Gadgets Control

Posted Jan 24th 2008 2:08PM by Ryan BlockFiled under: Laptops, Wireless Ouch, we just tested and confirmed that one of the smallest (and thus likeliest to fit) USB EV-DO modems around, the Sprint / Novatel U727, won’t even come close to fitting in the cramped, foldaway USB port on the MacBook Air. (Read the full post about ‘Adding insult to injury: USB 3G modems won’t fit in the MacBook Air’…)

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Fuji has its own contribution to the pre-PMA pileup of camera announcements, with at least a half-dozen new point-and-shoots. Most are pretty standard stuff, but the FinePix S100FS takes an interesting approach to the not-quite-ready-for-an-SLR end of the market. We’re talking 14.3z zoom, 11 megapixels and low-resolution light sensitivity up to ISO 10,000. You also get film simulation modes (mmm, Velvia!), extended dynamic range settings, RAW mode and a swivel LCD screen. It arrives next month priced at $800, putting it smack up against the low end of the SLR market. For those of more modest means, Fuji also has a slew of new mid-range cameras, including the 12-megapixel F100fd (March, $380) and the 18x zoom, AA battery-powered (?!?) S8100fd (March, $400). (Read the full post about ‘Fuji Adds to Camera Scrum’…)

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We love Helio phones, they’re fun, cutting edge, beautifully designed, and have quirky Helio extras. Helio strives to be a fun brand with a lot of appeal to a younger audience - you can almost feel a little bit of a Mac-like cult in an non-Mac product. As long as you can appreciate creative acronyms like WHERE and H.O.T., you’ll be able to digest this overview of Helio’s new slider Mysto. Now, beyond the 2.22’ large reflective screen, electrostatic hot keys and a sleek sapphire blue color there are a number of features that we’ve tried t decode for you: GPS on steroids - Never be lost again with GPS-enabled Google Maps, Buddy Beacon helps your friends locate you (if you provide permission) and vice versa, Tellme, a local GPS-based search application with voice recognition, and turn-by-turn voice navigation Garmin Mobile (available). (Read the full post about ‘Meet Mysto, Helio’s new slider cell phone: First look’…)

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Artist Gamper Martino must have been planning a hell of a party to need the 100 chairs that he designed in 100 days. Not all of them have ass-comfort in mind, but they do look amazing. The aesthetic range—smooth and modern to woodsy and retro (sometimes both in weird, wonderful ways)—is why the project is so impressive, especially given the potential monotony of the everyday. The gallery’s just a few samples, and only a slice of what’s in the book. Check it out. (Read the full post about ‘100 Fantastical Chairs Designed in Just 100 Days [Arty]’…)

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The Japanese Science Portal has specced out and priced a giant mecha robot, the Gundam. It takes a certain mind to apply a mundane spreadsheet to something as out-and-out awesome as an 18 meter tall robot, but amongst the numbers are some great dream components. The brain, for instance, would be IBM’s Blue Gene supercomputer (¥171 million or $1.6 million); 30 400KW motors would supply the movement (total cost $7.8 million), and the seven Apache helicopter engines needed to power them would be another $52 million each. Pink Tentacle provides a better translation that Google’s machine ever could, and the table from the site appears below. One thing is missing, though. (Read the full post about ‘Real Life Gundam Would Cost $725 Million’…)

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Posted Jan 24th 2008 12:01PM by Paul MillerFiled under: Gaming While a few companies have posted some hefty earnings this year, it’s hard not to be impressed with the sort explosive growth Nintendo — a 100 or so year old company — has seen in 2007. Profit for the nine months leading up to December 31st was $2.45 billion, up 96.3 percent from the same timespan in fiscal 2006. Naturally a huge chunk of that is the 20 million Wii consoles sold, 14.29 million of those in the last three quarters, and the related software title, but it’s pretty clear that the DS continues to shine, with 24.5 million sold in the last nine months, and most likely a higher per-unit profit. (Read the full post about ‘Nintendo’s 2007 profits almost double fiscal 2006′…)

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YouTube has announced plans to roll out its full service to many more cellphones. YouTube Mobile will initially be available in 17 countries, and will run on phones from Nokia, LG, Motorola and Sony Ericsson. In possibly the biggest understatement so far this year, YouTube Mobile boss Dwipal Desia told Reuters: “We expect it to get fairly popular from our past experiences.” The service, currently only on iPhone and Helio handsets, will not be coming to Verizon, however. The current, hobbled YouTube will still be available, but Desai says that most of Verizon’s handsets aren’t up to the job of the full-fledged mobile experience. The best part, though, is yet to come. (Read the full post about ‘YouTube Goes Fully Mobile: Sorry, Verizon Customers’…)

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Starting right now, the price of the standard Vudu setup is $300, down from $400, but still a tad higher than we’d like to pay for the convenient no-subscription pay-per-view VOD box. What? You bought one during the past month and are kicking yourself? That’s okay—check in with Vudu customer service, and you’ll get $100 in credit towards movie rentals or purchases. The first two Bourne movies will be free (in HD) on any box you buy, and there are now other free movies too, mostly dusty old flicks from bygone days, but still. TV shows are also popping on the Vudu service, and some will start at just 50 cents. Still, is it worth $300? Perhaps we’ll have to square it off against the new Apple TV to find out. (Read the full post about ‘Vudu Box Price Drops $100, Still Gonna Cost You $300 [Dealzmodo]’…)

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Looks like Canon’s PowerShot family has just grown even further with the introduction of the optically image stabilized 8.0 megapixel PowerShot A590 IS; the 8.0 megapixel PowerShot A580, and the creatively color-keyed 7.1 megapixel PowerShot A470 digital cameras. Check out specifications of the individual models after the jump. Tags: mobile devices, gps, sat-nav, ipod (Read the full post about ‘Canon has PowerShot Trio Out’…)

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Why settle for the sheer elegance of your Wii-mote controller when you can crap it up with a bunch of extraneous add-ons? Now you can grab virtually every accessory you could ever want (or not) for your Wii in one single box. This 18-in-1 Wii Sports accessory kit comes with a pair of tennis rackets, a steering wheel, pool cue, golf club, baseball bat, a joypad holster and myriad other add-ons for your console. The package also includes silicon covers for your controllers, a stand for your console and even a cooling fan. You can grab the entire set of accessories for about $45 from DealExtreme. Personally, I’ll just leave mine the way it came from Nintendo. (Read the full post about ‘every wii accessory you’ll ever need’…)

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