FROM APPLETELL - The CarMD hardware and software combo aims to make car diagnosis something anybody can do on their own instead of paying an auto mechanic just to tell you what’s wrong. MORE »
With Android quickly gaining popularity, the perceived downfall between Android phones and the iPhone are becoming more apparent. Some will take some time to overcome, as with the app situation, though others are a quick fix. There’s always the argument for the iPhone that it can sync all the media on the device with iTunes. There is still no official sync option for all Android phones, but T-Mobile looks to be pushing doubleTwist.
The doubleTwist installer comes preloaded with the myTouch 3G Fender LE, and is now T-Mobile’s official Android sync application. DoubleTwist, for those who don’t know, can access all unprotected media and playlists in iTunes, and provides an in-app storefront for the Amazon MP3 store. The application works on both Macs and PCs and will convert media in Android-friendly formats. It makes syncing just as easy as it is for the iPhone, though without the app syncing.
There’s no word on how T-Mobile plans on distributing doubleTwist outside of the myTouch 3G Fender LE, though it will somehow be incorporated with all Android phones on the network going forward. The move could potentially help T-Mobile convince more users to switch over to Android. There’s no mention on if T-Mobile would be able to include doubleTwist into the Nexus One, though doubleTwist does support the phone. That would really help make some people switch.
FROM GAMERTELL - Nintendo has announced that a Monster Hunter Tri bundle with black Classic Controller Pro will be available for $59.99 when the game debuts April 6, 2010. Both the game and Classic Controller Pro will also be sold separately. MORE »
The BDP-80 is a Blu-ray disc player which supports BD-Live (BD Profile 2.0). What this means is that it comes with an ethernet port, allowing you to access internet-based content. A built-in 1GB internal storage allows you to do just that, along with access to Bonus View features. The player supports a vast array of formats including DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD (SACD), HDCD, CD, AVCHD, MKV video files, digital photos and music. You can watch videos directly from your USB drives as it comes with not one, but two USB ports, one on the front panel and one on the back. Video output options include HDMI 1.3, and analog outputs such as S-Video and Composite video, ensuring compatibility with legacy displays. It can upscale standard definition videos up to 1080p to maximize its display quality. For audio, it supports 7.1ch, 5.1ch, coaxial, and optical connections. It also features the high quality Dolby TrueHD audio, via the HDMI 1.3 output. The OPPO BDP-80 is priced at $289.
YES! All you sailboat racing fans can stop worrying about who in their right mind will carry the 33rd America’s Cup thanks to a decision by Consortio Valencia 2007, the event organizers: the event will be streamed over the internet for free. Taking place next month in Valencia, Spain, this years America’s Cup will pit America’s BMW-Oracle against the defending Swiss Alighi team. There is nothing traditional about this years edition.
The Cup race has been in court over the past 2 1/2 years wrangling over issues such as boats (BMW-Oracle will race in a 3 hulled boat, or trimaran) while the defender will race a two hulled catamaran. The race was going to take place in the United Arab Emirates, but complaints on the proximity of potential security threats threw the Cup back into court for a change of venue.
Currently, the Cup is still in court to decide if the Swiss team has violated the nationality rules by having US-made sails on their boat. The case could penalize the Swiss or push back the event date.
Many folks navigate the urban landscape with their heads down, interacting with the smartphone. Now thanks to Urban Singles, those folks might be scanning the area for dates that meet their profile in a mash up of geo-location, online-dating, and social networking. It seems the day when you could walk down the street looking for love on your smartphone is here.
By seeing the location, status and “mood” of singles of interest nearby, users can avoid all those missed connections Craigslist is so full of. The founder of the company behind the application struggled with singles in the city and "I didn't know what the answer was, but I knew it would have to break down that 'urban armor' that discourage singles from approaching someone they found attractive or intriguing," says Aubree Nichols, founder and CEO of Urban Signals.
Based on your GPS location, interests and other filtered criteria, possible connections are presented. Users can send “signals” to these possible targets, er connections, to say hello, express interest or meet up. Urban Signals provides a 1-month free trial with unlimited Signals, after which they can be purchased for $4.99 for a pack of unlimited Signals per month.
The site already has an app in for the iPhone and Android and BlackBerry are coming soon.
