News Archive for 07/07/02
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Fabrik today added to its drive options today with a 250GB version of its SimpleDrive mobile drive. Sharing the same Pininfarina-designed shell as the original, the USB 2.0 external disk is useful for carrying as much as 19 hours of HD video or 63,000 songs, by the company's estimates. It ships with StorageSync for quicker incremental backups and access to a 2GB MyFabrik online account for extra backups and sharing files with others.
Motorola's RAZR2 V9 will be available soon through AT&T, a newly public FCC filing shows. The publication includes a copy of the phone's manual and explicitly reveals that the American carrier will both include the new RAZR in its lineup and market it as an entertainment device, packaging the phone with support for downloading streaming Internet music and video over the provider's HSDPA-based 3G wireless network. Owners will also have access to buying content through AT&T's store.
Normally a producer of internal disks, Fujitsu today rolled out its External Hard Drive for home or business users alike who want absolute certainty about their files. Bundled with Cryptainer, the 300GB mobile-sized drive can guard volumes with up to 448-bit Blowfish encryption, making it one of the most secure external disks yet. It also includes a still significant 256-bit AES algorithm for circumstances when encryption speed is at least as important. The USB 2.0-based storage also has 16-point shock resistance and an EZ Gig II suite that can make both straight clones of drives as well as compressed images.
Taking the approach of its help guides to actual hardware, Wiley has just unveiled its GPS Navigation for Dummies mapping unit. Technically built by the US branch of Maylong, the device (also known as the FD-35) has an interface custom-designed by the central For Dummies team to be as simple as possible, including its own help guide. The 3.5-inch touchscreen is similar to many GPS units but avoids frustration again by including a 2GB SD card loaded with both complete maps of Canada and the US as well as 2 million points of interest.
Neonode on Monday began delivering the N2, its long-awaited touchscreen phone. The device controversially positioned as an iPhone rival by the company is now set to be distributed throughout the southeastern portion of Europe by MyPhone and will be usable with carriers such as Vodafone and Wind. Though pushed back from the initial spring release, the device should feature the same, customized Neno touchscreen interface on a 2-inch display as well as a 2-megapixel camera, MP3/WAV/WMA playback, and a program that can record Internet radio on a PC for sideloading to the N2's miniSD storage.
At a press event in Singapore, Fujitsu has previewed two upcoming laptops, both in its eponymous LifeBook series. The T2010 (pictured) measures in at 12.1 inches, and is said to have one of the brightest displays of any convertible tablet. It is based on Intel's new Santa Rosa platform, and should have features like Bluetooth and a fingerprint sensor, but no webcam. Shipment is expected in August.
Monsoon today revealed that its HAVA Gold and Platinum HD media hubs are now reaching retail shops. Serving as direct rivals to the Slingbox, the devices stream video from connected TVs to computers and Windows Mobile handhelds; a unique multicast system can stream DVD-level video in MPEG-2 form to multiple PCs at once on a local network without degrading image quality. Video online is streamed through MPEG-4 to provide the best quality possible on limited speed, Monsoon says. They both accept multiple inputs and include a pass-through cable to free the often limited ports on current TVs.
Apple has posted details on its iPhone Battery Replacement Program, enabling iPhone owners with dead batteries to exchange the dead cells for a $79 service fee plus $6.95 shipping & handling. The service is designed for iPhone owners who only require service because the battery's ability to hold an electrical charge has diminished, according to Apple. The Cupertino-based company will replace the battery if the iPhone shows no sign of damage due to accident or abuse, but battery replacement clears all data from the cellular handset. Apple does not offer data transfer services, instead warning customers to sync their iPhone with iTunes just prior to sending the device to the company for a new battery. The repair process normally takes three business days, and Apple asks users not to send any accessories with the iPhone.
Toshiba today officially lowered the price of its HD-A2 entry level HD DVD player. The drop comes after the success of the company's recent price promo and makes permanent a price of $300, establishing the player as the least expensive that can play a native HD format. The Toshiba device reaches the cost by offering playback at 1080i and using regular HDMI rather than the deep-color HDMI 1.3 of the premium HD-XA2.
Palm won't offer an updated version of the PalmOS for its phones until 2008, the company's chief Ed Colligan said in the company's latest financial conference call. Though declining to provide details, the executive notes that the switch from the company's self-developed mobile OS to a version based on Linux won't occur until 2008. The move will mean that Treos will ship with either the in-house software or Windows Mobile for the "foreseeable future," Colligan says. The delay is not characterized as an immediate setback as roughly half of Palm's phones ship with Windows Mobile while the PalmOS versions are typically bought by less demanding mainstream users.
