Gadget Warrior - Gadget News and Reviews

XBox 360 - The Digital Entertainer

2008-09-20T08:11:00.000-07:00

Looking for top-quality digital entertainment for the whole family? There is an age-appropriate games and entertainment for every member of the family. This hi-tech entertainer comes from Microsoft named X-box. The comprehensive settings allow you to decide what games your kids can play, who they can interact with online, and what movies they can watch.

Fusing powerful hardware, software, and services, X-box 360 fully engages you in a gaming experience that is more expansive, dramatic, and lifelike, where the possibilities are limitless and your imagination knows no boundaries.

The X-box is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market, and competed directly with Sony's 'Play Station 2'. The X-box was followed by X-box 360, developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. Its X-box Live service allows players to compete online and download arcade games and content such as game demos, trailers, TV shows, music videos, or rented movies.

The X-box 360 is the future-generation game and entertainment system from Microsoft. X-box 360 ignites a new era of digital entertainment that is always connected, always personalized and always in high definition. It is the only system designed with a singular platform vision that combines the most-powerful hardware with intelligent software and services advancements. As of Q2 2007, sold 11.6 million units worldwide.

When laid horizontally, the 8.8-pound X-box 360 is 12.15 inches wide, 3.27 inches high, and 10.15 inches deep.

As mentioned previously, there are two versions of the X-box 360 available. The guts of the X-box 360 comprise what is, for all intents and purposes, a very powerful computer. The customized IBM PowerPC CPU boasts three processing cores running at 3.2GHz each. Each offer two hardware threads, while the ATI graphics processor is said to be able to pump out 500 million triangles per second. We could go on, recounting the 360's supposed 16 giga samples-per-second fill rate using 4X antialiasing and 48 billion shader operations per second--not to mention, of course, the 48-way parallel floating-point dynamically scheduled shader pipelines and the 9 billion dot product operations per second. But, frankly, even if we understood what half those impressive-sounding specs meant, we'd have no way to verify or benchmark them.

X-box 360 is a capable CD/DVD player as well. You can't copy music files from connected or networked devices, but you can rip CDs straight to the 360's hard drive, then use those songs as soundtracks for pretty much any native X-box 360 game. On the DVD front, the 360 finally plays movie discs in 480p progressive scan (via component--the 360 can play DVDs in higher resolutions via VGA) and without the need for an additional remote a la the Xbox1. The X-box 360 won't work with Blu-ray or HD-DVD discs in a game-playing capacity, although movie fans can pick up the external HD-DVD drive, with a movie and media remote and plays the 1080p-capable HD-DVD movie format. The bigger mystery remains in regard to the HD-DVD player's output-no HDMI or DVI cable exists for the Xbox 360 thus far, leading many to believe that Microsoft may be hoping that studios don't use image constraint to clamp down on component-enabled next-gen video.

All games for the X-box 360 are in high-definition, as is the excellent, user-friendly Dashboard interface. There's built-in support for wireless controllers and excellent online gaming, content downloads, and communications via X-box Live. The console is not only backward compatible with many (but not all) original X-box titles, but it also doubles as a superior digital media hub and Windows Media extender. The system's online Marketplace allows easy purchases of mini-games, movies, and TV shows.

Regardless of the television X-box 360 connects to, gamers will experience smooth, cinematic experiences that far exceed anything they’ve seen or felt in games before. And these experiences are never more than a click away.

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Sony Ericsson W910i MOBO Edition Mobile Phone

2008-09-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Sony Ericsson - a key sponsor of this year’s MOBO Awards Show, has announced the latest limited edition phone, termed as W910i MOBO Edition.

Being the MOBO version of the W910i walkman phone, it will also include MOBO content.

“Mobile is now de facto one of the preferred channels for music consumption amongst young people all over the world and we are absolutely delighted to have Sony Ericsson as a partner to help provide exciting MOBO content for their discerning customers as well as drive development of the mobile channel in supporting urban music in the UK,” commented Kanya King MBE, MOBO founder.

