Everyone loves to get something for free, and for a limited time you can do just that. This deal will score you three free MP3 downloads from Amazon MP3 and is available until the end of November.

Thankfully this offer is also easy to take advantage of, all you need to do is visit Amazon (link below) and follow the three easy steps. Actually the hardest part here is deciding which three tracks you want to download.

Read [Amazon] Via [Twitter @amazonmp3]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

As promised in my earlier review post, we have a giveaway for the Gadgetell readers. Up for grabs is one set of Kicker EB51 ear buds and one set of Kicker EB71 ear buds.

Due to the fact that we have two sets, we are going to have two winners.

So, with two sets of ear buds and two winners it only seems logical that we give you two ways to enter.

• Leave a comment below.
• Post the following message on Twitter.

  Contest Alert: I just entered to win a free set of Kicker earbuds on @gadgetell http://tinyurl.com/gtellkicker #gadgetell #kicker

Each person can enter the giveaway two times. In other words, each person can leave one comment and tweet one message.

Finally, this contest will run until 5PM EST on Friday November 27, 2009. Good luck!

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

The fine folks over at Kicker were kind enough to provide me a few sets of earbuds to review. I received the EB51’s and the EB71’s, which are described as the Premium Full Range Ear Buds and the Noise Isolation In Ear Monitors respectively. They were also kind enough to send over two pairs of each, which means that I have a brand new set of each to give away to a few lucky Gadgetell readers. But more on the giveaway in another post that will come later today, for now lets concentrate on the review.

First, just to give a little history as to my earbud use. I will say that I spend more time than I should wearing earbud style headphones—on some days up to 3, 4 or even 5 hours. That said, I use them at my computer (an iMac and Eee PC netbook), with my iPhone, my HTC Hero and my Zune HD. In other words, I use them with a variety of sources, but nothing that is going to require exceptional sound quality. As far as content, I listen to a mix of Slacker, Pandora, audio and video podcasts as well as Zune Marketplace content and ripped CD’s. Again, nothing that screams audiophile.

What is being reviewed?

• Kicker EB51 Premium Full Range Ear Buds - $15.95 Available in blue, pink, black and yellow.
• Kicker EB71 Noise Isolation In Ear Monitors - $23.95 Available in blue, pink, black, gray and white.

My thoughts

Basically, according to me, what makes for a good set of earbuds is a decent price and a comfortable fit. Unfortunately everyone is different in terms of fit, but I will say that both the EB51’s and EB71’s offered me a great fit. The EB51’s are standard earbuds, however the EB71’s ship with a variety of earpieces to provide a more “custom” fit.

Overall, I would say that both models offered an acceptable sound quality, but like I mentioned I am not listening to high quality sources.

Another nice perk which may be important for some is that both the EB51’s and EB71’s come in a variety of colors. As you can see from the images, I reviewed the yellow EB51’s and the grey EB71’s.

Personally, another item that I consider when purchasing earbuds is price because while a good amount of my use time is indoors in front of a computer, I also spend a fair amount of time using them for running and general house/yard work. In other words, I want decent quality without breaking the bank. You know, just in case, or more accurately for when I ruin them. With that the Kicker EB51’s and EB71’s are in that not breaking the bank category at $15.95 and $23.95 respectively. Although they can be found for a little cheaper on Amazon.

For me, the price is right and these both offered a comfortable fit—even with extended wear. Personally, I liked the EB51’s a little better just because they seemed slightly more comfortable.

The Bottom Line

I will continue to use, and recommend both the EB51’s and EB71’s that I received as review items.

Products [EB51] and [EB71]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Today, Olive introduces some high-end audio gear that is said to have 250 times the resolution of a CD.  The Olive 4HD Music Server not only holds up to 20,000 songs at HD quality, but will record at 24 bit.  The unit is backed up by a host of accessible options that allow you to control your server from your HDTV or iPhone.

Removing the need to keep a music collection on a computer, the 4HD Server will store your music, convert CDs and even burn CDs.  To get users started, the company offers to import up to 100 of your CDs for free, so the new system is delivered to them complete with your music already digitized.  After the first 100, there is a nominal fee per CD.

“With a proprietary DAC featuring TI’s best-of-breed BurrBrown 1792A 192Khz/24-bit DAC, optimized circuit design, HD quality digital sound, ultra-quiet hard drives and passive cooling to eliminate fan noise, the Olive 4HD Hi-Fi Music Server delivers the best possible HD hi-fi audio experience. You’ll never hear anything like this on your computer, iPod or any other MP3 music player.”

To find music, users can interact with the 4.3 touchscreen on the server, use the HDMI interface that allows selections to be made on your HDTV or even use the company’s iPhone app.  Each choice offers beautiful (in my opinion) graphics, clean and clear navigation, an impressive collection of ways to interact with music.  Each offers full color album cover images.

Other features include the ability receive internet radio stations, more information about your music, infrared remotes to work through closed doors and has WiFi (802.11n) as well as a wired connection.

The 4HD Music Server costs $1,999 and is backed with a 60-day money back guarentee.  The company says you will hear a difference in your music from the first note.

Company site: [Olive]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Shining a light on moves in the tech world so insane, Who’s on Crack is here to throw around accusation.  Accusations about who we suspect narcotics inspired their latest to-market ideas.  As companies vie for your attention and more importantly your dollars, it helps to back up a few steps to ask, “what the?”.  Here are the biggest blunders this week:

Microsoft admits to copying off Apple’s paper
Did Palm hire “Crazy Eddy”?
Blockbuster shows desperation
Web TV finally here?

Mac rules, so we copied it.

This week, Microsoft apparently copped to being inspired by Apple’s OS design.  From Bill Stiteler’s post quoting Microsoft’s Partner Group Manager Simon Aldus : “What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7—whether it’s traditional format or in a touch format—is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics. [Emphasis added]”

Aldus went on to mention they built this on top of Vista.  At this point you’ve got to wonder why he stops there?  Why not take the cab all the way to Crazytown and spout off how Microsoft purposely crippled Vista or how every time someone buys Windows 7, Microsoft shoots a puppy.  Or perhaps that Redmond HQ is built on top of a secret underground lair where Ballmer has taken to dressing up as Darth Vader and babbles about dominating the galaxy.

Can you imagine sitting in MS PR department when this bit of news comes in?  Here is the play by play:
MS PR guy 1: “He said what???”
MS PR gal 1: “No f’n way?”
MS PR guy 2: “Somebody check the gosh-darn calendar, it isn’t April, right?”
MS PR gal 2: “We are so TP’ing this guys house tonight.”

Palm prices are so low, they are practically paying you to take it

Fact: I am smitten with webOS.  But $29 bucks to get your hands on a super-slim Palm Pixi model with the hot OS that is actually fun to use?  Come on, there is a catch right?  According to Robert Nelson, there isn’t:
“Now I am going to go out on a ledge here, but maybe the Pixi or future similar models will end up being the savior of Palm. Maybe Palm is going to take up the role of the low priced smartphone company. And if that is that case, I guess being available for a bargain price through Walmart makes sense.”

Crazy Eddy was a guy in the New York area that did lame commercials in the 80s and was eventually thrown in the pokey for tax evasion.  This price thanks to Wal-Mart and Palm is amazingly low.  Yes, a $99 is tempting.  A $49 refurbed iPhone is even more tempting but $29 for a great smartphone?  Either they are reading Gadgetell or come up with schemes in a smoke-filled room where “munchies” are served 15 minutes after the meeting starts.  Impressive or insane?

Blockbuster says SlotMusic was genius

Oh boy.  Remember when SlotMusic was pushed on us?  Back at CES we giggled for what seemed like hours about it.  Apparently, Blockbuster thought it was the bees knees and is looking to rent movies the same way.  Ugh.

