Gadget Info

Video: Epson's multitouch X-Desk is your next coffee table

2009-04-19T22:04:00.001+07:00

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense for Epson to get into the touch-surface game -- most of the larger versions are projector-based, and Epson's been making great little beamers for quite some time. Showcased earlier this year at ISE 2009 alongside a multitouch air hockey table, the Core 2 Duo-powered X-Desk boasts a 1,024 x 768 resolution panel and possesses the ability to recognize up to 16,000 objects using "Smart Tags." Also of note, gesture recognition software enables users to actually speak to the table and see results, though there's no word on whether raising your voice or blurting out obscenities improves efficiency. Like all of these things, we've nary a clue when they'll really be available for the layperson to purchase, but you can certainly live vicariously by hopping past the break.

Solar-powered 'guiltless green' home theater system makes your Wall-E Blu-ray very happy

2009-04-19T21:59:00.003+07:00

When Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA) executive director Richard Glikes wanted a home theater system, he didn't just max it out with the best high definition equipment. He also thought to run it entirely from solar energy from four roof-mounted panels that produce an aggregate of 700 watts per hour in sunlight. It'll reportedly run things for 19 hours straight without having to dip into your traditional power grid. Hardware-wise, we're talking about a 100-inch screen, Sharp projector, six SpeakerCraft in-wall speakers, Integra AV receiver, Lutron lighting, and a universal remote. See how it was made, with the help of time-lapse photography and 1980s infomercial-genre background music, in the video after the break.

Viliv S5 pre-order details firm up: $599 and it's yours May 8th

2009-04-19T21:59:00.001+07:00

It's been a long and winding road filled with unboxings, impressions, and comparisons, but it looks like the last few details surrounding the U.S. release of Viliv's Atom-powered S5 MID have now finally been firmed up. According to retailer Dynamism, the device will be available for pre-order on April 27th (at 1PM Eastern) for just $599, or $50 less than previously expected, with the first orders expected to ship on May 8th. Better still, those that pre-order the S5 will also get a free spare battery, a car kit, and a leather pouch, which Dynamism says is a $135 value. No word on the number of units available in that initial batch but, if the Hong Kong and Korean releases are any indication, they could sell out pretty quickly.

OCZ outs its first Mini-PCIe SSDs in 16GB / 32GB capacities

2009-04-19T21:58:00.001+07:00

Just as Buffalo did in December of last year, OCZ Technology is busting out a duo of netbook / notebook-ready SSDs in 16GB and 32GB capacities. Obviously aimed at the smaller, more low-cost machines, the company's first ever Mini-PCIe solid state drives are a so-called "affordable flash-based storage option to significantly increase the capacity for netbooks." The pair will be available in SATA and PATA interfaces, which will deliver read speeds of up to 110MB/sec and write speeds as high as 51MB/sec (or 45MB/sec [read] and 35MB/sec [write] for the PATA versions).

HP Firebird 802 gaming rig gets $500 price drop

2009-04-19T21:57:00.000+07:00

Well, it's only been available for a few short months but HP has already seen fit to give its flagship Firebird 802 gaming desktop a fairly sizable price drop -- $500, to be specific. That includes a $150 cut to the $1,799 base price and a $350 instant rebate that brings the price down to a pretty darn reasonable $1,299, questionable keyboards aside. For those that haven't been pricing gaming rigs lately, that'll get you a Core 2 Quad 9400 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800S graphics cards (with 512MB of DDR3 memory on each card). Of course, any price drop of this size also invariably bring of the question "why?" and, in the case, the reasons are still a bit hazy. While HP discontinuing the line outright seems to almost certainly be out of the question, a slight revision does seem at least possible, if not necessarily imminent -- although, any way you shake it, $500 off is $500 off, so we're not complaining.

Retail T-Mobile G1s showing up in loving customers' hands

2008-10-21T01:06:00.000+07:00

October 22 was supposed to be the date, but you know, when you add in the shipping fudge factor, buffoonery was destined to ensue -- and sure enough, G1s are already showing up on some buyers' doorsteps days ahead of the official release. These pre-orders were only open to existing T-Mobile customers, which means us AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and Alltel types are gritting our teeth and shaking our fists at merciless gods right about now. Wednesday, here we come. Anyone else nab theirs?

