19 Jun, 2008
by Nilay Patel, posted Jun 19th 2008 at 7:03PM Mercedes-Benz’s current iPod integration kit is pretty weak sauce, especially since the new COMAND nav / multimedia system is so well done, but it looks like the automaker’s newest iPhone cradle will take steps to address some of the more glaring issues and also add some interesting new features. The cradle appears to finally integrate iPod controls with the main nav screen and COMAND controller instead of relying solely on the instrument display and steering wheel controls, and it will charge your phone while allowing you to make calls and listen to music. (Read the full post about ‘Mercedes-Benz introduces new iPhone integration kit’…)
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19 Jun, 2008
I have an old Powerbook G4. It’s in great shape, but it’s on power adapter #4, battery #3, and hard disk #3 is failing as I write this article. It’s been deprecated to “Kid’s computer” but it serves its purpose well and there’s little point in replacing it. It would be nice if it could survive the weekly slide off the couch to the floor without loosing sectors, however. With this most recent hard disk replacement, I had the opportunity to consider going to a solid state flash drive. But would it make sense to put such an expensive drive into an old computer? Solid State Disk The newest small laptops, such as the Sony UX490 and the macbook air, come with Solid State Disk (SSD) technology. (Read the full post about ‘Converting Your Laptop to Flash Memory’…)
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19 Jun, 2008
by Ross Rubin, posted Jun 19th 2008 at 11:46AMEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainmentThe first iPhone arrived at a time that suggested Apple needed to protect its iPod franchise — but Apple delivered something that was much more than an mp3 player that could make phone calls. You probably won’t be editing any iMovies on it for some time, but in the iPhone Apple has essentially delivered Macintosh 2.0. It’s portable. It’s affordable. It’s connected. And it runs OS X, complete with its own breakthrough pointing device, your finger. (Read the full post about ‘Switched On: The iPhone’s iFunnel’…)
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19 Jun, 2008
The ITC One from SE2 Labs resembles nothing so much as a two foot high photocopier, but inside it has just about every home entertainment gadget known to man. The ITC One contains a 125 watt amp which is fed from a THX capable sound processor and a Netlinx controller so everything can run from one remote control. There’s a built-in Hi-Def DVR and the touchscreen on the front takes care of things when you’re not on the couch, but what makes this $25,000 box special are the third party add-ins. It comes standard with an ipod dock and an Xbox 360 (including controller ports), and you can choose an optional Blu-ray player, an AppleTV or a Wii. (Read the full post about ‘Home Theater Box Contains IPod, Apple TV, Xbox, Everything’…)
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19 Jun, 2008
Trust Mr. Potato Head to come up with yet another parody, this time emulating Harrison Ford in his younger days when he starred in Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. This time round, Mr. Potato Head will play a role in Taters of the Lost Ark, complete with the signature bullwhip to get you started. As well as his Indiana Jones gear, Mr Potato Head: Taters of the Lost Ark comes with non-heroic essentials such as shoes, ears, teeth and a mouth. And that’s just as well because he’ll need his faculties firmly in place when he’s fleeing from that big King Edward you keep rolling towards him. In fact, when it comes to creating ridiculous Raiders-style scenarios, the possibilities are endless. (Read the full post about ‘Taters of the Lost Ark’…)
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19 Jun, 2008
Sprint has announced pricing and availability for their newest competitor to the popular iPhone being offered by AT&T and Apple. The Samsung Instinct will be exclusively offered through Sprint and features a full touch-screen just like the iPhone. Other functionality includes Bluetooth stereo, GPS with turn-by-turn navigation and one-touch access to favorites. The Samsung Instinct, which will launch June 20th, is expected to retail for US$129.99 with a two-year contract after a US$100 mail-in rebate. The price point of the Instinct is important considering the new Apple iPhone 3G to be offered by AT&T is expected to retail for US$199. (Read the full post about ‘Sprint and Samsung announce iPhone competitor called Instinct’…)
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19 Jun, 2008
Just in time for the movie’s tenth birthday celebrations come these Big Lebowski action figures. And they’re awesome. The Dude on the left (”Unemployed”) comes with a rug, a milk carton and, yes, a White Russian. He’s 8″ tall and will cost you $25.
On the right we see the Big Lebowski Urban Achiever Set, with the Dude joined by Walter Sobchak. 8″ tall (and we guess Walter is also 8″ wide). This set goes for $40, or will when the figures are available in August.
Now, the traditional blog-ending quip: I was going to drop in a movie quote, but it’s almost impossible to find one without the f-bomb, so go read them yourself over at IMDB.
(Read the full post about ‘Dude! Big Lebowski Action Figures’…)
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19 Jun, 2008
by Nilay Patel, posted Jun 19th 2008 at 3:58AMMicrosoft caused a tiny ruckus back in April when it announced that it was shutting down MSN Music’s DRM servers, leaving all five customers with music stranded on already-authorized computers, but it looks like the company has had a change of heart: it’s now informing MSN Music customers that they have until 2011 to authorize new machines. (Read the full post about ‘Microsoft backtracks, will keep MSN Music DRM servers online until 2011′…)
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19 Jun, 2008
by Nilay Patel, posted Jun 19th 2008 at 3:58AMMicrosoft caused a tiny ruckus back in April when it announced that it was shutting down MSN Music’s DRM servers, leaving all five customers with music stranded on already-authorized computers, but it looks like the company has had a change of heart: it’s now informing MSN Music customers that they have until 2011 to authorize new machines. (Read the full post about ‘Microsoft backtracks, will keep MSN Music DRM servers online until 2011′…)
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19 Jun, 2008
After the disappointing fake Nikon D90 comes a much more plausible looking Nikon D700 rumor. These shots are supposedly from a leaked print brochure for the new body, and show the D700 to be a full frame, 12.1 megapixel, $3000 camera. This is the same CMOS sensor as used in the top-of-the-line D3, which should bring the amazing low light performance (up to ISO 25600) the new Nikons are getting famous for. Inside you’ll find 14bit A/D conversion and 16 bit image processing courtesy of Nikon’s EXPEED processor, 51 focus points, a single Compact Flash slot (come on Nikon. Switch to SD already), and a tough magnesium body. Not bad. Canon was way out in front for a while there. Now the fight is hotting up again. (Read the full post about ‘Nikon D700 Brochure Leaked, Specs Revealed’…)
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