Right after Apple Computer revealed the iPod Hi-fi, the press slipped into to a bedroom upstairs for a steamy session with the iPod Hi-fi. As the photo Evidence shows at engadget..clothes came off. After all the build up for Apple's fun event today, I am a little disappointed... this certainly is not a must have for me... yes it's pretty.. but I never listen to music at home... so this would just catch dust...
Fill your home with sound, not stereo components. Keep your music collection at your fingertips, not in countless CD cases. Change the way you experience digital music. For $349, iPod Hi-Fi delivers crystal-clear, audiophile-quality sound in a clean, compact design. Hear, hear.
Where did the stereo go?
Just slide your iPod(1) into the built-in Universal Dock to turn on and tune in to digital music as you’ve never heard it before. From pumping bass to bright treble, iPod Hi-Fi delivers natural, room-filling sound. Close your eyes and you’d think you were listening to a huge stack of speakers. But iPod Hi-Fi measures just 17.0" x 6.6" x 6.9."
Virtuoso performance
As versatile as it is compact, iPod Hi-Fi incorporates thoughtful touches that make playing your music pure pleasure. Use the included Apple Remote to control music playback from anywhere in the room. Charge your iPod through the iPod Hi-Fi dock while you play music. Or take your show on the road courtesy of D-cell battery(2) power. All that makes iPod Hi-Fi pretty extraordinary. Just like iPod.
1. iPod sold separately.
2. D-cell batteries sold separately.
Vodafone has anounced the Sharp 904SH , touted as the world's first mobile phone will a full VGA-resolution display, offering 480 x 640 pixels. The 904SH also features a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with 2x optical zoom and facial recognition biometric security. Other features of the phone include 3D motion sensor, FeliCa e-money capability, Bluetooth, GPS, and miniSD memory card slot. The 904SH is a WCDMA/GSM phone that will be available in Japan starting in late April.
via PS
Apple Computer today announced an upgrade to the Mac mini . The new mac mini is built on the new Intel microprocessors. A $599 model has a single-core Intel processor that Apple says is twice as fast as last year's model. A $799 version has a dual-core Intel processor that Apple says is up to four times faster.
Help protect your iPod or iPod nano from dust and scratches with Apple's Leather Case. It features a slim, form-fitting design that maintains its shape and a soft microfiber interior that ensures a snug, secure fit when your iPod is inside.
Removing your iPod is a breeze, thanks to an ingenious black ribbon built into the case. Just give it a gentle tug and your iPod slides out gracefully, just enough for you to view the screen or pull it out completely.
Sony Ericsson takes digital imaging in camera phones to new heights today with the launch of the K800 and K790 phones, the first handsets to carry the Cyber-shot™ brand.. Both are highly capable mobile phones with integrated 3.2 Megapixel digital cameras with Autofocus, Xenon flash and BestPic™ - Sony Ericsson’s unique imaging technology that allows you to capture exactly the moment you desire. K800 and K790 combine advanced image capture capabilities with high speed data transfer, making them perfect tools for shooting and sharing high quality pictures and videos. K800 is a dual-mode UMTS/GPRS phone and the K790 is a Tri Band EDGE phone. Both are available from Q2 2006.
The Sony Ericsson K800 is a dual-mode UMTS handset while K790 is a Tri Band EDGE handset. Both products will be commercially available in Velvet Black and start shipping globally during Q2 2006. The variants in the market will be:
Sony Ericsson today expanded its growing line-up of Walkman® phones with the W300, a quad band EDGE clamshell which aims to bring the mobile phone Walkman® experience to an even greater market
The Sony Ericsson W300 will be available in Shimmering White and Shadow Black colour variants and starts shipping in Q2 2006.
Samsung is showing off their first Blu-ray burners, which are expected to hit retail shelves in April reports Engadget.Samsung will offer the SH-B022A, an internal drive that supports both 25GB single-layer Blue-ray discs and 50GB double-layer discs with 2x write-speeds. The drive also supports DVD burning at 12x and CD burning at 40x.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) is targeting May 23 to deliver the first wave of Blu-ray Disc (BD) titles at retail. Delivery will coincide with the launch that day of the first commercially available BD player from Samsung Electronics, which will be followed shortly by BD players from Pioneer and Sony along with a BD compatible VAIO PC from Sony.
SPHE and MGM Home Entertainment will first release eight BD titles, with another eight following shortly June 13. Benjamin S. Feingold, president, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, made the announcement.
