Inspiron Zino HD now configurable, available to order on Dell's website
by Darren Murph 
posted Nov 7th 2009 at 1:00PM
[Thanks, Chuck and Douglas]
Read - Dell's desktop page
Read - Zino HD order page
[Thanks, Chuck and Douglas]
Read - Dell's desktop page
Read - Zino HD order page
Zune HD v4.3 firmware out now: fixes playcount bug, adds lots of great things (video)
by Darren Murph posted Nov 7th 2009 at 12:22PM
[Via MobileTechWorld, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Switched On: Developing a sense of rumor
by Ross Rubin posted Nov 7th 2009 at 12:00PM 
We're proud to congratulate Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) on five years of Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Check out the first-ever Switched On right here -- we're looking forward to five more years!
Good morning, students. My name is Dr. John Fleming and I welcome you all to MKTG 503: Fictional Technology Product Development. Hopefully, you've all fulfilled the prerequisites to this class, MTG 324: New Product Development and any accredited undergraduate Government class in plausible deniability. As your professor this semester, I'd like to provide a brief overview of the material we will be covering in the emerging field of developing and marketing products that generate incredible amounts of media attention and consumer interest but do not actually exist.
Phase 1: Customer Requirements. Disciplined product development requires acute attention to addressing both stated and unstated customer needs and creating products that fulfill the promise of expectations while maximizing profitability for the organization. In our class, we will learn how to ignore these goals and create figments that have incredible gee-whiz factors that safely ignore considerations such as marketplace pricing and target demographics. Students will generate buzz for a three-paneled OLED ereader that is powered by solar energy while acting as a tanning bed for the burgeoning tween market.
Phase 1: Customer Requirements. Disciplined product development requires acute attention to addressing both stated and unstated customer needs and creating products that fulfill the promise of expectations while maximizing profitability for the organization. In our class, we will learn how to ignore these goals and create figments that have incredible gee-whiz factors that safely ignore considerations such as marketplace pricing and target demographics. Students will generate buzz for a three-paneled OLED ereader that is powered by solar energy while acting as a tanning bed for the burgeoning tween market.
Sixth Sense creator to release code, wearable gesture interface becomes a reality for all
by Darren Murph posted Nov 7th 2009 at 10:12AM
If we're being honest (and trust us, we're being honest), Pranav Mistry's Sixth Sense contraption has always baffled us. It's kind of like Sony's Rolly. It looks cool, it sounds rad, but we're fairly certain only 2.49 people actually know and fully comprehend how it works. That said, we're more than jazzed about the possibility of having wearable gesture interfaces gracing every human we come into contact with, and rather than attempting to make his invention "comply with some kind of corporate policy," he's purportedly aiming to release the source code into the wild in order to let "people make their own systems." Nice guy, huh? All told, the Sixth Sense can be built for around $350 (plus oodles of unpaid time off), and we're [Via AboutProjectors]
ASRock ION 330HT-BD nettop gets unboxed and cracked open on video
by Darren Murph posted Nov 7th 2009 at 8:16AM
Ford's inflatable seat belts headed to Explorer in 2010, other whips in due time (video)
by Darren Murph posted Nov 7th 2009 at 6:33AM
Safa Xing LED features MP3 playback, 27 pixel resolution
by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 7th 2009 at 4:44AM
Safa is a Korean firm that has put out quite a few forgettable DAPs in its day, and while this one isn't going to win any awards for technological advancement, it does look like "fun," for whatever that's worth. The Xing LED is a none-too-shabby 12mm thin and boasts 12 hours of playback time on a single charge. The company fails to mention little things like storage capacity and file format support, but that ain't why we're here: the face of the device features 27 LEDs that can be either programed to display the icon of your choice or used for a rousing game of Rock / Paper / Scissors. Sort of makes that Zune HD of yours look like overkill, eh? Price and availability yet to be announced.
[Via PMP Today]
[Via PMP Today]
Managed Copy hits Blu-ray Discs December 4th, but you still can't use it
by Ben Drawbaugh posted Nov 7th 2009 at 2:34AM
How would you change Windows Mobile 6.5?
