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Freeplay is adding a new flashlight to their lineup, called the ‘Jonta,’ that will shine for 10 minutes on just 30 seconds of cranking—or 24 hours with 40 minutes of cranking. Or, alternately, just plug it into the wall—an AC adapter is included. Even better, it’s an LED-based torch, meaning its far more difficult to…
iRiver fan site Mistic River has posted this image of what they believe is the upcoming iRiver H10, a 5GB hard disk-based player with a 1.5-inch color screen and FM radio. Looks like a Creative Zen Touch, just at a smaller size. Apple has done a good job shutting people out of the circular interface.…
Smoking is nasty, but smoking next to your computer is ever nastier—there are million little crannies for smoke and tar to get stuck in and discolor. But if you’ve got a long walk to a window or something (which for smokers means greater-than eight feet, as a rule), you might think about investing in this…
NHJ Japan has upgraded its Digital Jukebox to include a 5GB hard drive, also upping the model number to VHD-5000. Otherwise, it’s mostly the same unit as before, still capable of playing OGG Vorbis and loading over USB 2.0. It’s about 280 bucks, though, so this Japan-only player may have middling success compared to other…
I could not be more white—albinos call me ‘cracker.’ Until I get into the sun, that is, when I flash to a ruddy hot pink, deepening to a festering, full-body boil. It’s obvious, then, that I would be intrigued by this development by a Australian company’s new laundry detergent ‘Radiant 3 in 1 Colour Care’…
Two designers have made these warning cards for obnoxious cell phone users, available in convenient PDF download-and-cut-out form. It’s a good way to make it clear to people they’re talking too loudly, and a good way to eventually get into a good, American fist-fight. Then someone can hand you a card that explains why they…
T-Mobile started their Ringback Tones offering—the ability to play custom bits of music or comedy clips (ach!) instead of a standard ring when someone calls your phone. This is what the person calling you hears, not your own Battle Hymn of the Retarded that plays every time your mom calls to remind you to it’s…
Is an email from a company PR man that just reads “check this out!” and includes a picture of their product an attempt to be sly or just the output of someone else cursed with terminal laziness? After checking out the product, I’m going to go with the latter, as this Bluebroc C-Station set off…
I was supposed to get one of these Nextlink Bluespoon AX Bluetooth headsets in to review, but something happened and it never showed. No problem, in this case—I’ll probably just buy one, even without trying it out. Bluetooth headsets are great in concept, but historically all the best-performing ones have been embarrassingly large—too large to…
Roku Labs has a new SoundBridge streaming media player called the M500, to be sold exclusively at Radio Shack (‘Making a token gesture towards our original mission since 1987’) until the end of the year. The M500 can do most everything its larger siblings can, including streaming WMA (included restricted), AAC (not restricted), and MP3…
When it comes to portable audio players, the difference between Apple and Archos is sort of like the difference between OSX and Linux. Both are powerful, but one hides or strips out its less-used features for the sake of approachability, while the other just lets it all hang out, even when it might make the…
Available in both “Orange” and “Blue” variations, here are Japan’s first smartphones with Windows Mobile, and were developed by KDDI. The “Orange” and “Blue” don’t refer to just the color variations, either—there are actually a couple functionality variations. While Orange supports communications standards such as CDMA, 802.11b, Bluetooth and so forth, Blue primarily revolves around…
I don’t have much in the way of details, but these two new Porsche-designed radios from Eton look nice, don’t they? The rightmost is clearly an XM model (Eton is also supposed to launch and XM/FM/Shortwave radio in the near future, as well). I’m having a hard time confirming any more details, though, because these…
Many people are calling it curtains for Palm today, as PalmSource announces they’ve acquired China MobileSoft and will be porting PalmOS to run as a software layer on top of embedded Linux. The details aren’t very firm at the moment, and one must wonder what the real story is rather than the rosy, forward-looking press…
Underwater photography appeals to me on a level similar to astrophotography: revealing the typically unseen through the lens of a camera. It’s surprisingly easy to get started, too—all you need is a digital camera with an underwater case (and the ability to breathe underwater). The Star Online has a entertaining article detailing what is required,…
Gah, my head asplode. The DVD Copy Control Association (DVD CCA) is suing a company called Kaleidescape that makes a high-end DVD jukebox for home movies, despite the fact that the DVD CCA has already sold Kaleidescape a license. It’s insane, but let me try to explain it a bit. Kaleidescape makes a DVD jukebox…
Sister site Jalopnik has some pics of this Volkswagen Westfalia concept from Canadian design firm Verdier et Collaborateurs that will be shown off (presumably in real space) at the Detroit Auto Show next month. It’s not just slick-looking from the outside, but transforms into a portable living space even more advanced than the trusty Westfalia…
Nothing could be less exciting than a voice recorder, I know, but I thought these Sharp PA-VR10 had a certain something. And before you try to nail me for only liking them for their whitebread iPod ways, let me point out what I really like is the transparent recessed plastic around the screen—I think that…
We’ve heard of a heap of Chinese offerings from NEC, but these new phones are some of the first to leave Japan not bound for a Communist nation or the West—the “e238” and “e101” were both set upon the Malaysian cell phone market yesterday. Supporting both GSM and GPRS networks, the two phones share the…
Trusted Reviews take out the Elonex Soliton Safari semi-ruggedized laptop for a spin and it looks like quite an interesting machine—not one I’d buy, mind you, but one with an intriguing mid-way point between heavy, bulky, fully-ruggedized battle laptops and more attractive, luggable units. The Safari is Mil-Spec 810E—that means you can drop it two…