Archive for December, 2009
December 26, 2009
Do you have even the slightest clue what you get when you shove a perfectly operational Mac mini, JBL Spot subwoofer and WMF1 coffeemaker into a perfectly defunct iMac DV case? The iMac CS, that’s what. In one of the most bizarre and aspirational mods we’ve seen in quite some time, one Klaus Diebel has managed to combine three devices that wouldn’t typically be shoved within the same enclosure… into the same enclosure. The result is a coffee-making media server that just so happens to boast its own inbuilt sound system, or in other words, exactly what you need to start a street corner java shop.The bad news is that a customized version will set you back at least €300 ($431), but the good news is that you can probably build your own for less. Just make sure you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into before embarking — we’ve got a vague idea that this won’t enhance the lives of many.
Barista-approved mod shoves a coffeemaker, Mac mini and subwoofer into an iMac DV case originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Dec 2009 01:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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More than two years after information about Comcast’s data delaying techniques came to light, a class action lawsuit over the issue has come to a close with a settlement of $16 million and no statement of wrongdoing from the cable giant. That means Comcast continues to tout its newer bandwidth management protocols and those of you that used Ares, BitTorrent, eDonkey, FastTrack or Gnutella betwen April ’06 and December ’08 and/or Lotus Notes on the service anytime in the summer of 2007 can head over to the settlement website to either opt out of the class action or receive a $16 check. So is that enough cash to make up for the time wasted waiting for Naruto fansubs, Gutsy Gibbon images and the like to finish downloading?
$16 million settlement over Comcast’s P2P throttling nets the affected $16 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 21:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 25, 2009
There ain’t much to go on just yet, but one thing’s for certain: MSI will be unveiling a trio of new machines at CES in just a few weeks. Over on the Wind Top side, it’ll be introducing the all-new AP1920 all-in-one PC, which will measure in at 35mm thick and sport an 18.5-inch display, Atom D510 or D410 CPU and a power-sipping attitude. The nettop lovers will be thrilled to know that a new duo of mini PCs will also get unwrapped, as the Wind Box DC500 and DE220 step in with Intel’s newest Pine Trail processors and a whole slew of companion components that we’re still waiting to hear more on. Hey, we told you it was just a tease.
MSI teases Wind Top AP1920, Wind Box DE220 and DC500 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
December 25, 2009
Judging by the comparative explosion of robo vacuum releases this month, you might think 2010 is all set to be the year of the automated floor sanitizer. Augmenting that impression is ASUS, who has now made its heavyweight presence known with the newly announced ECleaner, to be released under the AGAiT brand. This new bot comes with a UV light for disinfection, a fragrance slot, the usual photo sensor to prevent it from falling off a cliff, and naturally a remote control for the hands-on househusband. The biggest attraction though — beyond that killer paintjob — is likely to be the $150 price tag, which significantly undercuts most of what’s out on the market right now. Video of the little spherical hipster lies after the break.
Continue reading ASUS ECleaner is ready to rumble with the Roomba
ASUS ECleaner is ready to rumble with the Roomba originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 06:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
December 25, 2009
We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Moe, who is dead-set on snagging a 13-inch machine just as soon as a model is decided upon. Help a brother out, won’t you?
“I’m in the market for a new laptop, and I want a 13-incher. I need something with a great keyboard for typing, as this will mostly be used for note taking in class. I am absolutely smitten with the XPS 13, but I’m afraid that with its age Dell is going to give it an update soon. Any advice for someone in my shoes? Thanks!”
There’s no doubt that an update is around the corner, but there’s no telling how far that corner is from being reached. USB 3.0 updates are unavoidable, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see a few new SSD options creep up, either. That said, there’s nothing quite like the here and now, so if any of you ultraportable owners wish to help out, you know where to head.
Ask Engadget: Best 13-inch laptop on the market? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 24, 2009
Creative’s Gigaworks HD50i speakers does not only sound and work great thanks to a combination of high definition drivers and Titanium supertweeters, you also get an integrated BasXPort that does away with a third bulky subwoofer that takes up even more desk real estate than you’d like. As an added incentive to pick this puppy up, you can also dock your iPod to listen to your favorite tunes in loud and perfect clarity – as perfect as $169.99 can net you, anyways. Each purchase comes with a remote control, so there is no need to get up from the couch each time you want to skip a track.
Permalink: Creative Gigaworks HD50i speakers from Ubergizmo | Hot: Blackberry Bold 9700 Review
December 24, 2009
You don’t need booming sales figures to tell you that netbooks have taken over the world — the mobile computing world, at least. Their screenless and battery-free brethren, however, have yet to find quite the same success. Nettops are great tiny little machines but in general they’ve been under-powered and, while people love eking out another hour or two of battery life on the road, few sadly care whether their desktop computers pull down 17 or 71 watts of juice. Still, it’s hard to deny the appeal of a fully-functional computer that’s half the size of a Wii — especially when it can manage 1080p output over HDMI. Viewsonic’s VOT132, with its Ion graphics and trick magnetic DVD drive, is tiny, efficient, and powerful. The perfect media PC? Read on to find out.
Gallery: Viewsonic VOT132 unboxing
Continue reading Viewsonic VOT132 nettop review
Viewsonic VOT132 nettop review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 24, 2009
You’d be hard-pressed to find a laptop these days that didn’t have wifi built-in but if your service is sketchy, [...]
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December 23, 2009
The drumbeat for HD 3D continues to pick up the pace, and with broadcasters around the globe pushing forward 2010 plans to bring 3D home HDMI has updated the course of its latest 1.4 spec to ensure compatibility between displays and boxes. Quite simply, existing cable and satellite hardware isn’t going to be held to the same requirements as Blu-ray and videogame equipment rocking the 3D sticker and expecting compatibility with displays on the way, since they won’t be passing the same high quality, high bandwidth dual-stream 1080p images anyway. Additionally, some broadcasters are pushing for HDMI to officially support “Top/Bottom” 3D transmissions they plan to use, which sacrifice resolution while saving bandwidth by shoving left/right images into a single frame. While that should add an entirely new angle to the line counting and claims of “HDLite” (get ready for 3DLite) all viewers can do is wait to hear when or if their hardware will get a software upgrade to 3D (like the one we expect will allow the PS3 to play 3D Blu-ray discs) in the months and years to come, once there’s a standard everyone can adhere to of course.
HDMI 1.4 spec getting freshened up in preparation for broadcast 3D originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 23, 2009
Well, it’s either Jesus or a caveman. But either way, it’s all the more impressive that it didn’t wind up on eBay.
‘‘I was like ‘Oh my God! It’s Jesus on a banana!’’
‘‘I got it out of the fruit bowl and was about to peel it and eat it when I saw his face,’’ she told The Daily Telegraph.
The impact of seeing Christ pressed into the banana did not stop the 39-year-old of Haberfield from still eating the fruit and depositing the holy peel.
That’s right, kids. An object baring an image which ever-so-slightly resembles the European caricature of Jesus was not used for profit. Somewhere God is crying tears of joy.
