March 2007 Archives

Microsoft today confirmed the existence of the sleek black Xbox 360 Elite, the third model of the consolem, with a 120gb hard drive, HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) output. High definition TV shows wil be downloadable through Xbox LIVE, and the the 120gb hard drive will also be sold separately for Core and Premium console owners.

The Xbox 360 Elite should be available in the US from 29th April, retailing for $480.

Texas Instruments is one of the world's leading names in digital development, and even though they already claim the title in many areas, they have started showing off their new pico-projector. This minute DLP fits 'in your fingertops' and and is being demonstrated to select media groups. As for real-world uses, this could be used on its own (simply as an external display) or as part of a mobile device. Although this is not yet a commercial product, we don't think it'll be long until we can project TV and video from our mobile phones to share with the world. TI's other DLPs are already in the market from manufacturers such as Mitsubishi, Samsung, and Toshiba.

Read: Press Release

Hanwang Technology have combined a mouse with a handwriting input to solve the problem caused by limited special-character keys on keyboards. Simply draw out the character you want to type into the middle of the mouse with the provided stylus, which slots neatly into the side of the mouse, and it will translate it into text. Such a simple and useful idea with a decent implementation is what gadgetry is all about. They get the thumbs-up from us.

Read: enet (Translated)

Timberland has announced the new rugged looking HT2 chronograph watch and because we asked very nicely they let us take a sneak peak at it….

What strikes me first about the timepiece is its enormity, certainly one for today's urban warrior. Measuring 57mm across the casing is composed entirely of stainless steel and has a black mock croc leather strap but I have to say I prefer the chunky black rubber strap that is also available (even if I do have to dig a little deeper into the pockets).

The watch has a deceptively lightweight when worn and has a great fit to it, neither of which I had expected (certainly shows looks can be deceiving).

Just a couple of days before the PS3's European Launch, the new black Xbox 360 'Elite' has been unearthed. With a 120GB hard drive and HDMI output, this is not a 'new' console, but rather a third version to sell alongside the existing Core and Premium 360s. However, this will be a limited edition SKU.

The case, controller, and Live headset will all be black, along with new packaging. The Elites will run cooler (heat is a big problem amongst 360s), but there is no confirmation on new 65nm chips. To the disappointment of many fans, there are still no plans by Microsoft to integrate an HD DVD drive.

Also, the hardware made for the Elite will be available (in white) to upgrade your Core or Premium Xbox. However, when all the Elites are sold out, its components will become standard in the Core and Premium packages later this year, with no price change - although a decrease is expected when 65nm chips are implemented. Supposedly retailing for $479 (£244) in late April, Microsoft have not yet confirmed its existence.

We all love those lazy Saturdays ambling round the retail parks looking at the latest flat screen tvs...

However as yet another big name looks set to pull out of the Plasma Display Panel TV market, has the consumer finally spoken....??

The powers that be at Philips Consumer Electronics have thrown in the towel and called time on their range of plasma display panel (PDP) televisions with CEO, Rudy Provoost indicating they will be pursing the more lucrative LCD market moving forward.

The long-awaited king of keyboards - the Optimus 103-key - has had a name change: enter the Optimus Maximus. The Art Lebedev team were trying to get a working model shown off at CeBIT, but it seems they're not quite ready yet - oh well, good things come to those that wait...

Along with the name change comes a price change - up from $1200 to $1500, and the Optimus Maximus will be available for preorder in April, with delivery at the end of this year.

For those uncultured amongst you, the Optimus Maximus is a PC keyboard that has a little screen in every key, displaying the function of that key at that time. Pressing Shift shows replaces the lowercase with capital letters (and symbols); and also the keys in different languages can be shown.

HANNSpree have announced yet another novelty TV -- not content with the likes of a Giraffe, Elephant or Zebra.

You can now have a big shiny apple and as variety is the spice of life you can choose between a red (HANNSa.red) or green (HANNSa.green) apple.

Would this count as one of your five a day…?!? Probably not but am sure some one will try and argue it….

The MP70D and MP80D portable DVD players from Mustek to me are a welcome sight on the portable scene. Simple but effective controls allow both players to be figured out easily, no messing around with the instruction manual to figure out how get these working - A definite plus in my books.

Both players come from the same series and really are simply a step up of each other, the MP80D being the next model up. As far as I can tell the main difference in the models is the screen size. The 70D has a 7' widescreen while the 80D is sporting an 8' widescreen. This seems a small difference in numerical terms but physically it makes a big difference. Personally I am fine with ether screen, but the difference is noticeable. The 70D is good for single person use, maybe passing time on a journey whereas the 80D would be better for a group viewing. I'm not saying you could fit a crowd of people around it, that's not the intention, but the 80D is defiantly more suited than the 70D for several people to watch at once, maybe 2 or 3 at a time...

The Optio T20 a fairly recent addition to Pentax's ultra-compact range, launched towards the back end of last year. This 7.0 megapixel model features a 3x optical zoom (4x digital) and a larger than life 3.0-inch touch-screen.

Its the screen that stands out immediately for me, both sharp and colourful the display is big enough to give you a good idea of what your prints actually look like before you get them home.

