The new 42″ Plasma TV by Japanese firm byd:sign is a pretty good deal at $1,670. The display has a 3000:1 contrast ratio, 1,400cd/m2 brightness, and two 10 Watt speakers. The supported resolutions are 525i/525p/750p/1125i/1125p by HDMI, and 525i/525p/750p/1125i by D4.

The set is Japan only, which should be obvious by the supported resolutions. It goes on sale May 8th.

d:4237MJ [byd:sign via TechEBlog]

 
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Related: K-OS Switch
Related: Portable Bar
Related: Microsoft Patents Chatting While Watching TV

These new Korean only KT landline phones, released under the brand "Ann", do two notable things. One is sending an SMS to your mobile phone when you've missed a call on your home line. The second is recording audio if someone enters your home when you're away, giving you evidence that you can eventually turn over to the police.

The SMS notifications are pretty cool, but we don't know how much use the proximity recording is going to be. Maybe burglars are going to list all the items they steal out loud?

KT releases new phones in Korea [Akihabara News]

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

We know we've been giving the UMPC -- specifically the Q1 -- a lot of face time, but we have to admit, even though we're unimpressed with the first generation of these devices both in capabilities and having played around with 'em, we're still interested. And to our surprise an English site called Personal Computer World not only got and reviewed a Q1, but gave it some very high marks, citing its quiet fan, sleek form factor, and bright, clear display as high points for the device. In fact, they only knocked on it for having a "standard" battery life (huh? 2.5 hours is now standard?), smallish drive, and, of course, sucky Celeron-powered under-performance. Will all those 4/5-star ratings they laid down be enough to get users to plunk down £799 (about $1450 US) for one of their own? We don't know, but we didn't exactly find it encouraging that Samsung told PCW only "hundreds" had been pre-ordered.

[Via UMPC Buzz]

It’s a week and change before E3 and rumors are already flying. The scheduled outage of Xbox Live on Tuesday is leading some people to guess that Microsoft is finally releasing the update that allows people to download marketplace content in the background. This makes sense, seeing as MS providing loads of E3-related content on Xbox Live during the event.

Along with the improved downloading, another rumored feature is the ability to send voice and text messages to people during games. Isn’t this already there on dashboard?

Xbox Live 3.0 Tuesday [Whodigs]

 
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Gateway, like Dell, wants to make itself a contendor in the high profit margin area of gaming computers. But instead of buying Alienware, Gateway's released the FX510XL, which got a score of 4 out of 5 from PC mag.

The FX510XL comes with a 21" LCD widescreen monitor, Logitech Z-5300e 5.1 speakers, 3.73 GHz Pentium EE 965, 2 GB of ram, 1 TB of hard disk, a dual layer DVD burner, ATI X1900 Crossfire video card, and a TV tuner. All these parts together combine to make the total price $4,781.00, which is prohibitively expensive to the average PC gamer. But compared to similar offerings from other high end gaming PC makers, it's actually a value.

Gateway FX510XL [PC Magazine]

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Portable Audio

If you're an owner of the late, ill-fated Olympus m:robe 500i, we're pleased to inform you that one rather obsessed fan known only as mrobe.fan has successfully cracked the firmware of your dear late device, so as to, um, re-skin the player. Yeah, that's it. Anyone wanting to add codec support, turn this thing into a portable video player, or basically do something -- anything-- to make into something useful (no offense intended to the four who were really into "remixing" photos and music) will have to continue their silent vigil over the device as the hackers continue to have their way with it. Perhaps some day soon the m:robe will actually live up to its potential, though we're sorry we can't report that being today.

[Via m.robe.org, thanks Daniel]

Filed under: Laptops

Looks like all you Alienware buyout fear mongers officially need not worry -- for now. According to Notebook Review, the cat's out of the bag and Dell's launching (or is about to launch) their second gaming-centric laptop, but this one's a little easier on the shoulder and presumably also the pocketbook. The XPS M1210 rocks a 12.1-inch widescreen display, Core Duo processor, NVIDIA 7300 or ATI X1300 graphics, dual later DVD burner, Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11a/b/g, 5-in-1 media reader, ExpressCard54 slot, up to 4GB RAM, and an optional webcam. Should be out some time in May, but we'll know for sure when we get the official word from the gang at Dell.

[Thanks, Ben]

Filed under: Cellphones, Features, Misc. Gadgets, Gaming, Home Entertainment, Household, Portable Audio

Welcome back to The Pipeline, a weekly feature where we dig through the mainstream media and see what the pundits, prognosticators and and pencil pushers have been discussing over the past week.

