Gadgets Base

DISH Network will be first to bring you* 1080p resolution HD content through broadcast means.  Say goodbye to the 720 garbage you’ve been forced to watch and bask in the 1080p you should have had all along.  Available tomorrow is “I am Legend” video on demand will be in full 1080p.

The asterisk after “you” above means you may not actually be “you”.  According to Electronista:

The upgrade in resolution isn’t available for all subscribers but will be a no-charge addition for anyone who owns an HD DVR capable of playing MPEG-4 video. A software upgrade will be pushed out at the same time as the 1080p service that enables playing the video format, though no mention is made of supporting the HD resolution for recording regular TV shows.

No word on how smooth the image will be or if it’s compression means we’ll be seeing chopped action.  Either way, it is a step in the right direction.

Read [Electronista]

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Even though I cringed with each pull on a $5 slot machine, I still like the idea of Cantor Gaming’s new eDeck handheld gambling device. Available for high rollers (i.e., those who wrap chewed gum in $50 bills to play trash-can basketball with), the mobile gaming unit taps into the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas and allows gamblers to play slots, blackjack, and other games from the High Limit Slot Salon.

Why would this appeal to someone like me, who now sticks to quarter slots? Sentimental reasons, really. First, my husband and I got married at the Venetian. Second, my parents go to Vegas three to four times a year (no joke) because my mom loves to gamble. Third, my best friend lives in Vegas. And fourth, it’s a pocketable device.

None of this has anything to do with the eDeck directly, I know, but something that combines technology with the Venetian and Vegas is just something I need to share.

Via CrunchGear.

The typically content-stingy NFL has made the decision to broadcast it’s games live over the net.  Heck yeah!  This is super-exciting news not just for sports fans but for those who can’t wait for the TV to Internet transformation.  Soon your TV won’t be held hostage to the Cable company for content.  And content is king.

Those of us that caught the webisodes of Joss Whedons Dr. Horrible know that good stuff can be made just for the net and it has the interest of a lot of indie type players to widen our content options.  TV as internet will do for TV shows what the internet is doing for music.  You’ll find new stuff you never even knew was out there.  Build your own TV station.  The trick is, can anyone figure out how to make money off it.

NBC will be selling the predictable advertising that will go along with the stream.  Surely, we’ll be forced to sit through some pitch for an amazing new laundry detergent.

Now that the NFL is jumping on board, how can the rest of the non-concussed content makers not take notice?

Read [ars techinca]

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In an effort to use renewable energy sources and less polluting products, I’m surprised that I never see barbecues being targeted. Everyone always thinks of cars or big industrial factories as the ones that leave the huge carbon footprint, but no one thinks about grilling. I mean, if you’re burning something, that smoke has to go somewhere. And I’m certain that propane is some sort of pollutant because it smells so funny.

It appears that someone has addressed this issue with the Helios, an energy-efficient outdoor cooker. The dish that you see is not designed to pick up 400 stations, but for collecting solar energy. The solar dish, which is safely pointed away from you while cooking, is designed to heat a coil inside the barbeque and cook food.

Of course, what if you want to barbecue at night? Well, if the sun is not out for whatever reason, the user can always rely on electrical power. The Helios has a retractable plug that is stored in the base.

Unfortunately, this Helios is just a concept in its present form. Once it gets developed, the days of the Weber are over. Yes, the Helios is the barbecuing wave of the future!

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It goes without saying that having some sort of car-based computer these days is the in-thing, as in-dash DVD players don’t just make the cut any more. KNGT of Korea has just launched a new multimedia-capable car PC known as icom MK1, and this will be powered by Windows XP. It will come with a 6.95″ wide touch screen display (why can’t they just use a 7″ display instead beats me) at 800 x 480 resolution, an on-screen keyboard, and Wi-Fi connectivity that is able to stay connected via telecommunication service providers such as SK, KT and Nespot. You ought not to get lost with the icom MK1 since it boasts an Internet map for you to get around.

Source: AVing

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Here’s another entrant to the expanding “nettop” or mini desktop PC market, the Shuttle KPC 4800 which is very similar to the KPC 4500 which was announced by Shuttle last year. This affordable mini desktop PC runs on Foresight Linux but users can choose to upgrade to the 32-bit Windows Vista.

In addition, the KPC 4800 features Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium or even Core 2 Duo processor, 512MB up to 2GB RAM, 80 to 160GB hard drive with provision for dual hard drives, optical drive, several ports for PS/2 keyboard and mouse, Gigabit LAN port, VGA output, D-sub port, serial port, front out connector, real surround out connector, center/base connector, and wireless port perforation.

Pricing for the Shuttle KPC 4800 can go as low as $279 for the basic Linux model and $479 for the Vista-powered units. Of course, you still have to consider the costs of keyboard, mouse and other peripherals that you need to buy to use the mini desktop.

Product [Shuttle] Via [Crave]

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by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jul 31st 2008 at 8:45AMIf you woke up this morning worried about what Yahoo! is planning to do for its Music Store customers who are about to be left in the lurch with its DRM server shut-down, have no fear. Yahoo! has announced that it will offer customers coupons or refunds for those songs you bought. Basically, you’ll get a coupon that you can use at RealNetworks Inc.’s Rhapsody download service. Their songs, of course, are DRM-free. For those of you who have “serious problems with this arrangement” (their words, not ours), refunds will be available. The servers go down on September 30, so start combing your collections, kids.

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Filed under: Portable Audio

by Nilay Patel, posted Jul 31st 2008 at 2:32AMWhile FireWire 800 gear is still pretty rare and we’ve only seen one piece of FireWire 1600 kit, the IEEE is still pushing the standard forward — it’s just approved the 1394-2008 spec, which includes both FireWire 1600 and 3200. Interestingly, the spec is fully backwards compatible with both 400 and 800 ports, but it remains to be seen which connector gets used more prevalently. We’ll find out in October, when the spec is made available to manufacturers — looks like that controversial 2010 launch of USB 3.0 just got upstaged a little, huh?

[Via CrunchGear]

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Filed under: Peripherals

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jul 31st 2008 at 4:51AM
After a long long delay from that March 2007 announcement, Sony Japan just opened its doors to applications for the closed beta testing of playstation Home. Sony expects to drop 10,000 gamers (18 years old and up) into the virtual world when it launches in beta sometime in late August. Closed beta tests are due in other markets (er hem, the US) at about the same time with an open beta coming sometime later in the year. Lucky beta testers will be able to explore the 3D world and play games like PacMan in the Namco Museum, both of which are pictured after the break.

[Via Impress]

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Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jul 31st 2008 at 2:04AM
Remember the ASUS Eee PC roadmap we peeped a few days back? Right, the one that lists the new Ultimate S-series and Pro Fashion Eee PCs amongst the 23 models. Turns out both categories are planned for a 2008 launch with specs like dual-core Atom processors, 120GBs of hard disk, and 32GB SSDs. This according to ASUS president, Jerry Shen. The first Eee PC with a 32GB SSD (wink wink Buffalo) will launch in late September and feature a 10-inch, 16:9 aspect LED backlit display and battery life of about 4-5 hours. As members of the Exquisite and Extremely slim and light S-series, these Eee(ee) PCs will cost between $700 to $900 with the “high-end market” in mind. Funny, we didn’t know there was a high-end to the race to the bottom.

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Filed under: Laptops