Filed under: CellphonesWe've heard it time and time again, but the inner Zune Guy within us refuses to believe Microsoft is really shunning the chance to pump out a handset of its very own. Unfortunately, Lady Luck hasn't done us any favors since the last time this question was posed, as Scott Rockfeld, group product manager for Windows Mobile, recently confirmed that Microsoft has "no plans to build [its] own phone." He continued by adding that "right now [it's] happy to share the limelight." C'mon Scott -- where's that tenacious spirit you had that first day in Redmond? Where's the unrelenting determination to conquer the competition? Where's... oh, never mind.[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Samsung’s 8MP Pixon gets real, more mysterious
Posted by Darren Murph under Samsung No Comments
Filed under: Cellphones
Right, so we were already pretty sure that Pixon we were eying earlier wasn't a KIRF of some sort, but just in case you still had your doubts, Samsung has stepped in to wash them away. The 8-megapixel Pixon is for real, as evidenced by a teaser site with an absurdly long URL name. As for confirmed specs, we're looking at a 3.2-inch touch panel, 13.8-millimeter thin enclosure, 8MP camera (with Auto Focus, twin LED flash, face detection, and shake reduction), a built-in accelerometer and 7.2Mbps HSDPA. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the linked site is going to spill any other details until October 2nd, but you can still kill some serious time there just rolling your cursor on and off the lens.
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Griffin intros Simplifi iPod dock / card reader / USB hub
Posted by Donald Melanson under General No Comments
Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio

Griffin may occasionally help out those that like to complicate their lives, but it also thankfully caters to those of us that prefer to keep things simple, and it looks like its new, appropriately-named Simplifi dock should appeal to quite a few in the latter camp. As you can see, it'll not only accommodate a single iPod or iPhone, but your media cards of choice, and a pair of USB devices (the ports are on the back). It also includes an AC adapter for devices that required a powered USB port, which can be conveniently ditched if its not needed. You will pay a bit of a premium for clearing all that clutter though, as the device sports a somewhat hefty $70 price tag.
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Korg nanoSERIES USB controllers unboxed, previewed
Posted by posted by Pantha under audio, music No Comments
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

The Korg nanoSERIES line of miniature USB controllers we had a look at a few months back has finally seen the light of day, and much to our chagrin, reviews are mixed. MusicRadar singles the nanoPAD out for praise, saying the twelve drum pads feel good and the X/Y pad is a useful addition, but they seem less impressed with the nanoKONTROL and nanoKEY. The site says the faders on the former feel "short and decidedly plasticky," while they compare the keys on the latter to those of a QWERTY keyboard. If you're still interested, the nanoKey will run you £49 ($90), and the nanoKontrol and nanoPad will be £59 ($109) each. Look for these guys starting in October, and hit the read link for more details and pics.
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Fusionman: first to cross the English Channel via jet-wing
Posted by posted by Pantha under General No Comments
Filed under: Transportation, Wearables
Fusionman Yves Rossy, not to be confused with Buzz Lightyear, successfully crossed the English Channel today -- the first to do so in a solo flight with jet-propelled wing. Rossy was dropped from a plane at 8,200 feet and flew 22-miles in under 10 minutes from Calais to Dover. When asked by National Geographic's Kathryn Liptrott if he was worried about risk, Rossy replied, "I'm not worried about risk, I manage risk." We've so gotta meet this guy. If you're looking to pick up one of these jet powered carbon-fiber wings for your own unspeakable mischief, expect to pay around the $190,000 mark. Rossy is eager to see these aviation wonders catch on and has designs on forming a Red Arrows-style aerobatic team one day.[Via BBC News]
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Alps Electric shows off longer-life, printable OLED panel
Posted by Donald Melanson under General No Comments
Filed under: Displays

Printable OLED panels are hardly the rare occurrence they once were, but Alps Electric seems to think it's worked enough magic with its latest prototype to stand out from the pack, even if it may not wind up in actual product form anytime soon. The key bit with this one, it seems, is a so-called "getter" layer that's used in addition to the usual electrodes and emission layer, which helps to seal the area around the cathode electrode and compensate for minute defects. According to the company, that effectively triples the life of the OLED panel, which is especially useful considering that the same technology is also increasingly being used for lighting systems in addition to displays.
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-G1 tentatively priced for USers at $799
Posted by Darren Murph under General No Comments
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Take this with a pinch of NaCl, but Adorama has it that Panasonic's Yasunori Takase confessed to a US price tag on the newly unveiled Lumix DMC-G1. During a leisurely chat at Photokina, the higher-up noted that the Micro Four Thirds camera would hit US soil for $799, though he didn't bother to mention an expected ship date. If you'll recall, we found that the G1 would start shipping at the tail end of October for ¥80,000 (around $750); considering that, we'd say $799 sounds about right over on this side of the world.
