Gadgets Base

Pocket-lint does a first look review of the Nokia N96 and writes, “Just like its predecessor the N96 sports HSDPA connectivity, a 5-megapixel camera, GPS, the Symbian S60 operating system and that dual slider screen that hides the keypad and dedicated music controls…Around the back you’ll find the 5 megapxiel camera that now features a “kickstand” around the lens that allows you to perch it on a desk for hands-free viewing.”

Read more about the Nokia N96.

This is a bit of a twist (well spin) on a traditional bathroom, a bath one minute but a with a 180 degree turn it transforms into a shower.

Designed by Ron Arad, the “Rotator” is made out of duralight® and is more of a work of art than just a simple bath. However looking at it does not fill me confidence about the comfort of bathing in it. To empty the bath simply rotate it until the water overflows, just make sure you have a drainage in your bathroom floor.

More info over on De Zeen found via ID Asia.

With Hulu fresh out of the private beta status, there are now talks that they are looking to expand to other platforms, such as mobile phones. Overall it seems like a logical place to go and although Hulu CEO has made some comments they have been pretty generic up to this point. During the recent NAB video production expo, Jason Kilar was quoted as saying that “anything connected to the Internet” would be a possible match in the future, he also briefly mentioned the possibility of cellphones but failed to commit to any specific platform or device.

One issue that would be a hold up, or at least make for a slow roll out would be due to the wide variety of cellphones on the market. You would think that something along the lines of the iphone would make for a nice viewing experience, but the lack of Flash support could cause issues with Hulu’s current ad system.

As a user of Hulu, I can say that the desktop experience has been good so far, as for going mobile with the service, some mixed feelings come to mind. While it would be a nice option to have while on the go, it would be a concern that these shows are being streamed and not downloaded, thus potentially making a slow or choppy viewing experience. Either way it will be interesting to see where Hulu takes their service in the future.

Via [electronista]

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The Samsung SGH-J700 offers a 1.3 megapixel as well as the following features:

* Tri-band (900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
* GSM Phase 2+
* GPRS / EDGE Class 10
* Li-ion, 800 mAh battery
* 10 MB memory
* MicroSD
* Direct photo saving to microSD card
* Bluetooth v2.0
* USB v2.0
* 2.0″ 65K TFT, 128 x 160 pixels display
* Video Playback (H.263, MPEG4) and Recording
* MP3, AAC, AAC+, MIDI
* OMA DRM
* FM Radio
* Mobile Printing

WAP 2.0 / Openwave 6.2.3
Java MIDP 2.0
SMS/EMS/MMS/Video Messaging
Mobile Tracker, SOS
Java Games

by Paul Miller, posted Apr 18th 2008 at 10:54AM
Facing down a “sluggish” economy and in light of some recent regional acquisitions, AT&T announced today that it’ll be cutting about 1.5 percent of its workforce, primarily concentrating on management. The company calls it the “next step in streamlining its operations,” and will shelling out about $375 million in Q1 to make the layoffs happen. According to some dubious maths perpetrated by the Engadget staff, 1.5 percent of AT&T’s workforce is about 4,635.75 humans, not a minuscule cut by a long shot. We’d certainly hate to be in Mr. 75 percent’s shoes right now.

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Filed under: cellphones, Wireless, Networking

Just recently we were able to give you some details about Sony Ericsson’s upcoming Z780 handset and now there has been some new and thankfully better images leaked. As we previously mentioned the Z780 is very similar to the current Z770 and these images just further prove that. Overall it looks like the Z780 will be the successor and retain much of the Z770’s features in a new and somewhat more stylish outer shell. Keep reading for another image with both models side by side…

Via [SlashPhone]

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As outlined in a white paper on managing phishing written by its risk management unit, PayPal is set to implement a new policy that will block users from using PayPal from “unsafe browsers.” These browsers include Internet Explorer 4 and 5 and other older version browsers. But don’t worry if you are still using anything unsafe, because PayPal will first warn you about the browser. If you insist on trying to use it even after you were warned, then that’s the time when PayPal will step in and block you from accessing its site.

PayPal said that old browsers such as IE 4 are very vulnerable to phishing attacks since they lack the security and safety features of their newer versions which ward off phishing and other forms of online attacks. PayPal is encouraging users to use browsers which support the Extended Validation SSL certification when doing their PayPal transactions. These browsers prompt users by turning the address bar of the browser green when they are browsing a legitimate site. These browsers include the latest versions of IE and Firefox. Apple’s Safari browser for Mac and PC unfortunately does not support EV SSL certificates at this time.

Read [BBC News]

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There have been numerous reports of Geeks using the Nintendo Wii in their exercise regime to lose weight. The interactivity of the gaming platform has in no doubt contributed to the incredible sales figures related to the consohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000VJRU44/gizmoforge01-20″>Wii Fit is scheduled to be released on May 21st. If you want this product, you should definitely consider pre-ordering (I just pre-ordered mine!), otherwise you might have to deal with some lines and the possibility of the product being sold out.

Why the Wii Fit? Why is this product probably going to sell out quickly? The Wii Fit includes a ground-breaking controller pad for the Wii console called the Wii Balance Board that allows you to lean to block soccer balls, swivel hips to power hoop twirls or balance and hold the perfect yoga pose. The Wii Balance Board figures out your body’s overall balance and ties this information to the included games. Using Wii Fit for daily tests, you can evaluate and track progress of Body Mass Index (BMI) which is a weight evaluation based on a ratio of weight to height as well as your Wii Fit Age which is measured by factoring the user’s BMI reading, testing the user’s center of gravity and using the results of various tests.

Gimmie!

Suggested Price: $89.99

Posted in Gaming & Toys, Gizmo of the Day

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 18th 2008 at 9:49AM
OWC’s Mercury On-The-Go family of pocket-lovin’ hard drives has been around for quite some time, but the group is getting an all new leader courtesy of the recently announced 500GB edition. Packing a half-terabyte of space on a 5,400RPM, 8MB of cache drive, the unit even includes FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 to ensure compatibility with pretty much whatever rig you’re dealing with. You’ll also find a copy of Prosoft DataBackup III for OS X and NovaStor NovaBackup for Windows bundled in, but you won’t be getting any closer to this bus-powered unit than the photo above without laying down $359.99 to call one your own.

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Filed under: Storage

LapWorks has decided that its Futura versatile laptop cooler will look much better if it comes in a plethora of colors, and have promptly gone about by announcing the Painted Futura. Apparently this idea came about after LapWorks issued a clarion call for new colors a few months’ back, letting users vote their favorites to enter production. Guess this is where democracy on the Web comes in, although what the majority wants might not necessarily be what you like. Strangely enough, Painted Futuras aren’t painted at all actually, but printed using industrial grade ink that hardens when exposed to UV light. All Painted Futuras are custom made per order, and you can always return it for a full refund within 14 days if you aren’t too happy with it. In order to snag one of these, you’ll need to fork out $49.95.

Source: Gearlog