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Toshiba DVD player

2009-09-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

Toshiba HD-E1KR - DVD player.

Main technical characteristics:

Плеер работает со CD-R/RW, DVD±R, DVD±RW. Player works with the following media formats: CD-R/RW, DVD ± R, DVD ± RW.Supports progressive scan - HDMI. There is a High Definition Multimedia Interface - HDMI.
430x66x345 мм. Player size: 430x66x345 mm.
DVD плеера Toshiba HD-E1KR: Additional functions and specifications DVD player Toshiba HD-E1KR:

Video Processor 297MGts/12bit
Ethernet Terminal

Interactive capabilities:

Picture-in-picture
Overlay
Interactive menu
Internet Connecting to the Internet

Полезно знать: Good to know:

Digital Theatre System (DTS) Digital Theatre System (DTS)
DTS Dolby Digital (DD) DTS - Alternative Dolby Digital (DD) system for decoding digital six-channel surround sound.

S-Video S-Video
S-Video — специальный вход или выход для прямого подключения видеоисточника к телевизору. S-Video - a special input or output for direct connection of a video source to your TV. Предотвращает появление цветовой бахромы и сползание точек. Prevents the appearance of color fringes and slide points. Другое обозначение — Y/C. Another sign - Y / C.

Home Theater By LG

2009-09-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

Home Theater LG HT-462DZ is a system, such as 2.1.
: Main technical characteristics:

DVD, CD. The device supports the following media formats: DVD, CD. DVD,
VCD, AudioCD, MPEG4, MP3, JPEG. It can play these formats: DVD, VCD, AudioCD, MPEG4,
MP3, JPEG. - HDMI. There is a High Definition Multimedia Interface - HDMI.

400 Вт.
The total nominal power speaker system is 400 Tues Installation Type - shelving.
В. The device provides for a karaoke system.
LG HT-462DZ: Additional features and characteristics of home theater LG HT-462DZ:

* Звук 3D Surround Sound Sound 3D Surround Sound
* Порт USB USB Port

Полезно знать: Good to know:

Dolby Digital 5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1
. The format of the audio data for multichannel sound.: Calculated based on 6
independent channels of digital audio: stereo front left and right, center-line
and two stereo rear channels, plus a special low-frequency channel for a subwoofer.
Digital Theatre System (DTS) Digital Theatre System (DTS)
DTS — Dolby Digital. DTS - audio coding format, characterized by low
"compression ratio" of the original signal is removed at about three times less data than Dolby Digital.

XFX 9600 GT 512MB DDR III

2009-08-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

The new 9xxx series video cards from Nvidia will wait no more. The first of the 9xxx Nvidia graphics cards has arrived. The x600 designation of the series would lead one to believe that the 9600GT is the successor to the 8600 series. Will its performance be the start of a new round of speculation about its upcoming big brothers? Only time will tell the tale. Features of the XFX 9600GT include 512mb of GDDR3 memory clocked at 900MHz (1.8GHz) and a core clock of 650 MHz on its G94 core. These clock speeds are similar to many an 8800GT on the market. A mid range card with big core clock and memory speeds makes one think.

Motorola AURA

2009-08-07T07:07:00.001-07:00

MOTOROLA Motorola AURA The aura is a real luxury item and skillfully combines
Goldsmith's art, horology and telephony. Number of screens / displays 1 display technology Sapphire Crystal Display monitor size (in pixels) 1.55 "display 480 pixels Number of Colors on the monitor 16
Million colors frequencies Quadband GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz networks, GPRS / EDGE WAP / GPRS WAP 2.0 xHTML browser GPRS Class 10 (4 +2) EDGE SMS / MMS / E-mail EMS SMS, intuitive text input (T9),
SMS MMS chat e-mail client Yes Java applications downloads ringtones, screen backgrounds,Java games and applications connectivity Bluetooth 2.0 1 USB 2.0 port built-in modem Bluetooth Bluetooth stereo (A2DP) Infrared port No PC IntegratedModem Yes Synchronization Yes Another USB 2.0 port USB charger microphone 1000 names addressbook 2 GB Internal Memory Slot No external memory card Supported Speicherkartentyp None Maximum capacity of memory card
No capacity of the included memory card device without a memory card Polyphonic Ringtones Games Wallpapers Yes Yes Languages English, French camera sensor Yes Photo
video and sensor Maximum resolution (in pixels) 2 megapixel digital zoom 8x Optical zoom No Flash No