Our Robert Nelson says, “Blockbuster has decided to begin testing a new pilot program that will allow in-store visitors to rent a movie on an SD card. The plan is simple, those entering a Blockbuster store will be able to bring in an SD card and rent a movie by way of a self-service kiosk. The movies will of course be filled with DRM and will expire after a pre-selected amount of time.”

There is some logic here fore netbooks that lack a DVD drives or those dying to watch something on a device that is actually too small to watch it on (judgment call).  But for everyone else, this is a go-nowhere idea.  Robert adds customer service isn’t the strong suit of Blockbuster and there just isn’t enough people that care.  Dead on arrival, back to the drawing board guys and gals.

Web TV could be here.

Did you hear the wall come down?  Not the Berlin Wall, I refer here to the wall around your TV.  It was just shattered.  Thanks to TVs with web widgets and home theater pcs, that wall is no more.

A big culprit may be the Dell Zino HD.  This cute little device is primed to sit in your a/v shelf and bring the goodness of the web to your HDTV.  Our Shawn Ingram explains, “The Zino HD looks like it could be the computer of choice for any home theater setup for easy access to all those videos on your computer.  Pair it with Boxee, Hulu, Netflix and iTunes, and you have almost everything you could want viewable on your HDTV.”

The key here to go mainstream is ease of use.  Here we may still have some issues as consumers switch between a remote and a keyboard but this unit looks good enough to get geeks and their kinda-geeky counterparts on board.  Starting at just $229 and so cute, what is not to love?  Dell must hate the cable companies.

So now it’s wait for Boxee, buy a new TV with web widgets or spring for this cute box.  My money is on this box.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

It seems as if it has been a while since we last heard an MPAA horror story, but not to worry because we have a goodie for you on this fine Friday morning.

It would seem that those living in Coshocton, Ohio have at least temporarily lost their free Wi-Fi. And yes, they had city wide free Wi-Fi, or at least did until the MPAA came into town. The access was set up in the area surrounding the County Courthouse and was noted as serving anywhere from a dozen to one hundred users during a day. Of course it took just one user to prompt the shut down.

And that shutdown came after a notice from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Unfortunately it looks like the service may also remain offline because although the town has found a way to prevent this from happening in the future that system costs money. But the Commisioners are questioning whether the $2000 setup and $900 annual fee would be worth it for a free giveaway.

But with that comes the moral of the story. First you cannot truly depend on free Wi-Fi. But more importantly—do not be that guy (or girl) that causes this. In other words, use free Wi-Fi responsibly, and treat it like you would at home. And no that does not mean its a pipe for porn, instead use the golden rule. If you would not download said item from your home connection, then it is most likely not a good idea to download it from a publicly available connection.

Its a shame that the town could not identify the person who caused this, it seems that in a smaller town like this a little public shaming would do the trick.

Read [Coshocton Tribune]  Via [Consumerist]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Last night at CES Unveiled, Dual showed off two products to take note of.  One was a stereo head featuring an innovative flip down iPod dock that costs just $99 and is found at Wal-Mart.  The other was a GPS adapter every iPod touch owner should have.  Both products looked to be priced below what I’d be willing to pay for them.

The XML8110 in-dash stereo head is pretty clever.  While many of us rely on a cradle and cables to broadcast our tunes over FM radio, this stereo head flips down to reveal an iPod dock and specific iPod controls.  At just $99, I can’t vouch for the sound quality yet, though I’d guess it is better than the FM transmitter I’ve got working now.  Beyond clever, the company is building an iPhone app to allow easier music controls at arms length.  The dock charges the phone in addition to relaying the sound to your system.  The head is available at Wal-Mart.

The XGPS300 is even more clever.  Besides being a GPS unit that connects to iPod touch (both generations), it can function as a back up battery.  The GPS works as you’d suspect, a whopping 2.2GB but free app from the app store turns your iPod touch into a sweet personal navigation device with ease.  The GPS/battery case also comes with a dashboard mount.  The case can be plugged in to both DC power when in the car and has an AUX output for your tunes.

Every question I fired at the rep came back with the answer I hoped for.  The unit is impressive and costs just $179.99 and should be shipping by months end.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Integrating your phone into your car isn’t clean.  For most of us, power cords, FM transmitters and dashboard holders are all involved to get the job done, only to have to futz with the FM station during lengthy drives.  Thankfully, a new stereo is on the market that is smart enough for us to take notice: the Parrot RKi8400.

This Parrot stereo looks brilliant and a smart match to the iPhone.  Packed with smart features like, upon first-time connection, the stereo copies your contacts to memory allowing users to add a feature that Apple left off the 3G iPhone: voice dialing.  Simply by speaking to the included microphone, users can dial from their iPhone contacts without fumbling.  The unit will store up to 8,000 contacts and pair with up to 10 phones.

Created for specific integration with the iPhone, the stereo displays cover art accessed through the phone for a nice touch.  Controls look to be a simple tuner and one handed operation looks to be a design hallmark.

The Parrot connects to the iPhone’s dock allowing the phone to be charged or the phone can connect via Bluetooth for A2DP streaming.  The faceplate of the stereo removes to reveal a storage spot for your phone or player.  The stereo also accepts SD cards, USB flash drives or other MP3 players.

The unit is available now and sells for $399 on the company’s site.

Product page: [Parrot] via [Slashphone]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

This latest release by Slacker seems to be following in the path of their recent decision to phase out of the hardware business—the good news is that there is now a Slacker app available in the Android Market.

The Android app, similar to the one for the iPhone and BlackBerry will allow you to enjoy Slacker as well as your customized music experience on the go. I will say that I downloaded, installed and began using the Slacker app yesterday and at least on my HTC Hero, it seems to run much nicer than Pandora. Of course, that was just in my unscientific testing.

Anyway, like I said the app runs well and is very nice. In fact the only drawback that I see is that it does not allow you to cache music for offline use. Which is something that you can do with the BlackBerry app. Possibly that is coming in a future version.

Additionally, Slacker will allow you to listen for free. Of course, there is a paid version available. The free version however is pretty nice, as long as you do not mind the occasional advertisement and being limited to skipping only 6 songs per hour. Those interested will be able to find the Slacker app in the Android Market.

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

ZAGG is perhaps best known for their gadget skin protection that used to be on edges of helicopter blades.  Today, the company through us a bit of curve ball: they started talking about a product the company will unveil at CES in January, the ZAGG box.  As catchy as that name is, we still ask, “what’s a ZAGG box?”

Described by the company as “major technology”, the ZAGG box is the culmination of 6 years and $35 million.  At this point, it seems tough to classify exactly what this thing does: it is a media aggregator, will record, store and stream your media in multiple formats so you can watch on TV or on your iPhone (or other mobile device), and don’t forget home automation: it can hook into your HVAC, lighting or even door locks and control them.  Good luck figuring out what aisle to put this thing in at Best Buy.

“We are introducing a game-changing technology with the ZAGGbox which will appeal to everyone from geeks to grandmas,” said Brian Packer, VP of Marketing of ZAGG. “It is a very powerful system, and very simple to use.”

The ZAGG dream machine is said to cost “under $999” and should be formally launched in January 2010 shipping late Q1.  The unit was announced a finalist in the I-Stage event put on by the CEA, (Producers of Consumer Electronics Show -CES).

Press release [ZAGG]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

This news hardly comes as surprising, but according to Jim Cady who is the current president of Slacker, the G2 will be phased out sometime during the second half of 2010.

According to the details given, the hardware player does not “fit with the company’s long-term strategy” which is shifting towards the online music service as well as mobile apps.  In other words, Slacker is ditching the G2 and not coming back with any new hardware based player to replace it. 

