Spam Flood Blog: Interesting Stuff

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Interesting Stuff

7/17/2007 11:59:00 AM

Ruh roh. Looks like someone just got caught red handed. According to a number of sources who had their screencap fingers ready to rock, T-Mobile Germany will soon be offering up the iPhone in Deutschland. Apparently, the carrier actually had an iPhone-specific page hosted momentarily yesterday, and while it has since been yanked, evidence is everywhere. C'mon T-Mobile, you honestly thought you could trial the iPhone page without one of the 57,000 interested customers taking notice?

[Via Inquirer]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/iphone-briefly-appears-on-t-mobile-germanys-website/#comments

7/17/2007 11:32:00 AM

Filed under: GPS, Handhelds, Wireless

If Trimble's Juno ST PDA wasn't rugged enough to handle your oh-so-critical field duties (or unexpected drink spills), you'll be thrilled to know that the firm has you on the brain. The Nomad lineup of handheld computers weigh just 21-ounces, are designed to "fit comfortably in a user's hand," and pack a fairly decent array of specifications. Internally, you'll find an 806MHz processor, 128MB of RAM, and optionally, you can tack on integrated Bluetooth, GPS, a bar code scanner, two-megapixel camera, and 802.11g; additionally, an SDIO and CF slot, up to 1GB of flash memory, a daylight-visible VGA touchscreen, Windows Mobile 6, and a rechargeable Li-ion are on board. Trimble is offering up four separate Nomad 800 flavors depending on your level of necessity (and budget), all of which can be found real soon ranging from $1,699 to $2,499.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/trimble-univels-rugged-lineup-of-nomad-handheld-computers/#comments

7/17/2007 11:10:00 AM

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Unfortunately, we could be seeing the early beginnings of a polarizing trend, as the oh-so-hackable Sony Vaio UX becomes yet another non-Apple device to sport iPhone-esque visuals. The aptly-dubbed uPhone boasts an interface that looks awfully similar to that found on Apple's handset (and a good deal better than those knockoffs, might we add), and relies on a well disguised flavor of Windows to pull it all off. Currently, the project is still a work in progress, and while he has got Skype, a calculator, and a few fancy slide transitions up and running, there's still work on the horizon. Head on through the break for a few short clips of the device in action.

[Via DAPReview]

Continue reading Sony Vaio UX gets iPhone interface makeover

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/sony-vaio-ux-gets-iphone-interface-makeover/#comments

7/17/2007 10:47:00 AM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

And you thought Sprint was catching flack for denying an exceedingly small portion of its customers service. Turns out, Vonage rival SunRocket has apparently shut its doors and abandoned the business -- all without a single warning or notice beforehand. Callers who recently dialed in for customer care reached an automated message saying that the firm was "no longer taking customer service or sales calls," and each individual that was employed at the call center has supposedly lost their job. As expected, no attempts by Reuters to contact SunRocket were successful, so we still have no idea if paying customers will ever see a pro-rated refund if their service does indeed cease to exist. So, dear readers, are any of you feeling the SunRocket burn?

[Thanks, Jerad]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/sunrocket-silently-calls-it-quits-abandons-voip-biz/#comments

7/17/2007 10:26:00 AM

Filed under: Home Entertainment

We've can't say we've ever really understood the appeal of integrating remote functions into cellphones (except for some sly TV-B-Gone action) but we're even more confused by the GE Flip universal remote, which appears to finally bring the worst in cheap-o flip phone design to the low-end universal remote market. Sadly, GE apparently thinks looks alone will move this thing, since otherwise it's a relatively standard four-function universal -- even the press release kind of peters out after mentioning the design. That design, by the way, seems to have a pretty glaring weakness: when the unit is closed, it looks like the IR transmitter will be pointing the wrong way. Ouch. The Flip appears to be available now for $18.99.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/ges-flip-universal-remote-brings-ugly-back/#comments