MSI has announced the MS-1057 , a new compact Core Duo laptop weighing just 4.1-pounds. The laptop features a 12.1-inch WXGA display, 100GB hard drive, 2GB maximum RAM, dual-layer burner, and a T2000 Core Duo or T1000 Core Solo.
The GamesPower 50 from Logic3 is a handheld gaming device aimed for the retro gaming market. An 8Bit gaming device with a 2.5” color TFT screen, small and lightweight and without the need to carry games with it because they're all pre-loaded. You can also connect it to your TV for a full-screen game via a standard TV-out cable.
Available in either red or blue and powered by three AAA batteries, you can pick the GamesPower 50 up for around £40.
Microsoft's Origami Project is starting to take shape as a very small tablet computer, one perhaps affordable enough to appeal to mainstream consumers writes ZDNET
The concept, which Microsoft plans to detail next month, is built on top of the Windows XP operating system but aims to be a new kind of device, rather than a replacement for existing PCs, according to sources familiar with the effort. With a screen bigger than that of a handheld but smaller than a notebook PC screen, Origami devices won't fit in the pocket, but they'll make it into purses and even the smallest of backpacks, sources said.
Microsoft's goal is to make possible devices that could sell for $600 or less, although the actual prices will depend greatly on what manufacturers decide to include. Origami is capable of supporting features like GPS, Bluetooth, 3G cellular technology and Wi-Fi, though each of these adds to the cost of the device.
Is Microsoft Dropping Cryptic Hints About a New Gadget? NYTIMES
ThinkSecret is reporting that Apple will debut the iPod "Hi-Fi" boombox Feb 28. The product will reportedlyl deliver unique capabilities beyond what today's third-party docking speaker systems offer. The iPod Hi-Fi boombox will mark Apple's first foray into significant iPod companion products, as the company seeks to capitalize on the iPod economy it has created
Sony, Japan has announced plans to release the TAV-L1, a new TV/Audio integrated system which combines a 32in HD Ready Bravia LCD screen with a Super Audio CD/DVD hi-fi system.
In Audio mode, the sound panel, featuring the speaker drivers, completely conceals the screen. In Theatre mode, the audio block slides down, revealing the screen. The speaker system is a 2.1 configuration and uses Sony's S-Force processing. The company rates the power output at 50W per channel plus 100W for the subwoofer.
Microsoft has announced that it will be offering six core versions of it's upcoming Windows Vista Operating system. Windows Vista which is due out in the second half of this year will have more security, simplified search and a cleaner interface.
Windows Vista Home Basic - Basic version without Multimedia capabilities.
Windows Vista Home Premium - All the functionalies of Home Basic along with multimedia features like DVD burning, HDTV viewing and recording. It incorporates Tablet PC technology with handwriting recognition.
Windows Vista Business - Similar to Windows XP Professional and aimed at Small and Medium businesses.
Windows Vista Enterprise - Aimed at large organizations and enterprises with advanced encryption features.
Windows Vista Ultimate - Has all the advanced Multimedia features along with business oriented features.
All the versions for consumers and businesses are available for both 32-bit or 64-bit computer systems.
Microsoft will also offer a version of Vista Home Basic and Vista Business without a Windows Media Player in Europe to comply with European Union antitrust rulings.
Japanese site Sankei Web is reporting that Sony has acknowledged the possibility of a delay in the system, and that such a delay would be due to problems with the mass production of the console's built-in Blu-ray drive.
A patent application filed on Jul 29, 2004 which was granted to Nintendo on Feb 2nd, 2006 reveals Nintendo's canceled plans for a multi-touch capable DS writes Joystiq.
The design of the DS doesn't resemble any previous DS designs and lacks X and Y buttons. The main additional feature is the capability of the touch-screen to read multiple inputs from two chopsticks fingers or more, similar to the idea we suggested recently.
Gizmodo is reporting that the Motorola Q could be available via Verizon this week.
In an interview this (last) week, a Motorola design manager told a Gizmodo reader that the Q could be released as soon as next week. What makes us think it might be legit? He was holding a working model in his hands, and it was up and running on Verizon’s network.
German Loremo AG will introduce their ultra Efficient Car at the Motor Show 2006 (site) in Geneva next week reports i4u.
The car start-up developed a light-weight passenger car with outstanding aerodynamics. The Loremo LS is powered by a 2 cylinder Turbo Diesel engine with 20 hp and 160km/h top speed. The amazing thing is that the Loremo only needs 1.5l per 100km. This is approx. 157MPG!