by Darren Murph posted Nov 7th 2009 at 12:59AM
The daily roundup: here's what you might've missed
by Ross Miller posted Nov 6th 2009 at 11:37PM
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Netflix instant streaming demoed on PlayStation 3 We've got to admit -- the whole thing looks exceptionally sleek, but given the PS3's multimedia prowess, we didn't really expect anything less |
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HTC Hero / Eris mega faceoff on video Any way you lean it's a pretty good handset with some perhaps overly bulky software, a wonderful pricepoint and probably a limited time in the sun with upcoming Android 2.0 devices rolling on in. |
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DROID mania sweeps the nation, so to speak And if riffraff like us can waltz into the store and get them, you should certainly be able to. Good luck being assimilated out there today. |
Other news of import | |
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Microsoft emancipates Digital Cable Tuners with second Media Center update today This half should enable all Windows 7 PCs to work with the CableCard tuners, sans-OEM requirement or inconvenient hacking. |
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Verizon confirms DROID tethering cost, will ask subscribers to double-down on their data plan $60 monthly for "unlimited" data, here meaning 5GB of data per, a total of 10GB split between the two $30 plans. |
Microsoft emancipates Digital Cable Tuners with second Media Center update today
by Richard Lawler posted Nov 6th 2009 at 10:19PM
Read - MCE: Digital Cable Advisor Tool Available Now!
Read - ATI DCT Firmware update pops up on Windows Update, DRM-free MCE recordings are a go
Guitar Hero and Rock Band drums combine for ultimate MIDI kit (video)
by Darren Murph posted Nov 6th 2009 at 9:09PM
[Thanks, Jordan]
iPhone coming to The Shack: Dallas and NYC this month, nationwide in 2010?
by Ross Miller posted Nov 6th 2009 at 7:52PM
Myka ION brings Hulu, Boxee and other web content to your TV
by Darren Murph posted Nov 6th 2009 at 7:12PM
Garmin ecoRoute ESP module gets priced, detailed further
by Donald Melanson posted Nov 6th 2009 at 6:33PM
Well, it looks like we won't have to wait until CES for more details on Garmin's new ecoRoute ESP module after all, as a listing for the device has now already turned up on GPSCity.com, and the site has even provided us with a few additional, as yet unofficial availability details. Apparently, the cable (which ties directly into your car's on board diagnostic system) will run $149.99 and might "possibly" be available by the end of the year, but is more likely to roll out sometime in the first quarter of 2010 --- and it'll supposedly only work with nuvi 1xxx series units that have Bluetooth. If that's not enough for you, the site also has what appears to be the first set of screenshots of the interface, which detail everything from speed and breaking to fuel economy and your carbon footprint. Hit up the link below for the complete rundown.
HTC Hero / Eris mega faceoff on video
by Paul Miller posted Nov 6th 2009 at 5:45PM
Make your own Bluetooth Star Trek Communicator (video)
by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 6th 2009 at 5:21PM
If you're looking for a project for the weekend and the Knock Lock seems a little naff, why not try building your own Bluetooth Star Trek communicator? This is definitely not a project for the faint of heart -- expect to custom cut a circuit-board, drill some holes, add a serial port, a Bluetooth module, and a microcontroller. That said, when it's all said and done you'll be placing (and answering) calls the same way they do in the 23rd century: by speaking through a small, distorted speaker. If this is your thing, hit up that read link to get the full step-by-step. But before you go that route, be sure to peep the video demo after the break.
Netflix instant streaming demoed on PlayStation 3 (updated with more video!)
by Darren Murph posted Nov 6th 2009 at 5:00PM
[Thanks, Otis]
Update: Our best buds over at Joystiq got some quality hands-on time with this (video is now after the break), so be sure and check it out!
Canon EOS 7D firmware update cures 'residual image' phenomenon
by Darren Murph posted Nov 6th 2009 at 4:49PM
Say what you will, but Canon's customer service / engineering department definitely looks out for consumers willing to spend just under two large on a new body. Merely days after the outfit made public that a "residual image phenomenon" was negatively impacting EOS 7D images under certain conditions, it has now published a firmware update to wipe all of those woes away. Firmware v1.1.0 specifically "corrects a phenomenon that in images captured by continuous shooting, and under certain conditions, barely noticeable traces of the immediately preceding frame may be visible." Hit the read link if you're looking to put said phenomenon to bed. Or don't. We don't care.[Via CNET]
Boxee shows off its new look at Beta Unveiling jam December 7
by Richard Lawler posted Nov 6th 2009 at 4:16PM
We won't cancel our trips to Vegas just yet, but Boxee is planning on giving users an early peek at its new beta release -- with all new UI, queue, navigation and search features -- December 7 at the Music hall of Williamsburg. Beta Unveiling visitors will be the first to get their hands on the new version and see new applications being launched by partners, leading to early access beta testers giving it a four week shakedown run before the planned wide release January 7 at CES. Any ideas what form Boxee might take in this next step on its road to commercial viability?
