Gizmodo: CES Preview 2008

Samsung to Unveil (Discuss?) World's First 1.3-Inch Hard Drive at CES

Sean Fallon — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:15:08 EST

According to an email received by the folks at Gearlog, Samsung has promised to "at least talk" about what would be the world's first 1.3-inch hard drive at CES in January. They also noted that the drive will be targeted at "mobile consumer devices," a move that would seemingly be in conflict with their NAND flash memory biz. Could Samsung be more vague? The answer is no...not really. Hopefully we will be able to learn more in January. [Gearlog]

Vestalife Ladybug iPod/iPhone Dock Makes Entomologists Drool (Video)

hook — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 10:51:07 EST

At first glance, the Vestalife Ladybug iPod dock didn't look much like an insect at all, but when its "wings" flapped open we totally got it. The Ladybug is an attractive system compatible with the iPhone as well as older iPod models. It operates on batteries or AC, but only charges your iPod when it's plugged in the wall. The dock also includes an AV out port (for older video models), USB and an auxiliary-in jack for connecting other DAPs. The Ladybug will be available in the first quarter of next year and retails for $100. The hot Element branded editions shown in the gallery will sell for $120. [Vestalife] Video by Nick Mcglynn

LG's Zenith DTT900 Converter Competes with RCA for Grandma's $40 Coupon

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 10:21:01 EST

Last night we showed you the finished look of the RCA DTA800, one of the "digital switchover" converter boxes your stubborn granny can buy early next year with her $40 coupon from the government, in lieu of getting a new goddamn TV. The CES folks have praised the other box too, a Zenith-branded DTT900 digital-to-analog converter box made and marketed by LG. Anyone who thinks we're being a little reductive take note of the old-people branding. RCA? Zenith? Where's the Philips-made Magnavox converter? That would complete the trio. [CES]

RCA DTA800 Digital Converter for Analog TVs Updated, Delayed

Matt Buchanan — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:40:57 EST

We kinda forgot all about this little box for old folks with old TVs that was announced way back at CES and promised by the end of this year. It's got a fresh paint job and later street date (January), dropping a little more than a year before analog broadcasts shutdown in 2009 in favor of all-digital broadcasts, which your TV can't pick up if it's not digital—unless you have this digital converter box or one like it. If you don't wanna roll down to Best Buy for a new TV, you can knock $40 off the DTA800 and keep on trucking with your grandma TV. More pictures:

[Keep My TV]

Optoma HD65 720p Projector Same as the HD70, But Smaller and With HDMI

hook — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:27:24 EST

Optoma's new 720p HD65 projector is a revamped, dwarfened version of the HD70. While holding on to the same resolution, it's 15 percent smaller and almost a third lighter, shaving off two pounds to tip the scales at just five. The HD65 also includes HDMI 1.3 and maintains the HD70's $1000 price tag. [Optoma]

ATI TV Wonder 650 TV Tuner Finally Debuts for Macs

Matt Buchanan — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:10:49 EST

ATI's TV Wonder 650 TV tuners have been out for PCs for a bit, but a Mac version of the Combo USB variety's arriving just this month for $149, and it comes in a special white case—guess they didn't get the memo silver's the new white. It's also sporting a polished new interface and parental controls in tvPortal, though spec-wise it appears to be the same as before (OTA Analog and HD) minus, weirdly, ClearQAM support, making it a pretty decent solution for a Mac mini HD PVR setup. This way for more photos.

[TV Wonder 650 for Mac]

SanDisk Vaulter 16GB SSD Sneaks In Via PCIe Port

Wilson Rothman — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:05:42 EST

Today SanDisk revealed Vaulter, a 8GB or 16GB flash drive that can hold your entire OS, designed to sit on the PCIe port inside a laptop. In Windows, this creates a separate letter drive, which speeds the hell out of your computer, without taking the place of your 2.5" SATA-connected HDD. It's not a Santa Rosa "Robson" thing either—it's a real drive, not some caching assistant. (In case you're wondering, Mac support is coming.) Performance acceleration comes from "pre-controlling the distribution of storage data between itself and the hard drive." The fact that it's on the PCIe port means that both storage devices can work in parallel. Now, the bad news: SanDisk is only offering it to OEM partners at first. We won't be able to buy them a la carte for a little while. [SanDisk]

SentrySafe Fireproof Waterproof USB HDD Housings Save Your Data (Not You) From Armageddon

Wilson Rothman — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:57:11 EST

SentrySafe has made safes for 70 years, but now they've teamed with Seagate/Maxtor to make hard-drive housings that withstand up to 1550degrees Fahrenheit for a half hour, and "full" 24-hour water submersion. Some like the Fire-Safe/Waterproof 80GB and 160GB ($320) drives are freestanding units that house 2.5" bus-powered drives in impervious containers. The other alternative is a full-blown $520 safe that has a USB pass-through for your bus-powered drive. A third option is a smaller filing box, the Data Storage Safe, which lets you keep DVDs and other small documents along with a small USB drive. [SentrySafe]

Alpine eX-10 Bluetooth Hub and iPod FM Transmitter For Your Car

hook — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:48:59 EST

Like the Venturi Mini, the eX-10 includes an FM transmitter, along with support for the A2DP stereo Bluetooth profile, and can pair with up to four devices simultaneously. However, the Alpine device ups the ante by packing in an iPod cable and a larger display (but sadly it's not a touch screen). We also liked the fact that the eX-10 has a detached mic that clips onto your visor for clearer calls. However, we're skeptical about the device's remote control interface and think that the remote just begs to be lost. The hub simply connects to the cigarette lighter and can be mounted to your dash with the built in suction cup. The Alpine eX-10 should be available in about three weeks and will retail for $200. [Alpine]