News
Viagra Ring
Shockproof Hard Disk Case
Transcend T.sonic 530 MP3 Player
Palm Open Box Sale
Printable Robot
Cingular LG CG225 Low End Phone Available Now
Timesphere Clock
Qtek 8500/Dopod S300/HTC Star Trek Reviewed (Verdict: Star-tastic)
Gizmodo Skypecast Postmortem
Gizmodo Skypecast Time
JVC Introduces 120Hz LCDs
Gizmodo SkypeCast Update
iPodweek - The Best of iLounge
Gizmodo Skypecast Reminder : T-Mobile Execs Bare All on the SK3
i-Station T43 PMP From Digital Cube
Stink Up The Neighborhood This July 4th
NBA Rolls Out Updated Official Basketball
Friendtech iDea Travel Kit Hands-On
Pluma, Propane Tank Redesign
Explay Nano Projector: It Works!
Stench Recorder: Smell-O-Vision On Its Way
Dell Offers Xbox 360 For $350
Prober E319 In-Dash Car PC
Such a Deal: Maxtor 200GB for $40
Flavored Food Skewers Take Guesswork Out of BBQ
Disposable Camera Made Permanent: Priceless
Make New iFriends With the iBag Turntable
OQO 01+ Now Cheaper, Still Too Expensive
8 Ways to Kill Someone with the Nano
Gizmodo Skypecast: T-Mobile Execs Bare All on the SK3
Samsung BD-P1000 Unboxing
HIS Releasing First PCIe X1 ATI Graphics Card
Brix Unveils Two Sirius Receivers
Last Chance: Windows Vista Beta 2 Download
Jabra A125s Bluetooth iPod Adapter
Coming Soon: Matrixstream 1080p IPTV Streaming
Target, Red Cross First Aid Kit
Fireworks Photo Tips
Sharp Releases Fax Machine That Records Calls
Service for Agoraphobics Makes Trees Laugh
Super TV-B-Gone: Bulked Up to 90-Foot Range
Personal Troubleshooting Moment: Macbook Pro and 10.4.7
Sticky Yard Digital Measuring System
Sidekick 3 Unboxing

Related: Gizmodo Skypecast Postmortem

Filed under: Portable Audio

After all sorts of protesting, name calling and backtracking, the French legislature has finally managed to pass their DRM law that could spell a bit of trouble for iTunes and other companies bent on locking down their own respective file formats. The language has been toned down a bit from the original draft, and we don’t have a new response from Apple or a hint of how this final version might be implemented, but the basic requirement of the bill is that Online music stores provide a method for users to play downloaded files on any device, as long as device manufacturers ask nicely. More recent revisions allowed some exceptions to this rule, including if the copyright holders weren’t willing to have the DRM opened up, but from the sounds of it there are industry types on both sides of the argument. Some are jumping at the chance to price DRMed songs independently of Apple, yet still land them on the iPod. Apparently there are still a couple weeks for the law to be challenged and struck, but once it goes in action we’ll be quite interested to see how Apple and others react — a France sans iTunes?

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Filed under: Gaming

We love Sony, so naturally we tend to give 'em a hard time. It's nothing personal, that's just the pecking order; we just hold them in such high regard that when the slip up, say something stupid, or just do that thing they always seem to do to piss off their customers, we're there to give 'em a slap on the wrist -- just like we would other company. This time we're going to have to give them the benefit of the doubt -- we want to give them the benefit of the doubt, because we really don't want to believe Sony would drop the infinity sign (which, of course, closely resembles an toppled figure 8) between the P and S (we presume for PlayStation) in a supposed trademark application they filed for their PlayStation controller with the Japanese patent office. We can't prove this is actually legit, but that's the word on the street according to GameFront.de, whose PooS logo image (above) doesn't even look close to the regular PlayStation / Spiderman type we know they've become so anal about using everywhere. Our advice: don't believe the infinite amounts of hype, until further notice we're calling BooS on this one.

[Via Digital Battle]

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Some of us need a little help sometimes, in the, you know, downstairs department. And can we really plan on the exact moment to take the little blue pill in order to get the most rise out of the little feller? Thanks to the Viagra Ring, I we you no longer have to.

