Gadgets Blog

Let me get this straight. Creative is getting sued for supposedly lying about the true capacities of their HDD-based MP3 players, and as punishment they are going to reward customers who bought such products made between May 5, 2001 and April 30, 2008 with either a 50% discount on a new 1GB player or 20% off any item purchased at their online store? Apparently, a few “concerned citizens” thought of throwing out this class action suit, which if approved by the court would force Creative to “make certain disclosures regarding the storage capacity of its hard disc drive MP3 players,” aside from the aforementioned “monetary” rewards. So it seems being creative isn’t always all that helpful, no? We’ll find out soon enough, since applications are due by August 7, 2008. Don’t forget to bring your authentic serial numbers now, ok?

Read [Creative HDD MP3 Settlement] Via [Engadget]

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As far as movie trailers go, usually they over promise while the movie under delivers. There are a few exceptions: Transformers, Cloverfield, and most recently Iron Man. And then, occasionally, and I mean very occasionally, there is an awesome trailer that gives way to a movie that flat out blows you away.

Check out the newest Dark Knight trailer if you don’t believe me.

The second full length preview we get for TDK is better than any other I’ve seen for a summer blockbuster. That even goes for Indiana Jones and the Quest for Medicade. Chen at the Giz says it might be the best movie of the summer period. I think he might be right. Just check out the few tantalizing glimpses of Heath Ledger’s already eerie performance. Armed only with mental instability, knives, and small arms (well except for that missile launcher), Joker seems to be getting the best of The Batman’s repertoire of high tech gadgetry in every scene.

Oh and pay careful attention to Aaron Eckart’s doomed Harvey Dent, especially around at the 1:53 mark.

The Dark Knight hits theaters on July 18th. And here we…go.

[whysoserious via movieweb]

Now this is one USB hub that I definitely won’t mind seeing on my desktop - it is actualy Optimus Prime’s head that contains four USB 2.0 ports, speaking out a classic phrase each time you hook up a USB gadget, for example “Autobots, transform and roll out!”, “This is Optimus Prime - do you read me?” and “It’s time to stomp some Decepticons!” Each purchase comes with an On/Off switch to make sure it doesn’t sound off during the most inopportune moments.

Remember the Nokia 6210 Navigator? Yes, the very same phone with integrated GPS. It’s officially approved by the FCC, so it’s well on its way to the target release date of sometime in Q3 2008. A full-featured smartphone running Symbian OS, the 6210 Navigator is equipped with a 3.2 megapixel camera, as well as a secondary camera on the front for video conferencing.

The phone offers connectivity via a micro USB connector, and takes in microSD memory cards for additional memory. The nice part is the included self-mount car kit for this device - something amiss with the N95 and other GPS phones. It also supports Assisted GPS, and comes with on-board mp3 player and FM receiver.

Priced at US $430, check out the Nokia 6210 Navigator.
[ Source ]

We featured the Brionvega Alpha TV last year, well it has broken away from the concept stage and is now for sale. Adopting an Italian design the Brionvega Alpha LCD / DVD combo features a 19 inch display with 1,280 x 1,024, 4:3 display ratio, 1,200:1 contrast ratio, 350 nits of brightness, 5ms response time and a 180 degree viewing angle. The DVD players plays the normal DVD and VCD along with MP3 discs. The unit has a pair of 3 watt speakers which are a bit underpowered. The Alpha can also be equipped with a digital DVB-T tuner which is good in certain European countries only. Available in orange / silver / black the Brionvega Alpha comes with a matching remote control which looks more like a Vertu phone. A bit heavy on the pocket it will set you back by $3000.
[ Source ]

On a global scale, Nokia pretty much dominates the cell phone market. At last count, the company’s worldwide market share for mobile handsets hovered just below 40 percent in Q1 2008. But here in the States things haven’t gone so well for the Finnish cell phone manufacture. Indeed, North America has been a particularly tough nut to crack for Nokia in part because the company just doesn’t have many CDMA-based phones that can be sold through big carriers like Verizon and Sprint.

According to Nokia’s chief designer Alastair Curtis, that’s about to change. In an interview with Finland’s Helsingin Snaomat, Curtis said the company is planning to release a number of new models that are specifically tailored to meet the needs of U.S. carriers in the coming months. Some of these phones will be new CDMA-based models, he said, while others will be European adaptations that can take advantage of the more common calling frequencies and bands used in North America.

Avi Greengart, Current Analysis’ mobile research director, says this is a prime opportunity for Nokia to start refocusing its attention on the U.S. market — especially with other big names in the mobile space foundering (Motorola, cough, cough).

“I can say that they’re tickled with the long-term changes in the U.S. market — things like open networks and the move to LTE,” Greengart said back in April. “Those play right into Nokia’s hands. But they have no time to lose. They certainly can’t wait for LTE. They need to invest in CDMA now. They also need to start getting their high-end GSM products to the U.S. market now.”

