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Tags: Computers, Notebooks and Peripherals

NVIDIA’s Fermi-based GeForce 100 GPU makes a Twitter appearance

Nilay Patel — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:57:00 +0000

We’d been hearing that NVIDIA’s Fermi chips had been delayed, but they’re apparently far enough along for spokesperson Brian Burke to tweet this image of the new Fermi-based GeForce 100 GPU running the Unigine Heaven DX11 benchmark earlier today. That’s certainly one way to hit back at ATI’s launch of the fastest graphics card ever, the Radeon HD 5970, but we’d much rather have some hard info to work with. We’ve pinged NVIDIA, we’ll let you know if we hear anything.

[Via bit-tech; thanks, Alex]

Filed under: Gaming

NVIDIA’s Fermi-based GeForce 100 GPU makes a Twitter appearance originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tags: Gaming

Nikon D300S review roundup: it’s awesome, but D300 is better value

gadgets.ph — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:30:00 +0000

You’ll know from our Canon 7D review roundup that these semi-pro DSLR reviews tend to take a little while longer to cook than ones for, say, the world’s latest, fastest graphics card. That means we’re looking at analyses of a shooter that’s been out for a while, but boy are they thorough. The D300S (our unboxing can be found here) is Nikon’s gentle massaging of the D300 formula for success — with added 720p video recording and an extra frame for a 7fps burst mode — and that’s borne out by the reviews. You’re still getting an outstanding 12.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, 51-point AF, and a sturdy weather-proofed body, but question marks remain as to whether the new additions offer enough of an upgrade from the D300. The HD video recording is hamstrung by a mono mic and a frankly silly 5 minute maximum clip length (a limitation not present on direct competitors from Canon and Pentax), but the addition of a second memory card slot (now offering SD as well as CF storage) and a dedicated Live View button along with purportedly improved noise performance could just make the difference for new buyers. Hit the links below for more, including comparisons against the Canon 50D and 7D, as well as the Pentax K-7.

Read - dpreview
Read - Camera Labs
Read - Photography Blog
Read - Trusted Reviews
Read - Tech Radar
Read - ePHOTOzine

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Nikon D300S review roundup: it’s awesome, but D300 is better value originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tags: Digital Cameras

PrimeDTV further saturates HD media streamer segment with PHD-HM5

Darren Murph — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:01:00 +0000

Look, we’re all for competition, but it’s about time for some of these guys to stop copying and start innovating. As if your noggin’ wasn’t already spinning enough as you attempt to whittle down your laundry list of HD media streamers, in flies PrimeDTV with yet another hopeful. The PHD-HM5 looks to be fairly standard in terms of features, with HDMI / component outputs, a lengthy list of supported formats, an Ethernet socket and a pair of USB 2.0 ports. You won’t find WiFi or any internal hard drive, and you’ll have to live with the fact that this thing is akin to some lackluster AV component from the early 90s. Oh, and then there’s the chore of actually finding one for sale (not to mention an MSRP), which should probably be just enough to push you towards Popcorn Hour.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

PrimeDTV further saturates HD media streamer segment with PHD-HM5 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sezmi’s low cost cable / satellite premium TV alternative launches in L.A.

gadgets.ph — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:03:00 +0000

Ready for yet another way to watch TV? Sezmi has just gone on the air in Los Angeles, offering its unique blend of premium OTA and internet delivered video to a few limited trial users. $5 a month brings whatever local networks you can pull in, basic IPTV (YouTube, OnNetworks, podcasts) and internet VOD (CinemaNow) access, while throwing an Andrew Jackson on top of that adds “more than 100 cable TV networks,” delivered via antenna. According to the L.A. Times that doesn’t include any channels from the Disney or Fox family like ESPN, regional sports networks or premium movie channels, but if those are already stations you’re avoiding, it’s a cheaper option than most cable TV plans. Other than the allure of sticking it to the current distribution model, the 1TB DVR package includes a rather unique UI to aggregate and even seek out new shows for you from those varied sources, while maintaining individual profiles for different users. The three month trial has just the right price — free — so even with little info on how much high definition Sezmi’s network can handle or what areas or channels will be added next, it’s at least worth a look.

