Developages - Development and Technology Blog

Filed under: Home Entertainment

What can we say? Intempo has launched a new pair of iPod-compatible speaker systems, and unless you’re somehow just entering the market for one in the latter half of 2008, chances are you’re already yawning. Nevertheless, the RDi-W (pictured) does distinguish itself somewhat by including support for DAB and wireless internet radio, and there’s a 30-watt internal amplifier to kick out the jams. The much drabber Fusion keeps things small and simple by offering up just 25-watts of power and DAB / FM tuners. Expect the couple to sashay into e-tailers next month for £169.99 ($316) / £99 ($184).

Read - RDi-W
Read - Fusion

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Look out, Yamaha / Polk / Vizio / et al., you’ve got another rival heating up the surround bar game. Destined to hit CEDIA 2008, soundmatters’ SLIMstage40 checks in at a luscious 3.3- x 3.4- x 39-inches in size and features 170-watts from eight internal amplifiers. The device houses four Linear Magnetic Drive main / satellite speakers and a trio of down-firing Extreme-Energy subs that are assisted by six mass radiators. Furthermore, you’ll find three digital audio inputs (two optical, one coaxial), three analog inputs, a headphone jack, LED-backlit panel, an RS-232 port and an IR remote. Folks interesting in dabbling in faux-surround can snag one now for $899 to $1,199, depending on whether you spring for the bundle including the SUBstage100 subwoofer.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Wireless

As WiMax-powere 4G networks remain the stuff of holding companies and litigation, a group of providers have gotten together to form an (evil?) alliance that they say will help speed up both development and deployment. In other words, they want Qualcomm on board, which holds the juciest 4G patents. The Open Patent Allience (OPA) includes Intel, the recently-formed Clearwire, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Samsung, and Sprint. Similar to the Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, NextWave Wireless, Nokia Siemens Networks, Sony Ericsson coalition that is backing Long Term Evolution, this WiMAX group looks poised to take on Qualcomm with some serious collective patents, boardroom politics, and investor cash. Meanwhile, Qualcomm is sitting in the corner saying, “We already have 4G, and it’s very nice.” This should be interesting. Stay tuned.

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Original post by Joshua Fruhlinger

Filed under: Robots

Need some irony with your angst-battered diet this morning? Swell, try some of this. Disney and Pixar are set to release their latest animated blockbuster, WALL-E, this summer. The premise of the film finds WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth-Class) cleaning up the Earth’s trash after rampant, unchecked consumerism made the planet uninhabitable. So how do they promote the film? You got it, they launch a new line of plastic WALL-E robots developed in partnership with WowWee and Thinkway Toys which no child could possibly live without. Ultimate WALL-E will list for $190 when launched sometime this summer and feature 10 motors, a remote control, and plenty of sensors to avoid obstacles, respond to touch, and feel the mocking satire of its own existence. The bot will be joined by a $25 iDance WALL-E (think i-Species) and a $40 FlyTech Tinker Bell when they make their May 29th debut in San Mateo at the Maker Faire.

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Robots

var digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/Disney_and_WowWee_team_up_on_cute_killer_bots’; Need some irony with your angst-battered diet this morning? Swell, try some of this. Disney and Pixar are set to release their latest animated blockbuster, WALL-E, this summer. The premise of the film finds WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth-Class) cleaning up the Earth’s trash after rampant, unchecked consumerism made the planet uninhabitable. So how do they promote the film? You got it, they launch a new line of plastic WALL-E robots developed in partnership with Thinkway Toys which no child could possibly live without. Ultimate WALL-E will list for $190 when launched sometime this summer and feature 10 motors, a remote control, and plenty of sensors to avoid obstacles, respond to touch, and feel the mocking satire of its own existence. The bot will be joined by a $25 iDance WALL-E (think i-Species) and a $40 WowWee FlyTech Tinker Bell when they make their May 29th debut in San Mateo at the Maker Faire.

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Gaming

We’ve already seen the PlayStation 3 put to use for some non-gaming tasks (other than playing Blu-ray movies), and it now looks like the U.S. Air Force is aiming to get in on the act as well, with it recently putting out a so-called Request for Proposal that is seeking 300 PS3s for a “technology assessment.” Needless to say, their primary interest is in the console’s powerful Cell processor, which they say is the “only brand on the market that utilizes the specific cell processor characteristics needed for this program at an acceptable cost.” Exactly what that program entails is unsurprisingly being kept under wraps, with the RFP only going so far to state that the Air Force Research Laboratory is “conducting a technology assessment of certain cell processors.” Whatever it is, the Air Force certainly seems to be trying to keep costs as low as possible, with them apparently only interested in the 40GB model.

[Via Switched]

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Original post by Donald Melanson

Filed under: CES, Displays, HDTV

While the rest of the world seems to be bailing on RPTVs, Samsung is using CES to showcase a pair of all new DLP rear-projection sets. Up to bat first is the 61- / 67-inch HL67A750A, and here’s a look at what it’s packing:

• Next-generation LED light engine: no color wheel, longer set life (30,000 hours)
• Full HD 1080p resolution and 10,000:1 contrast ratio
• 3D Ready integration with 3D accessory kit (sold separately)
• Four HDMI 1.3 ports with CEC
• USB 2.0 socket for PMPs, cameras, etc.
• Single-tuner picture-in-picture (PIP) can display two separate sources without an external tuner

But wait, there’s more! Click on through to see it.

Continue reading Samsung sticks by RPTV, intros HL67A750A / HL56A650A

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Original post by Darren Murph