Gizmodo: Media

Sony Putting the PS3 Xross Media Bar Into Vaio FW Laptops

Sean Fallon — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:58:00 EDT

The PS3 may be having its ups and downs, but one thing is for certain—Sony is loving the Xross Media Bar. They put it in some of their Bravia TVs, the PSP, some Cybershot cameras and now they are planning to integrate the interface into their new Vaio FW series laptops. Naturally, the goal here is to provide synergy between all sorts of devices to create that "digital living room" type experience that is all the rage these days. [Tech Radar]

Creative's Zen Krystal MP3 Materializes Out of Nowhere

Sean Fallon — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:39:00 EDT

It kind of looks like a Zen Stone, and it is certainly a far cry from the Zen X-Fi, but this little MP3 player has been discovered hiding on Creative's Hong Kong site. Apparently, the 4GB Zen Krystal is designed to be a sports player with a pedometer that functions similarly to the Nike+ line. It also includes games like "Hurdle Race, Catch & Dodge and Dice Roll" as well as a Blue 0.7" OLED, FM radio, and 10 hours of playback. A price and a release date have not been made available. [Creative via anythingbutipod]

iPod Touch Firmware 2.0 Finally Out

Brian Lam — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:03:32 EDT

It's officially up for $9.95 and you can download it from iTunes. [iTunes via Macrumors]

Brando's New Cartridge-Style HDD Dock Goes Full Multimedia Player

Kit Eaton — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:31:00 EDT

Clearly one to take a good idea and run with it, Brando has just come up with this new cartridge-style HDD dock that also acts as a media player. So via its s-video and composite sockets you can stream audio, pictures, and video (including divx, with subtitles) to TV and it even has a remote. It takes 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SATA HDDs (and SD cards too) and connects via USB 2.0. Hmm: a largish rectangular "cartridge" which you plug in to a socket to play movies on TV, why's that sound familiar? Available now for $84. [Brando]

GameChains Save Your Nintendo DS Games From a Toilet Water Abyss

Sean Fallon — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:40:00 EDT

Designed by Chip Stockman and his 9-year-old daughter Caroline, GameChains are a keychain-like safety net for your precious Nintendo DS games. The chains consist of "laser-cut tabs, a powder-coated metal chain, and aggressive, but non-permanent, adhesive pads"—which is a fancy way of describing something that should keep your games out of the toilet when you are in the midst of a little "me time." GameChains are available for $9.95. [Gamechains via Slipperybrick]

Windows Media Center Update Might Get Partner Later In the Year

Matt Hickey — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EDT

Windows Media Center still isn't what Microsoft wants it to be, but it has its fans, and its getting an update this month that they've been waiting for. Word is coming down, though, that this update isn't the one the users are lusting after, the one with H.264 and DirectTV tuner support. Instead it's a minor upgrade that adds things like international support. But fret not, users, as now it seems like there's another rumor flying around about another update later in the year which will add many requested features. Patience, my fellow home theater nerds, we'll get our updates. [EngadgetHD]

OSXBMC Called "Plex" (And Looking Hotter Than Ever)

Mark Wilson — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:59:00 EDT

An independent Mac fork of XBMC (formerly Xbox Media Center)—a lauded cross-platform solution for streaming media—has just gotten a neat new name: "Plex." (That's short for "cineplex.") But we know how it is. You use Front Row and think it's great. Before you go back into your Apple shell, check out this Aeon skin for Plex (it also works for all other XBMC versions). Currently in alpha release, it features a fluid wallpaper effect á la iPod coupled with the simplicity of Delicious Library's shelf organization. Our own Brian Lam said to me, "I've never seen a Media Center UI look so nice." I have to agree. (Well, I actually do agree. But I think that I have to agree, too.) Here's a massive gallery of shots from Plex running Aeon:

[Plex and Aeon via Crunchgear]

Nyko Media Hub Beefs Up Newer, Wimpier PS3s

Mark Wilson — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:32:00 EDT

Those who threw down the extra cash for a first gen PlayStation 3 got a few bonuses in return—the newer 40GB version is shy a few USB ports, a memory card reader and hardware-based backwards compatibility. Nyko is solving two of these problems with their Media Hub, a 3-port USB hub with media card reader (SD and Memory Stick). Compatible with all available PS3s, the Media Hub snaps seamlessly onto consoles and works from a horizontal or vertical position. Expect the Media Hub to hit stores this August for $20. Sorry you're still jacked with the backwards compatibility stuff. [Nyko]

