Samsung is bringing sexy to Blu-ray!
Check out this latest BD-Live Blu-ray deck and tell me that design isn’t top of Sammy’s list!
This is a wall-mountable 1.5-inch thin spinner and is named the BD-P4600.
In it’s designer clothes it’ll also graft - it can stream both Netflix and Pandora.
It’ll even handle Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD HR/MA decoding and audio bitstream output.
Available the first half of 2009 but no price news as yet.
Finally.
We get to know what all this Stem Cell Computing stuff is about.
Creative’s rumored offshoot, ZiiLabs was revealed at CES to be a media-application processor developer with a very slick system-on-a-chip.
This one for developers and manufacturers to get excited about and us consumers to wait and see what becomes of it.
I’m slightly disappointed as the ”StemCell Computing” hook got me thinking more about organic computing or at least a bit of kit that could also cure diseases and perhaps aid home cloning.
Creative do seem quite smug with thier new chip, the ZiiLABS ZMS-05 SoC, which comes out of the acquisition of the company formerly known as 3DLabs.
We should see Zii-powered electronics pretty sharpish as the Zii press release promises a “complete, powerful and energy efficient platform with a very rapid time-to-market.”
Other big claims are that the technology allows “virtually unlimited chaining” to form “a state-of-the- art ‘hypercomputer’ with many petaflops of processing power…100 times smaller, 100 times greener and 100 times lower cost than conventional super computers.”
All that’s left is to await some Zii-gadgets and get them tested.
So, remember to send the Zii-stuff to me please 
Fancy an Android powered iPod Touch?
You know; something thin, with over four inches of touchscreen in a mini tablet form?
Well, here you are! 
This is the Giinii Movit Mini.
It could actually almost be an iPhone challenger but it’s lacking the actual mobile phone bit, but it is Android so there’s VoIP to take care of that side of things….
…and don’t forget - that also means no tarrif and 18 month contract to deal with
The soft keyboard seems pretty good from what I can see with a decent layout and a size that real manly men can use.
Apparently the resistive touchscreen was a let down as it lacked responsiveness meaning that it was hard to push buttons and an effort to scroll more than once.
Saying that; we have to remember that it is still at the prototype stage and these are things that could be ironed out.
I think that this has a lot of promise and at the possible price of $149 it could be a winner.
It’s all official now people!
Sony has now taken the wraps off their new ultra compact laptop packing built-in GPS for added satnav sweetness. 3G broadband, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth being the hook-up options.
Yup, the Sony VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC notebook is launching in February, featuring that 8-inch ultra wide LCD screen and weighs in at just 1.4 pounds.
It will be available in garnet red, emerald green, onyx black, crystal white and classic black.
It’s nice - but don’t you think it’s a tad expensive at its £849 starting price?
There has been the promise of wireless charging for a few years now and there has been plenty of companies demo’ing such things.
But the reality of charging your gadgets wirelessly could almost be here!
Powermat reckons it will have docks capable of charging three devices at once and sleeves for common gadgets available by the summer. The technology is based on magnetic induction, and is claimed to be over 90 per cent efficent.
It’s crunch-friendly as well for new tech.
The charger will initially cost $100 in the US, with adaptors priced at $29.99.
WowWee just loves bots that can spy on folk.
Now there’s a new one and it goes by the unsneaky name of Spyball.
This spherical snooper is designed to roll around before popping out a webcam to beam live pictures over the web (MWAHAhahahahaahh!).
Like other offerings from WowWee the Spyball can be controlled from any web connected PC, and can also connect to any local PC, games console or even mobile phone.
It’s packed with Wi-Fi so once hooked up to your network it’s ready to snap stills or moving pictures.
As well as rolling around, it’ll manage 360-degree turns too - and it’s a stealthy little blighter as it moves around hardly making a sound.
So, whether you want to make sure that your partner has actually put the dinner on, spy on the kids or just wanna scare the cat when your bored at work I reckon Spyball will suit all occassions
We’ve all seen multi-screened laptops before, but Asus has topped that by going the same route as their latest keyboard and have gone and squeezed two whole computers into one laptop!
The M50 concept houses 2 puters with separate processors and storage but one battery.
