Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Interesting Stuff

Switched On: Apple's brash Flash clash rehash
7/31/2007 4:07:00 PM

Filed under:

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

For all the attention on the love-hate relationship between Apple and Microsoft, there's another software superpower with which Apple is increasingly butting heads. Apple was an early investor in Adobe and an early supporter of PostScript, which drove the first LaserWriters and launched the desktop publishing market. When Steve Jobs left Apple and founded NeXT, that company used Display PostScript as the imaging engine for the company's black boxes.

Photoshop and other members of Adobe's Creative Suite remain some of the most popular creative tools on the Mac. For years, Photoshop made cameos at Apple keynotes as the company argued the superiority of the PowerPC architecture.

But the relationship has been strained at times as well. After going on lots of minor quests involving the slaying of forest creatures, Adobe released PostScript Level 2. But Apple surprised nearly everyone when it partnered with Microsoft in 1989 to position TrueType and the now-forgotten TrueImage as a rival to Adobe's technology. Apple would later try again to surpass Adobe's font technology with QuickDraw GX before adopting PDF as the graphics lingua franca for Mac OS X.

Continue reading Switched On: Apple's brash Flash clash rehash

 

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/switched-on-apples-brash-flash-clash-rehash/#comments
Led Zeppelin embraces iTunes, Eminem sues
7/31/2007 3:36:00 PM

Filed under:

It looks like Apple has more than just 3 billion songs sold to celebrate, as it's now managed to bring longtime hold-outs Led Zepplin into the iTunes fold. The band isn't quite going all out, however, with it instead simply offering greatest hits of sorts called "Mothership," which will include 'Stairway to Heaven', 'Whole Lotta Love,' 'Dazed and Confused' and other songs personally selected Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones. Look for it to be available on November 12th. In other iTunes news, Apple appears to have found itself on Eminem's bad side (again), with the rapper and his music publisher now suing the company over, you guessed it, alleged copyright violations. As The Detroit News reports, Eminem's music publisher and copyright manager are claiming that they never actually authorized Universal to offer Eminem's music on iTunes in the first place, and they're now asking Apple to cease and desist its reproduction and distribution. Not surprisingly Apple doesn't appear to be quite ready to comply with that, although it's so far staying mum on the matter.

Read - Reuters, "Apple says iTunes sales top 3 billion songs"
Read - The Observer, "Led Zeppelin join the net generation"
Read - The Detroit News, "Eminem suit targets Apple" [Via AppleInsider]

 

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/led-zeppelin-embraces-itunes-eminem-sues/#comments
Circuit City spills all the Xbox 360 price cut beans
7/31/2007 3:07:00 PM

Filed under:


And so we've come full circle. After accurately predicting that $100 PS3 price drop a few weeks back, Circuit City is back in the rumor game with a flyer that seems to confirm the $50 price cut for the Xbox 360, and even tosses in some info on price breaks for the Elite and Core systems. According to the flyer, on August 12th the 360 Premium will dip to $350, and include a copy of Rockstar's "Table Tennis," while the Elite will raid your wallet for $450 -- a $30 reduction -- and include zero free games. Finally, the Xbox 360 Core will get $20 lopped off, and sell for $280, which might be the end of the road for the stripped down console once stock runs out.

[Thanks, Sam]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/circuit-city-spills-all-the-xbox-360-price-cut-beans/#comments
UK's MoD Grand Challenge inciting robo-warfare next summer
7/31/2007 2:48:00 PM

Filed under:


While these days robotics are no stranger to the battlefield, the UK Ministry of Defence is hoping to take things a step further with its "Grand Challenge" competition, which aims to bring autonomous, information-gathering robots to urban warfare situations. Fourteen teams have been picked as finalists, and the true test will come next summer when the robots roll into Copehill Down, an urban warfare training center built during the Cold War, and duke it out with mock targets. The MoD's hope is for a robot to be able to identify potential snipers, enemy vehicles and other human threats, with a minimum of human guidance, and then report that information back to ground troops gearing up for an assault. Approaches to the challenge include miniature unmanned planes and copters equipped with high-def cameras, and combination setups that include ground units with radar and thermal detection along with aerial units. Points will be awarded for accuracy of recon and autonomy, and the winning team will receive a fancy trophy and military funding. The robots are in it for the glory and the hefty retirement benefits.

