Gadgets Base

We have reported on portable camcorders from Mustek one year ago, but the DV300T is one of the most unique designs of any recorder out on the market today.

This camera definitely has the YouTube generation in mind as it has a VGA CMOS sensor for filming sub-NTSC or PAL type video.

As for still shots, it can do about 3.1 Megapixels which is “Interpolated Resolution by Security Standard VGA Sensor”. I’m not certain exactly what that means, but it sounds like it means that there is some sort of digital image stabilization happening here.

That sounds hard to believe, considering the device only has 64 MB worth of memory. However, that is expandable with SD cards.

I’m not certain why Mustek calls this product a 6-in-1 Multi-Functional Video Camera, but there are some other non-camera features included in the DV300T like voice recording, MP3 capability, and eBook reading.

The screen on the DV300T is a two inch diagonal that does not flip out in any way, like other brand of digital cameras. In fact, several reviews of this product compare it to a candybar phone, and that solid block look creates a clear resemblance.

Unfortunately, we do not have the price or availability date. I’m wondering if the “solid block” look will catch on with newer portable cameras. We shall see.

Source

Do you have a feline friend at home, if so he should have his own little door and this is the coolest one I’ve found to date, the Elite Super Selective Cat Flap.

The elite cat flap is compatible (not sure if that’s the right word) with up to 8 cats and can be programmed to allow your different cats in and out access at different times of the day. It also has an LCD display so that you can instantly see which cats are in and which ones are out, cool!

Further info can be found at Pet Mate, who also do a version for your dog. For the ultimate in cat tech you could always combine it with the automated rotating litter tray or would that be a bit OTT.

Posted Feb 1st 2008 11:59AM by Donald Melanson
Filed under: Handhelds While we’re guessing you haven’t seen too many of ‘em pop up at your local coffee shop, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos nonetheless seems to be quite please with the performance of the company’s prized Kindle e-book reader, with him recently saying that “the Kindle, in terms of demand, is outpacing our expectations.” That demand has also apparently caused Amazon to “scramble” on the manufacturing side, resulting in a notice on the Kindle order page that the device temporarily sold out due to “heavy customer demand” (again). Of course, expectations and hard sales numbers are entirely different beasts, and you can probably draw your own conclusions given that Amazon is focusing considerably more on the former than the latter.

Dell had recently began offering Ubuntu 7.10 on the XPS M1330 laptop, however that model was originally only shipping overseas with a note that the US customers would have to wait a “week or so.”

Well, the good news is the wait is now over. The Dell XPS M1330 retails for $954 and includes Ubuntu 7.10 pre-installed along with built-in support for DVD playback. The M1330 laptop features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor at 1.66GHz, 1GB RAM and a 120GB hard drive.

Read [Dell]

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Posted Feb 1st 2008 10:08AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Wearables
Oh sure, we’ve seen proximity-based clothing before, but for the couple who just can’t help but express their intense adoration for technology (and each other), we present the $24.99 8-bit Dynamic Life shirt. This wonderful piece of garb, which is obviously designed to be purchased in pairs, sports six whole hearts on the chest. When your lover strays, both sets of hearts slowly fade away, but when he / she comes running back for one more steamy round of Wii Boxing, the combined dozen lights up to signify precisely how geeky you two truly are. You do know what’s coming in a fortnight, right?

[Via Shiny Shiny]

Posted Feb 1st 2008 10:30AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Gaming, Laptops
Merely two days after Dell added NVIDIA’s GeForce 8800M GTX to its beastly M1730, it seems that Rock is looking to up the graphical ante as well. Reportedly, the firm is gearing up to unleash the (likely rebadged) Xtreme XL8, which will house an Intel X6800 quad-core processor, a delightful pair of NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTXs, up to 1TB of storage space and a 17-inch 1,920 x 1,200 resolution panel to boot. Furthermore, you’ll find an Ethernet jack, Draft-N wireless card, an obligatory (no, really) HD DVD drive and a presumably laughable battery life. Waiting for the sting? Try £2,500 ($4,976) to £3,000 ($5,971), with pre-orders going live later this month.

Dave Winer, who’s best known for his popularization of these things called weblogs (bio here), made a prediction today regarding Microsoft’s bid to acquire Yahoo!.

“YHOO doesn’t help MSFT and vice versa.  The dead leading the blind.”

UPDATE: Winer post more thoughts on the Microsoft + Yahoo bid on his blog.

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Sony has made some significant announcements today, introducing three new digital photo frames. All the frames contain 800 x 480 WVGA displays with an aspect ratio of 15:9, and are capable of displaying pictures up to 48-megapixels in size. The 7-inch DPF-V700 and 9-inch DPF-V900 contain 512MB of internal storage, have built in Bluetooth, and HDMI outs. This is the first digital frame I’ve ever seen with an HDMI out and I wonder if that is a harbinger of things to come. A less expensive 7-inch DPF-D70 has 256MB of internal storage and loses the Bluetooth and HDMI out. All of the frames come with a remote and can utilize nearly every memory card style available. That’s another impressive move for a company not know for playing well with other companies formats. The DPF-V900, DPF-V700 and DPF-V700 digital photo frames will sell for $250, $190 and $140 and will be in stores in the spring.

Read [Sony]

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Posted Feb 1st 2008 9:15AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio
Looking for something with a hint of style to take up that empty expanse that is your bedside table? Peer no further than Tangent’s Cinque, which offers up DAB, FM and AM radio tuning within a compact (and fairly attractive) package. Besides pulling tunes from thin air, this unit also plays nice with CDs and any ole DAP you’ve got stuffed in your underused gadgets drawer courtesy of the built-in 3.5-millimeter auxiliary jack. Furthermore, you can set the alarm to wake you with music, and just in case you’re not really feeling the hue shown above, it’s also available in walnut, black and red for £239.99 ($478).

[Via Tech Digest]

Posted Feb 1st 2008 6:38AM by Thomas Ricker var Microsoft just announced what has been rumored forever: a formal offer for Yahoo. Microsoft’s proposal to Yahoo’s board of directors represents $31 per share (a 62% premium over yesterday’s closing price) or about $44.6 Billion. Steve Ballmer, CEO and big fan of developers, says, “We have great respect for Yahoo!, and together we can offer an increasingly exciting set of solutions for consumers, publishers and advertisers while becoming better positioned to compete in the online services market.” Apparently, the deal was laid out in a letter sent by Ballmer to Yahoo’s board just yesterday. Seriously. The letter confirms that the two giants have been discussing the topic since late 2006. It also appears to be a direct response to the Google threat as outlined in the following paragraph:

“Today, the market is increasingly dominated by one player who is consolidating its dominance through acquisition. Together, Microsoft and Yahoo! can offer a credible alternative for consumers, advertisers, and publishers.”

The deal, of course, rests on the two coming to a “merger agreement” and Microsoft having the time to conduct the required due diligence.

developing…