There’s the usual full size screen for the more powerful uses, while the smaller part of this machine’s split personality is displayed on a 4.3inch widescreen where a trackpad would normally be.
Asus is calling the laptop an “instant internet device” and I kinda get where they’re coming from.
You can jump online, check emails and send text messages from the quick booting small computer. You can also go through your usual widgets (Calendar etc).
I’m not entirely clear just how powerful the smaller computer will be, but it comes into its own by minimising processing and battery drain when playing videos or displaying pictures - you’ll be able to watch videos for 12 hours on the full size screen from just a single charge.
If and when more info comes to light I’ll be sure to let you know
A mini puter shoved inside a keyboard?
That’s what Asus seems to have acheived with their latest typepad.
The standard keyboard that comes with the Eee Top is real nice to use but this wireless offering with a 5-inch touch panel, solid state drive, Wi-Fi, ethernet and connectivity for just about every screen around the house is something else.
That 5-inch touchscreen can be used for shortcuts, media browsing and use as a virtual mouse.
As this is just a prototype at the moment, ASUS were cagey about its potential for market availability but here’s hoping that this kind of ‘all in one’ appears soon
Here’s a bit of news that will make quite a few people happy, especially my bro - who’s getting a guitar soon so he and his daughter can learn to play
Apple has unveiled a new version of Garageband that, as well as adding some new features, includes the option for users to actually learn an instrument or song from within the application!
Best of all, this tuition comes direct from the artist who recorded it.
Garageband will be bundled with nine basic lessons for guitar and piano, but you’ll be able to hop online and download more.
You can also get those special lessons from celebs including John Fogerty, Fallout Boy and Sting.
These lessons are beamed to your rehearsal space/kitchen in the form of high quality High Def videos of the artist talking you through the process.
No pants, dry text or boring lecture here folks!
I think that this is an incredibly cool move as quite a number of people are getting interested in playing an actual instrument after having a giggle on Guitar Hero et al.
And let’s face it; it’s also an extra revenue stream for Apple.
Each lesson will cost $4.99, or around £3.50.
I’m all for it but what do you think?
You could have a normal wireless network with the router hidden away behind the tele (like me) or stuffed behind a desk or you can show it off proudly…..
Wha?
You see, if you happened to have a D-Link Xtreme N DIR-685 you get the 802.11n Wi-Fi router but it also doubles as a digi frame and networked attached storage (NAS).
The unit sits upright, showing off digital photos, streaming video and weather on its 3.2-inch LCD screen out front while there’s a bunch of ports round back for printer sharing and the likes - to be honest, anything with a USB probably.
Those interested in networked storage can squeeze in a 2.5″ hard drive for sharing files over the network or just downloading (legal) BitTorrenty goodness.
As per - there’s no release or pricing mentioned at the moment but………..I WANT!
It seems to have been longer than the 6 months that it actually has been since I got word that Sling Media was going to bring their SlingPlayer to the iPhone 3G.
But it’s here and has been demo’d at Macworld and the plan is to release the final version to the public in the next three months.
Like SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Mobile, Palm, Symbian, UIQ, and BlackBerry platforms, this iPhone version will let you access one or more Slingboxes from your mobile device and then you can watch your TV stations on-the-go.
You’ll also be able to manage your PVR from the iPhone as well as adding and removing fave channels via your phone.
That’s a first for the SlingPlayer Mobile line of software.
They’ve even utilised the touch screen of the 3Gesus Phone so that swiping the screen horizontally advances you through favourite stations, and flicking up and down rotates through all your home channels.
SlingPlayer should appear in the iTunes AppStore by the end of the March.
Expect it to cost around $29.99 which is the going rate for the lifetime fee of SlingPlayer Mobile on other platforms.
If that’s too much just remember OrbLive delivers live TV and media stored on your PC for $10.
Easy tiger!
Seems that Canon couldn’t wait and started before the ‘B’ in ‘Bang!’
They’ve only gone and unveiled a plethora of HD Cams ahead of the CES tomorrow.
The camera company has slipped out no less than five brand spanking new HD VIXIA ‘corders with specs and all.
