You’ve already seen what the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic can do on an HDTV. What if it was in someone’s hand? A video worth taking the time to load this lazy Sunday.
Tags: demo, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia Tube, Videos
Original post by Rico
I do apologize if I’m perpetuating racial stereotypes. Just try to understand this Asian mongrel’s wonder at meeting a full-blooded Scandanavian woman in person for the first time. Nokia’s Tuula Rytilä-Uotila was literally a larger-than-life figure. It’s rare for my six-footer self to talk to a woman without looking down.
Rytilä-Uotila was perhaps known throughout the web as the PR voice behind the Nokia 6630 Music Edition, when it came out way back in 2005. She was the director, Imaging EMEA. Looks like she’s moved up the corporate ladder since then, as she was introduced as the Vice President for Live, GoToMarket during the 5800 XpressMusic launch.
Will we see more of her in the future? Perhaps as Nokia continues shifting some of its focus to applications and services, we will see Tuula rallying to media masses with her commanding voice. A writer friend who accompanied me to Singapore for the 5800 launch only had this to say about her: “I want my music LOUDER!”, mimicking the authority with which she pointed the 5800’s loud speakers. Music-oriented services and features seem to play a big part in Tuula’s corporate career at Nokia. That’s why I’m sure she’ll be at the forefront of Nokia’s offensive to maintain its relevance in the increasingly convergent world.
Tags: Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia 6630 Music Edition, Tuula Rytilä-Uotila
Original post by Rico
Filed under: Digital Cameras, Home Entertainment
If you don’t have quite enough set-tops sitting underneath your HDTV, we’ve got one more to fill that tiny gap over there on the right. PIE United has introduced a rather quizzical device aimed at folks who love to show off photos of their journeys around the world on the big screen. The HD-0310 1080p Digital Photo Viewer connects up via HDMI and supports 12 types of flash cards along with USB drives; in addition to photos, it’ll play back video clips and MP3 files. Oh, and just in case you’re fresh out of HDMI ports, this thing packs a single input in order to connect another HDMI device and switch between the two. Not too sure how much this will run the layman, but outfits looking to buy in bulk should be able to land a killer deal.
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Original post by Darren Murph
Filed under: Cellphones
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Original post by Sean Cooper
Filed under: Cellphones
You know that unlocked HTC Touch Diamond advertised at Best Buy? Well, we just received word from the inside that it does, indeed, carry US 3G. At least that’s the obvious assumption given the HTCTOUCHDIA model and IAMOND UNLKD 3G description shown in Best Buy’s all too familiar RSS feed. $700, and “coming soon” — you ready?
[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
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Original post by Thomas Ricker
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment
Last month you let us know in the comments how you felt about the MPAA’s latest effort to close the analog hole — by removing the FCC’s ban on selectable output control (SOC), giving them the ability to remotely disable the analog output on your cable box — now try telling someone who can actually do something about it. The FCC has opened the petition to public comment until June 25, and replies to comments by July 7. Currently, the MPAA is arguing that allowing SOC will actually hasten the digital transition, once it feels comfortable offering early release flicks on HD video-on-demand, people will have more incentive to upgrade their TV sets. Of course, owners of older HDTVs without HDMI connections or anyone else who′d rather use analog outs would be left in the dark, and Ars Technica notes the EFF and Home Recording Rights Coalition have already spoken out against the plan. Give the MPAA’s proposal a read then let the FCC know which side of the line you fall on before it’s too late.
[Via Ars Technica]
Read - MPAA proposal (warning: PDF link)
Read - FCC Electronic Comment File Submission (The docket number for field #1 (”proceeding″) is 08-82.)
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Original post by Richard Lawler
Filed under: Laptops
And just think — last year you were singing Dino Dai Zovi’s praises for taking control of a MacBook Pro in nine whole hours. This year, the PWN 2 OWN hacking competition at CanSecWest was over nearly as quickly as it started, as famed iPhone hacker Charlie Miller showed the MacBook Air on display who its father really was. Apparently Mr. Miller visited a website which contained his exploit code, which then “allowed him to seize control of the computer, as about 20 onlookers [read: unashamed nerds] cheered him on.” Of note, contestants could only use software that came pre-loaded on the OS, so obviously it was Safari that fell victim here. Nevertheless, he was forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement that’ll keep him quiet until “TippingPoint can notify the vendor,” but at least he’ll have $10,000 and a new laptop to cuddle with during his silent spell.
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Original post by Darren Murph
Filed under: Laptops
Unfortunately, Apple’s MacBook Air still only arrives with a lone USB port. Save for using a dongle / hub, there’s really been no other way to connect a bevy of USB peripherals to the lappie — until now. Thanks to a curious hacker with a thing for perusing microchip documentation, he discovered that the internal ICH-8 southbridge chip actually has five low-speed and two high-speed USB controllers. After rolling up his sleeves and finding the correct pins, he was actually able to make the partially exposed MBA recognize and talk nice to a USB flash drive. We know, you USB-lovin’ Air owners are already dreaming up ways to add new ports to your slim slab of aluminum, so head on down to the read link if you′re ready to work (hard).