From the looks of it, Nokia seems to be doing just that.

[Reuters via Electronista]

I’m hopeful, but with a healthy amount of cynicism. Intellectually, I like to keep things sweet and sour.

So, while I loved and devoured and praised Clay Shirky’s newest book, “Here Comes Everybody,” it was important to couch that experience with a dose of anxiety over the current and future states of the Internet with Johnathan Zittrain’s “The Future of the Internet – And How to Stop It.”

Web 2.0 is (to me) more of a social phenomenon than a technical feat. Living in New York there are social mixers around the Web 2.0 hype nearly nightly, and I guess because I’ve always been a happy malcontent, I’m more critical of what we’re all really accomplishing tossing back cheap chardonnay and exchanging business cards.

Zittrain reveals that the Internet and our production of technologies and devices around it are on a path to a “lockdown,” a day where we will stop innovating. I know a roomful of “Web 2.0’rs” who would scoff at the notion.

Comfortable headsets are great when you can find them. If they are cordless it’s even better. Now add the ability to listen to your ipod wirelessly for up to 10 hours straight. If that is not enough – what if you and three other people could share the wireless connection? Have I peaked your interest yet?

Kleer (good name when talking about headsets) and DigiFi have joined their resources to give us a cordless headset with CD quality sound known as Opera. A bit rich at $98 but an interesting concept I must say.

Opera is not your ordinary headset. It wraps from behind your head and up over your ears. Earbuds make this headset unobtrusive and as far as looks are concerned – streamlined comes to mind.

Read [Kleer] Via [Gear Live]

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Software security company Webroot unveiled their E-Mail Security SaaS business solution back at the beginning of the year. The aim was to remove the need for special software, servers or expertise on-site of any small business when dealing with e-mail security. Webroot would instead offer the protection before any e-mail reaches company machines, as well as a host of additional features including encryption, archiving and management for a subscription charge.

With that e-mail service now well-established Webroot are going to try a similar service, but for desktop security. That means your first line of defense will no longer be security software installed on individual machines at your company. Instead, Webroot are going to filter all traffic before it gets to your company ensuring nothing malicious gets through.

By offering such a service Webroot aim to take the headache out of making sure your company is secure on the web. Just like the e-mail service, it means you don’t need to employ an IT person to ensure your security is up-to-date, you don’t need to pay out for server security software and you don’t need any extra hardware to deal with security at your offices. Webroot do, however, still suggest you run security software on your desktop machines as extra protection.

Their new desktop subscription service is set to come online in June.

Read more at PCWorld.com

Matthew’s Opinion

I can see such a service being enticing to small business owners, especially those in a business sector outside of the technology field. Some business owners may not have a great knowledge of network security and just want a solution. Having a new choice that is just a subscription charge rather than expenses for new hardware, software and possibly at least one staff member, may sound like a better deal.

Webroot are likely going to want you to buy their desktop solutions as well, but I’d be interested to see their reasons for you needing both seeing as they are marketing this as a single solution. I don’t have a problem with them trying to sell you both, but the discounts should be significant if you do decide to opt for the subscription and the desktop software.

Do you think security as a service is going to work for business (and possibly home) users? It would certainly simplify things in the workplace. You have to wonder what would happen if Webroot’s servers went down though.

Recently there have been ongoing concerns over the shipments of lithium-ion batteries typically used in laptops. The concern stemmed from demand outstripping supply and predictions that only the biggest vendors would be receiving their quotas in the next few months.

The main reason for the shortage was due to a fire back in March at manufacturer LG Chem that saw production stop at the facility. But now it seems that supply may get back to normal by the third quarter according to battery producer Simplo Technology.

Sung Fu-hsang, chairman of Simplo stated, “The LG Chem problem has had a big impact on supplies, but we’re working with customers and they understand“.

Simplo Technology is the largest independent supplier of lithium-ion batteries and the comment by Mr Fu-hsang was made last Friday during an investors conference. His comments may bring relief to PC vendors, but in the short term companies such as Asustek and Acer believe they will suffer shortages and therefore hurt sales and revenue.

Read more at ITWorld.com

Matthew’s Opinion

The comments made by Mr Fu-hsang may have been made just to steady investors rather than actually predicting an end to the shortages. His prediction of the 3^rd quarter also only states the problem will be resolved within that 3 month period and 3 months is a long time not to have batteries for a company like Acer.

In some ways I don’t think it is right that the largest vendors get their battery supplies first; as it’s the smaller vendors that suffer more from not being able to meet their sales. Depending on how bad the situation gets customers may migrate to the larger vendors just because they have the batteries and laptops available to sell.

Looking at this from another angle it shows how close to the peak of battery production the world is at right now. One manufacturing plant has gone offline and almost straight away there are shortages. This episode may actually push manufacturers, and possibly the vendors themselves, to invest more in battery production facilities.