Spam Flood Blog

Filed under: Peripherals

Wannabe Casey Kasems out there not terrified of being sued into oblivion over broadcasting fees will want to check out NTI Comodo's DJmix 2000, a USB audio interface / control surface with bundled Shoutcast-compatible software that'll have you counting down your personal Hot 100 in no time. The unit features 1/8-inch mic and line inputs, an LED level meter, transport controls, and a giant echo control perfect for simulating that Timmy O'Toole interview. No word on whether we'll see the DJmix 2000 hit the States, but visitors to South Korea can start their broadcast careers for 128,000 won ($140).

 

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

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Brando's previous attempt at cranking out a sufficient USB drink chiller / warmer was certainly commendable, but the excessive amount of exposure to the air left us desiring a more effective solution. Not one to disappoint, the company has indeed unveiled a new edition, complete with a wraparound design that totally submerges your canned beverage in a world of heat (or cold). This USB-powered gizmo even sports an in-line toggle switch to determine the temperature, and for just $32, how can you not consider this a road warrior must-have? More pics after the jump.

Continue reading Brando intros beefed up USB can cooler / warmer

 

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

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Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Have you been searching for a device which will unify all of your complicated technological needs into one hideously ugly, totally generic package? Well, your search is over, because some completely unknown team working for an anonymous company which is definitely located in the heart of China has created the "Portable Media Player". While you're gestating on that name, get a load of what this "system" can do: NES, SNES, Sega MD and SMC support, AVI, MPEG-4, DivX, XviD, MP3, WMA, and FLAC playback, built-in 1.3 megapixel MPEG-4 video camera, MP3 voice recorder, E-Book reader, SD card support up to 4GB, and holographic multi-phasic projection mode (okay, we made that one up). Sure, you could carry around 12 or 13 separate devices to do all of the above, but why go to the trouble when one of these confused little puppies can be yours for just $109.68?

[Thanks, Craig]

 

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

Filed under: Peripherals

For those of you who regularly get lost in the infinite beauty of your own reflection, you can now enjoy the totally self-indulgent experience while "communicating" with your "friends", thanks to the Mirror Webcam. There isn't much tech to divulge here -- it's a USB webcam embedded in a mirror, with a ring of LED lights surrounding it which, depending on your face, will make you look much better or much worse. You can use the device as a regular mirror or as a digital mirror, but either way you're still staring at your own face like a self-involved jerk. Available now for around $49.

[Via Akihabara News]

 

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

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Portable Video

Have you been hankering for a really tiny DVR with a wired, hidden camera attachment? Have you had trouble finding one for less than three large? Well fret no more, because Mini Gadgets Inc. has got you covered -- and by covered, we mean they make what you're looking for, buddy. The Black Box DVR is a personal video recorder which features a tethered camera, and can utilize a miniSD card up to 4GB. The company's website claims it's the world's smallest DVR under $3000, and we're inclined to agree -- at 2.28 square inches, it doesn't get much smaller. The device can record 640 x 480 video at 30fps, and includes a "long lasting" Li-Ion battery, for when you're on the go... shooting secret videos. Available right now for the shockingly low price of $499.95.

 

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

Filed under: Gaming

Dear ESA,

We've been down in SoCal for E3 since Tuesday, and now that the show is all closed up and the 3,000 industry pros and journalists invited to attend are heading home, we can only ask ourselves one thing: what the hell happened to E3? We knew full well coming into this thing that the mammoth, gonzo interactive entertainment spectacle of years past may have been lost to the ages, but the hollow husk of a show you guys replaced it with is drab, depressing, and generally disorganized. In short, we're totally bummed.

E3 used to be our favorite week of the year -- the trade show nerds dreamt of attending. You knew it was E3 season as GameStop and EB clerks the nation over began to claw tooth and nail for even the slightest chance at getting a pass to a show which has since been reduced to four rows of HDTVs in a janky hangar, and what amounts to a shuttle bus tour of Santa Monica's five-star hotels (where exhibiting companies set up shop). It was kind of like seeing a band 20 years past its prime -- it's somehow capable of making you wonder what you ever saw in them in the first place.

So you tell us, were the cost cutting measures that led to the show's meltdown worth it? Because as far as we're concerned, something is really wrong when G4TV has a vastly larger floor show presence than Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft combined. For an industry that's larger and more powerful than ever, we can't understand how last year's line to play the Wii managed to be larger than the entire 2007 show. No one at E3 feels like a rock star anymore. So we're spilling a 40 on the ground for Kentia Hall, $20m booths, throngs of costumed nerds, and gamers having the time of their lives while we all felt vindicated for loving video games all these years -- even if only for a moment.

