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AudioTechnica has a number of 40mm headphones coming out, the most impressive of which is the “ATH-T44.” At 5,200 yen, the T44s provide a decent frequency response from as low as 18Hz to as high as 23kHz. They have a thing called the “Quick Headband Mechanism” for adjusting their position on your head, by locking…
Sanyo Electric Corporation announced on the 8th that they have a new CEO coming in, named Tomoyo Nonaka. This is a significant move for the company as she is replacing Toshimasa Iue, grandson of Sanyo founder Toshio Iue. Tomoyo Nonaka is female. I wouldn’t really bother to point this out in fear of all the…
SCEA reports the PSP sold over 500,000 units in its first two days over here, saying it was “everything [they] hoped for.” We’ve heard plenty of complaints about dead pixels, though, so a sizeable portion of those 500,000 are probably going right back to where they came from. Still, 500,000 units sold translate into $150…
KDDI presents the “W21CAII,” an update to the “W21CA.” What was updated? I’m having a hard time finding out — the press release makes a big deal out of this “PC Site Viewer,” a version of Opera for viewing normal web sites on mobile phones, but the W21CA already had that. The camera and screen…
Panasonic’s new disposable batteries, called ‘Oxyride,’ look fantastic. PC World tested some and got over twice as battery life over a set of Duracell Ultras, which coincidentally enough cost exactly the same. It sounds like we’ve got a new favorite battery. (Thanks, Gordon!) New Batteries: Twice the Life [PCWorld] Update: Come on, hippies, I’m not…
M-Audio’s new iControl (info in German at M-Audio; English analysis at createdigitalmusic) is hardware for controlling Apple’s GarageBand music software. It’s designed just for GarageBand, down to the fake wood-paneled sides of Apple’s interface. Buttons let you set up playback and recording, a big jog wheel and transport controls lets you move around your song…
Good morning, internet friends. I’ve come to enjoy waking up to Gawker Media’s server being hosed—it’s like a cyber-space snooze button. Now, sadly, they live again, and news we must. If I wanted to sleep in all the time, I might consider working for Sony, who has patented the concept of beaming ultrasonic signals into…
Roomba is making something that isn’t a vacuum, to be introduced this year: “It’s going to happen this year. You’ll see something new from iRobot that’s not a vacuum,” said Colin Angle, chief executive and co-founder of iRobot. “We’re pretty excited about it.” The new robot likely will leverage technology from the Roomba for a…
Although sadly never making it to full service, the Multipurpose Security and Surveillance Mission Platform (MSSMP) clearly had a lot to offer. In addition to a cruising speed of 80 knots, a three hour operation time, and an 8,000-foot ceiling, it was also shaped like a flying saucer, scientifically proven to be the shape most…
JVC will introduce a few new rear projection TVs for the Japanese market, under the “Big Screen EXE” brand. The 61″ “HD-61MD60″ will cost 787,500 yen, and the 51″ 682,500 yen. They do appear to have some nice specs, such as a 700cd/m2 brightness on the 52 inch. But they’re being marketed based on a…
It was only yesterday that Sony’s NW-HD5 was officially announced in Japan, and it seems the company has already managed to convert the Sony Building into a giant promotion for the Network Walkman line, called “Walkman Records.” This marks a first for Sony, as their domestic (Japanese) Walkman campaigns typically revolved around MiniDisc (and for…
Thanko’s new “iCombi Wireless Stereo Headset” is a package deal with headphones and Bluetooth adapter for most modern flavors of iPod (except Shuffle). Compatible with 2nd, 3rd, 4th, photo and mini iterations of “everyone’s favorite audio player,” the iCombi headphones feature pause, skip and a couple other buttons. The lithium ion battery inside the headphones…
At the Intel Developer Forum Japan 2005, a couple companies conducted demonstrations of an interesting new technology — Wireless USB. The fun part about Wireless USB is the transfer rate, with the same maximum 480Mbps speed as USB 2.0. Add to this the fact that existing USB 2.0 products can be converted to Wireless USB…
After a grueling trek to find a temple hidden deep in Nepal, you arrive and notice your USB flash memory has been damaged. “Damn!” You think. “How am I going to transfer this warezed copy of Doom 3 to the monks?” You should have purchased a water and shockproof USB flash drive such as this…
A Baltimore man tried to pay for a Best Buy car stereo installation with $2 bills—and was arrested. Apparently the man was already upset with the Best Buy’s service, so thought he’d stage a minor protest by using the uncommon currency: “I’m just here to pay the bill,” Bolesta says he told a cashier. “She…
Nokia is launching this pretty new phone, the 8801, to be available in markets by the third quarter. The metal and reinforced glass handset has decent, but not groundbreaking technical features, including Bluetooth and an MP3/AAC music player (it’s pretty much the typical Nokia spread). The phone will also been known as the 8801 is…
The Post It Lamp is great. Why ship a lamp in bulky packaging when you can make a lamp from the packaging itself? Pop open the tube, flip out clip and roll-out shade, and unfurl the cord. The lamp base will still have the stamps and your address on it, but that’s even better. It’s…
This isn’t so useful for most of us, since it uses a Korean-standard phone plug, but it’s a neat idea all the same. The Mvolt-200 isn’t just a USB memory stick—it doubles as a emergancy cell phone recharger. Manufacturer Wigobyte isn’t making the Mvolt-200 yet, anyway, but is currently looking for distributers for which it…
The Sharp Zaurus may no longer be with us, but that might not be all bad, since the hack-ready Archos PMA 430 is getting very decent reviews. It’s a portable video device first like the AV420 before, but adding in a touch-screen interface and the same Qtopia Linux-based environment of the Zaurus. That means it’s…
We don’t normally get down to motherboards around here, mostly because there are dozens of web sites who live for that sort of thing and could tell you the difference between a resistor and a capacitor (hint: both respond poorly to gunfire). The new ECS RS480-M is an exception, packing the new ATI RS480 chipset,…