The Toyota Prius hybrid has only 55MPG (combined city and highway).
With one tank (20l) you could drive 1,300km.
Loremo AG plans to sell the Loremo LS for less than 11,000 Euros (~$13,000).
According to NYTIMES, Samsung is set to unleash the Z5 portable MP3 player. The new player which will appear on store shelves March 5 features software forged at Iventor Inc. by a small team of programmers led by Paul Mercer, 38, a veteran Apple Macintosh software designer.
Samsung's decision to hire Mr. Mercer is significant because Apple, in designing the original iPod four years ago, turned to Pixo Inc., the company Mr. Mercer founded after he left Apple in 1994 to create software for hand-held devices.
Apple used Pixo software to create the music player's simple interface, and Pixo's name appeared in the credits of the original iPod MP3 player. Sun Microsystems acquired Pixo in 2003.
I am a little puzzled as to why anyone would want to force Vista or XP on a steamy iMac..... but thats my Mac bias speaking... .osx86project has a story of a forum user who is like this close to booting XP on his new iMac
As a heads up I seem to have gotten to make the machine boot off the local Hard Drive finally (though I'm not exactly sure what I did as I was just fuddling at that time. I'll have to look in detail later) but it still reboots and at least in this config I lost the ability to use F8 on that partition too. On a side to that I also discovered that once the bootmanager is loaded it can read NTFS drives even if the EFI doesn't see it as I put vista back on an NTFS partition on the USB drive and it started loading. Also and this may be a bit more significant....I had installed XP on another partition on the drive and so it showed up on the bootloader. It started do...well..SOMETHING as I had hard drive activity when I selected the Legacy OS boot option. Problem is I couldn't see anything on the screen and the PC rebooted itself after which it told me it couldn't find NTLDR anymore.
Wired has a how to 'Put Your DVDs on a Video iPod' . Yes you would be breaking the law, but you could always say it was research for an article...
1. Decrypt the DISC
Software like DVDFab Decrypter (www.dvdidle.com/free.htm) removes a DVD's copy protection. Remember, this is the illegal part, which is why DVD decrypting software is always a moving target. Should DVDFab disappear, a replacement is just a Google search away.
2. Combine the Video files
Ripping a DVD produces a bunch of cryptically named .VOB files. VOBMerge 2.5 (medlem.spray.se/evilmastr/mainmenu.php) will string them together. To find the movie, look for a series of very large files named something like VTS_07_1.VOB, VTS_07_2.VOB, and so on.
3. Convert the Movie
Use an app like 3GP_Converter (www.videohelp.com/tools?tool=3GP_Converter) to turn your movie into an iPod-compatible MPEG-4 file. Select "Model: MP4, for iPod" as the conversion mode (there is also an option for the PSP). The resulting file is ready for iTunes.
In an effort to attack new customers, TiVo may start giving away its PVRs for $0 , CEO Tom Rogers said this morning.
Rogers said the company, whose name has become synonymous with the ability to pause live television and skip commercials, was close to offering a range of pricing options, including one plan that would include a free set-top box.
"We're continuing to pursue the prospects of zero upfront and all upfront" pricing
The company is likely to begin the test to offer free boxes, possibly in exchange for higher priced and longer term plans, fairly soon, said Rogers, who was named chief executive last July.
Based on images appearing on Marketing firm DigitalKitchen, Microsoft is set to unlease, Origami.DK features a Flash-based video showing the various uses of Origami. According top reports, Origami was suppose to be shown in a few weeks, MS's hopes of building up some excitement has been dashed with the appearance of the product and functions on DK. (or maybe this was all a plan... people love seeing things that are supposed to be secret) ///The product shown at DK has a few functions, video playback, audio playback, storage, you can write on it... ah watch the video to see...
Market Watch is reporting. that Apple could make a bid to buyout Disney after CEO Steve Jobs becomes the legendary entertainment firm's largest shareholder.
Jobs, who is the CEO of computer animation business Pixar , as well as Apple will own 7% of Disney after that firm's agreement to acquire the maker of movies like Toy Story and Finding Nemo.
"I think he has an open option," Barron's quoted analyst Christopher Whalen, a New York-based managing director of Institutional Risk Analytics. "Disney is badly undervalued right now. Jobs might get an opportunity to take it out."
GamingSpot has a great flash back of Nintendo products, going as far as 20 years ago.
