Its Electronica

[MWC] BenQ’s T60 and T80 cell phones saw action at MWC ‘08, with the latter featuring Near Field Communication technology. The T80 also comes with all the rudimentary specifications required in an entry-level handset such as a 2.2″ display, a 3 megapixel camera and being DLNA-compliant, making it a snap when integrating the T80 with your DLNA-compliant home theater system. As for the T60, this 8.9mm slim handset’s only claim to fame would be having the largest display among other phones that are thinner than 10mm. Features consist of an integrated MP3 player and a 2 megapixel camera, with plans for a NFC-capable version in the future.

Posted Feb 12th 2008 4:12PM by Ryan Block
Filed under: Home Entertainment

We got some good time in with Apple’s take 2 (i.e. v2.0) software update at Macworld this year, but now that it’s out we had to put the spurs to it. We’ll be updating with more as we go, but for right now here’s what you need to know:

• The update itself is under 200MB and took us under five minutes to download, but over ten minutes to install. Our first try failed out. Also, get used to seeing that loading bar screen, it cycled through about five times for us.
• Yep, that’s a slick new video that it opens with.
• Did someone say 1080p output? Oh yes, it’s finally enabled!
• Yep, it’s officially software version 2.0.
• Although manually inputting your Apple ID with the remote is a pain, renting movies is absolutely a snap.
• Our HD movie was ready for playback within a minute of starting the download. Very nice.
• Picture quality is pretty good. Not amazing, but pretty good.
• Flickr integration works well (unlike on stage at Macworld), but there’s no way to aggregate your contact lists’s photos to your ATV. It’s on a single contact basis only, meaning you can only look at your own or any one other user’s photos at a time. Kind of a bummer in that regard.
• Plenty more details to be found here and here, as well as an informative chart of how downloads works here.

Gallery: Apple TV (take 2), take two

After Yahoo spurned Microsoft as it’s suitor, it seems that Yahoo isn’t going to let the letdown of that massive buyout slow them down. Yahoo is buying online media provider Maven Networks for a reported $160 million dollars. The Cambridge Massachusetts-based Maven Networks has helped professional media companies create, distribute and profit from direct-to-consumer Internet TV channels and networks. The Maven Internet TV Platform is used by companies that include CanWest, CBS Sports, CBC, and CNET among others.

You have to give it to Yahoo in this respect, they aren’t going to roll over and play dead for Google and Microsoft. Yahoo might have had a rough stretch recently, but the writing has been on the wall for online video for some time and this acquisition seems like a good move in that vein.

Read [Forbes]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

Korean cell phone giants LG have unveiled their newest cutting edge model the LG KF-700 at the 2008 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The phone features a sexy 3-inch touch screen which slides to reveal the numeric keys pad. The 3 mega pixel camera on this phone is lased with auto focus for improved picture clarity while Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP and shortcut scroll thumbwheel lets users select multimedia functions. Though there is yet no word on the KF-700’s price, it is expected to be available in the market by next month.
[Source]

Paddleball Pro Ultimate Fun

Paddleball is a fast, rhythmic game that challenges your reactions and coordination. Great For The Beach Or In The Park or even the Pool or Sea..Play it one or two handed, alone or with friends. Paddleball will always be dynamic and clever fun For All Ages  

Technorati Tags: Toys 4 Boys

This lampstand is certainly different from what you can find in the market - it features an MP3 player dock that allows you to enjoy your favorite songs while planting your rear end on a comfortable chair and catching up on your reading. A quartet of AA batteries provide anywhere from half a dozen to 12 hours of use where the E-Light is concerned. At $99.50, this is a modern home improvement idea that will probably not win the hearts of traditionalists.

