Archive for June 19th, 2008

Engadget Mobile’s Nokia E71 review

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

by Paul Miller, posted Jun 19th 2008 at 4:39PM
They’ve got a bona fide, US 3G-friendly, Nokia E71 over at Engadget Mobile, all gussied up and reviewed for your viewing pleasure. The phone is a serious statement from Nokia, being that company’s first 3G QWERTY device in the States, and the thinnest QWERTY smartphone in existence. Not too shabby for a little Finnish upstart.

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Filed under: cellphones

Probe finds one-third of people shot by Tasers need medical attention

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

by Donald Melanson, posted Jun 19th 2008 at 2:38PMWhile the last Taser study we came across found that the devices were safe and caused only a few trips to the hospital, a joint investigation by CBC News and the Canadian Press has now turned up some decidedly different findings, with about one-third of people shot by Tasers reportedly requiring some form of medical attention. Those numbers were drawn from the Taser-use forms that RCMP officers are required to fill out whenever they draw the device, which revealed that 910 of the 3,226 people shot between 2002 and 2007 had to go to a medical facility, and that “many more” people had minor injuries but never saw a doctor. Needless to say, we somehow suspect this won’t be the last such investigation or study on the matter, especially with the lawsuits flying fast and furiously these days.

[Via Digg]

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Filed under: Misc. gadgets

Sony Europe president talks PSP piracy, promises clampdown

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

by Donald Melanson, posted Jun 19th 2008 at 5:57PMSony Europe president David Reeves has never been one to shy away from making bold statements in the past, and he’s now come out and weighed in on another touchy subject, with him flatly telling attendees at the DevStation conference in London that “there is a piracy problem on the PSP.” What’s more, Reeves went so far as to admit that it “sometimes fuels the growth of hardware sales, but that “on balance”, Sony is “not happy about it.” To that end, Reeves says that Sony will soon be unveiling new ways to combat piracy on the handheld, although he unsurprisingly isn’t getting a whole lot more specific than that at the moment.

[Via PSP Fanboy]

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Filed under: Gaming

Freedom Meditech promises glucose-monitoring eye scanner

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

by Donald Melanson, posted Jun 19th 2008 at 3:06PMThere’s certainly no shortage of efforts out there to make glucose monitoring a bit easier for diabetics, but Freedom Meditech is now claiming to have developed one of the least invasive to date and, what’s more, it says it’s actually gearing up to start some clinical trials. That latter bit is apparently possible thanks to a newly formed partnership with Batelle, which is helping to raise the necessary capital, while the former bit got a boost from an arrangement with the University of Toledo, whose technology it is licensing. The key bit, it seems, is that Freedom Meditech’s method involves scanning only the front portion of the eye (or, more specifically, the Aqueous humor where the glucose resides) instead of shining a light on the retina, which some similar methods use. That apparnetly not only delivers results faster, but reduces the risk of any potential long-term safety hazards from repeated laser exposure, which would also make it better suited as a tool for early screening of diabetes.

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Filed under: Misc. gadgets

A Treadmill Desk With Multi-Screen Displays

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

There’s no doubt about it. Treadmill desks are an awesome way to keep the internet surf flowing as your get your heart pumping. We’ve covered an assortment of treadmill desks over the years, but there is one feature which is lacking from each and every one of them. Where is our multi-screen support?

So many hardcore geeks these days are using upwards of three or more displays for their computing rig, yet when it’s time to jog on the treadmill for an hour, we’re forced to downgrade to a single monitor. What sort of quality of life is this? The JW Treadmill desk offers support for multiple displays as well as providing an ample amount of surface space for any knick-knacks or paperwork.

AFC Industries presents their height adjustable JW Treadmill Desk, offering support for up to 5 displays while you perform your daily exercises. This ergonomic desk isn’t limited for use with only treadmills. The desk is totally capable of working with stair steppers and exercise bikes as well. The desktop can even be fabricated to use a variety of laminates, bumper molding, and frame colors to satisfy the most demanding interior decor schemes and themes.

While you might not have the funds needed to purchase multiple monitors just for your exercise desk, allow this to set your mind at ease. If you’re ever in he financial situation to afford multiple displays even while you’re performing your daily workout, the JW Treadmill desk has you covered.

