Gadgets Control

In addition to the rolling out of the Inspiron Mini 9, Dell has also announced a special deal that will allow users to get their new netbook for just $99. Of course that price comes with a catch, and in this case it requires the purchase of another computer. Customers will have to purchase either the Studio 15, XPS M1530 or XPS M1330 laptop in order to grab the Mini 9 for the highly discounted price. This deal however does not last forever and is valid only from 7am (EST) on September 5 until 7am (EST) on September 9, it is also valid only for US customers. So far Dell has not specified the specific model you will be getting for $99, but its only likely that it will be the lower priced Ubuntu based model that retails for $349, which is still a very nice deal. (Read the full post about ‘Get your Dell Inspiron Mini 9 for as low as $99′…)

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by Thomas Ricker, posted Sep 4th 2008 at 5:25AM Own a Sony VAIO TZ? Well, we hate to be the bearers of bad news but your TZ is likely infected by a possibly dangerous manufacturing boo boo. As such, all VAIO TZ models sold between May 2007 and July 2008 are subject to overheating (unrelated to the Lithium Ion battery, mind you) and eligible for free repair. So far, the announcement only covers Japan, we have yet to see any announcements for the rest of world. However, we do have a reader tip saying that US-based Micro Center stores have pulled all the VAIO TZs from its shelves. We’ll update you with US and European support information just as soon as it’s available.Update: And here we have it, the official statement of voluntary recall for the US. (Read the full post about ‘Sony recalling VAIO TZ models due to overheating risk (Update: now official for US)’…)

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Apple’s multi-touch system definitely revolutionized the world of touch screen displays, but the fruity company has recently filed a patent for a multi-touch system that incorporates both voice and visual data into the control system itself. Apple figured out that there are some actions which will perform better using other senses instead of plain old touch, which will probably be the next logical improvement for the Nintendo DS Lite that already has a microphone, although the use of it in games are rather limited and not exactly essential to date for most titles. It is interesting to note that the proposed technology is supposedly smart enough to intelligently recognize the user’s intentions thanks to cameras. (Read the full post about ‘Apple Multi-Touch Fusion System’…)

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After iPhone users discovered a major security flaw exposing their private data, Wired.com published a how-to on securing the iPhone. But yikes — apparently that’s not enough, as a hacker has stepped up to the plate to demonstrate how to break through iphone’s security measures. In a Webcast to be held Sept. 11, hacker and data-forensics expert Jonathan Zdziarski will show how to bypass the iPhone’s passcode lock using a custom firmware bundle. The webcast is aimed at educating those in law enforcement to perform forensics on iPhones and ipod touches dropped by criminals. (Read the full post about ‘Hacker Will Break iPhone Security on Video’…)

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When Apple released a $1,000 iPhone application that did nothing — and pulled it down shortly after — some questioned whether the company exercised any quality standards for its App Store. A purported application-rejection e-mail suggests Apple has raised the bar. A wannabe iphone application developer forwarded to MacRumors what he claims to be an e-mail from Apple rejecting his "Pull My Finger" app. As you might have guessed, the application features illustrations of a finger — and if you slide upward on the finger it makes a fart sound. In the purported e-mail, Apple’s Victor Wang writes the application was rejected due to "limited utility": Hello Developer, We’ve reviewed your application Pull My Finger. (Read the full post about ‘Rejected: ‘Pull My Finger’ iPhone App’…)

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First of all, the lines between a portable media player with phone capabilities and that of a phone with portable media player functions are extremely blur these days, no thanks to hardware manufacturers that cram in just about any and every function imaginable into a handset, and the LG KC910 is one of them. This quad-band GSM cell phone will feature the following specifications :- 7.2Mbps HSDPA 14mm thin 3″ display at 400 x 240 resolution Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity 8 megapixel autofocus camera GPS navigation Video recording capability TV Out DivX and XviD video support The LG KC910 will be out later this October, but there is no word on pricing just yet. (Read the full post about ‘LG KC910 Blurs The Line’…)

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Ok, so 250 gigabytes of traffic is a pretty high limit, especially compared to some other providers, but why such a cap if they say that the average usage is 2 to 3 GB? Well, it’s their call, but if you’re going to have a limit, you better make sure you give users a way to check their usage.

I can hear it now… somewhere around the end of the month “Sorry honey - I didn’t get your e-mail or pay the bills as we’re over our bandwidth limit for the month.”

Posted in Miscellaneous

Tags: PDA, speaker, robots, hi fi

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In what might be the worst kept secret of all time, Dell has finally made its netbook offering official. The Inspiron Mini 9 comes quite late to the party, but consumers should be able to get their hands on it before Lenovo’s offering and it might interest people who are more comfortable with Dell than some competing brands. What do you need to know about the Mini 9? Foremost is that it comes in two models– Windows XP for $399 and Ubuntu for $349. The starting weight is 2.28 lbs and it has a LED-backlit 1024×600 8.9-inch display. (Read the full post about ‘Dell goes netbook with the Inspiron Mini 9′…)

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Jitrin Jintaprecha’s iFreeze Chair design is based on an Arctic iceberg, featuring hidden lights in the arm rests that will help illuminate your home late into the wee hours of the morning. The light in the arm rests are meant to exude a sense of calmness and “coolness”, as though one were sitting atop an iceberg - minus freezing your butt off, of course. Would love to see LED lighting being used as they’re more environmentally friendly, but that’s assuming the iFreeze actually makes it to production. Tags: home theater, gear, pvr, speaker (Read the full post about ‘iFreeze Chair Design’…)

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Panasonic’s PT-AE3000U 1080p home theater projector which was recently paraded at IFA 2008 will come with a brightness of 1,600 lumens and the ability to interpret new frames to create a smoother videov viewing experience. For example, let’s say you begin with a 60 fps image. The projector will then analyze each frame and the next, automagically creating a new frame in between by anticipating the position of moving objects. This method will then make it possible to obtain 120 fps in theory, reducing inherent motion flaws that are associated with not having enough frames in the first place. Pretty interesting, but it all depends on whether the product lives up to the hype or not. (Read the full post about ‘Panasonic PT-AE3000U 1080p Home Theater Projector’…)

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