Gadgets Connect

by Paul Miller, posted Sep 5th 2008 at 11:05AMScreen grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today’s movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com. Yeah, we know a Screen Grabs about a commercial about technology is kind of cheating, but there are a couple of gaffes to point out here. First, Mr. Smug Surfer-Do “I Was In A Band But We Split Up Over Creative Differences” Verizon FiOS Guy is a total jerk, so we’re totally rooting for the Zach Galifianakis look-alike, even if his bandwidth might suck. Second, waving a Kindle around might make you look like you rock at your job, but we’re guessing a paper clipboard is about 100 times more functional for the actual task, unless you’re supposed to read self-help books to your customers. (Read the full post about ‘Screen Grabs: jerkface Verizon FiOS guy brandishes a Kindle’…)

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Sometimes the government just don’t make any sense to the average citizen. This is a prime example of the government being against the common people, and this affects everyone in California along with many other states. If you wanted to actually read the public laws that you are bound by, more than likely you’ll have to purchase them at a book store.

Why? Because the “public” laws of California are copyrighted, and lots of money is made by selling the law. You can read laws online for free, if the department in charge has taken the time to put them there, and if they have taken the time to format them to actually be searched for and found.

(Read the full post about ‘We’re sorry, but you can’t download the law, it’s copyrighted’…)

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Things are getting serious in the pirate world these days and this time, it’s not pressure from a government body or media rights association that has the illegal file-sharing public running scared. It’s from one of the (supposed) good guys, a video game company.

A game publisher, Topware Interactive, has convinced a British court to force ISPs in that country to hand over the names of “several thousand” pirates in an effort to find out just who has been giving away their title, Dream Pinball 3D. It seems that the company has been after the names for some time and they’ve forced BT (a British ISP) and possibly Virgin Media to hand the names over.

(Read the full post about ‘British ISPs handing over Bittorrent user info to video game company’…)

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Using lightweight, reusable shopping bags made of recycled materials is pretty standard practice these days, but it’s nice when bags you use all the time have a bit of style too. I like these bags made of recycled newspaper (from the Arts and Leisure section, so they’re colorful too). They’re made to be water resistant and have double straps and velcro closure. At $52 each, they’re not cheap, but if you use the same one for years of trips to the farmer’s market, the grocery store, and the library, then the per use cost could be almost nothing. And each one is unique. Wallets of similar design are $30 each. Both are available at Uncommon Goods. Tags: robots, toys, lcd, tests (Read the full post about ‘Shopping bags from recycled newspaper’…)

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The Shemergency Survival Kit from See Jane Work comes with everything the modern woman needs to get her out of pesky wardrobe malfunctions, deal with dental pain, and more. This handy kit is stocked with 24 items including; a folding hair brush with mirror, hair spray, clear elastics, earring backs, hand lotion, nail clipper, an emery board, clear nail polish, nail polish remover, a mending kit, a safety pin, double-sided tape, lint remover, shoe shine wipes, stain remover, static remover, breath freshener, lip balm, dental floss, pain reliever, deodorant wipes, a tampon, adhesive bandages, and facial tissues. From Ms. & Mrs, a company owned by a mother and her daughters, buy it at See Jane Work for just $22. (Read the full post about ‘Shemergency Survival Kit from See Jane Work’…)

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by Paul Miller, posted Sep 5th 2008 at 10:46AM $119 for a battery to beef up a $380 computer? No thanks, Acer, but how about we nab ourselves a $400 Aspire One with the 6-cell already onboard? Yeah, we like the sound of that. (Read the full post about ‘Acer Aspire One’s 6-cell is a whole lot cheaper bundled’…)

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Epson has lifted the curtain on three new LCD projectors at the CEDIA expo that support 1080p resolution for all your high definition needs. The three projectors would be the PowerLite Home Cinema 6100, PowerLite Pro Cinema 7100 and Pro Cinema 7500 UB. The flagship Pro Cinema 7500 UB is Epson’s pride and joy, featuring the following :- 75,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio C2Fine software and FineFrame technology 12-bit 3LCD driver 2.35 or 2.4 aspect ratio viewing The remaining two projectors are less capable, although that doesn’t mean they aren’t good enough for the average home. The Pro Cinema 7100 comes with a 18,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 1,800 lumens of brightness and a Day and Night mode. (Read the full post about ‘Epson Has Trio Of LCD Projectors’…)

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Sony has recently announced upgrades to the PSP networking functions to be implemented in an upcoming firmware update. The update will be coming first to Japan in the fall, with no date set for US and European regions yet that I could find. The update will allow the PSP to connect to the PS3 via WiFi networking. This is very good news for PSP owners as it will allow games that only support ad-hoc multiplayer to use the PS3 for multiplayer matchmaking, significantly extending the capabilities of many games in the PSP library. Another feature of the update will be the ability to connect the PSP directly to the playstation Store which will enable the ability to download content directly to the PSP. (Read the full post about ‘Sony expands PSP WiFi functions on all models’…)

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Casio EX Z150 Hey, Casio: Time to call Jenny Craig. Your formerly slim, sexy Exilim cameras have ballooned up like William Shatner. Witness the EX-Z150, a chunky, pocket-sagging model that looks like it has a glandular disorder. Fortunately, like the fat guy on the basketball court who hits every jumper, the Z150 quickly proves its worth. To instantly win the mine’s-better-than-yours contest, show friends the Z150’s gorgeous three-inch LCD. It’s mammoth for a camera with a sub-$200 price tag, and bright enough to see in direct sunlight. You can also fire off a group shot without having to take the customary 20 steps back to fit everybody in: The Z150’s wide-angle lens (28mm) offers a dramatically broader field of view than most pocket cams. (Read the full post about ‘Review: Budget Casio Camera Fat Like Shatner, Talented Like Shatner’…)

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by Tim Stevens, posted Sep 5th 2008 at 10:27AM Living room arenas around the world will soon become even more cluttered with toy instruments thanks to Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour. Axes for the two respective franchises haven’t gotten along on the Wii, and while we’re still not sure whether the next generation will cooperate ezGear is hoping to bring some peace (and eliminate some clutter) for current Nintendo rockers with its ezJam Combo Guitar. Inside its baby-blue Strat-esque styling there’s port to plug in your Wiimote when playing Guitar Hero III as well as an integrated wireless transmitter for Rock Band. At $70 it’s a little more expensive than other third-parties like the Nyko Frontman, but playing le (Read the full post about ‘ezJam Combo Guitar for Wii plays neutral in the battle of the (virtual) bands’…)

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