2006 November - SlashGear

Archive for November, 2006

Optimus 103 to cost $1,200 – geeks squeal WTF?!

Chris Davies, Nov 29th 2006 Discuss [4]

Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear. Do I hear the noise of thousands of geek wallets snapping shut? Yes, friends and twinkly loved-ones, Optimus have announced (ahead of schedule, mind) pre-order prices for their 103 screen-key keyboard. After the news that the keys will not, at least at first, be colour, now comes the jaw-dropping revelation that it'll cost $1,200 come December 12th. The pre-ordered keyboards, limited in number to 103, will be delivered May 2007; they then hope to have a second pre-order phase at the $1000 mark, for delivery in September 2007. Considering this was introduced as coming in at "similar to the price of a high-end cellphone", this is a disappointment. Is anybody considering putting in an order? And just what "greater price" will the colour screen keyboard command? More! More! [Optimus Project Blog]

Unusual Notebooks on Dynamism Pre-Order

Chris Davies, Nov 29th 2006 Discuss [0]

Import Gods Dynamism have put up their pre-order page for the headline-making Kohjinsha SA1 - the ultra-portable convertible tablet PC which packs an AMD Geode LX800 processor, 512mb of RAM, a choice of 40gb or 80gb hard-drives, WiFi, Bluetooth, a full QWERTY keyboard and 7-inch screen into an 8.6×6.4×1.0 inch, 960g chassis. Available in early December, the two models are priced at $999 for the 40gb and $1,249 for the 80gb (is it just me or is that a bloody big jump?). An upgrade to 1gb of RAM is $199. While I was there, I noticed the Flybook VM - a curious looking notebook with a telescopic neck that raises the 12.1-inch widescreen up to eye-level. Available for pre-order now, with delivery expected in December, the VM range starts at $2,899 for a 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo powered machine with 30GB HD, 1GB RAM and DVD-CD-R running WinXP Pro. It's available in silver, red, black and yellow. More photos of both after the cut. Read The Full Story

Best Buy the Warranty: Camcorder is in fact Classico Sauce

Chris Davies, Nov 29th 2006 Discuss [0]

Picture the scene: you get home from Best Buy with your $1,600 Sony Digital Camcorder, excitedly open the box... and discover a jar of Classico pasta sauce, an outlet cover and a telephone cord. No, these aren't odd accessories that Sony is bundling with its products, it's a curious mix-up that occurred in Perryville, St. Louis. Melissa Rittenberg and her husband found that the camcorder and its key accessories had been replaced with the odd items, each put carefully into the most size-appropriate slot in the packaging. When they contacted Best Buy, however, the shop refused either a refund or a swap; it was only after the Associated Press became involved that Sony agreed to send a replacement camera. It's unknown as to whether Best Buy refused the exchange due to company policy or a possible allergy to the sauce. MSNBC [via Life On The Wicked Stage: Act 2]

Double Dragon Coming to XBLA

Benjamin Nied, Nov 29th 2006 Discuss [0]

If you're an old-school gamer, chances are that you spent many a quarter (and many NES hours) playing Double Dragon, kicking ass and taking names to save your girlfriend Marian from the Black Warriors. While the plotline might not have stood the test of time well, the game itself defined the beat-'em-up genre of gaming for years and gave many gamers (myself included) their first experience with a multiplayer fighting game. The classic is now coming to Microsoft's Xbox Live! Arcade, meaning that all you Xbox 360 owners can once again take to the mean streets of New York and do battle. Read The Full Story

Cowon A2 PMP gets unboxed

Chris Davies, Nov 29th 2006 Discuss [0]

Leaving presents for departing colleagues are tricky things to judge. First there's the harrowing task of going round the office looking for donations - you're bound to resurrect a few "he stole my favourite mug!"-style gripes - and then you have to decide what to buy. If you're a woman, it's a pretty good chance that you'll either get toiletries (you are legally obligated by the terms of your contract to make the "are you trying to say that I smell?" joke) or some dubious jewellery; if you're a man, then you might get the biography of whichever sportsperson has recently retired, or worse-still some sort of bargain gadget from the supermarket. "Thanks, I've always wanted a pedometer-cum-alcohol-units-calculator." So it's fair to say that Doug over at Gear Diary struck lucky when finishing a contract recently - they gave him hard cash! Being a shameless geek, Doug took that cash and, rather than donating it to sick ponies, bought himself a shiny new Cowon A2 PMP. To assuage his guilt he's decided to share the unboxing ceremony with us. Thanks Doug! Read The Full Story

Tough Pelican Case is your Notebook’s Bodyguard

Chris Davies, Nov 29th 2006 Discuss [0]

When Vincent tested the OtterBox Rugged Laptop Case back in August, he ran it over with his Toyota 4Runner just to make sure it was up to the honoured task of protecting his MacBook. I wonder if Pelican will let him do the same with their 1495 Laptop Case, which they're claiming is water proof, crush proof, dust and chemical resistant. Securing with a combination lock, as well as sporting stainless-steel-clad padlock hoops if you're extra anal about safety, it will take up to a 17-inch notebook and a whole bunch of cables, media and the other gumph we insist on carrying around with us. What do you think, guys, fancy sending SlashGear a 1495 and letting Vincent test it out in his own indomitable way? The Pelican 1495 range starts at $119.46 and is available from Shipping Cases Now. Press Release [via Laptoping]

