Technosyncratic

Solid Alliance Strikes Again with an USB Engine Hub

2007-07-17T22:41:00.000-05:00

As if I haven’t posted enough about stupid products from SolidAlliance, it appears as if they’ve done it again! This time, they’ve released a three-port USB Hub designed to look like an engine. Plus, as if the sticks-out-like-a-sore-thumb oversized hub wasn’t enough, it comes complete with sound effects as well as a kick start and gear shift pedal.

Check out the video below for a quick demonstration by the president of SolidAlliance. After seeing this $43 hub in action, I’m sure you’ll see why they expect it to be their “best seller in Japan and also worldwide.”

USB Engine HUB, plug an Engin to your PC
Uploaded by AkihabaraNews

[Via Engadget]

Brando Wii Light Gun

2007-07-01T11:58:00.000-05:00

Here’s a two-part follow-up post. The first part is yet another Wii accessory from Brando. When I was checking out their page when posting about the Cooking Mama set, I noticed several other zany Wii accessories. They’re all pretty novel and fairly interesting, so I think I’ll be doing several posts about these random products. The second part of this follow-up is to the Wii-Blaster that I posted about a couple weeks ago.

Just looking at the Brando version of the blaster, it looks a lot sleeker. Its solid white design is a lot simpler and fits better into the Wiicessory look. Essentially the functionality is going to be the same because you’ll still be using the Wiimote and Nunchuck. The $17 price tag also gives it a $3 advantage over the Gamestop version. So, this one might be the light gun conversion kit to buy if you’re planning on getting the new on-rails Resident Evil for Wii.

The Brando Wii Cooking Mother Kit

2007-06-28T11:37:00.000-05:00

Just in case you didn’t believe me when I said Brando made some weird stuff, here’s your proof. Brando has a collection of Wiimote accessories to spice up the Cooking Mama experience. Just incase your imagination is a little bit broken; the set will let you have a slightly more authentic gaming session.

According to Brando the set includes a “Frying Pan, Knife, spade & Fork” with odd capitalization choices included. I don’t exactly know what a spade is as far as cooking is concerned, although Google reveals that it might be an ice cream scoop. However, judging by the pictures on the Brando site their spade looks more like a spatula, or is it a Spatula? They also claim: “Making the game more realistic, increase the fun of the game.” So if you’re into wielding plastic cooking utensils for your Wii, the set is available now for a mere $17.00.

[Via Engadget]

Brando’s Solar Powered USB Charger

2007-06-27T19:06:00.000-05:00

Hot on the heels of certain other solar powered products comes one that’s a little more compact, a bit more useful, and a hell of a lot less stupid looking. Brando (the king of many useless gadgets, like SolidAlliance) has released a compact solar powered USB charger. The charger unfolds to reveal two solar panels that can be used to charge your favorite USB gizmos, like an iPod or a cell phone. It also comes with an AC adapter to use it indoors and its wide variety of voltage settings lets you adjust it to fit your gadget.

The use of solar power makes this charger perfect for bringing along an iPod or a cell phone on a camping trip, if you want to rough it, but keep a few tech goodies handy. Plus, because it is relatively small it would fit easily into a backpack or any other luggage. It isn’t the cheapest of gadgets, but at $69 it is certainly affordable if you’re just dying to keep your tunes going on that long camping trip.

[Via Engadget]

Samsung X820 Takes a Beating

2007-06-25T22:56:00.000-05:00

There isn’t a whole lot to say here. The picture just about says it all. I’ve always thought Samsung stuff (phones in particular) did a pretty solid job at standing up to a beating and this just about proves it.

[Via Engadget]

SunRed’s Solar Powered Motorbike

2007-06-25T09:53:00.001-05:00

Equipping a car or SUV with solar panels would be relatively easy seeing as there is plenty of surface area. Just think, the latest incarnation of the box-like hummer sporting solar panels head to toe. Anyways, SunRed is attempting to create a motorbike that is fueled by solar power. The only problem is that motorcycles don’t exactly have enough surface area to cover with solar panels. The solution? Turn a relatively sleek craft into a big, honkin’, snail-esque, monstrosity.

That’s right. If you’re looking to cut your bike’s dependency on gasoline you’re going to have to sacrifice the wind in your hair and look like a total moron. What’s more SunRed claims that the bike’s new 25 square feet of solar paneling will harness enough of the sun’s energy to let you about 13 miles at up to about 30 miles per hour. Groundbreaking and world changing! Not quite. Most sport bikes today get average MPG somewhere in the 30’s and 40’s, not to mention they can go four times as fast. Plus, this means that I would hardly be able to make it to Wawa and back on this thing, and it would take me almost twice as long to do it. Plus because this thing requires sun to charge up you’ll have to leave it in your driveway for all of your neighbors to gawk at.

[Via Engadget]

Take Two Takes a Break on Manhunt 2

2007-06-24T19:02:00.000-05:00

This news is a bit old now, but since I posted about Manhunt’s shaming earlier this week, I thought I would let everyone know that Take Two will be shelving Manhunt 2 for the time being. Reportedly a Take Two representative was quoted as explaining that the company “has temporarily suspended plans to distribute Manhunt 2 for the Wii or PlayStation platforms while it reviews its options with regard to the recent decisions made by the British Board of Film Classification and Entertainment Software Rating Board.”

Interestingly this news musters up a bit of speculation. The whole ‘AO’ rating debacle gave the game a ton of press. So, down the road when Manhunt 2 does get released as an ‘M’ rated game, (assuming it will) it will have garnered tons of publicity and will have the potential to sell in impressive numbers. While it will take a bit more time and money to revamp the game, it could end up making Take Two tons of money. However, because the game is currently being shelved there is no solid evidence that Manhunt 2 will ever see the light of day.

[Via Wii Fanboy]

Zune Addict!

2007-06-20T23:46:00.000-05:00

You may remember last week I posted a picture of a man who you might call a Zune Fanboy. Well, if there was any question about the guy’s alliegence to the Microsoft Zune, this second picture confirms that he is indeed a Zune Zealot. It appears as if our favorite Zune addict has returned to the parlor to get yet another tattoo representing his favorite DMP.

[Via Engadget]

Lots of Trouble for Manhunt 2 on Wii

2007-06-20T21:47:00.000-05:00

The Nintendo Wii is generally thought of as a family console because of a barrage of family oriented marketing and lots of fun and fuzzy cute games. So, it came as a bit of a shocker when Nintendo and Take Two/Rockstar Games announced Manhunt 2 for the pure and wholesome console. The game has been described as ‘a murder simulator.’ Combine the gruesome game play with the ‘hands-on’ controls of the Wii and Manhunt 2 is the next best thing to smothering that annoying guy down the street with a plastic bag.

Well, it’s a rough time for the publishers now. In a barrage of news today regarding the game, we find that Take Two is going to bleed some serious cash. The first revelation was that the game was banned in the UK for its extreme violence. David Cooke of the British Board of Film Classification was quoted as saying that “There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game.” Further it was suggested that they had no suggestions to improve the content of the game so that the ban would be lifted.

The second blow to the publishers came as the ESRB gave the title an AO or Adults Only rating. This is essentially a death sentence for a game as far as mainstream success is considered. The harsh rating would keep the game off the shelves of almost all retailers and squash the game into obscurity. Not to mention the AO rating lumps Manhunt 2 in the same category of games like “All Nude Cyber,” “The Joy of Sex,” and “WET – The Sexy Empire.”

Just as you would expect, it was also reported today that Gamefly (the Netflix of videogames) would not be carrying Manhunt 2 because they enforce a no AO policy. This also goes for Blockbuster who has a no NC-17 policy regarding movies. The final blow came today as Nintendo announced that they would not allow the release of the controversial game with the AO rating.

To get Manhunt 2 out, Take Two is going to have to dodge the AO bullet by substantially editing the game to get the rating reduced to M (Mature). So, all of the work that has gone into the game is going to have to be redone to satisfy the ESRB and Nintendo. There is also the possibility that all of the flack that the game has already caught may lead stores to shun the game even if the rating is changed. The only other remaining option is for Take Two to simply cut the chord on the game and head in another direction.

I for one am disappointed by the whole situation. While maybe the game deserves the AO rating, I would still like it to be released. And if it did actually get out I was planning on buying a copy, because it was likely to become a rare game. Finally, I’d like to say that I’ve been playing games all my life, and while playing games I’ve killed countless of robots, ferocious animals, and people. But, guess what! I know how to separate reality from a game and I’m sure anyone who is right in the head can too. Even if it is a ‘murder simulator’ that doesn’t mean that people who play it are going to become murderers. By that logic when schools give demonstrations of what it is like to drunk drive, they would actually be driving all of their students to knock back a few and hop behind the wheel! Ridiculous isn’t it?

[Via Wii Fanboy]
[Via Wii Fanboy]
[Via Wii Fanboy]
[Via Wii Fanboy]
[Via Wii Fanboy]

Third-Party ‘Wii Blaster’ Coming Soon

2007-06-19T09:55:00.000-05:00

Ever since the advent of the Wii there have been designs for a Wiimote toting gun running free on the Internet. Finally there is one design that is coming to market, and soon. The Wii Blaster will hit store [Gamestop only] shelves come June 27th. Thankfully the $19.99 price point is quite reasonable, because how much can they actually charge for a hunk of functionless plastic? I mean the Blaster doesn’t actually do anything by itself. In order to make it work you’ll need a Wiimote and Nunchuck, which, obviously, if you’re a Wii owner you have both. But, the Blaster, in itself, just some molded plastic.

Clearly they’re going for the nostalgia factor here. The Blaster looks a bit like the old Nintendo Zapper and is intended for use with light gun-like games, only with the use of the Wiimote. They claim that you’ll be able to use it with Duck Hunt, but there is yet to be any official word on Duck Hunt’s Virtual Console release. It seems likely that the Blaster would work with it when it does come out, but until then I think it’s a clever marketing ploy to increase sales a bit. I wonder how many people will buy it intending to play Duck Hunt on the first day and be sadly disappointed.

[Via Wii Fanboy]

Nintendo Dominates May Videogame Sales

2007-06-15T20:01:00.000-05:00

I haven’t reported on NPD numbers in the past, but they’re always interesting so I’ll start sharing them. So, if you don’t know, NPD stands for National Purchase Diary and the numbers are calculated by The NPD Group Inc. Each month the numbers are calculated on various different types of products, but videogames are going to be my focus. The numbers come about a half-month after the end of the period which they are calculating and for video games they calculate hardware and software sales.

Hardware Sales:

* Nintendo DS: 423K
* Nintendo Wii: 338K
* Sony PSP: 221K
* Sony PlayStation 2: 187K
* Microsoft Xbox 360: 155K
* Sony PlayStation 3: 81K

Basically Nintendo is kicking ass and taking names and they have been for months, basically since November when the Wii was released. And the DS just continues to print money. Month after month the DS sells multiple times almost every other console or handheld on the market. Also, in relation to my last post, check out those stellar (notice the sarcasm) sales numbers on the PS3.