Posted Feb 12th 2008 4:04PM by Nilay Patel
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Those “Vista Capable” stickers certainly caused consumers a lot of confusion, and it looks like they even tripped up some senior Microsoft execs. According to internal MS emails introduced as evidence in the ongoing lawsuit over the program, several MS managers expressed concern that they were misleading people, with the VP of Windows product management saying “I PERSONALLY got burnt… I now have a $2,100 email machine” and Jim Allchin saying MS had “really botched” the program, and that it “had to do a better job with our customers.” Of course, the main reason for all the confusion is the multiple editions of Vista that run with different capabilities depending on your hardware, but that’s a subtle point to make with a sticker — or, as one Microsoft employee admitted in an email, “Even a piece of junk will qualify” as Vista Capable. That’s some pretty damning stuff, but the case isn’t anywhere near resolution yet — the judge has yet to decide whether to certify it as a class action, which looks like it’ll depend on a technical reading of what exactly Microsoft was advertising throughout the Vista Capable program. We’ll know in 10 days, when the judge has said she’ll issue a ruling — we’d imagine the plaintiffs’ legal team has plenty more of these emails in store if the case goes through.

[Via Slashdot]

Disclaimer: There once was a man named Nilay / Who was indeed an attorn-eye / He wrote this post, but he’s not the lawyer of most / And this post is not legal advice or analysis and should not be taken as such.

Like kids, your little puppy grows up way too fast. And just like their human counterparts, instead of getting new shoes you have to buy larger and larger collars - or do you? The Cinch It Dog Collar makes it a “buy once, use a lifetime” mantra where your dog collar is concerned.

Cinch It is the only collar your dog will ever need – from puppyhood on up! It adjusts in 2 mm increments (just under 1/16 of an inch), so it always fits perfectly. It’s 100% waterproof, making it perfect for outdoor activities with your pet.

Depending on the size you choose, it retails anywhere from $17.95 to $19.95 a pop.

By now you’ve probably tried just about every VOIP service out there for making calls from your computer. Well, the folks at magicJack have a new spin on VOIP with an innovative USB dongle that lets you plug in a standard land-line phone and start making calls in minutes.

The magicJack recently started shipping for both Mac and PC and in my tests the device performed perfectly–no echoes, delays or anything other than crisp, quality audio–on both platforms. The latest version comes ready to run cross platform, so no extra downloading required to go from one platform to the other.

In order to get magicJack up and running you plug a land-line phone into the phone jack that’s built into the side of the dongle. Then you plug the dongle into an available USB port. Seconds later the device is recognized like a USB storage device, though you don’t need to do any file system browsing. Then another minute later and you’re presented with a registration box that requires you to choose the area you want the phone number for, and your actual address so you can use enhanced 911 if needed. Once you complete the process you are presented with a virtual phone that you can either dial from the screen or via the phone that you previously connected to the dongle. It’s insanely easy to get up and running.

Mac magicJack interface

After I had it installed, I picked up the handset and made some calls. The quality was perfect and the people on the other end of my test calls had no idea that I was calling from a USB dongle–always the best sign of a solid piece of tech. Speaking of the dongle, it’s a bit geeky in that you can see the insides of it via a see-through top. There are no flashing LEDs, so you can just stare at the chips.

For me the coolest part is its ability to work on both Mac and PC. You just insert the dongle into almost any computer and as long as that computer is on broadband, you can make calls in seconds.

As for pricing, the device is $40 and that includes one year of unlimited local and long distance and calls to Canada. Then it’s $20 a year after that. You really can’t beat it, especially since it’s a phone that you completely control, includes call waiting, call forwarding, voicemail, and that can literally come anywhere with you.

Another nice part about the magicJack is its use of a traditional phone. This will make it appeal to people that aren’t that comfortable using VOIP headsets or microphones attached to their computer. It would even be great for parents and grandparents since you can set it up yourself and then plug it into a computer at their house. The phone will even ring when you call its number, so to them it would seem as if it’s a traditional landline phone, not to mention that when you pick it up to make a call, you hear the familiar dial tone.

If you want to try the magicJack for yourself, the company offers a 30 day free trial. You can read more at magicJack.com.