Gadgets Base

by Nilay Patel, posted Jul 3rd 2008 at 6:56AM
We weren’t exactly hot on MSI’s Titan 700 mini-PC when it first hit back in May, and now that TrustedReviews has had a chance to look one over, it looks like our initial impression wasn’t that far off the mark. Although the diminutive case was stylish in an industrial way, the fit and finish left something to be desired, and the DVD door is apparently rather convoluted. The machine itself, powered by a ULV 2GHz VIA C7M, is “annoyingly audible” when running, and you’re not getting a ton of horsepower in return — a 720p AVI file barely played, and a .mov at the same res brought Windows Media Player to its knees. Like we said last time, unless space is at a premium, you’re probably better off investing $500 into a real PC — even if that means you have to forgo the Darth Vader looks.

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Filed under: Desktops

Some people say that Blu-ray might be the DVD killer. It’s already outed HD-DVD and has established itself as the high-def video standard. I’m yet to own a Blu-ray disc myself. Other than the Blu-ray disc that ships with the PS3 and of course the games which come with the logo emblazoned on the covers. But this might just make me give on the HD disc revolution.

Paramount has announced their release of The Godfather Collection: The Coppola Restoration on Blu-ray in 1080p high definition and offering English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround sound. The four disc tome features all three Godfather flicks as well as an extra disc with a truly impressive list of extra features and documentaries.

Each film is show in BD-50 dual-layer presentation, with a frame-by-frame restoration overseen by director Francis Ford Coppola himself, as well as cinematographer Gordon Willis. Each film includes an audio commentary by Copolla, with the fourth disc featuring multiple featurettes, galleries, deleted scenes, storyboards and trailers.

When the Blu-ray discs drop on September 23rd the whole collection will cost you $120. But luckily for you, we’re giving you the early bird special. You can pre-order the Godfather Collection now for the special price of $86.95 from Amazon.

Press Release and Product Page via PS3Fanboy

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Sometimes Sci-Fi themed speakers can come off overly cheesy.  Usually due to too many details on very cheap materials.  This new USB speaker is fairly simple in looks and manages to just look cool without being over the top.  Somehow, Brando has managed to come out with a lighted speaker without it looking like it should be paired with a blacklight or lava lamp.  Although it still looks overly fitting for a geeky room, it still is not what I’d call tacky.

It doesn’t really look nearly as interesting with the blue light off, and I’m curious how the light looks when it is bright in the room.  I still find it cool though, and it’s not overly expensive.  Which seems to be the other direction that Sci-Fi themed electronics go.  They are either tacky or expensive, one of the two.  Brando’s USB LED Light Tube Speaker is currently being sold for $22.  It comes with all the usual things every other USB speaker comes with, the speaker, a USB power cable as well as an audio cable.  Nothing exciting there, and it probably won’t impress any audiophiles but it is a neat little novelty speaker.

Source: boingboing

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Internet users usually hit a brick wall when trying to search for content that is embedded in Adobe Flash media. Content of this type, whether in SWF or the more common FLV format, are never really available for web-crawling search engines to access. Well, not anymore.

Adobe is teaming up with search giants Google and Yahoo start indexing Flash content and run the Adobe Flash Player on their servers at runtime. Initially, this will mean not only the ability to search Flash content but better search returns for your queries.

The jury is still out whether this move will have huge or limited impact, initial signs bode well, especially when one realizes that there is a wealth of training, e-learning, and marketing content all on the Flash medium.

Google will begin offering Flash search capabilities within the week while Yahoo plans to do so in a future update to Yahoo Search.

Read [InfoWorld]

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So you wanna shoot in the wild?  Long gone are the days of the plain black flip-top camera bag. Now-a-days, photographers have a choice of resting spots for their Precious. And this new carrying case, touted the “Adventure Bag” by Tamrac, is really rather impressive.