Twenty years ago, when the video game industry was still reeling from what has been commonly referred to as "The Video Game Crash of 1983", a small console called the Nintendo Entertainment System made a big splash.
This photo of what may or may not be the upcoming full-screen Video iPod is making the internet rounds.
The photo resembles the leaked 5G iPod photos, but may have simply been inspired by the same photos. reports Mac Rumors. The edges of the ipod look a doctored.
There is significant debate about the part number shown. The part number "M8719Z/A" is the same part number as Mac OS X 10.2 Server, but several people feel it is a "B" not an "8" writes MacRumors
Following up on an Engadget interview with, Nintendo of America's Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Reggie Fils-Aime IGN questioned developers about the Nintendo Revolution kits... power, price and functionality.
The developers stated that the console's SDK costs just $2000. By comparison, the PlayStation 2 SDK was priced about $20,000 per kit at the console's launch.
Developers preparing playable Revolution software for E3 2006 will soon be receiving new SDKs which should provide 90-95% of the final system's achievable performance. According to IGN's development sources, final developments kits are expected to be made widely available around June of this year.
A number of software houses admitted that studios familiar with GameCube achitecture would find little difficulty in getting their Revolution projects up and running with due speed
Read More
American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu expects Intel-related news from Apple's " special event next week
He also expects Apple will use the event to launch a world-first - a movie download service through iTunes. He said: "We believe there is a greater-than-50 per cent chance that Apple will announce its first, full-length feature films available for download on iTunes."
He doesn't yet believe the company will release the so-called 'true video iPod', however, he expects more news on the transition to Intel processors: "We believe Apple will take the opportunity to round out its Intel Mac portfolio six to nine months ahead of plan with a new widescreen consumer notebook (likely to be called 'MacBook') and entry-level Mac mini, both of which will now include a remote control and FrontRow software," he told clients yesterday.
"What will make this new consumer notebook unique and likely a top seller is its small size and widescreen cinema display. Pricing should be competitive in the $1,299-$1,499 range," he said.
The City of London Corporation is all set to have Wi-Fi network in place covering the entire city. The project is being undertaken by the corporation in partnership with a private Wi-Fi firm, The Cloud. It is expected to be implemented in full in the next few months.
The Cloud, which will install the hardware and equipment, will make use of street furniture like the lamp posts and street signs for the purpose.
The network will make the city Wi-Fi-enabled and workers as well as visitors within the square mile will be able to make use of wireless devices to access the internet on streets and in open spaces.
Pink Uk, has launced the Pink Commuter tie. The Commuter tie features a pocket on the reverse of the tie which will hold an iPod Nano securely there's also an extra fabric loop to keep wires out of sight and close to the body.
The tie itself is made from 100% silk the Commuter tie and is available in navy, red and pink. It's your for £49.
On display at Microsoft’s Belux headquarters, is a chocolate XBox 360 . The chocolate XBox 360 was made especially for the X05 annual event in Amsterdam, October last year.
"WiFiber" from GigaBeam, a Virginia-based telecommunications startup operates in the 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz radio spectrum bands. This portion of the radio frequency spectrum has been authorized by the Federal Communications Commission for wireless point-to-point commercial use.
GigaBeam's technology, utilizing these large blocks of authorized contiguous spectrum, enables multi-Gigabit-per-second communications through use of Gigabit Ethernet and other standard protocols. The current speed achieved by GigaBeam's WiFiber product lines is one Gigabit-per-second - equivalent to 647 T1 lines or 1,000 DSL connections. GigaBeam also plans deployment of future products capable of 10 Gigabits-per-second utilizing either the 10 Gigabit Ethernet or OC-192 protocol standards.
GigaBeam's WiFiber technology is similar to terrestrial fiber in terms of speed and reliability for deployment in Metropolitan Area Networks (MANS). However, WiFiber has a substantial advantage over terrestrial fiber because WiFiber can be deployed in a day and costs less to deploy than terrestrial fiber. Terrestrial fiber can take months to deploy and also require significant regulatory and environmental approvals prior to installation.
Toshiba Announces Latest Qosmio™ Digital Entertainment Notebook with Enhanced Features Priced at $2,399; Qosmio G35-AV600 '4-in-1' Audio-Video Notebook Includes 1-Bit Digital Amplifier, Dolby Home Theater™ and Intel® Core™ Duo Processor
Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., today introduced the Qosmio™ G35-AV600, the latest version of its flagship "4-in-1" audio-video entertainment notebook with cutting-edge enhancements for an estimated single unit price(1) of $2,399.
