Gadgets Base

Digital Trends reviews the Motorola RAZR2 V8 and writes, “Music aside, things are pretty much what one would expect from a MOTORAZR update. The 2 MegaPixel camera is easy to use and, because it has no flash, is somewhat grainy. The actual phone screen is a bit more colorful than the previous model, which probably helps the pictures look better than they actually are. The T-Mobile-driven web access is fast and efficient.”

Read more about the MOTORAZR2 V8.

Toshiba has started shipping its new desktop replacement laptops, the Satellite P300 series with two models, the P305 and P305D. Both laptops sport a unique Fusion design which is embedded into their chassis. This, according to Toshiba makes the Satellite P300 laptops visually stunning and durable.

The Satellite P300 series is the first of Toshiba’s laptop which sports the sleep-and-charge USB port which allow portable devices to charge up even when the laptop is shut off. The Satellite P300 laptop series also comes packed with a webcam built-in facial recognition software.

Now, for the usual goodies, the Satellite P305 sports an HD 17-inch diagonal widescreen Tru-Brite display, LED-luminated “feather-touch” command keys, Harman Kardon stereo speakers, 1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 3GB RAM and a 320GB hard drive. While the Satellite P305D also has the same LCD, command keys, speakers but comes with a 2.1 GHz AMD TurionTM 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology processor, 2GB RAM and a 250GB hard drive. The P305 and P305D are currently available and retail for $999 and $1,049 respectively.

Read [Toshiba Direct]

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Asus has added a new addition to their product line, and for a refreshing change it does not fit in the Eee family. The newest addition is the Essentio CS5110 desktop PC, in which Asus is claiming that it is “the world’s smallest Desktop PC equipped with a fully embedded discrete graphic card,” which is an NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics card with 256MB of memory.

With the graphics aside, the CS5110 seems to be a decent offering, and one that would work equally well for a home PC or a media-centric PC in the living room thanks to the low 23.9dB sound output when idling. The CS5110 also has an S/PIDF out which offers up 7.1 audio as well as HDMI support.

Otherwise the CS5110 features an Intel G35-based motherboard, which can support a Core 2 Duo, Pentium Dual Core or Celeron D processor, up to 4GB of RAM and has room for one 3.5-inch hard drive and a slot loading DVD burner with an optional Blu-ray drive. The CS5110 also has Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, VGA port, built-in card reader, six USB 2.0 ports and a Firewire port.

Sadly with all the information that Asus released, they neglected to mention any pricing or availability.

Via [DailyTech]

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uWink sounds like the name of an online dating service, but it’s a restaurant concept from Nolan Bushnell, founder of both Atari and Chuck E. Cheese.  So you’d expect arcade games at such an establishment, but uWink takes it a step further and has the games built into your tabletop!  You and your dining companions can have fun playing games while waiting for your food and after finishing your food, and most of the games are free!  Also, large wall projections let patrons from different tables play against each other.  What a great idea for if you want to book the restaurant for a private function, and yes uWink can customize the games too!  I guess that’s where the “wink” comes in, since you can meet people from other tables.

The technology also extends to the food ordering process.  Terminals at each table display the menu along with photos of each item and a list of ingredients, so you know what you’re getting and can order the food to your exact specifications.  This is great for folks with food allergies and other dietary needs.  Everything is done using the terminals, from ordering the food to asking for refills to paying your check.  As for the food itself, you’d think it’s an afterthought, but apparently it isn’t as it’s prepared by accomplished chefs.  So uWink’s got the technology and it’s got the food, I can imagine it’s hard to score a table!  uWink is opening their second L.A. location next month, but it’s a concept other parts of the country could embrace as well.

Read [LAist]

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by Paul Miller, posted Apr 10th 2008 at 11:32AM
Just what we needed, another couple of me-too MIDs dropped into the world without a purpose. USI is naturally putting some fine tech in these devices, like a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, up to 8GB of SSD, WiFi, Bluetooth, 512MB of RAM and a 1.2GHz Intel Atom processor, but given the lack of proof that an MID is even what consumers want at the moment, we’re having a hard time getting excited about these particular MIDs. The main claim to fame of the MID-200 (keyboard) and MID-150 (no keyboard) is a PCI-express slot for adding 3G or GPS, but the existing four hour battery life is certainly going to strain under the load of any additions. No word on price or a release date just yet.

[Via thegadgetsite; thanks KC Kim]

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Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

by Paul Miller, posted Apr 10th 2008 at 11:52AM
Hey, we hate lawsuits just as much as the next guy, but we’re finding it hard to fault Verizon for this one. Verizon and Time Warner Cable arrived in court on Wednesday to settle a tiff over some ads that Verizon claims offer up misleading info about Verizon’s FiOS service. Listed among the complaints include supposed false implications by TWC that FiOS requires a satellite dish, doesn’t include phone, broadband and video, and that Time Warner’s network is better. Time Warner Cable is naturally calling the lawsuit “without merit.” Verizon wants TWC to stop running the ads and issue a retraction, as well as compensate them for lost revenue. We’re not positive which ad Verizon is referring to, but if it’s anything like the ad after the break — which has some downright false implications about Time Warner Cable using fiber optics “for over a decade” — then Verizon very well might have something here. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

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Filed under: HDTV

In Japan and Korea, where mobile technology and culture is well ahead of the rest of the world, mobile users are accustomed to receiving advertising, including SMS ads, on their cell phones. It’s a give and take, as users also receive mobile coupons on their phones, with bar codes that can be directly scanned from their screens. Here in the U.S., it still seems like a strange concept to allow advertisers this kind of access and to use our cell phones to directly transact business. But someday, inevitably, we will - most of us - accept advertising messages on our mobile screens, and pay for merchandise with our cell phones, as part of the daily routine of life, just like we all use ATM cards today.