To go along with its new LCD TV sets, Sharp has also announced five new AQUOS DVR units. At the head of the pack are the ACW72, ACW75 and ACW80 (pictured), which are distinguished mainly by having two digital tuners for HD, as well as an analog tuner for SD. Media can also be recorded off of DVD discs, and even Blu-Ray, though this may require an i.LINK connection to Sharp's BD-HP1 drive.
Verizon on Monday morning acted on its claims of better service by offering America's Choice Premium plans. Noticeably similar to the AT&T iPhone plans, the new options also bring 'unlimited' data, including e-mail, and vary by minutes rather than features. Unique, however, is unlimited text and picture messaging as well as VZ Navigator for assisted GPS and basic downloadable video clips from V CAST.
Griffin Technology today unveiled its PowerJolt Car Charger for Apple's iPhone, marking the accessory maker's first device for Apple's first cellular phone. Recently updated specifically for iPhone, the PowerJolt plugs into a vehicle's cigarette lighter or accessory power socket and connects to the iPhone to charge the device even while in use. The charge indicator glows green when it's powered up and ready for use, alternatively glowing amber while its charging. Griffin's PowerJolt also features built-in power management with an in-line 2 Amp automotive fuse to guard against power surges. The device works with iPod models that feature a full-size dock connector as well as first-generation iPod shuffles. PowerJolt is available for $20 from Apple and AT&T stores.
Sharp today readied its TVs for the fall with a full 16 models in its new AQUOS G-series line. Every set 37 inches or larger now makes a 120Hz LCD panel standard, guaranteeing fast performance in games and movies even at the maximum 1080p resolutions. Cabinet designs have also been reworked, Sharp says, and the thinnest models are only 3.3 inches deep while even the largest, 52-inch model is no thicker than 4.3 inches. Static contrast ratios are also better at 2,000:1. Three HDMI inputs are present on the sets and are backed up by an Ethernet connection for Internet data and a DVI input for home theater PCs.
Belkin today used the wake of the iPhone's launch to fully introduce the accessories that should soon be available for Apple's communicator. The Sport Armband (pictured) expands on the concept of a music-only armband with a pocket for storing keys or earbuds; it includes full screen protection while still giving access to controls, including the side volume buttons. The breathable fabric can be machine-washed and ships for $30; a more conventional case, the Slim-Fit, is made of leather and includes a mesh base that unpacks the iPhone easily and also clears room for the microphone and speaker.
Canon on Monday released three new photo printers that it hopes will suit summer vacationers and the back-to-school audience. The PIXMA MP470 and MP210 all-in-ones are the first printers from the company to offer AutoImage Fix, a new feature that can determine the nature of a shot and perform basic corrections; both also offer a near-instantaneous start time that both relieves the stress of waiting and encourages users to power down to save energy. Either prints at 17 pages per minute in color at 4800x1200 and PictBridge support; the MP210 at $80 includes just basic features while the MP470 ($100) adds a card reader with preview LCD, better 4800x2400 scanning, and the option of a $50 Bluetooth adapter.
Toshiba today announced final details and new models for its Santa Rosa-based notebooks as they began shipping devices to stores. Headlining the system builder's updates are three new versions of the Qosmio F45 that cater to budget users. The AV410, AV411, and AV413 all opt for a regular DVD rewriter instead of an HD DVD drive and rely on less costly X3100 integrated video; they still keep the 802.11n wireless and Intel Turbo Memory flash cache as well as the Dolby surround sound. All use a 1.66GHz Core 2 Duo and 2GB of memory; the AV410 ($1,299) uses Vista Home Premium and a 200GB, 5400RPM hard drive, while the AV411 ($1,350) upgrades to Vista Ultimate; a mid-price AV413 ($1,310) uses two 120GB drives to offer RAID-class performance at the expense of weight. The three Qosmio updates should be available online today and will show up in retail outlets soon with slight changes.
Apple's sales of the iPhone have more than exceeded estimates, according to senior analyst Gene Munster of PiperJaffray. The research group's rough sales figure of about 500,000 units is more than double the 200,000 predicted for June and reflects the company meeting a "strong demand" with enough supply. Apple's efficiency in moving units was particularly impressive on the iPhone's opening night, the report notes: at higher-profile stores in New York and elsewhere, about 50 cashiers could process as many as 1,000 iPhones per hour. That there was still some stock left over at some Apple stores by the end of the week was more a reflection of the California electronics firm preparing itself well for a spike in sales, Munster says.
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