Gadgets Connect

The latest post-DVD-war rumor is that Microsoft is set to “dump hd dvd and bring out a Blu ray Xbox 360 by as early as May 2008”, according to smarthouse. The authors say that they have learned this from insiders at Microsoft. The article ends with “Both Intel and Microsoft have been supporters of the HD DVD format that is set to be killed off this week.”

First of all, Intel was supporting both formats. Secondly, Microsoft is a software company so they couldn’t really care less about which format wins. Finally, they were smart enough not to use HD-DVD in the Xbox 360 – a console that will live on for many, many years to come.

(Read the full post about ‘Rumor: Blu-Ray Xbox 360 in May?’…)

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Posted Feb 19th 2008 12:41PM by Joshua TopolskyFiled under: cellphones According to man-about-town, Robert X. Cringely, Samsung is readying not one, but two separate Android-based phones, one of which is due in September, with another model following around Christmas. If you believe what you read (and what his tipster says), these phones will not be labeled Samsung, rather they will be released as Google-branded gPhones. The model released in the Fall will be a “higher-end” model which apparently looks “somewhat like a blackberry Pearl” but with a screen that flips and “a keyboard for texting” (though to be honest, that description makes little sense, as the Pearl has a keyboard). (Read the full post about ‘Samsung-built, Google-branded Android phones due later this year?’…)

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Posted Feb 19th 2008 1:02PM by Ryan BlockFiled under: HDTV, Home Entertainment Just in case you missed the big news earlier this morning, after more than two years on the market, HD DVD finally rolled over. (Read the full post about ‘In case you missed it: peace broke out in the format war, HD DVD is dead’…)

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This die-cast model of the H2Go MH Mach 3.0 from Corgi prides itself in being the “first and only hydrogen-fueled radio controlled car that requires no disposable batteries.” Each kit comes complete with a car, refueling station, a solar panel, and a remote control. Sounds perfect for parents who are sick of purchasing batteries over and over again (rechargeables or otherwise) just to satisfy their kid’s lust for all things remote control. Hopefully the technology from the H2Go will be able to make its way to other grown up devices like iPods and cell phones. (Read the full post about ‘H2G0 Hydrogen-Powered Car’…)

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With Verizon Wireless, Sprint and Helio recently advertising unlimited calling plans AT&T must have felt left out. They have since announced their own unlimited calling plan, which will be available February 22 and cost just $99 per month. The plan will be open to both new and existing users but is going to be available for a limited selection of phones. AT&T’s unlimited plan will cover US based calls with no roaming or long distance charges. The plan will be open to standard phones only, PDA’s, smartphones and the iphone are left out. Overall it seems Helio has the closest offer to unlimited, which includes both calling and data. Of course a calling plan technically is for calling. (Read the full post about ‘AT&T joins the party, adds $99 unlimited calling plan’…)

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[GDC 2008] NVIDIA shocked a lot of people (especially the competition) when the company showed the APX 2500 for the first time at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The tiny chip contains a GPU, a video processor (VP) and a CPU. There is a reason why the APX 2500 contains all these components: it allows NVIDIA to control the entire flow of data between the GPU, Video Processor and CPU. Earlier handheld GPUs were sometimes paired with a slow CPU, a slow bus or worse: both. (Read the full post about ‘NVIDIA APX 2500 Mobile Platform SDK Shipping in Weeks’…)

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The ipod Shuffle price drop wasn’t the only Apple news today. The company also announced a new 2GB version of the tiny clip-on, and it will be $10 less than its predecessor, at $70. The 1GB, as reported, will remain on sale at the new price of $50.The new model is otherwise unchanged: same size, same color line-up and same no screen. It should be in stores “later this month”.Press release [Apple] Tags: wireless, gadgets, cameras, buyers guides (Read the full post about ‘Apple Announces 2GB iPod Shuffle’…)

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Posted Feb 19th 2008 2:46AM by Ryan BlockFiled under: Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment Engadget Japan is live at Toshiba’s HD DVD press conference in Tokyo right now. It’s nearing 5PM, when the bell is expected to toll for HD DVD, and we can all move on with our new lives as Blu-ray (or download) buying consumers. It won’t be in the usual second-by-second coverage, but we’ll do our best to have live updates as they come in, so check back to this post.IT’S OVER! The release just hit the wires even before Toshiba started talking. “Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of hd dvd Businesses.” 5:00PM - Right on time, Toshiba’s president, Nishida-san, takes the podium. He is talking about how great and advanced HD DVD was. (Read the full post about ‘Live from Toshiba’s HD DVD press conference in Tokyo’…)

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Posted Feb 19th 2008 4:03AM by Ryan BlockFiled under: HDTV, Home EntertainmentAt all curious to find out just how rare that hd dvd player of yours really is? Well, we hate to tell you, but it’s probably not rare enough to fetch anything special on eBay in a couple of years — but still every bit rare (read: discontinued) enough to justify taking up space in your home theater. The numbers, according to Nishida-san, at this morning’s press conference: Xbox 360 drives (worldwide) - 300k US - 600k units Europe - 100k units Japan - 30,000 units Add it all up, and that’s about a million customers that got boned on HD DVD. (Read the full post about ‘HD DVD casualty report: over 1m players, recorders, and drives lost to the format war’…)

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If you grew up on a diet of 80s TV, then you would definitely have seen a much slimmer David “The Hoff” and his super ride - K.I.T.T. (”Knight Industries Two Thousand”). While you can’t afford the real thing, there is always a remote controlled version to keep the inner child in you happy. The classic turbo booster button is capable of belting out sound effects while quoting the famous line, “I am K.I.T.T., whom you may regard as the voice of the Knight 2000.” This is an officially licensed, mini version of a replica that retails for $50. Tags: equipment, gprs, wi-fi, M4A (Read the full post about ‘K.I.T.T. Is Now Remote Controlled’…)

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