ViewSonic’s 22” widescreen LCD

2009-07-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

ViewSonic’s 22” VLED221wm widescreen LCD
features a mercury-free LED backlight that requires less power than a standard 22” LCD yet produces exceptionally brilliant colour and crystal-clear images. OptiColor 118% NTSC and Super-HD 1680 x 1050 resolution deliver the deepest colour rendition, while the 16:10 widescreen panel allows users to work in two documents or applications side-by-side. Unmatched 12000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio (typ.) further supports the VLED221wm’s excellent front-of-screen performance with the blackest blacks and whitest whites. OptiSync digital and analogue inputs and integrated speakers expand this display’s multimedia versatility. Gamers, movie fans, graphic designers and home offi ce users will love the performance and style of the VLED221wm.

SAMSUNG GT-S8000 JET

2009-07-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

In mid-April wrote the first phone from Cubic series of Samsung, where the technical description occasionally appear in the Russian online shop "Evrosety. Then we thought, and the premiere of the model name S8000, but it never took place. Then we thought, and the premiere of the model name S8000, but it never took place. Now the site clipset.net able to publish new photos of the device together with the demonstration video you can see below. Now the site clipset.net able to publish new photos of the device together with the demonstration video you can see below. We understand that the name and the phone has Samsung S8000 Jet and that can be managed through gestures and bob through the built-in motion sensor. We understand that the name and the phone has Samsung S8000 Jet and that can be managed through gestures and bob through the built-in motion sensor.
remind you that the S8000 will have a new graphical interface, called the Cubic, which is presented in a 3D cube, and as can be seen in the video, used for fast access to multimedia functions. Remind, S8000 that will have a new graphical interface, called the Cubic, which is presented in a 3D cube, and as can be seen in the video, used for fast access to multimedia functions. TouchWiz has uidzheti with the possibility to download new ones. TouchWiz has uidzheti with the possibility to download new ones. If you guess, is similarly determined and 3D interface LG Arena, although the cube here is used for other purposes. If you guess, is similarly determined and 3D interface LG Arena, although the cube here is used for other purposes. The device has a 3.1 "AMOLED touch display with resolution 480 x 800 pixels, representing up to 16M colors 5MR avtofokus camera with flash and 3.5 millimeters and Audio output. Among the other" talent "to discover S8000 aGPS receiver, able to connect to Wi-Fi networks , FM radio with RDS and player, supports playback of DivX, H.263, H.264, MPEG-4 and XviD videoformati. The device has a 3.1 "AMOLED touch display with resolution 480 x 800 pixels, representing up to 16M colors 5MR camera with avtofokus and lightning and 3.5 mm Audio output. Among the other "talent" to find the S8000 receiver aGPS, able to connect to Wi-Fi networks, FM RDS radio and a player that supports playback of DivX, H.263, H.264, MPEG-4 XviD videoformat

Nikon Coolpix P90

2009-06-22T01:29:00.000-07:00

It's always nice to see what contortions some amateur photographer's eye behind the screen or the viewfinder of his camera trying to jam. Since helping the brightest display is not: If the angle is too large, is on an LCD screen at some point no longer visible. Who is no longer quite so agile, it should perhaps start with the Nikon Coolpix P90 seek. The new compact camera is not the first model with a folding screen in the ranks of Superzoom there is in this respect not much competition. Pity that the display is not even on the side can be folded.

Clearly there is more competition when it comes to the focal area. The Pentax X70, for example, offers also a 24-fold zoom, the record currently highlighted the Olympus SP-590UZ with a 26-fold telescope. All three models start at wide angle and close to the super macro mode, the motif of a centimeter - so it is enough for any application scope. The Nikon P90 is placed with the other about the same. Both the wide-angle and zoom in extreme distortion are observed, but still in bounds.

Complicated operation

The detailed resolution of the combination of optics and 12-megapixel sensor is no reason to complain, the noise behavior is similar to what you need for a sensor chip of this size can be expected. With a larger sensor, the Coolpix P90 is without doubt a serious competitor reflex. A little fresh ideas in Nikon has the potential photo-packed modes. New is still a car-scene mode, from the environmental conditions the most suitable program determines motif. This requires the camera about two to three seconds.

