Archive for May, 2009

Dell launches new 20-inch LCD for Studio and XPS desktops

Posted in Dell by Shane McGlaun on May 11th, 2009

dell20inlcd-sbI have several Dell LCDs in my home office and I have like them all. I can’t say the same about some of the other LCDs I have tried out or owned. The Dell offerings are good though and I especially like my 30-inch high res gaming screen from Dell.

Dell has announced a new LCD that is available right now in Hong Kong only. We can expect to see the screen show up stateside soon or later though. The low cost 20-inch LCD is designed to match the look of the new Studio and XPS line of desktop computers.

Virgin Mary USB drive

Posted in USB by Conner Flynn on May 10th, 2009

Virgin Mary USB drivePeople see the Virgin Mary on/in everything from toast to oil slicks, to potato chips shaped like the Virgin Mary. Well, now you can see her all you like on this Virgin Mary flash drive. Every bit of data that goes on this drive does so not via the USB connection, but through immaculate data conception.

Hey, it’s Mother’s Day, so why not celebrate Jesus’s Mom in flash drive form. She’s safely encased in plexiglass to protect her while she watches over your data.

Nokia Ovi Store to open with 20,000 apps

Posted in Mobile Phones by Conner Flynn on May 10th, 2009

Nokia Ovi Store to open with 20,000 appsNokia’s Ovi Store will start out with a large catalog of items compared to their direct competitors, like the iTunes App Store and the Android Market. They’ll start out with about a stunning 20,000 apps. The Ovi Store is scheduled to open in late spring, just in time for the release of the Nokia N97 in July.

The store items are said to include games, general apps and even short videos. GPS will be used to filter content by city and locality. This marks a sharp contrast to the first app stores. The iTunes App Store started with only 500 apps and the Android Market started with about 50 apps. App stores are here to stay.

Sprint to get Samsung Exclaim June 7th

Posted in Samsung by Conner Flynn on May 10th, 2009

Sprint to get Samsung Exclaim June 7thThere had been some rumors about the Samsung Lucello, a dual slider with a messaging focus, that was set to hit Sprint soon. Well, this device now has an official name and a release date. It’s called the Samsung M550 Exclaim and it’s set to release on Sprint on June 7th.

The interface is all about social networking with a menu that allows instant access to Facebook, MySpace and Google. As phones go, it’ pretty middle-of-the-road, with a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth and EVDO Rev 0. The Exclaim will be available in pink and blue flavors.

Roomba’s journey is beautiful, organized chaos

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on May 10th, 2009

Roomba's journey is beautiful, organized chaosThe Roomba may be autonomous and the little cleaning robot manages to keep most of your rooms nice and clean, but have you ever thought about its journey. No, I’m not getting all philosophical about the bot. I mean the path that it takes vacuuming your home.

This long-exposure shot, shot in a span of 30-minutes, reveals just its crazy and chaotic seeming, yet organized path. It’s like a dance. A dance of cleanliness. You can see the initial spiral path in the center, but after that it’s chaos that somehow manages to cover the entire area.

Modder turns Nintendo Game and Watch into portable TV

Posted in DIY by Conner Flynn on May 10th, 2009

Modder turns Nintendo Game and Watch into portable TVThe Nintendo Game and Watch is fun, but the replay value really sucks. So why not turn it into a TV? Inside this gutted Nintendo Game and Watch Donkey Kong Jr. is a mini television, complete with LCD display.

The only problem seems to be that there wasn’t any room to keep the TV’s front-mounted speakers in place, so sound is provided by a ginormous external speaker that’s about 3 times the size of the Game and Watch. I dub thee Nintendo Game and Watch and TV and Speaker.

Sharp announces two new Aquos TV racks

Posted in Sharp by Conner Flynn on May 10th, 2009

Sharp announces two new Aquos TV racksSharp just rolled out two new home theater racks in the AN-AR410 and the AN-AR510. The racks support 37″ – 42″ and 42″ – 52″ LCD TV’s.

Both racks are equipped with 3.1 channel surround sound, 3 x HDMI ports, 2 x Digital inputs and a digital amplifier which delivers an output of 485W. The AN-AR410 is priced at 90,000 Yen ($900), while the AN-AR510 sells for 100,000 Yen ($1000). Both units will be available in Japan starting June 10.

Asus Eee PC T91 launching by June

Posted in ASUS by Conner Flynn on May 10th, 2009

Asus Eee PC T91 launching by JuneThe Asus Eee PC T91, the first touchscreen convertible netbook from the Taiwanese tech giant, will be making its way over to the UK within a month, and we now have some info on the price. The Asus Eee PC T91 was unveiled at CES in January, but Asus UK has kept quiet about a launch date for the tablet/netbook. Now we can report that the Asus Eee PC T91 will launch in either late May or early June in the region for £449.