Your friends,
Engadget

P.S. -Just in case you've already forgotten, remember what last year's E3 looked like? Here, check it out:

• Microsoft's E3 booth tour
• Nintendo's E3 booth tour
• Sony's E3 booth tour
• E3: South hall walkthrough
• E3: Kentia hall walkthrough

And now compare it to this:

 

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

Filed under: GPS, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

We'll admit, odd-i's P480 has been around the proverbial block a time or two before, and while the design sure ain't changing much, the internals are yet again seeing a refresh. The latest iteration adopts a Samsung 4.8-inch WQVGA display (love the shirt, bro!), SIRFstarIII GPS receiver, DMB TV tuner, built-in extendable antenna, up to 60GB of internal hard drive space, TV in / out, USB connectivity, uPIM scheduling software, an e-dictionary, and most notably, a DaVinci chip that reportedly "enables users to enjoy a variety of video files without encoding." Slated for release this month in South Korea (where else?), interested consumers can expect it to start around ₩458,000 ($498). Peep a few more shots after the jump.

Continue reading odd-i's P480 conglomerate gets DaVinci chip

 

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

Filed under: Portable Audio

For those of you who are waiting to experience the raw, passionate opening of a shiny new Cowon iAudio 7, but haven't the money, time, or sheer force of will -- take heart. The player, which rocks 8GB of flash memory, supports FLAC and OGGs, and can play back XviD media on its 1.3-inch color screen has hit the streets and is up for inspection. One lucky purchaser has gone to all the trouble of unboxing the hell out of his recently delivered DAP, and has kindly chosen to share his message of light and hope with the world. Hit the link for a fairly thrilling showcase of gadget-porn.

[Thanks, Jin]

 

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

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Oh, how we adore leaked PowerPoint presentations. Fresh off of discovering that Timex is indeed releasing a Made for iPod watch, it looks like that Olympus E-1 successor will soon become a reality -- we're talking October / November soon. While the 27-page document detailing the E-P1 has since been removed at the request of Olympus, a good amount of details were extracted beforehand. Reportedly, the DSLR will feature a 10-megapixel sensor, dust reduction, splash-proof body, swiveling LCD, image sensor stabilization, eleven-point autofocus, and a weather-sealed extra battery compartment for good measure. So if you're as giddy as we are about finally getting a followup to the aging E-1, give the links below a bit of your time and start pinching those pennies.

[Via CNET]

 

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

Filed under: Features, Gaming, Peripherals

What do you want? The Wii Zapper is literally just a piece of plastic that you strap your Wiimote and nunchuck into -- it doesn't add any buttons or otherwise change anything about how the controllers are used. In other words, you don't even need this thing to play the games it's intended for -- which is good, because those with larger hands might have a hard time with it as is.

 

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

Filed under: Features, Gaming, Peripherals

We got to get on a little, um, feet-on time with Nintendo's new Wii Balance Board. Besides the humbling experience of feeling like an uncoordinated, chubby remnant of your former self, we were surprised with the accuracy by which the device was able to detect even subtle muscle movements that affect balance and position. It definitely felt heavy and sturdy for a pre-production device. Oh, and the weight / balance sensors aren't just left / right, either, some games require you to stand in the middle on one foot. Check out the gallery, it's time to get physical like ONJ. (If you're still left wanting more, hit up Joystiq.)

 

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

Filed under: Features, Gaming, Interviews

We got another opportunity to catch up with our pal Peter Moore, the man at the top of the heap over at Microsof'ts Xbox division. We chatted it up about the usual stuff: games, Microsoft's E3 presence, the 360 warranty debacle, and what's up with all the special edition stuff Microsoft keeps pumping out.

So, any new tattoos this year?

None. Out of limbs. You were there the other night...

What, no chest piece? You've got legs, too.

No, my PR handlers would -- well, I'm game for a lot of stuff, and then they go, "No, I don't think so."

You could do full sleeves, the back...

I think the next thing would be what's (horribly) called a tramp stamp... [laughter]

So no tramp stamp for Peter Moore, unfortunately. So last time when we spoke with you last year, your competition hadn't launched yet. So you guys were kind of in a unique position to be the first next gen company out of the gate. Your system, you know you have a lot of second wave titles showing up. Even though the Wii was certainly a phenomenon at last year's E3, there was a lot of excitement about the Xbox. So now here we are, a little over a year later obviously and your competition has launched, in your own press conference your materials show that the Wii is -- not by much -- outselling the 360.

Numbers don't lie!

So where do you think the 360 stands in terms of your competition? You have the Wii that's actually outselling the 360 and you have the PlayStation 3 which obviously isn't although, sales have increased after the price drop. So where...