Slacker currently offers a streaming service that is browser based as well an app for Windows based PC’s.  Additionally, they also offer mobile apps for devices to include the iPhone and BlackBerry.  Both mobile apps are nice, however the iPhone does not allow the ability to cache music for offline use, the BlackBerry on the other hand does. 

In terms of making money, Slacker is currently ad-supported, but they also have a paid option available that costs $3.99 per month.  Those that subscribe lose the ads and also get the complete song lyrics and the ability to skip an unlimited amount of tracks.

Finally, for those still interested in the hardware G2 player, it is still available and selling both on the Slacker website and also at big-box retailer Best Buy.

Read [WSJ]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

I see stuff in the tech world that drives me crazy.  From products that should never have left the bar napkin to marketing schemes that should have stayed in the men’s room, here is what caught my eye this week:

• Video Eyewear- more than just a geek look
• Roku leaves off special sauce again
• Publishers hate ebooks; stunt growth?
• What the heck is Apple so nervous about?

Video eyewear to bring 3D to our homes

This is the response I got when I told my Editor, Iyaz, about my 3D revelation: “Oh, so you’re on crack this week.  Good.”  I don’t deny this thinking is pretty far out there. 

Look at it this way: if we are no closer today to generating 3D image without glasses then we’ll have to accept glasses in the house.  If we are committing to wearing ridiculous glasses in the house, then why not put high quality screens in them and forget about viewing angle and the like.  The two concepts just seem to mesh together.  Yes, you’ll have to buy glasses for everyone but how much different in cost will that be vs. a $3,000 LCD TV plus 3D player?

Roku to get upgrade but no Hulu?

Question: how do you make Roku box the hottest little black box again?  Answer: Make it do Hulu.  Done and done.

However, as Robert Nelson relates, Roku isn’t doing that. “Feature wise the Roku XR will see some improvements though, according to the rumors it will see the addition of a USB port as well as Wi-Fi 802.11n.  Additionally, the power input was also upped from 1.5A to 2.5A.”  No Flash?

With all the talk about Hulu going the paid route, this would is the missing link.  Hulu needs to buy Roku or get them to build a Hulu player, which probably has enough of a brand name now to sell them.  The missing link would bring Hulu paid subscriptions not just OK, but would sell like gangbusters enabling customers to ditch cable and satellite service and watch what they want, when they want without time shifting (TiVo) technology.

Ebooks everywhere; publishers -“we hate ebooks”

Seems almost everyday we are teased with another ebook reader, this week saw the Barnes and Noble Nook which manages to bring some sexy to readers int he form of a second color screen.  Awesome right?  Well not so fast because it the content you really want, not the gadget and publishers are totally messing with ebook versions.

It is like getting your iPod only to find out you’ve got to wait 2 months before you can get the latest Kate Perry album (OMG!!!).  The Independent reported Steven King’s latest book would be release over a month after release in hardcover.  A big “up yours” to ebook readers hoping to get a fair shake by publishers.

This leaves us consumers two choices: buy the hardcover or buy an ereader and wait.  Gadget lovers hate waiting.  This is a huge snub aimed to make bookstores money that might end up lowering book sales as publishers will have a more difficult time getting excitement up for the ebook release after the big hardcover release.  It would be like advertising a movie but stopping one month before it opens.  We just don’t have the attention span.

Apple acting all paranoid again

So this week, big MS finally got around to launching Windows 7, their biggest product in a decade.  Yeah for them!  Apple was all over them like ice cream stains on a hot, sweaty summer day

The Windows 7 threat was deemed large enough that Apple used the good ol’  three pronged response:
1. Release financials a day earlier than normal and brags about it’s most profitable quarter ever and a gajillion iPhone sales kicking everyone’s butts.  Recession?  What recession?
2. Release a shiny new Mac line the day before.  These quite possibly could be the shiniest computers ever built.
3. Release a slew of witty, pithy “I am a Mac” ads that really make us giggle about John Hodgeman’s Miami Vice look.

Does Apple feel bad about Ballmer’s whole “we are on 9 out of 10 PCs” or is Apple telling us that Windows 7 is that good as the blogosphere seems to agree with?  I am not sure what it is but I suspect if you got on the PA system at Apple and shouted, “cops” the building would be empty in 15 seconds flat.  Just saying.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

This morning, Michael Arrington over at TechCrunch has it from multiple sources that Google is prepping some sort of music service for the US.  It is unknown if it is a download service to compete with the likes of iTunes and Amazon or if it is a streaming service such as Pandora or Last.fm.  What is known is Google has a tendency to disrupt the market.

From GMail to Google Docs to search, Google has shown it can hit a home run.  In contemplating Google’s big push into mobile with Android, I can’t help coming back to this move must have something to do with getting music on Android phones.  Here are two scenarios that Google could disrupt the market:

Download service

If Google has a download service for devices running Android (or just anyone with a computer) the party most likely harmed is Amazon.  Apple’s products are so tightly integrated with iTunes that most consumers don’t give downloading from Apple a second thought: it just works and it is darn easy.  Unless a significant value proposition is made, little will change.

Streaming service

If Google plans to stream music from the net (either for devices or just through a browser) we still might see some changes in music purchasing behavior.  If you’ve tried Pandora’s app on the iPhone while long distance driving, you might be as impressed with the idea as I am.  Having all that music at your finger tips is powerful and dare I say, fun.

Integrating this concept into Android or into browsers opens up the advertising opportunities and Google is an advertisement serving company.  My money is on Google getting into the streaming game though it will be interesting to see if they can make it simpler than Pandora, whose UI couldn’t be more streamlined.

Read: [TechCrunch]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

What is it?

The Maximo iMetal iM-590 earphones are “enhanced definition isolation earphones” with a MSRP of $59.99.

What’s in the box?

• Earbuds
• 4 pairs of eartips
• 2.5-mm stereo plug adapter
• Airline dual-plug adapter
• 2 foot extension cable
• Shirt clip
• Carrying case
• User guide

The Good

One of the first things you notice about the headphones is a tag that says that you should “burn in” the earphones by playing music for 8-10 hours.  I have not seen that before on a set of headphones.  The audio quality out of the box was good and was a little better after the burn in period.  Generally, audio quality was very good.  Compared to the standard iPod earbuds, you get much better bass response and clearer sound all around.  The style of the earbuds allows for you to listen to your audio without needing to crank up the volume all the way.  The eartips act as earplugs so you can hear your audio source and not somebody sitting next to you. 

The headphones are quite versatile with multiple eartips so you can find your perfect fit.  A quick tip, your ears may not require the same sized eartip in each ear.  Don’t be afraid to admit your ears are not perfectly symmetrical. 

The Maximo iMetal iM-590 earphones are very light, so you won’t have to worry about them falling out of your ears due to their own weight. 

For a $59.99 MSRP, you get lots of accessories to go with your headphones.  Simple things like a shirt clip and carrying case can be helpful if you wear your headphones on the go (like most everyone does).  I’ve torn up several headphone wires in my bag, but with an included carrying case, that’s less likely to happen with the iM-590.  The addition of an airline adapter, 2.5-mm adapter, and extension cable is also helpful because it can be used with any pair of headphones. 

The Bad

Many headphone cables are covered in plastic, the iMetal iM-590 wires are covered in nylon.  The nylon cable is water resistant, but not waterproof, so it might not be the best for the gym.  The cable won’t be damaged because the internal wires are coated, but the nylon could get wet.

The Crux

 
The Maximo iMetal iM-590 earphones provide a very good listening experience for a reasonable price.  If you are the type of person who bristles at the idea of $99+ headphones but wants good audio quality, the iMetal iM-590 may be the earbuds for you.

