Developages - Development and Technology Blog

Filed under: Desktops, Peripherals, Storage

As your never-ending quest to find peripherals specifically made to match beautifully with your PowerMac G5 / Mac Pro continues, we’ve one that’ll surely shoot right to the top of your must-have list. Nervian’s CardReader Pro slips just under the front handle of your tower, providing (almost) integrated card reader functionality without putting a damper on your rig’s style. Better still, the USB 2.0 unit supports 52 different flavors of flash memory, ensuring that just about every card you toss in there will mount in short order. There’s no word on how costly this will be when it ships in October, but those definitely interested can nab 15% off by signing up for details at the outfit’s website.

[Thanks, choco]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

An external graphics card that’s actually nearing release? Be still our hearts! Fujitsu Siemens’ recently leaked external unit, which will be based on ATI XGP technology, is actually really, really close to hitting retail — according to a piece over at Fudzilla, anyway. Slated to be titled Lasso, the RV670-based device should be more than enough to handle basic tasks, but unfortunately, benchmarks were off limits. On the upside, digital photography was not, so head on down to the read link for a few more snaps.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops, Peripherals

Phew. A few more months of nothing and we would’ve been forced to put this thing on vaporware watch. None of that nonsense will be necessary now, however, as ASUS has finally gotten its act together and officially launched the ROG XG Station. Hailed as the “world’s first VGA and multimedia docking station,” the ExpressCard-interfacing unit comes bundled with a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT, four USB 2.0 ports and a snazzy display for good measure. Not unlike ASUS at all, there’s nary a mention of a price or release date — so yeah, we’re right back where we started.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops, Peripherals

We’ve heard plenty of promises of external graphics solutions for laptops in the past, and it looks like Fujitsu Siemens is now about to join the party as well, with it reportedly set to debut its AMILO GraphicBooster in the “next couple of weeks.” That word apparently comes from a leaked presentation from the company which, unfortunately, doesn’t include all the details we’d like, but does at least reveal a few tantalizing bits of information. As Notebook Review reports, the device is based on ATI XGP technology, which supposedly provides a 4.7X boost in graphics performance over a standard Fujitsu AMILO laptop (it’s not clear if they’re talking about integrated graphics or not), or a score of about 8,000 in 3DMark06 benchmarks. What’s more, the device will also apparently let you connect up to three external displays to your laptop, with both DVI-D and HDMI ports provided. Of course, there’s no word on pricing or availability, which could lead one to suspect that this is yet another device we’ll still be hearing about a year from now — if you’re the cynical type, that is.

[Thanks, Master_P]

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Original post by Donald Melanson

I’ve had the great pleasure to try out the sleek, portable nüvi 350 from Garmin for a while now. It takes GPS into a wider world than just GPS navigation, offering an all-in-one traveler’s reference and digital entertainment system . It’s really a pocket-sized personal travel assistant, and it’s rechargeable lithium-ion battery makes it convenient for navigation by car or foot.

The nüvi 350 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, including a robust points of interest database with hotels, restaurants, gas stations and ATMs for instance.

Destinations can be plotted with 2-D or 3-D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions (or just leave the voice off if you’ve got your own onboard human navigator).

In addition, the nüvi 350 accepts custom points of interest, such as school zones and safety cameras, and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of them.

Any GPS really becomes invaluable with traffic alerts, and nüvi offers an optional FM TMC traffic receiver and traffic services. With these, once you’re notified of accidents or road construction ahead on your route, you can simply touch the screen to view traffic details or recalculate your route to avoid traffic. Now you’re talking!

Beyond Navigation

But navigation is just the beginning because the nüvi 350 adds such entertainment and travel tools as an MP3 player, audio book player (subscription required), JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter and calculator.

It also comes with Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature, and is compatible with Garmins’ free Garmin Garage where you can download custom vehicles that show your location on the map. Optional plug-in SD cards let you add additional features to enhance your travel experience, such as language translation and detailed travel guides.

MSRP:$350.67

www.garmin.com

Tags: Garmin, Garmin Garage, Garmin Lock, GPS, nuvi 350

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Original post by nafiz

Baz Luhrmann, the creative brains behind Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! is innovating again: in an exclusive deal with Apple, the director has arranged for a series of video podcasts (I’m sorry, I can’t bring myself to use the term ‘vodcast’ - it always sounds like there’s something stuck in my throat) from the set of his new film, Australia.

The podcasts will feature Aussie actors Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman talking about making the film and are part of a bigger promotion, which includes the chance for students to win a set visit to Oz to learn all about movie production. Talk about the trip of a lifetime!

If you’re interested in watching the v*dcasts and entering the competition, see the Set to Screen series on Apple’s site for more details.