7/17/2007 10:06:00 AM

Filed under: Displays

Korean display-maker Alphascan, a company of dubious and confusing origin, has apparently licensed Samsung's flat-panel technology and applied it to its new 22-inch slim monitor, the J2210W. The stylish, 16:10 display features a brightness of 300cd/m², a 1000:1 contrast ratio, 1680 x 1050 resolution, 5ms response speed, and D-SUB / DVI jacks. No word on price or availability Stateside, but we wouldn't recommend holding your breath. Feel free to peruse the monitor's "translated" info page on the read link.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/alphascan-j2210w-display-embeds-a-samsung-panel/#comments

7/17/2007 9:36:00 AM

Filed under: Cellphones

We're expecting to see Apple roll out an iPod-esque laser-etching service for the iPhone anytime now, but until then, New Yorkers can stop by Engadget pal Philip Torrone's shop to carve up their phones. Brave customer Dan was first to pony up, and PT set his 35W Epilog laser to 40 percent power and etched in these sweet old-school flying toasters. Interestingly, PT says the back of the iPhone is "nice plastic" and not aluminum, which is news to us. Peep a vid of the crazy-fast laser in action after the break.

Continue reading Laser-etching the iPhone

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/laser-etching-the-iphone/#comments

7/17/2007 8:56:00 AM

Filed under: Wearables

Those of you who suffer from the same paralyzing indecision as us when confronted with an electronics purchasing opportunity may want to take a look at the Decider watch from the UK's Mr. Jones Watches, which promises to greatly speed up those Best Buy trips. The white dial features two rows of alternating slots that click back and forth between YES and NO, allowing you to change destiny by simply waiting a second longer -- or you can get all spiritual and just wait for the battery to die, as Mr. Jones suggests. The indecisive can place their orders now for £79 ($160) -- we're just going to keep buying anything that lights up.

[Via Core77]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/the-decider-watch-has-all-the-answers/#comments

7/17/2007 8:19:00 AM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Jason Hickner, a DIY'er with possibly more "time" on his hands than most, has created a clock which is not very easy to read, but a lot of fun to look at. Using a Propeller chip (as featured in the XGS Hydra) and what appears to be a oscilloscope (but is actually a wild old Sony TV), Mr. Hickner has hard-coded a Space Invaders timepiece. The clock uses the attacking aliens to represent minutes, and the extra lives in the left-hand corner for the hours. It's unclear whether or not shooting the aliens produces any type of time-dampening or reversal effect, but since this is based around the Propeller chip, it seems likely. See it in action on video after the break.

Continue reading Space Invaders clock tells time, invades spaces

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/space-invaders-clock-tells-time-invades-spaces/#comments

7/17/2007 7:45:00 AM

That's right, the US and Canadian Apple stores are down. However, other international sites are still up. Of course, any outage usually means they'll return with new product. So get the product juices churning and sound off with your best bets in the comments below. Then check back in an hour or two when we'll know for sure.

Update: Er... it's back without any noticeable updates. We'll keep digging but this looks like a non-event.

[Thanks, Pavel S. and everybody who sent this in]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/apple-store-is-down/#comments

7/17/2007 7:23:00 AM

Filed under: Laptops

If you're looking for a portable, desktop replacement then be sure to check Samsung's latest 19-incher, the Sens G25. There's not a lot known about Sammy's latest slab as they seem more concerned with shooting that fembot than actually providing any usable specs. What we know is this: up to 320GB of disk, seven freakin' USB 2.0 ports, a numeric keypad, and an integrated AC power supply which does away with the external transformer brick. Prices start at million â© or right around $1,088 of the green stuff.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/samsungs-19-inch-sens-g25-aces-the-power-brick/#comments