Supporting a Walkman Player (version 3.0), the W910i MOBO edition come equipped with TrackID, motion sensor, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, FM radio with RDS, quad-band GSM connectivity with GPRS and EDGE, HSDPA 2100 MHz connectivity. It also bundles a 2.4-inch TFT display with 256K colors and a QVGA resolution, NetFront browser, JAVA MIDP 2.0, a 2.0 meapixel camera with video recording, 40 MB of internal memory and support for Memory Stick Micro cards.

David Hilton, head of marketing at Sony Ericsson UK & Ireland, said “We’ve been heavily involved in the music industry since we launched our first Walkman handset back in 2005. The MOBO Awards Show is a fantastic property for us to align our market leading handsets with and we are confident that, with The Carphone Warehouse support, we can make the W910i is ‘must have’ stocking filler this Christmas.”

The new special MOBO edition of W910i Walkman handset shines in the white and gold color shade and is expected to be available during Christmas exclusively through the Carphone Warehouse. No word on pricing.

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Sony Vaio AW series notebook PC announced

2008-09-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

Sony Vaio’s new AW series notebook PC featuring an 18.4-inch LCD display that delivers vibrant colors in stunning 1080p clarity.

The Sony AW series is ideal for multimedia enthusiasts or photographers who view or edit high-definition content on-the go. It equips Intel Centrino 2 technology, up to 1TB storage, XBRITE-FullHD LCD technology (optional), Blu-ray Disc optical drive, 16:9 aspect ratio and an HDMI output. It is pre-installed with your choice of Windows Vista Home Premium, Vista Business or Vista Ultimate OS.

“This new notebook delivers the power of a high-end desktop in a portable form factor,” said Mike Abary, senior vice president of VAIO product marketing at Sony Electronics. “Whether you’re gaming, watching a Blu-ray Disc movie or editing high-def video, it offers all the HD tools you’ll need.”

You can record, store and play personal content on high-capacity BD media. It is ideal for Blu-ray Disc movies and its extended workspace lets you view two full websites or compare two documents simultaneously. An in-built CompactFlash slot lets you transfer photos easily from the digital camera to your PC and the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software offers one central portal to streamline the process of organizing, editing, archiving and printing photos.

The Sony Vaio AW notebooks are available in titanium gray and a glossy piano black finish. Select AW notebooks offer dual 64GB solid state drives (SSD) with RAID technology and 500GB hard drive.

The starting price of the Vaio standard notebook is $1,600 (approx Rs. 72,926) while the premium version starts at $2,000 (approx Rs. 91,150). It will be available at the Sony website. The notebook will also be sold at Sony Style stores, military base exchanges and select retailers later this month.

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Review - Lenovo ThinkPad SL300 13.3-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC

2008-09-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

The ThinkPad laptops have always been about durable exteriors but that that also carries a high price. The ThinkPad SL300 looks to balance this durability with a more affordable price tag. To do this, Lenovo has decided to go with a glossier plastic exterior instead of a magnesium shell. This gives the SL300 a different look and feel from other ThinkPads but should stand up to usage.

Performance is one of the better aspects of the ThinkPad SL300. Equipped with the new Intel Core 2 Duo P8400, the system easily outperforsm many other ultraportables. This makes it excellent as a primary system for those that still want to have a high level of mobility. Performance could have been stronger if Lenovo used DDR3 memory with the new platform but the goal is also to keep costs down.

Graphics are really quite good with the ThinkPad SL300. It can use the new Intel GMA X4500 graphics but the NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS graphics give it a bit of an edge over most ultraportables. It won't give it performance for 3D gaming but does improve such tasks as high definition video decoding and playback. The 13.3-inch screen is very bright with good color. Since it uses an LED backlight, it also helps reduce power consumption.

The reduced power consumption of the LED panel and various power states of the new CPU/chipset combination along with a 6-cell battery pack give the ThinkPad SL300 some above average battery life for an ultraportble. This gives users plenty of time to work between charging.

