Gadgets Connect

If the Sanyo Xacti CG9 was just not right for you, check out the Vivitar DVR565HD—the company’s first camcorder to venture into the HD realm. Rocking a rather slim and compact form factor, the DVR565HD uses SD cards as its recording medium, capable of recording video in H.264/MPEG-4 in full 720p glory at 30 fps. Interestingly, the camera can “upscale” the video playback to 1080i if connected to a TV via an HDMI cable. Little else is known, but the camcorder will feature a 3-inch flip-out LCD display, digital still functionality, and a maximum SD card capacity of 4GB. (Read the full post about ‘Vivitar’s DVR565HD does 720p video recording’…)

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Rumors are around that Microsoft will be releasing their latest update to Windows Mobile on April 1, 2008, which is also know as April Fools Day, so this may or may not be a lead-in to a huge disappointment. While the version 6.1 release is not a full new version, it is said to offer a lot of usability improvements over the current version 6.0. Microsoft’s rumored Windows Mobile version 6.1 is expected to feature an improved web browser, copy and paste from IE, a Vista-like user interface, new fonts, a better task manager, Wi-Fi indicator and an some improvements to ActiveSync that will allow it to be auto-configured. (Read the full post about ‘Windows Mobile 6.1 rumored to drop on April 1′…)

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Convergence devices are great and all, but how many of them are actually useful? Methinks the One Battery Emergency Mobile Charger Torch tries too hard, as it seems to place the humble AA battery on a sky high pedestal. Sure, you can slot in an AA battery inside, which the manufacturer claims is enough to power your cell phone battery for an additional hour to two of talktime - perfect for those emergency moments. Each $21.50 purchase will come with five tips for Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson handsets among others. If you don’t have any dead batteries to charge, you can always use it to annoy your friends with the built-in torchlight function. (Read the full post about ‘One Battery Emergency Mobile Charger Torch’…)

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With spring in full swing, who wouldn’t want to enjoy a little TV watching in their patios? With Pantel’s latest pair of weatherproof HDTVs, you can confidently mount them outside and not worry about the spring rain destroying your shiny new TV. In fact, you don’t need to mind the weather at all, as these new panels can withstand just about anything Mother Nature decides to throw at them. The 32-inch PAN320 and 42-inch PAN420 can withstand temperatures of -40 to 140 degrees fahrenheit. Pantel has equipped both TVs with a dual-flow ventilation and built-in heating system to keep them nice ‘n cool in the summer and warm ‘n toasty in the winter. (Read the full post about ‘Pantel ships “weatherproof” HDTVs: the PAN320, PAN420′…)

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Dell’s new Inspiron 1525 laptop combines a Blu-ray combo drive with affordability at an asking price of $879. The 1.82GHz Core 2 Duo processor is plenty powerful enough, and features a 15.4-inch display with a 720p resolution and HDMI out. It also comes standard with 1GB of RAM and a 80GB hard drive. With such a low asking price, some features have to be sacrificed, for example if you want to bump the Blu-ray player up to a burner, be prepared to fork out another $200. All things considered, its a very good price for a Blu-ray capable laptop. Read [Business Wire] Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed → Tags: gps, cool gear, mobile phone, hdtv (Read the full post about ‘Dell Inspiron 1525 to feature Blu-ray for only $879′…)

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Finally! Dell customers can now get a Blu-ray laptop for under a $1,000. Available today we can pick up the Inspiron 1525 with optional Blu-ray disc playback starting at $879. As retailers and video rental companies expand their high-definition offerings, Blu-ray is the new “must-have” technology to help get the most out of your viewing experience. The Inspiron 1525 laptop features a 15.4-inch high definition wide aspect display with 720p resolution. It also includes an HDMI port for easy connectivity to high resolution displays and HDTVs. The Blu-ray player disc drive is fully backwards compatible, and will play as well as burn traditional DVDs and CDs. (Read the full post about ‘Affordable Blu-ray Laptop’…)

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Is this ever a funky piece of transportation - the Motorized Monocycle from Hammacher. Drawing upon a robust history of development that began with an original design conceived in Marseilles, France in 1869, this is the motorized monocycle made in the Netherlands that propels a single rider up to 25 MPH. Powered by a 31cc, four-stroke 1 1/2-hp engine, the wheel operates by using a centrifugal clutch on its inner steel frame to engage the larger 67″ diam. outer flywheel that actually makes contact with the ground with a rubber tire. The ingenious device is steered by leaning to one side or the other, and it can safely negotiate any dense surface such as pavement or grass. (Read the full post about ‘Motorized Monocycle’…)

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Posted Mar 29th 2008 5:42AM by Nilay PatelFiled under: Gaming No matter how we might try and stop it, Nyko’s wireless Wii nunchuk adapter / abomination ceaselessly advances upon the unsuspecting American consumer, stopping at nothing to ruin the delicate aesthetics of the Wii controllers and pump us full of even more unnecessary RF. The adapter and its receiver have just hit the FCC, and our nation’s government has managed to use every ounce of photographic skill at its disposal to render these mutant hunks of plastic in as flattering a light as possible — just look at that stained blue backdrop. Seriously, is anyone going to drop $20 on this thing? Isn’t that money better spent on games? (Read the full post about ‘Nyko’s wireless Wii nunchuk adapter hits the FCC, itself with the ugly stick’…)

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Microsoft will soon be releasing Service Pack 3 for Windows XP. How soon is soon? Reports have it coming as early as April and will be released in two groups. Service Pack 3 (SP3) will come first for those users with the Simplified English, Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, and Korean versions with any remaining versions to follow about 3-weeks later. Microsoft has also confirmed that SP3 for Windows XP Media Center and Windows XP Tablet Edition will not be available as an integrated version, meaning those users will only be available to update to SP3 using Windows Update. Its also safe to say that this will be that last major update Microsoft will push out before they stop selling XP this June. (Read the full post about ‘Microsoft to release Windows XP SP3 this April’…)

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USB devices are dime a dozen these days, and it can get pretty tricky trying to get all of them hooked up to your computer or notebook which has extremely limited USB ports. If you happen to want a USB port of sorts, why not consider the USB Star Hub II? Here’s the product description, in completely broken English (I’ve left it unedited to contribute to the quirkiness of the entire device). USB Star Hub II allows you to connect 4 different USB devices at the same time. Each port can turn 180° that make you more convenience to use and the colourful design can help to decorate your desk. The USB Star Hub II retails for $12 a pop. Tags: computers, TV, AAC, digital (Read the full post about ‘USB Star Hub II’…)

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