7/17/2007 6:12:00 AM

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Remember all those version 2 iPhone rumors rumbling about back in May. Well, they're back and running amuck in Taiwan. According to DigiTimes, Taiwan's Chinese-language Commercial Times says that Taiwan's Wintek has gained the touch-screen panel orders for the second-gen iPhone. The report claims that Wintek has already begun test production in small volumes with Apple intent on selling their newest model of the iPhone in September for somewhere between $249 and $299. Unfortunately, the article doesn't state where this flavor of the iPhone will be sold. An important omission given that September is the same rumored delivery for Quanta's iPhone variant meant specifically for non-US markets. Of course, that would be too early according to (some) JP Morgan analysts although Kevin Chang, and his vision of an iPhone nano, would surely disagree. To muddle things further, Wintek was just fingered as the supplier of panels for future touch-screen iPods set to launch in August. However, DigiTimes sources are now reporting that the iPod's capacitive touch-screen will be "less complicated" than the panel used for the current iPhone. No multi-touch? Who knows. Man, rumor mongering is a silly business... interesting, but silly.

P.S. Yes, that's a mock-up to the right.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/second-generation-iphone-for-249-in-september/#comments

7/17/2007 5:41:00 AM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

A trio of researchers at UC Davis has developed a method of using home-shopping standby cubic zirconia to cool hydrogen fuel cells by nearly 90 percent. Fuel cells typically run between 1,500 and 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, but by adding a little fake ice to the mix, Zuhair Munir, Umberto Anselmi-Tamburini and Sangtae Kim have managed to run their cell between just 122 and 212 degrees. The system works because conduction take places in zirconia via "protonic movement" as opposed to "ionic mobility," which sounds quite fancy. No word on when we'll see these hit the market, but the team has already gotten their patent applicatapplication in order -- only time will tell if cubic zirconia will actually seem valuable in the future.

[Via Roland Piquepaille]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/cubic-zirconia-used-to-make-fuel-cells-run-cooler-fool-neighbor/#comments

7/17/2007 4:31:00 AM

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Attention Argos shoppers, their "only available at Argos" exclusive on the FujiFilm FinePix F45fd is not all that exclusive. Spec for spec, the F45fd is none other than the F40fd rolled up special for the on-line UK and Republic of Ireland retailer. Your 200 Quid ($407) takes home an 8.3 megapixel CCD, 3x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD, 300 shot battery, ISO 2000 sensitivity, and storage on xD or SD cards. Not bad but no reason to get uppity with your mates about an "exclusive."

[Via LetsGoDigital, thanks David]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/fujifilms-finepix-f45fd-an-f40fd-in-argos-clothing/#comments

7/17/2007 3:21:00 AM

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

DreamVision DreamBee D-ILA Projector and War of the Worlds probe

DreamVision has released a 1080p D-ILA-based projector called the DreamBee, which boasts a 15,000:1 contrast ratio, and 1000 lumens of brightness. The oddly-War of the Worlds-shaped projector includes an RS-232 port and a pair of HDMI inputs, with the usual analog video and audio connectors, and retails for $14,000. The DreamBee Pro model adds another pair of HDMI ports, along with an external scaler for source management, and is priced at $19,000. Both models are available in colors like midnight, coconut, blue sky, hibiscus, and sunflower. No word on the possibility of a custom "red alien weed" color, or whether the controls are tentacle-friendly.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/dreambee-1080p-projector-could-double-as-alien-probe/#comments

7/17/2007 2:11:00 AM

Filed under: Home Entertainment

If you're like us (and we suspect you are), you have huge stacks of obscure, 1970's prog-rock on vinyl that you're unable to enjoy while jogging, biking, or road-tripping to Bonnaroo -- and that's harshing your mellow. Well, harsh no more, friends, because Ion Audio is here to help. The hardware manufacturer has just released two new variations on its iTTUSB USB turntable, the iTTUSB05 (pictured, $149.99) and the iTTUSB10 ($249.99). Both models feature 33 1/3 and 45 RPM playback, Line-level RCA outputs (utilizing a built-in preamp), EZ Vinyl recording software, and plug & play USB connectivity. The iTTUSB10 can also convert 78 RPM records via software trickery, and can digitize other media through its 1/8-inch stereo input (finally, you can convert all those cassette mixtapes from your exes). Of course, there are more expensive or more confusing options for this sort of thing, and pricey add-ons you might want -- but for a cheap, fast solution, this is definitely worth a glance.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/ion-audio-intros-two-new-usb-turntables/#comments

