Gadgets

Fri
20
Feb
Dennis Faas's picture

Verizon 'Hub' Features Surpass Typical Smart Phone

When heard the term "smart phone," most people visualize a mobile phone that comes with a whole bunch of interesting features. But when people have to make a phone call and are not out living their busy lives, they still tend to use a landline-based ... home phone. It is this logic that spurred the new Verizon "Hub"; a home phone model that provides a multitude of Internet-based features similar to a "smart phone". The Hub comes with a cordless handset that rests atop its charger like many home phone models, but attached to it is a miniaturized flat-panel screen. The Hub Versus Smart Phones The ... (view more)

Tue
17
Feb
Dennis Faas's picture

iPhone Card Counting App Could Land You a Felony

Casino operators have warned that a new card-counting program for the iPhone could earn sneaky players a felony violation. That's because using electronic devices in such a way is barred nationwide. The application, which costs $3.99, helps players ... take advantage of the fact that used cards aren't always replaced in the deck before each hand of blackjack. Keeping track of the cards which have already played can give players a better chance of predicting which cards will come up in future hands, letting them place higher or lower bets accordingly. Card counting such as this isn't illegal in ... (view more)

Fri
13
Feb
Dennis Faas's picture

TV Manufacturers Cease Plasma Production

Are you a big fan of the plasma flatscreen television? It might be harder to get your sticky hands on one in the future, with recent announcements that two of the most popular plasma TV manufacturers have decided to terminate production. Although ... the plasma market has been struggling for some time, it's hard to ignore the role played by a stagnant U.S. economy in driving down interest in tech products. The most stunning news came earlier in the week when technology giant Pioneer announced it would bow out of the television business altogether. To the average consumer who has in the past ... (view more)

Fri
23
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

CES Boasts 3D, Not HD, is the Future of TV

Three-dimensional (3D) viewing may just be the wave of the future in television! Don't believe it? Well, the technology on display at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) suggests there's little room left for viable innovation in the field of ... high-definition sets. The industry trade fair in Las Vegas is an annual event that's theoretically a forum for manufacturers to discuss industry issues and trends. That does happen, but for most companies it's more of a chance to show off the latest inventions in home entertainment. Previous shows have seen the first public appearances of devices ... (view more)

Mon
19
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

Wrap 920AV: Movies and Music using Sunglasses

It's not uncommon to see a person walking around town wearing sunglasses on their face or headphones in their ears. But if that person is wearing the latest pair of Vuzix sunglasses, there may be more going on under those shades than meets the eye. ... While the Vuzix Wrap 920AV looks like any normal eyewear product, it also doubles as a video player. In fact, it is the first pair of glasses to use "see-through" optic technology. What does that mean? Plug the Vuzix Wrap into any digital music player, portable DVD system, or laptop and it displays video and plays audio instantly. Now you can run ... (view more)

Mon
19
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

Bankrupt Circuit City Begins Liquidation

The long-rumored end to Circuit City has finally arrived. Beaten down and finally booted by Best Buy over the holidays, the electronics retailer has begun liquidating its assets in stores across the United States. In November Circuit City revealed ... that it had entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection , but no one really knew what that meant for its remaining stores. Most employees appear to have been completely unaware that their stores might be closing, with one Circuit City worker telling CNET's Brooke Crothers that he didn't expect his place of employment to shut down for a long, long time ... (view more)

Tue
13
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

Sony Unveils Petite but Pricey 'Lifestyle PC'

Sony has finally unveiled its first netbook just in time for the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. About the same size as your average bottle of Coca-cola , it's tiny, slim, and surprisingly expensive. As expected, smaller, cheaper, ... and portable laptops -- otherwise known as 'netbooks' -- have stolen the spotlight from glitzy televisions and Blu-ray players at the 2009 CES. However, Sony's Vaio P Series Lifestyle PC is breaking the mould, at least in part. Though it's definitely small (no longer than a mousepad and about as thin as your everyday cell phone), the size of the ... (view more)

Wed
07
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

Best Buy to Stock Refurbished, Cheaper iPhones

Didn't get that sleek, stylish Apple iPhone for Christmas as you wished for this past year? Well, if you're looking for a cheap version of the very popular handheld device, you might just be in luck: big box electronics retailer Best Buy recently ... announced that it will be selling a discounted refurbished version of the iPhone in hundreds of its stores. In an announcement made yesterday, Best Buy Co. Inc. revealed that it would sell resurrected versions of the 3G iPhone for approximately $50 less than their brand-spanking-new counterparts. In other words, the refurbished 8 GB model will retail ... (view more)

Tue
06
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

CES 2009 Shrinks with Dwindling Economy

The bad news continues for the tech industry. Not long after we first heard murmurs Microsoft may be ready to lay off as much as 17 per cent of its workforce, the popular Consumer Electronics Show, held every year in dazzling Las Vegas, is rumored ... to be shrinking alongside the global economy. The Consumer Electronics Association, host of the CES, estimates that both the number of exhibitors and visitors will be down in 2009. The CEA expects about 130,000 people will attend its famous electronics show, down 11,000 from last year. In addition, only about 2,700 exhibitors are expected to attend ... (view more)

Thu
01
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

JVC Puts VHS Tape Out of Misery

Not yet sure about investing in a Blu-ray player for your home theater and high definition television? That's understandable. However, for those of you who haven't yet upgraded from VHS to standard DVD, there's bad news on the way this holiday ... season. According to reports, JVC -- the last tech company making VHS tapes -- has revealed that it will no longer be producing the aging technology. This follows on the heels of news in October that the company would cease production of VHS players. (Source: crn.com ) As you might expect, demand has all but dried up. Although consumers are still ... (view more)

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