Bose Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphone: QC3

Lynnsie Nguyen, Nov 29th 2006 Discuss [3]

Walking down the street and having hard time hearing music from your mp3 player because the noise was too loud? Or, thinking that on-ear head phones aren’t any good! This Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphone from Bose might change your mind. People who have experienced “Bose” would know the quality of the brand. No headphones will eliminate noise completely, but with QC3 headphones, you can feel the difference. QC3 is a headphone with QuietComfort and Acoustic Noise Cancelling technology providing you a rich-clear audio detail that you might have never experienced before. The QC3 is a compact, lightweight, and easy fit for hours of comfortable listening. The headphone is powered with battery. The kit comes with wall-socket charger and rechargeable battery with approximately 20 hours of run time. Purchase the QC3 for $349 and receive a free 256MB MP3 player valued at $50 before January 31, 2007. QuietComfirt 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones [via Bose]

Belkin’s Skype Phone – silly name, okay performance

Chris Davies, Nov 29th 2006 Discuss [0]

Many analysts and clever people have said that if VOIP is to take off in any reasonable form with the "common man" then it must be easy to use and easy to ask for. Perhaps the latter is most important; after all, if you don't know what you want then it's tough to get it. Try going into a Best Buy/PC World/any mainstream tech store and say "I want to speak down a tiny wire into an internets please and thank you" and see how long it takes them to escort you off the premises. I've tried it, and in less than three minutes they had me face down on the cold tar-macadam of the carpack. So while Belkin gets kudos for its WiFi Skype phone, sleekly black and uber-easy to set up, it loses at least eighty-percent of that freshly-awarded kudos for calling the handset the F1PP000GN-SK. The fulsome fun-bunnies at Buzz Me Baby! are obviously kinder and more forgiving than I am, because despite the name they've proclaimed the Belkin phone a hit, citing its excellent voice quality when on PC-to-PC calls and the range of wireless options (802.11b and g, supports WEP, WPA and WPA2). The only negative (which struck me as potentially a bloody big one) is a tendency to drop SkypeOut calls to mobiles and a general echoing sound quality when making calls to land-lines. Check out their full review for the rest of the details. Buzz Me Baby! [via I4U News]

Split Camera separates you from your bottom

Chris Davies, Nov 29th 2006 Discuss [0]

It's a common situation - Time magazine are doing a piece on you and your outstanding work teaching Afghan orphans how to fold napkins into ornate swans, but you're convinced that your chubby legs will make you look ridiculous on the front cover. Yes, you could crash diet over the next 48 hours, but all that's going to do is give you cheekbones sharper than Cher's; what you need is this Split Camera. About as basic as a stainless-steel teaspoon, it uses film and lacks even the nicety of a flash, but all that is made up for when you consider that the top and bottom halves of the photo can be independently exposed. What this means for you, chunky, is that you can replace your own "extra portions please matron" legs with those of a far fitter friend, perhaps a rower or an Olympic runner. Salvation is yours for just $14. See the camera itself after the cut. Read The Full Story

Reviews

SONOS Digital Music System Reviewed

Rue Liu, Nov 29th 2006 Discuss [4]

The Sonos Digital Music System is the must have home audio system for today’s digital music lovers. The system allows for digital music from multiple sources to be wirelessly streamed to multiple zones and controlled from multiple locations to play in synchronization or to each play different music. All this might be expected from a home audio system, but the key here is the super easy wireless setup, the convenient Rhapsody integration, and the clean modest design that fits well in any room. This system makes a mighty contender for your wallet this holiday season, and I got my lucky hands on a set for a test drive.

My experience with it was great and I have to say it in the spirit of the golden arches that I’m lov’n it. I am more the typical mp3 hording, iPod toting individual and not an extreme decked out audiophile, and so I feel unqualified to really judge the sound quality. But to my untrained ears, I found the sound quality to be superb.
Read The Full Story

Casio Super Slim Projector: XJ-S30

Karn Suriyasasin, Nov 29th 2006 Discuss [0]

If you’re looking for a high performance-portable projector, check this out! Casio has introduced XJ-S30, a super slim projector that can fit in the same case as your laptop. It weighs only 3.97 pounds. You can choose any distance to the projection surface and even in bright light from 5.25 to 10.5 feet. With the YP-100, Casio’s pocket-sized presentation tool, you can transfer data directly to the projector and give your presentation anywhere without your laptop.

Purchase a Casio XJ-S30 Super Slim Projector for a price of $1,499 and get $100 rebate offer between November 15, 2006 and December 15, 2006.

High Luminosity Mobile Projector [via superslimprojector]

Spa Lights take over your bathroom

Chris Davies, Nov 29th 2006 Discuss [0]

Some gadgets seem like a great idea on the drawing board, but get derailed by something topical. Dressing children up as tiny pop-stars is a good example of this, and unfortunately these Spa Lights might be the next. Anyone who has seen the TV series Invasion will know that mysterious glowing lights underwater can only mean danger. Looking like milky white, illuminated prophylactics, the Spa Lights can either be left to float or can be stuck to the side of the bath or to tiles by the suction-cup on the base. Four AAA batteries gets you up to 120 hours of light. They're available now, should you be unafraid of water-based alien lifeforms, for £6.95 ($13.46) for a set of two. Read The Full Story