[Via TUAW]
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Original post by Darren Murph
Filed under: Laptops
There’s are a lot of reasons to pick another laptop over the MacBook Air — especially if you’re into little things like “useful ports” — but the comparison to non-Apple hardware isn’t even relevant unless you’re willing to switch to OS X, right? Well, the crew over at Xbit Labs decided to even the slate and evaluate the MBA solely as a Windows machine, wiping the drive clean of Leopard and installing Vista Ultimate. Although actually getting Vista on the Air was a bit troublesome due to the lack of a built-in optical drive and the Vista installer’s refusal to wipe out the OS X partition, once installed the OS performed fine, with Apple-provided drivers activating the media and brightness keys and even the multi-touch trackpad. The only major issues were over-aggressive activation of CPU power-management, which resulted in dramatic slowdowns during some tasks, and the fact that the case got fairly warm during use — both issues MBA owners using OS X have reported. Overall, while the MBA was a solid if unspectacular Windows machine, the lack of support and nagging issues with running a pure Windows MBA mean you’re probably better off going with laptop designed for Vista — hmm, we can think of one that might spark your interest.
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Original post by Nilay Patel
Filed under: Laptops
Pencil thin laptop? Check. Floating with drop shadow? Check. Catch phrase in Helvetica Light? You bet. “Thinnovation” may have become “The art of thin,” but there’s no mistaking the implication of this new Lenovo web ad for the ThinkPad X300. “No-compromise” and “Everything else is just hot air?” Them’s fightin’ words.
[Thanks, Amerist]
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Original post by Joshua Topolsky
Filed under: Laptops
If you caught the Charlie Rose show last night, this was the gruff ruffian you found presenting. The last thing you’d expect from the usually staid, easy going interviewer. Turns out Rose had a choice to make when he tripped on a 59th street pothole in New York City: protect his newly purchased MacBook Air, or his face — he chose the former. According to his producers, “The Macbook Air is fine, he showed us the blood stains on it this morning.” Wow, in an instant he took a measurable shot to his integrity and redefined the term, “air head.” Not bad.
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Original post by Thomas Ricker
Filed under: Laptops
What, you don’t read the official Transportation Security Administration blog? No worries, we’ve got your back on this one with the TSA’s official reaction to Michael Nygard’s missed flight as a result of its incredulous MacBook Air inspection. TSA agents are in fact trained to look for anomolies. So along come the MBA laptop. It’s new (thus, rarely seen), ridiculously thin, and lacks a mechanical hard drive and any visible ports. Requesting further inspection is exactly what Mr. Nygard should have expected. As surly and detached as TSA officers tend to be, in this case they were doing their job just as they were trained. Of course, knowing this isn’t going to prevent any of us from bitching and moaning every time we have to remove our shoes now is it?
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Original post by Thomas Ricker
Filed under: Laptops
The TSA has been known to take issue with products designed in Cupertino before, but for one particular traveler, it was Apple’s thinnest laptop ever that caused the latest holdup. Upon tossing his ultra-sleek slab of aluminum underneath the scanner, security managed to find enough peculiarities to remove it from the flow, pull it aside and wrangle up the owner for some questions. Apparently, the TSA employee manning the line was flabbergasted by the “lack of a drive” and the complete absence of “ports on the back,” and while hordes of co-workers swarmed to investigate, the user’s flight took off on schedule. Thankfully, said owner was finally allowed to pass through after some more in-the-know colleagues explained in painfully simple terms what an SSD was, but the poor jet-setter most definitely paid the price for trying to slip some of the latest and greatest under the sharp eyes of the TSA (and cutting it close on time, of course).
[Image courtesy of ABC]
 
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Original post by Darren Murph
Filed under: Peripherals
Given the fact that most (all?) 3G USB modems won’t even fit in the MacBook Air’s ultra-cramped USB port, it’s practically a foregone conclusion that some of that sex appeal is going to be forfeited when busting out a dongle to keep using your current wares. Enter the AirQueue, which is hailed as the first USB extender designed specifically to work with the MBA — whatever that means. Truth be told, we can’t figure out exactly what makes this any different than other extenders made for helping folks out in a squeeze, but at least it’s only $6, right? Oh, and if you’re aiming to make things extra unsightly, be sure and pick up the pictured $38 ExpressCard adapter — your coffee shop style quotient will be tanked in no time.
[Via MacsimumNews, thanks RD]
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Original post by Darren Murph
Filed under: Transportation
While many around the globe have their eyes fixated on the events going down in Las Vegas this week, the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi, India is managing to steal at least a hint of the limelight. Announced today, Tata Motors’ $2,500 “1-Lakh” car will actually see production in India later this year, and it has affectionately been dubbed the NANO. For those not keen on such a title, it can also be recognized as “The People’s Car,” but it seems “The Person’s Car” may have been more appropriate. Nevertheless, this little bundle of automotive joy will feature an all-aluminum, two-cylinder engine that can deliver around 54 US miles per gallon, and while stripped down would be a gross understatement, it does promise to “exceed current regulatory (read: safety) requirements.” Hit the read link for Tata’s official release along with a plethora of photos.
[Image courtesy of Manan Vatsyayana/Raveendran for Getty]
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Original post by Darren Murph
Developages - Development and Technology Blog
