Hasta La Gadget!

Last month MSI, a Taiwanese manufacturer better known for its netbooks, announced a new 18.5-inch
touchscreen desktop PC. Now the company has disclosed a recession-friendly price tag of $530 for the machine.

All-in-one desktop computers also called ‘kitchen PCs’ have become important to PC makers who are betting consumers want a sleek, touchscreen desktop in their home for web surfing,
leaving notes and checking internet videos.

Four major PC makers including Dell, HP, Asus and MSI now offer all-in-one systems with
touchscreens instead of keyboards.

The new MSI Wind desktop is available with an Atom processor, 2GB of
RAM, a 160 GB hard drive, 1.3 megapixel webcam and WiFi capability.

At $530, the machine is the cheapest in the market. The Asus Eee Top costs $600, while Dell’s all-in-one machine, yet to launch in the U.S., has been priced at $800 for a touchscreen model.

Also see:
Stylish Touchscreen ‘Kitchen PCs’ Set to Grab Consumers
Dell Joins ‘Kitchen PCs’ Trend With New Desktop

Photo: MSI

While those with tens of thousands of dollars to burn can buy themselves a pre-built, space age media pod like the Ovei, the rest of us have to have to either make do with a comfy couch and a darkened room, or improvise, as one enterprising Instructables member did with this so-called Geodesic Media-Pod. Both recession and environmentally-friendly, this contraption is apparently constructed almost entirely out of recycled refrigerator boxes, and it even employs a ventilation system (including parts salvaged from a Shop Vac) to ensure that it stays somewhat comfortable inside. Of course, while it’s partly intended to be used as a flight simulator, there isn’t actually any movement going on, although there are at least accommodations for some surround speakers and, of course, a mount for a monitor. Head on past the break for a video, and hit up the link below for the complete how-to if you’re feeling inspired.

Continue reading DIY geodesic media pod: forged from cardboard, filled with shame

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Gaming, Home Entertainment

DIY geodesic media pod: forged from cardboard, filled with shame originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fake corporate-marketing unboxing videos aren’t anything new — some of them are even pretty amazing — but this latest one from T-Mobile is definitely the skeeziest we’ve ever seen. Follow along as a sex-crazed Sidekick LX attempts to limit access to his bubbly new owner’s “spring break photos,” pushes her into watching her “hot friends” play beach volleyball, and lament that he’s ended up in the purse rather than her pocket — yep, the Sidekick LX is the creepy little brother you wish you never had. No wonder she stashes it next to the pepper spray. Video after the break.

Continue reading Sidekick LX gets “unboxed,” shows off its creepier side

Filed under: Cellphones

Sidekick LX gets “unboxed,” shows off its creepier side originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Story by Autopia’s Keith Barry

A Vermont company wants to give big and tall riders a boost with a line of
electric-assist bikes. The iZize from Super Size Cycles is the first
electric bike capable of carrying riders who weigh as much as 425 lbs.

Heavier folks who want to start riding often face some obstacles, not the
least of which is finding a bike that’ll carry more than 225 pounds. And
then there’s the fact cycling can be tough if you’re carrying a lot of
weight yourself. Chrome-moly alloy frames and beefy components mean Super
Size’s non-motorized bikes
and trikes can handle riders weighing as much as 550 lbs, while the iZize
packs a battery and a 450-watt motor.

The electric bike is hardly a case of a company capitulating to
ever-growing American waistlines. In fact, Super Size Cycles founder and
president Joan Denizot says the bikes are aimed at people who want to slim
down and get fit, but just don’t yet have the strength to carry their weight
up a hill without a little help. She should know — she’s a self-described "super-sized person who decided to get exercising
again."

Photos courtesy Super Sized Cycles

Polymer Vision’s Readius is set to be the first pocket e-book reader with a roll-up display bigger than the device itself. There’s just one catch: The device isn’t out yet and the company, which has blown past its predicted launch date, is looking to refinance itself and raise new funding.

Polymer Vision, a a spin-off of electronics giant Phillips, needs a cash infusion to keep going, says CEO Karl McGoldrick. 

"Our whole supply chain is in place but the device is not in
market because, like many other companies, we have had financial difficulties," he says. "The last nine months have been very difficult for young companies."

Polymer Vision announced Readius in July, 2008 to positive buzz. The company had planned to launch the Readius in some markets in Europe last year and in the United States early this year.

Demos of the device showed a product small enough to fit into the back pocket of your Diesel jeans. Press a button and a 5-inch electronic ink display rolls out, making it easy to read without sacrificing portability.

If it ships, the Readius will be the first e-book reader to feature a truly rollable display. But despite its innovative idea, Polymer Vision has seen the marketplace for e-book readers get crowded. Two e-book readers, Amazon’s Kindle and the Sony Reader, lead the the electronic book-reader market. A number of other companies including Samsung, Fujitsu and Foxit offer similar products. (See Wired.com’s e-book reader roundup.)

McGoldrick says Readius stands out from the pack because it offers a unique value with its expanding display.

"There are many people making e-book readers but just one or two
dominate the market," says McGoldrick. "So anyone moving into the space will have a lot
of difficulty and we understand that."

Readius’ black-and-white display is sourced from E Ink, the
Cambridge, Massachusetts, company that currently supplies the displays for
almost all e-book readers.

E-book enthusiasts should be interested in features like built-in 3.5-G wireless data connectivity and a microSD card slot to accommodate additional memory.

Though McGoldrick says he’s talking to major e-book retailers, Readius won’t have a bookstore of its own when it is released. That’s different from the Kindle and the Sony Reader, both of which have a dedicated online e-book store for customers to buy.

But with the economic slowdown, Readius’ plans have been put on hold. "This product should have been out in the market last year," says McGoldrick. "It is really frustrating."

McGoldrick says he’s talking to a few investors to refinance his venture and get new funding. And he’s confident of closing a deal in the next few weeks.

"We are ready to go into production but all depends on exactly when the funding comes through," he says. "Our display is perfect and the device is solid."

Polymer Vision even has a second-generation product for Readius in development — a combination e-book reader and mobile phone, blended into a single device.

"Our concept is phenomenal," says McGoldrick. "People look at rollable displays as something in the future but it’s here and we have it."

Photo: (jontintinjordan/Flickr)