This week, the media was all over Nintendo's announcement that the gaming console formerly codenamed Revolution would henceforth be known as Wii. And, not surprisingly, most of the mainstream journos covering the story concurred with our assessment that the name somehow isn't going to wiin Niintendo any kudos. "Is Nintendo being desperately silly to attract attention, or is it just desperately short of clue?" asked the Guardian, while the Financial Times headlined its article "Wii aren't too sure about this." However, Nintendo did have at least one defender, Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities, who pointed out that "N-Gage and Gizmondo are cool names" that didn't help those products win many fans. "Consumers relate to the coolness of the product, not the name." Wii'll see, Michael, Wii'll see.

Of course, the Wii announcement wasn't the only story in the news this week, and the mainstream press managed to crank out a few other interesting nuggets. USA Today took a look at the Pioneer Inno, and declared it "a winner," while The New York Times looked at the growing number of home docking systems for cellphones. Meanwhile, Forbes looked at another way to use cellphones at home, checking out the market for UMA-enabled handsets. Our favorite media hit this week, though, came from the Washington Post, which took an in-depth look at the DDR-as-exercise phenom, with the paper's reporter declaring, "Hello, my name is Caroline, and I'm addicted to 'Dance Dance Revolution.'" Hey, at least she's not addicted to the Wii.

• Nintendo goes Wii ... (not a typo)
• Guardian - Nintendo Wii is twee
• Financial Times - Wii aren't too sure about this
• BBC - Nintendo name swap sparks satire
• Seattle PI - Wii is for everyone
• AP - Nintendo names new video game console

• USA Today - Look out iPod, Inno marries satellite radio, portable music
• The New York Times - A cellphone in park, even more powerful
• Forbes - Double-duty phones
• The Washington Post - Get a move on

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Even despite all those face lifts, tummy tucks, fake tans, dye-jobs, and botox injections, Kodak may soon be able to accurately gauge one's age when it comes snapshot time. They apparently filed a patent in 2004 for a system which, as the above images culled from their patent filing so plainly suggest, determines the age of a photographer's subject by putting that red-eye effect to good use and metering the size and distance between those two red dots the rest of us can't seem to reliably get rid of in our photos. Apparently pupil dilation reflex time increases with age (like most other reflexes), you'll be able to find out for sure whether Grandma really is as young as she says. Though frankly we're not really sure we want to know.

[Via New Scientist]

alt="" />

Features

• href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/27/alltel-americas-largest-network-nah/">Alltel, America’s Largest
  Network?
• FCC
  Fridays

News

• href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/23/itunes-100-song-cap-hacked-to-1000/">iTunes 100 song cap hacked to
  1000?
• href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/24/some-deets-on-the-future-of-windows-mobile-laid-bare/">Some deets on the
  future of Windows Mobile laid bare
• href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/25/nokias-n73-and-n93-launched/">Nokia’s N73 and N93 launched
• Nokia N72 launched
• href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/25/a2dp-finally-available-on-winmo-5-0-aku2/">A2DP finally available on
  WinMo 5.0 AKU2
• href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/26/nokia-to-open-us-retail-stores-offer-high-end-phones/">Nokia to open US
  retail stores, offer high-end phones
• href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/27/ogo-a-go-in-germany-with-ct-17-for-1and1/">Ogo a go in Germany with
  CT-17 for 1&1
• href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/27/stupid-kids-try-to-steal-david-copperfields-cellphone/">Stupid kids try
  to steal David Copperfield’s cellphone
• href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/27/verizon-and-cingular-go-censor-crazy-with-mobile-content/">Verizon and
  Cingular go censor crazy with mobile content
• href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/28/nokias-n93-caught-in-the-wild/">Nokia’s N93 caught in the wild
• Q to be launched May
  22nd?

Rumors

• href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/25/motorola-capri-the-real-razr-slider/">Motorola “Capri”: the
  real RAZR slider?
• href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/28/crossbow-to-be-windows-mobile-6-0/">Crossbow to be Windows Mobile
  6.0?