Experienced photographers, and for the Nikon Coolpix P90 even more thought, you can when photographing each parameter manually. This is in the P90 a bit more complicated than some competitors, because they almost always through the menus hangeln needs. There is admittedly a thumb-friendly control knob in the vicinity of the shutter, but this changed in manual mode only aperture or exposure time, nothing else. Otherwise Nikon adheres to the usual conventions - on the pad to get to the macro, flash, batch release (including Lächelmodus and Blinzelprüfung) and exposure compensation.

D-Link DIR-685 Xtreme N Wireless-N Storage Router

2009-06-14T02:30:00.000-07:00

D-Link DIR-685 Xtreme N Wireless-N Storage Router
The D-Link DIR-685 also has an integrated NAS solution and is also equipped with an LCD screen that can serve more as a digital photo.
The D-Link DIR 685 is an all-in-one wireless router. The device has a static design and internal antennae. This wireless-N router received the Red Dot Award 2009.
The 3.2-inch LCD performs different functions. It can be digital photos and videos show and RSS streams show. You can also weather and other content of the Internet in view. In addition, the display of the network status and condition of the unit. Through the free service of Frame Channel partner you can easily manage content and personalize.Share Port
The DIR-685 is equipped with two USB ports to any standard D-Link Share Port technology. This feature allows your USB devices via the network share with all users: printers, multifunctional, scanners, external hard disks, etc.

Nokia N97 in France

2009-06-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

After a year of waiting, the Nokia N97 is finally lunched in France. Touch over-equipped, the N97 is aimed primarily at professionals and geeks fortunate. Is it the mobile all-in-one that many expect? Response in this test N97
From desktop to laptop and now even in your pocket, the Nokia N97 is the computer mobile multi-sensor most powerful ever built to date, "says Jonas Geust, Vice President, head of Nokia Nseries. "With Ovi services announced today the Nokia N97 mobile computer adapts to the world around us so we can stay connected to things and people we cherish. With the Nokia N97, the Nseries range leads the way in helping you make the Internet your Internet.

Olympus Digital Voice Recorder WS-200S

2009-06-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

Making a report or minutes
a meeting for many a
task. Once several people and
talking is difficult to record everything.
I am also against stalled. So you ga
looking for a tool.
In this modern age is a tape recorder
hopelessly outdated. And so I came to Olympus
Digital Voice Recorder WS-200S on the track.
It is a beautiful piece of art. The WS -
200S is very compact, weighs only 54 grams
and allows 54 hours
to take. Is quality of a recording
required, then stores the WS-200S only 4 hours and
20 minutes, but in stereo.
Is the image ready to get the upper
part separately and place this into a free USB port.
There are no drivers to install.
You can. Wma recording direct interception. The WS-200S operates on 1 AAA battery and Alkeline
it can then forward to 13 hours. The company
Conrad paying € 89.95 for you.

Samsung Pixon 12 Camera with a Phone Built-in

2009-06-07T01:37:00.000-07:00

I loathe the camera in my first gen iPhone. I have tried to use it on several occasions and it simply isn’t worth the time it takes to try and use the camera. If you want to take a picture of something that doesn’t move it works most of the time, but try and shoot a pic in a dim room or of something moving and you are out of luck.

Samsung has officially announced its new Pixon 12 camera phone and it sounds like they started with a camera and added the phone as an accessory rather than the other way around. The Pixon 12 has 12-megapixels and a full AMOLED touchscreen. The camera also has a Xenon power LED flash and a wide-angle 28mm lens.

Users can touch the 3.1-inch touchscreen in camera mode to tell the autofocus where to focus in framed shots. The camera phone can also record full motion video at 30fps at a resolution of 720 x 480. The device operates on HSPA 900/2100MHz and GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900MHz networks. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an FM tuner are built-in as well.

Open your garage door with a swipe of your finger

2009-05-12T02:13:00.000-07:00

I must say that I miss having my own garage. In these winter months it gets quite cold, and I really hate running out to my car to get it warmed up. One of my favorite things about my old garage was the garage door openers. There was one for each car with a single button for opening and closing the door. There was also one mounted on the outside of the garage with a number pad. This one was especially handy, as when I would be working out in the lawn I could easily open the giant door without going all the way into the garage. Unfortunately, my wife never bothered to memorize the password, so she would simply ignore it and open the door from the inside. That’s why my next garage will have a smartTOUCH Garage Door Opener.