These rings start at $50, and have just enough space for one Viagra pill. Just flip the top, ingest, and get to whatever/whoever it is you’re doing. Just remember to refill it after use, or else you’ll be mighty disappointed the next time the UPS girl comes. – Jason Chen

Viagra Ring [via Oh Gizmo]

 
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Related: Timesphere Clock
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Related: NBA Rolls Out Updated Official Basketball

Designed for 2.5″ hard drives—that’s notebook hard drives—the shockproof casing protects drives up to 120cm (3.9 feet). That’s just about the distance between your desk and the floor, or your hands and the floor. The sides are made of plastic and provide cushioning for falls, at least if it lands on the bumper. Inside is coated with foam to pad the hard drive itself. We just hope this foam isn’t combustible, as hard drives can get pretty darn hot. – Jason Chen

New shockproof HDD case [Akihabara News]

 
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Related: Explay Nano Projector: It Works!
Related: Such a Deal: Maxtor 200GB for $40
Related: Flavored Food Skewers Take Guesswork Out of BBQ

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, Windows Mobile, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA

We've just spotted what purports to be the HTC Trinity, and while it's looking quite a bit different (and a bit less sleek) than the last time it surfaced, the specs are just as spiffing. The Windows Mobile 5.0 actually doesn't look too much different than HTC's Hermes, with the main addition of GPS and some reworked face buttons. There's 64MB of RAM, 128MB of ROM, a 2.8-inch QVGA display, Bluetooth, WiFi, EDGE, HSDPA and a microSD slot. Just like the Hermes there are VGA and 2.0 megapixel cameras, and the phone is similarly slim at 0.7-inches thick. No more info as to when this will be out, and we can't say we aren't disappointed about the fairly generic look, but there's always a chance (hope) this report is a bit off.

[Thanks, Sean]

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The swirly design of the Transcend T.Sonic MP3 player reminds us of butterscotch candies crossed with an Altoids tin. The player is available in 512MB and 1G, and has MP3/WMA/WAV support. There’s an FM radio and 15 hours of playback time, which is decent but not great for a flash based player.

You can use the player as a secure flash drive for your documents with the included software to password-protect parts of memory.

The 530 is available now, but we don’t have any price info. – Jason Chen

Press Release [Transcend via Reg Hardware]

 
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Related: i-Station T43 PMP From Digital Cube
Related: Friendtech iDea Travel Kit Hands-On
Related: Stench Recorder: Smell-O-Vision On Its Way

Filed under: Portable Audio

Despite recent comments by a Foxconn spokesperson that Apple had already investigated and found no problems with the Chinese factory that has come to be known as "iPod City," BusinessWeek is reporting that the probe is still in fact underway, with an Apple representative reiterating that the company takes "allegations of noncompliance very seriously." According to spokesperson Steve Dowling, Apple is in the midst of a "thorough audit" of the Hon Hai-owned plant, which had recently admitted to breaking labor laws concerning overtime, but which continues to deny other allegations contained in the original Daily Mail exposé. Specifically, Dowling says that the auditors are looking into "employee working and living conditions," conducting interviews with workers and their managers (separately, we hope), and generally making sure that the factory lives up to a supplier code of conduct that supposedly "sets the bar higher than accepted industry standards." This is all very good news indeed, but now Apple faces yet another hurdle in the form of a jaded public highly skeptical of corporate-speak, meaning that whether the investigation turns up violations or not, the company may still have a hard time convincing folks to accept the auditors' final verdict.

[Via AppleInsider, image courtesy of Mail on Sunday]

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For this next week only (and while supplies last), all of Palm’s open box items are 10% off. This only applies to their PDAs and not their Smartphones, so tough coconuts Treo fans.

Most of these are open box, which means there probably isn’t noticible damage, but some are “Blemished”, which may mean scratched screen or visible wear—we have no idea. – Jason Chen

Palm Factory Outlet [Palm via Mobile Tech Review]

 
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Related: OQO 01+ Now Cheaper, Still Too Expensive
Related: CHT 9000: The First Chinese 3G PDA Phone
Related: Palm, Xerox Settle Graffiti Dispute, Nobody Remembers What Graffiti is

Filed under: Misc

Making mobile displays extraordinarily bright seems counter to the logic that battery life is priority number one, but Konica Minolta is taking its chances and marketing its new organic EL backlight tech to cellphone manufacturers, claiming to rock 1,000 candela per square meter (by comparison, a highway flare burns at about 70 candela). We’re questioning the need — or ability, for that matter — to look at a screen blasting more light at us than a small flashlight, but if the output can be toned down for typical use, we can certainly see the safety applications in this. Just don’t kill our precious batteries, Konica Minolta, and we’re down.