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Features

• Maker Faire (Part 1)
• Maker Faire (Part 2)
• TiVo Series2 DT hands-on review
• How-To: Design your own iPod super dock (Part 2)
• Switched On: Pandora's Box (Part 1)
• The Clicker: The conversation that never officially took place
• Music Thing: The USB Lightsnake and other ways to connect your axe

Podcasts

• Engadget Podcast 076 - 04.25.06

News

• Apple unveils 17-inch MacBook Pro
• Big Red One digicam debuts at NAB
• Nokia's N73 and N93 launched
• Kodak's EasyShare V610 with 10x optical zoom
• TiVo's Series2 DT 80 and 180 hour dual tuner boxes
• Yahoo Go TV takes Meedio and does it for free
• 2007WFP experiencing severe banding on gradients?
• Apple patent embeds thousands of cameras among LCD pixels
• Samsung to supply chips for next-gen iPods
• Farewell Aibo, hello Genibo
• EchoStar to go for round 2 with TiVo
• Nintendo Wii -- the Revolution gets a real name
• Gary Shapiro and the CEA take a stand
• Seagate's 750GB Pushbutton Back-up Hard Drive
• Q to be launched May 22nd?

Rumors

• Apple trying to include iPod video content on Blu-ray discs?
• Latest PS3 pricing and release "news" - early November, for $399
• Apple has Media Center contender in the works?

A team of grad students at UIUC have developed a way for people to securely share their bandwidth with their neighbors. Called Practical End-host collaborative Residential Multihoming (PERM), the device allows users to choose the best internet connection available among the current pool, and alerts the connection owners if there's any misuse with their bandwidth.

Would something like this catch on? Most homes are wary of wireless already, what with all the news about insecure wireless access points and neighbors stealing their bandwidth. Teaching these same people that oh, it's now okay for others to be using your connection because it's going to be monitored so your traffic gets priority? Good luck.

PERM Software Allows Neighbors to Share Bandwidth, With No Security Concerns [Digital Lifestyle]

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Yeah, we know, we know, we're not into covering colorized model re-releases. And we're by no means letting Ricoh off the hook for simply re-releasing their R4 in another color -- ahem, Mystic Blue -- a few months down the line, presumably to drum up sales and attract attention. But we do have to admit that it's especially uncharacteristic for this particular camera maker; besides, are you really able to resist such a tiny camera with a 7.1x optical zoom, even in that kinda ug pseudo Yves Klein blue? Didn't think so. And no, you won't find it on their US site, which happens to be so grossly out of date the figure we're using to estimate the last time it was updated is years.

3M was so sure their Security Glass was unbreakable, they put a large stack of cash behind it and shoved it in a bus stop. Great advertisement, right?

Actually, it was only $500 of real currency stacked on top of fake money, and people could only use their feet to try to break it. A security guard was present to make sure no one broke the rules and that people couldn't get to keep the money if they broke it.

Nevertheless, a glass that can stand a double-footed kick from a man with a 30 foot head start is impressive. Don't you wish your iPod screens were made out of this?

3M Security Glass Ad [37 Signals]

South Korean company DasaTech is looking to fill the robot-dog-void left when Sony discontinued the AIBO recently. Looking at the sample video, we can say that the Genibo's motion isn't very smooth -- more like quick and jerky. Pretty much what you would expect of a robotic dog that hasn't been a couple cycles of product development.

These look like they would be pretty fun for kids, and Japanese studies have seen that robotic dogs have garnered smiles from patients suffering from Alzheimers. We just hope this one doesn't do "two hour yipping sessions", or else we're going to hear a lot of "ROBO PUPPY MISTREATMENT ALERT!"

Genibo: A New Robot Pup Rises [PC Magazine]

The Logitech Quickcam Orbit MP gets a video review demonstrating all the real time video manipulation features. Specs are: 1.3mp sensor with RightLight, microphone, and adjustable base. Even better -- put glasses on yourself, change your hair to Elvis's, and mask your face entirely to be a dinosaur or a pencil drawing. Much more features in the video. Take a look!

Logitech QuickCam Orbit Reviewed [TechEBlog]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Home Entertainment

You know, we can't really imagine what kind of social setting you'd be in that would require the use of a TV-B-Gone and still be socially acceptable to carry binoculars, but if you're especially annoyed with your neighbor (whose TV happens to be relatively near and have line of sight), check out this simple TV-B Gone sniper hack. One TV-B-Gone plus one pair binoculars (monocular might also well work) equals some serious range -- about 40 feet according to the hack's creator. Anyone want to try this thing with a high powered home telescope? Forget WiFi-ing to other States, this week we're all about turning off TVs in the next time zone.

[Via Make Blog]

Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, LG, 3, UMTS

Yeah, we know, we're getting a little granular on this one, but remember LG's then-unnamed swiveling DVB-H handset? The one with the weird vaguely W300i-like buttons? Well, it was officially announced in Italy as the U900, and will see service through Hutchison's 3 network with UMTS service and, of course, their exclusive Italian DVB-H broadcast rights to the World Cup. The 1.3 megapixel and VGA cameras won't hurt, nor the 58MB internal flash, but what will, however, is a 3 hour battery lifespan watching video. That's still more than enough for a match, though, which is all it really needs to be, we suppose.