Maxx Portable DVD Looks Like Future PSP on Steroids

Jesus Diaz — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:36:21 EDT

The Maxx Digital PDV-8500BLK is a) a portable DVD with a 8.5″ TFT screen with all kinds of format support on both disk and flash cards, b) PSP's dumb older brother, c) a future PSP on steroids, or d) all of the above.

Features

DVD, DVD+/-R, DVD+/-RW, CD, CD-R/RW, VCD, SVCD, JPEG and MP3 playback

MPEG4 playback

Flash media card capability with a port for SD(tm), MMC and MS Cards

Built-in USB port

16:9 widescreen format

High-resolution active matrix TFT display

Built-in stereo speakers and anti-shock system

Includes rechargeable NiMH battery, IR remote control, AV cable, AC/DC adapters and carrying case

[Chipchick]

Google Media Server Helps Bridge Gap Between PC and TV

Adrian Covert — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:24:27 EDT

Google Media Server is a Google Desktop add-on that provides a way to get PC media content onto your TV. With the help of a UPnP device, Google Media Server collects all the relevant media files from your PC and makes them available over a local host. While it doesn't seem as direct as a device like SlingCatcher, it's probably a whole lot cheaper. Google Media Server is available for download here. [Google Media Server via Crunch Gear]

If This is Amish, I'll Take It!

Mark Wilson — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:35:00 EDT

While the Amish make technological sacrifices that most of us could never tolerate, you might be surprised at how tech-friendly some of the Amish have become. Namely, adults will turn a blind-eye to teenagers on the cusp of adulthood so that they may explore technology before swearing it off. And you know what that means? Horse-drawn buggies with mega sound systems and Amish teens who text message with the best of them. Don't believe it? Then watch that clip. [ABC]

Ovei is $100,000 Isolation Chamber for Gadgety Privacy

Kit Eaton — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:01:00 EDT

Sometimes you just want to shut the world out and tackle the next level of your fave game, don't you? The Ovei isolation pod, launched this week in the UK, will let you do just that. For the sum of $100,000. And before you fall about laughing, that cash will get you a unique capsule, designed by Lee McCormack and made by Mclaren Applied Technologies (the Formula 1 guys, yes). It's custom-built exactly how you want: media center, gaming rig, interior and exterior...the sort of bespoke stuff you'd expect for 100 grand. The rest of us will have to settle for the traditional laptop-under the duvet, earphones jammed-in isolation when the house is too noisy. [PocketLint via Born Rich]

Tapehead Inspector Is Coming For Your Tapes

Mark Wilson — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:40:00 EDT

A brilliant use of old tech, the Tapehead Inspector is a manual tape reader not meant so much for playback of your favorite '80s power ballad mix, but for new music creation. Constructed by removing the tapehead from an old Walkman, it sounds quite a bit like a mixer as it runs over old tape and/or magnetized cards in your wallet. Oh, and it's stored in a giant cassette tape, which is more than a little fantastic. [Zero-Waste via MAKE]

NBC to Offer Free, Automatic Downloads through "Olympics On the Go"

Mark Wilson — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:20:00 EDT

I'm not a huge Olympics fan, but NBC is partnering with digital content provider Wavexpress to provide some pretty remarkable coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games. Dubbed "Olympics On the Go," Vista Media Center users will be able to schedule their favorite summer events to download automagically to their PCs or laptops (through TVTonic). Clips will come in "up-to-HD quality," meaning that at least some of the downloads will be good enough to be worth watching. And it's all free. The only catch seems to be that there's no mention of Zune syncing, but what good is synchronized swimming on such a small screen anyway?