[Via Zatz Not Funny]

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Sezmi’s low cost cable / satellite premium TV alternative launches in L.A. originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading GoPro HD Hero review and helmet cam face-off

GoPro HD Hero review and helmet cam face-off

Tim Stevens — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:40:00 +0000

What’s this, another tiny, high-definition camera to strap onto your person before doing something wild and crazy? Yes, it’s the latest pixel-pushing contender for high-def helmetcam supremacy, the GoPro HD Hero; a little gray box in a waterproof case that can record 1080p at 30fps, 720p at 60, and comes with a selection of mounts that will enable the thing to hang on to just about whatever you want to sling it from — but at $299 you might not feel particularly inclined to put it in harm’s way. Worth the risk, and how does it compare to the competition and its predecessors? Read on for the full analysis, and of course plenty of gratuitous high definition footage.

Gallery: GoPro Hero HD unboxing and comparison

Filed under: Digital Cameras

GoPro HD Hero review and helmet cam face-off originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tags: Digital Cameras

ITG’s xpPhone gets options for larger screen and Windows 7, loses sense of identity

gadgets.ph — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:48:00 +0000

It makes sense to release your mostly-theoretical (so far, anyway) desktop OS-based slider handset with the world’s newest and best version of Windows, but it when your slider handset is dubbed “xpPhone” things become a bit more muddled. But that’s the word from Pocketables, who’s been in touch with ITG and learned that the MID / phone will not only ship with a Windows 7 option, but also be available in 4.3-inch, 4.8-inch and 7-inch screen sizes. There’s also rumors of price ranging from $500 to $700, but what we’d really like at this point is a bit of a demo of this thing in action — especially now that there’s a similar ViewSonic-branded device breathing down its neck.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

ITG’s xpPhone gets options for larger screen and Windows 7, loses sense of identity originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tags: Cellphones

Netflix hitting internet-capable Sony BRAVIA sets today

gadgets.ph — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:52:00 +0000

Good news for folks who against all odds don’t have a home theater Netflix streaming option yet, and yet inexplicably own an internet-connected Sony BRAVIA TV: Netflix just went live. It just takes applying the latest software update and you’re in business. BRAVIA owners were promised the update back in July, and let us be the first to point and laugh insensitively at PS3 owners who have use a “DVD” to get Netflix working on their Cell-powered supermachines.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Netflix hitting internet-capable Sony BRAVIA sets today originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

BBC redoubles its Wii efforts with dedicated iPlayer channel

Donald Melanson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:17:00 +0000

The BBC’s iPlayer streaming video / radio service has been available on the Wii in the form of a browser-based app for some time now, but it looks like it’s now set to step up its game considerably with a full-fledged iPlayer Wii channel. Launching in the UK on November 18th, the new channel boasts a streamlined, Wii-friendly interface that was apparently the result of extensive testing, and includes a number of other smaller design touches, like some nifty background animations during radio programs, and some use of the Wiimote’s rumble feature for added feedback. Best of all, the whole thing’s completely free — now, about that UK-only part…

[Via BBC News, thanks Lenny]

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

BBC redoubles its Wii efforts with dedicated iPlayer channel originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading HP dm3t review

HP dm3t review

Nilay Patel — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:31:00 +0000

We’re really into the new influx of inexpensive CULV-based laptops that’s arrived with Windows 7, and just like the ASUS UL80Vt, we knew we had to check out the starts-at-$599 HP dm3t the second we saw the first leak. In many ways, it’s the perfect throw-it-in-a-bag-and-go portable on paper, with a sleek and rigid case design, a 1.3GHz Intel SU7300 Core 2 Duo processor, and a 13.3-inch screen, but there’s a big difference between loving a machine’s spec sheets and reviews and loving it in real life, so we spent a couple days playing with a spec’d-up $819 model — read on for our impressions.

Gallery: HP dm3t unboxing and hands-on

Filed under: Laptops

HP dm3t review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading ION Cube case mod wins NVIDIA design contest

Tags: Computers, Notebooks and Peripherals

ION Cube case mod wins NVIDIA design contest

Donald Melanson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:24:00 +0000

We haven’t seen a ton of ION-based case mods just yet, but it looks like NVIDIA itself has kick started the scene in a pretty big way with a case mod design contest, and it’s now crowned a winner. Built by Bill Owen of Mnpctech.com, the so-called ION Cube draws on a few fairly obvious influences, and makes use of a combination of CNC milled sheets of aluminum and laser cut pieces of acrylic which, combined with the rest of the build, apparently took over a hundred hours to complete. On the inside, and one of the impetuses for the contest, is the ZOTAC ION ITX 330 motherboard, which is intended for small, low-power systems just like this (and less flashy ones, too). Head on past the break a video, and hit up the link below for a look at the build.

