2008 July - SlashGear

Archive for July, 2008

The On-Demand Age: Killing Broadcast TV?

Brenda Stokes, Jul 31st 2008 Discuss [3]

I don't spend all that much time watching TV anymore. In fact, while I spend more time than ever in front of the computer, I hardly ever sit for hours straight in front of the TV. And I'm okay with that. And though we have a DVR and all of that, I still don't get antsy if we miss a favorite show. No, I'm not sure that I'll catch it in a rerun. I'm positive that I'll catch it online. Read The Full Story

Rokit Generation 2 studio speakers launch

Chris Davies, Jul 31st 2008 Discuss [0]

KRK Systems have updated their best-selling Rokit studio speaker range, with a new curved baffle, redefined voicing and improved accuracy. The Rokit Generation 2 series all feature 1-inch Neodymium soft dome tweeters and glass aramid composite cone woofers, while the rounded front surface is meant to broaden the sound "sweet spot" Read The Full Story

What’s in a Name? Acronyms & Abbreviations under fire

Chris Davies, Jul 31st 2008 Discuss [4]

A comment on our new "He Said, She Said" feature discussing the likelihood of either an Apple Mac Tablet or a Mac UMPC took us to task for our reliance on acronyms and abbreviations. It started me thinking about how naming conventions start, what degree of understanding by others we take for granted, and how we might be in fact promoting misunderstanding by attempting to streamline how we discuss technology.

"What is a UMPC? Please let’s stop using abbreviations all the time, we should be able to speak and write words, properly spelled and not to be primitive and use only one letter from each word which is properly describing an object. Communication is not a quiz, but it is a skill!" Gyula Bognar

Read The Full Story

EFiX demonstrate dongle: Working OS X on generic hardware

Chris Davies, Jul 31st 2008 Discuss [1]

Given the ongoing Psystar legal tousle, you can bet Apple's legal team are keenly watching EFiX's nifty USB dongle that allows you to run OS X on good old generic PC hardware. However EFiX themselves seem to be having more fun demonstrating their setup than worrying about the potential legal ramifications; TeknoJunkie caught up with them this week and while EULA issues weren't on the agenda, the apparently slick way it allows OS X to run without in any way modifying the install certainly was. Read The Full Story

Sony DR-BT140QP Stereo Bluetooth Earphones available now

Chris Davies, Jul 31st 2008 Discuss [0]

Sony Japan have released a new set of stereo Bluetooth headphones intended for use with PMPs, cellphones and notebooks that support the A2DP audio profile. Available in four colors, the DR-BT140QP Bluetooth Stereo Earphones have a 10m range and sufficient battery life for 12hrs playback or 200hrs standby. Read The Full Story

Jeep RT-300 GPS for the brand-loyal and easily lost

Chris Davies, Jul 31st 2008 Discuss [0]

If you like to match your satnav to your vehicle, and you drive a Jeep, you'll be pleased to know that the company has announced a new GPS. Clad in tire-effect rubber, the Jeep GPS Navigator RT-300 has a 3.5-inch touchscreen and can be set to announce street names to avoid you needing to take your eyes off of the road. Read The Full Story

TRENDnet TEW-672GR dual-band WiFi N router

Chris Davies, Jul 31st 2008 Discuss [1]

TRENDnet have begun shipping their 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router, the TEW-672GR. Capable of using either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands, the TEW-672GR also has four gigabit ethernet ports and a "double firewall" using both Network Address Translation (NAT) and Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) protocols. Read The Full Story

Lian Li add eSATA to front I/O bay

Chris Davies, Jul 31st 2008 Discuss [0]

Lian Li have taken the (small) wraps off of a new multimedia I/O bezel for their high-end cases. The BZ-U02 has the usual USB 2.0 ports, Firewire and audio in/out, but also adds eSATA for plugging in high-speed external hard-drives. Read The Full Story

Yahoo! Music offer MP3 download coupons to DRM victims

Chris Davies, Jul 31st 2008 Discuss [1]

Yahoo! Music have announced their compensation plans for downloaders whose DRM-encrypted tracks will be left stranded on current devices once the company's licencing servers go offline. Coupons will be issued allowing users to re-download music in MP3 format from Yahoo!'s new partner, Rhapsody. Describing the amount of users affected by the issue as a "small number", spokesperson Carrie Davis declined to go into detail about exact figures. Read The Full Story

The Geek Factor: When Did it Become Cool?

Brenda Stokes, Jul 31st 2008 Discuss [2]

Something is amiss in the universe. Thousands flocked to ComicCon a few weeks ago. Superhero movies are topping the box office and not just comic book lovers are in attendance. Everyone is calling themselves a "nerd" or a "geek." But they don't wear pocket protectors or horn-rimmed glasses. They may be socially awkward but they're generally accepted. This is strange and I'm not sure if I like it. Being a geek has become cool. And I should feel delighted, right? Being a geek, I spent years being ostracized for my interests, but now I can play WoW in public and no one will say anything when looking over my shoulder except maybe to comment on their level 51 mage and ask what realm I play on. It's bizarre, to say the least! Read The Full Story

Sylvania G Netbook MESO aiming for $299 tag

Chris Davies, Jul 31st 2008 Discuss [2]

Sylvania, who are best known currently for their TVs at Walmart, are planning a new netbook using Intel's Atom processor. The G Netbook MESO will use the 1.6GHz single-core Atom, an 80GB hard-drive, up to 4hrs battery life and an 8.9-inch, 1024 x 600 LCD display with LED backlighting. Four color versions will be available - black, white, yellow and pink - with the black having 512MB of RAM and the others 1GB. Read The Full Story

ASUS confirm dual-core Atom Eee PCs this year, bigger SSD & HDD

Chris Davies, Jul 31st 2008 Discuss [1]

After a leaked ASUS slide confirmed the Eee range would reach 23 different units, company president Jerry Shen has spoken about some of the upcoming models and the segments he expects the Eee PC to occupy. According to Shen, two new categories - Ultimate and Pro Fashion - will launch this year, each with dual-core Atom processors and increased storage. A choice of 120GB HDD or 32GB SSD was suggested. Read The Full Story