MDI's Airpod runs on compressed air, challenges Segway for dork gold

2008-10-13T19:54:00.002+07:00

While outfits like Lightning and Tesla are attempting to make eco-friendly cars sexy, MDI is taking things in a completely different direction. The recently-made-official Airpod looks practically nothing like anything seen on American roadways today, which is probably why it's apt to hit the streets of France and New Zealand first. The oddly shaped automobile will reportedly reach a top speed of 70kmh (44mph) and cruise 100-kilometers (43.5 miles) on just $2. The secret? A minuscule compressed air-powered engine on each of the rear wheels, both of which get instructed by the car's joystick (Atari fans, rejoice!). We're told that reloading the engine with hot air takes less than two minutes, and if all goes well, the first of the urban vehicles will hit the cobblestones in the spring of 2009. Is that the sound of Tata's NANO feeling threatened, or what?

LaCie intros 5big Network drive array to RAID junkies the world over

2008-10-13T19:54:00.001+07:00

The LaCie product roof has been raised to 7.5TB with the new 5big Network -- an Active Directory and gigabit Ethernet-friendly array of storage drives that supports several RAID configurations for up to five hot-swappable hard drives. You can try it on in four different sizes -- 2.5TB for $899.99, 5TB for $1,399, or the aforementioned, bar-raising 7.5TB for $1,899. In keeping with his sixteen year relationship with LaCie, the renowned Neil Poulton applied his HAL 9000-inspired design to the product, winning him another Janus de L'industrie award. The only problem with the HAL motif: you really, really don't want your RAID storage device to drone on about how its "mind is going, Dave."

Bang & Olufsen's BeoSound 5 controller in the wild?

2008-10-13T19:53:00.001+07:00

We're still retaining a slight bit of disbelief here, but the long teased BeoSound 5 controller could be awfully close to a formal release. Judging by scads of cryptic (and probably diluted) hints and just two images (one above, one after the break), we're led to believe that this here device will sit atop one's table and enable users to flip through multimedia and play back tunes through their Bang & Olufsen gear. The sell, obviously, is the design. Truth be told, this thing looks like something a few years ahead of its time at first glance, but considering just how ridiculous (that's a compliment, we'll have you know) the BeoCenter 2 looked over four years ago, we'd say this is just par for the course with B&O. Here's hoping some more concrete information flows forth shortly.

ASUS AiGuru SV1 Skype videophone hands-on

2008-09-19T11:49:00.000+07:00

Sure, it's frumpy, overpriced and rather pointless for anyone who owns a computer with a webcam and knows how to use it, but ASUS and Skype are after the grandma / grandpa / computerphobic set with this here AiGuru SV1 videophone, and aren't doing horrible job of it. The screen is great, the icons are ginormous, and operation couldn't be much simpler. Unfortunately, the video quality is pretty inexcusable for a dedicated box like this: the VGA image is crap, and the framerate is totally weak -- it could've been a problem with the network we were on, but it looked like a straight-up wired router to us. What gives, ASUS?

PSP and 360 Chatpad are a match hacked in heaven

2008-09-07T19:12:00.001+07:00

Some dedicated hackers have finally managed to get the PSP and Microsoft's Xbox 360 Chatpad typing. There are still a few kinks to smooth out, but the hard part seems over, with l0rdnic0 managing a tiny bit of soldiering using a PSP remote cable and some software from the Open Keyboard Project. It's all still pretty nerdy at the moment, and we're still miffed at that Logic 3 getting cancelled way back when, but we suppose this will have to do.

IOGEAR's DVI Net ShareStation networks one display for multiple users

2008-09-02T12:49:00.000+07:00

While we imagine that some folks are sick and tired of fighting over the sole display in the house, some people out there are looking for a reason to quarrel over the biggest one. IOGEAR's DVI Net ShareStation is here to help, providing one display with an Ethernet connection so that any and all computers on the same network can ~~battle for it~~ share. Debuting at CEDIA, the tiny box includes a DVI / VGA adapter and an Ethernet jack, and it supports streamed resolutions up to 1,600 x 1,200. Furthermore, users who just want to add an external display to their system can do so by simply connecting the device to a USB port. It's available now for $199.95, and the release can be seen in full by clicking through below.

Dell replacing XPS touchpad with touchscreen... or someone, somewhere owns Photoshop

2008-09-01T12:52:00.000+07:00

There are two kinds of Dell rumors: sure things, and ones that aren't sure things. This one falls in the latter camp, so proceed with caution. We've got a tipster who says a friend of his from Dell handed him this shot of what is purportedly a new XPS M1330 / M1530 design. As you can see, pretty much the same old fare... but what's this? A large glossy touchpad? Here's our hunch: Dell is tired of drawing inspiration from Apple after the fact, and decided to turn the tables by capitalizing on one of the most persistent (and outlandish) Apple rumors in existence. A good capacitive touchscreen for the trackpad on a laptop would undoubtedly be a blast if it was done right, with the right software support, and at least seems like a good gimmick. Or maybe it'd just be lame. We won't go further than that, this could just as easily be a Photoshop, but we will be keeping an eye out.

