Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Announced back in June, Dell’s new free recycling program is now live, meaning you can recycle any Dell product at no cost to you, without any of those pesky requirements to buy a new Dell machine in the process. All you’ve gotta do is head on over to their site, print out your free shipping voucher, pack and ship your obsolete Dell product and then throw a little environmentally-friendly party for your environmentally-friendly bad self. We can’t say even a program like this could get Apple off the Greenpeace naughty list, but it seems worth a shot — Dell’s just making y’all look bad.

[Via Slashdot]

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Portable Video, Wearables

If you’re more interested in keeping a certain amount of full motion video strapped on your wrist than an actual clock (or breathalyzer, even), Shenzhen Adragon Digitek’s MP4 watch provides the diversion you’ve been looking for. Similar in utility to Aigo’s F209, Shenzhen’s rendition provides a slightly less repulsive color scheme, and promises a very respectable nine hours of playback time. Reportedly sporting a snazzy color display, MP4 support, line-in capabilities, five EQ settings, and USB 2.0 connectivity, the timepiece can presumably provide a bit of underwater entertainment as well as it touts a “water / shockproof” enclosure. While details concerning the storage capacity, screen resolution, and pricing are MIA, the company is currently seeking firms to OEM the watch (any VCs in attendance?), so you might want to look elsewhere if you don’t have time (ahem) to wait around.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Transportation

Forget biodiesel and fuel cell-powered vehicles, how about a whip that doesn’t require any fuel whatsoever? The Venturi Eclectic, touted as an “autonomous energy vehicle,” gets its charge from wind gusts and 8.2 square feet of solar cells atop its roof. The four-person ride boasts a 22-horsepower purely electric engine, is powered by liquid-cooled NiMH batteries, and can reach a (yawn-inducing) top-end speed of nearly 32mph. While it’s no Wrightspeed X1, the designers had “daily driver” in mind when the Ecletic was crafted, but considering it’ll only roll 31 miles on a full charge, you best take the scenic (read: sunny) route to work if you’re facing a long commute. The car does sport an option to recharge via AC power, should you face darker (and calmer) than expected conditions, but since it weighs just 772 pounds, a foursome shouldn’t have too much trouble using the tried and true “push method” if worse comes to worst. Scheduled for production in June 2007, this oh-so-green automombile will run you €24,000 ($30,511) — if you can manage to score one of the 200 that’ll be built, that is.

[Via MobileMag]

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Gaming

When asked the other day whether Sony’s rivals will outstrip the PS3, Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi merely replied: “We do not care.” Closely echoing the sentiments of David Reeves of Sony Europe, this really explains so much about this product. We just wish we’d known sooner so we hadn’t given them as much flack about it — who knew they weren’t playing to win? Strangely enough, Kutaragi fessed up to problems with production in the same interview, saying “Right now, it is an issue, because we can’t manufacture enough blue laser diodes for our PlayStation 3s. But we will resolve that.” No hurry though, right? It’s not like those rivals of yours are going to do something like steal valuable market share in the meantime, or pricing their consoles competitively or anything crazy like that.

[Via Joystiq]

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Displays

NTT DoCoMo is looking to unveil a svelte 3D portable display system at the upcoming CEATEC in Japan, but unlike the traditionally uninspiring three-dimensional products we’ve seen (and even the not-so-gimmicky variety), DoCoMo’s device operates sans the red-tinted glasses. Working in conjunction with associate professor Yasuhiro Takagi of the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, the megacorporation has developed a 7-inch “3D display system” that makes images and video appear as if it’s “leaping out from the screen.” This rendition also allows viewers to experience the illusions from angles other than front and center, as onlookers can view the action within a 60-degree horizontal angle or 30-degree vertical angle without losing the wow-factor. An embedded camera senses the position of the viewer(s), and then intelligently beams the images through its lenticular (single-convex) lens attached to the front of the screen. While no word on pricing or availability outside of the CEATEC expo has been given, we can definitely envision this becoming an excellent tool to keep those mischeveous kids occupied for hours, but us grown folk will probably just hold out for the 110-inch version.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Wireless