Product Page: [Maximo]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Livescribe, producer of the Pulse smartpen that can record writing as well as audio (voice) is expanding its line to include a pair of pens with different memory options as well as a business-focused pro pack bundle.  In the battle to replace pen and paper, the Pulse pen is an impressive tool that should be on students wish lists this holiday season.

The Pulse pen’s big draw for me is the ability to search through your notes.  Once uploaded to your computer, your notes become so much more valuable as the software identifies the words and allows you to search through them.  The audio can also be cued up and matched to your notes so you can review the salient points instead of tangents professors have a tendency to ramble on about for hours.

The Pulse Smartpen line up will now feature two models with memory of 2 GB and 4 GB.  Priced at $169 and $199, the pens come with special paper that allow special functions and desktop software to upload the data from the pen.  The 4 GB version is capable of recording 400 hours of audio.  Tough professors don’t stand a chance against the Pulse Pen.

For $249, the Pro Pack bundle paints the 4 GB pen black, includes a stand up charger and premium leather case.  The full line up is available now.  The Pulse Smartpen is available from the company, Target, Best Buy, Apple Stores, and Staples.

Product page: [livescribe] via [Venture Beat]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

As we approach the holiday season, expect deals to become more frequent and enticing.  This weekend, we have deals on a portable LCD HDTV screen, Garmin GPS, a computer monitor, Garmin Forerunner watch, and a LG HDTV. 

Viore Portable LCD HDTV

Our first deal for the weekend is the Viore Portable LCD HDTV on sale from Walmart.com.  The 7-inch HDTV device features a built-in ATSC digital tuner, closed captioning, integrated speakers, audio/video output, rechargeable battery, USB port, and mini SD memory expansion.  It aims to play TV shows on-the-go as well as any videos you may have on micro SD cards.  The LCD HDTV device is on sale for $98 + $6 for shipping.
 

Garmin Nuvi 275T GPS

Our next deal is the Garmin Nuvi 275T GPS which comes bundled with a Dash Mat that normally costs $40, but is available for free.  The deal is available from Yugster, but it will be only offered at the special price of $184 + $6 shipping today.  It normally sells for $270 and don’t forget the Dash Mat, which makes the offer even better.  The GPS sports a 3.5-inch touch screen, turn-by-turn directions, 2D or 3D map rendering, Bluetooth connectivity, integrated FM tuner,  6 million POIs, and City Navigator NT maps of North America preloaded.

AOC 2236Vw 21.5 inch Widescreen LCD Monitor

Staples has the AOC 2236Vw 21.5 inch LCD monitor on sale for $140, after a $40 instant discount, shipping is free to sweeten the deal.  The 21.5-inch monitor comes with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, 5ms response time, 300cd/m2 brightness, and a three year warranty.  No word on how long this deal will be around for, but probably not too long.

Garmin Forerunner 305 Personal Trainer GPS / Heart Rate Monitor

Our fourth deal for today is the Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS watch, on sale at BuyDig.com for $144 with free shipping.  The device allows you to view all your vital stats on three different data screens while exercising.  It allows you to switch between running, biking, and any other sport without actually resetting the device.  An interesting feature is that it allows you to train against a digital person by specifying a set pace and rate for them.  The heart rate monitor is designed to keep track of your vital stats as well. 

LG 42LH55 42 inch LCD HDTV

Our last deal for this weekend is the LG 42LH55 42 inch LCD HDTV, sold from BuyDig.com as well.  It is on sale for $899 with free shipping, The suggested retail price is $1,399 so you are saving quite a bit of money if you are looking for a new HDTV.  The 1080p HDTV sports a 2.4ms response time, 500 cd/m2 brightness, 4 HDMI outputs, and it automatically adjusts to certain lighting conditions to provide the best view of the picture. 

That’s all the deals we have for this weekend, please visit again next week for more deals on all things electronics. 

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

What is it?

The i2i Stream is a pair of devices that lets you wirelessly stream audio from one device to another that has a list price of $119.95, but you can find it online for lower. 

What’s in the box?

• 2 i2i Streams
• 2 12” audio cables
• 2 28” audio cables
• 2 USB cables
• 2 neck lanyards
• 2 belt clips
• 1 user guide

The Good

The devices do exactly what i2i says it does.  Each device can serve as either the transmitter or receiver which is pretty handy.  You can pair multiple receivers to one transmitter.  You hook up one transmitter to the audio source and then plug in your headphones to the receiver.  The i2i stream makes any pair of headphones wireless.  The i2i guys don’t skimp on what you get with the device with plenty in the package.

The devices charge over USB using mini USB cables.  There are no annoying proprietary power supplies here.  According to i2i, you can stream and charge at the same time.  Audio quality was quite good and sounded as if you were listening via regular headphones connected to a device.  The range of the Streams is around 30 feet and we had no problems pairing the devices or staying within that range.  Multiple receivers can pair with one transmitter.

In the home, you could use the i2i to build a multi-room audio set up.  So if you are watching a movie in your living room, you can have the audio repeating in your kitchen as you go for a snack.  Additionally, since it makes any set of headphones wireless, you can use this with your A/V receiver for private listening via headphones without needing a long extension cord. 

The Bad

The price is a bit hefty at $119.95 and there is no user replaceable battery. 

The In-betweens

This is strictly an audio streaming device and cannot replace a mp3 player.  A micro SD card slot may have been nice so you can just carry this as a screenless MP3 player.  I mention these additions due to the price. 

The Crux

For the most part, there is not much to the i2i stream.  It sends and receives audio and it does that well.  The audio quality is good, but you better have a good use for it before you buy it. 

Product Site: [i2i Stream]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Rumors of the coming Wi-Fi Direct are out and I’m sure it’s got the Bluetooth makers shaking in their boots.  With Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth may no longer be top dog.

Just announced at a consortium, some of the biggest players in the tech field are coming together to form an alliance to bring Wi-Fi connectivity to the public without all the hassle so often encountered now.  Intel, Apple, Cisco Systems and over 300 other tech companies are all joining up to develop and distribute technology that will turn just about any gadget into an access point that can connect with any other Wi-Fi enabled gadget within around 300 feet. 

Just think—phones, computers, gaming systems, TVs - all able to communicate together.  If you happen to own an existing Wi-Fi enabled device, you will still be able to make use of the new Direct technology by simply downloading some software.

This is what is probably going to make the Bluetooth folks a little nervous.  Now they finally have some competition and while Wi-Fi can go through your battery life more quickly than Bluetooth tends to, it has its upside in speed and a richer multimedia content.

Beyond the obvious use on cellphones, TVs implementing it are probably going to become commonplace.  Chipmaker Marvell is already in pow-wows with TV makers.  Although not many offer this technology currently, several are now thinking about adding the feature so that users can do things like transferring video and photos right onto their TV screens from cameras, camcorders and laptops.

What is also cool when you think about this technology is the fact there are so many ways it is going to be able to be used.  We hear that the technology is supposed to be able to connect both one-on-one and in a group and will come with built in WPA2 technology to keep those nasties at bay. 

Set to launch sometime mid-2010, this is something I’m definitely looking forward to seeing come to play.

Read: [businessweek]

Full Story » | Written by Jodie Andrefski for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Much like when the original Western Digital WD TV Media Player was released last November, the new and updated version has also quietly slipped into Best Buy.  The updated model has been dubbed the WD TV Live Media Player and is now priced 10 bucks less than the original at $119.99.

In terms of features, the WD TV Live Media Player will allow you to hook it up to a computer or external hard drive and view stored videos or images as well as play music files on your HDTV.  Additionally you can also connect to online sites such as YouTube, Flickr and Pandora.

