Gadgets Base

Pioneer wants to get its hands in the auto navigation and auto multimedia market with the creation of the AVIC-F500BT. Pioneer calls the F500BT a “hybrid”, and that word is getting thrown around a lot within the auto industry, it applies to this automotive device as well.

After all, the AVIC-F500BT is a mix of many devices. First of all, it is a fantastic navigation system. There are mapping functions that can be viewed in both overhead and moveable 3D. The screen is a 5.8 inch touchscreen, and the directions are text-to-speech enabled by street. The database includes maps of the United States, Canada, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Second, the AVIC-F500BT is a Media Center. There is an auxiliary audio input for personal audio and communication devices. It can accept portable devices with a USB connection and SD memory cards. As soon as anything is attached, such as a memory card or ipod, it will recognize it for the user to interface.

The AVIC-F500BT also has the advantage of voice control that allows users to control their iPod players and Bluetooth enabled cell phones. The voice controls for the music allows for such commands as “Play Rolling Stones”, and you can even specify an album. As for the vocal phone commands, all a user has to do is say: “Call John Smith”, and the F500BT will ask the user which specific phone number: mobile or home.

AVIC-F500BT will be available in Spring of 2008, but there is no word of a price.

Press Release

Considering that we are less than one year away from the big HDTV switch, it is not surprising that Sharp/AQUOS is prepared with the SE94 Series.

The SE94 series is designed with a “Cornerstone design” with detachable bottom speakers and a slimmer and lighter design. The SE94 also has terrific picture quality with 1080p resolution, as well as a Dynamic Contrast Ratio of 27,000:1. As for colors, the 10-bit ASV panel and 5-wavelength backlight system provides vibrant red and truer greens. In short, it is simply a better picture.

One of the most unique features of this HDTV is the AQUOS Net, which can provide “customized Web-based content as well as real-time customer support directly from the AQUOS television”. For example, the user has the option of watching “widgets” to get updates on their weather, stock quotes, or even comic strips.

What is most interesting about the internet connectivity is the customer assistance. An interactive tool known as AQUOS Advantage Live allows Sharp/AQUOS employees to access the television directly, so that they can fully make adjustments online such as TV settings and picture quality.

The SE94 is available now in three styles. The 46-inch LC-46SE94U for about $3,199.99 MSRP, the 52-inch LC-52SE94U for about $4,199.99, and the 65-inch LC-65SE94U for about $10,999.99.

Press Release

Posted Feb 22nd 2008 11:48AM by Joshua Topolsky
Filed under: Misc. gadgets
Sure, it seemed like after the years of hard drinking, petty crime, and run-ins with the law, Elmo had cleaned up his act — but a shocking report out of Tampa Bay, Florida, says otherwise. A two-year-old’s life has been turned upside down by vicious talk coming from his favorite toy, Elmo Knows Your Name. It seems that after a recent battery change, the PC-interfacing doll began spouting death threats of “kill James” at the toddler, with seemingly no explanation as to how the new phrase entered his vocabulary. The situation came to a head when the boy’s mother heard her son repeating the twisted suggestion. Of course, what she didn’t hear was Elmo’s other threat: that he would “cut anyone who crossed [him] end-to-end with a Bowie knife,” and, “dine on their internal organs.” Fisher Price says it has a team of experts working on the case, and enough tranquilizer darts to put Elmo down, “For good.”

[Thanks, Jordan]

Read - Toddler’s Elmo Doll Makes Death Threats, Family Says
Read - Video of Elmo making death threats

It is finally here after we mentioned it on Tuesday - NVIDIA has unveiled the first of its next generation GeForce 9 series of graphics processing units, where the company touts this latest offering to deliver the largest single-generation performance jump in the entire history of NVIDIA. The GPU in question is the GeForce 9600 GT that pumps out 116% more performance than its predecessor, without having a price tag that breaks the $199 mark. Will this make you rush out and purchase the 9600 GT, or are you rather upset that you just picked up an 8600 GT from the store? Excerpts from the press release are available right after the jump.

According to Ujesh Desai, general manager of GeForce desktop GPUs at NVIDIA, “After going to all the GeForce LANs and seeing the rigs that gamers play on, we wanted to kick off the GeForce 9 with the perfect GPU for gamers. The first product to be introduced in the GeForce 9 family gives gamers the horsepower to play cutting-edge DirectX 10 games at a price they will love and can afford.”