They read pretty impressive too - upping megapixels and memory.
You can get all the nitty gritty via the link at the bottom.
Head Prefects are the HVS10 and S100 (pictured), who seem to be able to master all with full HD 8.59 megapixel CMOS sensors, face detection tech and 8MP still shots so you don’t have to drag your compact with you.
The difference between these two swots is that as the S10 packs 32GB of internal flash memory, the 100 comes sans storage, so you’ll have to shell out for an SD card of your own.
If you like your long distance wild-life shooting, or you’re a celeb stalker (same difference aint it?) then the HF20 and HF200 will be more up your ally.
They both come equipped with Canon’s 15x HD Video Lens.
The HV40 HDV is ideal for film making purists as it shoots at a native 24 frames per second, just like those Hollywood movie-maker types use.
The only things that Canon hasn’t let out of the bag prematurely is the pricing but I’m guessing that and the availabilty will be left for the CES.
Canon Press Release
Don’t be calling it a Netbook, oh no!
This is an “Entertainment Laptop” baby.
But then with a size of just 12.1 inches, a thickness of less than an inch and a weight of just 3.8 pounds (1.7kg), I’m sure that it’s just as luggable as any budget mobile computing offering.
But there are a few differences with the dv2 over those Netbooks:
Powered by the new AMD 1.6GHz Athlon Neo MV-40 processor, the dv2 offers up an ATI Mobility Radeon HD3410 graphics chip, 4GB of memory, 500GB of storage, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, an integrated webcam and 64 bit Vista Home Premium (nope, no XP here people) for the OS.
And, what about that external Blu-ray player and some HDMI out connectivity thrown in by those people at HP? - so you’re also getting a high-def movie player to boot!
I know what you’re thinking now.
It’s gonna hurt your wallet?
If I said that if the price stays similar to the HP US price, we’d be talking around the £475 mark.
You still want that Sony Pocket?
Now, looking at these headphones from Psyko Audio I can tell that these aren’t for the daily commute - unless you’re one of those irritating people on the tube that insist in sharing their crappy, tinny selection of tunes with everyone in the carriage!
So, what is this thing all about?
Well, most of us enjoy that surround sound vibe and this is the headgear version of 5.1.
As you can see by the second diagram Psyko places the speakers in precise locations apparently to create the correct timing and volume differences to both ears just like sounds in a room around you.
Yup, they’re recreating a room around your head with a stack of speakers wherever they can fit them.
There are little “waveguides” that will some-how direct all the front sounds to flow past the front of your ears, and all the rear sounds to flow past the rear of your ears.
They also let you choose whether you want closed or vented ear cups and they tout the comfort of the headset but I can’t help but think that all those speakers are going to add some bulk.
They cost $300 which is steep for a set of cans but if you were looking to buy a 5.1 system and have no friends to share the audio with then they may just be worth it.
Looking at the testimonials there’s a bunch of gamers that seem to like them and judging by the mic I’m guessing that’s who these things are aimed at.
Soo Loos.
Wasn’t she the pig botherer on that ‘celebrity’ reality farm thingy?
Never mind.
This Sooloos is prepared to drag you away from your Sonos media hub.
After getting the details I have to admit I’m adding this system to my ‘If I Had The Cash I’d Buy One’ list.
Sooloos has matched a great server interface with ear-loving compression free audio. Yup, all of your music is stored at optimum-quality Flac for playback through your hi-fi.
You can tell the market that this aimed at when you discover that the system can be sent to 100 rooms (or you can give all your neighbours a treat in the highrise!).
Sooloos are a helpful bunch as they even offer to preload your system with the first 2500 CDs in your collection for free so once you’re hooked up you can play - to add to that the system will also make a 192kbps MP3 file of the same tunes for transferring to your iPod.
Nice
The Control:One control hub looks pretty clean and intuative and centres around the 17in touchpanel that displays all you need to drive the system. It is also the point that houses the CD drive for ripping discs.
You can also port the interface on to your iPod Touch or iPhone!
Control:One links via Ethernet to Source:One which is pretty much the preamp and hooks up to your hi-fi like a seperate CD player, etc.