Wavexpress to Provide Internet Video Download Service for NBC’s Coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games

Free Service to Allow Media Center Users the Ability to Download Content During NBC’s Coverage of the Beijing Olympics, August 8-24, 2008

NEW YORK – June 23, 2008 – Wavexpress, a provider of broadband media technology and services, majority-owned by Wave Systems Corp. (NASDAQ: WAVX), has been selected by NBC Universal, Inc., to develop, host, and support a service for viewing NBC’s coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Microsoft’s Windows Vista Media Center. The announcement was made today by Perkins Miller, Senior Vice President, Digital Media, NBC Sports and Olympics, and Michael Sprague, President of Wavexpress.

The “NBC Olympics on the Go” service will take advantage of Wavexpress’ TVTonic Internet video service to allow Media Center users to watch channels of NBC’s coverage of Olympic events in up-to-HD quality on the go on their laptop. The free service will enable viewers to watch NBC’s extensive coverage of the Beijing Games on a sport-by-sport basis, with channels designated to match the hundreds of events included in the Games. Users can simply sign up for the channels they are interested in, and the service will automatically synchronize NBC’s video clips as they become available, so viewers will have a fresh slate of Olympic content to watch on their morning commute.

“This service will provide a fantastic viewing experience for Olympic fans with Windows Vista Media Center,” said Sprague. “They can choose their favorite sports, from diving to water polo to gymnastics, and extended coverage is automatically synchronized to their PC in the middle of the night. With a laptop, they will get a high-quality video experience to view on the train, the plane, or in the college quad.”

“As we prepare to broadcast the Beijing Olympic Games, we are committed to reaching as many viewers as possible,” said Miller. “Our partnership with Wavexpress will enable us to reach viewers seeking high-quality in-depth coverage of the wide range of sports that make up the Olympics. The service will especially appeal to fast-paced fans who want to catch up on their favorite sports offline.”

SpitFire 360 Controller Gives Xbox Modders a Not-So-Tactical Advantage

Mark Wilson — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:30:00 EDT

I have no clue how I missed this great hack from earlier in the year, but AcidMods has released a tutorial on modding an Xbox 360 controller to do all sorts of neat, cheatie stuff—like adding rapid fire to pistols in Call of Duty—through programmable macros. But since I know that you have almost no interest in picking up that soldering gun, you can just watch this video to appreciate what hours of hard work can produce. [AcidMods via HackedGadgets]

Internet Dating: The Wedding Cake

Mark Wilson — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:15:00 EDT

Mmmm. The self-promotional social lies of one couple manifested in cream and sugar. The hearted ethernet cord and Starbucks cups are particularly charming touches. But it would have been best if the groom had fessed up to his second family in Guam. [MAKE]

iPhone App Runs iRobot's Military Packbot

Mark Wilson — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:53:00 EDT

While many of us may ooh and ahh at the new iPhone apps reaching the consumer level, a pair from the University of South Florida has coded a native iPhone application that can operate iRobot's Packbot with full streaming POV video. Syncing with the Packbot over Wi-Fi, the iPhone's accelerometers allow panning and zooming while the touchscreen controls the Packbot's movement. But don't take our word for it. Check out the clip:

Apparently these students from South Florida aren't the only ones working on iPhone Packbot controls, as the US Department of Energy's Idaho National Lab has been said to be doing similar research. If only there was so much fervor to give the iPhone a decent copy 'n paste application. [via Engadget]

$4300 Kaleidescape 1080p DVD Streamer Reviewed (Still Not Real HD)

Benny Goldman — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:41:22 EDT

Sound & Vision gave a gushing review to the Kaleidescape 1080p player, a DVD upscaler that streams movies from a home server for the price of a nice used car. They especially liked the Gennum VXP video processor chip, which upscales DVD content to vividly sharp 1080p detail, with very accurate colors and high contrast. The Kaleidescape's updated ability to play content without importing it to the server first was also a big draw. But seriously, $4300? Come on.

