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From the first time Steve Jobs demonstrated “the pinch″ — the two-finger gesture used to zoom in and out of photos and Web pages on the iPhone – some Apple observers assumed it was just a matter of time before a multitouch-enabled screen showed up on the Mac.

That hasn’t happened yet. But now Hewlett-Packard has beaten Apple to the punch, announcing the first multitouch-enabled notebook PC, the tx2.

We are all wondering — aren’t we — why Apple couldn’t get this out to market first?

The tx2 is a convertible notebook, meaning its screen can pivot 180 degrees to show someone else what’s on it or lie flat and act like a tablet PC.

The first convertible notebook aimed directly at consumers, the tx2 sports HP’s version of multitouch technology, which lets you use two fingers at once to manipulate images on the screen or make on-screen gestures that signify specific commands.

A pinch motion works just like it does on an iPhone or MacBook, for example, letting you rotate pictures or press and drag files around.

Pricing? $1,150 or only $151 more than the starter MacBook.

More at BusinessWeek.

Tags: apple, convertible notebook, hewlett-packard, hp, iphone, mac, macbook, steve jobs, tx2

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Copyright VoIP &amp Gadgets Blog

Original post by nafiz

Shipments of four classes of wireless audio and video connectivity products for the home will increase nearly 500% by the end of 2013, according to a new study from ABI Research.

The four technologies involved are named as Bluetooth, WiFi, ultra-wideband (UWB) and 60 GHz. The last one is described by ABI Research as the “likely standard-bearer” for in-home wireless distribution of uncompressed high-definition video.

The research firm adds that as the wireless home electronics market grows, these technologies will coexist and become closely integrated according to their strengths and specialities.

More at Connected Home News. 

Tags: 60 GHz, abi research, bluetooth, ultra-wideband, wifi

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Copyright VoIP & Gadgets Blog

Original post by nafiz

Filed under: Portable Audio, Robots

Oh Rolly… we know you’re an overpriced, 2GB dancing robot with convoluted controls and questionable sound quality. But dammit, your impractical, big-corporate ways have gnawed a soft-spot deep into the noxious cesspool we call a heart. Now this: Rolly model SEP-50BT with Bluetooth control from your cellphone or laptop. Shipping in Japan on November 21st for an expected ¥40,000 or about $427. Sold. Watch it all unfold in the video after the break.

[Via Impress]

Continue reading Sony’s Rolly learns the Bluetooth trick

Sony’s Rolly learns the Bluetooth trick originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

New storage products usually involve gadgets that are bigger, faster and cheaper as disk drives keep packing in more and more data and prices keep on dropping.

However, EMC’s Iomega, well-known for such personal disk storage products as the Zip and Jaz drives, is coming out with new products that are smaller — yet “bigger” in capacity — and cheaper.

Iomega recently introduced the StorCenter i×2, a 1TB-capacity network storage drive with a desktop footprint that the company describes as “smaller than a large dictionary.” The price: $300.   (Cheap, cheap …)

The StorCenter ix2 comes in 1TB and 2TB ($479) versions and provides a centralized network storage repository that can be used in the home to share, secure and protect data and files, including databases, photos, MP3 files, videos and financial records.

It’s ridiculous how cheap these things are, but it is what it is. It’s a great value for the consumer.

The ix2 includes built-in support for Bluetooth, UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) and DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) certified devices it even sports an integrated iTunes server.

The ix2 includes security software from RSA, also owned by EMC.

More at eWeek.com.

Tags: bluetooth, data, emc, iomega, rsa, storage, storcenter iҲ

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Copyright VoIP & Gadgets Blog

Original post by nafiz

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Callpod’s Phoenix is edging dangerously close to the realm of vaporware, but even though the pricing is being kept tightly under wraps, the thing is supposedly available now. For those who’ve managed to think about more than this revolution in the all-too-exciting world of conference calling since January, let’s recap. Essentially, the Phoenix MCS enables five BT headsets to communicate with each other in full duplex over a more than a 300,000-square foot area. Additionally, the base station is completely mobile and packs a rechargeable Li-ion battery good for around 8-hours of talk time (120-hours in standby). When we pinged Callpod to retrieve the highly secretive pricing information, we were told that we’d have to “speak to a sales representative to get a better idea.” Hope you’re up for a chat.

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Original post by Darren Murph

In the what’s old is new again category …

IMOVIO has launched a smaller alternative to a subnotebook – much smaller. The new iKIT is about the size of a PDA from 10 years ago, but has a QWERTY keyboard and connects to the Internet at 3G speeds via your cell phone or Wi-Fi.

(Ah the Newton … Anybody still using that little gadget goodie from Apple?) 

The $175 Linux-based system has a built-in Webcam as well as a range of applications, such as Web browsing, e-mail and IM.

It can connect to the Internet using a standard Wi-Fi connection, or it can use your cell phone’s mobile broadband connection via Bluetooth. 

Now are those chicklet keys easy on our big fingers? 

Get more at Computerworld.

Tags: apple, bluetooth, IMOVIO, newton, pda, subnotebook, wi-fi

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Copyright VoIP & Gadgets Blog

Original post by nafiz

In the land of the karaoke-obsessed, Japan, there’s a karaoke service for cell phones launched last year by Sega called Hitokara (translates to karaoke for one person). The cell phone service started with 35,000 free downloadable songs but that number has since expanded to 43,000. Sega now aims to transcend the service’s cell phone karaoke label with an accessory called the Hitokara at Home.