Lovers of cute things (and the Japanese) will snatch up this USB MyPet Webcam that comes in both monkey and puppy models. Supporting up to 640x480 at 15 frames per second, this webcam is perfect for the girlfriend that hates tech.

Readers could also use it to spy on a victim who doesn't know this is a webcam. A very dumb victim.

USB MyPet Webcam cranks the cuteness factor [uber gizmo]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Yeah, you could read Engadget's extensive guide on how to shoot and make your own anaglyph 3-D images, or you can snag a Komamura Horseman 3D with stereo lenses, which was apparently quietly spotted at PMA last month. It's apparently due get the whole real-world-release treatment this summer, so even though we rarely, if ever, do analogs -- and believe you us, we do wish it was digital because really, we can't actually even imagine buying ourselves an analog at this point -- we know there are some out there who'd be stoked to have one. And the rest of us, will just have to wait for a digital mod or back. And an importer.

[Via The Online Photographer and Gear Life]

Bought all your equipment secondhand from craigslist, or just frequently misplace manuals? Lifehacker has found a site that stores a bunch of manual PDFs for anything from antenna distributors to microwave ovens. Great for us impatient types that rip apart the packaging in a new toy and end up throwing out the manual with the wrapping.

User Manual Guide [via Lifehacker]

 
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Filed under: Culture

Have no fear for the welfare of Shaolin kung fu monks, for beyond their general existence of being completely and utterly more badass than us, it turns out they have mobile phones, the Internets, and $25 bucks a month of spending money. No word on their choice of carrier or favored mobile device -- they are purportedly hip with QQ, China's most popular IM service -- but we're sure whatever device they pick they could totally beat us up with it on their path to enlightenment.

[Via textually.org]

Filed under: Displays, Gaming

Yeah, we've seen plenty of LCDs haphazardly attached to about every recent console out there in hopes of creating a portable system of sorts, but we're not sure they've ever looked quite as ridiculous as this 9.2-incher from JoyTech. Sure, 9.2-inches is a decent bit of display as far as these setups go, and the 800 x 480 widescreen resolution is welcome, but with as hot as the 360 gets already, we don't think it'll take very kindly to having its side vents sealed off by a hunk of plastic. We also can't imagine this thing riding on your lap while you game in the backseat of your next roadtrip, but it doesn't look like even JoyTech would presume that, and instead probably hope to squeeze this into a few tight dorm rooms that would otherwise resign to being entries in Xbox 360 Fanboy's most pathetic 360 setup contest.

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

Filed under: Verizon Wireless

src="http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/04/verizon_wireless.jpg" alt="" />After lagging for a few years behind
T-Mobile and Cingular in the rollout out of Wireless Priority Service for emergency personnel, Verizon Wireless is
finally jumping onto the bandwagon and our rolling out the standard on their network. The service gives call priority
to emergency personnel and government officials during times of emergency, when the lines can be quickly choked up with
wireless users. So far Verizon has only enabled WPS in a few areas, including Washington D.C., but they hope to complete
the rollout by the end of the year. The Bush administration accelerated efforts to get WPS nationwide since 9/11, and
while Nextel had some efforts underway at time of acquisition, Sprint Nextel still hasn’t added WPS to their network,
though it is in the works.

[Via href="http://www.thewirelessreport.com/2006/04/28/verizon-wireless-catches-up-to-pack-and-announces-wireless-prior/">The
Wireless Report]

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Filed under: Displays, Handhelds, Laptops, Portable Audio, Portable Video

After that "the display is the camera" stunt they pulled the other day, we really wouldn't put much past Apple's patent department, but this new new virtual keyboard patent of theirs does look vaguely familiar, wouldn't you say? It does seem that Apple didn't get that "two thumbs are better than one" memo, but they seem to have stuck with their usual conceptual artist for the mockup, and are bent on teasing us with touchscreen ideas. The patent also mentions some ideas for learned pressure sensitivity for the keyboard based on what you usually type, which sounds interesting, if a bit too smart for our tastes. Apple also has a recent patent for the iPod that have the device's screen mirrored onto a larger screen, and also allows for remote control and wireless file transfer between the devices. It's all well and good, but Apple has had a patent for wireless file transfer for a while now, so it's nothing to get too excited about.

[Via Mac Rumors]