One of the big downsides of the ThinkPad SL300 though is its size. It may have lots of performance and a very reasonable price tag but it ends up being heavier than many other ultraportables that use 13.3-inch display panel.

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Sony Introduces Cheaper Blu-ray Vaios

2008-09-14T04:06:00.000-07:00

The Vaio NS and CS series can both be optioned with Blu-ray drives for around $1,000.

With the prices on standalone Blu-ray players finally starting to slowly tick backwards, Blu-ray drives in computers are beginning to follow. Sony introduced two cheaper Blu-ray equipped notebooks on Friday with the NS and CS series Vaios, which will sell for as low as $1,000 in Blu-ray-equipped form.

The two notebooks are primarily differentiated by their form factors: the NS gets a standard 15.4-inch screen while the CS gets a more compact 14.1-inch screen. Both have been tailored for high-def viewing with Xbrite-Eco LCDs, Intel Core 2 Duo processors, and 4GB RAM in the Blu-ray configurations. They also get dedicated A/V modes to cut down on the number of steps needed to get a movie playing or control playback.

Like the NR series that preceded both the NS and CS, Sony will market the new notebooks as fashionable budget machines. The NS will come in nightfall blue, silk white, and granite silver, while the CS will come in four glossy shades: sangria, cosmopolitan, dove and black.

The NS series will start at $650 and rise to $1,000 in its cheapest Blu-ray form, while the CS will start at $920 and leap to $1,070 with the player.

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2008-09-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

The ASUS P552w is the latest PDA phone that features, Glide innovative, touch responsive user interface that makes navigating on this mobile phone more intuitive and interactive than ever before.

ASUS P552w incorporates a revolutionary touch-responsive user interface that uses cutting-edge Gester technology which enables users to perform a variety of navigational actions such as selecting, zooming, scrolling and flipping with the simple flicks of their fingers.

The ASUS P552w also has applications that enable users to access a wide range of functions such as looking up the latest news, checking the weather forecast, viewing photo slideshows and listening to music all with a few taps of their fingers. These applications, dubbed Multi-Home, Anytime Launcher, EziPhoto, and EziMusic. EziPhoto enables users to flip through their photo collection with their fingertips, similar to how they would with a real photo album.

EziMusic has an interactive interface that allows you to play and manage your music. The ASUS P552w also houses applications that enable easy access to web content like RSS news-feeds, YouTube movies and photos on Flickr.

The ASUS P552w features Google Maps which not only facilitates navigation, but also capable of supplying users with POI´s (points of interest). The ASUS P552w´s navigation capabilities feature ASUS SMS Location Link. This exclusive feature allows users at two different locations to locate each other by sending each other SMS messages. Clicking on the URLs, which are automatically embedded in the sent messages, will link the phones up to Google Maps, giving users clear directions on how to get to each other´s positions.

The Asus P552W is equipped with a 624MHz processor, 3.5G HSDPA connectivity, GPS and seamless Google integration. It also offers Bluetooth, WLAN 802.11b/g, GPS, USB and other connectivity standards to enable easy data transfers to and from other devices.

ASUS has yet to announce pricing and availability information for its P552w phone.

Via: Physorg, image: Gizmag

Apple MacBook Air Laptop

2008-09-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

When Apple launches a major new product they love to raise the bar every time and this is no different when they launched the Apple MacBook Air laptop.

The MacBook Air is ultra portable and ultra thin; it changes what we think about laptops by breakthrough design and the use of wireless innovations.

Apple’s latest notebook takes mobile computing to another level and keeps what’s really needed for its internal hardware, and devices like optical drives are left as external devices, if needed at all.

The main specs include a 13.3-inch LCD, OS X v10.5, a 80GB hard drive or SSD option for more money, 2GB DDR2 memory, and a 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with an option to upgrade.