A point has been reached in PC gaming where the graphics horsepower requirements to play popular games such as Call of Duty 4 and Unreal Tournament 3 at high-definition resolutions such as 1900×1200 and above, with high-image-quality features enabled, may have outpaced a lot of the installed hardware. Until now, graphics processors capable of delivering playable frame rates at those stressful settings have cost in excess of $400. With the GeForce 9600 GT GPU, immersive gaming with incredible graphics is now within the reach and budget of PC gamers for less than $199.

The new GeForce 9600 GT GPU shows an improved performance-per-watt ratio compared to its predecessor as well as improved compression efficiency. In addition to 64 stream processors-each individually clocked at a blazing-fast 1625 MHz-and a 256-bit memory interface running at 900 MHz, the GeForce 9600 GT GPU is designed for the new PCIe 2.0 bus standard and features backwards compatibility with the original PCIe standard.

The GeForce 9600 GT GPU also improves high-definition video playback on everyday PCs by leveraging NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology to deliver high-quality playback of hd dvd and Blu-ray movies. The new programmable video-processing engine takes on all of the high-definition H.264 video decoding, freeing the CPU to perform other tasks, while significantly reducing power consumption, heat, and noise. Spectacular picture clarity and vibrant color is achieved with advanced video processing technology.

Press Release

Posted Feb 22nd 2008 9:36AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: GPS, Transportation
At first glance, we seriously assumed that we had mentioned this exact same story before. Turns out, one particular Maxi Haulage driver doesn’t tune into Engadget, as he pulled the exact same trick in (almost) the same circumstances. Reportedly, this timber haul was cut short as the driver followed his personal GPS system down a “farm lane” suitable only for (presumably small) tractors, and needless to say, the 45-foot vehicle has been wedged ever since. Additionally, the owner of the property is quite irate, as the mishap is forcing her to drive an extra two miles until rescue arrives. Still, the motorist did cruise right by a sign noting that the upcoming road was unfit for heavy goods vehicles, so at least the sat nav can’t take all of the blame this go ’round.

[Thanks, Carl H.]

About actually hooting, that is.

He obviously cares about the work you do on your computer. Why else would he 1) clip onto your monitor or perch on the included tree stump and 2) require USB power to come alive in a mildly frightening sort of way? He blinks and moves his head in a way that somehow makes you anticipate a scene from The Exorcist, but (here’s the scary part) he does it all silently.

The owl’s quiet observation is so disconcerting that your productivity is sure to receive a healthy boost. Anything that gets you away from the computer as quickly as possible is worth the £12.99 suggested retail price.

Via GeekAlerts.

Posted Feb 22nd 2008 10:40AM by Paul Miller
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming
The new budget-friendly 9600 GT (pictured) already has plenty of folks excited, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. NVIDIA’s new GeForce 9-series has a top-end 9800 GX2 card slated for March 11th — if these rumors are to be believed — that is supposed to best the 8800 Ultra’s performance by a solid 30 percent. The card is supposed to land for less than $599, but if that’s a bit much for you, the 9800 GTX should hit for under $399 in “late March,” with the 9800 GT following on April 3rd for under $299. If all of this is too much horsepower for you, the 9600 GS, 9500 GT and 9500 GS are slated to arrive in May, June and July, respectively, and all should hit at under the 9600 GT’s already friendly sub-$200 pricepoint. AMD’s latest offerings are pretty dang cheap as well, and aren’t slouching in the benchmarks, so it’s certainly a good time to be a PC gamer.

Posted Feb 22nd 2008 4:22AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Displays
USB-to-DVI adapters have certainly progressed a good ways over the years, and I-O Data’s ain’t too shabby, either. The external graphics dongle supports resolutions up to 1,680 x 1,050, measures in at 57- × 85- × 22-millimeters and even plays nice with Vista’s Aero Glass interface. Unfortunately, it’s not so compatible with Direct 3D, Open GL or HDCP. That’s a little too hamstrung for our ¥14,600 ($135), but to each their own.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

Palm is currently offering a free Zire Z22 PDA to anyone who purchases a Palm TX. I am not sure why someone would need two PDA’s instead of just one, but maybe you could use the second as a gift or a backup in case you break of lost the first one. The Palm TX retails for $299 and the free Zire Z22 normally retails for $99. This offer is however only for a limited time and expires at the end of February. Maybe Palm just realized that standalone PDA sales are way down and figure its best to give these away instead of tossing them in the trash.

Read [Palm] Via [Palm InfoCenter]

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