7/17/2007 12:01:00 AM

Filed under: Portable Video

Sony's flailing attempts to get some traction in the online media space continue on today, as the company has announced that it's shuttering its video-sharing site Grouper and relaunching it as Crackle. We can't say we're surprised -- although Sony bought Grouper last year for a cool $65 mil, it's not like it was ever a real threat to YouTube, drawing just 4.3 million viewers the month it was acquired. The new site, Crackle, aims to be something of a filmmaking incubator -- uploaded videos can be entered in contests and judged by panels of editors, with the promise of up to $20,000 in additional funding and pitch meetings with Columbia Pictures execs for the winners. On top of that, Crackle content will be made available on the Playstation Network and Bravia sets that have the Bravia Internet Link accessory -- which isn't exactly the type of vertical integration from Sony we've been hoping for, but it's a start. Crackle went live as of today, any bets on how long it'll last?

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/sony-kills-grouper-say-hello-to-crackle/#comments

7/16/2007 11:11:00 PM

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Samsung, known for its vast (and we do mean vast) selection of digital cameras in all shapes and sizes, has yet again dropped a new model -- at least on the unsuspecting citizens of Germany. The S750 is a 7.2 megapixel compact shooter, available in a black or silver finish, with all the standard fixin's, such as: ASR stabilization, PictBridge integration, a 2.5-inch LCD screen, ISO to 1000, and USB 2.0 connectivity. Actually, it's awfully similar to this group of cameras we told you about last week. We admit, it does look pretty sweet in black, but who is buying all of these things? Only Samsung knows for sure. No word on pricing or availability, or when Samsung will slow down and release a truly innovative compact.

[Via LetsGoDigital]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/samsungs-7-2-megapixel-s750-yet-another-compact-digital-camera/#comments

7/16/2007 10:21:00 PM

Filed under: GPS

While it's not clear if Russia and China's forthcoming challenges have anything to do with it, the United States and the European Union are apparently close to a deal that would see them work together to improve their respective navigation systems. According to Reuters, the deal would allow both EU and U.S. satellites to send information on the same radio frequency, which would in turn allow receivers to pick up signals from both systems, theoretically resulting in greater accuracy. Of course, we'll still have to wait a while to see any of those benefits, with the EU's Galileo system still far from ready, although it's expected to be fully operational by 2012.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/us-and-eu-nearing-agreement-on-gps-galileo-partnership/#comments

7/16/2007 9:31:00 PM

Filed under: Storage

Looks like TrekStor is the latest to join the increasingly less-exclusive terabyte club, with it recently introducing its 1TB DataStation duo w.u external USB hard drive. As you might be able to tell from its size, this one actually boasts two 500GB hard drives stacked on top of each other, although they'll apparently show up as a single 1TB drive on your computer. Otherwise, this one looks to be a pretty standard deal, boasting backup capabilities courtesy of the included Nero BackItUp2 Essentials software, and an aluminum housing that supposedly dissipates heat without the need for a fan. If that'll do, you can grab one of these now for a list price of $430.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/trekstor-intros-1tb-external-hard-drive/#comments

7/16/2007 8:41:00 PM

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Hearing that Intel now has a relatively fond view of Linux is far from surprising, especially considering that the chipmaker already has quite a few open-source projects out in the open. To help consolidate its efforts and spearhead future developments, Intel has apparently launched the Mobile & Internet Linux Project website, which showcases a number of ideas to improve "power management, user interfaces, use of wireless networks, web browsing, chatting, and software development for mobile devices." Intel is reportedly hoping to garner interest frorest from external programmers such as those found at Canonical and Red Flag Linux, who have both signed on already for the ride. Currently, the actual scope of the endeavor still seems a bit foggy, but Dirk Hohndel, Intel's chief Linux and open-source technologist, dubbed it a "technology incubator for a lot of things that are going to be productized in the next three years."

