Gadgets Blog

TechCrunch is reporting that AOL will be scuttling some online services it has been offering in order to streamline costs and focus attention on the company’s new ad revenue based business model. Some speculate the move may be in response to AOL trimming some fat in order to further entice Yahoo! or Microsoft to acquire it from Time Warner.

News of the move came as a result of an internal email by EVP Kevin Conroy to his staff, obtained by TechCrunch.

Online services on the chopping block include Bluestring, Xdrive and AOL Pictures. AOL had acquired Xdrive back in August 2005. Xdrive offers up to 5GB of free online storage for registered users and prior to AOL’s acquisition, Xdrive was charging US$9.95 a month for the same amount of storage.

I think Conroy hits the nail on the head when he says in his email that in order for Xdrive to grow AOL would have to start focusing on gaining subscribers for the service. That’s completely contrary to the ad-based business plan the company now has. To have AOL begin to focus on subscriptions again will be a huge step backwards for the company.

Read more from the TechCrunch article.

Panasonic has released a new cell phone in the Japanese market - the MIRROR II 824P handset. This HSDPA-enabled phone will be available through SoftBank, and it probably won’t see the light of day outside of the Land of the Rising Sun. Features of the MIRROR II 824P include :-

• 3? internal QVGA LCD screen
• T-DMB support
• 2 megapixel camera with auto focus and shake-reduction functions
• microSD/SDHC memory card slot

No idea on how much this will cost, but you can choose from Midnight Purple, Crystal Silver, Deep Pink, Champagne Gold and Ruby Red colors.

Movie tie-ins with devices are pretty common these days, and here we have the Sex and the City-themed iPod speaker. It comes in a girly pink color, and features images of shoes and martini glasses all over, making sure you’re the laughing stock at the office if your girlfriend has made it mandatory for you to place this on your desk at all times. It draws power directly from the iPod when connected, so make sure the iPod is properly juiced before you use this speaker. The Sex and the City ipod speaker will retail for $19.99 a pop, so don’t expect the sound quality to rank somewhere between fabulous and unbelievable.

Up to ten different ten models carry defective Nvidia GPUs, so that means that this issue is not limited to just HP machines. There is no official announcement from Nvidia about the quality of G84/G86 chips yet, but it would be nice to see a corporation come clean with consumers since purchasing a computer isn’t exactly an act of impulse. People work hard for their money, you know. Hopefully the management at Nvidia will come clean about the actual state sooner rather than later.

Vizio has released a new true hybrid display known as the VMM Monitor. This 26″ LCD display will feature :-

• Dual HDMI inputs
• DVI and VGA inputs
• RCA audio inputs
• Integrated 3W speakers

The VMM monitor is tipped for an August release, retailing for approximately $450 - which is cheaper compared to standalone HDTVs of similar size. Unfortunately, 26″ won’t do much for you if you happen to have a sizeable living room.

University of Tsukuba Japan is developing a dome shaped virtual reality walking system to aid patients suffering from a stroke or similar illnesses. The treadmill is designed to accommodate a person weighing up to 80kg. The dome, which has a viewing angle of 270 degrees aims to make the user feel more immersed in the environment that is projected on the screen. Though it’s not completed yet, it’s said to cost quite a bit, which could be a problem for hospitals who might be interested in getting a couple of these when they’re finally released.

Gateway started its business by using the direct sales model, which enticed customers to buy computers, laptops and other peripherals directly from the company without having to deal with markups when buying from retail locations. Gateway expanded its business model to soon include Gateway retail stores, which stuck to the direct sales model, but put Gateway in control of offering their products directly to customers in the retail setting. Well, the Gateway retail stores soon closed and now it looks like Gateway will be moving away from the direct sales business model altogether.

According to the company’s press release, Gateway moved to a 100% indirect sales model effective on Sunday. The company stated that any orders already received through the website and phone number will still be processed, but no further orders will be taken. Those with a Gateway gift card will still be able to redeem their card for its full value and can simply call 800-369-1409 for more information. The company will also still honor any saved quotes for a period of 30 days.

