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Blockbuster, bless its heart, is not giving up without a fight. The video rental company has released a set-top box to deliver content, and is aimed directly at Netflix’s streaming offering. Blockbuster is employing hardware from 2Wire, delivering à la carte rentals, rather than Netflix’s subscription offering–a reflection of sorts of the company’s more traditional approach to movie rentals.

Users can pick up the box now from Blockbuster’s site for $99 (which also gets you 25 rentals for free). After you’ve burned through those videos, rentals will run you $1.99 a piece. The box can also stream video from sites like YouTube, as well as other multimedia content accessible across your home network, like photos and music.

NewTeeVee points out that Blockbuster has chosen not to brand with its logo, opting instead to settle for the UI.

Original post by Brian Heater

Filed under: Laptops

Look out, Alienware / Voodoo — a formidable opponent just rolled in, and it appears that some prankster stuck a Toshiba logo on whatever machine is hiding underneath. All jesting aside, Tosh is revamping its — shall we say, vivid — Qosmio X305 by introducing the Qosmio X305-Q708, which houses a potent Core 2 Extreme Q󙇔 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 128GB SSD, 320GB 7,200 RPM SATA drive, dual-layer DVD writer, twin NVIDIA 512MB GeForce 9800M GTS graphics cards, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and Windows Vista Ultimate. You’ll also find a full-sized keyboard with a ten-key number pad, four Harman Kardon speakers, HDMI / DisplayPort connectors, 1.3-megapixel webcam, Wireless USB / USB Sleep-and-Charge technologies and a 17-inch TruBrite LCD (though resolution remains a mystery). It should be available any moment for around $4,199.99, but we′d factor in a few extra hundies to have Colorware blot out the putrid “fiery Fusion” finish (seen better after the break).

Continue reading Toshiba gets serious with $4k Qosmio X305-Q708 gaming laptop

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

There are, shall we say, certain “advantages” to driving a race car sponsored by global wireless behemoth Vodafone. Fame, fortune, and a free account (seriously, all the minutes and kilobytes you can eat!) definitely rank high on that list, but it all pales in comparison to this. It seems that Formula 1 wizard Lewis Hamilton has been gifted with a Voda-branded Storm, a great publicity play for the carrier — particularly as he’s sitting in front of a camera describing how “wicked” it is. Clearly, the video is little more than a PR stunt, but the phone genuinely seems to be his, and at least we can get a clear look at how fast, fluid, and pretty the interface appears to be. So, anyone know where he leaves that thing when he’s out racing? Check the full action after the break.

Continue reading Formula 1 superstar finishes first in race to nab BlackBerry Storm

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Original post by Chris Ziegler

Digium announced the immediate availability of the AEX410, a four-port modular analog PCI-Express x1 telephony interface card for use with Asterisk. The AEX410 is a PCI-Express board that compliments Digium’s existing PCI-based TDM410 product.

The AEX410 offers analog (FXS) stations and analog trunk (FXO) modules for connecting to the PSTN or analog devices. An optional DSP-based 128ms line echo cancellation for the AEX410 is provided by Digium’s VPMADT032 G.168 module. The optional hardware echo cancellation module provides 1024 taps (128 milliseconds) of echo cancellation for superior voice quality on both trunk and station interfaces.

According to the Digium blog, the naming convention is as follows:
AEʹXYZ

Where X indicates the number of FXS (station) modules (ports)
Where Y indicates the number of FXO (trunk) modules (ports)
Where Z indicates either B for bundles not containing DSP-based echo cancellation or E for bundles that do contain DSP-based echo cancellation.

So for example, here are some sample models, though not limited to just these:
AEX422E <- 2 FXS, 2 FXO, has DSP echo cancellation
AEX440E &lt- 4 FXS, 0 FXO, has DSP echo cancellation
AEX404E &lt- 0 FXS, 4 FXO, has DSP echo cancellation

The AEX410 board product utilizes Digium’s wctdm24xxp driver file that is part of the Zaptel (soon-to-be DAHDI) driver package. For more info, check out the blog post.