Apparently they have. I haven't seen any independent data that supports that.

Continue reading Engadget & Joystiq interview: Peter Moore, head of Xbox

 

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

Filed under: Gaming

The fine folks in the federal government have had their chance to poke at the new slim PSP, and it looks like th like the new model, which Sony is calling the "PSP-2001," has passed its FCC inspection. No big surprises in the filing, although it looks like the PSP Jr. will only be able to output game video via component, while UMD and Memory Stick movies get composite output as well. Other than that, the PSP 1.1 seems ready to go -- those of you too anxious to wait until September can hit the read link for the full FCC file.

 

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

In the wake of a Motorola profit free fall the past few quarters, Samsung has finally managed to nab Moto's spot to take the number two position in global handset market share behind the perennial numero uno, Nokia. Though the victory comes by the slimmest of margins -- 37.4 million handsets shipped in Q2 compared to Moto's estimate of 35 to 36 million -- the two companies are clearly moving in opposite directions right now, with Samsung seeing a 4 percent boost in revenue over the same period last year. Samsung attributes its success to an ever-expanding Ultra Edition line and increased volume in its entry-level lineup, something Motorola has been looking for (but apparently hasn't found) with its innovative MOTOFONE. Find yourself looking over your shoulder, Nokia?

 

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

Filed under: Gaming

After some turbulent hours of confusion over this story, Sony finally got its facts straight and let the world know that it is in fact not going to discontinue its 60GB PS3 in US once current stock runs out. According to SCEA's Dave Karraker, "As announced this week, SCEA's product offering in North America consists of a 80GB PS3 available in August at $599 and a 60GB PS3 available now for $499. We have will have ample supplies of both models to meet the needs of our consumers for the foreseeable future." Apparently the confusion arose from Sony Europe's David Reeves explaining that if they cut the 60GB price in Europe, they'd run out of stock in Europe by the end of July. So, false alarm people, please resume buying / not buying your $499 60GB PS3s in an orderly manner.

Update: This has been semi-contradicted once again, with Sony now saying that they have enough stock to sell 60GB consoles for the next few months, but it doesn't sound like they'll be making any more after that. According to Karraker, "We won't be making any further announcements regarding our PS3 model hardware strategy in North America until the 60GB model is exhausted and market conditions are evaluated."

 

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

Filed under: Announcements

It's the first ever Joystiq Reader Meetup tonight, and Engadget's going to be there to show some love and support. So if you're not opposed to spending quality time with some E3-addled crazies, we'd love to have you. Get there early for the free t-shirts, stick around for high tales of liveblogging misadventure. If you do plan on attending, be sure to head over to Joystiq and let them know in the comments.

When: 6PM-9PM on Friday 13th
Where: Mahalo HQ, 902 Colorado Ave. Santa Monica 90401 (Google Maps link)

And yes, this event is all ages!

 

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

Filed under: Laptops

Revived from the depths of "no way this will happen," Intel has gone and shook hands with OLPC, disregarding prior quibbles and announcing that the two will "will explore collaborations involving technology and educational content." Presumably deciding that two heads were better working together than butting into one another, both firms have agreed to "bring the benefits of technology to the developing world through synergy of their respective programs." Phil Otellini, Intel's CEO, went so far as to state that joining forces with OLPC is just another example of his company's "commitment to education," and while absolutely no elaboration was given on what exactly the duo planned on completing together, at least we now know to be on the lookout.

 

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

Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio, Portable Video

JVC has announced a new pair of Bose-humiliating, noise-canceling headphones to its lineup: the HA-NC250. Clocking in at $199.95, these 5.3-ounce, flat-folding earpieces utilize adaptive feedback technology which constantly monitors the noise cancellation process, resulting in a nearly 85 percent reduction of background noise -- or at least that's what JVC claims. The headphones feature 40mm neodymium drivers, and come bundled with a carrying case, detachable cord, and an assortment of adapters for all your plugging needs. Of course, you'll have to provide your own AAA battery.

 

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

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

If you ever question whether or not technology is enriching our lives or contributing to the greater good, you need only glance in the direction of modern medicine to get your answer. Take Peng Shulin, a man from China who had the lower half of his body severed in a tragic accident -- for years he has been bedridden, but recently doctors have engineered an ingenious device that is allowing him to walk again. While there isn't a lot of information about the technology, it appears that Mr. Shulin's body is placed into an egg cup-like casing which is connected to two "bionic legs", and through the use of a downsized walking frame he is able to gain locomotion and move freely. Doctors report that Peng is -- unsurprisingly -- "delighted" with the device.