Filed under: Desktops

ION Cube case mod wins NVIDIA design contest originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chumby One review

Tags: Computers, Notebooks and Peripherals

Chumby One review

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Let’s be honest: it’s really hard to dislike Chumby. In fact, you feel almost compelled to root for any company bold enough to put out a product as unapologetically wacky as the original Chumby, a device that somehow managed to marry a soft, cuddly vinyl sphere with WiFi and a touchscreen. It didn’t make a lot of sense, and as far as we can tell, the company didn’t really intend it to — they basically threw it out there and said, “hey, so we’ve got this… uh, thing… now let’s see what you can do with it.” It was an open platform, Chumby encouraged hackers to dig in and understand the guts, and over time, a small-but-vibrant community of users and developers emerged with several hundred widgets capable of doing everything from showing the time to cracking a few Chuck Norris jokes.

A quirky, overpriced alarm clock without broad market appeal can only take you so far, though — someone’s eventually got to pay the bills. Enter the $100 Chumby One, Chumby’s first attempt to grow up and produce an affordable device that loses a little bit of the Chumby Classic’s insanity while carefully staying true to the company’s roots. Will this be Chumby’s ticket out of the geek niche and into mainstream living rooms and offices?

Gallery: Chumby One hands-on

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Chumby One review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Palm Treo 650 boots into Android, lives a fulfilling life (video)

Tags: Miscellaneous Gadgets

Palm Treo 650 boots into Android, lives a fulfilling life (video)

Darren Murph — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:44:00 +0000

It may be half a decade old, but don’t lie — you still whip your Treo 650 out from time to time, toss on some jean shorts and pretend that the size of your stub is synonymous with the big times. If we just rung your bell, you owe it to yourself to have a peek at the video past the break. There are no step-by-step instructions to accompany it (they’re out there, trust us), but man, you can just see the life seeping back into it as the code scrolls down and Android grows seconds closer to booting. It’s glorious, really.

[Thanks, Andrew]

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Palm Treo 650 boots into Android, lives a fulfilling life (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tags: Cellphones

Sony’s VAIO Bluetooth Laser Mouse pictured in the wild, almost as ugly as last week’s OpenOfficeMouse

Tim Stevens — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:57:00 +0000

While it may not sport the same egregious number of buttons and blue and white aesthetics as last week’s affront to ergonomics, Sony’s VGP-BMS80 VAIO Bluetooth Laser Mouse certainly doesn’t offer much better looks. It does, however, allow for wireless control of either a PC or a PS3 and, with an optical sensor on top, can be used in the air like a trackpad or on a flat surface like a mouse — a place where that “bar of soap” design will surely not do your carpal tunnels any favors. It’s available now at various internet destinations and, if you’re still interested, about $80 will get you into this party.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wireless

Sony’s VAIO Bluetooth Laser Mouse pictured in the wild, almost as ugly as last week’s OpenOfficeMouse originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Switched On: Next steps toward the IP tuner

Tags: Miscellaneous Gadgets

Switched On: Next steps toward the IP tuner

gadgets.ph — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:30:00 +0000

Switched On: The next step toward the IP tuner

Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Five years ago, the first Switched On talked about the growing coziness between the iPod photo and video. Today, of course, the iPod and many other portable media players have embraced digitally-distributed video, yet the TV itself remains on the cusp of IP content distribution. But TV manufacturers that still shudder when they think of the WebTV experience of 1996 need to get their heads out of their modem ports. For the sake of video choice, it’s time to support the broadband web of 2009 on TVs.

As we inch closer to the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in January, we come upon the first anniversary of the wedding between television sets and the internet. While there were internet-enabled televisions before last year from HP and others, the online-enabled sets from Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and Vizio marked the real embrace of IP. And it wasn’t just about the hardware — the software included Yahoo’s widget architecture and Netflix streaming movies.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Switched On: Next steps toward the IP tuner originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Leaked PS3 XMB images hint at Facebook integration, new image layout

Ross Miller — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:42:00 +0000

Although we were too late to verify for ourselves, both Joystiq and Scrawl swear up and down that the above three images, each of whom unfortunately lack a higher-res version, all hail from the official Sony Computer Entertainment Europe website, and each showing a feature of the PlayStation 3’s XMB we haven’t seen before: some form of Facebook integration, the ability to change gamercard colors, and a new method of photo organization / perusal. None of these would be too surprising or earth-shattering, really, and the juiciest question of them all — exactly when we might see these additions — is still a mystery. Just in case the pics come back up, their respective URLs are just below.