[Via BBC News]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/uks-mod-grand-challenge-inciting-robo-warfare-next-summer/#comments
E Ink watch giveaway winner!
7/31/2007 2:31:00 PM

Filed under:


We know you've been waiting patiently to find out who won the super rare E Ink watch -- congratulations to Chris Garman, who's now the luckiest watch-wearer on his block! To everyone else who gave it a shot, thanks for entering. Oh, and stick close, we'll have another super rare giveaway shortly.

 

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/e-ink-watch-giveaway-winner/#comments
Apple's 5.5G iPods receive stealthy price cuts
7/31/2007 2:23:00 PM

Filed under: ,

While everyone's busy trying to figure out which particular shade of brushed metal Apple's new iMacs are going to show up in, a few major online retailers have quietly trimmed 5.5G iPod prices. Apple, who usually keeps a pretty tight rein on its product prices throughout various retail channels, hasn't matched the cuts on the Apple Store, but you can currently score a 30GB or 80GB iPod (with video) for about $20 off at Amazon, Best Buy, Circuit City and J&R online stores. Notable exceptions include Target's online store, and Wal-mart, which doesn't sell iPods online. It's anyone's guess as to what actually sparked these price drops. It could be a way for traditional retailers to compete with Apple's aggressive back to school promotions, an attempt by Apple to clear away excess stock in preparation for a brand new iPod, or perhaps just a good old-fashioned price cut. Perhaps we'll know more on August 7th?

[Thanks, Matthew]

 

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/apples-5-5g-ipods-receive-stealthy-price-cuts/#comments
Microsoft envisions invasive approach to targeted advertising
7/31/2007 1:55:00 PM

Filed under:


Not that getting all up in our proverbial grills in order to provide specialized advertising is a new concept or anything, but Microsoft in particular has been on the warpath of late in this very realm. On the heels of a similar ad-based patent application comes documentation that reveals plans to use "biometric sensors, cameras, remote controls, or other accessories" to detect and identify an individual before doling out targeted plugs. Yes, this certainly does insinuate that your television would be watching you just as often as you viewed it, but unless it becomes lawful to stuff monitoring devices into our homes for the benefit of marketers, we'll consider ourselves safe -- for the time being.

[Via TechDirt]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/microsoft-envisions-invasive-approach-to-targeted-advertising/#comments
Apple patent app reveals intelligent keyboard
7/31/2007 1:30:00 PM

Arguments have surely ensued over the iPhone's polarizing touchscreen keyboard, and while you just knew it was lurking out there somewhere, the patent application describing the aforementioned device has finally surfaced. Dubbed "Keyboards for Portable Electronic Devices," the documents outlines an adaptive board with multi-symbol icons, and aside from using it solely on the iPhone, it looks like the technology could be implemented on nearly any handheld gizmo. Of course, the verbiage does mention handset mainstays such as word recommendations and predictive text entry, so it's hard to believe that all of this stuff is completely Apple's creation. Regardless, who needs license agreements when you can just hack one for your own good? [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via UnwiredView]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/apple-patent-app-reveals-intelligent-keyboard/#comments
E-Ten's X800 gets the nod from the FCC
7/31/2007 1:08:00 PM

Filed under:


E-Ten's glofiish X800 has received recognition for doing its job in every band -- both GSM and HSDPA -- VGA-style. The X800 will mark the first in a series -- apparently four will be released this year -- in E-Ten's collaboration with Arima, and if this is a hint of what's to come, we're positively stoked for the closing months of this year. Like the Asus P750 hinted at a few days ago, it seems our manufacturing friends are finally catching on that all-flavored GSM and HSDPA sets are where it's at. Now if they could just turf out a similarly svelte set with QWERTY, we'd not even think of complaining.