Hitokara at Home is basically a karaoke box with a microphone, built-in speakers, and a disco mirror ball equipped with blinking LED lights for effect. For the hardcore karaoke fans who already got their home theater systems wired for weekend singing fests, this might seem cute but essentially useless. Still, since using it is as easy as connecting a Hitokara-enabled cell phone to it, it’s a good alternative to all those already subscribed to the service.

Check out the official Sega Hitokara at Home page here.

Original post by Mariella Moon

Filed under: Laptops, Peripherals

We could tell from the press shot that this here laptop bag was far and away the most beautiful of the TSA-approved bunch, and a recent review over at Gadling confirms it. Put simply, the Tom Bihn Checkpoint Flyer is “fantastic,” and even the reviewer found himself startled at just how much he dug it. The build quality was remarkable, the ease of use was commendable and the design itself was obviously worthy of praise. The only real rub is the bloated sticker; the price of admission is a stiff $220, and that’s before you add in any useful straps or extra packing cubes. Unfortunately, the critic didn’t actually attempt to clear security at an airport with the bag, though we don’t suspect you’ll have any too many difficulties. Check the full writeup and a hands-on gallery in the read link.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Cellphones

Ah yes, the natural progression of a release. First comes the hands-on at the introduction, then comes the leaked user manual, then comes the pre-order fiasco — now, it’s time for those always titillating in the wild shots. The box and handset are nothing out of the ordinary / surprising (respectively), but at least you now know that bona fide unboxing images are just around the bend.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Digital Cameras

We’ve seen Pentax put the Midas touch on a few of its DSLRs before, but Nikon? In a rare effort to draw attention to its D60, the outfit has evidently unveiled a “Black Gold” edition which merely adds a few niceties in the way of revamped trim. In other words, you’ll see no upgrades on the camera that aren’t cosmetic, and unless you’re really into that gilded look, you may not even appreciate the Gold Edition strap, logo’d box, gold shutter button / strap lugs and the shiny new D60 badge. Is $50 too much to ask for those puny tweaks? Answer with your wallet, please.

[Thanks, Bo]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Gaming

We received an interesting tip that we thought we’d share with the group. Windows expert and all-around bon vivant Paul Thurrott recently previewed Microsoft’s new Arc mouse on his personal blog, detailing the device with a handful of photos. In the final shot of the series, what appear to be two Xboxes side-by-side can be seen in the lower right-hand corner… but one of those consoles looks thinner than the other. The appearance of what might be a slimmer Xbox 360 has (needless to say) sparked a debate amongst our editors here. Some say it’s nothing — a matter of angle — while others argue that this could be just the scenario in which you’d see a leak of a new form factor. Either way, you can’t simply brush off the differences here, and a little Photoshop matching on our end proved that these edges are decidedly different in angle. So we put it to the Engadget reader: is this a sign of things to come, or just our imaginations running wild?

[Thanks, Brian]

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Original post by Joshua Topolsky

Filed under: Gaming

We received an interesting tip that we thought we’d share with the group. Windows expert and all-around bon vivant Paul Thurrott recently previewed Microsoft’s new Arc mouse on his personal blog, detailing the device with a handful of photos. In the final shot of the series, what appear to be two Xboxes side-by-side can be seen in the lower right-hand corner… but one of those consoles looks thinner than the other. The appearance of what might be a slimmer Xbox 360 has (needless to say) sparked a debate amongst our editors here. Some say it’s nothing — a matter of angle — while others argue that this could be just the scenario in which you’d see a leak of a new form factor. Either way, you can’t simply brush off the differences here, and a little Photoshop matching on our end proved that these edges are decidedly different in angle. So we put it to the Engadget reader: is this a sign of things to come, or just our imaginations running wild?

Update: And we have our answer! Paul Thurrott has gone to the trouble of detailing just exactly what’s going on here, and it is an angle issue. Needless to say, we’ve got a lot of deflated dreams and lightened pockets in the office today.

[Thanks, Brian]

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Original post by Joshua Topolsky

Filed under: Robots

Erector’s WiFi-enabled Spykee robot hasn’t even begun to ship to mere mortals just yet, but through some random acts of wizardry, Sven was able to grab hold of one and give it the ole unboxing / impressions treatment (on video, no less). It could be the novelty factor, but he seemed pretty stoked with the whole package, and the clip waiting in the read link gives some real hard-hitting insight as to whether or not this $300 character deserves a spot in your family. Give it a watch, won′t you?

[Via RobotsRule]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

As we’ve seen, NASA has some pretty big plans for the moon (which may or may not come to fruition), and it’s now finally offering up a solution for how it might keep everything powered. Turns out, it’s looking at going nuclear — with a fission surface power system, to be specific. That system, seen above in an artist’s concept, would consist of nuclear reactor buried below the lunar surface (which provides some handy radiation shielding), with the engines that convert the heat energy into electricity placed in the tower above the reactor — those long radiators would “radiate into space” any leftover heat energy that wasn’t converted to electricity. All told, the system promises to generate a steady 40 kilowatts of electric power, or enough for about eight houses on Earth, but with NASA’s various power-saving measures, they say that’d be more than enough to sustain a serious lunar outpost.

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Original post by Donald Melanson

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

No surprises here, but AT&T is doing the right thing by getting official with its Total Home DVR — which we’ve been expecting for like, ever. A number of loyal U-verse users received word of the change last week, but now the provider is rolling the software out to the Bay Area at no additional charge; as for everyone else, expect to receive it before 2009 dawns. So, what’s so fresh about Total Home? Oh, just the ability to watch five HD programs simultaneously throughout the home, among other nice extras listed in bulleted fashion after the jump.

Continue reading AT&T gets official with U-verse Total Home DVR

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Original post by Darren Murph