Software Sales:

* Pokémon Diamond (DS)
* Mario Party 8 (Wii)
* Spider-Man 3 (PS2)
* Pokémon Pearl (DS)
* Wii Play w/remote (Wii)
* Forza Motorsport 2 (Xbox 360)
* Guitar Hero II w/guitar (Xbox 360)
* Spider-Man 3 (Xbox 360)
* Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (Xbox 360)
* Guitar Hero II w/guitar (PS2)

As far as software goes, the wealth is spread pretty evenly between several systems, again, however, notice that the PS3 doesn’t even have a title in the top 10. Some other things that are interesting about these numbers are the popularity of PS2 titles, and Guitar Hero on both PS2 and 360. It’s hard to say that the PS2 (and its games) selling well is a bad thing (because it’s not) but it is interesting how Sony’s ‘last-gen’ system is overshadowing their latest and greatest. Also, Guitar Hero II is still continuing to sell a ton of units and at the premium $80 price with the guitar included.

[Via Wii Fanboy]

PS3 Price Cuts Coming! Eventually.

2007-06-15T19:44:00.000-05:00

After saying that one potential (future) cause of the PS3’s failure could be it’s high price, Sony CEO Howard Stringer is saying that Sony is looking into reducing the price of the PS3. What he doesn’t say is just about all the relevant information. Of course, we all know that the price of the PS3 is going to come down, eventually, so you’d hope that maybe we’d get some details out of the guy.

However, as a business tactic you wouldn’t expect Sony to announce a future price cut officially or its amount because that would effectively kill sales of the PS3 until the announced date. This is especially true considering the fact that the PS3 isn’t exactly selling like hot cakes.

[Via Engadget]

Man Gets a Zune Tattoo

2007-06-12T19:59:00.000-05:00

LOL, just LOL. I wonder if getting Zune ink makes you more popular in the ‘social.’

[Via Engadget]

Domains are Live!

2007-06-07T10:09:00.000-05:00

Last night I registered technosyncratic.com and technosyncratic.info and today they’re live and directing to my blog!

So, for future reference, if you’re typing in the URL, you don’t have to worry about typing out http://technosyncraticblog.blogspot.com (although it should still work) it's simply www.technosyncratic.com. I’m not exactly sure how to make it so you don’t have to type in the ‘www’ at the moment, but hopefully I’ll get that sorted out so it’s even easier.

Domain Registration!

2007-06-06T22:41:00.000-05:00

For years, basically since I knew what exactly a domain was, I’ve wanted to own a domain. When I started blogging I thought it would be cool to own the domains for my blogs. However, Bêtise was taken and so was Audiosyncratic. Now, however, I switched the name to Technosyncratic and guess what domain is available! Tonight I decided since domains are relatively cheap, and I have a Visa I would just go right ahead and register my domain! That’s right! Technosyncratic.com is now my domain (so is Technosyncratic.info, you can’t be that $0.99 price).

The domains aren’t live quite yet, since it takes some time to get DNS servers straightened out. But, in the next few days you should be able to get here by going to either of my new domains. It’s not much easier, especially since most of my traffic (not that much) comes from people clicking links, but I just think it’s damn cool to own a domain.

Difference Between LED and CCFL?

2007-06-06T18:06:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I posted about the updated MacBook Pros. One of the points I relayed from Apple is that users won’t see any differences between the previous CCFL screens and the new LED backlit screens as far as brightness or contrast goes. Well just one day later Engadget has a whole bunch of comparison photos for you to gaze at.

While the difference isn’t astonishingly huge, it seems pretty clear to me. The old CCFL MacBook Pro is on the left in the image above while the LED model is on the right. It’s pretty obvious that there is a discernable difference between the models. So, on top of the speed boosts in the new models and the improved battery life, it looks like LED will also give you a slightly brighter image.

[Via Engadget]

Apple Updates MacBook Pro Today

2007-06-05T23:49:00.000-05:00

So for a while now we’ve been expecting some updates to Apple’s laptops, since his Steveness announced that Apple would be using LED Backlit displays in the coming future. Well, today seems to be that day. While LED backlights will only be gracing the 15-inch model (for now at least) there’s a whole bunch of updated stuff thrown into these silver puppies.

For starters an extra $100 in the 17-inch model gets you the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics card which will provide up to 1920 x 1200 resolution (yes that’s full HD if you’re interested) Unfortunately there’s still no support for Blu-Ray, but all the DRM that would need to added in kind of holds that back. Perhaps with the release of Leopard this fall we’ll see some HD goodness coming our way.

Even better yet, the MacBook Pros now feature Intel’s latest Centrino platform ‘Santa Rosa’ if you’re interested, which you probably aren’t you can get all the technical details on that on the Wikipedia page. This also means that 802.11n wireless comes pre-enabled, which was an issue recently.

The biggest addition is really the LED backlit screens, but there’s not much that consumers are going to notice because of this. The most important factor in this change is the environmental benefit. Previously the LCD screens used a technology called CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent), which Green Peace gave Apple a lot of grief about. Apple said that LED backlighting could possibly provide somewhere between 30 minutes and 1 hour more battery life, but it depends on use. Other than this possibility, users won’t be noticing any increases in brightness.

The pricepoint for the MacBook Pro still comes in at $1,999, which is still pretty steep, but all the new additions definitely increase the value. Plus, Apple’s free Nano student discount is in effect again. So, if you’re laptop shopping for the coming school year, it might be time to make the switch because your Education discount can knock a few hundred off the price of the laptop and score you a free iPod.

[Via Engadget]

Various Nintendo E3 Rumors

2007-06-04T20:55:00.000-05:00

I read a few days ago that somewhere there were rumors circulating about some Nintendo announcements coming up at this year’s (downsized) E3. At the moment I’m having some trouble finding the article about it, but I believe it was on Wii Fanboy. Anyways, as I remember, the rumor stated that Nintendo would announce the release dates for Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Mario Galaxy. The rumor also states that they will also be announcing the Wii iteration of Mario Kart and on top of that a new piece of hardware!

Since, dates for two already announced games aren’t exactly big news and everyone and their mother knows that Mario Kart will eventually be making its way to Wii, the most shocking (and partially unbelievable) speculation is a hardware announcement. When I first heard I was immediately thinking that it could be a slightly more powerful Wii or something, but it just isn’t feasible at this point.

However, today I saw an article on Engadget rehashed the rumors of an external hard drive add-on for the Wii. While Nintendo is saying this is only a rumor, it seems like this could possibly fit the ‘hardware announcement’ profile. It makes a lot of sense, seeing as the Wii only comes with 512MB of storage and the system has 2 USB ports just sitting there. And with the number of games on the Virtual Console ever increasing gamers are bound to fill up their storage sooner or later. Additionally, there are some more rumors going around that the VC could see games from Neo Geo, which could take up about 300MB each. So, while I wouldn’t put money on it, I’m going to say that if there is a hardware announcement at E3 from Nintendo, this could very well be it.

Yet another rumor pertaining to the Wii is the possibility of colored Wiimotes hitting the shelves sometime soon. Wii Fanboy reported today that a store clerk from the UK snapped a shot of an upcoming SKU with the description “Wii Remote Blue.” It’s not too much to go on, but it certainly seems possible since Nintendo has a long history of multi-colored products and of course colored Wiimotes were present at E3 last year.

[Via Wii Fanboy]
[Via Engadget]
[Via Wii Fanboy (Again)]

SanDisk SSDs to 64GB

2007-06-04T20:27:00.000-05:00

This isn’t exactly ground breaking news but SanDisk just announced that they’ve doubled the size of their 2.5” and 1.2” solid-state disk drives from 32GB to 64GB. Mainly the good news is that as storage capacity continues to increase these more efficient drives will become more viable as options in more efficient laptops. The idea is that they access data much faster and use less power, so they’re perfect for a fast and energy efficient portable. Plus, the 64GB size puts these drives right into the ring with typical laptop drives that range from 60GB to 120GB.

One more application for these drives could be iPods or other portable media players. Currently iPods offer up to 8GB of solid-state memory in the iPod Nano and up to 80GB in the hard drive model. Using a solid-state disk in full-sized video iPods would do a whole lot of good. These drives are not only smaller but also use less energy (as I’ve stated) so that means longer battery life, plus they have no moving parts so you don’t have to worry about messing anything up when you go running with your tunes.

By the way, if you didn’t know, you’re not supposed to go running with your iPod (unless it’s a Shuffle or a Nano). Regular iPods and the old Mini’s have moving hard drives and the shock from running with them can screw things up inside and eventually lead to an untimely death of you several-hundred-dollar investment.

[Via Engadget]

Mii’s in the Wild

2007-06-03T22:17:00.000-05:00

A couple of Mii’s seem to have escaped from their Mii Channel on a Nintendo Wii as they were spotted at an Anime convention in Canada.

I can’t say I’m much into the cosplay thing, but these Mii’s are just plain hilarious. Plus you’ve got to give them some credit the costumes are great.

[Via WiiFanboy]

The iPod Amnesty Bin

2007-05-25T12:30:00.000-05:00

Flickr user, ‘fimoculous,’ recently Microsofts Zune HQ. He snapped this photo of the “iPod Amnesty Bin” by the enterance which seemingly beckons those entering the domain of the Zune to trash their iPod and switch over to an oh-so-well-selling Zune.

I get the feeling, however, in order to get their little joke of the ground, Microsoft had to run out to the store to buy a few iPods to chuck in there. So, to prove their anti-iPod point, they just wound up feeding the frenzy. Pretty funny, I thought.

[Via TUAW]

The Heated Keyboard

2007-05-23T13:24:00.000-05:00

As soon as I came across this keyboard I knew it was just stupid enough to be worthy of posting here. V8 Tools, has released a heated keyboard to key your valuable digits nice and toasty in the cold winter months. It boasts “upgraded materials and components inside and out” to keep the innards safe from heat. It’s heating ability is rather impressive. It’s got a three-position switch, Off, Low Heat, and High Heat. Low heat is supposed to maintain normal body heat between 85 F and 90 F, while High cranks out between 95 F and 100 F.

While it’s a clever idea, there really isn’t much use for it indoors. While it’s marketed for use in the shop, office, and at home I don’t see it getting much action any where besides a garage shop. And maybe in the rough terrain of a garage the “upgraded materials” will also help combat the dust and debris. One last thing, it looks horrible. But I guess it would fit in perfectly with the beige boxes that with Windows 98 that dominate shop computers, too bad most of them don’t have USB ports that this thing uses. The good news, is this toasty typing peripheral is moderately priced at $43.59, with available discount for multiple orders at Tooltopia.

[Via Engadget]
[Via Tooltopia]

iPhone: AT&T Exclusive for 5 Years

2007-05-22T15:15:00.000-05:00

Since the official announcement of the iPhone a few months ago we’ve known the device would be exclusively offered (at least at first) on Cingular (“The New AT&T”). However, what we didn’t know was how long the exclusivity deal would last. Today USA Today reported that the contract would last a whopping 5 years, yes one half decade. So, if you want an iPhone before 2012 you’ll have to switch carriers if you’re not already an AT&T customer.

What strikes me most about this deal is a concern about product life cycles. The first generation iPod was introduced in October of 2001, the second generation in July of 2002, and fast forward to the fifth generation Video iPod, October 2005. That’s 5 iterations in 5 separate years. The other iPods (Mini, Nano, and Shuffle) have also seen refreshes in approximate one-year intervals. If the iPod is updated on average once every year, where’s the logic in deciding that the iPhone is going to last 5 years? Most people don’t even have a phone for 5 years. People tend to break their phones or want upgrades about every two years, especially teenagers. After all, that’s where the “New After Two” plan comes in. While the iPhone has tons of cutting edge features that haven’t ever been all combined into one sexy package, who’s to say there won’t be better phones coming along sooner. For instance, Meizu already has an iPhone knockoff in the works in China.

