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Portable

portable scales

Wrist Watchscale, For When You Really Need to Weigh Small Stuff

The spoon-scales from a while back we called "perfect for dieters and dealers" because of the spoon part, but with this wristwatch scale... Well, it's just convenient for when you really, really need to weigh small quantities of stuff right then and there. Makers Jennings call it "The first Pocket WatchScale ever" and it measures in grams, ounces, Troy ounces and pennyweights, to a max of 10.5-ounces with 0.001-ounce accuracy. Strangely the one thing it doesn't seem to do is tell the time, but it's out now, for about $25. [Product page]

psp-3000

Sony Makes PSP-3000 Official

We knew the PSP-3000 was on the way, but now Sony has made it official. We don't have a full spec sheet yet, but the big two updates are going to be a new, brighter screen ("highest-level contrast ratio, response time, and wider color gamut possible on a portable LCD screen" Sony claims) and an integrated microphone (making those impromptu Skype chats a whole lot more practical). No word on US release yet, but the PSP-3000 will be available in Europe on October 15th for €199. Hopefully we'll have a better picture for you soon, but it looks a lot like the existing PSPs. UPDATE: It's coming to the US on Oct 14, and it will hit with a new pack, click through for the update: [Kotaku] More »

alcohol power

Charge an iPod With Vodka? Sounds Educational, Incapacitating

Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies have launched the the Bio Energy Discovery Kit, a product that they are calling "the fuel cell industry’s first direct ethanol product." The kit directly converts alcohol into electricity and can run non-stop for days on end. The purpose of the kit is to introduce fuel cell technology to students, scientists, teachers and engineers using a simple gadget that is easy to understand. More »

power

Brando's Mini Universal Battery Charger is Jawsome, USB-Powered

Brando has a new universal battery charger available, working on the same jaw-grip/adjustable electric contacts principle as Thanko's version before. This time though, the gizmo is designed to be portable and draw its power from a USB source and it's got "high capability switch power supply with efficient transforming." It's even keyring mountable. So if you're constantly charging up a variety of batteries for all your gear, and don't fancy hauling all the power bricks around this might be an elegant solution. Can be yours now, for $12. [Brando]

umpc

Specs and Prices for Lenovo's Ideapad S9 Lite Notebook Hits Web

Lenovo recently went official with details on the upcoming Ideapad S10 ultra-portable notebook, and now there's data on a little brother version, the S9 Lite. The S9 will have a slightly smaller screen, at 8.9-inches, with a 300-kilopixel webcam, 512MB of RAM and a 4GB SSD. It's got the same Atom N270 and 945 GSE chipset, though, so it sounds very much like its bigger S10 brother, and comes with Linux and a "multitouch function" trackpad. In three colors, the diminutive PC will cost you $370 upon launch in Hong Kong. [UMPCFever via Engadget]

rumor

Gigabyte's 3G-Capable MID M528 Coming Out On Sept 17 For $689

A release date and price has been set for UMPC contender Gigabyte's MID M528, a diminutive portable computer with a slide out keyboard, according to the folks over at UMPC Portal. A product page on Gigabyte's site put the cost at $689 and availability on Sept. 17. The page then disappeared, but not before intrepid internet surfers could get a nice screen grab. More »

question of the day

Question of the Day: What Do You Use to Clean Your Screens?

A big, bright, beautiful screen is a great thing—but keeping it smudge and dust free can be annoying to say the least. This is especially true with touchscreen phones and other portable media devices. With that in mind, I came up with a two section poll that involves larger screens like monitors and televisions on one side and smaller screens like cellphones and handheld game systems on the other. But both ask the same question: how do you clean your screens? More »

gps

Kapsys' Kapten is Screenless, Voice-Driven, Key Ring-Sized GPS

This tiny GPS system from Kapten shuns the current preoccupation for large, high-detail touchscreens... it has, in fact, no screen at all. There're a bunch of led-lit icons at the top, indicating car-, pedestrian-mode and so on, but that's it. All navigation requests and instructions are made by you talking to the Kapten and it talking to you. It's apparently aimed mainly at pedestrian users, and measuring 2.9 x 1.7 x 0.5 inches is small enough to slip onto a key ring. Somehow there's a Bluetooth chipset in there, alongside an MP3 player and FM radio, and it packs 4GB of internal memory. Sadly, the only instructions it'll utter will sound like "Tournez à droite, dans 100 metres" since it's being released in France next month for around $220, and there's no info on whether it'll move outside the land of the moody pout. [Navigadget]

gaming

Sony Plans 10-Year Shelf Life For Current Generation PSP

We were semi-surprised that the PSP hardware update contained so few external changes, but now that we've seen Sony's plan for the system, it all makes sense. Their ten year shelf-life plan for the PS2 and PS3 apparently also applies to the PSP platform, which according to them, "[does] not have a planned obsolescence strategy." Good news for current PSP owners since they won't have to upgrade their units for another three to four years at least. [Gama Sutra via Kotaku]

