. Lastly, an equally rare headset looks to also be available, but it skips the McFarlane makeover in favor of a simple Halo 3 logo. All three units are tentatively set to ship the first week in September for a stiff $59.99 apiece, but after waiting this long to finally have Halo 3 spinnin' in your console, you might as well complete the experience.

[Via Joystiq, thanks Mark]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/todd-mcfarlane-designs-wireless-halo-3-controllers/#comments

6/13/2007 10:04:00 AM

Filed under: Household

Ripping a page straight from James Bond, enterprising hacker sprite_tm built this knock-activated door unlocker to help out a friend who wanted to keep his access to a room in his apartment building a secret. The system listens for a particular pattern of knocks speakeasy style and triggers a decidedly low-tech unlock mechanism when you enter the right knock-code -- it winds a rubber band around the lock handle. We're not certain if we buy the backstory here (what happens when the landlord sees a giant motor gaffer-taped to the inside of the door?) but the idea is pretty sweet, and we're even thinking of a mod to make the door scream "TWO BIIIIIIIITS" when we knock "Shave and a Haircut".

[Via Hack A Day]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/knock-operated-door-unlocker-keeps-you-on-the-dl/#comments

6/13/2007 9:44:00 AM

Filed under: Displays

Get ready for personal projection kids now that Epson and Philips have released this tiny joint reference design. Immediately available for OEMs, the 0.47-inch (diagonal) 3LCD panel is capable of projecting an 800 x 600 pixel image with the aid of Philips' 2.8 x 1.4 x 1-inch driver and 1.7 x 2.5-inch Ujoy lamp system. Perfect for portable gaming systems, camcorders, and PMPs assuming somebody picks this up for mass production. Hear that Microvision, the big boys are comin' for ya.

[Via Impress]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/epson-and-philips-ready-mini-projector-for-portable-gaming-and-b/#comments

6/13/2007 9:14:00 AM

Filed under: HDTV

Hot on the heels of their PAVV plasmas come three new PAVV LCDs. The 40-, 46-, and 52-inch models all bring a 1080p resolution to the game with 3x HDMIs and a sweet 17,000:1 contrast -- barely nudging out the trio of Bordeaux LCDs unveiled back in March. These sets also feature ACAP, as in Advanced Common Application Platform for interactive television -- part of the ATSC spec we're familiar with Stateside. However, at the moment these sets are S.Korea-only tagged â©3,200,000 (about $3,424) for the LN40M92BD, â©4,200,000 (about $4,494) for the LN46M92BD, and â©5,400,000 (about $5,779) for the LN52M92BD.

[Via Akihabara News]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/samsungs-bordeaux-pavv-lcds-17-000-1-contrast-and-acap/#comments

6/13/2007 8:58:00 AM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

We've noticed that the folks at Porsche Design have been branching out to new endeavors of late, but this joint venture takes brand extension to an entirely new level. The group has apparently partnered with Germany's Metabo to unveil the Multihammer P'7911 power drill, which "combines all the essential functions of a drill with the power of a pneumatic hammer," sports a carbon fiber / aluminum housing, and includes an impeccably balanced grip that makes this bad boy easier to handle. The 705-watt device has no problem with scratches here and there from drilling through concrete, stone, wood, and steel, and the five different function settings allow you to tweak the tool for the job at hand. No word just yet regarding the (presumably lofty) profty) price, but be sure to leap on through to see this luxury power tool hard at work.

[Via Sybarites]

Continue reading Porsche swerves to the power tool realm with P'7911 Multihammer

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/porsche-swerves-to-the-power-tool-realm-with-p7911-multihammer/#comments

6/13/2007 8:01:00 AM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wearables

An inventor with no medical background looks to have already made quite a name for himself with his X-Finger prosthetic device, which gives folks that have lost fingers a full range of motion without relying on robotics. To control the device, the wearer simply pushes against a lever with the remaining portion of their finger, which sets the knuckles into motion, apparently providing enough force to hold a coffee cup or clutch a golf club. While inventor Dan Didrick's already churning out 100 fingers every 45 days, according to The Naples Daily News, he's apparently far from meeting the demand, for which he says he needs about $11 million in funding. Presumably, that'd also help reduce the cost of the mechanical digits, which currently run a cool $10,000 per finger.

[Photo courtesy of Lexey Swall / Naples Daily News]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/non-robotic-x-finger-replaces-lost-digits/#comments

6/13/2007 7:07:00 AM

Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

There was a time (about 3 months) when these 7-inch ultraportables from Kohjinsha were all the rage in ultra-portable circles. Now however, we've got a $600 VIA NanoBook coming out in an endless stream of OEM offerings on top of that supposed $200 Eee P00 Eee PC from ASUS. Hell, even Samsung slapped a decent keyboard onto their Q1 Ultra UMPC for thumbing around. Still, Kohjinsha's back with a second generation K600 model which gets a big bump to Intel's new A100 processor for XP/Vista and adds T-DMB television while remaining true to its â©800,000 (about $859) price tag. Not bad. Read-on for more pics.

Continue reading Kohjinsha's K600 gets an Intel A100 and DMB TV

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/kohjinshas-k600-gets-an-intel-a100-and-dmb-tv/#comments

6/13/2007 6:39:00 AM

Filed under: Laptops

Attention Wal-Mart shoppers, we've got pics-a-plenty from Dell's new Inspiron lineup. Better yet, French forum lesDelliens proclaims to have the specs on not only the 1520, 1521, 1720, and 1721 already churning in the rumor mill, but also on a new 14.1-inch 1420. Everything certainly looks kosher but you'll have to judge for yourselves. Click-through for a glimpse at the purported specifications (via machine translated French) or just click into the gallery below. Mmm, so many pretty pictures.