Another interesting tidbit is that Verizon claims to have an upcoming phone to combat the iPhone. "We do have a very good response in the mill. You'll see that from us in the late summer," says Denny Strigl, Verizon CEO. One of the main problems with an iPhone-killer is that it isn’t an iPhone. This is the same rudimentary problem that MP3 players have they simply aren’t iPods. Apple has the inside advantage with the iPhone. It’s hard for other phone companies to make smart phones that cater to the needs of Mac users. However, Apple’s got all the rights they need to make a phone that integrates perfectly with iTunes, iCal, and any other Apple software. It’s an advantage that no other phone company will ever have, and that is why there won’t ever been an iPhone-killer.

[Via Engadget]

Seiko’s Car Power Strip

2007-05-21T19:07:00.000-05:00

Seiko is introducing their EM-49 “In-car socket extender with USB.” It features three 12V inputs from the single one in your car’s console. In addition, it offers a USB port for charging any applicable devices. This is perfect for charging an iPod on the go or maybe a new cell phone that can charge through USB. Being able to charge a USB device in your car without paying for the most likely high priced car charger is always a plus. There’s no word (yet) on availability in the states, but in South Korea they’ll be going for 18,100 won, or about $19.

What I wonder the most, is will this device allow you to use powered USB devices in your car? There’s a vast world of useless USB devices out there, how cool would it be to bring these gadgets to the car? You could get a quick shave on the way to work with the USB Powered Shaver, keep your coffee warm with the USB Mug Warmer, or maybe keep your soda cold with the USB Beverage Chiller, spice up that backseat make out session a bit with the USB Mini Lava Lamp, or even declare war on other drivers with the USB Missile Launcher. The possibilities are endless!

[Via Engadget]

Optimus Maximus for Pre-Order

2007-05-21T14:34:00.000-05:00

Back in March I reported on the Optimus Maximus keyboard from Art Lebedev Studio. Well just the other day it went up on their website for pre-order. Along with that change are some accompanying images that show off just how good the keyboard looks.

As was always expected the keyboard is smooth and sleek with a nice solid (looking) construction. The main drawback, as I previously touched on, it it’s price. They’re asking a commanding 43,990 Rubbles or about $1564.37, probably about twice the amount an average consumer pays for their entire computer. On top of this, it will only be shipping in limited quantities; they expect to ship 200 for late December and will reportedly be shipping 400 in the beginning on January.

I tend to wonder, however, if there will ever be a second run of the Optimus Maximus. While the hype and buzz is high, there’s no telling if there will be much of a demand for this overpriced keyboard. While it looks pretty and will likely be the envy of most computer nerds, only a very select crowd will have the funds to even think about buying one. Only time will tell if years of design and vapor status will turn this opulent keyboard into a success for Art Lebedev Studio.

Wii Play Drums

2007-05-20T14:31:00.000-05:00

So for my first post in practically a month I’m going to cheap out and go with a video clip. It’s a demonstration of a Wiimote drum kit nicknamed “Wii Play Drums” by thisisnotalabel.com. It’s a pretty cool demo I thought and if I had a Wii and a PC with Bluetooth (or if they coded a Mac version) I’d definitely check it out. I hope to see some future functionality for a second Wiimote, but it’s still way cool. Check it out below and if you’re interested head to their site.

A Keyboard for Wii?

2007-04-24T23:04:00.000-05:00

A few days ago news broke that Logitech would be joining in the productions of peripherals for Nintendo’s rather scarce gaming machine. Well, today WiiFanboy posted about a short blurb in the May issue of Game Informer. The tidbit claims that Nintendo is indeed looking into adding a keyboard to the Wii’s arsenal. This surely makes sense given the fact that you can browse the web using the Wii edition of the Opera browser. I think that it would certainly be a welcome addition for those who intend to surf the web with their shiny white machines. A full keyboard could also make in game chat for online games a very likely possibility. Check out a photo of the magazine page below, thanks to WFB.

More Dark Clouds for Vonage, May Have a Silver Lining

2007-04-19T16:13:00.000-05:00

Hopefully you’re not tired of reading about Vonage, because the news continues to pour in about the struggling company, and I assume it will continue to. Plus, I’ve already got myself interested in the case so I think I’ll be continuing to cover it.

In a recent article, Engadget explained that things were looking worse for Vonage, when they requested a permanent stay on the Judges ruling about signing up new customers. The conclusions seem to say that they’re having trouble coming up with a workaround for the Verizon patents that they were found to be infringing upon.

They company was quoted as saying that if they “[were] somehow able to implement a design around, and was able to ultimately prevail on appeal, it would have no hope of regaining its lost customers, or its lost goodwill, and its loss of revenue would be permanent and…” Apparently they cut the rest of the statement, claiming that the material was confidential.

However, there is some potential light at the end of the tunnel. In an update to the same article, Engadget explains that there is a possibility that Verizon’s patents are unlawful. Word is that they patents contain some technology that was previously discussed by a number of communications companies to eventually become an open standard. If this is the case, it sounds like Vonage might be getting off the hook, although from the sound of what they’re saying some ill will because of these proceedings may permanently hurt their image.

There’s one more dark cloud looming, and that may be possible litigation from Sprint. According to another at Engadget, another suit is in the works to begin in September. However, this ominous cloud has its own potential silver lining. Rumors are spreading that Sprint may actually move to acquire Vonage, which would certainly serve any of their patent issues. If there were any truth to these rumors it would be interesting to see what a telecommunications giant would do with a company offering a competing technology. Only time will tell what becomes of this distressed VOIP company.

SolidAlliance Won’t Quit

2007-04-17T20:40:00.000-05:00

I’ve already posted about Japanese company, SolidAlliances’s strange products a few times. It seems, however, that they still haven’t had enough of cheesy looking food themed USB devices. I really don’t have much to say about this USB Hub complete with 1GB attachment drives, aside from LOL. I just can’t see how there’s much of a practical market for this stuff. There’s no pricing available at Akihabara at the moment, but I’d assume, like the previous products, this stuff is bound to be expensive too.

TEAC Joins the Bone Conducting Party

2007-04-15T17:00:00.000-05:00

Who would have thought that bone-conducting headphones would become one of my most blogged about technology here? I certainly wouldn’t have. But, after Thanko’s bone-conducting headphones and high-tech headband, it seems to have become a trend around here.

Well yet another Japanese company, TEAC, has come out with their own model. The HP-F100s are their entry into the market. You can check out more about their specs at this article from Engadget. But, the biggest differences between this set and Thanko’s Vonias are the addition of a standalone amplifier and the price. The HP-F100s come with a dedicated amplifier that can apparently push out .76-watts for each channel, impressive (snicker).

The biggest kicker however, is the price. They’re going for a staggering ¥52,500, which translates to $440, while Thanko’s Vonia headphones run a cool ¥9,800 or about $82. With no direct evidence as to which pair sounds better, it seems like TEAC’s headphones are a little bit on the pricy side, especially for such a miniscule market.

Things Continue to Look Bad for Vonage

2007-04-12T21:47:00.000-05:00

Last week I reported that Vonage wasn’t in such great shape after a lawsuit from Verizon and a court order by a judge. The judge ruled that Vonage wouldn’t be allowed to signup any new customers, which seemed like a death sentence for the already flailing company. Luckily, since then they have gotten this ruling lifted and they can continue to expand their customer base.

(Photo courtesy of CNET)

However, this isn’t a great turning point for the company, they still face pretty tough odds. Engadget reported today that just as Vonage was announcing cost-cutting measures, the acting CEO Michael Snyder resigned. Things aren’t looking too good as the company has announced that they will be consolidating their operations and scaling back advertising. And as was inevitable, Vonage will be laying off some employees. It seems that with every passing day we are coming closer and closer to the not-too-far-off end of VOIP pioneer Vonage.

Apple TV Upgrade Kit

2007-04-12T19:00:00.000-05:00

So, the Apple TV is out even after its delay. If you’ve got one, and some expensive white cables to go along with it, what else could you possibly want? Well, more storage space, that’s what. The Apple TV ships with a measly 40GB hard drive. And if you’ve got a nice collection of feature length movies and TV shows, you might be running out of space already! If you haven’t heard there’s about a bazillion ways to get hacking the Apple TV (already). If you’re the totally balls-to-the-wall do-it-yourself type, check out AppleTVHacks.net, as they’ve got a pretty decent collection going on.

However, if you’re looking to expand your storage capacity but can’t be bothered to rip out the drive from the Apple TV and doing some disk copying and restoring, WeaKnees has got your back! They’re offering up a 160GB drive (4 times the storage) that comes preformatted to work with Apple TV, for $199. While it seems a bit steep it’s really only about $50 more than it would cost to go out and buy a drive and enclosure yourself and performing all of the work. On top of saving you time, this premium service offers a six-month warranty, seeing as performing this surgery on your Apple TV will immediately void your manufacturer’s warranty.

So, if you’ve got an Apple TV and you’re jonesing for more space this service could be a godsend. They’ve got tons of info on the website to help you along the process to make sure that everything goes smoothly.

New Apple Commercials

2007-04-12T11:01:00.000-05:00

Just in case you get a chuckle out of Apple’s Get A Mac commercials (like me) you’ll be pleased to hear that they’ve posted two new ones. The first, “Flashback,” features young PC and young Mac. The second is titled “Computer Cart” and is funny, like usual.

Check them out by clicking either of the pictures below.

SolidAlliance CEO Interview

2007-04-11T13:58:00.000-05:00

As you may remember, last month I posted about the Omelet Mouse Cover from SolidAlliance. And it all came down to the fact that it was basically a huge waste of money ($70). Well Akihabara recently interviewed the CEO, Mr. Karahara. The interview isn’t exactly exciting, but he showcases their line of Sushi USB devices. They’re also quite the novelty, and by the way it’s also expensive (1GB Mackerel USB drives run about $68).

Anyways, if you’re interested in witnessing who’s responsible for these frivolous and expensive pieces of gadgetry check out the video below.

Meade’s Ray Gun, err Personal Planetarium

2007-04-10T11:15:00.000-05:00

It’s really hard to complain about this product solely on the basis of its function. The Meade mySKY Personal Planetarium is a handheld GPS enabled device that allows you to identify a gaggle of heavenly bodies (they claim more than 30,000). It really is a useful device for any stargazing fans. In the Engadget article, they also explain that it can be used in conjunction with other Meade telescopes.

Basically it’s a good idea. I just wish they fired their designer and gone with something a little less 80s sci-fi. It just looks like a blaster out of a cheesy low production film. Either that, or something you might find in the toy section of your local CVS. And at $400 you’d better make sure nobody mistakes it for a cheap toy.

Anyone Can Comment

2007-04-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

If you haven’t noticed, you're now allowed to comment whether you have an account or not. Just the other day I realized that comments were set to only allow Google or Blogger members to comment. So, in the spirit of letting anyone voice their opinion I set it to allow anyone to comment. Now if you’d like to comment, feel free to do so! This goes the same for Audiosyncratic. Have a nice day!

Nintendo Console Transformation

2007-04-06T13:04:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of bringing a few enjoyable videos to the table, here’s one I found because of the Wii Fanboy blog. It’s a short video of the evolution of Nintendo consoles through nifty animated transformations. The creator, ptacnik, did it as part of a school (probably college) assignment. I’d say it came out really well and he’s probably got a future in advertising or design of some sort. Check it out below.