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Sony Ericsson Announces Launch Dates for Xperia X1

2008-09-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

The highly anticipated Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 Windows Mobile smartphone and has been given an official launch date of September 30. However, this launch date only applies to the UK, Germany and Sweden. Other regions, including the rest of Europe, Asia and Latin America, will see the X1 launch in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Launch dates for North America, China, Australia and Russia will be announced by local markets at a later date.

More about the Xperia X1

This smartphone will include a 3-inch WVGA (800 by 480 pixel) touchscreen that can slide aside to reveal a QWERTY keyboard. Other navigation options will be a four-way key and an optical joystick.

The X1 will be a quad-band GSM phone with support for the 3G frequencies used around the world. It will also have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

This Windows Mobile Professional device will include up to 400 MB of internal storage, and a Memory Stick Micro card slot for additional storage.

In addition, this model will include aGPS, a 3.2 megapixel camera, and an FM receiver.

It will be 4.3 inches wide, 2.1 inches tall, and 0.66 inches thick (110 mm x 53 mm x 16.7 mm). It will weigh 5.1 oz. (145 g).

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Nokia N85 Presents an Extensive Mobile Entertainment Package

2008-09-13T02:14:00.000-07:00

According to Nokia N-series Director, Juha-Pekka Sipponen, Nokia N85 was created to be more than the sum of its parts, offering a complete mobile entertainment package designed for connecting, sharing, and discovering. He further states that the iconic Nokia N-series dual slider design has evolved to become smaller and sleeker while integrating the newest features and services to deliver the best mobile experience to date.

Featuring a 2.6-inch screen with a classic design, the Nokia N 85 is N-Gage games loaded. It also prides itself with a 5.0 megapixel camera bearing Carl Zeiss optics. The handset is backed up with a microSD card slot that can store up to 8GB memory card.

Nokia N 85 will be out in the market in October 2008 at an approximate retail price of $660.

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HTC S740 3.5G GPS Smartphone

2008-09-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

By: Carrie-Ann Skinner

HTC has announced a new quad-band HSDPA/GPRS/Edge smartphone that will debut in Europe in September. The underside of the HTC S740 handset slides out sideways to reveal an alphanumeric keypad.

The design of HTC S740 is similar to HTC’s popular Touch Diamond handset. The new model is a slim 16mm deep, 43mm wide and 116mm tall. Finished in matt black, the HTC S740 has a 2.4in QVGA display.

Running the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system, the HTC S740 enables mobile broadband access at download speeds of up to 7.2Mbps. The device supports POP3, IMAP and Exchange push email access.

Other features of the phone, which comes with Bluetooth v2 and built-in GPS, include a 3.2Mp camera with fixed focus, a 256MB internal flash memory and support for MicroSD memory cards.

“Clearly, one size does not fit all. The S740 will play an important role in expanding our growing portfolio of devices,” said Dr Florian Seiche, vice-president of HTC Europe.

Pricing for the HTC S740 has yet to be announced. No price has been released for the device, which will be available from September 2008.

HTC S740 quad-band smartphone with Wi-Fi and HSDPA

via: AllSymbian, PC Advisor

Sony Ericsson G705. 3G and Wifi Phone

2008-09-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

Sony Ericsson has announced the G705 - a 3G mobile phone complete with Wi-Fi connectivity to offer high-speed web browsing.

The slim slider Sony Ericsson G705, which measures 95×47x14mm and comes in glossy black or gold finish, features a 2.4in screen with automatic rotation capabilities, ensuring that if users tilt the phone the orientation of the web page is automatically changed.

Users will also benefit from built-in GPS, which can be used with Google Maps and Wayfinder software (both bundled with the phone), for turn-by-turn navigation. The 3.2Mp camera also features a video capture functionality and the ability to directly upload videos from the phone direct to Google’s YouTube as well as PictBridge and basic photo editing capability.

The phone also offer a built-in music player complete with TrackID that identifies the name and artist of a track and access to Sony Ericsson’s PlayNow service to download paid-for music tracks, mobile games and wallpapers to the handset, as well as an FM radio.

