Spam Flood Blog: Interesting Stuff

Monday, July 16, 2007

Interesting Stuff

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 cks 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 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 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-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 Win">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 SB 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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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/brando-offers-his-and-hers-usb-gift-sets/#comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/blu-ray-actually-we-are-the-top-in-european-sales/#comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/switched-on-tcpc/#comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/ps3-price-cut-will-stick-says-industry-analyst/#comments

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

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

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/comprehensive-iphone-bug-list-debuts-68-and-counting/#comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/emotion-recognition-software-knows-you-want-ice-cream/#comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/thinkwares-inavi-g1-karaoke-gps-unit-in-the-wild/#comments

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/globalsats-bt-359-bluetooth-gps-receiver/#comments

7/16/2007 10:25:00 AM

Filed under: Gaming

We're sure by now you know the basics, like faster load times and that slimmer shell, but hackers will be hackers, and a certain 0okm has unearthed a few more tidbits of info from the new PSP's user manual that's conveniently hosted by the FCC.

The new PSP features is based on a TA-085 PCB, which doesn't mean a lot to us, but gets those homebrew folks looking in the right direction.
RAM has been doubled from 32MB to 64MB.
You can charge the PSP over USB.
There's a 1200mAh battery, rated at 3-6 hours, compared to the original PSP's 1800mAh battery with the same rating.
You can't use an original PSP remote with the new PSP.
Thei>The component AV cable is sold separately. Don't look so shocked (link)
There's a WLAN switch on top.

[Thanks, Vic F]

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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/sonys-new-psp-gets-a-proper-shakedown-for-new-features/#comments

7/16/2007 10:00:00 AM

Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

Time to start counting those pennies, HP just announced the pricing on their new 12.1-inch, 3.6-pound 2710p Tablet PC. $1,649 gets you through the door sans OS but with a 1.06GHz Core 2 Duo ULV U7500 processor, 1GB of DDR2 memory, GMA X3100 graphics, and 60GB 4200 PATA disk. Bump it up to $2,478 for a 1.2GHz U7600, 80GB 4200RPM PATA disk, 2GB memory, Bluetooth 2.0, and a Vista Business pre-install. Each config brings that thin, bright, battery friendly WXGA LED-backlit display (with digitizer) we've heard rumored since January. However, HP confusingly masks this important fact with superfluous marketing speak by calling 'em "Illumi-Lite" displays. In fact, you won't find a mention of LED backlighting anywhere on the product page, not even in the detailed specifications. Oh right, consumers are idiots... gotcha. Still no release date so Lenovo X-series owners can rest easy for the time being.

[Thanks, Ravi V.]

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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/pricing-announced-for-hp-compaqs-2710p-tablet-pc/#comments

7/16/2007 9:05:00 AM

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops

The QX6850 is just one of six new Core 2 Duo-ish procs introduced by Intel today. The other most notable addition is the 2.6GHz Core 2 Extreme X7800 with an 800MHz dynamic FSB and 4MB L2 cache -- Intel's first "Extreme" branded processor to make the leap from desktops to laptops. A 2.8GHz X7900 is expected later in the year. No worries though, the X7800's unlocked multiplier should allow for "easy" overclocking. In fact, some (vaguely insane) Belgian tinkerers over at Matbe have already dialed in a 3GHz speed on an X7800-equipped ASUS G2SASUS G2S gaming laptop. Niiice. Expect to see the first gaming laptops sporting the new $851 X7800 procs in the next few weeks.

Read -- Overclocked ASUS G2S
Read -- Intel's new processors

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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/intels-2-6ghz-x7800-gaming-laptop-cpu-already-overclocked-to-3g/#comments

7/16/2007 8:04:00 AM

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio

Right on schedule, Sprint has launched its new Muziq flip from LG. No surprises here: $100 (after instant savings, mail-in rebates and 2 year contract) buys you LG's LX570 clamshell with dedicated music controls, A2DP Bluetooth stereo audio, 1.3 megapixel cam, and a weak-azz 64MB MicroSD card (in the box) with room to grow up to 4GB at your own expense. It's also one of a few handsets to feature an FM Transmitter for untethered pumpage of your tunes over the car radio. Of course, it's also Sprint Music Store, Radio, and TV enabled as you'd expect a Sprint media phone to be. Come on, at least you could pretend to be a little excited.