Vonage (like Europe) gets the Shaft

2007-04-06T12:56:00.000-05:00

You may or may not have heard, that recently Verizon sued VOIP provider Vonage for patent infringement. You can read more about the case at Engadget, but in short, Vonage lost and had to stop using the technology they were infringing upon. To this Vonage said that their customers wouldn’t see a gap in service. It was a shame to see them in such trouble, but it sounded initially like things could work out if they were going to be able to get by without the patented technology.

However, in this article from Engadget, things aren’t looking so good for the VOIP provider. A District Court Judge, Claude Hilton, ruled that Vonage would not be allowed to sign up any new customers. Quite the death sentence it seems to me. I don’t even see how such a ruling could be handed down. In a free market economy how can a court decide that a company cannot try to attract new customers? I see that there should be a penalty for infringement, but I’d say disallowing the use of technology and paying damages sounds a bit more realistic, not to mention the fact that Vonage has already done that.

To top it all off the judge also put a $66 Million bond on the appeal. So, what began as a setback, that seemed to be recoverable, has turned into a potential death sentence. If they don’t win the appeal on this ruling, I doubt there will be much of a future for Vonage.

iPod Takes a Bullet

2007-04-06T11:57:00.000-05:00

The headline basically says it all. A soldier was on street patrol in Iraq and was shot at. The old HP edition iPod got itself between the soldier and the bullet. For a more complete story check out the page on Flickr, until then have a look at the picture of the heroic iPod.

An Apple With 8 Cores

2007-04-04T18:24:00.000-05:00

Well if an apple had eight cores I suppose it wouldn’t be much fun to eat, so it’s a good thing that this is an Apple. Today, Apple Inc. unleashed a new Mac Pro with the option to upgrade from dual two-core processors to dual four-core Intel Clovertown processors. While it’d certainly nice to have the bragging rights of such a beastly computing machine, I’m not sure if it warrants the extra (nearly) $1500 for the step up in speed.

The biggest reservation I have, as many would, is that applications these days simply aren’t optimized for computing with eight cores, most machines with two are hardly ever maxed out. The good news is, however, that right along side of these machines is the new Creative Suite from Adobe. Coincidentally (or maybe not so) CS3 applications are optimized for such mammoth of a computer.

On a side note, I have a brief story. Once upon a time there was a curse bestowed on Leo Laporte (former TechTV personality and current podcaster extraordinaire). As the story goes, shortly after Leo makes an Apple purchase, the product is replaced with a newer updated version. As luck would have it, it seems as if this curse is in effect if Leo is even present at the purchase of a Mac. So, two days ago Leo went to a nearby Apple store with a colleague of his. The man purchased a Mac Pro, with a measly four cores and two 24-inch Apple Cinema displays. Unluckily for this man, just two days later (today) Apple introduced the new speedier Mac Pro, and to make matters worse dropped the prices of cinema displays by $100. Quite bad luck I must say.

Razer’s Pro|Solutions Finally a Reality

2007-04-04T13:43:00.000-05:00

For about a year Razer (a high-end input device company) has been tantalizing Apple users (and people with iPods who love white peripherals) with a keyboard with an iPod dock built in, plus a shiny white matching mouse as part of their Pro|Solutions series. The mouse has been around for a while (I’m using one right now with my MacBook), but Engadget just reported that the Keyboard is finally coming for fruition.

The Pro|Type keyboard is going to run about $130. Besides its white glory, it features an integrated iPod dock, plus a whole slew of media and programmable keys. In fact, the keyboard is able to switch between 10 profiles, which allows for even more customizable fun. If I didn’t already drop $29 on an Apple Keyboard I’d actually consider it, since I’m a fan of Razer and it would match my mouse. However, I’m not in dire need of an iPod dock, or an expensive keyboard. So, coolness aside I doubt I’ll be getting one anytime soon, doesn’t mean it’s not a sleek gadget though.

PSP Price Drop: Sony Shafts the Euros Again

2007-04-03T19:05:00.000-05:00

While I’m not interested (at all) in buying a PSP, I’ve known for some time that it’s just too expensive for lots of people to consider, especially when its competitor the, Nintendo DS, is hovering just over $100. Well, also for some time, people have been actively complaining about the PSP’s $200 price point. As Engadget reports, it seems as if Sony is finally listening to its potential customers and doing something about it. While the article doesn’t make specific reference, the article they cite explains that the new price for the pack will be $179, which isn’t a huge cut.

The little bit of this news that sticks out to me is that Sony said “We have no announcements to make about the PSP in the European market at this time.” As you may remember I posted previously about Europe getting the shaft on backwards compatibility, not to mention the regrettably late launch of the PS3 across the Atlantic. I don’t know what it is about Sony and Europe, it just seems they like to give them the stick whenever possible, late PS3 launch, higher price for it, limited backwards compatibility, and now no plans to reduce the cost of the already pricey PSP. I’m not a big fan of Sony these days as it is, but if I lived in Europe, who knows what I’d think.

Colorful, Fashion Conscious USBCELL Batteries

2007-04-03T11:26:00.000-05:00

I’ve you haven’t heard of USBCELL batteries, I’ll give you the lowdown. Essentially, they’re rechargeable batteries. However, instead of spending money on an expensive charger, you use any free USB ports on your computer to charge them. Last time I checked they had AAA, AA, and 9 Volt models. I know there’s a bit more of a trick the AAA size because a USB plug is a little bit bigger than the diameter of the battery, but the AA size have caps (on the positive side) that fold off to reveal the USB connector for charging.

They really are a good idea, and not too too expensive. I think they’re more than your ordinary battery, but as far as rechargeables go, they’re reasonable, especially taking into consideration the cost of typical chargers. Well, now as Engadget is reporting, USBCELLs will be coming in a variety of colors. Verity Wright, the design director is quoted as saying, “With virtually every other portable company launching fashionable pastel colored products, it's about time the Billions of AA Batteries inside caught up with the design and fashion concerns of modern consumers.” That’s just it, they’re on the inside, who cares? If they don’t cost the consumer any more to get a pack of colorful USBCELLs I can’t blame them, but if they plan on charging a premium for these tidbits of pastel portable power, then I’ve got a gripe.

Dude Wins a Wii

2007-04-02T14:17:00.001-05:00

Two video posts in one day, wow. You know those stupid crane games (or others like them) that you never win? Well this kid won. It wasn’t some stupid old stuffed animal either; this guy won a Nintendo Wii. Pretty impressive I’d say. Check out the video below. If you’ve got a thing against cursing, I suggest turning down your volume before you start the video.

AP Reporter Takes It From The “Pain Gun”

2007-04-02T11:33:00.000-05:00

I don’t exactly have the technical expertise or the desire to attempt to explain how the “Pain Gun” works, but if you’d like a briefing on it check out Engadget’s reporting on it from a while back. I can say, however, that the basic idea is that it gives whomever is it path of its beam will feel an intense pain, most likened to burning. The effect is that almost immediately the victim will want to get out of its way as quick as possible.

The press was invited to a recent testing session, and Elliot Minor, an AP reporter elected to have it tested on him, the video can be found below. I’ll just say from his reaction I plan to keep clear of this thing.

EMI and iTunes to bring DRM Free Content!

2007-04-02T11:15:00.000-05:00

Last night there was a live webcast from London, by EMI and Apple CEO his Steveness. The big announcement was that EMI, one of the big four record companies; will be bringing higher quality DRM-Free content to the iTunes Store.

I’ve always been pretty under whelmed by the 128Kbps AAC tracks that cost $0.99 on iTunes. If I’m going to pay for my music I’d like to be able to do with it what I want (just like my movies) and I’d like it to be at a decent quality. 128Kbps just isn’t cutting it for me. So, now for $0.30 more, you’ll be able to find EMI tracks without DRM encoded at 256Kbps, lets just hope they’re not transcoded. In case you don’t know what that is, transcoding is the process of converting audio from one lossy format (i.e. AAC or MP3) to another. This further degrades the quality; so an AAC file transcoded to 256Kbps from 128Kbps, will actually sound worse. And when Apple increased the resolution for video downloads last year (I think) it was found out that they just upscaled a lot of them, which causes video artifacting.

The other bonus is if you’ve already got a whole slew of EMI tracks, you’ll be able to pay the extra thirty cents and get the DRM-Free version. Album’s will also be available without DRM, but at regular prices, sounds like an incentive to buy whole albums to me. Finally, EMI music videos will also come in DRM-Free forms, without a price hike. One of the best things to be heard from all of this is that Steve Jobs expects half of the tracks available on iTunes will be DRM free in the next year.

For more info, check out Engadget’s extended coverage.

The WiiHelm from Think Geek

2007-04-01T20:50:00.000-05:00

To close out coverage for April Fools day, I have a second gag product, which can also be found at Think Geek. It is the WiiHelm. It (if it existed) allows you to play your favorite Wii gesture-based games with your head! Check out the above link for all the details, but until then check out this video.

Wii Goes Cruising with Norwegian

2007-04-01T16:58:00.000-05:00

Since the release of the Nintendo Wii, there’ve been many stories of its acceptance by non-gamers, young and old. This story furthers the Wii’s market penetration. Norwegian Cruise Lines has taken the liberty of installing Nintendo Wii’s in several of their ships, including their newest boat. These ships all have a few playing rooms and even have one main room for public gaming, complete with a gargantuan screen. The picture below basically tells the entire story. If, however, you’d like to read more, including the full press release check this out.

Belkin Hubs for Desks

2007-04-01T16:48:00.000-05:00

I saw the iPod dock version of these a couple days before I saw this article at Engadget. At first I just thought it was yet another iPod accessory, but after thinking about it, I’ve concluded that this line of computer hub accessories from Belkin is a damn good idea.

How often do you see someone with a computer and their desk in a work environment? Just about anytime you look at an office desk. Well how often do they actually make use of the holes build into desks to route cables? Not very often. Belkin’s new USB Hub (and iPod dock) line of products makes use of these unused holes, to give the customer plenty more USB ports.

I find it hard to explain just why I like these products, I just do. They take the clutter away from your computer and make use of space more efficiently. Their design is simple but attractive, and they’re doing something I’ve never seen done before. These products haven’t hit shelves just yet, but you can expect to see them fairly soon at $39.99 a pop.

Just In Case You Want To Harm Yourself

2007-04-01T13:19:00.000-05:00

Art Lebedev (the design oriented company that is responsible for the incredibly expensive Optimus Keyboard) brings us a hilariously dangerous gimmick gadget. The Vilcus Plug Dactyloadapter gives you (and your fingers) direct access to your wall outlets, both American and European.

Think Geek (the gadget’s exclusive retailer) explains the wonders of this product’s features:

* Easily test any AC Power Outlet
* Fits any finger size
* Works with European style and USA type outlets
* Become more alert through free electroshock therapy
* Exclusive Russian Design

If you haven’t quite got the gag yet, this product allows you to purposely electrocute yourself. While I think the idea is great (for its comedic value) I just want to say that you should probably not test it out. If you’d like to purchase one, you can find it at Think Geek for $12.99. Or maybe before you try to give them your money, you should check out what day it is.

No PS3s in UK Jails

2007-03-31T18:20:00.000-05:00

I’ve been sticking mainly to just analyzing tech hear (the purpose of the blog), but after seeing this article at Engadget, I decided that I absolutely have to throw a bit of my moral judgment into the ring. It seems as if the Home Secretary, John Reid, has declared that PS3’s will not be allowed into jails in the UK because of their possibility as communication devices. This is a very good reason, but I can’t help but think that there’s a better one.