The integral 120MB memory can be expanded with a memory stick up to 1GB and the phone also features Bluetooth connectivity and a Google shortcut key.

Sony Ericsson is also launching the G705u, a handset that allows Orange broadband subscribers to seamlessly roam between the mobile network and local area networks. It automatically detects if a user has returned to their area covered by their Orange broadband subscription and switches to WiFi connectivity. When the device is removed from the home network area, the handset then automatically transfers back to the mobile network.

The G705 and G705u, which is exclusive to Orange, will be available from quarter four of 2008 (October). No prices have been announced.

via: Allsymbian, PC Advisor

BlackBerry Thunder With Touchscreen

2008-09-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal, for all intents and purposes, is a pretty respectable publication so when they speak out about something, everyone is bound to turn their ears towards them.

We’ve heard a few inklings about the first touchscreen phone to come out of the Research in Motion camp, but we have yet to hear anything about a firm launch date surrounding the upcoming BlackBerry Thunder. The crew at the WSJ, however, seem to have unearthed a very juicy detail.

It turns out that the BlackBerry Thunder 9500, which will target the more business-minded in the iPhone market, is set to launch with Verizon Wireless in the United States some time in the third quarter of this year. This means that we will be unleashing the Thunder unto the masses by September at the latest. This is right around the same time that we expect to see the BlackBerry Bold 9000 as well.

The pre-September launch date isn’t quite as soon as the predicted June unveiling of the 3G iPhone, but it looks like Research in Motion is pretty serious about snatching up even more market share beyond “just” the corporate environment.

via: wsj.com

Acer Aspire One Mini-Laptop for Mobile Computing

2008-09-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

The world has taken yet another step towards truly mobile computing. One of the major PC manufacturers, Acer, has designed a mini-laptop, which is about the size of a mass-market book. Yet, it has a qwerty keyboard and 8.9-inch screen. The Acer Aspire One also comes with Wi-Fi, 3G, hard disk or flash memory for storage, and Linux or Windows operating system.

A mini-laptop is a perfect companion for anyone who regularly has to carry a computer. Maybe it is to a friend’s house, to a hotel, to the college, or just the short distance from study to kitchen. The point is that the device is so small that you don’t hesitate to take it with you. Ultra-portable PCs may lack a CD drive, huge storage space, or processing power to edit videos, because these features have been sacrificed for ultimate portability.

Our own experience with a mini-laptop is that a few missing features is worth the sacrifice for anyone who wants to have a laptop at hand practically anywhere they go. Typically, new individual usage patterns start to emerge with a tablet or ultra-portable PC. Someone may use a mini-notebook for instant messaging, reading news, posting blog entries, someone else for video chatting and viewing YouTube clips, or listening to music.

Acer Aspire One key features and specifications:

8.9-inch color screen in 1024 x 600-pixel resolution. It is a backlit CrystalBrite LED display.
Qwerty keyboard.
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g Internet connectivity from hotspots.
3G or Wimax for high-speed mobile connectivity. It is good to keep in mind that Wimax is a future wireless technology, and not yet widely available.
Linpus Linux Lite orMicrosoft Windows XP Home operating system software.
Memory card slot that can read and write SD, MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, and xD cards.
8GB of flash memory or 80GB hard drive for storage space.
Webcam, Acer CrystalEye, capable of live video streaming and video conferences.
VGA, Ethernet, and USB ports.
512MB or 1GB of RAM memory.
Intel Atom processor.
Available in four colors: dark blue, white, golden brown and pink.
Dimensions of the unit: width 24 cm, height 17 cm.

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Nokia Released Nokia N96 Smartphone

2008-09-12T00:12:00.000-07:00

Nokia’s highly-anticipated N96 smartphone started shipping today, the phone manufacturer said Wednesday.

The N96 is the company’s new flagship model and it is now available in select countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and China. The handset will retail for about $795 before taxes and carrier subsidies. A version for North America is expected in the fourth quarter, for about $895.