[Via PhoneArena]

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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/sprint-launches-lg-muziq-uh-hoorah/#comments

7/16/2007 7:01:00 AM

Filed under: Portable Audio

We've gotta say, we're having real trouble figuring out exactly which MP3 player the bright green "Mini Aluminum Pocket Clipper" is trying to copy: the lack of a symbol for the play button, coupled with a badly Photoshopped-out logo on the back has us really muddled! The second example -- the iQ Sound 2GB Clip-on Aluminum MP3 Player with FM -- at least tries to improve upon its "source of inspiration," whatever that device may be.

[Thanks, Marcus V]

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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/keepin-it-real-fake-part-lxv-shifty-shuffles/#comments

7/16/2007 5:59:00 AM

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

Get ready for a taste of Xeon power without the premium price kids, Intel just released their 3.0GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6850 quad core processor for standard Intel Socket T (LGA775) boards. Better yet, the performance scores are already in after detailed reviews posted by Hot Hardware and PC Perspective. The latter calls the QX6850's performance "absolutely amazing" for a consumer level processor thanks to the Kentsfield XE class (65-nm) processor's 8MB (2x 4MB) L2 Cache and 1,333MHz front side bus. In fact, you can expect performance gains on the order of 2 to 13-percent (depending upon application tested) when compared to Intel's former consumer speed champ, the 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6800 with 1066MHz FSB. Look for the QX6850 to pop on-line for $999 over the next few weeks where it's expected to hold the performance title until the year is out.

Read -- Hot Hardware
Read -- PC Perspective

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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/the-3-0ghz-core-2-extreme-qx6850-intels-fastest-consumer-cpu-b/#comments

7/16/2007 3:56:00 AM

Filed under: Transportation

Taking up the gauntlet brashly thrown down a few weeks ago by Taiwan, the Spanish city of Seville has launched a diabolical scheme to replace its halogen and incandescent traffic lights with LEDs. The switch to the new system will be undertaken gradually and will cost the town nearly €2.3 million, but when complete will conserve 85% of the energy used previously. Seville plans to replace 22,170 lamps in total, which will reduce energy drain annually by 3.93 million KWh, or 800 residential homes. No word, however, on what the province plans to do about its "Barber" problem.

[Via AutoblogGreen]

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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/seville-readies-led-traffic-light-switch/#comments

7/16/2007 1:01:00 AM

Filed under: Displays

LG is announcing today that it's bringing the 20-inch FlatronWide L206WU USB-based monitor to North America. You may have seen the display over at our sister site Engadget Chinese, where you can also check on the specs: in case you don't know Chinese, the L206WU is based around a Samsung SyncMaster 940UX and has a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, 170 degree horizontal / vertical viewing angles, and most importantly eschews DVI and VGA for a USB connection that can be daisy chained over five more displays. Other USB-based display options have generally included some form of built-in lag due to the restrictions of the USB connection, so it'll be interesting to see whether LG and its partner DisplayLink have managed to provide a solution. Price and availability dates are yet to be announced.

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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/lg-flatronwide-l206wu-usb-monitor-comes-to-north-america/#comments

7/15/2007 11:41:00 PM

Filed under: Home Entertainment

We've toiled and we've troubled, and finally our hard work has paid off: the term "DVR" has been accepted by Merriam-Webster in its Eleventh Edition Collegiate Dictionary. Strangely, DVR joins the dictionary at the same time as RPG (or rocket propelled grenade): we're guessing the staff at Merriam-Webster switched over from their TiVo for a bit of Gears action, reminding them that RPG needed to be in there too.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/15/dvr-added-to-merriam-webster-dictionary/#comments

7/15/2007 9:31:00 PM

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Seemingly taking a step backward for even the terminally lazy, a team of scientists have unveiled a gesture-based control system for your television which uses only its own system of hand signals. Similar to a previous concept developed by MIT, the system works by monitoring the "movements" of a slothful couch surfer, and then reacts to a set of seven hand motions such as clenching your fist ("start"), thumbs-up ("up"), and a sideways peace-sign ("channel"). The researchers say the software can also distinguish between actual "TV gestures" and the movement of pets or small children. In related news, a similar device is also in development which allows its user to control almost all features of your television and associated equipment using a single thumb, although those involved in development are unsure they'll find a market for this "remote," as it were.