To start off, the simple design of the bag is a masterpiece in it’s own right. Sleek and well balanced, with a youthful design… it looks more like a regular backpack than a camera bag, which is actually a good thing for those carrying around pricey equipment and not especially wanting to advertise that fact.  The Adventure Bags feature separate sections to hold all of your goodies. The bottom section is totally foam-padded to safely transport your camera gear, while the top section is built like a standard backpack and can be used to easily carry your snacks, maps, sunscreen, jacket or any other items you may need for your photo jaunt.

The main compartment has a weather flap along with quick-release buckles for super security and weather protection. This is definitely a plus when you are out in the elements on a long hike. The Bag also features Tamrac’s patented Memory and Battery Management System that uses red flags to identify available memory cards and batteries. For those photographers that really like to take their tech with them, the Adventure 9 and 10 also hold up to a 17-inch screen laptop. The Adventure Bag is available in Red/Black or Gray/Black.  Happy shooting!

Read [Tamrac]

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by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jul 3rd 2008 at 8:29AM
If you were concerned that you didn’t look crazy enough screaming into your phone at business associates, family members, and the guy who does your landscaping, Google has added a feature to Maps for RIM devices that should confirm that yes: you’re a total maniac. Available right now for a handful of blackberry phones (8110, 8120, US version of the 8130) you can grab Google Maps with voice search, which enables you to find what you’re looking for by pressing the left-side button and speaking the name of a business (or location, we assume). Sure it sounds convenient, but think twice before searching for hookers or cocaine out loud — stock brokers, you have been warned.

[Via Gear Diary]

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Filed under: cellphones

Gear4 has introduced its BlackBox micro, a portable USB-powered speaker system which is touted as the company’s smallest speaker system to date. The Blackbox micro utilizes SFX technology in delivering high quality sound which you wouldn’t expect a speaker of such size would be capable of giving out. Thanks to its two drivers that work together to product optimal audio output, the Blackbox micro is a must-have speaker system for laptops or music players.

The Blackbox micro can connect to any source devices through its 3.5mm audio cable jack and is powered by a USB cable, so users must make sure to connect the speakers on a computer for continuous power supply. The Blackbox micro is compatible with most ipod models.

This small speaker system will be available in the UK sometime in August and will retail for $40. It will ship with a 3.5mm audio cable, some manuals and two Mini USB to USB cables.

Product [Gear4] Via [electronista]

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by Darren Murph, posted Jul 2nd 2008 at 10:01PM
Oh, that’s right — the Wiimote! For the second time in as many months we’ve got ourselves a bona fide Wiimote wannabe, except for the PC. GoLive2’s Stix collection (200 / 400) are wireless motion-sensing controllers designed to play PC and internet-based games, with Games for Windows titles and “thounsands of free web-based games” called out in particular. According to Brian Zheng, the president of Plahut, Stix will “completely change the way people experience online and PC gaming,” though we definitely have our reservations about that. The Stix 200 will supposedly be compatible with just 2D games, while the Stix 400 gets down with 3D titles; pricing has yet to be disclosed, but feel free to waste your time check these out in August.

[Via I4U News]

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Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

With another July 4th weekend around the corner, here’s the perfect gadget for you grillers - a quick reading temperature probe. Within seconds of sticking this temp fork into your meat, be it fish, beef, lamb, pork or poultry, you’ll know whether it has reached the right temperature.

Works on only 2 AAA batteries, and has a small built-in flashlight to help you figure out the doneness of your barbecue meat.

Gimme!

Price: $24.99
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

Posted in Gizmo of the Day, Holidays, Home Automation

PC World Canada reviews the Nokia 6555 and writes, “There’s also the now-standard cell phone camera on the outside of the case, but at 1.3 megapixels it’s hardly worth mentioning and isn’t a selling point of the phone…It does have a camera, but it’s only 1.3 megapixels, which is a cell phone standard, and should only be used for quick, unimpressive shots, or when a better camera is further than a 10 minute walk or drive away.”

Read more about the Nokia 6555.