Jay Garrett’s Gadget News

Hope that you’ve had a good break.
I’m suitably full of food and alcohol and will resume my updating of news once my tour of the Midlands and Yorkshire has been completed.
Happy Holidays!*
*Legal Disclaimer
This statement of good wishes (”Greeting”) from me (”Sender”) is intended to be generic in nature. “Holiday” is intentionally left an undefined term. [...]

Is it already 20 years?! Canon shipped the first film-based EOS 650 AF SLR in 1987, and although the industry has undergone some huge changes since then, the EOS line remains as strong as ever.
Canon announced today that it has now shipped over 30 million EOS cameras, and over 10 million digital EOS [...]

Samsung have just released the latest version of their UMPC. 
The Samsung Q1 Ultra HSDPA - Unlike the original Q1 and Q1 Ultra, this new model lets you jump on the interweb anywhere that there is a mobile phone signal.
Samsung calls it ‘Samsung Broadband Access’, but the service is actually provided courtesy of an HSDPA-enabled SIM card which is stowed [...]

If, like my bro, you are on 3 or the T Mobile network then 3G is going to be even better for you lucky lot!
They have both signed an agreement allowing users to access either network for 3G connectivity. By 2010, HSDPA will also be rolled out nationwide.
According to 3 and T-Mobile, this will be [...]

Do you long for the day when you have to look up to be eye to tweeter?  Dream of having to stand on a chair to clean the top  of your living room speakers?
Then the Anthony Gallo Acoustics‘ Nucleus Reference 5LS are for you.  The stats start quite normal at 7-inches wide, 11-inches deep but then things get silly [...]

Gizmodo have got a bit of an exclusive it seems.
This is apparently the first shot of a prototype Google Android out “in the wild” and if it is it could be quite a scoop.
It seems to be pretty close to the “spy shots” that have graced many a website and blog over the past few [...]

The BBC iPlayer is now available in a Flash version so now it doesn’t matter if your puter works in Windows or not!  It also looks pretty :0) 
With BBC iPlayer you can catch up with the programmes from the past seven days you’ve missed or want to watch again by playing them direct on the [...]

Mobiblu, renowned for their cuboid mp3 players, have released yet another; but this one comes flat packed so that it can either be in cruciform or built up to the more familiar Mobiblu cube-shape.
So, if you’re walking the streets at night listening to some phat choonz when suddenly a vampire appears - no problems.  Whip out the [...]

Here’s either a brilliant idea or just a totally weird one.
I’ve been known to be a bit precious with some of my tech and especially with my CD and Vinyl collection but I’ve never got to the stage where I’d snap on latex gloves before touching an album or picking up a UMD.
PhoneFingers, on the [...]

Flickr has been tweaking again!!
If you go and click the new ‘edit photo’ link above each image you will be prompted to hook-up with Picnik.  You then get a selection of options that enables you to mess around with your pic online.
As well as resizing and cropping options, you can use sliders to alter exposure, contrast, sharpening and assorted levels.
Premium options [...]

I’m throwing a little gathering at my place next week and have been musing over what, if I had the cash, would I have to make the party a little better using gadgets and gizmos that I’ve spotted over the last year or so.
Sure, I have a decent Hi-Fi set up, the tele needs updating, I [...]

Those who know me know the fact that I love cars. Nice, well designed cars that have been created through passion and not just wind-tunnels and auto-cad. And, if you know me, you know that I have long promised myself an Aston Martin (I have ‘my’ Vanquish already designed and ready - [...]

This 18” radio control interactive DALEK responds to spoken commands as well as having traditional radio control functions.
With independent head, body and eye movement as well as multiple sensory inputs including touch, it actually lives up to it’s self-tagged title of ‘supreme being in the universe’.
The DALEK has several modes including voice programmable movement, ‘Seek [...]

This is quite a handy bit of kit for the recording artist/producer on the go.  It’s roughly the size of a typical USB flash drive but the Digidesign Mbox 2 Micro offers high-quality 24-bit / 48 kHz sound, a 1/8-inch stereo output for headphone or speaker monitoring and a volume wheel, providing you with the freedom of true editing, [...]

On my regular visit to Yanko Design I saw this interesting USB block of ‘choc’.  Although non-edible it looks quite a handy tool to me. 
You can navigate via a touch screen on the hard-drive central bar to organise the files on each block and then take the relevant bite-sized bit away with you.

Personally, I like the idea and [...]

This may provide a well needed boost to HMV as it heads in the same direction as the once beautiful Fopp. 
Dell have decided that their once ‘Online Only’ sales may benefit from having a highstreet presence - and for this they have chosen music retailer HMV. 
Dell’s XPS-branded machines will take centre-stage in dedicated gaming areas [...]

The Former Microsoft Game Studios VP, Ed Fries, has partnered up with World of Warcraft publisher Blizzard Entertainment to create 3D statues of individual characters played in the game.  Yeah, the character that you’ve designed can actually sit on your shelf and watch you play!
This service is called FigurePrints and will cost you around £50 for the priviledge [...]

Here are a few designs of toys that, if we all hassle Lucas and co should get made dammit!
The brains behind these toys is fellow Londoner McMorran.
“So, what else is there after the destroyed ‘Moisture Farm Playset’?” I hear you scream….  Well you need the charred remains of Luke’s Aunt and Uncle for a start [...]

MGM has signed a deal with Orange to allow their films to be downloaded in a video on demand (VOD) stylee.
Orange customers will be able to download the films, with prices starting at 1 Euro, to their PC or on special set-top boxes. The license lasts for 24 hours and in that time you can watch it as [...]

Another nail in the coffin for correct English or just the evolution of a living language?  
Woot, sorry, w00t, has been voted the ‘Word of the Year’. 
If you’re not familiar with this word it is used in the parlance of online gamers and those that use various online messenging services. 
The expression “w00t” is utilisied to express triumph.  
Visitors to Merriam-Webster’s [...]