[Via The Raw Feed]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/15/gesture-based-television-control-developed/#comments

7/15/2007 6:27:00 PM

Filed under: Gaming

Not that we weren't assuming this anyway, but Sony has gone on record to say that when the new PSP starts shipping in September, it will completely replace the original, 19 percent fatter PSP model. Sony definitely ain't no Nintendo, which continues to sell GameBoy Advance models alongside the DS. We've got to wonder how likely it is that the PSP will suffer from a kind of Osbourne effect until September: would you pick up a PSP knowing that a thinner, faster version of the same device is just around the corner?

[Via PSP Fanboy]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/15/old-psp-model-to-be-phased-out/#comments

7/15/2007 3:17:00 PM

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Canon has announced plans to construct a $451 million factory to construct CMOS components for its cameras. Expected to start production in July next year, the factory will be built on an existing site near Tokyo and will be be dedicated entirely to churning out the complementary metal oxide semiconductors (we prefer the acronym) required to detect light in every digital camera. It should have a capacity of around 3 million chips a year, which is only a fraction of the 24 million cameras that Canon hopes to produce this year. Good for Canon, we say.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/15/canon-to-build-451-million-factory-to-make-image-sensors/#comments

7/15/2007 1:49:00 PM

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Bill was a hired infomercial actor pretending to be on the brink. He used to lose at least half a dozen iPods to relentless and cunning thieves, continually able to outsmart him and relieve him of his portable music boxes. Then, like a shining light at the end of the tunnel, along came Hide-a-Pod*. "It was like a dream come true," Bill exclaimed: "I picked up a Hide-a-Pod, and I haven't lost an iPod since. If I leave it somewhere and go back later it's always right there were I left it." Harnessing the mathematical perfection of ugliness that only the Brown Zune possesses, Hide-a-Pod makes iPods physically invisible to lower standing members of society. You too can be like Bill, by ordering the Hide-a-Pod today!

[Thanks, David]

*Warning: Hide-a-Pod not a real product. Will cause extreme ridicule if taken seriously.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/15/brown-zune-finds-meaning-in-hide-a-pod/#comments

7/15/2007 12:01:00 PM

Filed under: Portable Audio, Robots

As some ss some sort of sick consolation prize for not getting to appear in the new Transformers movie, Soundwave has had his cassette tape guts ripped out and replaced with a cold, MP3 playing heart. For around $100 depending on the edition and shipping, you can purchase Takara/Tomy's Soundwave MP3 player. Instead of taking clunky tapes, the Soundwave MP3 player has a slot for SD cards, along with the usual headphone jack and music controls. And yes, it does do the whole transforming bit: there wouldn't be much point otherwise, donchafink?

[Via Dosboy]

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/15/soundwave-transformer-gets-mp3-player-upgrade/#comments

7/15/2007 9:04:00 AM

Filed under: Gaming, Household

The allure of playing with Nyko's Wiimote holding station / party bowl hybrid was just too strong for the folks at Joystiq to resist, and hey, we can't say we blame 'em. As the crew put it through the typical paces, they found that the cooling, score keeping, and organizing functions all worked perfectly as advertised, but even they couldn't deny that it essentially redefined superfluous. Still, we all know this thing makes throwing parties entirely easier for introverts, so be sure and check out the read link if you're desperate to see how awesome the Wii Party Station truly is.

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/15/nykos-wii-party-station-gets-put-to-the-test/#comments

7/15/2007 7:18:00 AM

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Toshiba is running a short, promotional sale by selling its HD A2 HD DVD player for $99 with three HD DVD movies over at the Home Media Expo in Las Vegas. You may be thinking this is great news: but wait, there's a catch. Only attendees of the show will be able to take advantage of the deal, and with ticket prices of between $100 and $500, the deal isn't as great once you get in. Toshiba, maybe you should focus on reducing the prices for general consumers rather trather than running these awkward "promotions." The fact that you're trying to sell players at a conference reeks of desperation, which is weird since it looks like you've got nothing to worry about.

[Thanks, Judith]

Update: Toshiba, probably inundated with requests, wanted to make sure everyone realized "The $99 player is an accommodation price only for attendees of the Home Media Expo's EMA trade show this week and is being offered by the HD DVD Promotional Group. It is not in any way connected with a broader consumer offer from Toshiba." So yeah, don't expect to snag one at your local Best Buy or anything, ok?

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

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/15/toshiba-selling-99-hd-dvd-player-with-a-catch/#comments

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