The WD TV Live Media Player ships with a compact remote and the necessary cables to include a composite AV cable, component AV cable and AC adapter.

In terms of support, the WD TV Live Media Player offers Dolby Digital and DTS decoders, supports 1080p displays, has USB 2.0, HDMI and a standard Ethernet jack for connectivity.

All things considered this looks like a nice option for those looking to be able to get content from a PC to a big screen.  Of course, the critics will likely point out the lack of wireless connectivity and Netflix, that said you can always check out the Roku set-top box if that is what you are looking for.

Product [Best Buy]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Anyone who is frustrated, fed up, or just looking for an alternative to iTunes may want to consider checking out the latest release of doubleTwist.  The latest version is (at this time) Mac only, however a PC version is promised to be in the works.  Additionally, an international version is also noted as being in the works.

Moving on, for those unfamiliar with doubleTwist, it is simply an iTunes alternative— but an iTunes alternative that offers support for a wide variety of devices.  Basically, instead of having to use an Apple product, you will be able to use the device you choose, in fact there is a wide variety of support for devices including the Palm Pre, T-Mobile G1, Sony PSP, Nintendo DSi, Amazon Kindle, Archos 605, the BlackBerry lineup and many many more.  And yes, you can even sync your Apple iPod.

This latest version of doubleTwist has added integration with the Amazon MP3 store.  Which is good news for those of us who have moved on from purchasing from the iTunes Store, not to mention those who now use multiple devices or have multiple devices in your family.

In terms of features, there are some that will be missing from iTunes, it is pretty clear that you are not going to see an App Store, nor will you have the option to purchase videos, but remember you are using the Amazon MP3 store, not to mention you can still import any current video from other locations on your hard drive.

Heck, the doubleTwist application can even see, access and play your iTunes library, including the ability to import your current iTunes playlists.

Personally, I am not sure if I am exited more by the fact that I can now sync multiple devices with this one program and not have to worry about what I am opening, or that this has taken the Amazon MP3 store away from the browser and onto my desktop.

Read [doubleTwist]  Via [TechCrunch]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Crack.  Snort it, lick it, heat it and smoke it; whatever their doing, the following companies seem to have had too much.  Local hospitals are on alert.  The police force is notified.  Let’s take a look at who looks to be on the rock this week:

Table the Tablets

Every blogger that says 2010 is the year of the tablet, take one step closer to rehab.  Yes, Brian Chen, I am looking at you.  2010 may be the year some of these dream machines finally get stateside but it will be far from everyone’s favorite.  The answer is as easy as q-w-e-r-t-y.

Typing on your touchscreen smartphone is pretty easy, right?  Sure it is, you tap away with your thumbs at blazing speeds.  Now imagine your shiny new lust-worthy tablet is between your hands; now start typing.  Whoa!  Hold up there cowboy.  OK fine you say, I’ll just put the tablet down on my table and type.  But then you can’t see the screen anymore, and lap typing?  The only thing going on my lap is dancing, thank you very much.

Microsoft is ready to hit the buzzer at this point with their Courier videos.  “Stylus, stylus” they shout.  BZZZP.  No, sorry thank you for playing.  I don’t see us all going back in time to learn PDA Graffiti, do you? 

So were are stuck without a decent way to input text and without it, these dream machines will be more of a punch line at a party in six months.

The revenge of Windows Mobile

Proving that the geniuses in Redmond have more lives than a cat, their new preview of Windows 6.5 dropping soon looks pretty darn good.  I’d written them off but just like Motorola, they seem to have something going.  Our Editor-about-town got a hands on with the new OS and came away surprised.

Love the new look of Windows Mobile?  Thank Apple.  Competition rules, look it up.

Walmart hates Zune HD - wants you to too

This is my favorite story of the week.  I found working units of Apple iPods alongside bricked Zune HDs in my local Walmart.  WTF?  Who’s idea of a fair fight is this?  And that is just it: it isn’t a fair fight but I still am unsure who is rigging it.  Walmart?  Apple?  MS?  Who’s the culprit here?  Who is complicit?

I don’t like the smell of this and plan on finding out.

iPhone exclusivity ends

Hot dog!  Wait, oh what’s that?  Not in the US?  Bummer.

Seems Apple didn’t renew or didn’t chain themselves to a carrier long term overseas and are opening up the field.  Sweet, for them.

Meanwhile, back in the US, where the iPhone is still the rock star, bloggers question whether the iPhone is hurting AT&Ts image.  How much longer will iPhone fans have to endure the antics of AT&T instead of their prefered carrier?  Only Apple, AT&T and I guess the FCC know for sure.  Yep, the FCC is still considering doing something about exclusive phones on carriers.  And you can bet that fight is all about the iPhone, now the Verizon Razzle.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

A lot of people use ZAGG’s invisibleShield product to protect their electronics since they add little bulk but protect screens and other parts of your device from scratches.  Now, ZAGG has picked up the rights to the “Golden Shellback” technology that is now going by the name of “HzO.”  HzO is a technology that coats gadgets to make them waterproof.  All of the components are covered in a transparent coating—videos show devices like a BlackBerry or iPod touch continuing to function under water.  Take a look at the video below to see this technology in action.  Expect to see ZAGG offer some kind of HzO service or to start selling their own coated goods like ColorWare PC does.  As a spaz, it’s only a matter of time before my computer winds up in some water or coffee.  I look forward to seeing ZAGG use this tech. 

Company Site: [ZAGG]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

I finally got around to checking out the Zune HD yesterday.  Like everyone else, I hit up my local Walmart’s newly refurbished electronic area; no special press access for me, thanks.  I like to think of it not as a snub from MS, but more along the lines that Ballmer and Co get me: I want to experience the device like a consumer would.

I found the new electronics department really nice.  I was drawn into the iPod area, took quick video on the new iPod nano, gawked at how impossibly thin they keep making the iPod touch and then saw the Zune HD.  There it sat waiting to be loved.

Physically, the player is a 10/10.  Great looks, great feel, a perfect size.  This thing is gorgeous.  But that is all I can tell you about the player thanks to the units not being powered.  Instead images were placed on their screens and would-be users can’t interact with the device.  Who wants to play with a brick?

Contrast that to the iPod where I figured out how to take video in all of 3 seconds or even the (IMO) crappy other players that littered the display next to the Zune.  How can consumers make a choice if someone was too cheap to make the units usable?  I have to assume this was Wal-Mart’s doing as they tend to script everything in their stores.

So without seeing the OLED screen, how the UI works (I can relate to older Zune models, but can consumers?), or getting the feel for the overall device, how can I choose anything besides the Apple products?  You would have to be a loyal Zunista to make an informed decision and we know that Microsoft can’t rely on that to keep the division going.

So what’s the deal?  Why does Walmart show non-working devices?  Did Microsoft look to cut some costs here?  Is it a conspiracy by Apple?  I’ve no idea, but tell us this: is your local Walmart showing off working Zunes?  Let us know in the comments and we’ll try to piece this one together.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Today is the final day of the Intel Developer Forum and as in the end of any forum/expo/conference, it’s a bit light on anything new.  Intel, being the large company it is, had something new to announce, though it seems to be just about the only thing new.  Intel decided to focus its attention to TV, both in terms of hardware and partnerships for software.

For hardware, Intel introduced it’s new CE4100 processor.  It’s a System on Chip processor and also part of the Intel Atom lineup.  The new chip will for processing of both broadcast and Internet applications.  It even has enough power to support 3D gaming.  The chip is capable of decoding two streams running at 1080p simultaneously, which is quite impressive.  Also impressive is its ability to record uncompressed 1080p video.