To me, the best reason to keep PS3 out of jails is that it provides a luxury that many law-abiding people do not have, to convicted criminals. Honestly, if you’re in prison, you shouldn’t be allowed very many amenities at all. Call me cruel, but while you’re in jail I say that you should be allowed only a very few things, maybe books, news papers, and some sporting and fitness equipment, as well as food and that sort of necessary type of thing. I just don’t see how prisons and their administrators can possibly think it is a practical use of tax dollars to buy prisoners things that many citizens do not have. The point of prison is to punish criminals.

Honestly, if my life takes a turn for the worse and I’m left without a home, or family, or money, and jails continue to give prisoners things like cable television and high tech goodies such as gaming consoles, I might just commit a crime. When you’re living on the streets, it’d be hard to beat a free room, free food, and lots of time to bulk up and brush up on video game skills.

DVD Ripping Company Escapes Legal Battle

2007-03-31T16:48:00.000-05:00

Engadget recently reported that a company called Kaleidescape has escaped from a lengthy court case, unharmed. Kaleidescape offers a jukebox program for home users that allows the consumer to stream digitized versions of their DVDs throughout a home. In addition to the software to do this, the company offers DVD digitization service; this is most likely where the legal troubles arose.

The DVD Copy Control Association brought the suit and it lasted over three years. Although I don’t know the specifics I can conclude that the problem they had is the copying of ‘locked’ copyrighted material, as it is a violation of the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act). While it is explicitly illegal, this is certainly not a case of piracy. It is actually much the opposite. The people who would use this service, would most likely be those who are not technically savvy enough to digitize their media on their own, or those who want to make use of its convenience.

It is very encouraging to hear that a company who is allowing the average consumer to make use of media (that they purchased) in a fair way. There isn’t much I like less than the idea of charging people each time they want to use content in a different way. The MPAA’s favorite scenario for distributing their content, is to make you pay to see it in the theatre, pay for it on DVD, pay for it so you can watch it on your computer, and pay to bring it with you on a device like an iPod. It is companies like Kaleidescape, which make it possible for consumers to make fair use of content, and that, is something that I think is worth defending.

Iomegea: King of Overpriced Storage

2007-03-29T19:02:00.000-05:00

If you’re not familiar with the company, Iomega makes storage devices and for as long as I can remember, they seem to always be at the bleeding edge of capacity. Today, Engadget reported that Iomega has just announced the Power Pro Desktop Hard Drive. It offers up a whopping 2 Terabytes of storage. It’s essentially 4 500 GB drives shoved into one box. Interestingly, it offers optional RAID setup so you can mirror 1TB of data for extra security.

Over the years Iomega has had their fair share of proprietary formats that never really made it anywhere. For example: The Bernoulli, the Ditto, Zip, Jaz, Pocket Zip, ZipCD, REV, and the Peerless. While just about all of these had loads of storage for their time period (as does the Power Pro today) they never made it very far for a few reasons. The first, is that they are all proprietary formats. In order to make use of these you have to by an Iomega cradle or connector or drive depending on how the device worked and also you had to by the media from them, which eliminates competitive pricing.

Pricing is the single biggest barrier to entry for these products that I can think of. The REV drive, which offers a range of 35 to 70 GB of storage, goes for about $50 per cartridge. In addition to that you have to by the drive, which retails for $399 and comes with just one 35GB cart. Just like it’s companions and predecessors the Power Pro is also remarkably expensive, demanding a (nearly insane) $1,700. Wow, just wow is all I can say to that. Internal 500 GB drives run for well under $200 which prices one Terabyte something around $700, a full $1000 less, all you would need is a computer with space for the drives, or some external enclosures.

I’m not who decides Iomega’s pricing and product strategies, but I feel like they need to be fired. What is most remarkable is that they’ve been making overprices janky stuff for over 25 years now, and they’re still around.

Silverbrook has Revolutionary Printer on the Horizon

2007-03-27T11:41:00.000-05:00

I’m not quite sure about the details, but there’s been some buzz that an Australian company, Silverbrook, has been working on an inkjet printer that can spit out about 2 pages per second. This printer dubbed the ‘Memjet’ is the culmination of years of study and research. From what I gather, their hopes are to contract out the technology (they have over 1,400 patents) to the major printer companies and watch the money roll in. Check out this short demo video, which I hope isn’t just an elaborate staging.

Check out the press link here.

Helio’s New Phone, the Ocean

2007-03-27T11:05:00.000-05:00

So Helio, has got a new phone coming out early this summer, well I guess according to them, it’s not a phone, and they’re not a phone company, whatever. The phone is actually pretty cool looking. Engadget reports, the Ocean, as it’s called, is a slider that slides two ways. If you slide it up like you would most slider phones, it reveals the usual number keypad. If you turn it sideways and slide it again, you’ll find a full QWERTY keyboard; pretty nifty I’d say.

The main problem I see here, isn’t the phone (I mean non-phone), it’s the phone company (I mean non-phone company). Honestly, how good can the coverage be? I checked quickly on their website for New Jersey and the tri-state area, they claim there’s at least voice coverage everywhere, but the full service (data transfer and all the cool stuff they try to sell you on) is really spotty. Plus, just how accurate are those maps anyways? I’d assume almost everyone has taken a look at one sometime, and I’m also sure everyone has gone without service at one time or another. I’m sure it’s the same for the other trendy fad phone companies as well, i.e. Boost and Amp’d that’s what they’re called right?

Honestly, who cares? I’ve had Verizon for a while and they’ve treated me pretty well. The service is pretty thorough, I almost always have enough to send a text message or talk on the phone. And from what I hear Cingular and Sprint are pretty reliable too. Plus, they’ve got their fair share of hip phones too. I just don’t see these pop-up over night fad companies sticking around. How many people do you know who’ve ditched their (probably) reliable phone company to look cool? I don’t know of anyone. Also, from what I hear, they (at least Helio) aren’t making any money; in fact I’ve heard they’re losing wheelbarrows full of it. I just can’t recommend ditching your current service for one of these trendy companies.

Upgraded Xbox 360 in Black, Headed Down the Pipeline

2007-03-26T23:25:00.000-05:00

So I’ve been slacking again, but finally here comes another entry. The news is a little bit late, but who knows if you’ve heard it or not. A few days ago Engadget reported that the new upgraded Xbox 360 is indeed reality. It took a day or so and they came up with a whole list of specs, but one of the most important bits of info about the new box, is it’s price. The new Xbox dubbed ‘Elite’ will be selling along side the current two models for an additional $80 over the Premium system at a hefty $479.

The rumor has it that this price is just temporary, along with the sleek black shell, and that after they’ve sold out, the system will switch back to white and the price will also drop. It just doesn’t seem like the right move to me. The slew of new features is smart; it ups the ante and takes a bit away from the PS3, especially considering the mounds of HD content available for download on the platform. But, upping the price is just the opposite of what Microsoft should be doing right now. The number one complaint about the PS3 seems to be that it’s too much money. Then, as a competitor, why would you ever consider closing the price gap by charging more for your console?

Instead, this new iteration, the ‘Elite’ should take the place of the Premium console in price. Meanwhile, the Premium should take a $100 price cut and the Core system should be phased out, this way, customers would be getting more for their buck and therefore there’s more of an excuse to chose Microsoft. They should have kept the new machine under wraps for a little while longer and stopped production of the Core unit and quietly let it sell out. It would have been hard to deny the rumors, but I think it would have been the right move.

The last kicker about the updated 360 is that it still doesn’t offer HD DVD playback out of the box, while the PS3 offers Blu-ray from the get go. However, I don’t blame them for not including this. Cramming in a $200 add-on along with all the updated features would immediately alienate all the customers who just shelled out 200 beans for the HD DVD player. But now, if someone pays almost $500 (the price of a low-end PS3) for the ‘Elite’ and wants HD DVD playback, they have to shell out another $200 bringing the grand total to almost $700, which is more than the top of the line PS3. All of the sudden, the PS3 is looking like the better deal at this junction. Only time will tell if this stunt by Microsoft pays off, it’s certain that some people will be so giddy about the idea of a black 360 that they’ll gladly pay a ~~jacked up~~ premium price for it.

Expensive Cables for your Apple TV

2007-03-21T14:41:00.000-05:00

The delayed Apple TV is finally shipping, but unfortunately, it doesn’t ship with all the cables that you might want to hook it up to your lovely HDTV. Well, TAUW (The Unofficial Apple Weblog) reported today that Monster has got you covered. The new range of products is designed specifically for the Apple TV, what’s this mean? Absolutely nothing!

The biggest distinction to be made between these cables and others made by Monster, or just about any other cables, is that they’re white. Oh, and they’re branded for the Apple TV, just so you think you’ve absolutely got to have them! These white cables don’t come cheap though. Component video cables will run you $39.95, while HDMI comes in at a whopping $59.95. The optical audio cable goes for $29.95 and the analog (yes analog, plain old red and white cables) will cost you $24.95. One reason for the high prices of these cables, I would suspect, is that they have gold plated connectors, which promotes conductivity.

While I might not rush out to buy these cables, I do give Monster credit for their work. I’ve owned a fair share of Monster audio and video cables in the past, and they are well constructed and well insulated. They’ve got a lot going for them, but if you don’t want to spend the money, there are plenty of cheap alternatives to be had.

The Format War Continues

2007-03-20T20:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Engadget reported that Toshiba was finally becoming vocal about the format war. For a while now there’s been news that the Blu-ray Disc Association (members include Sony, Samsung, Apple, as well as a bunch of others) has been claiming victory in the war. It has seemed, however, that their claims weren’t exactly definite. And finally Toshiba Deputy General manager of HD DVD, Olivier Van Wynendaele, has come out saying that the Blu-ray claims are “propaganda.” He also disputed the figures that the Blu-ray camp tout, that Blu-ray discs are out selling HD DVD 3:1.

I for one am pretty happy that someone is finally taking a stand against these fairly outrageous claims. As the news of these figures has been coming out, it has been a question all along, if the numbers are valid. Lots of speculation says that the count of Blu-ray players is being augmented by the sales of Sony’s PS3. This is understandable, as the PS3 is indeed a Blu-ray player, however, it has also been speculated that the Blu-ray Disc Association is counting PS3 BRD pack-in Taladega Nights, as part of the disc sales. In addition to this, it even sounds like they’re counting BRD vouchers that are also included in PS3 sales. These vouchers don’t even guarantee that the consumer is going to go out and get a movie, although it seems pretty likely. But, the question here is: without these vouchers would most PS3 owners be clamoring to get movies on Blu-ray just yet?

Wynendaele also brings up some rather damning figures about standalone player sales. He points out that Toshiba has sold 200,000 HD DVD players in the US, while there have only been 30,000 standalone Blu-ray players sold. It’s pretty hard to deny that in this case, HD DVD is absolutely stomping the competition.

Even further, Wynendaele asserts, that in order to thwart the competition, Toshiba is planning to undercut Blu-ray player prices. Last month I posted that Sony had just announced a low-end Blu-ray player, which would go for only $600, in comparison to the original $999. Well, just today, Toshiba announced price cuts for their HD DVD players (as reported by Engadget). The least expensive player will now carry an MSRP of only $399, a $100 price cut. Also, the higher end models the A20 and XA2, will be going for $499 and $799 respectively. This price cut seems to fall right into place with what the Toshiba representative had to say.