The build quality we have come to expect from Pentax is apparent throughout. The outer shell is composed entirely of aluminum giving you a reassuringly solid feel to it. It even withstood the girlfriend test, who accidentally dropped it whilst admiring it (even after I said don’t touch).

Infrared as a method of transferring data between two electronic devices has been around for years - one device flashes an invisible light which another device reads and turns into data.

However, National (Matsushita) have demonstrated a technology at the 8th International Lighting Fair in Tokyo where data can be transmitted through visible light. A light could both light up the area and transmit data to nearby devices. For example, a company could transmit a PDF leaflet from a light source above their reception or display stand, and passing PDAs could simply look at the light and receive the data.

Other benefits include the data source being easy to see (that big white glow there) and blistering transmission speeds - 299,792,458 metres per second, with an actual data rate comparable to optical fibre. Also, this system is preferable to radio-based transmission in places such as planes and hospitals, as there is no risk of interference with equipment.

Source: impress.co.jp (translated)

The Tissot brand name is one that accompanies watches of a certain class. The T-Touch is the outdoor member of the 'Tactile' Tissot family. With one press of the side button, you can touch anywhere on the face to activate different features, which are a compass, alarm, case thermometer, barometer (atmospheric pressure), altimeter (altitude) and chronometer (stopwatch).

The touch feature is the main attention-grabber of this watch, however it seems a bit pointless. It gains no extra functionality, just replaces buttons that would be around the side either for each feature or to scroll through them. That's no extra work, and to be honest it is harder to press the screen accurately than a button. I do agree that two presses is easier than seven, but I'm not that desperate. Having to press the button before touching the face is a good step to prevent accidental activation. The alternate features (and the touchscreen) deactivate themselves after 30 seconds...

Gossip is what we love... and so when we got wind of the Samsung Q2 UMPC we just had to share with you all.

So the first generation UMPC on the whole were a little disappointing, however Samsungs Q1 seemed to make a good first impression and so almost a year to the date it was announced Samsung look set to announce its succesor the Q2 and boy are we in for a treat.

At first glance the geek sheet [courtesy of Engadget] makes for interesting reading... sporting a yet to be confirmed Intel CPU (although not the rumoured VIA) the Q2 will run Vista Home Premium.

Today sees Skype reach another land mark figure with more than 500 million people having downloaded Skype, extending its mark as one of the most popular free downloads of all time.

Not content at that, the number crunches over at Skype have seen fit to provide us with some handy facts including the statistic that six people download Skype every six seconds, whilst the number of registered users has grown from 54 million on September 2005 to over 171 million registered users worldwide in 2007.

Skype

Could this be a real photo of the Optimus 103-key keyboard we've been waiting for? We know the device will debut at CeBIT, which starts on the 21st March, so we should expect them to have a working model. If it is real, then it certainly looks good.



Also it has been revealed that a new name 'it's not 103 anymore' is to be announced on the first day of CeBIT.

Source: Optimus Project Blog

It's competition time again here at Shock Gadgets, and we have some more bluetooth goodies to go to the winner.

The prizes are one Iqua BHS-701 bluetooth music headset and one Jabra BT125 bluetooth headset (pictured).

To win, all you have to do is write your own review about any modern technological gadget, and post it as a reply to this topic. The best reviews will win the prizes - dead simple.

Have a look at all our existing reviews to get an idea of what should go into it. Length can be anything from 500 words to 2,000 - so you have plenty of room to say what you want. No plagiarism - entrants who are found to have copied their review, in whole or in part, from another source may be disqualified from this and future competitions.

Good reviews may be posted on the site for everybody to see. Anybody who writes a really good review may even be offered a job on the ShockGadgets team.

Putting in lots of detail and humour will give you the best chance of winning. The competition will run for at least a week.

Good Luck

Always one for hot gossip, news concerning an unannounced RIM Blackberry device has reached our offices along with some pictures just as an appetiser. The sample seen in the images (Below) is clearly marked as an 'evaluation unit'.

Supposedly the device will be codenamed 'Daytona' and if speculation by the Spanish site Xataka is to be believed this latest device will carry the 8300 model number.

Not much is known about the specification as yet however we do know that it will address some of the shortcomings of the recently announced 8800 with the inclusion of a 2 megapixel camera with LED flash, GPS, WiFi all of which where missing on the 8800.

So what did we learn this year at 3GSM? Well, we can of course expect a whole host of new music capable mobile phones, however what we haven't seen has been much in the way of style and innovation when it comes the way we enjoy music.

Urban warriors around the country have been crying out for a wireless solution and Sony have obliged with the ultra light (186g) DR-BT50 Bluetooth wireless headphones, so no more tucking the cord under your shirt! They even neatly fold up so you can shove them in your coat pocket...

The new DR-BT50 headphones wirelessly connect to Stereo Bluetooth mobile phones or devices with A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) technology. The headphones also incoperate a built-in microphone enabling you take calls...

Those familiar with the long-awaited Optimus keyboard from Art Lebedev studios may be pleased to drool over these screenshots of the configuration software for the device. Although the hardware is still not complete, these pics really do tease. With language selection and macro plugins for the different key-sets, interest in one of the most anticipated products ever is not fading yet.

Screenshots: Livejournal