Featuring Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 and integrated TV tuner, digital video recorder (DVR), virtual surround-sound stereo and all the capabilities of a powerful, full-featured notebook PC, the Qosmio G35-AV600 also includes:
* the world's first 1-bit digital amplifier in a notebook PC, usually found in high-end audio systems;
* Dolby Home Theater™, delivering a richer, more engaging surround-sound experience from stereo and multichannel audio sources through headphone, 2- or 5.1-channel speaker systems;
* Bass Reflex Speaker technology from harman/kardon®, allowing greater amplification and clarity;
* Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology built around the Intel Core™ Duo processor.(2)
Microsoft Corp. , prematurely posted information about its Windows Vista operating system on one of its Web sites, the company said on Tuesday.
Microsoft disclosed information about a plan to release eight different editions of the new operating system on a company help page that was under development.
The company has since taken down the Web site and declined to confirm the information and said it will offer more details about the Vista launch, targeted for the second half of 2006, in the coming weeks.
In other Vista news, PCMAG takes a look Inside Windows Vista, Build 5308 , this release of Vista is "feature-complete", the company says, meaning that all of the fundamental capabilities that Vista will eventually offer are now in.
Apple Computer is the most admired company for innovation this year, up from No. 3 last year.
Most admired
Rank Company
1 Apple Computer
2 Google
3 UnitedHealth Group
4 Procter & Gamble
5 Walt Disney
6 FedEx
7 Genentech
8 Nike
9 Advanced Micro Devices
10 Target
macsales.com has posted some images of the new MacBook Pro 15" 2.0GHz exposed. For the first time, I get the exposed thing, it totally makes sense for a retailer to take a look inside.
Apple has sent out an invitation to select media, to a special event that will be held at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California on February 28th. reports iLounge
The invitation, which only features the iCal-like calendar image reads: “Come see some fun new products from Apple.” The special event begins at 9:00 a.m. at Apple Town Hall, Building 4.
Canon today announces the release of the 12x optical zoom PowerShot S3 IS. Successor to the popular PowerShot S2 IS, the latest addition to the PowerShot S-series incorporates a 6.0 Megapixel CCD sensor, Canon's renowned optical Image Stabilizer technology and video functionality rivalling that of dedicated digital video camcorders. Sporting a striking new finish in gunmetal grey, the compact PowerShot S3 IS answers the demands of advanced photographers with several improvements over its predecessor, including an increased sensitivity range of ISO 80 to ISO 800, a larger 2.0" vari-angle LCD screen, widescreen (16:9) recording, new movie features and an additional Sports mode.
The PowerShot S3 IS features:
* 12x optical zoom lens with USM and UD lens element
* Optical Image Stabilizer
* 6.0 Megapixel CCD
* Larger size 2.0” Vari-angle LCD
* 30fps VGA movies with stereo sound and Photo in Movie feature
* DIGIC II, iSAPS and Flexizone AF/AE for fast, precise results and 2.3 fps continuous shooting performance
* 20 shooting modes and My Colors photo effects
* High ISO Auto and ISO 800 for low light flexibility
* Widescreen (16:9) recording
The PowerShot S3 IS caters for serious photo enthusiasts seeking extended zooming flexibility and fully featured movie recording in a versatile compact digital stills camera.
Canon today announces the EOS 30D, replacing the award winning EOS 20D. Retaining the 5fps, 8.2 Megapixel performance of its predecessor, the upgraded camera enjoys a larger, wider viewing angle 2.5” LCD, extended 100,000 shutter cycle durability, spot metering, and a variety of refinements designed to enhance the photographic experience. Targeted at an increasingly discerning population of serious creative photographers, the EOS 30D replaces a camera that already claims a significant share of the Western Europe D-SLR market, which grew by 120% in the last 12 months*1.
While running around the Apple's Job site, the guys at digitalmediathoughts came acros this "Apple Handwriting Recognition team is seeking an engineer who will be responsible for advancing gesture and handwriting recognition on Mac OS X. The ideal candidate will be an expert in the area of pattern recognition, with an excellent understanding of handwriting recognition issues."
AIMOnPSP is an AOL Instant Messenger client for the Sony Playstation Portable. AIMOnPSP is a free service and runs from the AIMOnPSP server which means that you don't have to download anything or load anything onto your PSP in order to use it.
