Archive for October, 2009
October 26, 2009
Mom always said not to play with your food, but the Elite Marshmallow Blaster could potentially prove to be too much of a temptation as this $55 pump-action single shot device is more than capable of firing standard marshmallows up to 40 feet far – we’re sure it can also handle other foodstuff, but keeping this away from ants once you’re done might be a wee bit tricky.
Permalink: Elite Marshmallow Blaster from Ubergizmo | Hot: Zune HD Review
October 25, 2009
We’ve never truly been at ease with that Geek Squad crowd. Something about “the people” they hang with and “the places” they hang at just worries us, so we’re pretty thrilled to see another mega-corp stepping in to take the place of the now-deceased Circuit City FireDog crew. Starting sometime before the holiday season, Wally World will be partnering with N.E.W. Customer Service Companies in order to offer in-home installation to customers buying anything from a wireless router to a HTIB. The service plans will be sold on prepaid cards ranging from $99 to $399 in value, and each install includes a “preliminary consultation and a tutorial after installation is completed.” Granted, it may be a bit tough to get the dude looking to spend $5 on a new plasma to spring for such a service, but hey, it’s not like competition is a bad thing.
[Via Hot Hardware]
Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Wireless, Networking
Walmart to rival Best Buy’s Geek Squad with own in-home install crew originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Looking for a geotagging solution that doesn’t discriminate based on what kind of camera you have? Looking for one that can fit snugly into your Fifth Pocket? The PhotoTrackr Mini looks to be that very device, boasting a diminutive thumb drive-esque appearance and the same geotagging technology as found in the original. Put simply, the device works by syncing the time of your camera with bundled software; when you’re back from a shoot (a shoot where your device also was), you just allow the application to figure out where a given shot was snapped at what time. There’s also Mac and RAW file format support on this model, neither of which were compatible with the prior version. Pre-orders are being accepted now at $69, and the first shipments are expected to go out next month.
Continue reading PhotoTrackr Mini geotagging device shrinks down, adds Mac and RAW support
Filed under: Digital Cameras, GPS
PhotoTrackr Mini geotagging device shrinks down, adds Mac and RAW support originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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October 25, 2009
Lenovo’s ThinkPad SL510 is just one of many new lappies hitting the market with Windows 7 in tow, but unlike most of the consumer-oriented machines, this pup is aimed squarely at that fellow over there looking mighty uncomfortable in the suit. Their test version, which included a 2.53GHz CPU, 3GB of RAM, a 320GB HDD and a $1,024 price tag, was found to be a real champion in terms of performance. The machine itself starts at just $520, and while the upgrades here definitely had an impact, they were also pleased with the multitouch trackpad, overall typing experience and bundled business tools. The only knocks? The “bulky, staid design” and low screen resolution, but something tells us a few of you won’t see the former as a negative. Hit the read link for the full skinny.
Filed under: Laptops
Lenovo’s all-business ThinkPad SL510 gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nokia’s no stranger to the patent application process here in the United States, and while we’ve certainly seen some strange ones emanating from its R&D labs, this one looks like something that should be implemented on the double. Explained as a “user interface for controlling an electronic device,” the multitouch solution would essentially allow you to pinch, zoom and rotate objects as usual, but it would also employ an array of pressure sensors in order to give your motions a sense of severity. If executed properly, one could theoretically envision the use of a strong push to simulate a double tap (for example), or as a means to activate a secondary function that generally requires another button press or the use of a ‘Function’ key. Hit the read link for all the mumbo jumbo, but be sure to keep your expectations within check. Or not.
[Via UnwiredView]
Filed under: Cellphones
Nokia patent app reveals dreams of pressure-sensitive multitouch interface originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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October 24, 2009
After playing with the Zune HD for some time, here’s the complete review. The first Zune was an interesting device, but it was not sexy and didn’t have any real edge over the iPod, except in two areas: the WIFI sync and more importantly, the Zune Pass: a music rental option that doesn’t exist with Apple.
The Zune HD *is* sexy, slim and solidly built. It is actually smaller than it looks on the product photos and many people are surprised when they see it for the first time (which is good for a music player). It is also very light (2.6oz, versus 4.23oz for the iPod touch). The other day I was looking for it, after forgetting that it was in fact in my pants pocket… However, once you get over the first physical contact, the new user interface and experience is really what matters. So, is the Zune HD hot or not?
Permalink: Zune HD Review from Ubergizmo | Hot: HTC Hero Review
October 24, 2009
DRM is almost public enemy number one on the Internet, and there’s certainly plenty of justification for people’s hatred towards it. Disney might be looking a way to make things a little easier for us, with a new content ownership scheme dubbed “Keychest”. If this turns out the way it’s planned, folks will be able to purchase the movie once, and watch it on any participating device, and you could even play it on more than one device at a time. That certainly sounds a lot nicer than whatever DRM we have around right now, but we’ll have to wait until the actual implementation kicks in before we can comment on such a thing. It looks like we’ll have to be patient and see what happens here.
Permalink: Disney To Offer Buy Once View Anywhere? from Ubergizmo | Hot: HTC Hero Review
October 24, 2009
[Via Appliancist]
Continue reading BeMoved coffee machine will make you jump for your caffeine fix
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
BeMoved coffee machine will make you jump for your caffeine fix originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We just got some wild information from a trusted source about Verizon’s Android strategy, and let’s just say this shakes things up a little bit. Here are the big takeaways:
- Droid is the brand name being applied to Verizon’s Android devices. It isn’t a single phone.
- The Sholes — the phone we’ve been calling the Droid so far — may simply be known as the Droid.
- HTC’s Desire will be coming to market as the “Droid Eris.” (Allow us to save you the Wikipedia lookup — Eris is the Greek goddess of strife.) Interestingly, it’s already up on gdgt as such.
- Droid Eris will be released — not announced, actually released — on November 6. In all likelihood, it will not be announced or shown at Verizon’s October 28 event — that will probably just be for the Sholes.
That’s all we’ve got so far, but it’s a heck of a change in plans, isn’t it? It’s interesting that Verizon will be applying a sub-brand to its Android line — and a pretty solid sign that Big Red’s got a serious commitment to the platform going forward.
Filed under: Cellphones
Verizon’s Droid is a series, not just a phone; Droid Eris coming from HTC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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October 23, 2009
What you see here isn’t going to perform a lobotomy on your automatically the moment you wear it, but it is instead a real time navigation helmet that will inform you of where to turn whenever you reach a junction during your walks. It does so by pulling on your ears gently – sounds like a pretty good idea to help blind folks walk through a city without any assistance from other people as long as their GPS navigation service is up to par.
Permalink: Real time navigation helmet from Ubergizmo | Hot: HTC Hero Review