Not to keep harping on Fujifilm’s newly-unveiled, fixed-zoom S9600 camera, but the company has apparently busted out a less-than-glamorous wireless attachment for the highly-touted prosumer model. While we knew the 10.7x zoom, 9 megapixel sensor, and tiltable LCD were on the docket, wireless transfers is definitely a new addition. Spotting WiFi on cameras isn’t too uncommon (heck, we’re even giving one away), but we’ve yet to see a dedicated wireless adapter for a camera of this stature. Reportedly, the demo was set up to photograph onlookers, and then pass the snapshot along (sans wires, of course) to a WiFi-enabled printer sitting nearby. Unfortunately, details concerning model numbers, pricing, or if this add-on will ever surface outside of the Photokina confines remains to be seen — but honestly, we hope the final design (should there be one at all) trims down a bit, as the current build sure looks to add a good deal of heft for just cutting the proverbial cord.

[Via Daily Wireless]

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Portable Video

As a natural followup to their Wireless Audio Gateway AD-42W (pictured), it looks like Nokia might be getting into the video streaming game with a new WiFi device for streaming video from your phone. The rumor comes courtesy of T3, and deets are slim, but we’re sure Nokia can figure out some nifty functionality for such a device if it does turn out to be real. We’d love to see such a unit act as a DVR and prep videos for your phone, but blurry and pointless camphone vids streamed from your Nokia onto the big screen will be nice too. We’re not quite sure we’d be naming this thing a direct iTV competitor, but between this, a Slingbox, a Media Extender, an iPod video loader and an iTV, our TV setup is starting to look more device-laden than our desktop, so we’re thinking something’s gotta give.

[Via atmaspheric]

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video, Transportation

No word yet on pricing in dollars, but expect this one to set you back about 10,270,000 Microsoft points. Dock, A / V cable, and travel pack not included.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Misc. Gadgets

This whole “war on terror” thing sometimes reminds us a bit of that comic “Spy vs. Spy” — each time we turn around, another company comes out with a way to ratchet espionage tech up a notch. We thought that the Lethal Frisbee UAV was cool, but we just found something that might in fact be a bit sweeter. Meet the “Phantom Sentinel,” the latest from VeraTech Aero in Minnesota, which is a boomerang-like device for spying on our crafty foes on the other side. Apparently, as the UAV rotates it becomes nearly invisible in the sky while its cam takes quick snapshots of the scene below, then transmits them back to a soldier on the ground. We’re assuming that those crazy goggles the other G.I. is wearing in this photo are able to translate that dizzying number of spinning images to something that a human brain can make sense of.

[Via DefenseTech]

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Filed under: Handhelds, Peripherals

If you’re looking for a little TV-on-the-go action of slightly higher quality than plain-old analog broadcasts, and happen to live in Japan, then Zentek may have just the solution for ya. It’s just announced what looks to be the first 1Seg (or One-Seg, if you prefer) TV tuner on an SDIO card, which’ll let you pick up those sweet terrestrial digital broadcast signals on your SDIO-equipped handheld or cellphone. Although, not unlike early developments in WiFi on SD cards, it looks like you’ll have to put up with the card protruding more than just a little bit from your handheld device, as it measures about 2.1-inches long. (Hear that? It’s the sound of thousands of these simultaneosly snapping in Japanese pockets). You’ll also have to wait a bit to actually get your hands on one, with Zentek set to offer the device to OEMs in the first quarter of 2007.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Cellphones

We figure peeps who’ve placed their orders through Verizon’s site for Motorola’s new gotta-have-it clamshell need a little reading material to pass the time while they wait for the good folks in the shipping industry to make their phones materialize — so without further ado, we present PC Magazine’s take on the Motorola K1m MOTOKRZR (pictured right). While the K1m is undoubtedly a fabulous-looking flip, PC Mag seems to share the same brooding, mildly pessimistic view we do: it’s essentially a V3m in a narrower, shinier package. On the plus side, the new dimensions apparently make the phone both easier and more comfortable to hold against the ear, battery life is top-notch with just over five hours of tested talk time, and the microSD slot means many owners will be able to carry over their investments in memory expansion from prior phones. Sadly, signal strength doesn’t quite match that of its older sibling, and the UI is typical Verizon fare — no Flash here, a la the VX8500 Chocolate — though it does share the Chocolate’s tricky-to-use touch sensitive controls. In the end, it seems the K1m ends up setting the standard once again for mobile industrial design, while simultaneously managing to fall further behind in the spec sheet race.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Handhelds, Wireless

For all you internet junkies out there (and if you’re reading Engadget on a Friday night, we’re referring to you), you’ll be pleased to know that Intel’s newest chipset for next-gen UMPCs are getting some 3G love from Sierra Wireless. This dovetails nicely with the announcement yesterday that Intel’s Santa Rosa chipset would be also be getting some HSDPA action, but from cellphone giant Nokia. Intel also said that its newest ultra-mobile chip will be based on the Core 2 Duo, will only draw half as much power, and will measure just one quarter the size of the current chipset. Ok guys, we don’t mind you shrinking the devices, but for the love of Gordon Moore, please don’t make those screens any more squint-inducing.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

You know, if CamcorderInfo really wanted to write a shorter review of the Sony HDR-UX1, it probably should have hired Leo Tolstoy, who’s always been known for his brevity. That said, we revel in doing the heavy reading for you; so what’s the skinny on this high-def shooter? We’re glad you asked, because here’s the good news: CamcorderInfo enjoyed the cam’s strong colors and even saturation, gave it bonus points for the multi-purpose ring control, and noted the respectable battery life, which topped out at barely over two hours. Further, the site says the revamped on-screen menus with two columns of options make the camcorder’s on-screen controls a fair bit faster and easier to access. On the minus side, they were very disappointed with the serious noise issues probably caused by the AVCHD compression, particularly in bright light, and added that the problem is even “worse in low light.” In addition, the lack of higher-end features like a shutter speed control mar an otherwise decent product. Overall, though, the site gave the $1400 HDR-UX1 (one of the first AVCHD cams on the market), its blessing as a “great camcorder.” How do you like that — a 13,000 word review summed up into four syllables.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

The Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T50 keeps the better features of the DSC-T30, but adds a touch screen interface we could’ve lived without.

Despite some performance glitches, the TomTom Rider is a solid navigation system for motorcyclists, with good Bluetooth integration, but we recommend swapping out the included Bluetooth headset for a higher-quality one.

Despite some unfortunate external styling cues, the agile 2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca is an attractive package of entertainment and safety tech that is more at home in town than on the freeway.

While the RF-capable Logitech Harmony 890 does much of what the Monster Home Theater and Lighting Controller 300 does for significantly less money, the Monster is the superior remote.

Sony’s Handycam DCR-SR80 is a respectable hard-drive-based camcorder if you don’t mind its touch-screen interface.

Filed under: Desktops

If nailing down the specs to Intel’s Classmate PC wasn’t thrilling enough, and you were left neck deep in transistors after wading through all those CPU announcements, how about a taste of next year, only right now? DigiTimes has it that Intel’s roadmap (which has been surprisingly accurate thus far), already has plans for the next, next quad-core processor, dubbed Yorkfield. Slated to hit motherboards in Q3 2007, the Yorky builds on the forthcoming Kentsfield chip by operating in a “more efficient” manner. Whereas the Kentsfield rocks two separate L2 caches, shared separately by each pair of processors, the Yorkfield sports just a single L2 cache shared directly by each pair of chips, enabling more streamlined quad-core operation with less front side bus bandwidth. Manufactured on 45nm process technology, next year’s quad-core CPU will be paired with the impending Bearlake chipset family (which will support a 1333MHz FSB and a PCI Express 2.0 interface), and will target that oh-so-lucrative “high-end gaming” market when it drops.

[Via TGDaily]

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Portable Audio

No one, we mean no one, steps to Thanko! Just hours after the launch of the SE/Fossil Bluetooth watch comes this critter from the synthetic labs of Thanko. By cleverly combining the “F” from the included FM radio/transmitter and “MP3″ from uh, MP3, Thanko delivers the FMP3 watch, or foompthree as we likes to call it. Sure, it supports WMA playback but FMP3WMA just doesn’t have that ring. What’s novel is that this MP3 watch with up to 1GB of storage can also transmit your audio collection over FM to your radio while doubling as a voice recorder and clandestine USB 2.0 drive for fast and easy, drag and drop file transfer ‘tween you PC. The antenna is wired into the watch band resulting in an electromagnetic field around you hand for controlling metallic objects up to 10 feet away. Ok, we made that last bit up, but you know you want it. Available in Japan starting today for ¥12,800 or about $109. No bad, really.

[Via Impress]

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.