Tags: AE𕥔E, AEX410, AEX422E, AEX440E, analog, digium, echo cancellation, FXO, FXS, PCI-Express, voip

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Original post by nafiz

Filed under: Storage

We′ve been around this stuff long enough to know that hard drives just keep getting bigger with time, but if you were eager to know exactly when a 1TB unit would be prepped and ready for your notebook, try 2010. According to those infamous “undisclosed sources,” both Western Digital (which started shipping a 500-gigger today) and Fujitsu are looking to pump out 750GB 2.5-inch HDDs by mid-2009 and 1TB variants in 2010. Keep the faith, brethren.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Storage

If you′re still having trouble tracking down Samsung’s SpinPoint ̈ we’ve got good news for you: Western Digital just started volume shipments of its own 9.5-mm high, 2.5-inch laptop drive with that still amazing 500GB capacity. The $220 WD Scorpio Blue with 8MB cache churns through a SATA 3Gbps transfer rate with 12-ms access and is said to be one of the quietest (24dBA average idle / 26dBA average seek) of any 2.5-incher spinning at 5,400rpm. A 400GB version is available for $190.

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

While rumors have been flowing hot and heavy about VUDU’s possible demise, it seems the company has other plans in mind. We’ve received word that select beta team members are now being asked to try out new downloads that are intended to rival Blu-ray quality. Dubbed HDX movies, these ultra-high-def flicks are currently being watched by folks willing to wait a number of hours (two to three) for a film to start, but there’s no guarantee that we’ll ever see this hit the masses. Sure, we totally dig the idea of BD-quality content on-demand, but we could almost scoot down to Blockbuster, rent a bona fide Blu-ray Disc, watch, and return it before a so-called HDX title even begins.

[Thanks, anonymous]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

We’re usually pretty jaded when people tell us that we “won’t believe” what we’re seeing in a videos sent to tips — right, right, a cellphone demon, nice one — but it sure seems like the Golden Shellback waterproof coating is the real deal. Developed at the Northeast Maritime Institute and hopefully headed to production sometime soon, the process involves applying the coating to your precious toys inside a vacuum, after which they′re basically impervious to all liquids — in one test, a coated device spent over 450 hours powered on and functional underwater. There are some downsides: you can’t remove the coating, so any repairs will involve “abrasive methods,” which sounds like quite a commitment. That said, we’ll take a little abrasion in our lives if it means we never have to worry about spilling on our keyboards ever again. Video after the break.

[Via gCaptain]

Continue reading Golden Shellback waterproofing defies water, reality

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Misc. Gadgets

If you’re somehow able to gaze upon the Digital Photo Urn without emotion, you’ll find a fairly useful product. Still, we can’t help but be a little creeped out by the notion. Nevertheless, those with differing views can certainly procure one of their own, which was meant specifically to hold the remains (or at least some of them) of your lost pet and continually show pictures of its life on the built-in 7-inch display. In case you’re still not freaked out, the unit even supports audio, so you can “hear the precious barks, whines and purrs anytime.” At this point, we highly doubt you care about the 256MB of integrated storage space, USB connectivity or Oak / Walnut motifs, but those not shaken can secure one now for around $250.

[Via picturesnob, thanks Jay]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Wireless

Sprint affiliate iPCS has butted heads with its parent company in the past, and it looks like it’s causing a bit of a ruckus once again, this time over Sprint’s deal with Clearwire to form a new WiMAX-focused company. As the AP reports, iPCS (which has 640,600 subscribers in seven states) thinks that new service would compete with it in the markets it operates in, and therefore violate the exclusivity agreement Sprint signed in 1999. To put a halt to that possibility, iPCS has filed suit in the Cook County Circuit Court in Illinois to block the deal, adding that it “intends to fully and aggressively protect and defend its exclusivity rights.” Not surprisingly, Sprint saw this one coming, and it asked a Delaware Chancery Court to rule last week that the Clearwire deal didn’t violate its arrangement with iPCS, although there doesn’t appear to be any further word on that front just yet.

[Via Phone Scoop]

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Original post by Donald Melanson

Filed under: Wireless

Well, what do you know? Sometimes even the the most repetitive of rumors finally comes true. Barely 12 hours after the Wall Street Journal reported that a deal between Sprint, Clearwire and just about everyone else was dangerously close to going down, it seems as if the bottom lines have indeed been signed. Details are pretty light at the moment, but we definitively know that Sprint Nextel Corp. and Clearwire Corp. will be merging their “next-generation wireless broadband businesses to form a new wireless communications company.” Quite simply, the new outfit will be called Clearwire, even though Sprint will hold around 51-percent of the firm, while existing Clearwire shareholders will own 27-percent and the new investors will hold 22-percent. New investors? Ah yes, Intel, Google, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks will collectively invest $3.2 billion in the new company, but that figure is “based on a target price of $20 a share of Clearwire’s common stock, and is subject to a post-closing adjustment.”