It still doesn't play real HD (Blu-ray support won't be around till 2009) like a much cheaper Xbox, AppleTV, Vudu or PS3, and we can already import DVDs for a streamer using the freeware Handbrake. If we did want to play high quality content without importing it, we'd just buy a $99 upscaling DVD player. Available now, hit the link for the full review, but please don't believe it. [Sound & Vision]

An MP3 Player Only the World's Ugliest Dog Could Love

Sean Fallon — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Leave it to obscure Chinese manufacturers to come up with the CJ7 Dog Doll MP3 Player—a device so hideous it looks as if it was spawned in the fires of hell. Outside of its appearance, the device features 1GB of flash memory, a built-in loudspeaker and a conveniently placed USB butt port. It will only set you back $18.67, but that is still a high price to pay for a device that will surely give you nightmares. [DealExtreme via anythingbutipod]

Update: The commenters pointed out that it's the alien from Stephen Chow's new movie CJ7. I personally heard the movie was pretty awful, but I haven't actually seen it yet. – JC

ImAmp by Audiotrack Beefs Up Your Cans on the Go

AddyDugdale — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 05:00:00 EDT

If you like to watch a movie on the go, but find your headphones don't give you enough volume for the full-on fillum experience, then you might appreciate the ImAmp. Made by Korean company Audiotrack, the ImAmp is a separate amplifier with a couple of headphone jacks, line input and volume control. The battery takes four hours to charge, and gives you eight hours of juice. Weighing about 200 grams (including battery) the ImAmp will be available on July 1 and will cost just over $250. [GeekStuff4U and Impress]

RoboPong 2040 Terminates Fun Time

Mark Wilson — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EDT

For some reason, an advertisement from the movie Crazy People comes to mind when watching this RoboPong 2040 commercial. "Robopong won't just scare you; it will fuck you up for the rest of your life." Yeah, it costs $700. Yeah, it's better at ping pong than you. And yeah, after it embeds a ball into your skull it will "comfort" your grieving wife before teaching your children to play table tennis "just like their pop" and enjoying endless hours of fetch with your dog. Because in a battle between RoboPong and the Terminator, we're betting on RoboPong. So you, my soft, fleshy friend, don't stand a chance. [Newgy via DVICE]

A Peek Inside the Doomsday Seed Vault

Mark Wilson — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:10:00 EDT

Remember that incredible Svalbard Global Seed Vault we told you about? It protects the Earth's plants for when aliens blow up our civilization so that they too can enjoy the natural decadence of fried plantains (that are generously fertilized by our decaying corpses). 60 Minutes got a peek inside the vault, and it's pretty neat stuff. Here's a 3-minute clip exploring the ice fortress:

[AOL via digg]

3.5-Inch Digital Photo Frame from HP Small but Chic

AddyDugdale — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:45:00 EDT

There's been a slew of Hewlett Packard products over the past few days and, although this digital picture frame is probably the smallest of the bunch, it's pretty damn cute. Available in Europe at the moment, the frame has QGVA resolution, is SD-, SDHC- and MMC-compatible, can hold up to 45 pictures, and costs $76. Like I said, cute. [CNET Asia]

Portable Projector for iPhone is Concept from Honlai

AddyDugdale — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:40:00 EDT

On show at Computex is Honlai's portable projector for the iPhone. It's a dock-style gadget that you slot your first-gen iPhone into, beaming a smallish image onto the wall in front of you. This strikes me as such a good idea—it's currently just a concept—that I really hope Honlai, the brains behind this palm-sized LED projector, put this into production. Catch a bonus image after the jump.

[Aving USA and Displayblog]

iRiver Volcano T7 Is MP3 for Chewing Gum Diehards

AddyDugdale — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:15:00 EDT

Available in five colors, the Volcano T7 is the latest DAP player. Reminiscent of a memory stick and with a small OLED display, it's available in both 2GB and 4GB versions. There's also a USB 2.0 port, an FM radio, and an equalizer. There's also a recording function, both for voice and radio. Now available in Europe in five colors—white, black, pink, blue and chocolate—the Volcano T7 costs the equivalent of $48 for the 2GB and $78 for 4GB. [Akihabara News]

SanDisk Snuffs TakeTV, Leaves No Trace of Fanfare

Adrian Covert — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:29:44 EDT

Poor TakeTV. This past Fall, it launched just ahead of the flood of media extenders that bring PC content to the TV. And while many felt it worked decently, it couldn't keep up with the big dogs in the end as Sandisk confirmed today they killed the TakeTV line...in mid-May. Additionally, they shut down the Fanfare media portal attached to it. But with Slingcatcher supposedly around the corner, I have trouble getting too sentimental. [NewTeeVee]