Gallery: Pics and specs of Dell's new Inspirons

1720/1721

1720/1721

1720/1721

1720/1721

1720/1721

Continue reading Pics and specs of Dell's unannounced Inspirons: HHDs, Blu-ray, and RAID?

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/pics-and-specs-of-dells-new-inspirons/#comments

6/13/2007 5:59:00 AM

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops

Toshiba brings it in bulk today with their latest Dynabook, the Santa Rosa-based Satellite WXW. At 8.6-pounds and more than 2-inches thick, this 17.1-inch sled packs 256MB of DirectX 10-capable GeForce 8700M GT graphics -- the new top-o-the-line 8M-series GPU from NVIDIA. The display touts a 1,680 x 1,050 pixel resolution with a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7300, ±R dual-layer DVD burner and loads of in-and-outs under its glossy red finish. Yes, even HDMI for a quick digital-out to your new flat panel television. Available starting today in Japan with 1GB DDR2 / 120GB disk configurations starting at ¥219,800 or about $1,805.

Gallery: Toshiba's 17-inch WXW with GeForce 8700M GT graphics

[Via Impress]

Read -- Toshiba
Read -- NVIDIA press release

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/toshibas-17-inch-wxw-with-geforce-8700m-gt-graphics/#comments

6/13/2007 5:30:00 AM

Filed under: Displays, Robots

Thanks to a beautiful marriage between digital signage company Fastrak and interactive voice response specialist Message Technologies Inc, consumers will soon be able to converse with in-store talking heads who will provide product information along with what we can only assume will be subliminal messages to max out your credit cards. These so-called Virtual Sales Associates will be positioned near particular items of interest ("Steve recommends you only buy iPod-brand MP3 players: always look for the apple!"), and are said to be capable of holding limited "natural language" conversations about said product. To include window-shoppers in their diabolical advertising schemes, retailers can also mount a VSA behind the glass and offer browsers a phone number for chatting up the salesbot. This is good news indeed for retailers like Best Buy, who will soon be able to not only automate the process of providing customers with fake pricing information, but also begin planting the seeds of those rip-off warranties even earlier in the sales pitch.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/virtual-sales-associates-poised-to-harass-interactively/#comments

6/13/2007 4:28:00 AM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Portable Audio, Storage

Standing in stark contrast to their "sense and simplicity" corporate slogan, we bring you the full line-up of Philips' Swarovski gear mentioned earlier. Available in August, the latest crystal-laden kit takes "technology to a fashionable new level for women." Perfect for little girls who grew up in a generation of Hello Kitty body fat meters and breath testers. Now go check the prices after the break sweetie. Better yet, have your oily man-servant do it, that's why you pay him.

Gallery: Philips' Active Crystals range features Swarovski, who else

Continue reading Philips' Active Crystals range features Swarovski, who else

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/philips-active-crystals-range-features-swarovski-who-else/#comments

6/13/2007 3:22:00 AM

Filed under: Portable Audio

Here ya go media streamin' fans, the Voiis mini Pocket Mescket Messenger Phone. The class 1 Bluetooth device allows you to interact with Skype and MSN Messenger calls as well as iTunes and Windows Media Player music within a 100-meter (max) radius of the included base station. It packs a built-in mic as you'd expect as well as what appears to be a standard mini-jack to connect your choice of headphones. The battery should last for 6-hours or 72-hours on standby. Available June 12th in Japan for an expected ¥15,900 or $130. Click-on for a few more pics.

Continue reading The Voiis mini Pocket Messenger: for Bluetooth putzing around the home

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-voiss-mini-pocket-messenger-for-bluetooth-putzing-around-th/#comments

6/13/2007 2:16:00 AM

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Storage

Hopefully this is the last time we'll be forced to post on this topic, but we're not holding our breath: now InformationWeek -- which quoted an Apple executive this morning stating the polar opposite -- is reporting that Sun's ZFS file system IS in fact included in Leopard, albeit with a number of huge caveats. According to a company spokesperson seeking to clear up Brian Croll's "misstatement," while HFS+ continues to be the primary system used in OS X, ZFS has been coded in as a latent, "read-only option available from the command line." An IW reader claims to have accessed the system through Disk Utility's Erase menu, and states that "ZFS is only available on non-boot drives on Sun systems, so this is also the case for Leopard" -- seemingly reinforcing Croll's later assertion that Apple is really only "exploring it as a file system option for high-end storage systems with really large storage." So there you have it: Sun's Jonathan Schwartz wasn't pulling our leg after all, even if ZFS fanboys won't be pleased with the (presumably) final word on this.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/leopard-does-does-not-use-zfs-part-iii-it-does-kinda/#comments

6/13/2007 12:20:00 AM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Household

The UK's now showing off what it claims to be the "first" zero-emission home design or, more specifically, the first to meet "level six requirements" of the Code for Sustainable Homes set to go in effect in the year 2016, according to the BBC. Designed by Kingspan Off-Site, the so-called "Lighthouse" design includes, among other things, solar panels on the roof and a biomass boiler on the inside that runs on various organic fuels, with a waste separation system also included to weed out trash that can be burned to provide additional power. The house also packs in additional insulation to cut down on heat loss, and boasts a "wind catcher" for ventilation in the summer. While those measures will apparently help to reduce the house's annual energy bill to just £31 ($61), the house itself will demand quite a premium over less efficient homes, costing about 40% more, although Kingspan says that'll come done if they're produced en masse.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/12/uk-unveils-zero-emission-lighthouse-home-design/#comments

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