[Via CNET]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/intel-launches-mobile-and-internet-linux-project-website/#comments

7/16/2007 7:51:00 PM

Filed under: Wireless

We'll take our warfare small-sized and mobile-friendly any day of the week, thank you very much. Seems an angry cell subscriber likely ~~had the ride of his life~~ wiped all trace of frustration from his soul by rampaging through Sydney destroying six cell towers in an Armored Personnel Carrier. Charged with malicious damage, break and enter, predatory driving, and driving in a dangerous manner, the mad driver was arrested on his way to a seventh appointment. The driver's name and carrier in question aren't mentioned, but we can assume he won't be worrying about cell reception where he's likely to end up -- unless, of course, it was all just an accident.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/miffed-cell-suscriber-goes-on-tower-destroying-rampage-in-apc/#comments

7/16/2007 7:11:00 PM

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

As if learning about one new aspect of Windows today wasn't enough, a duo of recent patent applications may lend a hand in discovering a few new, um, features about the Windows of the future. Up first is a dubious filing that details an "advertising services architecture" which actually uses content stored on your hard drive to trigger advertisements when browsing the web, and while we're no expert on the matter, that sure reeks of adware to our untrained noses. Next, however, is a glimpse at a potentially updated updated taskbar function dubbed "clipping lists," which forms clippings of your internet windows, documents, etc. into "peripheral regions of the display." Of course, this idea is certainly not new, but apparently Redmond has a vision in mind that would deviate somewhat from existing creations. 'Course, we're fairly sure you brushed right over that second tidbit as you thought about how violated patent number one would make you feel, no?

[Via InformationWeek, image courtesy of KlondikeConsulting]
Read - Advertising services architecture patent
Read - Clipping lists patent

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/microsoft-patents-reveal-dubious-ad-client-helpful-clipping-lis/#comments

7/16/2007 6:31:00 PM

Filed under: Storage

Those searching for a few more options and a tad more space in Kingston's ever-expanding DataTraveler lineup have struck gold, as the firm has just now unveiled a pair of miniscule USB drives that peak at 8GB of built-in storage. The DataTraveler II Plus (shown after the jump) arrives in a single 8GB flavor ($154) and comes bundled with Migo's data synchronization software, which enables the suits to have password-protected access to up-to-date Outlook folders and quarterly reports. On the flip side, the DataTraveler 100 touts that oh-so-admirable retractable action, meaning that the connector can creep out or take cover with just the flick of your thumb. Additionally, this USB 2.0 device is available in 1GB ($19), 2GB ($32), 4GB ($59), and 8GB ($116) sizes, plays nice with Windows, Linux, and OS X, and just like its aforementioned sibling, boasts a five-year warranty.

Read - Kingston's 8GB DataTraveler II Plus - Migo Edition
Read - Kingston's DataTraveler 100

Continue reading Kingston intros pair of capacious DataTraveler USB drives

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/kingston-intros-pair-of-capacious-datatraveler-usb-drives/#comments

7/16/2007 5:51:00 PM

Filed under: Home Entertainment

TiVo has announced a new service for advertisers and those interested in tracking commercial viewership, the Top Commercial Rankings reports, which is based on info gleaned using TiVo's StopWatch feature that tracks viewer behavior second-by-second. The feature has TiVo compiling reports for April and May on metrics like the top commercials watched overall (Disturbia and Ford trucks), or the least fast-forwarded campaigns (FedEx and Samsung Jitterbug). The report includes interesting insight into how viewers watch television, even timeshifted programs, and should provide advertisers more information about how to maximize their impact. Now to get this report to studio execs to keep them from blaming DVRs for the downfall of their industry.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/tivo-announces-most-watched-commercials-service/#comments