This particular garage door opener uses a biometric scanner to validate your identity. A simple swipe of your finger is all that’s needed to open your door. It can hold up to 20 different fingerprints, so you can add anyone you need. The opener works with most garage door systems and works right out of the box. These can be had for just $129.95.

The Sega Mega Drive Returns!

2009-03-24T04:56:00.002-07:00

Get ready for some retro gaming fun, as Blaze has just released details of a new Mega Drive console.

The Blaze Sega Mega Drive console will come with 15 games including, Golden Axe, Altered Beast, Alex Kidd, Sonic and Knuckles, and it also has a cartridge slot so you will be able to play any Mega Drive game on it, from any region.

I think I may have to invest in one of these, the Sega Mega Drive was one of my favourite consoles, it is on sale in the UK now for £40 about $53.

11.6 Inch Acer Aspire One Netbook

2009-03-24T04:53:00.001-07:00

It looks like Acer has another addition to their popular Aspire One range of netbooks, a new model with an 11.6 inch screen.

This new Acer Aspire One, has a larger screen the current models, and will be capable of a 1366 x 768 resolution, processing will come from an Intel Atom Z530 processor, and it will also have a more advanced graphics processor than current models, which will be capable of H.264 decoding.

gScreen TITAN M-1 Laptop for Tough Conditions

2009-03-24T04:53:00.000-07:00

The gScreen TITAN M-1 is a brand new laptop developed for the US Navy. The portable laptop features a multi-screen, it is resistant and can be used during battle.

The goal of this laptop computer is to be able to work in really tough conditions. The gScreen TITAN M-1 meets the military's MIL-STD 810F standards, measuring 15.4-inch LED-backlit display screens.

It can be powered by either Intel Core 2 Duo 2.8 GHz T9600 or P8400 2.26-GHz processor. It is also available either with 4GB or 8 GB of memory.

In addition, one can choose between a 160GB or 500GB 7200-rpm HD hard drive. Currently there has been no information regarding the price of this laptop.

Here are some of the laptop's other specifications:

- NVIDIA Quadro FX 2700M Graphics with 512MB dedicated memory or NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GT with 512MB dedicated memory;

- Ports: USB 2.0 (x6), VGA, Display Port, RJ-45, Audio, Firewire 1394 Powered 6-pin
6 and 9-cell battery available

From February 25, 2009, customers are free to reserve the G400 dual screen laptop computer, which is the first to include two 15.4-inch identical screens along with a full-size keyboard.

New Open Computer - Powerful Mac Clone PC

2009-03-24T04:51:00.000-07:00

Despite its court battle with Apple over the use of the latter's Mac OS X operating system, Psystar probably decided to heat up its situation by launching a new Open Computer model.

The company says that its new Open (3) is going to be "Smaller, Faster and Sexier". In addition, the device will feature Intel's E7400 Core2Duo processor that runs at 2.8GHz.

Open (3) is 50 percent faster and 47 percent smaller than its predecessor. Currently the new computer's standard configuration features a 500GB SATA storage, and GeForce 8400GS video card with 256MB of dedicated video memory.

Among the optional equipment, one may choose an 802.11n wireless adapter, Firewire card, and an all-in-one card reader. The latter is able to read the popular removable media, including SD cards, Compact Flash, and Sony's Memory Stick formats.

Just like the previous version, the new Open (3) will include Mac OS X and its price will start at 9 in the United States.

The company also upgraded its OpenPro computer's standard configuration and now it has a 1TB SATA hard drive, 8GB of system memory and dual-DVI GeForce 9500 video card featuring 512MB dedicated video memory. The price of the OpenPro computer will start at 54.99.

New 5730 XpressMusic with QWERTY Slider from Nokia

2009-03-24T04:47:00.000-07:00

Popular cell phone manufacturer Nokia recetly presented a new model from the music-focused XpressMusic family - the 5730, which represents a mid-range handset with a QWERTY slider. This cell phone is made of metal and plastic chassis and features XpressMusic 128MB RAM, 140MB memory, 3.2MP autofocus camera with Carl Zeiss lens and LED flash.

Samsung to Create Windows Mobile Smartphones?