Via The Australian.

Original post by Popgadget: Personal Tech for Women

Sony’s opting for some minimalist styling with its latest home cinema offering, the Bravia DAV-F200 2.1 sound system.

Black, shiny and skinny, the new system brings a surprising 405W of hearing damage, spread in 135W chunks between the two small speakers and slinky subwoofer. As is now becoming more common, Sony believes its virtual surround will satisfy movie lovers, using its S-Force Front Surround technology to create ‘enveloping, rich and detailed virtual surround effects without the need for speakers all around the room’.

The DVD player is HDMI-equipped and capable of upscaling regular DVDs to near-HD quality, although I wish companies – in this case Sony - would stop saying that their upscaling DVD players can ‘upscale standard DVDs to 1080p resolution’, because they can’t. ‘Near’ is as good as you’re going to get. The unit can be wall-mounted but you will need to get the optional mount.

Formats supported include DVD, DVD+/-R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3, WMA, JPEG, DivX and, from USB devices, WMA and AAC files. It’s due out in June but there’s no price yet.-Martin Lynch

FEATURES:

* 2.1 system with compact, stylish control unit and speakers
* HDMI connection with 1080p upscaling and BRAVIA Sync system control
* USB play and record
* DMPORT connection for portable devices
* Portable Audio Enhancer
* 405W 32bit S-Master Digital Amplifier
* S-Force Front Surround
* Plays DVD, DVD+/-R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3, WMA, JPEG, DivX (plus WMA and AAC on USB)
* Optical/coaxial digital and analogue inputs for external sources
* Supplied with remote handset

[Sony]

audio movies home cinema

Original post by nafiz

Samsung will launch its new sound bar in the UK next month, adding an in-built upscaling DVD player, Bluetooth and wireless subwoofer.

Previewed at CES 2008 in January, the glossy piano-black HT-X810 speaker is the latest in a growing trend for single-speaker sound systems but this one comes with a DVD player inside and a wireless subwoofer, further eliminating the need for wires. The subwoofer can be hidden away virtually anywhere in the room, according to Samsung, and uses 5.8GHz wireless technology for syncing with whatever movie is playing.

Unfortunately, it’s not a surround bar, just a 2.1 stereo bar, which seems like a missed opportunity considering rivals like Philips , Yamaha and Denon, among others, are now heavily pushing one-speaker surround sound products.

The DVD player is capable of upscaling standard DVD to near HD quality, and is compatible with numerous formats, including the very useful DivX. Total power output is rated at 300W so it’s good enough for annoying the neighbours.

The unit’s Bluetooth technology can be used for streaming audio content off mobile phones and other Bluetooth devices. It sports HDMI and USB ports. The HT-X810 ships officially at the end of next month and you can pre-order it for £400.-Martin Lynch

audio movies speaker home cinema

Original post by nafiz

Do you know what “dark matter” is? I thought I knew what it was until I tried to explain it to myself and failed. But I no longer need to file away topics like this for later study (my ever-growing list of things I will learn someday in order to become a more cultured and informed human being) because I now know I can pick up knowledge about dark matter - enough to get by in a drunken conversation at a bar in any event - and other weighty scientific subjects in 60 seconds (or thereabouts).

As part of its 60-Second Science offerings, Scientific American has been running a video podcast series in which its editors explain big scientific topics of general interest, using common objects. I haven’t timed the videos to see how close they come to just 60 seconds, but they are indeed short enough that I don’t have time to get distracted like I did in high school science class. The editors at 60-Second Science know how to put together teaser headlines too, like “What can the Olsen twins tell us about telomeres?” You can subscribe to 60-Second Science on iTunes or in RSS. — (continues)

Original post by Popgadget: Personal Tech for Women

A German company has produced a series of disposable DVD movie discs that will delete themselves after 48 hours.

In fact you can get three versions of it: a ‘one-time only’ play disc, 8-hour and 48-hour versions. The discs, already being used in parts of France, Italy, Germany and Scandinavia are designed as a cheap way for non-traditional movie rental companies to rent movies to the public. These would include the likes of online movie rental companies that use the postal service or those that use movie kiosks. There’s another disposable DVD out there too called EZ-D.

The DVD-D comes in a cardboard cover that will keep them usable for years but once the cover is opened, a chemical process on the disc begins that makes them useless after 48 hours. Of course, you could copy the disc within that time but then that would be illegal now, wouldn’t it?

Still, with the advent of downloadable movies going mainstream in the next few years – dependent on decent broadband speeds - I see this kind of thing as a stop-gap measure to prolong DVD technology, at best.-Martin Lynch

[I4U via DVD-D.org]

DVD movies

Original post by nafiz

Not everyone can afford a piece of kit by designer Danish audio/video (AV) house, Bang & Olufsen, but those that do get their hands on some are among some of the most vocal fans.