[Via Akihabara News]

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Alas, these printable robots can't feel your pain, spy on you, or do the nasty, but you can print them from your own inkjet printer.

The first printed robot may more resemble a paper origami insect than an octopus. It would operate as a digital ugoku (moving) origami capable of locomotion under its own power and even performing preprogrammed physical tasks.

This works by embedding tiny circuits onto the paper, so that the "devices will integrate structural, mechanical and electronic components during fabrication using an all-inkjet printing process". Maybe someday we'll be able to print out a device that will be able to, in turn, print out another copy. – Jason Chen

Printable Robots [OhmyNews via Neatorama]

 
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Since most our readers are divided between having a phone that does everything—a Windows Mobile 5 device—and a low end phone that just calls and does little else, here’s Cingular’s newest entry-level clamshell.

The LGCG225 has Quad-band GSM, a VGA camera, IM and speakerphone. Yeah, not much else other than dual color screens on the inside and outside. It’s free with 2-year contract and you can buy it now. Doesn’t look half bad, really. – Jason Chen

Order Page [Cingular]

LG CG225 [Mobile Tracker]

 
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Related: Qtek 8500/Dopod S300/HTC Star Trek Reviewed (Verdict: Star-tastic)
Related: LG HSDPA Dual Slider Phones: LG-SGH100 and LG-KH100
Related: Sprint Announces Sanyo SCP-2400 With Parental Controls

Another interesting clock named “Timesphere”, but this one’s not in Death Star black. The clock has a little magnetic ball that rotates around the clock, seemingly defying gravity.

This is similar to when you would play with magnets as a kid, placing one above and one below a table, and making the top one move by itself. Except now a machine does the movement for you, so you’re free to finish up that watercolor of your dog. – Jason Chen

Timesphere Clock [Moma via Coolest Gadgets]

 
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Related: i-Station T43 PMP From Digital Cube
Related: NBA Rolls Out Updated Official Basketball
Related: Explay Nano Projector: It Works!

What do you get when you cram a Windows Mobile Smartphone into a RAZR form factor? Surprisingly, not a dumbed down phone. The Qtek 8500 has the WM5 Smartphone OS and dimension-wise, is only slightly longer than the RAZR when opened. When it's closed, they're practically identical.

The phone has all the WM5 smartphone features—push email, WM apps like Internet Explorer, MSN, Windows Media Player, and various other apps that are downloadable off the net. The processor is only an OMAP 195MHz, but surprisingly all the menus and applications are fairly fast, except when too many things are open at once.

Reception is great, but the battery life will only last one day of use with emailing, surfing and music playback. That's not any worse than some other similarly sized phones, but it does mean you'll have to charge the phone every day. Overall, the Qtek 8500 is great if you want a Windows Mobile Smartphone but don't need a QWERTY capable device. – Jason Chen

Dopod S300 / Qtek 8500 Mini-Review [Life of a Programmer]

 
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Related: LG HSDPA Dual Slider Phones: LG-SGH100 and LG-KH100
Related: Sprint Announces Sanyo SCP-2400 With Parental Controls
Related: Nokia Metal Detecting Phone Patent

Sorry listeners! There was a little bit of audio difficulty, as those of you who tuned in may have heard. We won’t be using that service again.

We’ll try and reschedule the T-Mobile guys for another chat, perhaps sometime next week, since you all had lots of questions about the Sidekick 3. We’ll post an update when we finalize a time.

 
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Related: Gizmodo SkypeCast Update

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

It looks like Japan is leading the way on yet other technology front, first introducing Smell-O-Vision to movie theaters, and now developing an odor recorder that'll let you grab a smell and enjoy it any time you like. The device, developed by engineers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, works by using 15 chemical-sensing microchips that pick up aromas which it converts into a sort of "digital recipe" that can be reproduced at any time with the help of 96 chemicals that can be mixed, heated, and vaporised at will, resulting in sweet, sweet emissions the human nose can recognize. So far, the researchers say they've replicated the smell of oranges, lemons, apples, bananas, and melons -- even distinguishing between green and red apples. In addition to recording smells for the fun of it, the researchers see the system as a potential boon to online shopping, letting consumers check out fragrances and food before buying them. We're just glad we're not around for the pranks at that laboratory.