It’s hard for me to say just which format I prefer. I seem to be learning towards HD DVD, but my computer manufacturer of choice, Apple, is behind the competition. I just find it hard to get behind the format, especially when it seems that the backing companies are constantly making press releases claiming victory, when the war is far from over.

New! Watch Low Quality Video on Your HDTV!

2007-03-19T12:10:00.000-05:00

Today Engadget reported on a WiFi media player, the DVX-700, from TransTechnology, which supports playback of Google Video. Overall the box has a lot going for it. It has high definition outputs and can stream media in a variety of formats, it also has a hard drive built in, so you can store media, not to mention it’s also got a DVD player as part of the package. Coming in at $237 for the wired version and $264 for the wireless, it’s really a pretty good deal, that is, if you’re in Japan.

My only gripe with the machine isn’t even with the machine itself, really. One of it’s more unique features is that it allows you to browse Google Video, and stream it right to your set. The problem I have is with Google Video (and YouTube). The video quality is terrible. I understand that for them to have all of their videos streaming to millions and millions of viewers at high resolution would cost a lot. But, just watching a video in your browser at something like 300 x 200, looks terrible. Could you possibly imagine what it’s going to look like when it gets stretched to fit onto your HDTV with resolution up to 1920 x 1080?

I guess I just don’t see YouTube the way many millions of people do. There’s tons of people out there content to watch clips of television shows (and sometimes full episodes) at low resolutions filled with jagged lines and video artifacts. I just can’t deal with forcing myself to watch something like that, unless it’s under a few minutes, and entails amateurs doing something stupid, particularly something that gets them hurt. I guess it’s kind of like how I hate listening to MP3 music that’s encoded at low bit rates and sounds tinny.

Vonia BCT Sports Headband

2007-03-15T13:24:00.000-05:00

Last month I blogged about the bone-conducting Vonia headphones from Thanko. My conclusion was that the idea was interesting but the 80’s look wasn’t exactly doing the intriguing technology justice. Well, yesterday Engadget reported on a new headband that makes use of the bone-phones.

The surprisingly stylish headband holds a newly designed pair of Vonia headphones. They have a short set of wires that then plug into an iPod Shuffle. You could technically plug them into any MP3 player, but the headband only really has space to fit the diminutive new Shuffle. The Vonia BCT Sports Headband is actually quite a good idea for people who like to run, and listen to their tunes at the same time, especially in the colder months.

From the sounds of the Thanko page, they’re also marketing this headband to swimmers. It is, however, hard to tell exactly what they’re saying with bad Google translation.

Because “VONIA Sports HeadBand” being waterproofed and being designed, it is possible to remove the “bone conduction speaker”, to utilize at underwater.

If you prepare the MP3 prayer being waterproofed and being processed and install the bone conduction speaker inside the rubber screen, it can enjoy music at underwater!

At the gym and the like, swimming silently, rather than forging, while inquiring favorite about music, if you swim, it is efficient rise!!

I just don’t see how putting an iPod in a rubberized headband is going to protect it from water. However, I’m glad to see that they’ve done something that’s actually practical with their bone-conducting headphones.

Nintendo’s Online Solution to Suck?

2007-03-14T18:10:00.000-05:00

Nintendo Wii Fanboy just reported that it sounds that the upcoming online service for Nintendo’s new console, is going to have game specific friend lists. Their information comes from an interview from Go Nintendo.

According to Go Nintendo, the interviewer, Falafelkid, is trustworthy.

Falafelkid: Just one last question to make absolutely sure I have got this right, please. If I have a friend roster in one game, that roster will not be available to me in any other game. I have to build up an entirely new list for each title, right?

GameSpy: The answer to your question is yes, for the Wii friend lists are game-specific.

Why? Why!? I just can’t fathom why they would decide to do something like this. I’m no coder, but it can’t be that hard to have a unified friend list, as opposed to individual ones for each game. In fact, having all of that information stored in a single place, seems like it would just be easier.

The only good thing about this interview is that it isn’t exactly to be taken as fact. Go Nintendo is reputable, but the word of Falafelkid is not exactly the same as it coming from the likes of Reggie. We can only hope that Nintendo is smart enough to know that individual friend lists is only going to be a hassle. I will say though, if this is true, I am completely under whelmed by Nintendo’s online strategy. The whole friend code thing is a debacle in itself. Why would you ever make everyone try to memorize a (12 digit? 15 digit?) number, when it would be much smarter to allow everyone to create a screen name, just like every other service out there?

I just hope it all gets sorted out and Nintendo makes some good decisions.

The Legendary Optimus Keyboard, Still Not Ready

2007-03-14T14:50:00.000-05:00

Today Engadget reported that the infamous Optimus Keyboard, will not be making its debut at the upcoming CeBIT show. For those of you who may not be familiar with the legendary keyboard, it’s been making news for quite a while. The concept is a keyboard with small displays built into every key. They keys were to be customizable, to the point where you could put the logos of different programs onto each key, and pressing one would launch the specified program. Another example of how they would work: each letter key would appear in lowercase. However, holding down the shift key, would turn them all to uppercase.

The very concept of this keyboard, designed by Art Lebedev Studios, has had tech junkies, like myself, yearning for its release for years. And finally over the past few months it’s been making news, that it is no longer a concept, but that it was going into production soon and that it would be shown in person. However, with this news came some details about the keyboard that dissuaded many people, also including myself.

One of these revelations was that the keys would not be colored. What good is having a pretty iTunes or Internet Explorer logo on your keyboard if it’s going to be grayscale? Then that was taken back, and they decided that the keys would use OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology. This was taken back at one point, but is again the plan for the keyboard. However, this means that the LEDs in the keyboard will have a lifespan. Yes, you can expect to have your keys die eventually. With the latest update, they revealed that the lifespan is expected to be five years.

A five-year life expectancy is only slightly ludicrous, that is, until you hear the price. These days, a high-end keyboard might cost somewhere around $80, with a few exceptions over $200. So if the highest of high-end keyboards cost $200 you might expect the Optimus to cost somewhere around that, maybe even $300. I could even settle with the idea of it costing twice as much, $400 or even $500. However, at that point, I’d have to understand that I would never own one. Well, the price first came out, somewhere around $1,200. At $1,200, as we’ve established in previous posts, you can also get an all-in-one LG Blu-Ray burner, or most of a video conferencing robot. Well, with Engadget’s latest post, they’ve established that the Optimus, now named Optimus Maximus, will cost you $1,490. Honestly, Art, are you kidding? I suppose at $1,490 a pop, selling just five or six, will do a long way in recouping some of the R&D costs.

I just can’t see this keyboard as a justifiable purchase for anyone, except maybe Bill Gates. I understand that a lot of work has gone into making it, but $1,490 is just too much for a keyboard that is going to slowly die over a rather short period of time. You can, however, by replacement keys, for a mere $10. Still, it’s unfortunate to see such a promising project turn out this way. In my eyes, over the years the project has lost it’s shine. Now don’t see an amazing keyboard, one that you would only expect to see in Sci-Fi, now all I see are a few developers who came up with a good idea, and had a few computer generated renders of it made up. And once it became popular they realized that they were going to have to deliver, and in the process they’ve not been able to keep all the promises that they’ve made, and with the price tag, they’ve made it unattainable for almost all average consumers.

LG’s Do-(Just About)-Everything Drive

2007-03-14T13:42:00.000-05:00

As Engadget reported, yesterday, LG has finally released a photo of their upcoming GGW-H10N drive, given the slightly friendlier name, “Super Multi Blue.” The drive is set to write to single-layer Blu-Ray discs, which sets the size cap at a mere 25GB. The drive is also slated to read and record a whole slew of other optical media, including HD DVD, DVD±R, and the garden variety of CDs.

One thing is for sure; this disc drive wins the title for the absolute most media logos plastered on its expensive little face. Speaking of expensive, the drive comes in at a demanding $1,200. Heck, that’s most of the way to getting you a way-cool video conferencing robot.

I’d assume that this is just one of the first do-everything drives to come along. I expect that before long these sorts of drives will be touting dual-layer burning for both of the new high-capacity standards, as well as the entire back catalog of DVD and CD burning. Another thing that I can say for sure, is that the price will certainly fall eventually. Back in the birth of the DVD, burners ran somewhere between a commanding $500 and $1,000. Today, you can find one on the Internet for under $30. Still, the question remains, which of these formats will come out on top?

All New, Last-Gen Feature Coming to PS3

2007-03-13T23:27:00.000-05:00

Today, Engadget reported on some shaky confirmation, which says that rumble, or force feedback, would be coming to the PS3. They explain that in an interview with 1UP, Cory Barlog, who is the director of God of War, said that the upcoming (and still far off) God of War 3, for PS3 would have rumble. All I have to say is that it’s about time!

I still remember back to the days when Sony first made the announcement of the SIXAXIS controller. First off it seemed like a gimmick, considering that Nintendo had recently let loose the Wiimote design and purpose. But what came as a major shock was that Sony would not be including force feedback in their new controller. The funniest part, was that they claimed that it would interfere with the SIXAXIS technology, even though Nintendo fared fine with their motion sensing controls.

Further, Sony down played the idea of having rumble as a last-gen feature. I would have to say that it was more of a last-gen innovation but a feature that almost every gamer expects to have. Finally, word got out that the lack of rumble was most likely due to legal complications between Sony and Immersion. At this point it was clear to me that Sony was just making excuses in effort to skip paying a hefty sum of money to Immersion to license the technology. Recently, however, Sony and Immersion struck a deal. So, now, Sony is going to have to eat their words, and they will no doubt integrate this last-gen feature into their console.

What bothers me most, is that now, all PS3 owners who want to have this basic feature will have to go out and buy a new controller. What’s more is these controllers run $60 and don’t include a charging cable, last time I saw one purchased. And I would suspect that controllers that are packing rumble technology will use a little bit more power, so controllers will need to be charged more often. What a mess, Sony.

USPS R2D2 Mailboxes

2007-03-11T14:13:00.000-05:00

Engadget reported, Friday, that for the upcoming 30th anniversary of Star Wars, the US Postal Service will be outfitting post office across the nation with Star Wars themed mailboxes. These new mailboxes are cleverly made to look like everyone’s favorite droid, R2-D2. Personally, I’ve got to say, I think it’s pretty cool.

What I wonder, however, is who exactly is footing this bill, and in which direction is money being given? In one case, Lucas and company could be paying the USPS money to have these little marketers installed across the country. On the other hand, the USPS could be paying George Lucas tuck loads of money to license the likeness of the droid. In this case, I’m no so sure if the tax dollars spent on this are worth the “oh cool” factor. It just gets me thinking, if it is indeed the postal service paying for all of these shiny new drop boxes, is that really the best use of money? Did they really need to go crazy replacing standard blue mailboxes with the, no doubt, more expensive, R2-D2 ones?

Video Conferencing Robot

2007-03-11T12:54:00.000-05:00

A few days ago (I’ve been slacking) Engadget reported on a video conferencing robot, called Giraffe. It has a screen at the top where the video conference-ee’s face would appear. At the robot’s base is a set of wheels that allow it to shuffle about an office.

The idea here is that you can sit at home (or on a trip) and operate this robot and create a physical presence in the workspace. The operator can tilt the LCD up and down to look around and the built in microphone also sends sound back to the user. Then, of course, the built-in screen and speakers allow everyone at the office to see and hear the person running the machine. However, I just can’t see it being widely adopted, or even at all. It’s just plain odd. The price isn't set in stone, but the word is that it'll retail for somewhere between a whopping $3,000 and a paltry $1,800. But, Hurry! Pre-orders yield deep deep discounts! OMG!