They will no doubt be delighted to learn then that a new survey of well-heeled consumers in the US has marked out B&O as the most prestigious AV brand on the block. It is also something of double header for B&O because it’s the first time that the same company has won the video and audio categories. I’m sure some audio and cinephiles will have something to say on that.

Chatting to 1,400 people with an average net worth of around £2 million and an annual salary of over £165,000, The Luxury Institute found that B&O offered the perfect combination of style and performance. Of course, there was no mention of price in this survey because none of that really matters to those that were surveyed.

Some of the respondents aid:

“Bang and Olufsen has video equipment that is stylish and high quality that any discerning customer would want to own.”

Luxury Institute CEO Milton Pedraza added: “Although technological innovation in video has been accelerating, it is accessible to most brands. [However,] few brands have differentiated on design, ease of use, service and other attributes that are just as important to luxury video consumers.”

Well done B&O, but is the Danish firm a worthy winner of both awards?-Martin Lynch

TV movies HDTV B&O

Original post by nafiz

If you’re a home cinema buff you may want to look away now but, if you’re in the market for a cheap way of throwing up some decent sized movies for the kids every now and then, stay tuned.

This is the Micro SD Card Projector – I think the ‘Micro’ refers to it being small and not the Micro SD card format, since this only seems to take regular SD Cards. Still, taking SD Cards is a handy way for showing some stored videos and photos instantly without the hassle of hooking up a dedicated player. There’s no detail on the formats supported, which is a shame.

It measures 165mm long by 105mm wide and can also be used with DVD players, via Composite hook ups, to throw up images that max out at 101cm x 85cm. OK, we are not talking very big projection here but then it only costs £99.

It also runs off 4 x AA batteries which, in the long run will push up the cost, but then this is just meant to be a small, fun projector for instantly showing a movie, photos or playing MP3s. Find it here.-Martin Lynch

[Mobilemag]

movies gadgets projector fun

Original post by nafiz

I recently covered the creation of a full-sized Formula 1 car from 956,000 matchsticks and it received quite a bit of commentary from Gizmodo readers. Some thought it was cool while others felt that the maker had wasted 6 years of his life.

Now, the fabled Lord Of The Rings’ city, Minas Tirith, is undergoing a rebuild, only this time the 100 tonne stone blocks are being replaced by matchsticks. It’s not exactly going to worry the Orcish hordes but it will still take 2 painstaking years for Patrick Acton, a.k.a ‘The Matchmaker’, to complete.

He started in February this year and it’s already looking pretty good although there are seven levels to complete.

“Acton’s matchstick version of the seven-level city was started in February of 2007. The Minas Tirith model will contain hundreds of city buildings and will be topped with the Tree of Gondor and the White Tower of Etchelion.”

Due for completion in 2009, assuming no one lights a match. More shots below-Martin Lynch

[Matchstick Marvels]

movies lord of the rings hobby

Original post by nafiz

I recently covered the creation of a full-sized Formula 1 car from 956,000 matchsticks and it received quite a bit of commentary from Gizmodo readers. Some thought it was cool while others felt that the maker had wasted 6 years of his life.

Now, the fabled Lord Of The Rings’ city, Minas Tirith, is undergoing a rebuild, only this time the 100 tonne stone blocks are being replaced by matchsticks. It’s not exactly going to worry the Orcish hordes but it will still take 2 painstaking years for Patrick Acton, a.k.a ‘The Matchmaker’, to complete.

He started in February last year [thanks Jim] and it’s already looking pretty good although there are seven levels to complete.

“Acton’s matchstick version of the seven-level city was started in February of 2007. The Minas Tirith model will contain hundreds of city buildings and will be topped with the Tree of Gondor and the White Tower of Etchelion.”

Due for completion in 2009, assuming no one lights a match. More shots below-Martin Lynch

[Matchstick Marvels]

movies lord of the rings hobby

Original post by nafiz

A guy in the US has just flogged the Pizza.com domain name for a cool £1.3m, which he purchased back in 1994 and has been maintaining each year for just £10.

Chris Clark, from Baltimore in the US, thought buying the domain name would allow him to boost his consulting business with a large pizza outfit but it never happened. After hearing that the Vodka.com domain name sold for $3 million in 2006 he decided to try his luck.

After putting it up on eBay, bidding started at $100 and ended at $2.6 million from an anonymous bidder.

A shocked Clark told the Baltimore Sun newspaper: “It’s crazy, it’s just crazy.”

His only regret is that he didn’t buy more domain names back in the 1990s. Don’t we all.-Martin Lynch

internet food technology

Original post by nafiz