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Internal Combustion Guitar - gnarly guitar tone at a polite volume
Posted by posted by Pantha under guitar No Comments
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

By adding a signal chain to the classic electric axe, the Internal Combustion Guitar takes the tone generated by a small amp and sends it on back to the guitar, where something called a "coupling mechanism" feeds the sound back to your strings -- much the same way that standing in front of an amp will cause the guitar to feedback into its pickups. Use the throttle to control how much righteous color comes through, or use the (optional) MIDI pickup to rock out virtually. Prices start at a cool $2,450 -- including medium gauge strings and an Extreme Gig Bag. Not convinced? Catch Woody B after the break.[Via Music Radar]
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Switched On: With friends like Google, does Apple need Microsoft?
Posted by posted by Pantha under iphone, microsoft No Comments
Filed under: CellphonesEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment.
In the 1999 geek classic, "Pirates of Silicon Valley", an Apple employee watching the famous "1984" commercial with Steve Jobs points to the Big Brother character -- intended to represent IBM -- and then points to Bill Gates of Microsoft, whom Jobs has just introduced as part of Apple's family. The silent message is that the real threat to Apple is Microsoft, not IBM, and indeed the following scene depicts Jobs confronting Gates after Jobs sees Windows 1.0 running on an NEC PC.That scene, set in 1983, could be easily recreated 25 years later, substituting the iPhone for the Macintosh, Microsoft for IBM as the iPhone's perceived threat, and Google for Microsoft as the iPhone's more serious threat. Like Microsoft in 1983, Google is a key Apple partner in 2008. The iPhone features Google Maps, GMail and Google as its default Web search engine, and Google CEO Eric Schmidt even sits on Apple's board of directors. And also like Microsoft in 1983, Google is working fervently to create a wide range of competitors to Apple's iPhone. None of these may ever match the integrated experience of Apple's iPhone, but it's clear that the first Android phone has come closer to the iPhone experience than Windows 1.0 did to the original Macintosh operating system.Nevertheless, Google's task is a lot more daunting than Microsoft's was at the dawn of Windows for several reasons.
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Sony Ericsson Kate Image Leaked
Posted by posted by Pantha under General No Comments
Sony Ericsson's newest Cybershot camera phone, also known as Kate, has been leaked onto the Internet, and we gadget blogs tend to swarm towards such news like bees to honey. In our never ending quest for the most uber gizmos, here's the customary blur spyshot of the Sony Ericsson Kate accompanied by its specifications below :-
5 megapixel camera with Xenon flash
Auto focus
Smile Shutter
EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA
Supports Java Platform 8.4
Strangely enough, this model lacks a front camera for video calling capability, while it also misses out on GPS navigation which is fast becoming a standard feature on new handsets. The Sony Ericsson Kate is tipped to roll out this October for approximately 300 Euros $(450).
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Metal Rubber Band Gun
Posted by posted by Pantha under Gadgets No Comments
I remember back in the days when I was still a wee lad who's wet behind my ears, I used to have rubber band fights with the rest of the gang during class. Those were fun days - at least not until my mates and I were hauled up to the principal's office, only to receive a hiding from my old man back at home. If only I had the Metal Rubber Band Gun back then - nobody would want to go up against me (or my team), as this stainless steel projectile shooter is able to store up to 12 rubber bands at once, with an infrared sight and light sight to help you aim better.
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Nintendo Pink Ribbon DS Lite
Posted by posted by Pantha under Gadgets No Comments
Nintendo has yet another variant of its popular DS Lite handheld console, and this time round it is the Pink Ribbon model. Basically, this is a polar white console with a pink ribbon logo superimposed on the front cover, lending itself to the breast cancer awareness and research causes. Each purchase will see Nintendo part with $5 for the cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and the Big N has already promised a guaranteed minimum donation of $100,000. That roughly equals to 20,000 Pink Ribbon DS Lites - not too challenging an amount considering an average of 50,000 DS Lites are sold in Japan alone each week.
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Toshiba 256GB SSD In 2.5-inch Format
Posted by posted by Pantha under General No Comments
Toshiba recently lifted the curtain on its 2.5" 256GB SSD that targets UMPCs as well as other handheld devices, and that would lead me to wonder whether future iPhones will surpass the 100GB mark. Heck, no point thinking about that when the current iPhone 3G won't even venture beyond 16GB. Users will be able to glean read and write speeds of 120MB/s and 80MB/s, respectively with this new 256MB SSD. Measuring a mere 3mm in thickness, it connects to your computer via a 3Gbps SATA connection.
