Gadgets

Fri
04
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

PS2 Device to Upgrade Games and DVDs to Higher Definition

Not ready to upgrade to a shiny new PlayStation 3 (PS3), Xbox 360, or one of those newfangled Blu-Ray or HD-DVD players you keep hearing about? If you already own a High-Definition Television (HDTV) and a Sony PS2, Xploder may have the solution. The ... company is readying devices they claim will allow your PS2 to play games in high definition and DVDs in enhanced definition. Games Xploder's press release lists the following options: Select a HD 720p or 1080i setting to give a clearer, crisper picture quality for all PS2 games. Play games in Enhanced Definition (ED) TV 480p mode; a higher ... (view more)

Sat
29
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

The War Is On! More Details on Zune vs. iPod

As previously noted , Microsoft officially confirmed the existence of its own competitor to Apple's successful iPod portable music machine, Zune, after months of rumors and speculation. One of Microsoft's big features for Zune is reportedly the ... ability to download music and videos wirelessly. (Source: cnn.com ) That means you wouldn't first need to download the music to your PC, and then transfer it to your player. This gives Zune a true "on the go" feel. If the speculation proves accurate, the Zune player could detect what music is on other people's players nearby and automatically download ... (view more)

Mon
24
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

Microsoft Announces its Rival to Apple's iPod: Zune

On Friday July 21, 2006 Microsoft executives confirmed the launch of Zune, a music software and hardware product line that will rival Apple's iPod and iTunes. In early June, Microsoft denied rumors that the company was developing a digital media ... player to compete with Apple's iPod. However, In a statement released Friday, Microsoft general manager of marketing, Chris Stephenson revealed that the "new music and entertainment project [Zune]... will deliver a family of hardware and software products, the first of which will be available this year." (Source: news.com ) What is Zune? Zune's ... (view more)

Thu
20
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

Movie Rentals on iTunes?

Rumor has it that Apple executives may be planning to announce a new venture of providing movie rentals for their iTunes website. Some of the major Hollywood studios include: Warner Bros., Walt Disney, Paramount Pictures, and Universal Studios. ... (Source: thinksecret.com ) Early information indicates that Apple had originally hoped to buy the rights to movies from the studios, and then sell these movies to consumers. Unfortunately Hollywood was adamant about providing the films only on a subscription or rental basis. Therefore, it is assumed that when the announcement is made, iTunes will be ... (view more)

Wed
19
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

Meet the 'Gdrive': Google's New Online Hard Drive?

Rumors from the tech world recently suggest that the search engine giant Google is testing an online hard drive, affectionately known as "Gdrive". Although still very experimental (and at this time unconfirmed), the Gdrive would act as a treasure ... chest for client files, essentially freeing up space on a user's computer and accelerating processing speed. For now, "Gdrive" remains the name given by Google's fans, those most excited about the potential project. In reality, it appears the project is codenamed "Platypus", according the one blog investigator who apparently stumbled across the Web ... (view more)

Tue
11
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

Rumours Grow Over Microsoft Handheld, 'Xplayer'

Speculation over Microsoft's entry into the world of portable entertainment has been a rollercoaster for anyone interested in the prospect. Rumors earlier this year labeled the device as direct competition for the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) and ... Nintendo Dual-Screen (DS), but reports of a legitimate "Xboy" could never be confirmed. By the end of March, Microsoft had denied the rumors enough that tech writers simply gave up on the story completely. Theories are now again in the works, some including gossip that Microsoft's device may be more competition for Apple's iPod than its more ... (view more)

Fri
30
Jun
Dennis Faas's picture

TiVo Joins Growing Army of iPod Applications

With the iPod phenomenon creeping into each corner of Mother Earth, TiVo has jumped into the mix with their own Desktop application for Windows. The new application allows TiVo users to transfer their favorite TV programs directly to computer, and ... then onto portable devices. Like most software of this kind, a premium version exists that allows users to transfer shows to a host of different portable gadgets, including the iPod, Sony Playstation Portable (PSP), and phones from Treo and Nokia. As you might expect, the premium edition, called TiVo Desktop Plus, is available for a fee of $24.95 ... (view more)

Tue
27
Jun
Dennis Faas's picture

This Stolen Laptop Will Self Destruct in 5 Seconds

The crusade to combat data theft has produced a recent technology which was only previously seen in movies. Those interested in protecting sensitive data can now turn to software which erases files from a remote location, or by using a chemical that ... physically destroys a hard drive. Absolute Software's "Computrace LoJack for Laptops" can ask the company to wipe out files from a hard drive the next time a computer connects to the Internet. In a process which takes anywhere from ten to thirty minutes, random information overwrites the computer's data several times, rendering the original files ... (view more)

Thu
15
Jun
Dennis Faas's picture

$100 Laptop Coming Soon

Nicholas Negroponte, head of the One Laptop Per Child Project (OLPC), is expected to start shipping his "$100 laptop" internationally by mid-2007. Initially, the laptops are expected to cost around $135 when they become available. However, ... Negroponte expects the price will drop to $100 in 2008, and even as low as $50 by 2010. OLPC hopes to ship around 100 million laptops world-wide. (Source: pcworld.com ) One reason for the low price comes from the elimination of a sales and marketing team, which makes up half the cost of a typical laptop computer, according to Negroponte. The other ... (view more)

Thu
09
Mar
Dennis Faas's picture

PMA Digicam Shootout 2006: Review, Part 2

Continued from Part 1 . Surveying the hundreds of new products introduced at the Photo Marketing Associations (PMA) trade show (Feburary 27 ~ March 1, 2006) revealed that technology companies have finally ended their fight for "the largest mega ... pixel" camera. The truth is that an average shooter only needs a 6 mega pixel camera for 5x7 or 8x10 to develop quality prints. So what's next? There are too many choices when camera makers introduce 15 new models and the competition is increasing as Samsung introduces it's first SLR with interchangeable lenses at the PMA showing Orlando ... (view more)

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Gadgets