Newman's Cool Man MP3 Player: Pin it to Your Uniform For Extra Flair

Sean Fallon — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EDT

If you haven't quite reached your flair quota, or you are hopelessly stuck in the 1980's fashion-wise, you will probably love the Cool Man MP3 from Newman. The device features and OLED display, support for MP3 and WMA, a built-in microphone and most importantly, a high-tech safety pin that puts high-tech holes in your shirts and jackets. No word on pricing, but it had better be super cheap. [imp3 (translated) via PMP Today]

Albatron Rocker Mini Tablet Has Windows CE and Not Much Heft

AddyDugdale — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:30:00 EDT

An ultra slimline tablet from Albatron has been unveiled at Computex. The Rocker has a seven-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, 128MB flash memory, Wi-fi, Bluetooth, a webcam, and SD and MMC slots. Weighing just 343 grams, the battery runs for six hours on a single charge, and it runs Windows CE. Not too shabby, really. [Aving via JKK Mobile]

VLC Media Player Now Available For iPhone and iPod Touch

Sean Fallon — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:50:00 EDT

Thanks to Zottd, iPhone users can now port the popular VLC media player to their iPhone or iPod touch, making it possible to drag, drop and play MPEG/MPG, AVI and MP3 media formats. He is also in the process of researching playback for VCD, DivX, WMA, and WMV, and he notes that FLAC and OGG are coming soon. The project is currently in beta, but a public release is on its way. Naturally, you will need a jailbroken phone to take part in this awesomeness. [zottd via Macrumors]

The PoD: Poor Man's Media PC

Mark Wilson — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:10:00 EDT

Sure, most of us would love to stream the world's digital content through our televisions, but it can get pricey real quick when media centers get involved. "The PoD" by Verismo Networks is a $99 box that supports basically any format of video that you can throw at it (from internet Flash clips like YouTube to Windows DRM content like Amazon Unbox downloads).

The hardware itself looks a lot like a beefy router. Connecting to the internet without the aid of a computer, it will feature USB ports for flash memory storage along with S-Video and/or HDMI out (it doesn't sound like the final specs are nailed down just yet, honestly).

But Verismo is promising a ton of partnerships that could make the PoD a sort of one-stop media streamer for BitTorrent and paid downloads alike. Plus, the UI looks speedy and easy to use in this demo. We'll be keeping an eye out for sure. [Verismo Networks via newteevee]

Spirit of St Louis Boombox Gives Your iPod Retro Aviation Chic

Kit Eaton — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:50:00 EDT

Forget the boringly-plastic iPod boomboxes we've shown you before: I want one of these. It's in period aviation "Spirit of St Loius" style: wooden cabinet, shiny dials and satisfyingly chunky switches, meant to look like a WWII battlefield radio. Inside there's an iPod dock, CD player and AM-FM radio that's also an alarm clock. It's powered by 8 "D" batteries, so you can haul it along to picnics in the park, and measures 19 x 8.7 x 7.9-inches. The one drawback: its price is also satisfyingly chunky at $586. [Product via BBGadgets]

JBL Control Now Loudspeakers Run Circles Around Competition

Mark Wilson — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:45:00 EDT

JBL Control Now loudspeakers love donuts. Because since each speaker covers a 90-degree curve, four Control Nows can be assembled to make a donut. Or two can be combined to form a half-donut. (Of course, there's nothing stopping you from fitting together 3, but nobody wants a donut that someone's already taken a bite out of.) It may sound like a gimmick, but we can think of a few uses.

Each speaker by itself can fit perfectly into a corner (wall-to-wall or wall-to-ceiling) for an easy mounting. And two could make for a pretty interesting impromptu sound bar. Since each unit packs a tweeter and two woofers, the possible mixtures of stereo channel output offer some deal of flexibility beyond that whole "they stick together!" form factor. Look for the Control Now this month for $249 a pop. An outdoor version will be available for $30 more.

INTRODUCING JBL CONTROL NOW™ LOUDSPEAKERS:
UNIQUE INSTALLATION OPTIONS FOR MULTIPLE HOME APPLICATIONS

— 90 Degrees of Pure Ingenuity —

WOODBURY, NY — JBL, Inc., today announced the introduction of its JBL Control NOW™ indoor and JBL Control NOW AW outdoor high-performance loudspeakers. Both models feature a unique quarter-round shape that provides an unprecedented variety of installation possibilities, and incorporate innovative driver technologies to deliver clear, powerful and evenly distributed sound in any listening environment.