7/16/2007 5:11:00 PM

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming

Making a grab for our adult wallets by aiming for our childlike love of video games, Samsung has recently filed a patent for a clamshell cellphone which can transform into a 2600-style controller. Last time we checked, killing at "Snake" on our phone wasn't so difficult that we needed to collapse or otherwise totally re-jigger the device to play it, but as mobile games become increasingly complex, using the keypad is starting to feel just a little limiting -- and that's where Samsung's engineers step in. The basic premise is that the bottom half of your flip-phone would pivot not only open and closed (or backward and forward), but also left and right, thus allowing you to escape from Blinky more quickly, jump over barrels more deftly, and generally get a serious game on.

[Via Unwired View]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/samsung-files-patent-for-joystick-phone/#comments

7/16/2007 4:36:00 PM

Filed under: GPS, Transportation

For all the tracking equipment that Mercedes-Benz crams in its motorcars, it's apparently mighty tough to get the company to tap into any of it if you're not the owner. Reportedly, the automaker has "refused to comply with a court order to activate a car's GPS" after authorities tried in vain to track down a hit-and-run suspect the easy way. Police were able to pinpoint the owner of a 2003 S430 as a "prime suspect" for striking and killing a 24-year old jaywalker in California, and while chasing him down the old fashioned way would seem a good bit more entertaining, Glendale police were looking M-B's way for a shortcut. Apparently, no comment has come from the firm, even as those involved with the case have continued to fume over the lack of assistance, and while we'd assume Mercedes-Benz is just looking out for the privacy of its customers, hasn't GPS tracking (much less the court ordered variety) been deemed legal anyway?

[Via GPSTrackingSystems]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/mercedes--benz-ignores-court-order-to-activat-activate-suspects-gps/#comments

7/16/2007 4:06:00 PM

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Networking

If you've been itching to get your hands on a new flavor of Windows, or if you're just sick and tired of being teased by that release candidate, the wait for Microsoft's Windows Home Server is drawing to a close. Reportedly, the firm has released the software to manufacturing, where it should flow down and hit pre-fabricated boxes "in late September and early October." According to Joel Sider, senior product manager, the move to RTM means that the company has "wrapped up WHS and handed it off to its internal distribution teams and hardware partners." Additionally, Iomega and Fujitsu-Siemens were added to the list of OEM partners that already included HP, Gateway, LaCie, and Medion. Notably, there won't be a great many alterations in the final release compared to RC1, as the main change stated (aside from squashing a few stray bugs) was that the "domain for remote access is now homeserver.com." Hold tight folks, Windows Home Server will be coming your way soon, and the brigade will be led by HP's forthcoming MediaSmart Server.

[Via ArsTechnica]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/microsoft-releases-windows-home-server-to-manufacturing/#comments

7/16/2007 3:46:00 PM

Filed under: Gaming

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president David Reeves already caused quite a stir with his statement that the 60GB PS3 would soon be no more, and it looks like he's now set to kick up another hubbub, telling GamesIndustry.biz that he expects the PS3 to be "the winner" by March of next year. As if that wasn't a bold enough proclamation, he said that the PS3 "will be far and away the winner when you look at it by March '08," adding that "it's something that is going to be a slow burner, and suddenly it's like a tsunami; it will just overtake you." Let's just hope that tsunami comes at a discount.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/ce-oh-no-he-didnt-part-xxxvii-sonys-reeves-says-ps3-will-be/#comments

7/16/2007 3:16:00 PM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Peripheral purveyor Brando already seems to have a USB gadget for everyone, but it now looks to be trying to make your shopping even easier, offering his and hers USB "gift sets" featuring a bundle of questionably useful products. Filling out the gift set for men is USB vacuum cleaner, a USB desk lamp, a USB cup warmer and a USB "Mood Light Pen Holder," the latter of which also gives you an extra four USB ports. The set for the ladies, on the other hand, will give you the same Mood Light Pen Holder and vacuum cleaner (in pink this time), along with a USB fan and a USB lighted mirror. Take your pick for $30 apiece.