[Via Phonescoop]

 

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/e-tens-x800-gets-the-nod-from-the-fcc/#comments
SiRF and Intel sign license and development agreement
7/31/2007 12:47:00 PM

Filed under:


SiRF Technology Inc. (makers of the SiRFstar chip line, amongst others) and Intel (makers of everything else) have just signed a license and joint development agreement to collaborate on products which the companies hope will "help location and wireless connectivity become more mainstream in next generation mobile devices." As part of the agreement, SiRF will license some of its technologies to Intel, but the company will also co-develop new products which will be destined for Intel-powered gear like mobile phones and "mobile internet devices." So what does this mean for us? Well, we're probably about to see a lot of "you got chocolate in my peanut butter" scenarios, like GPS operability hardwired into Intel chipsets -- which will pretty much guarantee the mainstreaming of GPS, and open a lot of very interesting doors.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/sirf-and-intel-sign-license-and-development-agreement/#comments
Voting machine producers criticize critiques
7/31/2007 12:19:00 PM

Filed under:

Voting machine makers scoffing at bad reviews? That's preposterous! Actually, it's not all that alarming to hear that Diebold, Hart InterCivic, and Sequoia Voting Systems all had less-than-amicable responses to a state study that "found that their machines could be breached by hackers." Of course, we're not exactly sure what all that groaning is about, as we've seen nothing but proof to back the investigation up. Nevertheless, Sequoia dubbed the review "an unrealistic, worst-case-scenario evaluation," Diebold kvetched that the study didn't look at its most recently developed software, Hart found "several inconsistencies, alternate conclusions, and errors," and Elections Systems & Software bypassed the rigmarole entirely by failing to provide their information to the secretary of state. Oh, the irony. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/voting-machine-producers-criticize-critiques/#comments
In-car GPS jammer subverts mobile tracking devices
7/31/2007 11:58:00 AM

Filed under:

If you're the type who just may be the victim of undercover GPS tracking (read: promiscuous), you should give some serious thought to this one. This simple cigarette adapter plug-in reportedly "knocks out GPS logging or GPS tracking systems that may be operating in your vehicle," and considering that it sports a two-to-four meter operating range, just about every automobile outside of an 18-wheeler (or limousine) should be covered. Unfortunately, there's no word yet on how much this potential life-saver will cost, but its slated to ship "soon" to the devious and uber-paranoid sects.

[Via NaviGadget]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/in-car-gps-jammer-subverts-mobile-tracking-devices/#comments
eMusic and AT&T to partner for mobile music downloads
7/31/2007 11:29:00 AM

Filed under:


The nation's second largest online music retailer, eMusic, is apparently announcing plans today to partner with AT&T to sell tracks by independent artists directly to mobile phones, without the need for the computer middleman. The music-seller will make nearly all of its 2.7 million songs available for direct download to the carrier's devices, although eMusic's rates will jump from $9.99 for 30 songs using their traditional service, to $7.49 for just five songs with the new mobile service. You would think AT&T would be hot-to-trot with Apple when it comes to selling music for phones, but the telco already has agreements with services like Napster, and since the iPhone-maker somehow failed to include iTunes direct downloads to its device, and doesn't offer them to other devices, AT&T clearly sees a window. Granted, eMusic's catalogue is somewhat more eclectic than iTunes, but with artists like Paul McCartney and The Pixies, the cash registers could start ringing.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/emusic-and-atandt-to-partner-for-mobile-music-downloads/#comments
Think hoping to deliver web-enabled electric car
7/31/2007 11:08:00 AM

Filed under:

Wee electric cars such as the one pictured to the right aren't exactly uncommon, but if Think CEO Jan-Olaf Willums can get his dreams to pan out, his version of the urban green car may actually gain some serious traction. Reportedly, the firm has garnered upwards of $78 million from Silicon Valley and European investors who see promise in the carbon-neutral whip, and moreover, in changing the way we all buy and interact with our cars. Ideally, Think will only sell its vehicles online, which would reduce overhead dramatically, and will equip the cars with WiFi in order to become "a rolling computer that can communicate wirelessly with its driver, other Think owners, and the power grid." Notably, Think plans to "to sell the car but lease the battery as a way to overcome one of the biggest conundrums of electric automobiles," and while nothing is set in stone, the "City" could arrive in select locales as early as 2009.

