Gadgets 2008

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 23rd 2008 at 4:16PM
Pucker up, jet-setters — South Korea’s own KAON Media has a new PMP on the way, and for whatever reason, we’ve found ourselves strangely attracted to what the KM35 has going on here. The “Anywhere TV and Internet” device runs on Windows CE (and handles fresh-out-of-cinema films very well) and features a 3.5-inch 320 x 240 resolution display, 4GB or 8GB NAND flash drive, WiFi, an SD expansion slot, optional FM tuner and your choice of DVB-T/H, ISDB-T or T-DMB TV tuners. Early estimates peg battery life at around 2.5-hours when watching live TV, though there’s no word yet on pricing or worldwide availability.

[Thanks, J. Carter]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

by Nilay Patel, posted Aug 23rd 2008 at 2:08PM
ASUS took a break from cranking out an endless series of Eee PCs to revamp some of its traditional laptop lines today, here’s what you need to know:

• B50A business laptop: 15.4-inch screen, Penryn Core 2 Duos on Intel’s GM45 Express chipset with ASUS’s Expressgate SplashTop implementation and integrated X4500 graphics, max 4GB RAM and 320GB drive, spill-resistant keyboard, Bluetooth, WiFi, dual-layer burner, 1.3 megapixel webcam.
• F8 laptops (pictured): 14.1-inch WXGA screen, Penryn Core 2 Duos with 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 graphics with Express Gate, TV tuner with remote control, up to 4GB RAM and a 320GB drive, 1.3 megapixel swivel webcam, five available colors.
• F6 “scented” laptops: 13.3-inch screen, lids feature five available graphics and fragrances (really), Penryn Core 2 Duos with 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 graphics with Express Gate, TV tuner with remote control, up to 4GB RAM and a 320GB drive, fingerprint scanner.
• G71V and G50V “Republic of Gamers” laptops: 17-inch (G71) and 15-inch (G50) gaming laptops with up to Intel Core 2 Quad QX9300 processors and 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GT graphics, 4GB of RAM, 2x 500GB hard drives, dual-layer burner, 2.0 megapixel swivel webcam, LED lighting effects, gaming hotkeys.

No pricing or ship dates yet, but we’ll get you those as they come in.

Read - B50A
Read - F8
Read - F6
Read - G71V and G50V

[Via i4u, thanks Vinit]

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Filed under: Laptops

Remember the new Archos Internet Media Tablets, the 5, 5g, and 7? Well, it looks like the 5 and 7 are already on sale at Archos retailer, Amazon. At this time, the 5g is not currently on sale.

The 60GB Archos 5 is set to cost $349.99, the same model with 120GB capacity will cost $50 more priced at $399.99, and the 250GB Archos 5 will cost $449.99. Next, we have the Archos 7 and the base unit, the 160GB model will cost $449.99. One of the main differences between the Archos 7 and 5 is the screen size, the Archos 7 boasts a 7-inch TFT LCD screen, meanwhile the Archos 5 comes with a slightly smaller 4.8-inch display. Finally, the whopping 320GB model will cost $549.99. As previously mentioned, the Archos 5g is not on sale yet, but hopefully it will be soon.

If you wish to purchase one of these devices, expect to receive it within 2-4 weeks.

Read [Archos] Product [Amazon] Via [I4U]

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If you don’t like kids to mess up your lawn, why not get the Talking Wicked Witch Of The West? This nasty piece of work will definitely scare those who lack the necessary intestinal fortitude away from your home, although with the amount of horror media saturating our kids’ minds these days, they might end up loving the Talking Wicked Witch Of The West.

This is the 5′ 2″ tall statue of the infamous Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz that repeats the classic phrase “I’ll get you, my pretty… and your little dog, too!” spoken by Margaret Hamilton from the original 1939 film’s soundtrack when unsuspecting visitors activate its sound and vibration detection sensor. Suggestive of all the iconic character’s powers of enchantment, the witch stands menacingly with outstretched green clawed hands, and issues her warning - the leitmotif “Almira Gulch’s/Witch’s Theme” followed by Hamilton’s own voice - from a built-in speaker. Made from polyresin and painted in high-gloss lacquer for a look that resembles the finest porcelain, the statue’s facial features replicate the same striking details from Hamilton’s character, including the green skin, pronounced nose, gnashed teeth, wavy black hair, and furrowed brows - even the wart on the right side of her elongated chin. Every detail of the witch’s costume is reproduced, including her billowing black cape, bodice, full-length puffed sleeve dress, pointed hat with scarf, and belt pouch. For indoor or protected outdoor use. Requires two AA batteries.