The smartphone is powered by Symbian OS v9.6 S60, a version of the OS that has been optimized for multimedia applications as well as security. The handset measures in at about 4.1 by 2.1 by 0.7 inches, and it weighs 125 grams.

The handset has many features for the mobile professional. It’s capable of push email and instant messaging, and there’s an Office document viewer built-in. Users can also surf the Web with the HTML browser and check the news on the RSS reader.

Workers on the go also have multiple ways to connect, as the N96 has integrated Wi-Fi, EDGE, and 3G support up to 3.6-Mbps downlink speed. There’s also built-in GPS that can use cellular data for location-based services like search and navigation.

But this smartphone is not just for work, as Nokia is emphasizing the handset’s multimedia functions. The N96 is capable of playing multiple codecs of music and video, has a stereo FM radio, and is capable of receiving DVB-H mobile television. Users will be able to store the media on the 16 GB of internal memory, and that can be expanded up to 8 GB via the microUSB slot.

The handset also has a dual slider design and it sports a 2.8-inch screen that can automatically adjust depending on how the user is holding it. There also a 5-megapixel camera that has Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, video recording capability, and a flash.

via: All Symbian, photo: Information Week

RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8820

2008-09-12T00:07:00.000-07:00

RIM has introduced its first clamshell BlackBerry, the Pearl Flip 8820 smartphone...and it's decidedly aimed at consumers.

Canada's Research in Motion has formally introduced its BlackBerry Peal Flip 8820 smartphone, a new addition to its popular BlackBerry line that leaves the stodgy confines of corporate connectivity behind and pushes the company further into making smartphones for everyday people.

"The popularity of BlackBerry smartphones has grown tremendously around the world and the introduction of this exciting new flip phone will help extend the reach of the BlackBerry platform even further," said RIM's president and CEO Mike Lazaridis, in a statement. "The BlackBerry Pearl Flip is a full-featured smartphone with a unique and friendly design and it is a natural choice for flip phone users who want to start doing more with their phone than just talk."

The quad-band EDGE-based Pearl Flip 8820 offers two high resolution displays—320 by 240 on the inside and a smaller display on the outside for status messages and utilities—along with a video-capable 2 megapixel camera, microSD storage, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity, and a "large" QWERTY keyboard for users' messaging needs. And, in a bid to make the Pearl Flip even more appealing to consumers, RIM is playing up the phone's multimedia capabilities, including video playback on the internal display (turn the phone sideways and it switches to landscape mode) and direct management of music playlists on the handset itself.

And, of course, the BlackBerry Flip features all of RIM's much-touted communications suite into its case, including email, messaging, an organizer (with calendar, contacts, and to-do list), an integrated Wb browser, and RTSP support for watching streaming video from things like YouTube's mobile site.

RIM didn't announce any carrier partners or pricing for the BlackBerry Pearl Flip, but promises the phone will be available around the world "this fall." In the United States, reports have T-Mobile landing an exclusive deal to launch the BlackBerry Pearl Flip.

via: Digital Point

Altec Lansing Intros iPod Gear

2008-09-12T00:02:00.000-07:00

Audio gear maker Altec Lansing is in the process of rebranding itself, rolling out a new logo and Web site to convey the company's "rich history of groundbreaking audio innovation." We're sure that's what everyone's' going to pick out of black, white, grey, and gold…but in the meantime, the company has also unveiled a new desktop speaker system with a integrated subwoofers and three new iPod speaker systems.

First up, the new eye-catching Expressionist BASS desktop speaker system look like black cones that sit on your desktop—but the bottom of those black cones are down-firing 4-inch subwoofers, designed to offer "optical performance" for both music and PC gaming enthusiasts. The top of the cones feature two 1.5-inch drivers, and the unit offers an aux input so they can be connected directly to an alternative audio source (like a digital media player. Expect to see the Expressionist BASS at retailers this October for $129.95.