The Vulcan Flipstart

2007-03-07T16:34:00.000-05:00

Today Engadget posted a hands-on piece about the Vulcan Flipstart “handheld PC.” They didn’t offer a price, but for the dearth of features that it offers, I’d hope to see it somewhere under $500. I really can’t find much good in it. It’s bulky, it’s slow, the screen doesn’t look bright, and its screen resolution looks to be about 800x600, which isn’t really practical these days.

The story goes, that this piece of tech-junk was announced in 2003, and they just never delivered, until now. Well, this makes me think that the features and the components and design were set in stone back then, but now in 2007 they’re all just about obsolete. Hell, the thing even offers an RJ-11 jack for modem connection. All this thing needs is a hand crank and it’d go perfect with the line of OLPCs designed for remote areas in third-world countries.

The kicker, is on the same day as this review, came some news about a new Samsung handheld PC. In comparison to the Vulcan’s 512MB of RAM, 30GB hard drive, and 800x600 washed out screen, the Samsung Q2 offers up 1GB of RAM, a 100GB hard drive, and a brilliant 1024x600 wide-touch-screen. The Samsung also gets my vote on design.

I guess the lesson to be learned here, is that a concept that includes top of the line hardware, just doesn’t hold up after 4 years.

(Pictures via Engadget)

Valet Free Robotic Parking Garage

2007-03-06T19:55:00.000-05:00

It’s Two For Tuesday! What’s that mean? Well I mean you get to hear my opinion twice today! Oh how lucky you must be feeling! Please notice: this is not necessarily going to be a ritual for Tuesdays. It just happened that I had some more time than usual today, so I updated here, as well as reviewing the latest from The Higher, called “On Fire,” you can check that out over at Audiosyncratic.

Earlier today Engadget reported on the NYC Parkhaus from the people at Automotion Parking Systems. It’s a parking structure that stores your car away on a shelf while your gone. The idea really is a good one in my opinion. Since there doesn’t have to be as much space to allow people to drive in and out and because they shelves can be closer to each other, there’s the possibility for storing more cars in less space, than a traditional parking garage.

The other benefit that I see is that there won’t be as much worrying about someone jacking your car while you’re away, because it’s kept within the robotic structure’s bay. This way, there won’t be the freedom for people to come in and out as the please. From the sounds of it, the service is also priced fairly competitively in comparison to other parking structures.

I guess you just have to hope that there isn’t a power outage when you want your car. I’m also a bit weary about how long it would take to get cars in and out, as this could cause long lines, especially during rush hours when commuters are trying to drop off their cars for the day.

Check out this way cool video, thanks to Popular Mechanics.

Omelet Mouse Cover, Who Even Needs a Mouse Cover?

2007-03-06T16:44:00.000-05:00

There’s something to be said for quirky accessories, both tech related and even other sorts. I would generally put this mouse cover in that category, except that it costs almost $70. So for $70 and some potentially pricey shipping from Japan, you can cover your Mouse with an omelet, a plastic one of course. But this begs, the question, why would you even want to? It doesn’t appear as if you’d even be able to use it with the cover on it. And I highly doubt that an incredibly fake looking rice omelet is going to keep any nefarious users from using your PC. “Haha I’m going to steal all of Brian’s files! Oh no! Where’s his mouse? Is that an omelet? Wow I’ve been foiled.” No…

So if you’re really into Japanese rice omelets and you can bear to part with $70, this might be the product for you!
Check out some reporting on delectable dish from Engadget and Akihabara.

512MB Memory Unit for 360, Hard Drive Still a Better Deal

2007-03-05T13:23:00.000-05:00

Today Engadget is reporting on a newly announced 512MB Memory Unit for the 360, which will push down the price of the current 64MB edition. Although I don’t own an Xbox 360, I understand why this is a well-needed addition. The 64MB card could only hold a few of your game saves and at most one Live Arcade game. Well, the cap on these games was recently raised from 50MB to 150MB, so everyone without a hard drive in their 360 was left in the dust.

This new 512MB Memory Unit will reportedly be introduced at a price point of $49, and will include, at least initially a copy of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved. It’s not exactly a bad deal, but the hard drive, which can be purchased after market, is certainly a much better one. I would, however, suggest holding off on buying one just yet. All of the speculation floating around seems to suggest that there will be both or either an updated 360 or an increased capacity hard drive. So, if you’re looking to crawl out of the gaming depths, known as the Core system, the hard drive is your best bet out.

So, I just can’t exactly recommend the purchase of a 512MB Memory Unit for $50, when a 20GB hard drive, for your 360, can be procured via eBay for somewhere in the same price range. Plus, if you can bear to stick it out somewhere between a month and a year, a new hard drive might become available to satisfy your Live Arcade gaming needs.

I don’t like your iTude, Mister

2007-03-01T13:30:00.000-05:00

I swear I’ve seen these floating around before, but now that I have an outlet to complain about them, and they were recently featured on The Unofficial Apple Weblog, I’ll complain about them. They are neon headphones, called iTude, for use with your iPod.
The cables are connected to a battery pack (2 AAA) and they glow to the beat of your music. The idea is pretty cool, but it’s the execution that bogs them down in my mind.

From the photo, comparing the size of the headphones which appear to be normal Apple ear buds, with iTude graffiti’d on them, to the battery pack, it seems that it is far from small. In fact it appears as though it would rival the size of an iPod Nano. It’s just one more thing to stuff in your pocket while you’re on the go. Plus, because the cable that connects it to the iPod is short, you would have to take it out of your pocket every time you wanted to change a song.

Finally one last nitpick, the ear buds used in the iTude are of the last-gen style. These days the ear buds are sexy and curved. Plus according to just about everyone a whole heck of a lot more comfortable. So, with no price available and the fact that they can be found only on a Japanese website, I won’t be expecting to see these glowing babies around any time soon. That, and I’m not much for the rave scene.

The Remote Wrangler

2007-02-28T13:33:00.000-05:00

I was beginning to think that I was getting away from the general purpose of this blog. I had originally intended to talk mostly about really dumb ideas, but they aren’t reported on everyday, so I’ve mostly been offering up my takes on new announcements. But, today is a perfect example of why I started this in the first place.

It is “The Multimedia Remote Control Wrangler.” Engadget reported on it today, clearly poking fun at it, but being pretty candid. Well, I just have to say, it’s one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen, honestly. The idea: instead of buying an expensive all-in-one remote, like a Logitech Harmony, buy one of these. It enables you to keep all of your remotes in one easily accessible place. Well what place is that? You might be asking. It’s your head!

The, clearly brain-dead, inventor thought it’d be a popular idea to strap remotes, or really any small accessory, to your head. What was he (or she) thinking? Honestly, I don’t want to sit on the couch with 4 remotes stuck to my head. In the picture, they have all really small remotes, I don’t know about your experience, but the majority of remotes for home theater components that I’ve seen are pretty freaking big these days. But, the plain fact is that I wouldn’t want to put even a small remote on my head. Plus, not only is it a headband, there’s an entire chinstrap thing going on with it.

The only benefit I can possibly see is the massager built into it. That alone might warrant a purchase of this, no wait, never mind. The most interesting thing I found in the original article, is that it uses “Velcro-like material” Which is “made from a stretchable fabric.” I’ve never heard of such a thing. It seems like maybe that could be an interesting and possibly useful patent.

Apple TV: Why the Delay Doesn’t Hurt Cupertino

2007-02-27T15:21:00.000-05:00

So, yesterday, Engadget reported that the Apple TV is being delayed until ‘mid-March.’ It’s a bummer, not that I was planning on getting one, seeing as it’s a little too pricey for my current budget. Lynn Fox, of Apple, said, “Wrapping up Apple TV is taking a few weeks longer than we projected.” But, it makes me wonder a little bit. The Apple TV (originally iTV) was originally announced last fall. Just how much polishing does it need? Or is wrap up code for they found some huge bugs? Either way, it is better that they get everything worked out the first time around.

Personally, I’ve lost a bit of interest in the Apple TV. It’s certainly a good concept, and it is going to be great for people who have extensive libraries of content from the iTunes Store, but for people like me, it doesn’t seem to have all of the functionality that I want. For instance, I have a fairly large collection of TV Shows and a few movies, which are in DivX format. Obviously, these can’t be played in iTunes, unless I went through the hassle of transcoding them, which would also degrade the quality. So, because they can’t be played in iTunes, unless the functionality changes before launch, which I don’t suspect it will, I won’t be able to watch these movies with the Apple TV.

So, now that I’ve got you trapped in my entry, I’m going to explain my eventual plan for getting my music and movies to my television, from my Mac. Although, it’ll cost a bit more, it’s a much more solid solution. Basically, it will only take a Mac mini. By hooking up a Mac mini to a television via DVI or a DVI-to-HDMI connector I’d be able to watch my content on the big screen. Plus, Mac mini’s come with an Apple Remote and Front Row, so there won’t be any squinting to read small print or working with a keyboard and mouse. Lastly, and most importantly, because it is a full-fledged, albeit diminutive, computer, I’ll be able to use QuickTime plug-ins to enable playback of non-Apple formats, like DivX.

My tech dreams aside, I look forward to seeing the Apple TV unleashed on the world. I’ll definitely be stopping in at my local Apple Store to check one out in the wild, once they have display units. The upside for Apple, about the delay, is that they don’t exactly have much competition. Even though there are about a bazillion (yes I did say [type] bazillion) solutions for getting your media from your PC to your TV these days, Apple is almost in a market of it’s own. Because they have a closed system, no one else is going to be able to bring iTunes content to the TV, except Apple. And the world of Mac Addicts who have their sights set on an Apple TV, are going to buy one whether it comes out tomorrow, or in a month.

Links

2007-02-26T19:28:00.000-05:00

OMG? What’s this? Could it be a second post in one day? Well, not quite. I recently noticed that all links have been opening in the same window, which causes you to navigate away from my beloved blog. Well, from this point on links will be opening in new windows, and if you have Firefox 2, it will automatically force it to a new tab, which is just about the best thing, ever, if you’re a fan of tabbed browsing, which I assume most people, who have experienced it, are. So, go get Firefox 2.0.0.2, if you don’t already have it! That, and check out the post from earlier today, which, unlike this, is of actual substance.

Cheaper BDP on the Horizon

2007-02-26T16:10:00.000-05:00

Today Engadget is reporting on the announcement of Sony’s upcoming BDP-S300, a ‘low-end’ Blu-ray player. My first thoughts were basically the same as theirs. Sony is announcing a cheaper model, with all the same features of it’s big brother, why? I would tend to assume it’s because Blu-ray isn’t taking off like they’d hoped, but how could you expect it to?

With every new technology there are a group of people to take the plunge immediately, but it takes time for a new standard, to become the standard. There are a few things holding success back, in my mind. First, is Blu-ray’s direct competitor, found in the HDDVD format. A quick search of Best Buy’s website, reveals an HDDVD player at half the price of Sony’s Blu-ray player. Next, not nearly everyone has an HDTV. While the idea is nice, without a display to play HD media, I sure wouldn’t be racing out to buy a player. This, however, is bound to change, with the impending shutoff of analog broadcasting.