I’d be careful about leaving this outside my home though, especially when it costs a whopping $2,500 to bring home in the first place.

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by Darren Murph, posted Aug 23rd 2008 at 12:41PM
Oh sure, we’ve seen a limited number of hacks surface for the hotly selling (but still unsightly) Amazon Kindle, but we’ve yet to see a hardware mod of this magnitude. We’ve always heard that desperate times call for desperate measures, and evidently said mantra is very true. After having the display in his Kindle smashed around 8 months ago (thanks, kid sister…), blakebevin set out to perform an unprecedented surgery. With an unwanted Sony Reader LCD in hand and a badly broken Kindle on the operating table, he attempted to give the latter unit new life with a few pixels from a cross-town rival. We’ll warn you — this one’s not for the rookies in attendance, and even Mr. Bevin (it is Mr. Bevin, right?) had some “nagging button issues” once the thing was sewn back up. Give the read link a look if you ever find yourself in this admittedly peculiar situation.

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Filed under: Displays, Handhelds

FROM APPLETELL - BusinessWeek claims to have some information that points to Apple’s plans to build over 40 million iPhone 3Gs during the next 12 months.
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by Darren Murph, posted Aug 23rd 2008 at 11:18AMThough not quite as bad as toting the GPS module around with you, one particular marijuana farmer had to be mighty embarrassed / wondering what he ever did to deserve such bad luck when a GPS-equipped turtle meandered into his crop. As the story goes, a close friend of the police — a box turtle with no fear of Big Brother — just happened upon a pot stash on US park property. Clearly, Mr. Isiah Johnson (the culprit) was heavily stoned when choosing US land to farm his ganja, and now he’s in custody until he’s “extradited back DC to face drug charges.” And you thought all you had to do was dodge those CCTV cameras…

[Via TechDigest]

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Filed under: GPS

by Paul Miller, posted Aug 23rd 2008 at 10:02AM
We’ve been tracking the AirCar for near centuries in Engadget Time, but MDI’s little car that could-maybe-possibly seems to have finally taken to the streets. The car has been seen sporting French plates, meaning it’s actually been approved for use there — unsurprising, considering the car’s 2009 planned launch in France, but exciting nonetheless. The car boasts a 50 mile range running off of compressed air, and can stretch that further by heating up the air with another power source. It might not solve world hunger, but we’re just happy to see compressed air playing a featured role outside of cleaning our keyboard and propelling Airsoft pellets at our cat.*

*We’re kidding. Cats are awesome.

[Via AutoblogGreen]

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Filed under: Transportation

The citizens of the UK are in for a nice treat with this new TomTom GPS they are getting soon. The TomTom GO 940 LIVE is an upgraded model to the TomTom GO 930 (pictured above).

The main differences between the 940 and 930 are IQ routes, Lane Assist, and Enhanced Positioning Technology. The LIVE in the name of the GPS stands for live HD traffic updates that comes from a subscription to HD Traffic. Another feature that the 940 comes with is Google Search. By using an available GSM connection the owner can access Google Search from the GPS. Unfortunately, the TomTom GO 940 is set to be pretty expensive costing 468 Euros, or around $871 US. In addition, the LIVE subscription comes with a complimentary 3 month trial, but after that it will cost $10-$15 a month.

TomTom GO 940 LIVE is ready to be pre-orded on Handtec, no word on actual shipping date.

Read [Handtec] Via [GPSLodge]

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FROM GAMERTELL - The Sims 3 will introduce a brand new engine that will allow players to completely immerse their unique Sims in a newly developed “living” and seamless neighborhood. Your action on one side of the neighborhood may have lasting effects on the…
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