Filed under: Announcements, Digital Cameras, Media PCs, Portable Audio, Portable Video

We’ve given away an enormous amount of kit these past few weeks, but we’ve got some pretty big prizes up on the block right now. We know you’d like to go on with your weekends unhindered by any obsession with competing for a Nikon D80 DSLR, VidaBox SLIM Media Center PC, or a Zune, but sorry, we want to see what you’re made of.

Halloween contest - VidaBox SLIM home theater PC
Care to take on 2005 runner-up Cameron R? (Movie above, no sound.) Make a gadgety Halloween costume! Send it in by Wednesday, 11:59pm EST, November 1st. Full details on how to enter here, let’s make it happen.

Gadget photo contest - Nikon D80 DSLR with lens
Shoot the best gadget or tech themed photo! Send it in by 11:59PM EST, Sunday, the 29th. Full details on how to enter here.

Engadget theme song contest - Zune
The final pre-release Zune! Write the Engadget theme song; Send it in by 11:59PM EST, Sunday, the 29th. Full details on how to enter here.

Oh yeah, we have some other contests going on right now, too:

• Seriously, you can win a Philips 42PF9631D 42-inch plasma
• Xbox 360 Premum pack!
  

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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

Filed under: Media PCs

We’ve seen a ton of media PCs as of late, and they all come in different shapes, sizes, colors, and prices. The latest VidaBox model, dubbed the ZERO, is the most recent model to also takes noise output into account as well (yes, we’ve eyed many more previously) — the company even goes so far as to promise that the ZERO will be “100 percent” silent. VidaBox’s $4,400 machine is packed with an AMD X2 dual-core CPU, up to 1.5TB of storage, dual standard def tuners, optional dual HDTV tuners, an HDCP-compliant NVIDIA Geforce 7950GX2 graphics card, and most enticingly, optional Blu-ray or HD DVD drives. In addition, all ZERO systems– along with future VidaBox high-def CableCARD systems — will be upgradeable to CableCARD compatibility in 2007, which is when Vista is supposed to be released (cross your fingers), . Although the model pictured above comes in black, VidaBox says that other color options, including silver and “combination” are also available — perfect for the few but proud Oakland Raiders fans out there.

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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: Media PCs

In a market becoming saturated with one HTPC offering after another, VidaBox is launching what seems like just another HTPC line-up for those too busy to build their own. Four strangely familiar looking models are headed your way: the ROOMMATE, SLIM, LUX, and MAX, which aside from performing all the usual functions — recording live TV, storing music and photos, and sporting a snazzy case — feature “unparalleled storage offerings.” The LUX and MAX models offer up to 3.75TB of storage and includes their “VidaSafe” technology (which appears to be RAID, folks) to keep the machine running and your files recoverable, even if one of the hard drives fails while operating. As with most pre-built HTPCs, they don’t come cheap, and with prices ranging from $1,499 to near-infinity, the VidaBox line-up can satisfy your wildest home theater desires if your credit card can stand the punishment.

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