The all-new, uniquely versatile design of the JBL Control NOW loudspeakers enables them to be placed virtually anywhere — including areas where other speakers cannot be installed. The drivers are mounted behind a curved quarter-round front section, and the rear of the enclosure has three angled sections that enable the speakers to be corner-mounted between a ceiling and wall or between two walls. They can also be placed either horizontally or vertically on a shelf. The JBL Control NOW has a black finish, and the JBL Control NOW AW is available in a white finish.

Multiple JBL Control NOW speakers can be joined to create half-round, three-quarter-round, or fully round configurations, and they can be hung from a ceiling using an optional pole-mount bracket and standard ceiling-fan hardware. In addition, the speakers can be mounted with third-party stands, using included adapters.

When used in two-, three- or four-speaker arrays, the JBL Control NOW and JBL Control NOW AW can be configured for either single-channel or single-point stereo use, for maximum flexibility in a wide variety of home, multiroom, architectural and background-music applications, including in media rooms, kitchens, decks or patios — or wherever natural, accurate sound with a wide coverage area is desired.

Exclusive JBL® Technologies for Exceptional Sound, Anywhere

JBL Control NOW and JBL Control NOW AW loudspeakers are designed from the ground up to deliver outstanding sound quality in the most challenging installation applications.

Corner-mounting, and some multiunit speaker configurations, can have an adverse effect on frequency response across the listening area. To ensure accurate audio performance even in less-than-optimal acoustic situations, the loudspeakers feature a tweeter mounted in a patented JBL Bi-Radial® horn, and have a newly developed profile that has been optimized to minimize diffraction effects from room surfaces to deliver exceptionally smooth, wide frequency response. The speakers have constant-directivity dispersion when wall-mounted, and omnidirectional characteristics when corner-mounted or grouped in a four-speaker circular array.

The tweeter incorporates a 3/4-inch titanium-laminate diaphragm and a ferrofluid-cooled voice coil that is driven by a high-Gauss neodymium-boron-iron magnet, for high-power-handling capability, and outstanding resolution and transient response.

The tweeter is complemented by two 4-inch woofers that incorporate dual neodymium-boron-iron magnets, which completely surround the voice coil. The design of the woofer's motor structure and suspension was optimized using Finite Element Analysis (FEA), a computer-analysis technique that is used to model complex systems such as loudspeaker drivers by breaking their intricate multipart elements down into smaller pieces, predicting the behavior of these elements, and then combining the behavior of all the elements to arrive at an accurate analysis of the entire system. The use of FEA enabled JBL engineers to design a unique woofer that delivers increased output capability with minimal distortion, even at high volume levels, and provides additional sonic benefits.

To further refine their performance, the JBL Control NOW and JBL Control NOW AW feature enclosures and baffles made from a thermoplastic-composite material that contains both glass and mineral fill, which provides high rigidity and damping. The enclosure's mechanical design utilizes thick walls, cast-aluminum internal bracing and other refinements to minimize internal resonances and acoustical loss.

The JBL Control NOW loudspeakers are currently available at a suggested retail price of $249 each. The Control NOW AW will be available in late June 2008 at a suggested retail price of $279 each.

Apple's Back to School Deal Is All About the Benjamins and the 8GBs

AddyDugdale — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:30:00 EDT

As we reported yesterday, Apple's Back to School deal is up and running today, and this is what you get: a free 8GB Nano or 8GB iPod Touch after your rebate. Students or teachers using the deal will get $100 off a MacBook, $140 off an iMac, $200 off a MacBook Pro, and $230 off a MacBook Air. Back to School runs until September 15. [Apple Store]

MSI Wind Given 4.5 Out of Five By Laptop Magazine

AddyDugdale — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:15:00 EDT

"Good computing punch and excessive endurance" is Laptop magazine's verdict of the MSI Wind. The 500-buck UMPC was put through its paces by the team, who put together a bunch of pros and cons.

