Posted Mar 14th 2008 12:10PM by Paul Miller
Filed under: Storage
Looking for that perfect weapon of mass destruction to pair with The Button? This USB Bomb designed by Joel Escalona should fit the bill nicely. Unfortunately, it’s just a concept at the moment, but we’re sure with a little bit of Styrofoam and a whole bunch of black crayons you could get yourself on the FBI watch list in no time.
[Via technabob]
Another variant of the Nanobook or Cloudbook has popped up. This time its set to hit the stores in Indonesia and has been dubbed the Zyrex Ubud, but in a nice twist it will not be running a modified version of Linux, instead they opted for Windows. Which version is still not clear as Cloudbook UMPC is reporting that it will be running Windows Vista Starter Edition, however the website for the Ubud is listing the OS as Windows XP, possibly consumers will be given a choice.
Other than the difference in the OS, the Zyrex Ubud features a 7-inch 800 x 480 display, 1.2 GHz VIA C7-M processor, 1GB of RAM, a 30GB hard drive, 1.3-megapixel webcam, Bluetooth ready, two USB ports, one DVI port, a 4-in-1 card reader, ethernet and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g. The Zyrex Ubud does however retail a little higher than the Cloubook, but with Windows I guess that should be expected, it is currently listed at RM$4,999,00 (around $545 US).
While it looks identical to the Cloudbook, except for the obvious difference with the Zyrex logo instead of the Everex logo on top, you can keep reading for a few more pics…
Product [Zyrex] Via [Ultra Mobile Life]
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Posted Mar 14th 2008 12:41PM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment
Every so often, a projector hits the market that’s just so delectable, it’s hard to stop fantasizing about what pieces of your kids’ rooms could be auctioned off in order to procure it. Enter the $14,995 Meridian MF10, which is most certainly one those units. Packin’ a totally familiar black chassis, three 0.7-inch 1080p D-ILA chips, a native 30,000:1 contrast ratio, 700 lumens, and a 2x zoom lens (2:35:1 Cinemascope is optional), this PJ exudes confidence. You’ll also find a pair of HDMI 1.3 ports along with component, S-Video and composite (saywha?), an RS-232 control terminal and the ability to play nice with the firm’s $3,995 DVP2351 digital video processor (shown after the jump). Yeah, they’re both available as we speak, but can your Centurion Card really handle it? [Warning: PDF read link]
Plantronics Explorer 370 Bluetooth Headset
We don’t usually get jazzed over Bluetooth headsets. They’re one of those no-frills gadgets we use when we’re hauling ass in a six speed manual transmission, but forget about the moment we set them down. Plantronics spiced things up for us with the Explorer 370. It’s not only a ruggedized Bluetooth headset, but it also has a Charles Bronson-sized deathwish.
Okay, so maybe Plantronics doesn’t expect us to torture the 370. But when a headset boasts water, dust, and shock resistance it’s not a warning – it’s a challenge. So we turned the abuse up to an 11 to see if Plantronics really did its homework. We chucked the 370 at walls, bounced it off the heads of random Wired editors, and dropped it a few dozen times down a flight of stairs. Our durability tests eventually graduated to quick beer dunks, and Dune reenactments in a bucket of sand. Surprisingly, in each case the water and dust resistance held strong.
With our sadism satisfied, next up was ease of use. We had no problems quickly pairing the 370 with a host of handsets, including a number of smartphones. The layout was equally as hassle-free, with the answer button on the outside and the volume up/down buttons on the top. From there, we were able to answer and end calls, redial, and access voice activated dialing. This was enough for most of our calling needs, but advanced features like call muting would’ve been nice.
Sound quality was clear under most circumstances – although we hit some chop while talking in front of an industrial fan. Plantronic’s “windscreen technology” was great at combating these effects on the street, but the indoor gale we produced proved too much. Of course, if an outdoorsy gadget hound is chatting in those conditions, noise reduction should be the least of their worries.
This headset is not pretty. At all. Whatsoever. But with utilitarian bonuses like a hardy exterior and generous battery life, we wouldn’t be surprised if it became the gold standard for outdoor gadget enthusiasts. —Terrence Russell
WIRED Military-grade spec (MIL-STD 810) protects from water, dust, and shock. Nearly 7 hours of talk time and 8 days of standby. “Hook” style earpiece is both flexible and sturdy. Great audio range. AC charger included. QuickPair feature puts the headset into pairing mode on first power up.
TIRED Uglier than hammered shit. Included lanyard is the most awkward accessory ever. Buttons are stiff and hard to press. No call muting feature.