Next up, the tiny Orbit MP3 mini speaker is a follow-up to the company's Orbit MP3-207, introduced last year, and claims to offer 24 hours of continuous playback from any digital audio device like an iPod, iPhone, or notebook computer using three AAA batteries. The speaker produces a 360° sound field and features a wrap-around design to store the cord and connector. It should be available in October for $39.95.

Moving on to traditional iPod speaker systems, the inMotion Moondance GLOW offers a compact form factor combined with an dual-alarm clock, integrated FM radio (four station presets), and a wireless snooze-capable remote—so you really don't have to wake up in order to get back to sleep. The unit features two 3-inch speakers and a multicolored illumination system (hence, "GLOW") that adds a touch of Lava Lamp-like coolness. The unit sports an aux input for non-iPod devices, and should be available in in October for $179.95.

Finally, the inMotion MAX wants to be an all-in-one music system for iPhones or iPods, offering XdB bass enhancement without needing a separate subwoofer and proprietary ESS technology to expand the sound stage and make stereo music seem to more fully fill a space. The unit can run off a rechargeable Li-Ion battery for up to 3.5 hours of continuous playback, and includes an FM tuner with four station presets. The inMotion Max is also iPhone savvy: it'll automatically pause music if a call comes in on a docked iPhone.

via: Digital Point

Sony Recalls VAIO TZ Series Due to Overheating

2008-09-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

Sony announced this morning that it was aware of an overheating issue with its TZ notebooks and is urging customers to bring units for repairs. According to the announcement put out by Sony, the overheating might affect any VAIO system in the TZ Line (including VGN-TZ100, VGN-TZ200 series, VGN-TZ300 series and VGN-TZ2000 series):

The issue involves a small number of units which may overheat due to a wiring problem. Sony has initiated a voluntary program to perform a free inspection and, if necessary, a repair to ensure these units meet our high quality standards.

To find out if your VAIO laptop is one of the affected units, you can check out the following link: http://esupport.sony.com/fixmypc. You will be prompted to input your product code and serial number located on the bottom of the notebook. Sony will provide an inspection and, if necessary, on-site repair at home.

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Apple Releases iTunes 8.0

2008-09-11T04:15:00.000-07:00

Late Wednesday, Apple released iTunes 8.0, the latest version of its multimedia/jukebox application for Mac OS X. The new version, a 55.9 megabyte download, offers the following fixes, changes and new features:

Genius Playlists - Meet Genius: a brilliant way to create perfect playlists. Play a song, click the Genius button, and iTunes creates a playlist of other songs from your library that go great together. Genius playlists help you discover songs in your library you never knew you had and rediscover forgotten favorites.

Genius Sidebar - While you reacquaint yourself with the music you already own, let Genius introduce you to new music youll love. As you select songs in your library, the Genius sidebar displays songs from the iTunes Store that go great with it. The Genius sidebar wont recommend songs already in your library, and you can preview and buy recommended songs directly from the sidebar.

Grid View - See your iTunes library in a new way. Select Albums in Grid View and iTunes 8 displays your entire music library using cover art.Select Artists, Genres, or Composers and iTunes automatically creates groups of albums based on your selection. Simply skim across a group to see the albums inside, and start playing an album with a single click. Movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks look great in Grid View, too.

HD TV Shows - Purchase select episodes of your favorite TV shows in high definition for just $2.99. Or get the whole season in HD with a Season Pass. And when you buy HD, iTunes doubles your viewing pleasure: You also get an iPod-ready version with a file size and resolution that's ideal for smaller screens.

Enhanced Accessibility - iTunes 8 is now screen reader friendly on both Mac and PC. Manage your iTunes library using VoiceOver in Mac OS X Leopard or Window-Eyes for Windows XP and Windows Vista. Or use your screen reader to purchase or download content from the iTunes Store including iTunes U.

New Visualizer - Turn on the new Visualizer and lose yourself in a 3D-scape of spheres, ribbons, and lights that pulsate to the beat and tempo of the song youre playing.

iTunes 8.0 is available for free, requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later to run and can be snagged using Mac OS X's built-in Software Update feature.