Gadgets Base

When was the last time you found yourself in a store looking to purchase a new CD player? I’m not talking about one for your car, or even a portable one, but just a CD player for a room in your house. If you’re anything like me, it’s been a very long time. This is why companies that still make such devices are trying their hardest to make CD players more appealing to consumers. Take this strange CD-T300 Pro for example.

Shanling, the company responsible for creating this device specializes in making rather unique products. They stand apart both inside and out. It’s easy to see how the neon lights and interesting shapes are going to draw a few strange glances from visitors in your house, but that’s not what really sets this apart from the rest of the crowd.

The CD-T300 features four amplification valves which are supposed to offer some of the best sound quality around. How good is the sound quality? I can’t say for sure, but they seem to think its worth $12,000. I think I’ll just stick with my ipod dock.

Source: Crave

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TomTom, adding to their plethora of nice GPS units, recently introduced the new TomTom XL330S. This GPS seems to be a basic GPS, but still offering lots of nice features.

Some of the main features include a 4.3-inch touchscreen, text-to-speech functionality, revamped audio quality, and EasyPort. Basically, EasyPort is a new addition that allows the mount to fold into the GPS, allowing the driver to not have to leave the mount on the windshield. If you are worrying about the mount causing it to be bulky, you’ll be pleased to know that it still remains small, and should not be bulky at all. So far, there are a few other GPS units that have been added into the XL lineup, however, this is one of the main ones.

No word on exactly availability date, however, it is set to cost a meager $300. It looks to be a nice little GPS that gets the job done, while maintaining high quality.

Via [NaviGadget]

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It takes a lot of sophisticated, cutting-edge technology to solve a major homicide within an hour - including commercials, of course.

How many times have you watched the computers used by the fictional forensics detectives on “CSI” and thought to yourself, “if only…” That is, if only databases were that fast, if only touch technology were that advanced, if only location tracking were that integrated…and all of it fast and flawless, naturally. Memo to Grissom: give more shout-outs to your IT guys, OK?

Real-life is starting to catch up to “CSI.” This week Microsoft is hosting law-enforcement authorities from 35 countries for a conference on crime and technology, and the software giant announced it has developed a new USB thumb drive that allows police to quickly extract information from computers suspected of being used by the bad guys. It’s called COFEE (Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor) and Microsoft says some officials have been using it for nearly a year.

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has steered its technology toward solving crimes. In 2003 a Toronto detective, discouraged by the rise of online predators targeting children, e-mailed Bill Gates for help. That plea prompted the creation of CETS (Child Exploitation Tracking System), a suite of software tools that allows agencies to better share information on child pornographers. Of course, the marketing gurus in Redmond know when to blur that line between reality and fiction. Yes, those were Microsoft touch-screen surface computers you saw during Season Six episodes of “CSI: Miami.”

Read [Seattle Times] Read [Microsoft]

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British online retailer BT Shop is currently offering a bundle that is sure to make just about everyone scratch their head. Lets just hope that some unsuspecting person does not take advantage of this offer thinking its going to save some money, because in turn it will just waste it, that is unless they have another Windows-based computer lying around that needs Office. Sadly the bundle, aside from being incompatible only saves the user £1.76, which is around $3.50 US.

Via [CrunchGear]

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Best Buy and Geek Squad have announced partnership with FixYa, a community contributed website that offers product care support. The group has launched a co-branded website which will allow Best Buy and Geek Squad customers to help each other out with support issues. FixYa boasts 7 million users who post around 100,000 support questions and solutions each month. It is a welcome reprieve from the often complex and frustrating world of company tech support solutions, which often involve long hold times, language barriers, and less than helpful or canned email responses. From their press release:

“Best Buy is renowned for its commitment to its customers and once again demonstrates its leadership in customer service by adding another dimension in online social tech-support. We’re pleased to be able make this opportunity available directly to customers,” said Yaniv Bensadon, founder and CEO of FixYa.

Geek Squad will add to FixYa’s solution database. Fixya’s community currently boasts more than 30,000 expert contributors, and Geek Squad will help expand that base through its own contributions. With expertise spanning computer and peripheral support, home theater installation and optimization, and mobile electronics, Geek Squad offers proven solutions to a variety of problems in both the virtual and real worlds.”

Customers can access the new website by going to the Best Buy website and clicking on the “Customer Service” tab.

Read [GeekSquad Fixya]

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The Wireless Display Electronic Scale doesn’t force you to sit (or should I say, stand) for an impromptu eye examination each time you want to know your weight, thanks to a wireless remote digital display unit that comes with each purchase.