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Nikon Black Gold Mystery Unveiled
Posted by posted by Pantha under General No Comments
Folks who were wondering what the Black Gold mystery was can now revel in the real thing - it is a basic trim package and not an upgrade as many had thought. All changes made are listed below :-
The box has three "black gold edition" labels on it
The neck strap comes with an additional "gold edition" logo on it
Both strap lugs come with a shiny golden coating
Shutter button also coated with gold
Mode dial features gold colored icons
D60 badge gets Midas treatment
Would you fork out $50 for this "upgrade"?
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Alps Parades Minute Capacitance Sensing Technology
Posted by posted by Pantha under General No Comments
Alps Electric Co. Ltd. has displayed their very own "minute capacitance sensing technology" which makes providence to sense the electric capacity of a hand or fingers moving approximately 3cm above the sensors, and in a demonstration Alps Electric showcased a hand moving right above the touchpad of a notebook, and the cursor on the display moved in tandem as well. In a movie application, it was possible to select the movie you want to watch simply by moving your hand from side to side, while fast forwarding or rewinding required one to rotate a hand in the right direction (clockwise or anti-clockwise). I can't wait for this technology to be commercialized ASAP - at least I don't have to wipe my fingers each time before I type when enjoying a glazed doughnut from Dunkin' Donuts.
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Nanoradio fesses up to world’s first 3G UMA phone: Samsung P270
Posted by Darren Murph under wifi No Comments
Filed under: Cellphones, Portable AudioWe must say, we didn't really expect Samsung's P270 to get official in this manner, but we'll take what we can get. Nanoradio has today unveiled that its "Always On WiFi" solution has been "commercially launched inside the world's first 3G UMA phone." The tech was already available in the 2.5G P250, but its inclusion in the 3G-capable P270 makes it a world's first. For those unaware, this creates a dual-mode cellular / WiFi mobile which doesn't require WiFi to be toggled on or off in order to save battery life. Sadly, that's about it for details, but hopefully Sammy will come along soon and flesh things out.
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
BenQ S6 Launched In Italy
Posted by posted by Pantha under Gadgets No Comments
BenQ's S6 has finally launched in Italy, and it surely deserves all the excitement surrounding it since this is the first Atom-based MID to roll out in the Western world, accompanied by the following features :-
Intel Atom UL11L 800MHz processor
512MB RAM
2GB SSD
4.8" 800 × 480 262k color TFT touch screen
Linux Midinux operating system
Connectivity: HSDPA 7.2/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth 2.0
microSD memory card slot
It will cost you 429 Euros to bring this puppy home, and will likely prove itself to be a fierce competitor to the Archos 5G.
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Sagem P9522 Turns Up
Posted by posted by Pantha under General No Comments
Sagem is a rather obscure name when it comes to quality cell phones, but this time round they have gotten the help of Porsche Design to come up with the P9522. This candybar handset comes with the following features :-
2.8" display
5 megapixel camera
GPS navigation
Wi-Fi connectivity
Fingerprint reader
microSD memory card slot
You gotta fork out $875 for this puppy, and it doesn't even come with 3G? No thanks, I'll pass.
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Samsung AnyCall Haptic 2 Launched
Posted by posted by Pantha under General No Comments
Samsung has just launched its AnyCall Haptic 2 touch screen phone that features updated specifications over its predecessor that was released just in March :-
Customizable vibration mode
5 megapixel camera with flash
Image stabilization
4GB/16GB internal memory
3.2" touch screen display
Internal DMB tuner
The Haptic 2 will probably arrive in US via AT&T, but those in Korea can pick up the 4GB and 16GB models for $605 and $691, respectively. A mere $80 difference for a four-fold increase in memory? I'll take the latter, thank you very much.
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Fri 26 Sep 2008
Griffin Simplifi iPod Dock
Posted by posted by Pantha under Gadgets No Comments
Griffin is back with yet another iPod dock known as Simplifi. It retails for $70 and does more than what a regular iPod dock has to offer, that's because it features a memory card reader as well as a USB hub. Good thing it has an AC adapter bundled just in case you decide to charge your iPod sans computer or plug in some other USB devices. Some people might find the blue LED in front to be rather distracting especially at night when one is trying to get some sleep, only to be bathed in a soft, blue glow.
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