Microsoft job listing hints at App Store-like 'Skymarket' for Windows Mobile

2008-09-01T12:41:00.000+07:00

While Apple's App Store was far from being the first of its kind, we're now seeing a job posting over in the Redmond area that suggests that Microsoft is looking to produce something similar for its Windows Mobile platform. The news comes hot on the heels of Google's own Android Market announcement, and if the Product Manager position writeup is to be believed, said platform will be christened Skymarket. Described as a "marketplace service for Windows Mobile," Skymarket could seemingly be a critical part of WinMo 7. But don't take our word for it, the proof is the pudding -- or in the read link, in this instance.

HTC's Android-driven Dream revealed in glorious spy photos

2008-08-31T18:44:00.002+07:00

Sure, we've seen some blurry videos and managed a few stolen glimpses when Andy Rubin demonstrated this beast, but now we've gotten our hands on a slew of pictures showing off a very real T-Mobile-branded Dream in all its Android-running glory. Not only does this confirm the design spied in those FCC docs as well as show off that nearly-done version of Android, but it seems to confirm the fact that this will be headed to T-Mobile, and sooner rather than later judging from the looks of the above device. Needless to say, our inner-geeks are completely geeking out right now. Hit the gallery below for a handful of other views of the phone.

DayWalker case mod is amazing, can't solve Wesley Snipes' tax evasion problems

2008-08-31T18:44:00.001+07:00

There was no shortage of case mods at NVIDIA's NVISION conference, but this one in particular managed to snag the majority of the spotlight. Created by Richard "DarthBeavis" Surroz, the Blade-themed DayWalker actually houses three separate computer systems; two are for playing games, while the other acts as a server. Conceptually, at least, the rig is designed to enable two users to play against one another, and given the "50+ fans" and triple SLI GTX 280 GPU setups (among other things), it's no shock to hear that it'd cost around $18,000 to $20,000 to build again. 'Course, that's chump change when you're stuffing away millions of dollars owed to the government -- just ask Snipes... oh, wait.

French doctors use laser to destroy brain tumor in conscious patient

2008-08-31T18:43:00.001+07:00

Neurosurgery with robotic assistance is getting pretty old hat nowadays, so it looks like scientists are trying to up the difficulty factor by keeping their patients awake -- a team of French doctors just completed the first successful removal of malignant brain tumor from a still-conscious patient, using a computerized laser and an MRI scanner to guide the probe. The fiber-optic laser was fed into the brain through a 3mm (.12 inch) hole in the patient's skull and guided via MRI to the tumor, where it fired for two minutes and completely destroyed the cancerous tissue. Once the tumor cells were dead, the cable was removed and the patient was allowed to return home -- all within a single day. That's pretty impressive, and it comes on the heels of 15 similar trials where five out six patients who underwent the total removal procedure were cancer-free nine months after surgery. The team says further research will cost an additional two million euros to progress, but if this technique works as well as they claim after peer review, we'd guess that money won't be hard to come by.

MSI's 8.9-inch Wind U90 in the flesh, Linux version shipping for 339 Euro

2008-08-31T18:42:00.001+07:00

While MSI's 8.9-inch Wind U90 first made an appearance in June at Computex, it took MSI this long to flesh out all details -- which is actually a relief, given the ridiculous quantity of Eee PC SKUs ASUS has managed to pump out in the meantime. We just got to handle the new laptop, and we think MSI might have a winner here. The laptop is shipping with SUSE Linux exclusively to start, with an XP version in the works, and boots quite rapidly to the full OS. SUSE has never looked better, and we think these two might be quite the pair. MSI has kept the full keyboard of the 10-inch Wind, and merely bumped up the bezel while cutting the price; all the other specs are the same. MSI is planning on shipping this at the end of September or beginning of October for 339 Euro (no word on a US release), and is also working on a six cell battery to fix the paltry 2 hours of battery the Wind currently gets from the three cell.

GM taunts us with teaser shots of production Volt

2008-08-15T15:11:00.001+07:00

Well, it sure looks like GM is intent to be milking the roll-out of its hotly-anticipated Chevy Volt for all its worth (and who can blame 'em), with it first offering a fleeting glimpse of the actual production vehicle on ABC the other day, and it now letting loose its first two official shots of the car that'll supposedly be rolling off the production line in 2010. While it's not much, the more interesting of the two (above) at least gives us a good look at the Volt's headlights, as well as what appears to be an LED fog lamp or daytime running light. Hit up the link below for the second, even less-revealing shot, as well as a few more pics that offer a glimpse of the Volt's design process.