[Via CNN]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Wireless

We′ve definitely heard this one before, but the buzz around a proposed $12B WiMAX partnership between Sprint, Clearwire, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Intel, and Google is deafening right now, all based on a report in the Wall Street Journal. The plan is for Sprint to merge its XOHM wireless broadband division with Clearwire, and then take a total of $3.2B in investments from a host of other players: $1.05B from Comcast, $1B from Intel, $550M from Time Warner Cable, $500M from Google, and $100M from Bright House. The resulting company will be worth some $12B, and the WSJ says investors have given their final approval for the deal — a rumor we’ve already heard with no meaningful result, so take it with a grain of salt. Or a whole salt lick, actually. We’re not certain why Big Cable is so eager to dump money on Sprint after two previous ventures both folded recently, but if this goes down, it’s a pretty big boost for WiMAX, which was looking pretty sickly lately. Still, asking consumers to have faith in Sprint and Comcast and Time Warner Cable is pretty ballsy — between the three of them, they′ve probably burned everyone in America. We’ll see where this goes — we should have something official pretty soon, according to the Journal.

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Mitsubishi and the onset of Spring can only mean one thing: an onslaught of HDTVs. Just as it did last year, the aforementioned outfit is busting out a plethora of high-definition sets to whet your appetite. As for the new line of April-bound DLPs ($1,799 to $4,699), you can expect the entire lot — which ranges from 60- to 73-inches in size — to sport 1080p panels, thinner frames than those on prior models, increased brightness, Mitsu’s own 6-Color Processor and 3D-readiness.

Moving on, we′ve got the new family of Ultra Thin Frame 1080p LCD HDTVs ($2,499 to $4,499; shipping in May), which span between 40- and 52-inches and feature low-profile speakers, Smooth 120Hz Film Motion / GalleryPlayer technology, 10-bit panels, 6-Color Processor, x.v.Color and Deep Color. For these and the DLPs, those who opt for the Diamond series will be treated to Variable Smooth 120Hz Film Motion technology, a DeepField Imager and an oh-so-desirable blue light accent.

Lastly, the Laser TV which made its debut at CES 2008 is on track for a Q3 release, and just as predicted, it’ll be going by the name LaserVue and sporting a currently undisclosed price tag. Hit the read link for the full breakdown.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Sure, we’ve seen brain power used to give mobility back to the immobile, but a new development in Europe is one-upping current efforts by adding in a hint of artificial intelligence to the tried and true brain-computer interface. The MAIA BCI not only converts signals emitted by the brain into actions — such moving a wheelchair forward — it also thinks for itself when needed in order to assist the user in getting where he / she wants to go. Essentially, the individual need only think about going left or forward (for example), and the machine itself will automatically detect obstacles and potential barriers in order to move more efficiently. As it stands, there’s still quite a bit of testing to be done before MAIA-based wheelchairs would be available to the public, but researchers are already hoping to integrate said technology into artificial limbs and the like.

[Via Physorg]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Desktops

Vigor, a PC-maker not known for its subtlety or underpowered systems, has just launched two new desktop powerhouses destined to shake you to your very core. The Force Recon SP and Force Recon BT will undoubtedly leave you in existence-questioning bafflement as you experience the sheer neck-breaking speed of their CPUs and accompanying graphics chipsets. The former tears enemies asunder with AMD’s Phenom quad-core processors coupled with dual ATI Radeon HD3870 graphics — capable of driving XHD displays at 2560 x 1600. The latter sports Intel’s quad-core mind-destroyer, the QX9650 Core 2 Extreme (which trots along at 3.0GHz), utilizes the new SSE4 instructions, and supports a slew of options which blend into what Vigor refers to as the “juiced” configuration. Both models are available now, with the SP starting at $2,319, and the BT clocking in at $2,869 — though both of those numbers can escalate quickly.

[Via Yahoo!]

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Original post by Joshua Topolsky