In terms of partnerships, Intel is teaming with Adobe, TransGaming, BBC, CBS, Cisco, and other media companies.  Intel hopes that with these partnerships devices using the new SoC Intel CE4100 new interactive features.  Adobe will be bringing Flash, and all the benefits of the platform to devices, with support for graphics and H.264 video.  TransGaming will be bringing a new service, GameTree.tv to the devices for on-demand gaming, with a variety of games available from TransGaming and and anyone else who wants to develop for the platform.  The media companies will come into play in terms of widgets that will held users find media and watch said media, or record it when it is set to air.

Read [Intel]
Image [Engadget]

Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

HD radio, the standard that is slightly more exciting than shoelace technology, is coming to more BMWs standard.  The 2009 6 and 7 Series already had HD Radio.  Now the Z4 Roadster, the 1, and 3 Series will get HD Radio standard.  BMW joins Ford in pushing HD Radio. 

Don’t know anything about HD Radio?  Let’s fill you in.  The HD does not stand for “high definition.”  In fact, it used to stand for “hybrid digital,” but now it stands for nothing in particular.  The name is a trademarked term for higher quality audio like 5.1 surround sound sent over the air.  What does this really mean?  If your town has a HD Radio station and you have a HD Radio receiver, you get better audio quality. 

Read: [PR Newswire]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Sony is running some deals at their outlet store.  There are all kinds of deals available.  A Sony sound bar virtual surround sound system for under $150 (down from $240), the Webbie HD pocket cam for $99.99 (down from $169.99), televisions, computers, and even the old version of the 40GB PS3 for $219.99.  What’s the catch?  All these products are refurbished.  If you don’t mind your product being used by someone else, fixed by Sony, and then sent to you, this could be a good time to pick up some nice stuff on the cheap.  The PS3 is on backorder, but you can still order it at the $219 price and Sony will e-mail you when it ships.  This is a weekly deal so it will run out soon.

Store: [Sony Outlet]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

PacketVideo has launched TwonkyBeam as part of its TwonkyMedia suite of media-sharing software.  TwonkyBeam is a free, downloadble browser plug-in that allows you to stream photos, video, and music from media websites to other devices in your home.  After installing the plug-in to your browser, you can stream content by either right-clicking on it or by using TwonkyBeam’s media panel, which displays all available media on a page.  Right now, TwonkyBeam is only available for Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher for Windows, though according to TwonkyBeam’s website, there are future plans to support Macs and other browsers.  TwonkyBeam is compatible with many popular brands of consumer electronics, including Samsung and Sony HDTVs and Pioneer receivers (a complete list of compatible devices is available on the website).  If your device isn’t on the list, an external digital media adapter will make it TwonkyBeam-compatible.  TwonkyBeam is available for download from the TwonkyBeam website starting today.

Product site: [TwonkyBeam]

Full Story » | Written by Merlyn Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Amazon is getting in on the cable business.  The AmazonBasics line of cables is Amazon’s audio/video and computer cables that come in Amazon’s Frustration Free Packaging (meaning no blister-packs).  Assuming AmazonBasics are decent quality cables, this is an interesting development.  Finding a particular cable on Amazon.com can be somewhat troublesome with so many different vendors selling various brands of cables.  The AmazonBasics line ought to streamline picking up odds and ends for your computer or home theater. 

I would imagine that certain companies will not like the idea of Amazon pushing its own branded goods over their own.  Would you pick up a $99 Monster HDMI cable or an AmazonBasics HDMI cable for $8.94? 

Right now, the AmazonBasics line includes USB cables, FireWire cables, CD-Rs, DVR+R, DVD-Rs, networking cables, and various home theater cables.  Prices seem quite reasonable when compared to some other brands.  I wouldn’t expect to see televisions or portable electronics under the AmazonBasics brand, but Amazon could always come up with some other clever name for that - maybe AmazonElectronics?

Read: [Pocket-Lint]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Welcome to this week’s Who’s on Crack where we delve into what appears to be narcotic-induced moves in the tech world.  This week, we’ll get as far as looking up info on a facility upstate for:

• Zune HD launches without an app store
• Look at Bing
• NYT wants into your computer
• iPhone accessories must stop

Microsoft decides it can’t compete with iPod, so it doesn’t

With all those “there’s an app for that” commercials that Apple seems to run around the clock, we would have to assume MS doesn’t watch TV.  MS launched the new Zune HD to almost no fanfare this week.  Interestingly, the new Zune HD isn’t going to be focused on apps.  It is focused on the music, dude.

Really?  And then your response is “Well, that’s not my job, that’s what the Windows Mobile is doing.”  Really, MS?  Can the Zune run Windows Mobile apps?  Did you not say this as you wouldn’t want it to seem like Windows Mobile team is dragging their feet in getting this deal together?  Then why launch now?

Even if you disagree that the rock is flowing up in Redmond consider this: the Zune HD doesn’t display video in HD.  It’s called that for HD radio.  You know, the super-awesome feature that features music ID.  The bonehead station near me displays “Everlong - Foo Fighters” for the next hour, no matter who is playing.  Genius.  And my dial up connect is broadband (there is a rubber band on my modem that has a picture of Betty Boop, ergo a “broad band”).  How do these ideas make it out of the Men’s room?

Bing goes visual

Awesome.  Forget text with its precise keywords and such, images are worth a thousand words, right?  Well, not so much when it comes to search engines as Bing launched its new visual search this week.  Our Shawn Ingram explains: “the idea of visual search is that users, when searching for terms, rather than seeing lines of text will see images of what they’re searching for.  Those images can then be sorted to refine the search.  For example, searching HDTVs will show images of all different HDTVs, while on the sidebar there are options to limit the search by brand, price, size, resolution, etc.”

Hmm.  OK, so in searching for a HDTV, the first step is to show me some pictures of black rectangles?  Fantastic help, Bing-o!  That is why you are beating the pants off Google, your black rectangle concept is the new black.  How did Google miss this?  Oh, wait, they didn’t; they’ve had this for sometime.  What?  The Bing layout is pretty much a copy of the Google layout?  I am sure that won’t help them confuse the experience with Google.  Hold up, how is Bing even still alive at this point?  What’s next week, the intro of BMail? Bdocs?  Bing Maps?  Come on, we are not fooled.

NYT hosts malicious ads

It used to be you had be hanging out in all the bad places on the net to get some malicious stuff on your computer.  Not so much anymore, in fact, places like the New York Times have become the latest victim of serving up poisoned ads.  Our Sue Walsh had this to say,

It is not yet clear how the malicious ads ended up on the site, but it’s likely it was either unwittingly served by one of the ad networks the Times uses (it’s a fairly common scammer technique to pose as a legit advertiser, join an ad network and then poison it with a rogue ad which it will then serve to all the other sites in its network.).  Aside from the warning it posted, the Times had had no comment about the matter.

As if the newspaper didn’t have enough trouble or was this more?  Was this a way for the newspaper to try to find a new income source?  I mean, if subscribers are not paying the bill, advertising fell out of the bottom, pay walls are not working, have not we driven them to trying to get paid by spammers and scareware folks?  I am not saying NYT was on the take from these guys, but really, what other way to make money do they have?  Color me unsurprised.

iPhone accessorie ad infinitum

Today in my mailbox came a press release about a pink stylus for the iPhone.  Wrong freakin’ guy to send this too.  I’ll assume it’s pink for the ladies, because as geeks, we’ve no idea how to cater to women, except to color it pink.  Awesome, but it gets better.

Stylus?  We all left Windows Mobile, so enough with the stylus.  It was cool back in the late 90s but today, it is just silly.  Yes, there are folks out there (not just women, thank you very much) who have long fingernails and the iPhone’s capacitive screen presents some challenges.  But much like the cocaine craze of the late 80s (thank you, Don Johnson), you trim a nail for this purpose and move on with life.  You don’t go sourcing a stylus to solve this.