Back in December we here at Gadgetell, along with HP ran a contest that was offering an HP Envy 15 notebook to one lucky (and deserving) person. That contest is long since over, but it seems that the winner was never properly announced here on the site.
So, a little late, and without any further adieu, a big congrats goes out to Sergio Molina. You can see his winning entry above, and also feel free to check out his YouTube Channel for some more cool videos.
And in addition I also wanted to send out a big thanks to everyone else that entered. I will say that we had lots of great entries and picking a winner was not an easy task.
Honda debuted it’s new short film, “Living with Robots” at the Sundance Film Festival as part of Honda’s Dream the Impossible series. Honda’s new film focuses on ASIMO, (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) and Honda’s role in paving the way for future robots living side by side humans. The film is also available for viewing at http://dreams.honda.com.
"Our new film, 'Living with Robots,' features some of the most interesting subject matter we've ever covered in the 'DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE' Documentary Series. Acclaimed director Joe Berlinger really brought to life the fascinating story of the role of robotics in society. Many people are aware that Honda is researching robotics with the ASIMO project, but this film gives us a thoughtful and artistic glimpse of ASIMO and the future of robots that we've never seen before," said Curt Johnson, creative director at RPA.
The documentary, while perhaps not quite as humorous as seeing the mighty ASIMO fall down stairs, aims to show how ASIMO research blends into other Honda products. Honda’s always had big expectations on how robots can integrate into our lives to become care givers, assistants and helpful assets to humans and this new marketing push looks to get more recognition of the walking, talking bipedal.
ASIMO spots will run on ESPN, ABC, Hulu and on the web as part of the campaign aimed at “25- to 49-year-old adults with a youthful spirit, who are comfortable with technology, who value authenticity, and who are drawn to brands they can relate to, connect with, or admire.” Or, translated roughly: “those that would love to have R2-D2 at home.”
FROM GAMERTELL - If you try to access the Zune Marketplace on Xbox Live later this evening (January 25, 2010), you’ll notice the service is down. There’s no need to panic because this is all part of scheduled maintenance implemented by Microsoft. From 10pm (PST) for up to 24 hours, the Zune Marketplace… MORE »
Active Media Products announced a new SSD to their line up, a 128GB member of the SaberTooth ZX family. Quieter and faster than a HDD, the Active Media Products drive will add more storage and speed to applications. The drive is available now for $379 at Amazon.
The SaberTooth fits slots for 1.8-inch HDDs. It uses a parallel ATA (PATA / IDE) ZIF interface, and supports PIO mode 6 and Ultra DMA mode 6. SaberTooth ZX is compatible with most netbooks that use 1.8” PATA ZIF hard drives. The manufacturer says the SSD is capable of sequential read speeds up to 80MB/sec and sequential write speeds up to 38MB/sec.
Active Media Products says the advantages of moving to an SSD are many, including:
Substantially faster bootup and application load speeds compared to default netbook HDDs;
Consume far less power than HDDs, which means you’ll enjoy longer battery life and greater productivity
;
Lighter weight than an HDD;
No moving parts;
Completely silent operation;
Produce less heat than an HDD
More rugged and reliable than an HDD
.
Active Media Products SaberTooth line features 32GB, 64GB and now 128GB models. The company features a SSD selector guide to help users find the right SSD for their device.
We have seen plenty of details in regards to the Cowon V5 HD portable media player, but at the same time there is little that will make a geek happier than seeing the device in action. Sure, little compares to seeing that action in real life, but that is not always possible, in which case we have the Internet and YouTube. All things considered, it looks like an interesting device, unfortunately its available only in Korea at the moment. That and, it seems to rely pretty heavily on a stylus. Still an interesting watch.
Any Kindle user that still prefers to read in the dark may want to check out a newly released accessory. Its called the Kandle, and is an LED light with a “WideLip” grip. Ok, in all fairness the Kandle could be used for any ebook reader, or regular book for that matter but the name was just begging for a Kindle reference. And now that is out of they way, we can get on to the post at hand.
The Kandle has two LED bulbs that are noted as being “lifetime” and has that “WideLip” grip which is said to be perfect for the Kindle, Sony Reader and other eBook readers because it will not block the screen.
