Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
Vizio’s been awfully busy since we last heard from them, updating three product lines with a total of 31 new HDTVs. The XVT series are more high-end, the M series is more about style, and the E is eco-friendly. The XVT line will use some new Vizio tech to get the sharpest picture possible, including…
Nothing about the hardware Panasonic’s new camcorders is going to do much to liven ye olde pantaloons, and that’s fine. The HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 aren’t meant to be cutting edge. Instead, they’re cheap—under $600—and super-light, at just .5lbs. It’s a smart strategy, since consumer-grade 1080p camcorders, like point-and-shoot cameras, are hugely common and rarely differentiated…
Whoa, hey, Opera has just posted download links for the beta release of Opera Mobile 9.7, the server-side accelerated, Flash-friendly update to their flagship mobile browser. Let’s see how it is, shall we? Opera plainly states in the release notes that this is an early build of the browser, which means a few features are…
The Micro Four Thirds lens standard has birthed some decent mini-DSLR-style cameras, but its true, unfulfilled potential lies with compact, Rangefinder-esque hardware. The E-P1, Olympus’s modern take on its classic Pen SLR, is exactly what we had in mind. https://gizmodo.com/olympus-please-turn-the-vintage-pen-f-into-the-micro-f-5196926 All we’ve really got here are a few leaked photos—no specs, no price, no possible…
One year ago, the Newton “Virus” for OS X dismantled Mac users’ desktops on video, subjecting icons and menu bars alike to the merciless force of gravity. Now, finally, you can download your own copy of this erstwhile art project. https://gizmodo.com/plug-n-play-usb-virus-makes-macbooks-fall-to-pieces-363490 Well, more accurately, buy: the Newton Virus—which, for those of you who still aren’t…
Sony’s X-Series Walkman fares well in a straightforward spec war, but PMP hardware is becoming less important than software and apps, such that Sony—and others—may have to change their tack. Some analysts say they’ve already started—with Android. The reports comes from Impress Watch, who says the company is working on an Android PMP, and possibly…
A guy named John has changed his first generation iPhone for a new Palm Pre. Nothing bad or weird about that. Until he took a steel hammer out of his toolbox: Then—for some unknown reason—he smashed his iPhone with it. Click to viewWhy anyone would do this stupidity, instead of selling or giving the old…
With Apple’s World Wide Developer’s Conference tomorrow, Snow Leopard is closer than ever to release. Catch up on what makes the cat purr with this quick guide. For one thing, the general purpose computing on graphics processor chips (GPGPU for short) could very well melt your entire face off into a puddle of pathetic all…
John Gruber of Daring Fireball, certainly no stranger on this site to iPhone news, rumors and speculation, is positive tomorrow’s event will feature an “iPhone 3GS”. What does S stand for? Don’t ask. He doesn’t have a clue. What he does think he has a clue about is pretty much everything else that will pop…
As was the case with the DS Lite and DSi, when the PSP Go arrives in October it will come with a variety of new accessories that are not compatible with the handheld’s previous incarnation. With the DS Lite, for comparison’s sake, the AC adapter had a different proprietary connector, which was a nuisance if…
There are reports this evening from at least two Palm Pre forums of a screen distortion issue affecting the recently launched smartphone. While the overall issue has not yet been acknowledged by Palm, so far today there are eight pages of discussion over at the Precentral forums, where most of the affected users report similar…
Take a couple of steaks, add just a dash of Sith and pepper, and throw them on this Death Star grill for a simple feast sure to please even the most demanding of dark lords. Seriously, many Webber grills died to bring us this information today. Like, two of them. The designer admits this isn’t…
The Swedish Pirate Party—Piratpartiet—has got a seat in the European Union parlament. The ballots are still being counted—almost done now—but with 7.1% of the votes, it’s a sure thing. Aaaaaaaarrrrr is all I can say. [Results]
Five independent App Store developers, stymied by the prospect of big publishers entering the space, have banded together to form a games seal of quality called App Treasures that they hope will protect their business from heavy hitters like EA. According to Kotaku, the five devs are Imangi, The Blimp Pilots, Snappy Touch, Streaming Colour…
In addition to its gecko-like grip, the latest Palm Pre touchstone super power is the ability to squeeze $5 worth of components into a $70 price tag. https://gizmodo.com/pre-touchstone-chargers-got-special-powers-too-5280936 We kid the Pre, honestly, because as other sites have already noted today, many electronics companies have been taking bargain bin components, adding a slick coat of…
Tonight, on your local news at 11: Area man shocked slightly after wandering into surf while wearing his new metal detector shoes. It could happen, is all I’m saying, as these $60 gems from Hammacher Schlemmer contain a 9-volt battery and plenty of copper wire. The anklet pack vibrates, flashes or buzzes when you walk…
In case you still had any doubts, here’s the definitive proof: The screenshot of the videoconferencing iPhone is just a doctored screen which uses the bottom menu of the Skype application (Skype icon conveniently obscured by the lamesite’s watermark). https://gizmodo.com/is-this-really-the-iphone-3g-2009-5282034 A MacRumors’ forum member also claims that he created the other front-facing camera image. As…
In yet another one of our new mobile app roundups, we’ve taken a reckless swan dive into the vast, burbling ocean of Windows Mobile software. Mozilla’s Fennec browser goes for a test run, VLC gets a remote, and more. https://gizmodo.com/the-month-in-android-apps-grey-cupcakes-have-delicious-5273233 It might’ve been hard to tell through the thick fog of Palm Pre coverage, but…
The Trek Yourself widget allows Trekkies to literally turn into their favorite characters simply by uploading a photo. Transform into a Vulcan, Captain, Romulan or Starfleet Officer and then share it with your friends. Click through to Trek Yourself and see one of our own get Trekked!
The Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 spyshots we saw earlier this month got a little more meaty today as someone has allegedly leaked the mobile’s official specifications. https://gizmodo.com/rumored-sony-ericsson-xperia-x2-spy-shots-surface-5278214 The specs present a slight increase over the pricey Xperia X1. Here they are from the mobile-review forums: * 8.1mpx auto focus, VGA @ 30fps (MP4 HQ) *…