[Via Joystiq and Scrawl]

Read - Image one
Read - Image two
Read - Image three

Filed under: Gaming

Leaked PS3 XMB images hint at Facebook integration, new image layout originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tags: Gaming

Parrot debuts Android-based Grande Specchio photo frame

Donald Melanson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:08:00 +0000

We’ve heard promises of an Android-based photo frame as far back as May of this year, but it looks like the folks at Parrot are now finally set to deliver with their new Grande Specchio designer frame. As you might be able to surmise from words like “grande” and “designer,” however, this one doesn’t come cheap (a hefty $650), but you do of course get quite a bit for all that extra cash. That includes a large 10.4-inch touchscreen that doubles as a mirror (on purpose), WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port and SD card slot for expansion and, of course, Android hiding under Parrot’s custom interface. Unfortunately, it’s not clear if you can actually use the frame as full-blown Android device, but you do at least have easy access to a web browser, and Parrot is even promising to develop some apps specifically for the frame — though it curiously says they’ll likely be limited since there is “no easy way to get them installed on the hardware.” Look for more details when Parrot officially launches this one on November 17th.

Filed under: Displays, Household

Parrot debuts Android-based Grande Specchio photo frame originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tags: Household Appliances

Big Shot camera kit could help turn your kid on to the dark world of the teardown

gadgets.ph — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:36:00 +0000

Pardon us while we freely admit that we have literally no idea what’s going on inside a camera — whether it’s digital or those quaint film-based ones you hear about from your grandma. Luckily, our own kids might not have to suffer as we have: a group at the Computer Vision Laboratory at Columbia University have designed and built a prototype digital camera that should demystify the devices. The Big Shot digital camera kit, if / when it hits the market, will be a box of all the necessary parts for kids to be able to build their own simple, candy-colored digital camera. While the Big Shot is still in prototype testing phase, we really hope this gadget (and more like it) makes it to the market sometime soon.

[Via Make]

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Big Shot camera kit could help turn your kid on to the dark world of the teardown originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Withings WiFi Body Scale integrates Twitter, launches in the US

Tags: Digital Cameras

Withings WiFi Body Scale integrates Twitter, launches in the US

gadgets.ph — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:20:00 +0000

You know that friend — we all have one — that bores you with incessant tweets regarding his weight, his caloric intake, number of miles jogged, so on and so forth? Well, don’t let him get a hold on this: finally available in the US, the WiFi Body Scale by Withings has received a bit of an upgrade, with its web app now offering Twitter integration. Not only does this bad boy register your weight, body fat, and BMI, but you can now configure it to send your stats to “the Twitter” either daily, weekly, monthly, or each and every time you weigh — and your followers will start dropping faster than even you could imagine. But don’t take our word for it! As our man Cedric Hutchings (the company’s general manager) states, “adding this social functionality makes the WiFi scale by Withings the first true flagship of the Internet of Objects.” Right. He might have added that the company’s given “fail whale” an entirely new meaning. Yours for $159. PR after the break.

Filed under: Household

Withings WiFi Body Scale integrates Twitter, launches in the US originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Esquire’s Augmented Reality issue goes on sale, and we have video to prove it

Tags: Household Appliances

Esquire’s Augmented Reality issue goes on sale, and we have video to prove it

gadgets.ph — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:19:00 +0000

The Augmented Reality issue of Esquire has hit the newsstands, and our fears have come true: when this magazine comes in contact with your webcam, Robert Downey Jr. is unleashed! Aside from dangerous levels of the Academy Award-winning actor, however, the video (after the break) really highlights how silly the whole affair is: While AR has been implemented to great effect for a number of different applications, delivering video content that could just as easily been delivered without waving a magazine in front of your computer definitely crosses the line into gimmick territory. Still, the magazine’s design team did pull all the stops — so if you’re curious to see what you’d get for your hard-earned dollar, check out that video walkthrough after the break.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Esquire’s Augmented Reality issue goes on sale, and we have video to prove it originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.