[Via Slashdot]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/think-hoping-to-deliver-web-enabled-electric-car/#comments
TabletKiosk's Sahara i440D Slate PC now shipping
7/31/2007 10:47:00 AM

Filed under:


Hopefully you haven't forgotten all about TabletKiosk's Sahara i440D Slate PC, because the time has finally come to lay down your hard-earned coin and snag one for yourself. Dubbed the first slate tablet PC with "dual pen and touchscreen input," the i440D can be ordered with Windows XP or Vista, and features a wide array of ports including PCMCIA, eSATA, USB 2.0, and FireWire. Additionally, you'll find a biometric fingerprint reader, an Intel Core Duo LV processor, and options for up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM and a 160GB SATA hard drive. The base configuration starts at $2,295, and just in case it somehow escaped you earlier, it is indeed shipping right away.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/tabletkiosks-sahara-i440d-slate-pc-now-shipping/#comments
iPhone's first sketchy battery replacement kit appears
7/31/2007 10:24:00 AM

Filed under:


When the time came and your battery died, you were probably thinking you'd have to send your iPhone off to Apple as part of their expensive and complicated battery replacement program -- but now you've got a sketchy DIY option instead. Once again, a mysterious Chinese company has stepped in and "created" a "solution" to your problem with its iPhone battery replacement kit. For just $20, which is cheap enough to elicit genuine concern, you get a 1400mAh, 3.7V iPhone battery, some type of screwdriver-like tool, a strange plastic shiv, and an instruction manual (presumably in English, but you never know). All you have to do is crack open your $600 phone, de-solder your old battery and solder in the new one... and probably some other, more complicated stuff too. At this price, it seems unlikely that this battery won't explode, so buy at your own risk, and definitely try at your own risk.

[Via I4U, thanks Luigi]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/iphones-first-sketchy-battery-replacement-kit-appears/#comments
Panasonic's Nano Bass Exciter adds thump to compact speakers
7/31/2007 10:03:00 AM

Filed under:


We've long since wondered how laptop manufacturers got away with claiming that a bonafide "subwoofer" was somehow crammed within those tight confines, but if Panasonic has anything to do with it, true low-range may soon fit within such an enclosure. The patent-pending Nano Bass Exciter reportedly enables compact equipment to "reproduce high fidelity low-range sounds," and while specifics have yet to be divulged, this technology can supposedly "reproduce low-end sound equivalent to that emitted by conventional speakers with larger cabinet volume." Furthermore, Panny even goes so far as to claim that this new sound reproduction method allows "ultra-compact speakers used for mobile terminals to produce a sound effect closer to that of home AV equipment speakers." Unfortunately, there's no word on exactly when the firm plans on implementing this into any future products, but until we get a listen in, color us cautiously skeptical.

[Via Japan Today]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/panasonics-nano-bass-exciter-adds-thump-to-compact-speakers/#comments
Loews Regency Hotel gets outfitted with Powermat wireless power
7/31/2007 9:33:00 AM

Filed under:

The wireless power business sure seems to be getting crowded these days, with upstart Powermat Ltd. only the latest company promising to free your gadgets from yet another cord. Unlike some similar products, however, Powermat's system looks to actually be ready to charge your devices, with the Loews Regency Hotel Business Center in New York City the first to put it to use. While the company eventually sees its technology being directly integrated into various electronic devices (like every other company), in the meantime you simply hook your device up to a so-called "puck," which in turn wirelessly picks up the signals from the power mat it's placed on. No word on when you'll be able to get a Powermat for yourself, but the company does say the system will be "inexpensive."