Elephantine BlackBerry Bold promo kit arrives for Rogers

2008-08-14T02:44:00.000+07:00

We understand the need to catch eyes these days, and while Rogers will certainly not be the first nor last to promote a new piece of kit with an obscenely large version of said kit, this one just takes brobdingnagian marketing to a new plateau. The absolutely gigantic Rogers Bold launch kit includes a plethora of Bold flyers, informational pamphlets and all sorts of other goodies that'll be handed out to prospective buyers shortly. The real question is: who gets to take this thing home once the buzz dies down?

PSP phone mod is really exactly what we were waiting for

2008-08-08T21:11:00.001+07:00

Call it off Sony, no need to throw any precious man hours into making your perennially #2 handheld into some sort of amazing featurephone hybrid, some hacker has already done it for you. Through the amazing wonders of modern thinphone technology, soldering irons and probably a bit of glue, some hacker has managed the slap a Haier touchscreen phone onto the back of his PSP -- killing the UMD drive in the process, but we'd say it was well worth it.

Gateway P-7811 FX gaming laptop coming August 14 for $1499

2008-08-03T17:49:00.000+07:00

If you've been waiting for Gateway's P-7811 FX gaming laptop, the wait is almost over: it will begin shipping August 14, that is, if an open-lipped Best Buy is to be believed. As for specifications, you're looking at an Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 (2.26GHz, 3MB L2 cache with 1066MHz FSB), PM45 Express chipset, 17-inch WUXGA display at 1920 x 1200, Nvidia GeForce 9800M-GTS with 512MB GDDR3, 200GB 7200RPM spinner, 8x DVD burner, HDMI 1.2, eSATA, a 5-in-1 media card reader, 1.3MP camera, and a 9-cell Li-ion battery. The $1,499 machine weighs in at 9.2-lbs and will be ready for your Crysis, Spore, etc. in a couple weeks.

Walking Head Robot uses infrared and pistons for terror and submission

2008-07-10T11:43:00.001+07:00

Because we didn't want you to sleep well tonight, we would like you to meet Stelarc's Walking Head Robot. Sitting atop six piston-powered legs, an LCD screen displays a creepy animated face to lull you into submission once the robot sees you with its ultrasound sensors. It then makes faces as if to trick you into believing it's really not here to destroy you and yours like some monster from The Thing. It would be one thing if the Walking Head Robot was small, but its 4-meter footprint (13-foot) is big enough to make even the largest of men turn white. To be fair, however, this robot looks to be well-constructed out of aluminum, stainless steel, acrylic, and pneumatic actuators because, after all, it's here to kill us (oops). We're begging for some video of this thing in action, so stay tuned.

Vigor Collosus Skulltrail-based gaming rig gets reviewed

2008-07-10T11:42:00.001+07:00

Intel's Skulltrail gaming platform (we're still refusing to call it the "Intel Dual Socket Extreme Desktop Platform") has been out for a while now, but there haven't been too many pre-built systems based on the design -- in fact, all we've seen so far is the $6,799 Vigor Colossus desktop, which Computer Shopper just had in for a review. As you'd expect from a machine powered by two $1,499 Core 2 Extreme QX9775 processors and dual CrossFireX ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 graphics cards, it's not exactly slow -- in fact, it was the fastest machine CS has ever tested in certain tests, putting up a 21,902 score in Cinebench 10, and a 6,695 mark in the Futuremark PCMark Vantage full-system test. All that power isn't necessarily useful, though: you'll have to be running serious multithreaded apps to really flex all eight cores, which means GPU-bound games won't get that much of a boost. Plus you'll have to deal with some major fans, relatively slow boot-up times, and some serious heat -- but come on, you know you want one.

Elonex unveils £129 One T netbook

2008-07-10T11:41:00.000+07:00

The first Elonex One was an oddly-configured little beast, with the guts of the machine tucked behind the display for an unwieldy, top-heavy look that was only acceptable given the £100 ($199) pricetag and pseudo-tablet functionality it offered. That doesn't mean Elonex isn't after the rest of the netbook market, though -- it's just introduced the Elonex One T, which has a much more traditional form-factor and comes in a variety of colors, but retains the bargain basement price of £129 ($255). Of course, that means you're getting an unspecified 400MHz processor and a 7-inch, 800 x 480 display that's sure to be fairly medicore, but for just over a hundred quid, just be happy this thing doesn't look still look like it fell out of 1983.