2009-03-24T04:46:00.002-07:00

A post on Expansys' staff blog states that Samsung is currently working on the development of 2 brand new Windows Mobile Professional smartphones. One is called Samsung Louve. It looks like an HTC TyTN II, featuring a tilting screen, 3.2mp camera. The other resembles Samsung SGH-i900 Omnia and is dubbed Samsung Pivot. It features a 5 mp camera.

Hybrid PA Bag You Don't Need to Carry

2009-03-24T04:46:00.001-07:00

Live Luggage represents a new type of luggage. It includes power assistance along with an anti-gravity handle, which puts 85 percent of the weight over the wheels. In addition, the device incorporates a Live Locator ID, allowing you to find your luggage in case you lost it. Live Luggage comes with a laptop and an umbrella.

Sony's Special Edition Reader Digital Book to Rival Amazon Kindle

2009-03-24T04:45:00.001-07:00

Don't be in a hurry to buy Amazon's Kindle, take look at this new Ian Fleming Special Edition Reader from Sony. The device comes with free a download for two Ian Fleming ebooks. This James Bond-like gadget also comes with a beige suede cover featuring '007' imprinted on it and its retail price is $ 299. It is 1/3" thin, storing up up to 160 eBooks.

The Album - Portable Digital Photo Gallery

2009-03-24T04:43:00.000-07:00

This is a great portable gadget that can store up to 40,000 images (4GB). The 7-inch digital photo gallery can be connected to either PC or digital camera. You can also insert an SD card. The storrage can be expanded up to 20GB. The gadget comes with a leather carry case. It is compatible with memory sticks, flash drives and external HDDs.

Dell XPS 435: High-performance Desktop PC from Dell

2009-03-24T04:40:00.000-07:00

Dell XPS 435: High-performance Desktop PC from Dell
Feb 25, 2009
The Dell's official website offers a review of its new XPS 435, which is a high-end desktop PC with Core i7 Extreme, powerful graphics and optional Blu-Ray drive.

You can install up to 24GB of RAM and if that's not enough then check this out - there is 4.5TB of hard drive space.

Dell XPS 435 features a piano black surface in front, white on the side enriched with a "Ferrari red".

Inside the case you'll have enough space to upgrade the PC.

This desktop computer allows you to simultaneously manage multiple applications with ease.

With the help of Intel Dynamic Speed Technology the computer provides an 8-threaded performance with 4 cores. Thus you can easily record television shows while surfing the Internet with the system working perfectly.

There is a tri-channel DDR3 memory and in addition you are offered 6 DIMM slots for expandability as well as an incorporated memory controller.

The graphic card is ATI Radeon HD4870 1GB. The reality comes with the Studio XPS's first graphics card featuring GDDR5 memory.

The desktop from Dell has an integrated 7.1 audio.

Besides you can expand your display by linking to an external monitor or TV through HDMI port.

Studio XPS 435 includes a built-in infrared receiver, thus the user can control media center by using a remote control.

Skype to be Incorporated In Nokia Smartphones

2009-03-24T04:38:00.000-07:00

At the Mobile World Congress trade show, which took place is Barcelona, companies announced that Skype, software people can use to make phone calls over the Internet, will be iniatially introduced in Nseries smartphones developed by the popular multinational communications corporation Nokia.

It is worth mentioning that the Nseries smartphones run on the company's Symbian S60 operating system.

The fist model to feature Skype will be Nokia N97. The company will start commercializing the device in June. There is yet no information regarding the U.S. carrier for the gadget.

The address-book of the phone will be connected to the Skype software to make users aware when their Skype contacts are online so they can make free voice calls or send SMS.
Users will also have the possibility to make phone calls from the integrated Skype to other mobile phones or landline numbers. For these services, however, users will have to pay.

The Skype on Nokia's Nseries will work perfectly on both high-speed 3G cellular data networks and Wi-Fi.

Users already have the possibility to download the software because the application is available on the Internet for a number of operating systems and mobile phones, including different products from Nokia.

Samsung N110 to Become a Successful Netbook

2009-03-24T04:37:00.001-07:00

amsung announced its new N110 netbook, which includes the same memory and storage capacity as its predecessor, the NC10.

The new netbook from Samsung features 1.6 GHz Atom N270 processor and a keyboard borrowed from the NC10 model.

The N110 netbook, however, includes a bigger battery, which allows the device to work on a single battery charge for 8 hours.

In addition, Samsung's new gadget includes a more user-friendly touch pad. Its design looks quite fashionable, having a red-rimmed mate exterior.

