News Archive for 07/07/06
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Avid subdivision Pinnacle has debuted the PCTV DVB-T Flash Stick, an unusual approach to tuning in DVB-T broadcasts. By plugging the device into a Windows PC's USB 2.0 port, users instantly gain not only the ability to stream TV and radio, but record it using DVR software, incorporating a program guide with options such as timeshifting. The stick is further equipped with 1GB of memory, which can be used as the main source of storage except when integrating with Windows Media Center. DivX compression can be used for more efficiency. It should be available soon in the UK, but buyers must check with retailers for prices. [via Krunker]
Marine electronics house Humminbird has just launched the 997c SI Combo GPS unit for fishing enthusiasts and other boaters. It replaces the 967c as the company's top-end model through its namesake sonar imaging system: an 800MHz scanner can be used for detailed maps of the sea floor up to 150 feet directly below a boat or to 240 feet at either side. Its 8-inch screen is also said to be large enough to allow side-by-side display of live marine chart data at the same time.
Although without a formal announcement, SanDisk today released a pink edition of its Sansa Express player for exercise and entry-level music fans. The new color replaces both the black front trim and the silver back without changing the underlying player, which maintains its 1.1-inch OLED screen, 1GB of internal flash, and a microSD slot that potentially triples its storage of MP3/WMA songs and Audible books.
The enhanced version of Motorola's MING touchscreen phone coming to the US won't use its normal Linux interface, according to a new report. As the Linux-based JUIX operating system used by Motorola doesn't currently support faster HSDPA Internet access, the company will allegedly be forced to use Windows Mobile 6 to support both the touch interface and the newer connection.
The German manufacturer Minox has announced two new compact cameras. The most unusual of the two is the 6033 WP (right), a six-megapixel model encased in extremely tough housing. Beyond being resistant to impact damage, it is also sealed against dust, sand and salt, and is waterproof to a depth of 33 feet. Scene options include an Underwater mode, and it holds 2GB of photos on an SD card, or 16MB internally. Power comes from two AA batteries; it should ship soon to Germany for €229 ($311).
Microsoft recently chose to showcase a new technology dubbed Livestation, a service intended to challenge the Slingbox in streaming a user's TV to a remote computer. The platform, developed largely by the UK-based firm Skinkers, would effectively eliminate the need for both a separate media streaming hub as well as installing custom software. Changes made by a TV provider on its own end would let subscribers view and change channels online simply by connecting to a remote server, limiting the choice of what can be seen but saving the trouble of up-front costs and taking direct control of a home TV's input.
Amazon's British online store has preempted official announcements of the iPhone by listing the device through its online store. Both 4GB and 8GB models have appeared on the company's UK website, giving local users the opportunity to sign up for notification about its release. The site also points to a December 1st release date for the device that fits into Apple's predictions of a late 2007 European launch, but may be speculation and has not been confirmed by the iPhone's creator.
Motorola's KRZR flip phone is bound for a significant upgrade in the near future, according to an insider with access to the device's known features. An indication of both the phone's refresh and Motorola's future direction suggests that the 2-megapixel camera will be upgraded to 3.2 megapixels through a Samsung-made sensor, albeit without autofocus; its OS is also upgraded to the Synergy navigation introduced with the RAZR maxx V6.
Sony will use the advent of the E3 games expo this month to slash the price on the PlayStation 3, according to a Circuit City flyer as well as other retailers. The print ad shows the 60GB console's price dropped from $600 to $500, bringing its cost to the launch price of the canceled 20GB PS3 despite the inclusion of the larger disk, Wi-Fi, and a card reader. The cut is expected by many to be the result of both drops in player costs that have taken place since the PS3's November debut as well as a need to compete against the less expensive Wii and Xbox 360.
Virtual network Boost Mobile today looked to inject added style into its lineup by carrying the Motorola i425. One of the slimmest phones based on instant-talk iDEN networks, the candybar design is under half an inch thick while still providing the walkie-talkie chats that define the company's service. It also includes many of the features that have come to be familiar on Boost's network, such as support for multiple IM chat networks, Java apps, and GPS navigation.
Fujitsu Siemens has announced three new laptops in its ESPRIMO line, designed for business users who need to stay connected to their files, regardless of where they happen to be. The key to this UMTS/HSDPA broadband, which is built into all three models; 56K dial-up is an optional backup, and buyers can pick between 802.11b/g or a/g/n. Bluetooth 2.0 is standard on all but the D9500. That system is however the biggest at 15.4 inches, and can be configured up to a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor with 4GB of RAM, as well as 160GB of hard drive space and a multiformat DVD writer.
The increasing popularity of iPhones, iPods, and their reliance on flash memory could paradoxically cause problems for the memory-making industry, according to industry representatives and analysts. By building in as much as 8GB of NAND flash storage in the iPhone and potentially switching to flash for future high-end video iPods, Apple is threatening to dry up the overflow of memory that currently exists in the market, curbing discounts and possibly forcing price hikes to discourage buying an excess of flash chips.
Samsung finished its week by launching its Swan line of computer displays. Recalling the company's Bordeaux TVs, the 20-inch (CX2032) and 22-inch (CX2232) screens earn the nickname through their subtler tilt mechanisms. Each screen's display neck uses elastomers to hold the screen in place; this results in a subtler movement than the usual mechanical elements, Samsung says. Both are further capable of a 1680x1050 resolution and include better anti-glare treatments to work even in front of direct light.
Sharp will introduce a Blu-Ray player later this year which centers only on movie playback. Unlike the company's Japanese AQUOS recorders, the BD-HP20S will strip out DVR tools in favor of advanced movie features. HDMI 1.3 will be standard and should support both deep color on compatible sets as well as uncompressed, 7.1-channel sound such as Dolby's TrueHD standard. Sharp also hopes to wipe out complaints about slow load times: a Quick Start feature will load discs within several seconds rather than the minute or more sometimes seen in other Blu-Ray and HD DVD players.
T-Mobile's German headquarters today announced it would be first to pick up the HTC Kaiser, rebranding it as the MDA Vario III. The smartphone adopts the familiar slide-out keyboard of many high-end devices but adds a unique tilting motion that can lock the keyboard at an angle to the display, making it useful for writing e-mail or editing Office Mobile documents at a desk. Windows Mobile 6 Professional is standard and ensures a full suite of office tools out of the box. Cameras at the back (3 megapixels) and front (unknown) offer capturing and video calls.
Camera maker Olympus today unveiled a new lens system that allows virtually an entire scene to be captured at once. The "free curved surface prism" uses specially crafted, dome-shaped lenses as well as a refracting prism to either take in 360 degrees of a horizontal scene through a CCD sensor or to project it on to a surface. Working examples of cameras (pictured) can take still photos or record video that could be useful for panoramas or security. Attachments for projectors in turn could output an image at unlikely angles or far wider shots than normal, Olympus says.
Releasing its first new handset in the aftermath of Apple's high-profile launch, AT&T has quietly launched the Samsung A437. The Korea-made handset touches on all the core features expected from modern cellphones without costly extras. Users can connect online using EDGE access or use a wireless headset through Bluetooth; a VGA camera provides basic photography. Extra software is provided for instant messaging through AIM, Windows Live, or Yahoo.
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