$80, plantronics.com
Electronic Arts today announced that a wholly owned subsidiary of EA commenced a tender offer for all of the currently outstanding shares of common stock of Take-Two Interactive Software for $26.00 per share in cash.
The offer is valued at approximately $2 billion and represents a 64% premium over Take-Two’s closing stock price on February 15, the last trading day before EA sent its revised proposal to Take-Two.
Link
Posted Mar 14th 2008 9:43AM by Paul Miller
We’re guessing we’re not the only one to have never heard of P4P before now, but there’s probably a good reason for that: it doesn’t exist yet. See, P4P is designed to speed up peer-to-peer file transfers and alleviate network strain by using information about network conditions and network topology in order to increase routing efficiency — more bits, less work. The problem is that you’re going to need service provider cooperation to pull that off (P4P stands for Proactive network Provider Participation for P2P) and now Verizon has signed on to take the concept to the next level. What’s not clear yet is whether only specific, commercial P2P apps will be able to benefit from this tech, so that carriers can make sure everything is on the up and up, but with tested performance improvements as high as 600 percent, we sure hope this is coming soon to a torrent client near you.
[Thanks, Ehren]
M-Audio’s ProKeys Sono 61 and ProKeys Sono 88 are more than mere MIDI controllers: they are actual keyboards, that may be played without being attached to a computer. I know, take a seat and grab a brandy.
Proper musicians will scoff at such a perspective, but when I read the specs for these semi-weighted standalones, I thought I’d be paying for something I’d never use: 5 (Sono 61) or 7 (Sono 88) high quality instruments and a 128-sound general MIDI set, drums, percussion, line-in and microphone inputs, and a sequencer. It’s like they want to encourage musicians to perform instead of tinker around in Reason, or something.
OK, enough snark. As a standalone useful to people who couldn’t give a damn about using expensive computer software to make digital music, it’s a more complete package than the low-end, Midi-only boards that I’ve bought from M-Audio in the past. That said, it still looks like a good entry point for those who want a full-size weighted digital piano for a fair price, as an upgrade to said cheapie models.
The 61-key model is $450, the full-sizer is $550. The 49-key KeyStudio 49i will presently be refitted as the ProKeys Sono 49 — it has jut a single high-quality instrument, a Steinway grand piano, and is $300.
M-Audio Announces ProKeys Sono 61 and ProKeys Sono 88 [M-Audio]
I was able to catch up briefly with the PosiMotion team and learned just a little bit more about their idea to bring an external GPS receiver data to the iphone. Since Apple doesn’t seem to be freeing up bluetooth for anything but the headset and the SDK isn’t allowing software to talk through the dock, just how do you get GPS data into the phone as there is no on-board GPS? PosiMotion’s answer is via WiFi, allowing the GPS receiver to communicate with the phone over WiFi. Clever.
Here the Q&A:
Gadgetell: The world got to see your concept before the iphone SDK was announced. In light of the delivered SDK, are you continuing as planned?
PosiMotion: The iPhone SDK was announced before (earlier on the same day) we officially announced our product - this strategy confirmed and ensured compatibility of our product with the iPhone.
Gadgetell: Your site explains your software and hardware will work with both iPhone and touch; how will you overcome the touch’s lack of a speaker?
PosiMotion: A speaker is not required for our system and, as such, is not a limitation for the ipod Touch.
Gadgetell: To me, it would seem very risky to build something Apple may not allow, how do you minimize this risk?
PosiMotion: We are in the process of gaining Apple product certification
PosiMotion says more information will become available regarding the functionality and availability on their website shortly.
Product site [PosiMotion]
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Stealth Computer has introduced their new TuffTouch Industrial Grade lcd monitor, which is a rugged versatile touch screen LCD monitor designed to stand-up to the rigors of industrial and commercial environmentsThe 17 inch all-steel enclosed touch screen LCD Monitor is built to withstand the demanding effects of harsh environments typically encountered in industrial plant floor environments. The NEMA 4/IP 66 LCD front-panel withstands water, dust and dirt intrusion and performs well beyond ordinary commercially available monitors.
[ Source ]
If you are always in the airport, want to do yoga, or feel like you want to spend time in the middle of an erupting volcano, the new Sony MDR-NC500 noise canceling headphones are just the pair for you. Designed to take advantage of the newly developed DNC Software Engine, this baby will prevent up 99% of ambient noise from reaching your delicate little ears. That way, you can concentrate on whatever it is you want to do, for up to 16 hours using the internal Lithium-ion battery, or up to 28 hours with normal AA batteries. Now if only the whole world could afford its $399.99 price tag when it ships on March 21, then maybe we’d finally be able to achieve the fabled dream of world peace.
Product [Sony Style] Via [Akihabara News]
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