Gateway will now offer its products through retailers including Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, Costco, HSN, Newegg, Tiger Direct, Office Depot, OfficeMax and Wal-Mart, in addition to others.

The move comes as a result of Gateway’s acquisition by Acer back in August of last year. Gateway’s press release stated that the shift in Gateway’s distribution method was done, “to better align with Acer’s successful global strategy, which was built upon an indirect model.”

Read more from the Gateway press release and website.

Brian’s Opinion

I can’t say this is a huge surprise considering the Acer acquisition and the fact that many companies are now moving away from the direct sales model. One good example of this is Dell. Dell is beginning to transition to a retail distribution model. Honestly, I won’t be surprised that once Dell sees some good retail numbers that they get rid of the direct sales model altogether as well.

Unlike Gateway, it’s going to be a little harder for Dell to go 100% indirect. After all, the direct sales model for Dell is practically a religion at the company. When it comes to changing religion it’s not a quick process so naturally Michael Dell is treading lightly. One could say it wasn’t a quick process for Gateway either since it took some time for them to make the switch after being acquired by Acer.

The worst thing a company can do is to alienate its customers. Clearly, Gateway thought the time was right based on increasing retail numbers and decreasing direct sales. I would imagine Dell will follow suit when they see a similar shift in their customer base.

One of the disadvantages to owning a dog is that they often want to go outside and take care of their business when it’s not convenient for you. Sure you can put in a doggy door so your pooch can come and go as they please, but you also take the risk of inviting every other neighborhood animal or woodland creature into your home. Plexidoor offers a solution to that.

The company is offering a type of electronic doggy door that automatically opens and closes when your dogs needs to make a nature call. It works by attaching a special RFID chip to the collar of your pet. The RFID chip is then detected by the door as the animal approaches and working much the same way a garage door does, the door slides up allowing your pet to come inside or go outside as they please.

The obvious benefit is that only your pet can be allowed inside or out as they have the correct passcode on their neck. A safety feature included with the door is an anti-pinch mechanism that prevents your dog’s paws from getting stuck when the door closes.

The Plexidoor Electronic Dog Door comes in bronze or white and in different sizes depending on the size of your dog. Prices for the units begin at US$129 and go to US$800 for the largest model.

Read more at Electronic House, found via Ubergizmo.

Sharp has launched two new electronic dictionaries in Japan called the Brain PW-AC880 and Brain PW-AC830. Boasting 80-hours of battery life which is enough to last quite a few school days for students, both of these electronic dictionaries feature a 5-inch LCD screen with HVGA (480 x 320) resolution with just 5 colors to save on battery life.These two dictionaries also feature 100MB onboard memory, an SD card slot, photo viewer and handwriting pad. Both measure only 5.71 x 4.25 x 0.85-inches.

In addition, these electronic devices are pre-loaded with dictionaries including Oxford Dictionary of Contemporary English, Encyclopedia Britannica, some Japanese local travel guides and Japanese to English dictionaries and many more.

The PW-AC880 will be available in silver, black and red design, while the PW-AC-830 will be available in white and aqua blue. Pricing and release dates for these Sharp dictionaries are not yet available though.

Product [Sharp] Via [I4U News]

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Man, the engineers at the University of Kitakyushu are really something, coming up with an underwater survey robot that looks good enough to appear on the dining table cooked and ready to eat. Dubbed “Tai-robot-kun,” this 7kg robotic sea bream (also known as a red snapper to Animal Crossing fans) comes with a silicone body covered in hand-painted scales that would fool most of the people who look at it, boasting a special propulsion system that enables it to swim through the murky depths just like a real fish. The Tai-robot-kun is able to swim for up to an hour on a single full charge, using the integrated ballast system to adjust its buoyancy and depth. The whole point to this robot is to perform oceanographic survey tasks, hopefully some trawlers don’t accidentally drag this up with the rest of their real catch. I’d hate to bite into screws and wires for dinner.