Then there’s the bit where all of your tunes live. Store:One.
It looks like it is advised that you have 2 of these: One for the choonz and the other as a backup.
The storage seems to come in 1TB chunks which is able to hold 2500 albums in Flac.
Up to 3TB can be installed in each mirrored pair (7200 albums in total) and you can continue to add Store:Ones.
As you can imagine this is not budgety basement stuff and in this current crunchy climate the price may send most of you running shrieking the anthem of “HOW MUCH!!!???!!” but, as I’ve already said, if I had the money………..£11,2700 worth I’d probably be ordering one right now.
It’s all well and good that tele’s are getting thinner and larger but there’s only so much that your wall can take but JVC are taking this into account.
Their yet-to-be named lightweight goggle-box should be gracing the up-and-coming CES as the company attempts to sell the idea of ceiling-mounted TVs.
And when a 32-inch TV weighs just 5kg, you can see the company’s point, especially when you use “almost-invisible” cabling for support.
I can hear many a modernist apartment dweller sighing with anticipation.
And just because it’s light doesn’t mean it has lightweight specs. It can quite happily display 1080p resolution from that 7mm thin screen and with an increase in LED backlighting, less mercury is used, boosting your green credentials.
Which is nice.
More when it appears at CES and perhaps at that point we’ll get to know when/if it will appear in the UK shops and what kinda price we’ll be looking at.
While all here has an idea of Sony’s new netbook’s specs the price was still somewhat of a mystery.
I knew that this mini Vaio wasn’t going to be a budget buy but new leaks put the Vaio Pocket somewhere around the €700 mark (which at the moment is £700 near enough)!
That price point would give it the title of one of the most expensive netbooks on the market.
The leaks confirm the 1.33 GHz processor, and specifies it as a Z250 Atom, as well as the ultra-sharp 1600×768 8-inch screen.
It’ll be packing 2GB of memory as well as GPS, which suggests it’ll at least have an option of Windows Vista.
Please keep in mind that none of these facts are rock solid yet and we all have to reserve judgment until Sony releases the official announcement.
Remember when R2-D2 was taken by Jabba and converted into R2-D-Tray with a drinks holder so that the little droid could serve the guests on the barge? (see pic)
Well, if Jabba had seen this beauty then R2-D2 could’ve stayed unmodified and Jabba’s party would have gone according to plan as I doubt that this robot has hidden weapons.
The BaR2D2 is a radio-controlled bar-bot, with a “motorized beer elevator, motorized ice/mixer drawer, six-bottle shot dispenser, and sound activated neon lighted” and took 5 months to complete.
According to its creator:
The concept for BaR2D2 was born when a friend showed up to an event with a radio-controlled cooler. We joked about taking the idea to the next level and in the Spring of 2008, construction began.
All you’d need is a set of robot pole dancers and a robot DJ and then the droid party is go!
Check out the vid showing Bar2D2 at a party!
OCModShop have published their guide on overclocking the PSP’s CPU.
Why would you want to?
Well, because you can!
Apparently the MIPS R4000 CPU inside your PSP was actually……
“……designed to run faster than it does out of the box. By default, the CPU runs at 222Mhz, but the MIPS R4000 processor was designed to run at 333Mhz with a 166Mhz bus”.
So, why not unleash its full potential? - unchain the CPU from its factory underclocking - you owe it to your PSP.
Well there is some in-game tinkering already as Sony allowed developers to change the clock speed from within the game, starting with Bios 3.5, which Gears of War takes advantage of.
Slink over to OCModShop for the guide
It’s one thing coming up with a design sketch or render but another thing when a student actually goes and makes his idea reality.
Truong Minh Nhat made a functional prototype with bits from local manufacturers whilst working on his senior project at the Ho Chi Minh City School of Architecture.
Named the Capella, this lightweight vehicle folds down to a neat “backpack sized” package (I’m thinking more expedition than a day-pack), travels at more than 30 miles an hour, has a range of about 7.5 miles (on a two hour charge).
When it has reached its final, mass produced form it should weigh about 22 pounds.
I think this will appeal to a huge audience and if you happen to be in Ho Chi Minh City you should be in luck fairly soon!
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