Accurate electronic scale has a wireless, remote digital display unit that can be removed and wall-mounted or handheld for easier reading. Sleek, heavy-duty glass platform and large, easy-to-read LCD display with clock and alarm. Automatic on/off. Maximum capacity: 400 lbs. Uses 6 AA batteries (not included).

This nifty device can be purchased for $39.99 a pop and would make for a pretty interesting housewarming gift.

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I don’t know about you, but somehow many people still equate Asians, especially the Chinese, to be too thrifty for their own good. I suppose it is payback time for Microsoft as they are working on price cuts for its Xbox 360 console in Asia, trimming the recommended retail price by a measly 5% to nearly 20% in a quartet of areas throughout the region. South Korea benefits the least with a 5% cut, while Taiwan’s 20GB model will receive a 17% discount. Singapore benefits the most from this price revision exercise with a 19.5% drop. As for Sony, they took the opposite route in Singapore by raising its 40GB PS3 price to $394. Guess accountants from those two companies are busy trying to predict the impact of these price moves, while Nintendo execs sit back and continue smiling smugly knowing that their Wii and DS will still sell well at the current pricing that has remained unchanged for a fair bit now.

Source: Crave

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IOGEAR has just rolled out some more desktop peripherals that aim to enhance productivity at the office, expanding its KVM product line in order to enable consumers to share multiple computers and USB 2.0 peripherals while viewing graphics in optimal quality. Both the IOGEAR 2- and 4-Port KVMP Switches with USB 2.0 hub and 2.1 Stereo target small and home office users, helping them share USB 2.0 peripherals like printers and scanners over multiple computers. Definitely a novel way to reduce operational costs in your organization, and while this isn’t exactly a new method, it is good to see IOGEAR not abandon this market. One of the main advantages of controlling several machines with a single keyboard and mouse is the ability to further reduce energy consumption. An improvement over older generation KVM switches is the ability to enable audio enthusiasts to groove to their favorite tunes, programs and audio clips through PC speakers since 2.1 stereo sound is supported.

The 2- and 4-Port KVMP Switches are known by their respective model numbers GCS1802 and GCS1804, will retail for $199.95 and $299.95. As for gamers and graphic designers, the IOGEAR 4-Port Dual-Link DVI KVMP Switch (GCS1204, retailing for $449.95) is able to supports up to a whopping 3,840 X 2,400 resolution, allowing easy viewing of extremely high resolution graphics that would normally appear distorted or even blurry on other devices with lesser resolutions. I find that rather strange though, as serious gamers are often not an impoverished lot, so it wouldn’t really make sense to share a display with other folks in the house, what more gaming at the office.

Do try to purchase these from IOGEAR’s website since the company has agreed to plant a tree for every product sold on its site or by members of its GREEN initiative partner program. The main goal? To plant one million trees (while making a handsome profit - a win-win situation for all).

Press Release

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If you have been trying to avoid MySpace but couldn’t just do it because you have accumulated too many contacts in your profile that you don’t want to lose, well soon, you just might ban MySpace from your online life for good. MySpace is set to launch a new feature, albeit an annoying one; MySpace Karaoke.

This could probably be the worst application ever to hit MySpace, not because it is technologically flawed, but because it is definitely a feature that many would find annoying, including yours truly. To be launched on Tuesday, MySpace Karaoke will, heaven forbid, allow users to belt out their favorite songs, record their renditions and stick them up on their MySpace profile, so that their MySpace contacts can rate their performance, no matter how awfully good or bad those performances are.

With a microphone, MySpace users who have the guts can choose from around 2,000 to 3,000 songs that are currently available in MySpace Karaoke and start annoying the wits out of their MySpace contacts. According to MySpace, these song selections are all copyrighted materials, so users would not have to worry about infringing on copyrights when recording their versions of Beyonce’s Irresistable, or Incubus’ Love Hurts.

The application can be accessed at ksolo.myspace.com, but thank goodness when I was trying to access the site a message prompted me that the feature is not applicable in my region. I must be having a lucky day!

Read [Yahoo! News]

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The Samsung Haptic SCH-W420 offers a 2 megapixel camera as well as the following features:

* 3.2in widescreen display
* 3G connectivity
* DMB for mobile TV reception
* Bluetooth 2.0
* customizable UI
* Samsung’s Haptic touch technology (vibration feedback) with 22 kinds of feedback

Via Trusted Reviews.