The touchpad measures 2.5 x 1.3 inches in size, featuring an upgraded mouse button, which, however, does not include a divot to part the left and right size with a rocker bar.

The netbook's measures 10.3 x 7.3 x 1.2 inch size - the same size that made its forerunner NC10 one of the favorite gadgets for working on the go.

Performance and design make Samsung N110 an ideal, fast netbook, being able to compete with other popular netbooks, such as those manufactured by Asus.

iBUYPOWER Presents Gamer Power 906

2009-03-24T04:36:00.001-07:00

The Los Angeles-based enterprise iBUYPOWER Computer teamed up with Tiger Direct, which is a subsidiary of Systemax, a US computer hardware company with headquarters in Port Washington, New York, to create the new Gamer Power 906.

The features of the new computer include:

- Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 Processor;
- 4GB DDR-2 RAM;
- Nvidia 9600GT1GB GPU;
- 500GB SATA storage;
- 600-watt PSU

All components within the Gamer Power 906 are stored in a spacious NZXT Alpha Chassis that has a silent cooling solution along with professional cable management system.

The chassis also include preinstalled neon lights for a more stunning look.

The Gamer Power from iBUYPOWER can be purchased for $ 710.

It is worth mentioning that iBUYPOWER Computer is a company that is in alliance with American Future Technology Corporation, AFT, the two being located in Los Angeles County, the middle of Southern California.

Tiger Direct, in its turn is a direct online dealer of computer electronic items. The company also operates 7 retail stores in the United States and 4 in Canada.

All-in-one Atomic Time Watch

2009-03-23T02:49:00.000-07:00

Keeps perfect time while you roam

If you travel overseas (or just want to look like someone who travels overseas) this watch will keep your time perfectly in sync with the official atomic time. The receiver inside the All-in-one Atomic Time Watch can receive the NIST time signal originating in Fort Collins, CO to keep your watch accurate within the U.S. In addition it can receive similar atomic time signals originating in Japan (the JJY time signal), England (the MSF time signal) and Germany (DCF77).

This is a sharp looking watch and it's very reasonably sized for an atomic time model (it's not big or bulky). Push button backlight display and many other features (calendar, alarm, countdown timer) make this a very handy gadget - even if you never leave home.

Radio control calibration function - syncs with atomic time signal in US, Europe, Asia
Push button backlight display
Calendar, stopwatch, alarms, countdown timer
World time, date, day of week, week number
Plastic case, rubber strap
3 ATM water resistant
Case dimensions: 1.6" x 1.6" x .35" (40 x 40 x 12mm)

Sony Ericsson warns of deepening losses

2009-03-22T04:09:00.001-07:00

Sony Ericsson has warned of worsening losses in its upcoming quarterly financial results, blaming weak consumer demand for a drop in sales.

In a statement released by the handset maker Friday, Sony Ericsson said its results for the first quarter of 2009 would probably reflect losses of 340 million to 390 million euros ($460 million to $528 million). Those results will come out on April 17. In the previous quarter, the company lost 187 million euros.

Sony Ericsson estimated it would ship around 14 million handsets during the quarter, with an average selling price of 120 euros.

Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi said in a separate statement that the global handset market "continues to be challenging," despite some signs of quarter-on-quarter improvement in China and India.

"Imaging and music are now features that most vendors have in their portfolio and this is making it more difficult for Sony Ericsson's products to stand out," Milanesi said. "Increased competition in Western Europe coupled with a slower market and the delay in adopting touchscreen devices are heavily impacting Sony Ericsson's performance."

In January, Milanesi warned that 2009 would be a deciding year for Sony Ericsson, after the manufacturer announced its losses for the fourth quarter of 2008. A week later, Ericsson--one of the joint venture's two parent companies--cited a "dramatic drop in the contribution" from Sony Ericsson as one reason why its profits for that quarter showed a 31 percent year-on-year fall.

Hands-on: iTunes Remote App

2009-03-22T03:17:00.000-07:00

We've had a few minutes to play with the Remote App (download) for the iPhone. The (not surprising) verdict? It's an easy must-have for any iPhone or iPod Touch owner who enjoys listening to music at home.

