Gizmodo: grope

Hands-On Samsung's BD-UP5000 Hybrid HD DVD and Blu-ray player (Verdict: So Far, the Best)

Brian Lam — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:30:40 EDT

I just had some hands-on time with Samsung's BD-UP5000 Duo HD, their first hybrid Blu-ray and HD DVD disc player. It's so good, it might as well be called BD-UP-Yours-Format-War. (Get it? Yeah, sorry, that wasn't too funny.) It's not the industry's first hybrid disc player—the LG BH100 has that honor. But it is the first to actually be fully compatible with both, and therefore the one that could end the HD Disc bitch fight.

Unlike the LG, the BD-UP5000 is fully HD DVD compliant, able to play back all the interactive menus and features that are the hallmark of the format. I tested it with The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and things came out flawless. Even though this was a prototype drive. Also, the drive has local storage and Ethernet, which are part of the HD DVD spec.

The UP5000 also features an HQV Reon processor, the same video scaler and deinterlacer that made the current gen Toshiba HD DVD player's images so good.

Blu-ray discs played fine, and I wish I'd brought along the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest to see if the Blu-ray Java problems persisted. But I doubt that is an issue, given the fact that the bug is well known and was patched across the board last month.

First Palm Foleo Hands On and Impressions

Brian Lam — Wed, 30 May 2007 14:37:00 EDT

It would be redundant to step through the Foleo right after Hawkins gave us a feature tour, but I have held the hardware, and it is impressively light (physically and software wise). It looks like a fanless, or near fanless design, the screen is very nice, and the keyboard reminds me of a Toshiba Tecra (a favorable thing). It looks to be a very efficient machine. If you overlook all the crazy buttons for navigation. And I thought the Thinkpad num/trackpad with multiple buttons was bad. That's not simplicity in design. There is a dedicated email button, which is a nice touch, as well as an Apps button that goes to the Dataviz office docs, the photo viewer, web browser, etc. The menu is top left, like a mac/windows hybrid and is favorably clean. But that's what happens when your device has no apps. What does it take to compile software to run on the Foleo.

Would I buy one? No, I'm not a smart phone junkie.
– Brian Lam

iRiver Clix Unboxed, Groped

Travis Hudson — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 18:30:15 EDT

If you remember, the second generation iRiver Clix is now available and the man in brown dropped off mine today. Initially, the device is mighty pretty. Everything, from the extremely clean look, interface, display and more. For those wondering how the device is operated, the four edges of the front panel are actually buttons. They aren't touch-sensitive buttons, but tactile button that "click." Stay tuned for a video demoing the clicking functionality in the coming days. Hit the jump to see some more initial impressions—good and bad.

Good
• Size: It is very small and very nice to hold. If you checked the pictures you may have noticed it was thicker than the iPod nano, but that is no biggie. It still slipped into my pocket fine.
• Fun: The way the "clix" work is a unique and somewhat fun way to operate the device.
• Features: It can do pictures, video, text and even flash games. That is pretty damn good considering that it carries a pricetag identical to its Apple counterpart.
• Price: see Features.

Bad
• Aesthetics: I may have said the size was nice earlier, but the way the "clix" buttons work make it a bit hard to use one-handed. The ways the buttons are used would possibly bring up some concerns of wear-and-tear.
• Support: The box says Windows-only, which is a bummer. Initially I was able to drag-and-drop files onto the device, though. So perhaps a Mac will work, at least a little bit.
• Finish: the black glossy finish is just asking for fingerprints and the way the device operates would make using a case tough (maybe). –Travis Hudson

Product Page [iRiver]

Otto Bluetooth Ear and Speaker Kit: Dock Like Spaceships, Ugly by Design

Brian Lam — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:00:28 EDT

Otto's a company you've likely not heard of unless you're a firefighter or SWAT officer. The company's been making communication gear for pros in dangerous lines of work since 1961, and now they're making civilian gear. Most of it is uninteresting (noise canceling headphones, MP3 player built in headphones), except this Bluetooth headset and speakerphone set that I like because they dock like mothership and space shuttle, so you have two devices in one for $130. And I like the way it charges...which sounds boring, but I'm being earnest about this.

Check it out:

The kit comes with little headset, and interestingly, a speakerphone dock that connects to it by mini-USB jack (the really, really small kind). The connection automatically transfers whatever calls you're taking by headset to the speaker, and begins charging the headset from the dock's battery. Rad.

The dock and headset can be charged alone or together by mini-USB cable, and the kit comes with a cigarette adapter and wall socket that both put out 5 volts of USB-age, and the setup can be charged by PC, too. (The AC and ciggy adapter's output with a standard USB plug, so the logic seems to be that you could charge all your USB 5v gadgets with those two adapters. The ony issue? the mini USB to standard USB cable is the same you have to use at home (PC or wall) or in the car, so you're out of luck if you lose it somewhere. They should have packed another. But between the pair, you've got six hours of talk, so all but the chattiest should be fine for a day. Confused? Hit the gallery because the photos go a long way toward explaining how it all works together.

The company claims to have DSP inside of the pieces to help enhance sound. What doesn't have digital signal processing these days? The quality was actually less than great, to be honest, from the speakerphone and headset. Bassy and unclear in the middle and top ranges. The microphone, according to my caller, was better on the speakerphone, too. I'm surprised, as I'd figured that SWAT and firefighters would need even more clarity than the average Joe.

The speakerphone, when left on and paired to my phone, emitted a high pitched whine.

Their motto is strange, practically bragging about plain design: "Because you don't hear with your eyes." They could have just added rubber trim and called them headsets for men, but then again, Bluetooth headsets always make men look like weenies.

Would I recommend it? I'm on the fence about the sound quality and that whine. But I'm pretty stoked about the idea of a speakerphone/headset combo that actually dock into one.

Based on what I've said, would you guys buy this thing?– Brian Lam

Home Page [Hear Otto]

Temp Sensing LED Faucet Light Review (Verdict: Needs More Spray)

Brian Lam — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 21:41:39 EDT

I really dig those expensive LED faucets that glow blue and red to warn you of the temp. Here's my review of the $20 nozzle attachment version. As you'd guess, I'm giving up a thing or two by skimping:

•The LED isn't variable: Once you hit 89 degrees or greater, the red LED switches on. Before that, its blue. And when your water isn't running the circuit opens and the light goes off.
•The piece is long, so if you've got a shallow sink basin, you're going to be annoyed.
•It'll runs an unspecified number of hours with three easily changed small button batteries.
•Comes with two adapters for different faucet sizes.
•That's not chrome. It's silverized plastic (the kind that chips). What do you expect for $20?
•The flow is superb, but unfocused. Ultimately, I couldn't justify this without a wide spray and stream mode, and an adjustable neck. Depending on your love for LEDs, though, YMMV.

–Brian Lam

LED Faucet [Thinkgeek]