Read - Brando USB Gift Set For Men
Read - Brando USB Gift Set For Ladies

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7/16/2007 2:46:00 PM

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

It looks like Ministry of Sound die hards now have yet another MP3 player to call their own, with the ever-expanding brand now finding itself slapped on the otherwise ordinary-looking MOSMP085 player. This one's available in both 1GB and 2GB varieties, and boasts a 2-inch display, a built-in voice recorder, and an internal speaker, along with the usual line up of supported formats. You'll also, of course, get five Ministry of Sound tracks pre-loaded, along with two free downloads of your choosing. Look for it to start shipping later this month for £45 or £50 (approx $90-$100) depending on the size.

[Via Tech Digest]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/ministry-of-sound-intros-mosmp085-mp3-player/#comments

7/16/2007 2:11:00 PM

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

High-definition DVD format war: Kids fighting

The HD DVD Promotional Group recently claimed that 74% of the market share for European high-definition DVD players is held by HD DVD, but the Blu-ray Disc Association points out that they conveniently "forgot" to include PS3s and PC drives in their count. Including those puts Blu-ray in the lead instead, with almost 95% of hardware sales. HD DVD lobbyists contend that most who buy game consoles don't even use them for watching high-def movies, while everyone who bought an HD DVD player will do exactly that. The fact that the PS3 is still basically cheaper than many of the standalone high-def players (Blu-ray or HD DVD) means it's not exactly honest to discount them completely either. All we know is that the format war continues, but as long as prices continue to fall, it's tough for the average consumer to complain about that.

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7/16/2007 1:41:00 PM

Filed under: Features, Laptops

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

Hot on the heels of growing momentum signaled by Intel pledging support to the humanitarian One Laptop Per Child initiative, a coalition of software and service providers have banded together to propose a new group aimed at the burgeoning computer platform. By exposing these first-time computer users to offers preloaded onto the device's nominal internal flash memory, the members of Ten Craplets Per Child propose to significantly lower the cost of the One Laptop Per Child device.

"Only a nefarious cretin would go to the trouble of writing a virus for a device designed for children living in some of the most difficult conditions on the planet," said Russ Vai, vice president of viral marketing at security software company Parannoyer, "So we expect a whole raft of malware to be available within weeks of the OLPC device being distributed throughout an economy." Vai also responded to the full-screen red warning label featuring a human skull that the security suite displays whenever the Web browser is started. "Backers say that the OLPC machine's mesh networking provides a gateway for connected devices to a world of knowledge, but it could become the knowledge of a device crawling with digital destruction," he said, erupting in evil laughter.

Other members of the coalition positioned their products as complementing the OLPC's design. "The OLPC camera can capture video," said Faye DeBlack, CEO of video editing software company Videodious, "But our software will let these aspiring Spielbergs and Lucases punch up their recordings with a lifetime of Hollywood-style special effects provided they can do so within 30 days or spend $499. A child's first Internet video call may be magical, but it's a lot more magical in bullet time. After all, nobody wants to watch poorly composed and edited low-resolution video," she said, glancing up from YouTube on her iPhone.
Continue reading Switched On: TCPC

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PS3 price cut will stick, says industry analyst

7/16/2007 1:11:00 PM

Filed under: Gaming

Adding a negligible amount of fuel to a fire which should probably just burn out already, industry analyst Michael Pachter predicts that the 80GB PS3 will drop in price to $499 once the remaining stocks of the 60GB version have sold through. Of course, Sony has flip-flopped so much on this issue that it's hard to take this sort of "news" with anything other than a massive grain of salt. Regardless, according to Mr. Pachter, "the Sony entry level price of USD 499 is here to stay." So frugal PS3 fans, take heart... or don't take heart. Honestly, it's just really tough to say right now.