Then there is this story over at Appletell, which I read all the time, about a keyboard that slips over the iPhone so you can have tactile buttons.  Bill Stiteler starts off with: “There are some people who hate the iPhone’s virtual keyboard: especially those who are more familiar with the Blackberry.” 

My advice for those folks: Don’t get a frickin’ iPhone!  Can you imagine the fun of sliding your phone in and out of this just to perform basic things on the phone?  It would be enough to justify mental duress.  If you need buttons, get a device with buttons.  Stop giving companies the idea that you’ll buy something like this $30 waste of everyone’s time.  The company surely can make something that addresses a real problem, not the 3.67% of you that want your iPhone to do something different.

Please stop making this stuff, Bill can write about other things, I promise.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Take a look at the soon-to-be released ViewSonic MovieBook, a personal media player with a MSRP of $149.99 (which probably means around $100 street).  So why talk about this media player over others?  The ViewSonic MovieBook can play lots of video and audio formats at a low price.  Take a look at the list: AVI, FLV, MPA, MOV, PMP, MPG, VOG, DAT, RM/RMVB, H.264 and H.263 and MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, APE, OGG and DTS/AC3.

If you have a video collection on your PC that is encoded in various formats and you don’t feel like re-encoding everything, the ViewSonic MovieBook starts to look a lot more interesting.  ViewSonic does not make you install any software to add files as that is done by drag and drop.  Also, if you’re having a hard time justifying the cost of an external battery pack for your super-cell phone, maybe carrying another PMP is the solution?

Apart from movies, the device can play music and display photos on its 4.3-inch screen at a resolution of 800 x 480.  The MovieBook also has a HD out and can display 720p video using component video cables.  There is even a remote control included so you can control the MovieBook from afar.  This version of the MovieBook does not have a touch screen, but ViewSonic is looking to bring that feature to a later version in the future. 

There is 8GB of internal storage which is expandable using the Micro SD port.  Battery life is expected to be at around five hours for video and six hours for audio.  The MovieBook will come in three colors: pink, white, and black. 

The interface is very similar to the Sony cross-navigation on the PSP and PS3.  The layout of the interface was clear, although a redesign of the hard buttons could help the navigation.  Video looked good on that 4.3-inch screen and the player was surprisingly light.  It weighs about the same as a BlackBerry at around 10 ounces (300 grams).  If this device becomes available at a $99 price point, it might do very well.

Company Site: [ViewSonic]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Super-premium electronics manufacturer Bang & Olufsen is partnering up with super-premium automotive brands Aston Martin and Audi to bring custom sound systems to some fancy cars.  The Aston Martin Rapide (Rapide - because it’s a sports car, get it?) will pick up a Bang & Olufsen designed BeoSound system.  What distinguishes the 15 speaker, 1000 watt amp B&O system?  B&O says the system has “smoothly contoured, aluminum loudspeaker grilles that integrate seamlessly into the hand crafted interior.”  The car costs only $260,000, so it’s a nice bonus to get a decent audio system in it. 

Audi’s R8 Spyder gets a custom Bang & Olufsen sound system as well.  This system is also supposed to match the R8 Spyder in design (see picture below).  B&O says that the 12 speaker, 465 watt audio system can detect when the Spyder’s roof is closed or open and will adjust the audio to the conditions so you have a pleasant audio experience. 

Audi R8 Spyder Interior

Company Site: [Bang & Olufsen]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

While Microsoft is busy releasing the Zune HD today, Archos also pushed out its Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet on Amazon.com.  It might not be the redemption of a formerly flailing brand, though it is possibly a bit more interesting that the Zune HD.  While the Zune HD is being pushed as a major iPod competitor, the Archos 5 is being pushed as an Internet tablet that also has a wide range of media capabilities.

The Archos 5 is an interesting device in that it packs GPS and 3.5G HSDPA support into what could be used predominantly as a media player of Internet tablet.  It runs on Android, though it can only use a small number of Android apps - that list does include popular apps such as Twidroid, Craigsphone, and eBuddy.  What really shines on the Archos 5, however, is the sheer number of codecs supported.  Unless you have a media file that’s wrapped in DRM from Apple, Microsoft, or other places that at one point used DRM, chances are it will work on the Archos 5.  It can play back H.264 HD, MPEG-4 HD, MPEG-47, Flac, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, MP3, and numerous others.  With the DVR Station the Archos 5 can record your favorite shows, output HD video to your HDTV, or even stream content to your PC.

The Archos 5, with all its features, despite being a bit larger than the Zune HD and iPod touch looks to outdo both devices easily.  It can handle many more codecs, and is not restricted to proprietary software of any kind.  It comes with either flash memory or hard-drive based options ranging from 8 GB to 500 GB (with the flash versions supporting microSD cards for expanded storage).  Heck, it even has a stand built in for when you want to set it down and watch the video.  With a price starting at $249.99, it could hopefully be the media player of choice for some.  It’s a great example of just what Android can do, and looks to be a great device.

Read [Archos]

Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Today, the Zune HD launched to very little fanfare.  Early in, Twitter was abuzz with talk of problems getting the thing to work out of the box.  This player was supposed to be the best Microsoft’s Zune unit could bring out and early pics on talk was that it could best the legendary iPod touch.

Today, the headlines are full of the exact opposite.  Things like:
“Microsoft Zune Team Launches Latest Exercise in Futility”
Microsoft Zune HD: Cool, but no iPod killer
Zune HD launches today with app strategy as scattered as ever

Even tech-man Joshua Topolsky of Engadget tweeted, “sort of wowed by the pure trouble of getting this Zune HD working properly. Poorly played.”  What is going on?

One of the biggest surprises is the lack of an app store.  MS is working with developers on specific titles that they’ll offer to Zune users for free.  But as for an application market, the company line is that is something the Mobiles Window team is working on and we don’t want to duplicate efforts.  Yes, because having a successful app store would be a total waste of time.  Either your device is worth the investment in an app store or it isn’t.  The Zune team seems to think they can sidestep the Apple App Store success by not competing with it.

The device already has had its guts displayed for all to see over at anythingbutipod.com.  According to that site, written inside the device is “for our princess”.  The site explains: “For those wondering why the inside cover says “for our princess”, one of the Zune team members passed away during the development so they decided to dedicate this device to her. A very cool memorial. ”  Otherwise the guts are small.

Maybe all those folks that thought the Zune HD would burst on the scene had their attention diverted by a little French wonder from ARCHOS.  Also available today, the ARCHOS 5 Android MID launched via Amazon.com.  The device runs on Google’s Android OS and is music, GPS, internet and lots more all in one.  This one is a bit thicker than similar devices from Apple and Microsoft but worthy of a look, none the less.  Check out PC World’s first look here.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Welcome back to InterrupTech where we catch you up on the most important tech stories.  This week there’s plenty to cover:

• Apple updates nano, adds camera
• iTunes 9 drops with new features
• Palm Pixi announced and Pre price drop
• Moto adopts Android
• Sprint says call anyone, it’s on us.
• AT&T says call any 5 people.

The best part about the show?  Topics move quickly, but if you don’t like a topic, just skip it.  Keep an eye on that timer to help you along.  Enjoy the show.

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Greetings, crackheads!  Time for another round of everybody’s favorite game: (shout it with me) Who’s on Crack.  Since we last spoke, more and more companies are showing they might be on the rock by taking some rather unusual steps.  Let’s dig right in:

• Apple makes a mistake (gasp)
• Sprint speedballs into loving everyone
• Ms. Wood calls me out for mocking Walmart shoppers
• The iTunes versus Palm Pre saga continues.  Dad is going to get on the phone soon.