Once you've upgraded your iPhone (or Touch) to version 2.0, just go to the App Store and search on "remote." (Amazingly, that--not "iRemote"--is the program's official name.) You can download it straight to the phone over a Wi-Fi connection (tap the word "free" on the upper right corner), and it auto-installs, adding a new icon to your home screen.

Setup is dead simple. Start by making sure that your iPhone is on the same local Wi-Fi network as the Apple TV or PC/Mac you want to control; also, be sure you're running the latest version 7.7 of iTunes for Windows and Mac on the computer in question. Otherwise, pairing the iPhone is almost identical to that of pairing an Apple TV--the initial settings screen on the Remote software will ask you to choose a library, and give you a four-digit code. Pop the code into iTunes (the phone should appear listed under "devices" in the left-hand nav), and you're good to go. Pairing the iPhone with the Apple TV is basically the same--just go to the "Remotes" option under the general settings menu, and key in the code there.

And that's it--once they're paired, you have near total control over your iTunes software or your Apple TV. And it's not just music. Yes, you'll get the normal iTunes access to your library, by song, genre, artists, albums, and playlists, but you also get control over music videos, TV shows, movies, and podcasts. Transport controls for video--play/pause, fast-forward, and rewind--were impressively responsive, with nary a delay. On the iPhone screen, you'll get the album art/title screen after a few seconds as well.

In short, the remote gives you full iTunes access in the palm of your hand. It's a godsend for anyone who hooks their computer to a stereo or TV to listen to iTunes music or watch iTunes videos--you can now sit on the sofa and dial up anything you want without having to run back and forth to the keyboard, or investing in some third-party add-on. The benefit for Apple TV is a bit less direct--that system already has a best-in-class on-screen interface controlled by the tiny Apple remote--but you can now shut off the TV if you just want to listen to music through your stereo, or crank up tunes from a nearby room when you don't have line-of-sight access to the TV. And you don't have to sacrifice your phone, either--we successfully fielded a call, and then went straight back to the Remote App with no rockiness whatsoever.

NVIDIA, Sony, ink deal to bring PhysX to the PS3

2009-03-22T03:03:00.000-07:00

NVIDIA announced that it will provide the binary version of the PhysX software development kit (SDK) to all registered PS3 developers. All interested developers will be able to download the software package from the SCEI Developer Network. NVIDIA describes the offering as consisting of an API, a "robust" physics engine, and associated tools. Developers who choose to leverage the kit, according to NVIDIA, are able to "author and preview physics effects in real time." The GPU maker also boasts that "the continued adoption of NVIDIA PhysX technology by the world’s leading content developers is resulting in games that not only look as realistic as possible, but also provides gaming experiences where the world’s literally come to life."

NVIDIA's deal with Sony to bring PhysX the entire library of PS3 developers comes just a few months after the company announced new PhysX licensing agreements between itself, EA, and 2K. For the past nine months, NVIDIA has focused its marketing and product development teams around the idea that NVIDIA is more—much more—than just a GPU/motherboard chipset designer. Combined with Atom, NVIDIA is HD playback, low power consumption, and mobile gaming (Ion). GPUs aren't just for 3D gaming anymore, they're meant to handle video transcoding (and a few additional tasks we can't talk about just yet).

PhysX, CUDA, and the "GPUs are good for more than gaming" motto all tend to go together in NVIDIA's marketing playbook; it's surprising to see the company touting the benefits of PhysX without mention of the other two. Then again, PhysX isn't necessarily an automatic best-fit solution for the PS3. The Playstation 3's GPU is a derivative of NVIDIA's G70 processor. Unlike G80 and all parts since, the G70 split its pixel shader and vertex shader resources into discrete units. The PS3 might be able to handle certain physics operations using the G70's support for pixel shader 3.0—the Havok physics engine is apparently capable of doing so—but that's not CUDA, and it's not PhysX.

The idea of marrying PhysX and the PS3, however, is significantly older than NVIDIA's acquisition of Ageia. Based on the now-defunct company's press releases, version 2.4 of the PhysX SDK with full Cell support was released on March 22, 2006. It's not clear if that release resulted in any serious game development, but NVIDIA has significantly more resources (even in today's economy) to dedicate towards game development. The GPU inside the PS3 may not be capable of handling CUDA, but the high-level differences between Cell and the original Ageia PPU may not be all that huge.