Portable Music

Slacker G2 Wi-Fi Radio Pops in FCC Site

The second version of the Slacker portable personalized radio player has appeared on the FCC site. Called the Slacker G2, it can store 4GB of music, and has 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, and FM receiver capabilities. You can check its back after the jump. More »

psp

FCC Confirms PSP Redesign Number 3001 With Few Visible Improvements

The FCC has come through again, giving up testing info on Sony's upcoming PSP-3001 redesign. It's still the same generation PSP and still has most of the same parts (802.11b Wi-Fi) and still plays the same games, so we're guessing most of the changes will be internal and focused on lowering costs and making the thing harder to hack. Why do we think that? Because that's exactly what Jack Tretton of SCEA said in the roundtable at E3, that Sony's working on securing the platform from piracy. We'll just have to wait and see whether it's worth upgrading to this version if you've already got a PSP. [FCC]

psp camera

PSP Camera Add-on Could Be a Fire Hazard

The currently Japan-only PSP camera add-on has just been recalled, with the manufacturer citing reports that its units are running "extremely hot" and emitting "a burning smell." Chotto Sot is taking all of these units off the shelves even at online exporters like Play Asia, so if you want your upskirt shenanigans to be console-related, you're going to have to look long and hard to find one. [PSP Fanboy via Destructoid via Kotaku]

portable media

AMPHIBX Waterproof Armbands: iPhone 3Gs and Nip-Slips Collide

With the Olympics in full-swing, and the watersports getting so intense that both balls and boobs are flying (NSFW link), there was no better time for H2O Audio to unveil their new AMPHIBX watersports armband. According to a recent press release, it provides 100% waterproof protection up to depths of 12 feet for both the original iPhone and the 3G version as well as almost every iPod, MP3 player and cellphone under the sun. More »

psp

Modder Adds Working Touchscreen to PSP

PSP modder jube808 has equipped his PSP with a DIY touchscreen, as part of his efforts to add features he feels Sony dropped the ball on with his beloved handheld. The on-screen keyboard looks pretty responsive, and can be used with fingers or a stylus. Such a mod is probably making PSP homebrewers salivate with PSP/DS hybrid potential. Another video has a closer look at the whole rig. More »

ipod projector

Qingbar iPod Projector Puts Sub-Par Images On Upright Tray Tables

Qingbar probably hopes that its MP101 Mini Projector for the iPod/iPhone gets picked up en masse by business travelers looking to turn their seat backs into mini-movie theaters, but we think the image quality might deter all but the blindest travelers from abandoning their tiny screens. According to the specs and the image below, what you're going to get with this portable projector is a 5W LED (with a lumens of 10-15), a 20,000 hour lamp life, and projected image from 15″ to 27″. It's neat, but with no price the "sub par" headline stays put. More »

iriver spinn

First iRiver Spinn PMP Impressions (Verdict: Lovin' It)

The guys over at Crave UK got their hands on the new iRiver Spinn PMP, and although they have not conducted a full review yet, their initial impressions were positive. They love the 3.2-inch AMOLED screen saying that "Images are stunning; videos are smooth and sharp." They also found the sound quality to be superb and the menus to be effective—although it may be a little too touch sensitive and the scroll wheel can be awkward at times. As far as PMPs go, the Spinn is pretty feature rich (and it is pretty damn good looking to boot). Let's hope that the love-in continues when the final verdict is handed down. [Crave]

umpc

Lenovo's Ideapad S10 Ultra-Portable Notebook PC Officially Due in September

Lenovo's gone official with details on its Ideapad S10 ultra-portable notebook: it'll come with Windows XP pre-installed, measure 9.8 x 7.2 inches, weigh just 2.4-pounds in its lightest configuration, and pack in a LED back-lit 10-inch screen. Powered by Intel Atom N270 and 945 GSE express chipset, the diminutive PC also has some advanced heat-dissipation tech so that your lap and wrists won't get overheated. Interestingly Lenovo notes that "In some countries there will be 9-inch versions," different colors and "Linux preloads"... but doesn't say if those systems will hit the US eventually. Initially then, the S10 will cost you either $399 for a 512MB memory, 80GB HDD model or $450 for a 1GB, 160GB HDD model, and comes in black red or white. Press release info below. More »

Portable Fireplace

Bring Romantic Business Time Anywhere with Portable Conmoto Suitcase Fireplace

Fireplaces are great for ambiance, but generally not portable. Kooky German design firm Conmoto, who brought us the bookshelf fireplace back in December, has solved the portable problem with the Travelmate Portable Fireplace. At 55 lbs. it will require a little effort to cart it from room to room, but we think the resulting night of intimacy, wherever it happens to be, will be well worth the strained back. More »