Product Page via BornRich

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Olympus EVOLT E-520 DSLR gets purchased, sample shots abound

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 19th 2008 at 11:03AM
Hey there EVOLT E-520, we nearly forgot you ever existed! Just over a month after Olympus’ latest DSLR first broke cover, one particular individual has managed to corral one from an Austrian shop and snap a few stills. Reportedly, he’s planning to write up a full review, but judging by the way the initial round of shots went, we’re not so sure he’s going to keep it long enough for all of that. As Tam Hanna so bluntly put it, the “autofocus system of the E-520 is the worst [he had] ever seen on a digital camera.” Of course, we suppose it could grow on him with time, but just look at the shots in the read link and you’ll probably agree that said scenario isn’t very likely.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

Dell’s new UltraSharp 2709W 27-inch LCD

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

by Paul Miller, posted Jun 19th 2008 at 12:55PM
Dell just busted out a new member in its storied line of LCDs, the UltraSharp 2709W. The 27-inch LCD is Dell’s followup to the 2707WFP, and features the same 1920 x 1200 resolution, 9-in-2 media card reader and 6ms response time, but bumps the contrast ratio to 3000:1 and goes for some new all-black stylings. Brightness is a mean 450 nits, but the real fun comes with ports: Dell squeezed just about everything known to man in here, including HDMI, DVI-D, VGA, component, composite, and DisplayPort. There’s also a nice collection of USB ports, plus HDCP for good measure. With a three year warranty the display sells for $999, quite the steal compared to the 2707WFP’s intro price of $1,400 last year.

[Thanks, Jonathan]

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Filed under: Displays

NVIDIA busts out GeForce 9800 GTX+ based on 55nm tech

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jun 19th 2008 at 10:12AM
You didn’t think NVIDIA would sit back and let AMD get all big-headed about their 4800 series cards, did you? Of course not. NVIDIA’s new GeForce 9800 GTX+, hot on the heels of the GeForce 9800 GTX, bumps some specs with the help of its new, more efficient 55nm tech. The results include a 738 MHz core, 1836 MHz shader clock, 512MB GDDR3 memory (1000MHz), and 2- and 3-way SLI support. If we have to compare those specs to the stock card’s, well, you’re just not a GPU freak like some of us. Look for it in July for $229 retail.

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Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

Casio cranks out Pro-Series Super Slim Projectors

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 19th 2008 at 8:49AM
And you thought the projector overload from InfoComm was all done. Think again. On the docket today is Casio, who is bringing out a new Pro-Series of PJs that looks quite different from your typical beamer. Both the XJ-SC200 and XJ-S50 series sport a “Super Slim” profile — hailed by Casio as the industry’s slimmest, in fact. Each of the 3.97-pound members will feature an XGA (1,024 x 768) resolution, between 2,500 and 3,000 ANSI lumens, a DLP projection engine and VGA input, while a few even include a USB port for wireless connectivity through an optional WiFi receiver. Both the Super Color and Super Bright models are scheduled to ship in August and will range from $1,299 to $1,599 in price.

[Via FarEastGizmos]

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Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

Verizon LG Decoy Phone

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

The Verizon Decoy launched this week ($179 on a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate) with the much-lauded built-in Bluetooth headset, as well as the usual specs, including a 2 megapixel camera, a 2.2-inch “mirror-like” 240 x 320 display, a micro SD card slot, V CAST music and video support.

Likes: Headset, tools, navigation, 5–way directional joystick, screen & camera resolution (though they could have bumped up to 3.0 megapixels), and sliding ability. My favorite feature? The Bluetooth headset which has superior sound qualit; and I love that I can put it back in the phone when I’m finished using it. (Still, Verizon provides headset insurance, just in case.) One quibble: when the headset is out, the indentation worries my thumb, as if the cover is off.

Next, the tools: The calculator has the ability to do powers, for example 5^2=25. You never know when you may be called on to do advanced math, such as checking your tweenies’ homework. Also, the EZ Tip Calculator is handy, if you’re math challenged like me. Easy to set up, it makes that task very easy. The navigation software is intuitive.

If you like the blackberry Pearl’s scrolling “pearl,” you’ll like the joystick center button on the Decoy. And compared to a Razr, the resolution on the screen is very clear and bright.

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