Another barrier to entry for the BDP-S1 (the current model) is Sony’s own PS3. I’m not sure if it’s exactly the situation, but it seems to me that the, now readily available and in stock, PS3 might be cannibalizing sales of standalone players. Why, I would ask, would you buy a standalone player for $999.99 when you can save $400 and go with the top-end PS3? Not only does it play Blu-ray movies, but also, it offers excellent next [this]-gen gaming experiences, like Sonic the Hedgehog (notice internet sarcasm). But, in all seriousness, it’s cheaper and has numerous additional features. Even if you aren’t interested in gaming, at all, it is the economical choice.

It is, however, promising to see the next iteration in Sony’s BDP line, offering a substantial price cut, even if it is only to $600 (still the same price as a high-end PS3). No matter how flashy the technology, no matter how many gigabytes of data you can cram onto a disc, price is the number one factor in broad adoption of a new technology. Now DVD players are prevalent in most homes across America. Well, another quick search of Best Buy brings up several results under $99, one, in fact, going for a mere $27.99. So, setting aside predictions of who will win the format war, it is going to take substantial price cuts in both HDTV’s and in High Definition players, to foster the broad adoption that both sides are eagerly awaiting.

PS3 Limited Backwards Compatibility in Europe

2007-02-23T15:46:00.000-05:00

Engadget reported today, that backwards compatibility of the PS3 would be stripped down in the European version, which by the way, is still yet to hit the shelves over there. I can’t exactly name all of the instances, but the general consensus of the community seems to be that Sony loves to give Europe the shaft. It certainly seems true. The late late release in itself is just a nuisance, for Europe. PS3 has been available, here since November, and it’s proceeding to rot on the shelves.

I just can’t see the justification for limiting the backwards compatibility of the system. It’s obviously not a necessity, just a luxury really, but its important, and basically, it’s expected. Engadget is suggesting that the cause is a different chassis, used in the models for Europe, which cuts down on production costs. I understand that it’s important for them to cut costs, (seeing as they’re losing metric-ass-tons of cash on every console they sell) but to also cut functionality, and not let the consumer see any of that, is just inconsiderate. I suppose it’s just one more reason for me to dislike the PS3.

I will admit, I’ve had some fun playing it, but there just isn’t that killer app that is going to convince me to get one. Resistance: Fall of Man is certainly a fun game, but it’s easily replaceable with Gears of War. I’ve never been a huge fan of fighting games, so Virtua Fighter 5 (although, supposedly, it’s stellar) isn’t going to sell me a console. And from the sounds of it MotorStorm is a really fun game, but I’m not sure how pertinent it is to my gaming interests.

Instead, the 360 is looking increasingly interesting to me, lately. Viva Piñata intrigues me, plus Crackdown is sounding great, and GTA4 is coming to the system. And of course, Gears of War is a whole ‘nother kettle of [chart-stomping] fish. But, to be honest, Halo 3 is just about on the bottom of the list of blockbuster games that I care about. So, if I’ll be making my dive into the ‘this gen’ experience, I think the 360 will be my portal. I will, though, be sticking it out to see what becomes of the rumors of the Zephyr.

Graffiti with FRICKIN' Lasers

2007-02-20T20:04:00.000-05:00

This is going to be a short post, because I don't have much to say about it besides, that it's really freaking cool. I'm not sure how exactly (by exactly, I mean at all) they do it, although from looking through their website for a bit, it seems that they give you the information to do it for yourself.

So check out Engadget's Coverage.
Stop by the Graffiti Research Lab website.
Take a gander at their Flickr page.

And watch this snazzy embedded YouTube video:

Do It Yourself: Half the Storage, Only 18% More!

2007-02-19T14:36:00.000-05:00

Today, I have a computer component that I actually like, quite a bit, but I’ll never get one, nor will anyone else, with a modest number of exceptions. This morning, I read on Engadget, about what they were calling a “Do It Yourself SSD Adapter.” Basically, it’s a board with slots for four SD cards. The adapter then plugs into any free IDE cable you have in your rig, and it blesses you with speedy startup, that is associated with running an SSD.
I actually really like this idea; it gives you your own scalable SSD solution. Unfortunately it doesn’t quite do everything right. The only problem I thought of at first is, that having to buy the cards separately might tend to rack up the price. This is the least of my worries now. In fact, SD cards can be found on the cheap. So, the device supports up to 4 cards at 2GB each, for a total of 8GB of possible storage.

Unfortunately, the SD to SSD, isn’t without its quirks. First of all, it supports only 2 or 4 cards at a time. So, you have to buy at least two at a time, which will add to the price and limit your options for how you intend to expand. Next, it doesn’t support SDHC, which from what I know, comes in 4GB and 8GB flavors, which could have increased possible storage from 8GB to 32GB.

While I honestly do like the concept, it has one major drawback, and that is its price. A quick search on Newegg turns up 2GB SD cards for as low as $15, so that’d be $60 for 8GB of storage for your SSD Adapter. Well, next you have factor in the price of the adapter, $258.50. Yes, $258.50. So, that totals $318.50 for an 8GB SSD. Well, Engadget also reported, last month, that Ritek will be releasing 16GB SSDs for an expected $270. Which is, quite the deal, for double the storage, I must say.

The Latest in Cyborgian Fashion

2007-02-17T15:43:00.000-05:00

So, this post is fueled by Engadget’s latest edition of “Keeping it Real Fake (XLVI)”. Today, they’re reporting on a pair of sunglasses that double as an MP3 player. The pair that they are showing today, is a knockoff of a pair of Oakley glasses that do the same. In addition to that, I’m reminded of the iTheater Video Glasses, which connect to your Video iPod, and let you watch video, in your glasses.

I know I can’t speak for the rest of you, (the 2-3 of you) but I would never use any of these. They’re big, they’re ugly, and they’re just impractical. I’m not sure what the designers of these pieces of teched out eyewear were thinking; maybe they’re under the impression that Sci-Fi is the new chique. Or, perhaps, they’re one of those people who dream about being dominated by a half-human, half-machine, cyborg.

The only upside to the iTheater Video Glasses, that I can think of, is for frequent travelers. I myself take a three-hour train on occasion and watching a full-length movie on my iPod, simply isn’t the best. So, if I had these glasses, (and more importantly the self-confidence to wear them in a public setting) I could just sit back and watch, instead of staring down at the small screen of my iPod for two hours.

I’m not sure about the price on the knockoffs, but the Oakley glasses retail for $499 for the 256MB model. Which is absolutely ridiculous, when you can drop $349 and walk away with an 80GB iPod Video. So let’s run some comparisons on that: you get, 320 times the storage capacity, (plus video playback, plus the fact that it’s somewhat of a fashion icon, rather than something that would warrant an arrest from the fashion police) at 30% less, in terms of green. The iTheater Video Glasses come in at $349 as well, which brings to the total to $600 or $700 depending on the iPod model you get to use along with them. Again, not exactly what I would call a good use of tech budget.

Vonia Headphones from Thanko

2007-02-15T16:14:00.000-05:00

Today, Engadget is reporting on a pair of headphones straight from Japanese company, Thanko. Their claim to fame is that they conduct sound via bone. Instead of putting them over your ears, as you might expect, you place them just in front of you ears, on what I would guess might still be considered part of your cheek bone?

Maybe they’re being marketed to people with hearing problems. I’m no doctor, but I can’t help but wonder if that would actually help the issue. For anyone who isn’t stricken with such problems, these headphones might strike you as interesting if you are into wearing electronic devices that look like they’re from the early 90’s. More practically, they would actually leave your ears free to hear what else might be going on around you, just incase you plan on crossing any streets in NY.
The idea is actually pretty interesting, the main problem I have with these headphones is their design aesthetic. It just isn’t very pleasing, they resemble the headphones that came with my first portable CD player, and I’m sure they didn’t win any awards.

On a side note, one of the more interesting items from Thanko is their Wiimote charging station. The chargers come with a replacement battery pack that fits nicely onto your Wiimote. Next the designed white cradle holds your Wiimote for your charging convenience. Better yet, the cradle uses USB, more specifically your Wii’s USB to power the charger. If I had a Wii, I would definitely be interested in getting one of these for myself.

Reveal

2007-02-13T15:47:00.000-05:00

Just when I was thinking there hadn't been anything worth mocking yet today, Engadget posted about "Reveal", brought to us by Adam Frank. "What is it?" you might be asking. Well, It's a light projector, that looks like a cross between a security camera and an Apple iSight. Now you might be asking, "What is a light projector? Sounds kind of like any spotlight to me." Well that's essentially what it is, only it casts a shadow of window panes and a tree.

The idea here, is to give the illusion of light being cast on a wall from a window on the other side of the room. It should be noted that this window has a tree planted directly outside of it. As an added bonus, it will appear that it is a windy day, and that said tree will sway in said wind. While it might create this illusion, soon enough you'll realize that you're still in the basement chowing down on Cheetos. What this lacks, is just about everything good about windows...

So, for the Artsy few who would consider this only a slight waste of money, you'll find them at the Adam Frank website, available in April 2007. I would actually recommend, however, that you take a quick look around the site. There are a few interesting concepts, I will admit. The most interesting, to me, is "Inside." Enjoy!

Webring?

2007-02-13T00:26:00.000-05:00

Remember the days of Angelfire and Tripod? Remember webrings about the pointless shit you used to be interested in?
Well Hobb and I have a little network of Blogs going on now. Bêtise is my baby, he's got Taciturn Blog going about gaming, and with our powers combined ~~I am Captain Planet~~, we have Audiosyncratic. Audiosyncratic is our joint venture where we intend to moan and complain or laud an album a week, each. Check it out!

Can You Hear Me Now?

2007-02-12T16:18:00.000-05:00

Today must be some sort of cellphone extravaganza! I'm sure a little hunting would reveal what the event is exactly, but I don't particularly care all that much. Although, I'm sure there must be something because most of the news posts I've been seeing today are about phones, phones, and phones.

Overall, I'm wildly uninterested, which seemingly shouldn't be the case because I'm stuck with a piece of crap phone for now. The problem is, most of the new shiny phones coming out, are laden with Windows Mobile 6 and I'm a Mac user. So, when it comes time for a new phone, I'll be getting an iPhone or just another non-smartphone. So, I am uninterested in all the sleek new phones coming out that are chock full of WM6.

Sadly, when it comes time for me to get a new phone, (when I escape the grips of Verizon) in a few months, I probably won't be migrating to Apple's new piece of techno-sexiness. Instead of paying a $500 premium, I'll opt for signing away my soul to Verizon yet-again. As much as I would love to have an iPhone and all of it's widescreen iPod functionality, I don't think I'll be able to cope with the switch. As much as I hate Verizon for stripping functionality of phones bare, they really do have the best service in the areas that I frequent. So, when it comes time, I'm sure I'll just be upgrading to yet another non-smartphone. Oh the humanity!

The Plan

2007-02-11T20:02:00.000-05:00

So the idea is to voice my oh so important opinion (lol) on various pieces of technology news. For instance, yesterday I read on Engadget that Microsoft announced the Vista follow up, codenamed 'Vienna'. Honestly, what a stupid idea. They claim it'll be ready to go late in 2009. Well if the Vista launch has been a little slow so far, why would you announce it's successor which is boasting "full virtualization and a radical new user interface," that is less than three years off. There is no easier way to slow sales of a new OS than to announce it's successor.

So, basically, I'd like to get in about 5 posts per week (seems wishful) about a new gadget or announcement that strikes me as important or at least worthy of a good roasting for it's shortcomings. We'll see how it all turns out!