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NASA researchers working on biological nanobattery

7/16/2007 12:41:00 PM

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
We've seen nanotechnology used to improve on traditional batteries before, but NASA now seems to be taking a slightly different tact, developing an actual "nanobattery" to provide power to other nanoscale devices. According to a recent patent application, its idea is to make use of the iron-containing protein ferritin (seen at right), which apparently has the innate ability to carry either a positive or negative charge. In practice, one layer of ferritin would simply be stacked with another layer carrying the opposite charge, effectively forming a battery just a few nanometers thick. The capacity could then be further increased by adding more layers of ferritin, with the battery still remaining "stable and robust." What's more, NASA says the whole the whole process can be done quickly and easily -- relatively speaking, of course.

[Via NewScientist]

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http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/nasa-researchers-working-on-biological-nanobattery/#comments

Comprehensive iPhone bug list debuts, 68 and counting

7/16/2007 12:11:00 PM

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio
Many (hundreds) of thousands love the new iPhone, but with mass lovin' comes the obligatory list of bugs. As such, the first lengthy and comprehensive bug list from poking and prodding that iPhone screen into submission during the wee hours of the night has been released. There are 68 reproducible bugs on the list so far, with each bug having been confirmed on two separate iPhones. Of course, the list's 'reproducible' status for each bug comes with a disclaimer that some obscure steps normal iPhone users may never uncover were used in unearthing some of them. We're hard-pressed to find our favorite bugs (or bug categories), so check out the complete list here and if you dare, start mad-swiping that iPhone screen if you feel lucky.

[via Digg]

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Emotion recognition software knows you want ice cream

7/16/2007 11:41:00 AM

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Dutch researchers Theo Gevers and Nicu Sebe, known mostly for their work deciphering the Mona Lisa's smile, have created a face recognition system which can gauge a person's level of happiness. The scientists, working with the multinational goods-manufacturer Unilever, created a face-tracking algorithm which maps video of a subject's face into 3D regions, and then uses those regions to determine their level of pleasure. The tests followed European women's reactions to eating five different foods: vanilla ice cream, chocolate, cereal bars, yogurt and apples. Unsurprisingly, the scientists discovered that women enjoyed eating ice cream and chocolate far more than an apple or yogurt -- the latter even evoking "sad" expressions from 28% of test subjects. Unilever hopes to put the technology to work in creating products such as reduced-fat ice creams which elicit the same response as their full-fat counterparts, while the researchers will be launching a consumer version of the software sometime in August, as well as a website to analyze up to 1,000 user-provided photos daily.

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Thinkware's iNAVI G1 karaoke GPS unit in the wild

7/16/2007 11:15:00 AM

Filed under: GPS, Portable Video

How were we to know that karaoke would become the next must-have feature in Korean do-it-all navigation devices? Thinkware's 7-inch iNAVI G1, which we spotted a few weeks ago, does all that you would expect of such a GPS unit, like picture-in-picture T-DMB, MP3 / video playback, and games, but the "Digioke" feature for road trip singalongs really makes this one a winner in our book. There's a 2GB version for 549,000 KRW ($598 US) and a 4GB flavor for 599,000 KRW ($652 US). Hit up the read link for a few more flesh and blood pictures, but that's about as close as you're going to get to this thing unless you're planning a trip to South Korea sometime soon.

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GlobalSat's BT-359C Bluetooth GPS receiver

7/16/2007 10:50:00 AM

Filed under: GPS
GlobalSat, purveyors of fine GPS-related products such as a stylish GPS watch and the child-tracking, parent-worrying GPS "phone", has launched a new Bluetooth receiver sure to make your teeth chatter with excitement. The BT-359C is the latest and greatest the California-based company has on offer, featuring a SiRF Star III low-power chipset, Bluetooth 2.0, and a built-in ceramic patch antenna. The receiver can be coupled to PDAs, or laptops via its "Serial Port Profile", and provides faster acquisition times and improved accuracy in "urban canyons" (which we're pretty sure is fancy GPS-speak for "cities"). The BT-359C will be sold at AT&T retail locations, and is available now online for $159.99.

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