[Via Medgadget]

 

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

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio

It's been two years since Sony BMG got hit with a number of class action lawsuits for shipping CDs that stealthily installed malware DRM on Windows machines without user permission, and it looks like the company is trying to get back the $5.75M it lost replacing affected discs by suing Amergence, the developer of MediaMax, one of the two DRM systems Sony was usingas using at the time. MediaMax is unrelated to XCP, the infamous "rootkit" DRM at the center of the controversy, but it also installed itself without permission and contained a major security hole, leading Sony to recall both XCP and MediaMax-protected CDs. For its part, Amergence (which used to be called SunnComm) claims that XCP was the real problem and that Sony BMG's demand for final authority over MediaMax's functional specifications insulate it from any liability -- arguments that don't seem like they'll cause any consternation for Sony's legal team.

DIsclaimer: Although the author of this post is an attorney, it is not legal advice or analysis and should not be construed as such.

 

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

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Denon isn't typically known for throwing out any futuristic pieces of AV luxury, rather, it tends to side with the more traditional, classy look. Of course, there's always a first time for everything, and while we're highly doubtful that this supposed Denon rendering will actually come to fruition, it certainly is a sight to behold. The two-piece kit consists of a rumored DVD-HD8910 Blu-ray player up top, with a 2TB AVR-HD8910 media center / receiver below. The 7.1-channel box also claims to handle iTunes music files and offer a directa direct connection to the iTMS, and while it's understandably simple to brush this all off as a fanboy's fantasy, Denon's no stranger to stuffing unusual extras in uncommon places.

[Via AVSForum]

 

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

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Fujifilm has been lending a helping hand in the realm of investigative photography for quite some time, and the firm's latest picks up where the S3 Pro UVIR and IS-1 left off. Featuring Fujifilm's Super CCD Pro and Real Photo Processor Pro technology to see light from the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared portions of the spectrum, this 12.3-megapixel gem also sports face detection, password protected lockouts, optional "rubber body armor," CF / Microdrive slots, RAW support, and a live image preview LCD to boot. Moreover, it's fully compatible with Nikon F mount lenses and iTTL flash systems, which should ease the burden of switching costs if you've already sunk way too much into Nikon accessories. No word just yet on how much coinage this will demand, but look for it to land in precincts (okay, store shelves too) next month.

 

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

Filed under: Features, Interviews

We got a rare chance to sit down and talk shop with recently-named Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. President Kaz Hirai, and his US successor, Jack Tretton. These two had a lot to say, and we were more than happy to let them talk about where the PS3's going in terms of hardware, software, and services, why Sony's E3 presence this year is so radically different than last year, even a little bit about how things have been at PlayStation HQ post-Kutaragi -- check it out!

So out of all the three press conferences we've been writing up, we're giving each one a grade based on a new highly scientific Mega Man ranking system. Sony is our last one, but chronologically so we haven't gotten there yet. But this press conference had a much different tone then let's say last year's E3 press conference. How much did you guys look at last year's, how should we say, performance, and decide that you needed to do something different? What kind of decision making process was that?

Jack: Well obviously I was not as intimately involved in planning last year's press conference as I was in this one, but it's funny now that you look at that perspective and you see some of the other press conferences and how people are conducting themselves. I think companies are very proud of their success and they want to tell everybody how successful you are. But what you realize is that everybody already knows that and no one really cares. They want to know how you are going to be successful going forward. And so we've certainly taken our fair share of heat about, you know, the performance of PlayStation 3 in the first six to eight months, and I guess we wanted to focus our message on really telling you why PlayStation 3 is going to be successful going forward.

And its all about content, its about games, and I think going through that experience, you know, the light bulb goes off, and you go oh, wait a minute, its really all about the content and what we're going to do going forward to keep our platforms relevant. Its not about what we did 10 years ago, its not about how many units we've sold here or there. So clearly I think for points of reference and perspective we wanted to point some things out that we really wanted that press conference geared towards why people are going to want to buy games and buy our platforms and that was kind of the theme and the central message. I give Dave [Karraker, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, SCEA] a lot of credit for building off of that theme and coordinating tremendous amounts of presentations and content through the whole thing. But hopefully we've stayed on message and we've gotten the point across.

So why no word about rumble?

Jack: Well, I guess at this point the SIXAXIS controller is something that we're comfortable with and we've certainly settled our differences with Immersion. Is it something that can happen down the road? Absolutely. But the bottom line is we haven't made that decision and we didn't have anything to announce or introduce. Will we down the road? Possibly, but it's unbeknownst to me if we have a rumble controller coming out.

Oh I think you'd know before anyone!

[laughter] Well, you'd be surprised! It's a big company...

Continue reading Engadget & Joystiq interview: Kaz Hirai and Jack Tretton, Presidents, Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., and America

 

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