Back on March 12, 2007, Ars' Jon Stokes wrote: "I'm certain that the PhysX PPU consists of multiple identical cores (maybe with one or two unique cores, like Cell's PPE, but probably not), and that each of those cores has its own local storage. In other words, PhysX almost certainly looks a lot like Cell, but with more cores, and probably more per-core local storage. Game developers can use this type of architecture to implement any number of physics models, but that's just one application for the chip."

More pertinent questions include whether developers will actually take advantage of the PhysX SDK, and if they do, whether they'll use its capabilities in a meaningful way. You've got to give NVIDIA a bit of credit when it comes to hammering home its "We're more than just a graphics company" message these past 7-9 months. Despite the blows the company has taken, its oft-repeated focus may be catching the attention of the developers, OEMs, and partners NVIDIA needs.

Cisco announced Flip Video camera

2009-03-22T02:29:00.000-07:00

Cisco on Thursday announced its intent to acquire Pure Digital Technologies, the San Francisco, CA maker of the Flip Video camera. The networking giant will pay around $590 million in stock, and in exchange it will gain all shares of Pure Digital and a healthy gadget startup with which to continue its inroads into the consumer marketplace.

Pure Digital appeared quietly a few years ago with the Flip, a highly pocketable line of digital video cameras that shoot up to 60 minutes of video on internal flash storage. The Flip line went HD last fall with the Flip MinoHD, which Ars reviewed quite favorably. This camera can store one hour of 720p video on its 4GB, non-expandable memory, and the Flip line's staple, built-in USB port and editing software make it easy to share an event wherever a computer is available. So what does an Enterprise networking giant want with a small consumer video gadget maker?

In a nutshell, "visual networking." Cisco got its feet wet in consumer electronics when it bought Linksys in 2003, and now it's looking to branch out. With the skyrocketing popularity of sharing video on the Internet, Flip is a natural acquisition for a company like Cisco that wants in on consumer gadgets. The iPod pretty much has audio cornered, but the next obvious evolution for the Flip line is some kind of wireless uploading option, such as what the Eye-Fi card did for digital photo cameras. Cisco is in a great position to bring Internet sharing services to the Flip via WiFi, and there are even opportunities to work in data plans that the wireless carriers are so keen on using to subsidize devices with now.

For instance, an Acer netbook debuted for the 2008 holidays at a price of just $100, as long as customers agreed to a two-year AT&T data contract at $60 per month. It isn't hard to imagine a cheaper subscription plan getting tied to a Flip MinoHD that is offered for less than its $230 retail price, if not free. The "build the data plan into the cost of the device" strategy that Amazon took with the Kindle is also an option. Cisco could turn up the initial retail price on one Flip model to $300-400, maybe even more, but then offer free data for a couple years or even the life of the device.

Once the acquisition is complete, Pure Digital Technologies will sit alongside Linksys in Cisco's Consumer Business Group. The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2009.

Thumb Tacks Microphone for you iPod Nano and Touch

2009-03-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

If you could use a microphone to record things, this is a great pin to pick up. It can record things such as lectures at school or perhaps you just want to record the sound of your own voice. This whimsical microphone makes it look as if you’ve stabbed your treasured iPod with a thumb tack. That might explain why they decided to name these microphones Thumb Tacks.

The Thumb Tack microphone will work with both the iPod Nano 4G and the iPod Touch 2G. Before you go using the Thumb Tack, you’ll want to update your iPod to the latest firmware though. The plug itself is made of high quality gold-plating to create a non-corrosive plug. The ultra small mic will work with third party applications. Luckily, this little microphone is very cheap. You can pick it up in either red, white or black for $12.99. Despite the cheap price, the seller claims that you can rely on outstanding sound quality and at that price, it’s worth a shot.

New Way to Charge

2009-03-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

USB charging is the way to go these days, and I long for the day where all USB connectors are standardized so that we need not bring so many different chargers when traveling. Gadget mavens Brando takes a step towards that reality with its AC to 5-USB Power Adaptor, allowing you to charge up to five different USB-powered devices simultaneously whenever there is no computer or notebook available, as long as it is hooked up to a wall socket. What happens if you’re in a different country then? Fear not for Brando has that ground covered by offering alternative plugs for the US, UK, Australia and Europe, making it compatible with virtually any country you step foot onto. The travel charger is smart enough to adjust all voltages and frequencies automatically when plugged in, so there is no need to lug around a heavy converter with you. This nifty device will cost you $22 a pop