News Archive for 07/09/28
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Sony is using a secretive website to once again tease users with an upcoming device, according to a new discovery. So far known only as the Drive, the device does not have any clear purpose and has a metal neck as well as a solid base. Early speculation suggests that the device is either an all-in-one computer with an iMac-like neck (obscured by the green bow) or a device with a mounting bracket, such as a GPS unit. No release dates or special events have been found on the public page or hidden inside the website's code.
Mouse designer Gyration used its time at the DigitalLife show in New York to preview the M2000 Travel Air-Mouse, a controller for notebook users who expect to host presentations as often as they work at a desk. On a flat surface, the controller operates as a capable desktop mouse with a more precise laser sensor, multiple programmable buttons, and an ambidextrous shape. But lifting the mouse up turns it into a presentation device, the company says: aside from steering the cursor, the M2000 recognizes hand gestures and will perform certain common functions to match. They can either control strictly practical commands such as advancing slides in a presentation or handle entertainment-related chores, like skipping tracks or changing volume.
Intel has narrowed down the clock speed for the first Core 2 processor based on its 45-nanometer Penryn architecture, claim Taiwan-area mainboard manufacturers. The semiconductor firm would reportedly launch a lone 3GHz quad-core processor, the QX9650, on November 11th and ship the following day. The design would run on the same 1,333MHz bus as today's desktop processors but carry 12MB of shared L3 cache. As a Core 2 Extreme model, the chip would likely be multiplier-unlocked and allow enthusiasts with the right cooling equipment and experience to overclock the design past its rated speed. Like most top-end Extreme CPUs, it would be priced at $999 in batches of 1,000 for system vendors but would cost more for the end user.
With an impending host of HTC announcements due October 1st, one of the phones planned is rumored to be the Touch Slide, a successor to the iPhone-like Touch, which has yet to see a North American release. Possibly the true identity of the HTC Nike or Juno, the Slide is said to run Windows Mobile 6, using HTC's flagship TouchFLO interface paired with a 2.6-inch touchscreen. The name is of course a reference to the design, which goes beyond the Touch to add a slide-out keypad. Like the Juno, the Slide appears to have BlackBerry-style typing.
Sony may be ready to bring down the price of the 80GB PlayStation 3 to replace the outgoing 60GB model, according to the latest weekly flyer for Wal-Mart Canada. A special promotion for the console would drop the price of the 80GB system by $110 Canadian to $550 as well as bundle the normally optional Blu-Ray remote. While higher than the $499 US price of the 60GB edition, the near-equality of Canadian and US dollars places it about $50 below the $599 US price for today's 80GB model while still offering extra hardware.
Sling Media may be prepping a Slingbox media hub with its own built-in cable modem, according to a new FCC filing. Most likely to be known as the SlingModem, the device includes a cable modem with support for the DOCSIS 2.0 standard, as well as the necessary co-axial jack and an Ethernet connection. The device is not single-purpose, according to the report: the V-Modem007 would include component, RCA, and S-video inputs, pointing back to the original Slingbox role as a hub for streaming TV-related sources to the Internet.
An anonymous source suggests that the HTC Juno, a phone already said to be headed to T-Mobile, will in fact come to the carrier under the moniker of the Shadow. Also mentioned is that while the phone will only have a 201MHz processor, it should compensate with 128MB of RAM and 256MB of ROM, as well as a host of abilities. Among these are Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi, along with the signature keypad that is said to mimic the SureType concept used in Research in Motion's BlackBerry phones. The Shadow is expected to be announced in mid-October, and released later that month in brown and "sage green" colors.
Motorola's W490, a lower-end phone that nevertheless resembles the design of the KRZR, should now be launching with T-Mobile on October 1st, as opposed to the September date hinted at earlier. The phone now also has more solid specifications attached, and it should indeed have Bluetooth and a camera, the latter being video-capable and rated at 1.3 megapixels for stills. Removable memory is confirmed, though it is still not known whether this means miniSD or the more common microSD format.
POSDATA late Thursday unveiled the G100, a slider handheld it says is the world's first game console to support WiMAX. While the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP must reach a local Wi-Fi network to connect to the Internet, the G100 supports both this and Intel's soon-to-appear 4G wireless standard. This gives it Internet access on a citywide scale rather than just local hotspots, effectively providing an always-on connection and potentially remaking the industry, according to the company. Users could assume they always had the ability to start a multiplayer game or download new games online without waiting to get home.
Verizon today unveiled the Motorola RIZR Z6tv, its adaptation of the ROKR Z6 that adds support for the carrier's MediaFLO-based V CAST TV live digital broadcast TV service. The new slider picks up the full range of stations from CBS, NBC, and others and also taps some of Verizon's other specialized Internet features, such as VZ Navigator for assisted GPS routing and the V CAST Music direct-download music store. Because its digital TV operates on a different frequency, these Internet services can run in the background without affecting show reception, according to the provider.
Samsung on Friday launched a major update to its ultra-compact MagicStation desktops. Both small form factor models like the MX15, MZ68, MZ70, NZ65, and NZ67 as well as the MV70 mini-tower now switch from Samsung's signature blue to a primarily red scheme but also gain genuine practical improvements. Now all systems, not just the high-end models, gain the company's unique EZ BLU feature: tapping a blue button on the system automatically scans the system for slowdowns and system errors and will contact a remote server to help find a fix, potentially solving problems before they become fatal to the system.
Microsoft will continue to sell both retail and OEM (pre-installed) copies of Windows XP for five months more than originally planned, the company announced today. Although plans would originally have dropped both versions from stores by January 2008, the new extension will remove the OS only by June 30th of that year -- nearly a year and a half after Windows Vista's January 2007 debut. The company officially justified the move by pointing out that many past versions of Windows were on sale for roughly two years after their replacements were available and that it was "a little ambitious" to drop XP in half the time, according to corporate VP for Windows product management Mike Nash. However, the executive also admitted that at least some customers were not ready to jump to Vista and that XP would be necessary for awhile longer.
Kenwood this morning wrapped up its week with the launch of two basic Media Keg players that offer the same features with a different style depending on tastes. The GD55 (left) is designed for a subtle, professional look with a mirror finish that subtly hides the four-line OLED display; in exchange, the GD50 is based on a more youthful and also more scratch-resistant solid color. Either player reflects Kenwood's emphasis on absolute audio quality and ships bundled with in-canal earbuds rather than the over-the-ear models that often come with players in the class.
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