Among the UMPC's favorable features were its relatively big 10-inch screen, a fast boot time and a long battery life—over five hours, in fact. The reviewers also praised its comfortable keyboard and the one-touch TurboDrive CPU overclocking.

And so what, as Dylan fans might say, was blowing in the Wind? Not much—a single-bar mouse button, the below-average wireless throughput, and the limited tech-support hours which weren't toll-free either. This is how Laptop summed the ten-incher up:

If there were a Survivor: The Mini-Notebook series, and each of the ultra-low-cost notebooks were incrementally eliminated, the MSI Wind NB would be the one left standing. Unlike its competitors, the Wind NB offers the complete package, including an adult-size keyboard, a larger 10-inch screen, and a very capable Atom processor. This system's solid performance, stellar 5-plus hours of battery life, and $499 price make it the best all-around mini-notebook to date.

Tempted? [LAPTOP]

Gigabyte M912 Spotted, Photographed, Drooled Upon

Mark Wilson — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:20:00 EDT

We'll probably hear finalized details tomorrow when it's officially unveiled at Computex tomorrow, but here's the first shot of the Gigabyte M912. An 8.9" convertable touchscreen laptop packing an Atom processor, it's supposed to be another promising entrant to the lightweight, budget laptop ring. Hopefully we'll know just how budget Gigabyte means within the week. [engadget China via engadget]

Asus Photo Frame Lets You Use It As a Secondary Display

AddyDugdale — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 04:40:00 EDT

The UFOTO UF735, a digital photo frame from Asus, has another use than just holiday snaps: its sub-display function lets you hook it up to your computer and use it as a secondary display. The seven-inch hi-res (800 x 480) screen has 128MB of internal memory, a USB 2.0 port and earphone jack, and supports CF/SD/MMC/MS/xD memory cars and USB Flash Drive. Available in pink, blue and silver, there's no indication on pricing or availability just yet. [Akihbara News]

iHome Alarm Clock Rotates Because It Can

Mark Wilson — Fri, 30 May 2008 18:30:00 EDT

While the iPod touch is capable of rotating to tweak the video aspect ratio, most docks make you choose one way or the other. But the iHome iH41B dock will actually rotate with your iPod, and its digital clock display will adjust to match. For those of you who just own standard iPods, the iH41B is still compatible. So fulfill all those dreams of docking your MP3 player at a 90-degree angle. And never let someone tell you that you can't do something again. [iHome via Crunchgear]

iRiver Spinn Analog PMP Gets UK Release Date

Jason Chen — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:50:00 EDT

The iRiver Spinn, which we saw back at CES, is finally getting a release date. It'll be available in August in the UK in 4, 8 and 16GB models. It'll have Flash support plus a 3D graphics chip to give its UI a little more flashiness, but its analog controls will still be present, as will its 3.2-inch 480x272 screen. No US date yet, but the fact that it was shown at CES makes us believe there's a US release due some time. If not, there's always Fedex. [Crave UK]

This Skinny BenQ T850 Packs a Fat Touch Screen

Mark Wilson — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:10:00 EDT

BenQ's gear is usually pretty standard stuff, but the new T850 is pushing the envelope a bit. Claiming to be the world's thinnest 8MP camera at 14.9 millimeters thin, it also manages to squeeze in a large 3-inch LCD display. But the neatest part is that after you take shots with up to 3X zoom and 1600 ISO, you can tap, circle and swipe your way through the photos. I'm not quite convinced that touchscreens are needed in a well-designed point-and-shoot, but as long as the controls are optional, it's certainly not hurting anyone. No word on price yet. [BenQ via Crave]

PSP Plays Better With DualShock

Mark Wilson — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:30:00 EDT

The PSP controls are not horrible—though that analog nub leaves something to be desired—but the DualShock is a far more comfortable controller. Now the fine citizens at AcidMods have hacked the PSP hardware to work with the DualShock. Requiring no changes to the firmware, all functions but the brightness and volume are mapped to the controller. And it seems to work perfectly:

Maybe the best part is that the right analog stick has been mapped with the D-Pad buttons. So while it's still not quite perfect for an FPS, it feels better than the alternative. Damn I wish the PSP had two analog sticks. [acidmods]