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Click here for directions, and enter in 142468 to join our Skypecast with T-Mobile execs Sam Bell and Jeff Folino.

 
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Related: Gizmodo Skypecast Reminder : T-Mobile Execs Bare All on the SK3
Related: Gizmodo Skypecast: T-Mobile Execs Bare All on the SK3
Related: Sidekick 3 Unboxing

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

There's some new HD goodness from Acer in their new PH730, PD525PW and PD527D projectors. All three include HDMI, DVI, VGA, Component, Composite and S-Video inputs, and the PH730 (pictured) manages a 1280 x 768 resolution. The other two rock the XGA, but all three can work with 720p/1080i at a 16:9 aspect ratio. For contrast ratio, the PH730 does 2500:1, compared to the 2000:1 of the other two, but the PH730 only does 1,200 lumens while the PD525PW and PD527D go for 2,700 and 3,000 respectively. All three have a lamp life of 4000 hours, but we're not sure exactly when these will be for sale, or for how much.

[Via Crowdedbrain]

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Two new LCD TVs from JVC announced this week may not be 1080p, but they use JVC's new Clear Motion Drive to make images smoother with less ghosting than regular LCDs. The Clear Motion Drive sets the refresh rate at 120Hz, which means it's twice the refresh rate of the signal, at 60Hz. To make up the difference in frame rate, the technology inserts an interpolated image between two images so there's a smoother transition between frames. The result is less motion blur and ghosting.

The displays have an "ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuner, two HDMI inputs, two component inputs, two S-video inputs, 15-pin S-sub PC input, and both analog and optical and analog audio output. "

The larger, 37" LCD (LT-37X987) will cost $2,700 in August, and the smaller 32" LCD (LT-32X987) will cost $2,000 in October. – Jason Chen

Press Release [JVC via Digital Trends]

 
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Related: Stink Up The Neighborhood This July 4th
Related: Stench Recorder: Smell-O-Vision On Its Way
Related: Dell Offers Xbox 360 For $350

We’re trying something a little different for the SkypeCast today. Instead of going to the SkypeCast room, check back at 4:30PM EDT for the Conference room number, then go here for directions on how to connect.

You can dial in using your regular Skype phone or a regular cellphone/landline if you want.

 
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Filed under: Handsets, Others, HSDPA, UMTS

It looks like SK Telecom and KTF are locked in a heated battle for Korean HSDPA supremacy, with both carriers having launched their 3.5G networks in the last month. So far, equipment is a toss-up, KTF having received a reskin of SK’s Samsung SCH-W200 and now this, LG’s KH1000, a remake of their SH100 for SK. LG takes a cue from Samsung here, swapping color schemes and d-pads, but leaving the phone’s innards intact (as best we can tell). Besides simply looking better than its Samsung stablemate, the KH1000 wins the cool factor, sporting an additional degree of slider freedom for two — count ‘em, two — keypads on the bottom and right of the phone. Naturally, the KH1000 isn’t expected outside Korea, but we’re pretty sure we couldn’t pony up the cash for it anyhow.

[Via Mobile Magazine]

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This week at iLounge: CD-quality stereo recording from your iPod? Yup. We score the exclusive first review of Belkin’s TuneTalk Stereo, and find that the dual-microphone add-on offers the best recordings of any iPod accessory available. We also give high marks to the Belkin TuneDeck, which combines a cassette tape adapter and car mount. In addition, we test out the newly-released TiVo Desktop Plus Version 2.3 and find that the $25 price tag is a little much when you consider that the software does little better than free applications already available. The super long encoding time and lack of video editing to ditch the commercials simply doesn’t make up for its relative ease of use.

In the world of iPod and iTunes news this week, a Wall Street analyst said both the much-rumored “true” video iPod and next generation iPod nano will likely be delayed. Apple updated the iPod and iTunes software for the Nike + iPod Sport Kit, and also said it has now