Apple trips up iPods

This whole time, maybe it was Steve Jobs’ liver that drove him to make the right decisions?  Now that Jobs has had a transplant, Apple is no longer at the top of their game.  Their choice to leave off a camera is going to hurt iPod touch sales.

If we can agree that many iPod sales are upgraders, Apple’s decision to leave off the camera is going to hurt them.  By believing touch sales would hurt iPhone sales, the camera got left off of Wednesday’s announcement.  A lower model got the nod with the iPod nano receiving the camera.  Now many iPod touch users that would have run out to buy the next thing Steve sells, just aren’t.

Take Charlie Sorrel over at Wired’s Gadget Lab: “If Apple had piled the features onto the Touch, the decision would be made, and Apple would have $400 of my money. As it is, I think I’ll wait.”  That sentiment is echoed all over the net.  Whoops.

Sprint goes off wagon, gets delusions of grandeur

Sprint’s made a bold move to allow their most favored customers (the ones paying the most, of course) the privilege of calling any mobile number at any time for gratis.  Take that Fav Five.  Suck it A-List.  Sit on it, Friends and Family.  Sprint is going for the jugular. 

Imagine the meeting this came up in: 4:30PM on a Friday.  Jimmy is two beers in when his boss asks, “So if you ran the company, what would you do differently?”  Jimmy looks up at his peers, feeling the beer prop up his self worth and says with a half-smile, “Do what they are afraid of.”  Beer or crack - you decide.

The move goes so far as put Sprint back in the hunt.  Even more impressive, Sprint is throwing this at current customers for free, automatically.  Will Sprint force Verizon or AT&T to expand their offerings or will they let Sprint go this one alone and see what damage they can do.  As it stands now, Sprint looks more and more tempting.

People watching on the net

I love nothing more than to sit and watch people all day long.  Strike that, I like to sit and make fun of people all day long.  Now, the net helps my addiction and make it a little creepy - I don’t have to leave home to do it.

Thanks to sites like People of Walmart.  Our Heather Wood explains, “When you log on the site, you get the pleasure of seeing a collection of photos of real life Walmart shoppers.  Some examples?  An overweight woman in a motorized scooter with an ‘I Like It From Behind’ t-shirt, a car in the parking lot with Confederate bra decals, and a guy dressed up as Tony the Tiger roaming the aisles.”

The result: I just lost a half hour giggling at the site.  Combine this with Lamebook and you’ve got a fun lunch break.  Points to Heather for correctly pegging my humor: grade school.

iTunes kicks Palm to the curb, again.

There was this girl in high school I had a crush on.  I found her phone number and proceeded to call her.  After deciding she wanted nothing to do with me, she wouldn’t take my calls.  So I pretended to be someone else from class, that worked once. 

That anecdote pretty much sums up the Apple/Palm relationship so far regarding the Pre syncing with iTunes.  iTunes 9 again hangs up on Palm so what is next?

Well, back to my story, the next time I called, her dad got on the phone and suggested I find a better way to spend my time.  So, will we soon hear about Mr. Jobs picking up the phone and telling Palm to go take a hike?  Or will the role of “Dad” be played by the Apple legal team? 

After all, I didn’t call her back again after that.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Yamaha has announced a new range of devices, including a line of Blu-ray disc players, channel network AV receiver and five disc CD changer.  You can find these products currently on sale at major electronics retailers.

First up is the RX-V2065, a 7.1 channel AV receiver with five 1080p-upscaling HDMI inputs and two HDMI outputs.  It also has the following HD audio decoding formats: Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD.  Features installed with the AV receiver include Rhapsody online music service compatibility, Internet streaming radio and music file playback.  The receiver has a current MSRP of $1399.95.

The new Blu-ray players include the BD-S1900 (MSRP $699.95) and the BD-S1065 (MSRP $599.95).  These players will have compatibility with the new AV receiver in order to provide a dynamic entertainment experience.  Both players include BD-Live and BonusView, an enhanced Blu-ray disc commentary feature.

Lastly, the CD-C600 is the new five disc CD changer available from Yamaha.  This changer is the first from Yamaha that was designed specifically for compatibility with iPods.  You can connect your mp3 player or iPod to the CD-C600 via USB cable. Additional features are 3-Mode CD text display, MP3 and WMA file compatibility, IR in/out terminals and remote. MSRP for the Yamaha changer is $379.95.

Site: [Yamaha]

Full Story » | Written by Heather Wood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

So you’ve narrowed your choices down to the iPod nano, the Zune HD, and the iPod touch, but you have no idea which one to get.  Gadgetell has you covered.  We’ve got a flow chart to help make your decision! 

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Today’s iPod refresh tipped Apple’s concerns over cannibalizing iPhone sales via the iPod touch.  Leaving the camera off the touch surprised many and even angered some.  The backside of this move presents this questions to consumers: Do you want a video camera or do you want all the fun you’ve been hearing about the App Store?

The iPod Nano got the video camera while the touch didn’t.  The nano looks like a great little device, but the iPod touch now looks a bit like the forgotten product: no new form factor, no new must have feature (yes, the high-end is 50% faster with more space, but is that must have?).  Customers in the market for an iPod now have to choose which feature is more important to them: Video or App Store.

Putting myself in the customer’s shoes, the choice isn’t an easy one.  Apple has advertised the heck out to the App Store so much that buying a device that can’t use it seems silly.  But the new Nano looks fantastic and having a video camera that small is bound to be interesting.

In theory, if video is the desired feature, iPod touch sales will suffer as demand is shifted to the Nano.  Is Apple saying we don’t want video that much or are they saying want it all? 

Apple’s theme for the event was “it’s only rock and roll but I like it” but should have been perhaps: impossible choices.  Interesting move, Apple.  What is your take, did Apple make an error in not giving the touch a camera?

Read [Appletell]

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The Apple event has come and gone and for the most part, we’re looking at evolutionary changes, not revolutionary ones.  The iPod nanos got the most new features with the addition of a video camera capable of recording VGA video, a microphone, FM radio, and a pedometer.  With the radio and pedometer, the iPod nano becomes even more workout friendly. 

The other iPods like the touch and the classic can handle more music and video thanks to larger capacities, but they did not see any external redesigns.  Apple is pushing the iPod touch as a gaming machine and dropped the price on the smallest capacity one to $199.  A new 64GB model was introduced at $399.  The pricing change looks to be to compete with Microsoft’s forthcoming Zune HD. 

iTunes got some new features that helps families with iTunes 9—it’s a lot easier to share and copy music between computers.  Apple also came out with “iTunes LPs” that are kind of a throwback—you’ve got photos, notes, and music.  For videos, there is “iTunes Extras” which gives you extra features, kind of like DVD special features on your downloaded video. 

iTunes 9 also brings app management for the iPhone and iPod touch so you can organize your apps on your computer instead of your touch screen device.  The Apple touch devices got some new features in software with the iPhone OS 3.1 which includes Genius for apps so now your phone can suggest apps the way the Genius feature could recommend music.  The biggest news might be that Steve Jobs returned to give the presentation. 

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Harman will be providing car tech for Merceds-Benz thanks to a new deal between Harman and Daimler AG.  What can you expect in your next Mercedes?  Of course there will be navigation and wireless connectivity, but there is also Internet access.  The system will be hard drive based and you will be able to upload your music to it as well.  The Harman system will use Harman’s “GreenEdge” technology which aims to reduce the amount of power consumed as well as keep weight low.  You’re probably familiar with Harman’s technology even if their name may sound unfamiliar.  Here are a few of their brands:  Harman Kardon, JBL, Infinity, AKG, and Mark Levinson.

Company Site: [Harman]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »