gadgetPhreak Gadget News Blog. Futuristic Gadgets and Portable Electronics

November 25, 2006

Sigma SGM2 presentation remote and mouse will save the world

Filed under: mouse,remote,sgm2,sigma — Cyrus Farivar @ 8:57 am

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We’re pretty certain that there isn’t a gadget out there that can save the world as well as the Sigma SGM2 presentation remote and mouse. And for ¥3,480 ($30), just about everyone can afford to unleash their inner sci-fi superhero. The SGM2′s crazy — dare we say, futuristic? — design has an inner trigger button that will probably make you feel as excited as that hairy-chested dude on the left. Better yet, when you’ve vanquished the purple octopus in the background (surely meant to represent your skeptical colleagues) you too can lift up the remote triumphantly in your board room. Still, we can’t wait for the Sigma SGM2 straight-to-DVD anime movie to come out.

 

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

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

November 10, 2006

The Monster Controller 300 can beat up your remote

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We’d just like to go on the record here that we are 100 percent behind any and all forays into the realm of complicated and over-featured remotes, preferably with large screens and whole regions of buttons with absolutely zero purpose whatsoever. There, we said it. That’s why we’re totally digging the upcoming “Home Theater and Lighting Controller 300 featuring OmniLink” remote from Monster Central — even the name is overreaching. Along with the natural AV controls, Monster packed in iPod, PC, home automation and other fancy functions into this beast of theirs, with a browser-based configuration tool to get it all up and running. The full $600 setup includes an RF-to-IR bridge / IR blaster, known as the OmniLink, along with a tabletop charging station and ControlLink Extender IR emitters to extend your couch-based dominion even further. All this can be yours as of now, just don’t let your newfound power go to your head — the first rule of huge-ass remotes is that there will always be another contender to the crown.

 

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

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

October 14, 2006

One For All Kameleon Generation III will remotely control everything

Filed under: OneForAll,RemoteControl,kameleon,one for all,remote,remote control — Cyrus Farivar @ 2:39 am

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We don’t know much about this new One For All Kameleon Generation III home theater remote control other than it seems to be one of the highest-end universal remotes that we’ve ever seen. Not only will it apparently control your stereo and video gear, but your home lighting as well. It also includes a programmable option to execute multiple commands at the same time, so as Tech Digest points out, it can: “switch off your stereo, turn on your DVD, boost your surround sound or dim the lights when the movie starts” all at the push of a single button. The Generation III looks pretty freakin’ awesome — it starts at £70 ($130) and goes up from there, depending on how many devices you need it to control. Sadly though, we don’t know when it will become available nor where, as it’s not yet listed on the One For All Kameleon website.

 

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

September 19, 2006

AMX intros ZigBee remotes, wireless gear

Filed under: MioModeroR-3,MioModeroR-4,amx,mio modero r-3,mio modero r-4,remote,zigbee — Donald Melanson @ 12:13 am

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AMX is looking to put a little more ZigBee into your life (and, really, couldn’t we all use a little?), announcing a pair of new remotes and some other ZigBee wireless gear at the just-concluded CEDIA Expo in Denver. The Mio Modero R-4 (seen above) is the company’s top-of-the-line remote, with a 2.4-inch color LCD touchscreen , AMX’s “G4 graphics engine” (which won’t let you play Halo, but will give you animated icons), and 28 old-fashioned push buttons. Also announced was the Mio Modero R-3, with which you’ll have to settle for a smaller monochrome LCD, though you’ll get a bountiful 45 backlit laser-engraved buttons. Both remotes will give you some two-way ZigBee action, letting you view everything from song information to the current room temperature from the comfort of your couch — if you’re living in one of those houses of the future, that is. To go along with ‘em, AMX has dropped some additional ZigBee wireless gear to complete your setup, including a ZigBee wireless gateway, and a repeater to extend wireless coverage to the farthest reaches of your mansion. No word on pricing — hint: you probably won’t find this stuff in the Insignia aisle — but it should all be available in the next few months.

[Via Talk About CEDIA]

 

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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.

September 8, 2006

Interlink Electronics unveils Bluetooth ExpressCard Media Remote

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If your fresh new laptop has an ExpressCard slot that’s not already preoccupied with a TV tuner, external SATA adapter, or EV-DO card, you might be interested in a little something that maximizes your ability to become the ultimate couch potato. Interlink Electronics has released its Bluetooth-enabled Media Remote that just so happens to fit snuggly inside your machine’s ExpressCard slot for storage and recharging. The device works with pretty much every media suite out there, including Windows Media Center, Dell Media Experience, Windows Media Player, iTunes, RealPlayer and presumably anything else with track / volume controls. Sporting a 30 foot range, a full week of battery life, and weighing only 1.1 ounces, this $49.95 media controller should make good use of that open ExpressCard slot — unless, of course, it’s reserved for more critical tasks.

[Via MobileWhack]

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July 24, 2006

Connect2Car: Start Your Car by Bluetooth

Filed under: Bluetooth,Car,Peripherals,gadget,remote — Gizmodo @ 5:00 am

carconnect.jpgConnect2Car’s MFC can start your car’s engine, roll down its windows, or activate any other electric auto part by bluetooth. The MFC interfaces with a phone, PDA, or laptop over an encrypted connection. The little black box controls 8 devices. Here’s a video of a 2006 Toyota Solara getting the remote start, window rolldown, and ragtop drop by Verizon AudioVox XV6600 PDA.

MFC [Connect2Car]

July 21, 2006

Toy car controlled by breathing

Filed under: Breathing,Car,PIC chip,PicChip,controlled,remote — Darren Murph @ 2:32 am

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While controlling a full-sized automobile with a PSP may be impressive, at least this project has some amount of practicality. Musicians and singers, listen up, because this breathing-controlled car could provide the perfect mix of practice and pleasure to get your controlled breathing, well, under control. Even if you couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, Michael Brown's creation gives you a chance to have some fun while blowing off some steam. The aptly named "Breath Control Car" was designed to make the mastery of controlled breathing a bit more enjoyable, and he pulls it off by using a MIDI breath controller to channel puffs to a MAX/MSP. MIDI signals are converted to serial data, where those signals are beamed via Bluetooth to a PIC chip, and finally to a servo that directs the car. If all that sounds like hot air, here's the deal: the harder you exhale, the harder it steers right, while softer breaths steer it left. The forward and reverse functions are handled by a simple remote-control, presumably to avoid hyperventilation. If you've been tooting your horn about getting serious with your breathing, but need a more riveting reason to practice, watch this machine in action to see what Michael's breath car can do for you.

[Via Makezine]

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May 10, 2006

Nintendo’s “final” Wii controller — what we know

Filed under: Nintendo,controller,remote,wii,wiimote — Paul Miller @ 2:45 am

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They've always said that the previous iteration of the "Revolution" controller wasn't quite final, but now that Nintendo has unvieled what is presumably the final controller design for the Wii (though Nintendo is still calling it a prototype, and might tweak a few things), we thought we'd lay out what exactly this Wiimote is, and why it makes Nintendo so darn smarmy all the time. First off, the new version unvieled by Nintendo on Tuesday includes a built-in speaker -- the addition of which lengthened the controller slightly -- along with minor interface tweaks like swapping out "a" and "b" for "1" and "2" buttons and other icon changes. GameSpot is also reporting that this Bluetooth wireless version is quite a bit heavier than the feather-light wired prototypes, and that the nunchaku attachment is tweaked slightly in shape and button design. As for the actual operation of the controller, that is managed by sensors within the Wiimote, in tandem with a sensor bar located on your TV, which can watch for movement in full 3D space. A better equivilant to Sony's new PS3 controller design unveiled on monday would actually be the Wiimote's nunchucka attachment, which also includes an accelerometer. While all of this motion sensing might provide an easy learning curve in some instances, the number of buttons available to the user, including dual trigger buttons ("c" and "z") on the nunchucka, a trigger and face button ("b" and "a") on the Wiimote, along a bunch of other face buttons, could make things a bit more complicated than anticipated. With that said, we'll be playing with the Wii on the E3 show floor tomorrow so we're sure it won't take long to find out if our fears come to fruition.

[Via Joystiq]
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May 9, 2006

Sirius announces sleek new Sportster4 radio

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To prove that there is still life in the world of consumer electronics outside of videogames and laptops, Sirius broke up today's monotony by announcing an updated version of their Sportster series of Plug and Play satellite radios with 44-minute buffers. The Sportster4, which is small enough to easily transport between home and car, maintains the same recording capacity and features as its predecessors, but adds a new vehicle dock that includes an auxiliary input for your MP3 player. Additional niceties include 30 presets, bundled remote, favorite artist alerts, and game reminders to keep you updated on score changes. Look for the Sportster4 later this month for around $170, with accessories like boombox docks soon to follow.
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Nintendo shows off Wii Remote and Classic Controller

Filed under: Nintendo,controller. wiimote,e3,games,remote,revolution,wii,wii remote — Marc Perton @ 8:31 am

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If there was one highlight of Nintendo’s press conference earlier today, it was the Wii Remote. While Sony showed off what games on the PS3 would look like, Nintendo’s focus was on what they would feel like. So, it’s not surprising that, from the moment a tux-clad Shigeru Miyamoto bounded onstage and conducted a virtual orchestra using the remote, to a climactic tennis game, the unique Wii controller was the centerpiece of the show. So, what did we learn about the Wii Remote today that we didn’t already know? For one thing, Nintendo confirmed that the remote does indeed include a speaker, which is used mainly to provide ambient sound connected to actions: fire an arrow, and you’ll hear the bowstring being pulled right in your hand. There’s also a microphone for voice-controlled gaming. The Wii Remote also includes motion sensors in both the nunchuk and the trigger controller, allowing both left and right hands to act independently and direct onscreen actions. While using the Remote may not be as intuitive and simple as Nintendo’s execs want us to believe, one thing’s certain: it definitely looks like a fun way to play golf. Or baseball. Or tennis. Or the drums. Or drive a car, truck or plane.  Nintendo also had an answer for anyone who isn’t quite ready for the Wii Remote: the Wii Classic Controller. We’ll stick with the Wiimote for now, but will pick off one of these for when we just have to kick it old skool.

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April 11, 2006

NEC Japan’s twenty-six new laptops and all-in-one desktops

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If there were ever any doubts as to our complete and total dedication to you, dear reader, let them be dispelled here and now, as we've just trudged through page upon page of horrible machine translation to bring you the relevant deets and specs on no less than 26 new computers from NEC -- for the Japanese market! This cornucopia of hardware comes in both laptop and all-in-one, media-centric desktop flavors, and can be further divided into their respective series: the LaVie 15.4-inch L, T, and 12.1-inch A laptops, and Valuestar W/X, L, and R desktops. More specifically, the W lineup come in four different configurations (VW970/FG, VW900/FH, VW770/FG, VW700/FG), with displays ranging from to 20 to 32-inches, either a 2.8GHz Pentium D or 3.06GHz Celeron D processor, and RAM and hard drive capacity ranging from 512MB to 1GB, and 400GB to 800GB, respectively, while the only X model, the 20-inch, 2.80GHz VX780/FD, seems to differ from the W's in that it utilizes a tower configuration and sports a nVidia GeForce video card (all the rest of the desktops feature integrated graphics). For pics and details on the rest of the desktops and all of the notebooks, keep on reading after the jump...

Meanwhile, the slimline, detached CPU L series comes in seven different varieties (VL970/FG, VL700/FG, VL590/FG, VL570/FG, VL500/FG, VL370/FD, and VL300/FD), with 17 or 20-inch monitors, 2.8GHz Pentium D, 3.06GHz Celeron R, or hyper-threaded 2.93GHz Pentium processors, 512MB or 768MB of RAM, and hard drives ranging from 250GB to 400GB.

Finally, at least as far as the desktops are concerned, the three members of the R series ( VR570/FG, VR500/FG, VR300/FG) seem like younger siblings to the W/X models, as they all sport just a 17-inch screen, but still pack some good processing power with either those Celeron D's or HT Pentium 4's from the L series, and also rock just 512MB of RAM and a maximum hard-drive capacity of 400GB. Many of these all-in-ones, as well as most of the new laptops, come with TV tuners, remote controls, DVD burners, and the always-important VIIV certification. Incidentally, NEC also announced that PC's with built-in HD-DVD drives will begin shipping in the fall.

On the portable side, the LaVie L series consists of eight models (LL990/FD, LL900/FD, LL790/FD, LL770/FG, LL750/FD, LL700/FD, LL570/FD, LL370/FD), with either a 1.60GHz Celeron M, 1.73GHz Pentium M, Mobile Sempron 3100 , or Turion 64 Mobile processor, 80GB, 100GB, or 160GB hard drives, and 256MB to 1GB of RAM. Like the all-in-one models, gamers will find nothing worth their time, as the video here is also powered by rather unexciting integrated graphics.

To round things out, the LaVie T comes in 1.6GHz Celeron M (LT900/FD) or 1.73GHz Pentium M (LT700/FD) flavors, sport 100GB or 160GB hard drives, and both come standard with with 512MB, upgradable to 2GB (as with most of the other new models). The sole member of the A family, the LA500/FD, can only muster a pokey 1GHz Celeron M chip, 80GB hard drive, and 512MB of RAM, but its claimed 5-hour battery life completely schools the rest of today's announced lappies, with one even advertising less than an hour of juice.

All of the new machines will be available by the end of the month (released on either the 14th or 21st, specifically), in Japan only. Oh, and if you want prices on all twenty-six of these, well, you're gonna have to do the conversions yourself -- so maybe our dedication to you isn't as complete as we originally claimed.

Read- Valuestar W/X
Read- Valuestar L
Read- Valuestar R
Read- LaVie laptops
Read- Desktop specs
Read- Laptop specs
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