So, in reality this is just a book light, but that said it looks to be a nice option to at least consider, plus it has a funny name. The Kandle can be purchased on Amazon, though its not an Amazon product and it is retailing for $24.95.
Just in case you missed it, I reviewed a Speck PixelSkin case for my Zune HD last week. And in terms of that review, the case was sent to me by Speck, and fortunately for the readers they sent an extra one. And that means that I have a brand new Speck PixelSkin case for the Zune HD to giveaway to one lucky Gadgetell reader.
In an effort to keep this contest simple, here is a quick rundown of the rules.
Leave a comment below.
The comment MUST contain someway for me to get in touch with you, such an an email.
That is it, just leave a comment and I will pick one winner at random.
The contest is open for those located in North America (US and Canada) and will end at 5 PM EST on January 29, 2010 (this coming Friday).
And for the fine print… [Win a Speck PixelSkin case for the Zune HD] Rules
1. Description of Offer. [Win a Speck PixelSkin case for the Zune HD] is sponsored by Gadgetell LLC, 1500 Spring Garden Street, 12th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19130 USA. Sponsor will award [one Speck Zune HD PixelSkin case] in a random drawing of all eligible entries received during the Survey Period.
2. Survey Period. The survey begins [as of this posting], and ends [January 29, 2010]. All responses must be received during the Survey Period. [One (1) winner] will be drawn within 10 days after the end of the survey period.
3. How to Enter. [Leave a comment on this post] By leaving a comment you are agreeing to be notified by e-mail if you are the winner. Entries become the property of Sponsor. In the unlikely event the Sponsor encounters technical or equipment failures such as telephone network lines failing, computer online systems failing, servers and/or provider services go down, or human error in connection with the survey, etc., the Sponsor and promoters will not be held responsible. Collection and handling of personally identifiable information will be in accordance to the Privacy Policy as posted at http://www.napco.com/privacypolicy.
4. Eligibility. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO WIN. Employees of Sponsor, its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers or their immediate families are not eligible. The total number of eligible entries received during the Promotion Period determines the odds of winning. By entering, entrant agrees to abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding.
5. Description of Prize. [One (1) Speck Zune HD PixelSkin case] will be awarded to the qualified winner. No substitution, assignment or transfer of prize is permitted, except by Sponsor, who reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. Maximum cash value for all creative representations shall be [$24.95]. 6. Drawing and Awarding of Prize. A random drawing will be made of all eligible and correctly completed entries received during the Survey Period. Winner will be notified by e-mail, within ten (10) days of the drawing. By accepting the prize, winner agrees that Sponsor, its affiliates, distributors, advertising and promotional agencies and suppliers and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents shall have no liability for, and shall hold all such parties harmless against damage, loss or injury that may arise in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of prizes or participation in this Sweepstakes. Offer void where prohibited.
7. Miscellaneous. [Win a Speck PixelSkin case for the Zune HD] is subject to all applicable laws in the United States and Canada. Void where prohibited and in any country except the United States and Canada. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or suspend [Win a Speck PixelSkin case for the Zune HD] should virus, bugs, unauthorized human intervention, or other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor or Promoters, corrupt the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper operation of [Win a Speck PixelSkin case for the Zune HD]. All decisions are final. Sponsor makes no warranty, representation or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to the use of the any prizes including, but not limited to, quality, merchantability or fitness for a particular prize. All federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations apply.
8. Winner’s List. To see the winner of [Win a Speck PixelSkin case for the Zune HD], please contact [robert (at) gadgetell (dot) com].
Like all things Google I am quickly becoming more and more of a fan of Chrome. In fact, the only thing keeping me from using it full time is the lack of extension support on the Mac side. But Chrome has replaced Firefox as my default browser for the times I am using a PC. That said, one of the items I like best about Chrome (similar to Firefox) are the extensions.
And yes, this is the second Chrome extension related post in as many days, but hey, they are both Google products and that has to count for something. Ok, that just means I am an even bigger Google fanboy than I would care to admit, but at least I am sharing.
Anyway, the latest extension is one called Google Mail Checker Plus and it will check your Gmail. Yes, that is simple and just like the name implied, but that is where the plus part comes in. The extension also allows the user to preview any new messages as well as read, delete, archive or mark them as spam.
Additionally, the Google Mail Checker Plus extension also comes with 10 different icon sets, has support for Google Apps and monitors all of your Gmail labels.
Way back since CES 2009 we have been closely following the path of the Eee Keyboard, which unfortunately has become a device that has (despite two CES hands-on) has never made it to real life use. But despite the fact that Asus cannot seem to bring their keyboard PC to market has not stopped someone else.
That model is the Cross PC U510, which comes by way of Chinese manufacturer Great Wall. The keyboard PC is selling for 3888 Yuan, about $570 US, but sadly it is not available outside of China.
That said, it is an interesting model, despite a few shortcomings. To begin with, the Cross U510 features a 1.6Ghz Nvidia Ion processor, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive and a 5-inch TFT touchscreen display. Other features include Wi-Fi, handwriting recognition and support for 3D graphics. As for the shortcomings, the keyboard does not have a battery, which means it has to be connected to a power source and that makes it slightly less appealing for that couch and television PC setup. Oh, and it also does not support wireless HD or dual-displays and that means the on-keyboard display will shut off when attached to an external display such as a PC monitor or television.
Still, its an interesting device, but maybe now that we have seen this we will see the Eee Keyboard come to market. One can dream, cant they?
The US version of the HTC HD2 will get an upgrade in terms of its RAM and ROM, as compared to the international version. The ROM is boosted from 512MB to 1GB, while the RAM is boosted from 448MB to 576MB. The in-box microSD card that comes with the phone when you purchase it is also receiving an upgrade to 16GB! The international version gets a measly 2GB microSD card. Who knows what other changes will come next as we wait for the product launch in a couple of weeks? Some are hoping for HTC to announce that the HD2 can be upgradable to Windows Mobile 7, although it still remains a rumor.
FROM APPLETELL - Boxee, aiming to make the internet the fourth method of distribution in today’s world, has announced they will be launching a payment system as part of their business model. MORE »
As we expected, today is the day that the Palm Pre Plus and the Pixi Plus becomes available with Verizon Wireless. And, with that, at least for anyone who has been following along, there is little surprise with this announcement. But just to offer a recap…
The Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus can be found both online and also at Verizon Wireless retail locations. The handsets are priced at $149.99 and $99.99 for the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus respectively. Those prices do come with two-year agreements.
Other details of the launch include that the Pixi Plus is available as a BOGO handset, which means that users who grab a Pre Plus or a Pixi plus can also get a (second) Pixi Plus for free. And yes, that free Pixi Plus will also require a two-year agreement.
Finally, both handsets also come with the built-in 3G Mobile Hotspot capability which means you can purchase an additional data plan and share that 3G connectivity with up to 5 other devices. The 3G Mobile Hotspot service plan will run an additional $40 per month.
YES! All you sailboat racing fans can stop worrying about who in their right mind will carry the 33rd America’s Cup thanks to a decision by Consortio Valencia 2007, the event organizers: the event will be streamed over the internet for free. Taking place next month in Valencia, Spain, this years America’s Cup will pit America’s BMW-Oracle against the defending Swiss Alighi team. There is nothing traditional about this years edition.
Many folks navigate the urban landscape with their heads down, interacting with the smartphone. Now thanks to Urban Singles, those folks might be scanning the area for dates that meet their profile in a mash up of geo-location, online-dating, and social networking. It seems the day when you could walk down the street looking for love on your smartphone is here.
Honda debuted it’s new short film, “Living with Robots” at the Sundance Film Festival as part of Honda’s Dream the Impossible series. Honda’s new film focuses on ASIMO, (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) and Honda’s role in paving the way for future robots living side by side humans. The film is also available for viewing at http://dreams.honda.com.
Active Media Products announced a new SSD to their line up, a 128GB member of the SaberTooth ZX family. Quieter and faster than a HDD, the Active Media Products drive will add more storage and speed to applications. The drive is available now for $379 at Amazon.
Any Kindle user that still prefers to read in the dark may want to check out a newly released accessory. Its called the Kandle, and is an LED light with a “WideLip” grip. Ok, in all fairness the Kandle could be used for any ebook reader, or regular book for that matter but the name was just begging for a Kindle reference. And now that is out of they way, we can get on to the post at hand.
No comments:
Post a Comment