12 Feb, 2008
Posted Feb 11th 2008 7:45PM by Nilay PatelFiled under: CellphonesAfter the QTrax debacle, we were a little wary when we started hearing rumbles about a similar service from OmniFone called MusicStation Max that promised, flat-fee, unlimited downloads from all the major labels to your cellphone with no expiration dates — but color us surprised, it’s for real. OmniFone’s MusicStation is already a player in the European mobile music game, partnered with giants like Vodafone, and the MusicStation Max launch seems like a natural evolution in the vein of Nokia’s Comes With Music program: consumers will buy a pre-licensed MSM phone — the first will be available from LG in a few months — and be able to download away for 12 to 18 months, with the ability to sideload back to a computer or to other licensed phones. (Read the full post about ‘MusicStation Max offers unlimited free music downloads to your mobile’…)
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12 Feb, 2008
The Mustek PF-D240 is not your average digiframe, because this little frame also functions as an alarm clock, FM radio, built-in MP3 player and a thermometer and comes equipped with a MMC / SD expansion slot for loading photos, a USB 2.0 connector and a pair one-watt speakers. No word on pricing or availability on this cool frame just yet. [Source] Tags: hdtv, electronic toys, gprs, tech (Read the full post about ‘Mustek 5-in-1 PF-D240 Digiframe’…)
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12 Feb, 2008
Cell phone makers aren’t the only ones hoping to one-up the iPhone these days. Increasingly, it’s the silicon wizards themselves that are scrambling to conjure up powerful (yet low-powered) processors and diminutive architectures that will serve as brains for this future generation of iPhone killers/imitators. Following in the footsteps of Intel and others, graphics chip maker Nvidia unveiled a new applications processor at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona on Monday. According to the company, this new chip will let smartphone users shoot, watch and stream video in full 720p video, snap up to 12-megapixel pictures, and pave the way for a whole array of sophisticated 3-D mobile games thanks to a graphics core that delivers performance similar to Nvidia’s own GeForce 6 desktop counterpart. (Read the full post about ‘Nvidia Unveils Mobile Graphics Powerhouse in Barcelona’…)
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12 Feb, 2008
Posted Feb 12th 2008 5:42AM by Thomas RickerFiled under: Displays A fire at Lite-On’s factory in China this month is set to have rippling repercussions on the desktop monitor business. In all, 14 of Lite-On’s LCD monitor production lines have been affected by the damage. The very same lines which supply those hi-speced, low priced monitors to Dell and HP, who along with Lenovo are Lite-On’s top contract partners. Our advice? If you’re on the fence with a purchase then you’d best hop off. Dell and HP are looking at a 20% and 22% panel shortage, respectively.Tags: dvr, PDA, lcd, equipment (Read the full post about ‘Lite-On factory fire threatens Dell and HP monitor business’…)
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12 Feb, 2008
[MWC] LG Electronics has taken the Dick Tracy route with its Watch Phone at MWC ‘08, featuring voice recognition support and Bluetooth connectivity. I guess a Bluetooth headset would be essential unless you want all and sundry to eavesdrop on your conversations. Texting is going to be a pain, unless you hook it up to some sort of Bluetooth-compatible portable keyboard. All in all, I don’t see a future for watch phones as they’re more of a novelty than anything else. Tags: ipod, DAB, toys, hdtv (Read the full post about ‘LG Watch Phone At MWC’…)
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12 Feb, 2008
Posted Feb 12th 2008 2:21AM by Thomas RickerFiled under: GamingWhile we’re not to the point of backing up (or downloading) your favorite retail PS3 games to disk, hackers have taken a significant step in that direction. PS3News is reporting success in running PS3 retail game back-ups from both internal and USB drives on a “PS3 Test” development machine. Unfortunately, those games must still be stripped of their encryption, patched, and remastered to execute properly. (Read the full post about ‘Run retail PS3 games from hard disk, black-hat magic required’…)
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12 Feb, 2008
Shooting games on the Wii can be pretty fun to play (different folks, different strokes - so feel free to disagree), and those third-party gun accessories just don’t quite make the cut with some cheap white plastic being all there is to it. Remember the classis Nintendo Gun? Well, a simple mod requires one to remove the IR camera from the Wiimote and install it at the tip of the gun so that it will be able to “talk” with the sensor bar while you’re busy gunning your way through level after level of baddies. You’ll need to strap the Wiimote onto your forearm though, so if looking ridiculous isn’t your cup of tea, then kindly move on to other mods. (Read the full post about ‘Nintendo Gun Wiimote Mod’…)
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12 Feb, 2008
Irony is sometimes bitter, as it was today. At the GSMA show in Barcelona, there is probably a greater concentration of cellphones than anywhere on Earth (outside the Gadget Lab, that is).It is also where I lost my phone. Somewhere in the mountain of crap is a little Sony Ericsson T610, curled up in a ball and rocking itself gently, hoping for me to find it. And when the halls close for the night, it’ll probably be set upon by the creepy bear-monkeys from the LG Viewty booth.I don’t know what is more embarrassing, though. The fact that I lost the phone at GSMA, or the fact that I carry (or carried) such an old, beat up handset. I guess I shouldn’t mention that I’m now using a Sony Ericsson P900. (Read the full post about ‘Gadget Labber Loses Cellphone At Worlds Biggest Cellphone Event’…)
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12 Feb, 2008
Just like the Geico advertising shows, there’s no better marketing than your customer stories, that said - only when the device doesn’t burn in their pocket. Anyhow, a man from Oklahoma had a tree fall on him, throwing him into a somewhat frozen pond. With a broken leg, he might have not made it, if his iPhone had not survived the ordeal. Fortunately, it did and the wounded man placed a call to 911. Now he’s a bigger fan and will buy one to his wife. [paste Happy Ending here] Tags: mobile phone, gadgets, home theater, pvp (Read the full post about ‘iPhone Survives Frozen Peril, Saves Its Owner’…)
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12 Feb, 2008
Posted Feb 11th 2008 3:36PM by Donald MelansonFiled under: Peripherals, Wireless Those looking for a little HSDPA / HSUPA action with minimal protuberance from their laptop now have a new option to consider from Novatel, which has just announced its new Ovation MC930D USB modem. Measuring a scant 70 x 25 x 12 mm, this one promises to give you the usual peak download and upload speeds of 7.2 Mbps and 2.1 Mbps, respectively, along with worldwide connectivity on any HSDPA / HSUPA network supporting the 2100 MHz band. If you’re struggling to stay connected, you can also bust out the included Dual USB Y-cable to boost the power if you’re in a weak signal area. (Read the full post about ‘Novatel rolls out Ovation MC930D HSDPA / HSUPA USB modem’…)
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