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/loews-regency-hotel-gets-outfitted-with-powermat-wireless-power/#comments
MIT gurus developing mechanical fin for autonomous submarine
7/31/2007 9:03:00 AM

Filed under:


While we've already witnessed robotic submersibles take on fish-like sensing abilities, a team at MIT is hoping to equip autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with a mechanical fin in order to nix the necessity of a propeller. In essence, the crew is looking to "create a more maneuverable, propeller-less underwater robot better suited for military tasks such as sweeping mines and inspecting harbors," and they are taking a note from the bluegill sunfish to make it happen. This particular creature sports a "distinctive swimming motion which results in a constant forward thrust with no backward drag," making it the ideal candidate to replicate. Current prototypes are being constructed with a "thin, flexible material that conducts electricity," and while we've no idea when the gurus plan on cranking out a finalized version, they've already got plans to study other aspects of the sunfish's movement in order to better design the bots.

[Via Physorg]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/mit-gurus-developing-mechanical-fin-for-autonomous-submarine/#comments
Cellphone lights enable operation to proceed in blackout
7/31/2007 8:01:00 AM

Filed under:


Hearing that a cellphone saved someone's life isn't exactly surprising these days, but it was the manner in which a bundle of handsets enabled doctors to continue on in a recent operation that differentiated this one from the rest. Reportedly, the backup generators at the Policlinico Juan D. Peron hospital in Argentina failed to activate after the power went out whilst an appendix surgery was ongoing, but rather than panicking, a family member gathered up a number of phones in order to provide enough light for the surgeons and anesthetists to keep on keepin' on. According to the hospital director, the operation went on without proper lighting for no more than 20 minutes, but thanks to the beaming LCDs, the fellow under the knife came through just fine.

[Via Switched, image courtesy of foto8]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/cellphone-lights-enable-operation-to-proceed-in-blackout/#comments
Clique Hue HD webcam ups the resolution, gets colorful
7/31/2007 6:56:00 AM

Filed under:

It's probably a fact that your internet "dates" could turn up in a slightly higher resolution, don't you think? Well maybe it's time to turn on the Clique Communications' Clique Hue HD flexible webcam, which will broadcast or capture any variety of web-related video "activities" at the cushy resolution of 1280 x 1024 (but at a measly 10 FPS), or you can knock it down to 1024 x 768 for a decent 30 FPS situation. If you're just interested in still-framing it, this little dude can rock resolutions up to 2560 x 2048, although apparently it all happens via software trickery, which means your lovely date may still look somewhat... um, messed up.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/clique-hue-hd-webcam-ups-the-resolution-gets-colorful/#comments
Sony sued (again) for patent violation, injunction sought on PS3 sales
7/31/2007 6:03:00 AM

Filed under:

Oh boy, another patent lawsuit filed in that litigious folly called the Texas court system. This time, the suit pits Parallel Processing Corporation of Newport Beach, California against that legal whipping boy, Sony. PPC alleges that Sony's Cell processor -- the horsepower inside the PS3 -- violates a patent for "synchronized parallel processing with shared memory." Filed on July 26th, the five-page complaint by PPC states that Sony's actions are causing "irreparable harm and monetary damage" to the company and are therefore seeking the usual: compensation for damages (with interest) as well as the impounding and destruction of all Sony products infringing on the patent. Good times.

[Via gi]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/sony-sued-again-for-patent-violation-injunction-sought-on-ps3-sales/#comments
Ezkey's mouse and keypad combo
7/31/2007 5:15:00 AM

Filed under:


Here you have it: proof that convergence can never be stopped. We don't have any details on this optical mouse but really, what more do you need to know?

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/ezkeys-mouse-and-keypad-combo/#comments
Acer about to offer Ubuntu pre-loads?
7/31/2007 4:38:00 AM

Filed under:


Remember how Acer's chief, Gianfranco Lanci, slammed Vista as a disappointment to the "entire industry?" Apparently, he wasn't just fishing for sound bites. While there's still no official word, an Acer advert in Singapore offers their 15.4-inch Aspire 5710Z laptop pre-loaded with none other than the Ubuntu distro for SG$999 or about $660 of that US green stuff. However, we're not 100% clear whether the pre-load comes from Acer direct or via some third party tinkerer. Still, we wouldn't be surprised in the least to see Acer follow Dell's lead here and offer additional choice for consumers.