The current specs for a UK version are still to be set in stone, but in January, Asus claimed the 9-incher with TV tuner and GPS pretty much has standard netbook internals.

Taga stroller/trike for moms who are tired of pushing their kids

Posted in Personal Transport by Conner Flynn on May 10th, 2009

tagabike-thumb-530x340-179011It’s been the same for as long as I can remember. Moms have been forced to push their little ones everywhere. Isn’t it enough that they pushed the kid out in the first place? Moms need a break. So it’s fitting that on Mother’s day we show you the Taga stroller/trike.

This baby folds up so you can fit it in the car trunk for trips. And it also has a wide range of attachments, like a setup for two kids, covered seats for rainy weather, and baskets. You can even adjust the length of the trike to work with whatever load you are carrying.

VHS Lamp: It’s like your favorite Trek episodes are holding a light bulb

Posted in Lamps by Conner Flynn on May 10th, 2009

VHS LampI knew there was a use for all of those old VHS tapes in the closet. Seven, count ‘em, seven VHS tapes are holding up this light bulb. Whether it’s old Sanford and Son shows or Star Trek the Next Generation, old television is the new way to light your home.

As the creator points out, the lamp is designed to be used with a CFL (compact flourescent) bulb ONLY. A standard bulb might get too hot and melt your VHS tapes. There’s nothing worse than a mound of melted tape. Trust me on that one. Goes well with the VHS toaster.

USB Hello Kitty mouse done in Swarovski crystals

Posted in Hello Kitty by Conner Flynn on May 10th, 2009

USB Hello Kitty mouse done in Swarovski crystalsNothing says tacky like an object decked out in Swarovski crystals. It’s double the ewww factor when that object is a mouse made to resemble Hello Kitty. It is so girlly and shiny that it blinds any male who looks in it’s direction.

It’s says that it’s compatible with windows, but you’ll obviously need a gargantuan hand to use this thing. This fugly light catcher can be yours for only 160.00. It’s not an official Hello Kitty product. Just officially yuck.

Nokia featured in new Star Trek movie

Posted in Nokia by Conner Flynn on May 10th, 2009

Nokia featured in new Star Trek movieMany of you are loving the new Star Trek movie, while many of you are having high geek blood-pressure over things like Beastie Boys songs and this…Nokia product placement. One thing is for sure, this isn’t the Star Trek many of us grew up with.

If you’ve seen the reboot, then you probably noticed the Nokia commercial cleverly inserted in the flick. The touchscreen device is in the dash of young Kirk’s Corvette that he is taking for a joyride. Check it out below while it’s still available on youtube.

Hello Kitty goes 3G with the OKWAP A316

Posted in Hello Kitty by Conner Flynn on May 10th, 2009

Hello Kitty goes 3G with the OKWAP A316No one takes Hello Kitty phones seriously. At least, until now. The Hello Kitty OKWAP A316 offers 3G connectivity in addition to GSM tri-band 900/1800/1900 support. An actual serious phone with a pink kitty, that will still go with your Hello Kitty purse.

Aside from the specs above, it’s pretty ordinary, featuring a 2.2″ LCD display, a 2-megapixel camera, and up to 2GB of external memory. A built-in MP3 player and Chinese/English dictionaries will help you buy even more Hello Kitty stuff when abroad. It also features a built-in Hello Kitty menu with animations, wallpaper and ringtones.

Elgato Video Capture for Mac

Posted in Mac by Conner Flynn on May 10th, 2009

Elgato Video Capture for MacElgato has introduced its latest Mac peripheral, the Video Capture which will allow you to record analog video from VCRs or other sources to a digital format. The USB stick will be able to handle RCA, S-video and SCART footage, though SCART will require an adapter.

Using Elgato’s proprietary software, you can convert it to H.264 or MPEG-4 for export to iTunes or editing through iMovie and such. You can choose from 4:3 or 16:9 widescreen. It’s smart enough that it knows the difference between international video standards like NTSC and PAL.

Harman Kardon’s first Blu-ray player

Posted in Blu-ray by Conner Flynn on May 9th, 2009

Harman Kardon's first Blu-ray playerHarmon Kardon is jumping into the Blu-ray market with its first player, the BDP 10. It has all of the features you want in a Blu-ray player. Like BD-Live and Bonus View capabilities for online content, advanced audio codec support, 1080 / 24p playback, plus USB ports for DiVX and JPEG display.

It also features HDMI 1.3a, Ethernet, coaxial and optical audio outputs plus two-channel analog audio outputs. The BDP 10 has only been announced for Europe so far, but it should show up everywhere else in the next few months, including the US. It will cost you about €700 (or $940).