[Via The Inquirer]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/acer-about-to-offer-ubuntu-pre-loads/#comments
USB oil burner threatens everything you hold dear
7/31/2007 2:52:00 AM

Filed under:


There was a time in the not-too-distant past when if your apartment, dorm room or palatial mansion smelled like Cheetos, Diet Coke and unwashed laundry, there was simply nothing USB-related you could do about it. Sure, there were wall outlet fragrance "plug ins," scented candles, canned air fresheners, and of course windows which could be opened -- but not one of those was USB-powered. Of course, those days are long gone, because a random Chinese sweatshop has dreamed up another modern-day marvel: the USB oil burner. If you're like us (and we think you are), there's nothing you want to do more than pour scented oil into something that plugs into your computer. Available in rose and peppermint, $7 each.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/usb-oil-burner-threatens-everything-you-hold-dear/#comments
Linksys branding not dead after all
7/31/2007 12:58:00 AM

Filed under:

Well, it looks like Cisco CEO John Chambers spoke a little too soon last Friday when he said that the Linksys brand was going the way of the dodo -- Cisco is now saying that it will continue selling Linksys-branded products "in the near term," and that changes would only come "if and when these changes add value to our customers' decision making processes." In other words, Linksys ain't dead yet, but the axe is still mighty close.

 

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/linksys-branding-not-dead-after-all/#comments
Pink solar cells provide green power on the cheap
7/30/2007 11:50:00 PM

Filed under:


The race to build a cheaper solar cell continues to produce results, as researchers at Ohio State have developed a nanotech solar cell with a unique pink color that they say will one day be able to produce as much power as traditional silicon cells for a quarter of the cost. The dye-sensitive solar cells, or DSSCs, get their pink color from a mixture of ruthenium and either titanium or zinc oxide particles that absorb sunlight, while nanowires link the particles to provide power transfer. So far the team have gotten the cells to produce half as much power as traditional cells, but the next step is to start using nanowire "trees" to improve efficiency to equal or surpass those levels. No word on when we'll see this tech hit the market, but surely the prospect of a hot pink solar Cadillac isn't too far off.

[Photo is of an unrelated DSSC concept from New Zealand]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/pink-solar-cells-provide-green-power-on-the-cheap/#comments
Niles IntelliControl IC2 remote does it all with no screen
7/30/2007 10:44:00 PM

Although we're unabashed fans of super-complicated macro-and-touchscreen universal remotes, a lot of people just want to smack a button and have their home theater work without having to squint at tiny screens or worry about state-based macro operations. Niles Audio is hoping to to capitalize on that market with the IntelliControl IC2, an all-button RF remote that's optimized to control most home theater devices without the use of a screen. The included HT-MSU control unit / repeater has 8 IR / RS-232 outputs and connects to the IC2 via ZigBee, meaning the system can potentially be expanded further, although Niles hasn't announced such support yet. The company is expected to announce the IC2 at CEDIA in September, but if you're hoping to chuck your Harmony, you'd better start saving pennies: simplicity will cost you $999.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/niles-intellicontrol-ic2-remote-does-it-all-with-no-screen/#comments
Tenacious hacker brings the iPhone keyboard to a Nokia N800
7/30/2007 9:39:00 PM

Filed under: ,


One awfully clever Brazilian programmer couldn't stand not being able to experience the sometimes-maddening act of typing on the iPhone's notorious keyboard -- so he wrote an iPhone keyboard app for his Nokia N800. In what appears to have been a fairly short amount of time, Gustavo Sverzut Barbieri put together an Apple-copyin', typepad act-alike using Python, Edje, and a little elbow grease. Without ever actually using an iPhone, Gustavo seems to have clearly captured the essence of the keyboard, which is either really good or really bad for him... only he knows for sure. Check the video after the break to see the app in action.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

Continue reading Tenacious hacker brings the iPhone keyboard to a Nokia N800

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/tenacious-hacker-brings-the-iphone-keyboard-to-a-nokia-n800/#comments
Halo's Covenant laser tag guns coming in October
7/30/2007 8:41:00 PM

Filed under:


If you haven't gotten hyped enough over the forthcoming third installment of the Halo series, perhaps you might want to get your paws on these illified (and expensive) toy guns from Jasman Toys. Apparently, the Halo 3-modeled firearms will not only look really bad-ass on your mantelpiece at home, but the recoiling, sound-projecting, light-flashing gats will also enable you to play a game of "advanced" laser tag, called "Halo Laser Pursuit." With the accompanying wearable laser target you can try and reenact your favorite scenes from the games, as the receivers perform somewhat like Halo's shields, or so says Jasman. Really the only way this game of tag differs from the actual game is that no one dies -- and it's not nearly as much fun. Priced between $79.99 and $119.99, available in October.

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/halos-covenant-laser-tag-guns-coming-in-october/#comments
Vista Performance and nce and Reliability Pack hits the web prematurely
7/30/2007 7:49:00 PM

Filed under: ,


Don't look now, but Microsoft is apparently readying a Vista Performance and Reliability Pack for release, and while it's certainly not available through Windows Update just yet, that doesn't mean it's not hiding elsewhere. Reportedly, the aforementioned pack and the Vista Compatibility and Reliability Pack will institute a number of welcome fixes and performance increases in a variety of areas, and though the list is indeed lengthy, a few notables include:
  • Increased compatibility with many video drivers.
  • Improved visual appearance of games with high intensity graphics.
  • Improved quality of playback for HD DVD and Blu-ray disks on large monitors.
  • Improved reliability for Internet Explorer when some third party toolbars are installed on Vista.
  • Improved reliability of systems that were upgraded from XP to Vista.
  • Resolves an issue where creating AVI files on Vista may get corrupted.
  • Improves the performance of Vista's Memory Manager in specific customer scenarios and prevents some issues which may lead to memory corruption.
So if all the red flags prove correct, Vista users can eagerly await an official release of the updates, or if you're the adventurous type, you can bypass the whole "waiting" thing altogether and get your download on immediately.

[Via TechSpot]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/vista-performance-and-reliability-pack-hits-the-web-prematurely/#comments
DeLorean being brought back to the future?
7/30/2007 7:08:00 PM

Filed under:


We're certainly not holding our collective breath on this one, but according to an article put out by the Los Angeles Times, the cult classic DeLorean automobile just might be resurrected. Reportedly, the DeLorean Motor Company" is laying plans to bring the car back into limited production, and while it'd be easy to brush aside this whimsical scheme, 2007 certainly has been good to vintage automobiles made new. Apparently, the supply of cars suitable for rebuilding is quickly dwindling, and if everything pans out, DMC could possibly produce "20 or so cars a year." Of course, there's simply no way to tell how legitimate these expectations are, but here's to hoping for a brand new gull-winged whip in the not-too-distant future.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

&"0">
http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/delorean-being-brought-back-from-the-future/#comments
Is Microsoft about to kill the Xbox 360 Core?
7/30/2007 6:34:00 PM

Filed under:


You can add this to your ever-growing file folder stuffed with blurry photos of "products" or "internal memos." Joystiq is reporting that a source inside the hive-mind of Best Buy is claiming that the retailer has earmarked the Xbox 360 Core system for deletion in the company's computers. Apparently, this usually means that a product has been discontinued and "replenishment of the item is not expected," which seems to indicate that if the rumored $50 price cut happens, it may be taking the Core offering with it. Of course, this also might just be a piece of paper that your annoying neighbor knocked out on his dot matrix.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/is-microsoft-about-to-kill-the-xbox-360-core/#comments
Sony and 3M settle intellectual property dispute
7/30/2007 6:03:00 PM

Filed under:

The bickering that boiled over into a patent dispute earlier this year between 3M and Sony has finally ceased, but it seems like Lenovo and friends may actually still be fighting their own battles with the innovative giant. Nevertheless, Sony Corporation and Sony Electronics are now "licensed sources of batteries containing 3M's cathode technology," and while specific terms of the settlement shall remain confidential, we're sure it was no small sum that Sony was asked required to pay out. One down, several to go.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/sony-and-3m-settle-intellectual-property-dispute/#comments
US and EU reach agreement on satellite navigation
7/30/2007 5:32:00 PM

Filed under:


The United States and the European Union are moving forward on a common system of satellite navigation after reaching an agreement on a joint civil signal for the technology. The US system, called Navstar GPS, is the only fully operational GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) currently in use, though the EU's Galileo project is in the initial stages of deployment. The new agreement eliminates compatibility and security issues, and will allow makers of GPS equipment to increase their devices interoperability by utilizing the new common signals, dubbed GPS L1C and Galileo L1F. The European Commission's Director-General Matthais Ruete says the agreement will "facilitate the rapid acceptance of Galileo in global markets side by side with GPS." Which probably means we're going to begin to see a whole slew of new satellite technology hitting both shores in the near future. Huzzah!

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/us-and-eu-reach-agreement-on-satellite-navigation/#comments
Wii Airplane Controller adds yet more clutter to your living room
7/30/2007 5:01:00 PM

Filed under:

Nintendo may be slow to get a Wii version of Pilotwings off the ground, but those looking to get ready for that inevitability may want to pick up the latest Wiicessory from PEGO, which will turn your humble Wiimote and nunchuck into a makeshift flight stick. Of course, there aren't exactly a whole lot of games at the moment that'll let you take full advantage of the setup, but it will only set you back $13, and it would seem to offer some potential for those looking for some new uses for their Wiimote on their PC.

[Via SlashGear]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/wii-airplane-controller-adds-yet-more-clutter-to-your-living-roo/#comments
Dell Latitude D830 gets examined
7/30/2007 4:29:00 PM

Filed under:

<p>
Dell didn't stray very far from its nearly year-old D820 with its new D830 model, but those still on the fence about a purchase may want to head over to NotebookReview, which now has a fairly thorough examination of the laptop from someone that took the plunge and bought one. While it certainly won't stand out as much as some recent Dell laptops, NotebookReview's "Commander Wolf" nonetheless found the unit to be "visually appealing," with a solid construction and good performance, helped in no small part by its use of discrete graphics. On the downside, he unsurprisingly found that the D830 was "not a thin-and-light" and he was somewhat disappointed by an "unusually large" amount of light leakage coming from the bottom of the screen. The good Commander also thankfully took the time time to put the system through some benchmark tests, which you can check out by hitting up the link below.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/dell-latitude-d830-gets-examined/#comments
Delphi's NAV300 gets spec'd, priced
7/30/2007 4:01:00 PM

Filed under:


Those patiently awaiting further details on Delphi's latest navigation system need wait no longer, as the firm has finally cranked out the full array of details on the NAV300. This 3.5-inch GPS will feature a SIRFstarIII receiver, rechargeable Li-ion, 32MB of Flash ROM, 64MB of RAM, an SD expansion slot, NAVTEQ maps, a built-in speaker, 400MHz Samsung processor, an image viewer, and a media player that can handle MP3, WAV, MPEG4, AVI, and XviD formats. Furthermore, it'll boast text-to-speech capabilities, speed limit warning software, integrated Bluetooth for handsfree calling, and optional traffic information via the RDS-TMC technology. Best of all, those interested can get their orders in right now, and while the NAV300 will run you $399.99 by itself, you can opt for "lifetime traffic data" for an extra Benjamin.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/delphis-nav300-gets-specd-priced/#comments
Komfort Pets' climate-controlled pet carrier
7/30/2007 3:19:00 PM

Filed under:


For the seasoned traveler who just can't leave their home country without bringing along their dear pet, Komfort Pets is out to make your animal's trip much more bearable. The firm's climate-controlled carrier not only cools Fido off when the ambient temperature reaches 72-degrees Fahrenheit, but also utilizes its patent-pending technology to heat things up if the outside air temperature dips below 65-degrees. The crate is said to be suitable for non-climate-controlled garages, and could be equally useful in homes, cars, boats, or RVs. Currently, a 19-inch x 13-inch x 16-inch rendition is available for $399, and while this one is only meant to hold creatures up to 12.5-pounds, larger carriers are slated for release later this year.

[Via BookOfJoe]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/komfort-pets-climate-controlled-pet-carrier/#comments
Copyright 2007 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.

Blogged by Hack41
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

posted by hack41 @ 2:32 PM

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home