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Seagate launched a new FreeAgent DockStar Network Adapter on Wednesday, a device that connects to the company’s FreeAgent drives and adds both NAS and online backup functionality.

The $99.99 DockStar network adapter will be complemented by an expanded lineup of FreeAgent drives, now available in 750-Gbyte, 880-GB, and 1-terabyte capacities. Seagate did not release pricing for the new drives, which currently ship at capacity points from 250 to 640 Gbytes.

EDIT 9:06 AM PDT: The new 750-Gbyte hard drive is priced at $199.99, while the 880-GB and 1-TB drives are $209.99 and $249.99, respectively, according to a Seagate spokeswoman.

On the surface, the FreeAgent Network Adapter seems similar to the Hitachi SimpleNet NAS adapter the company announced this past summer. However, Seagate’s offering is also combined with technology from PogoPlug, which backs up the data into the cloud. The first year of the backup solution is free; after that, however, PogoPlug will charge $29.99 per year for unlimited sharing and remote access.

The new generation of the iPod touch, we’ve been told, is roughly 50 percent faster than the previous iteration. Well, the fine folks over at the iPhone Blog have done a bit of information collecting on just that topic — to see if Apple’s latest is actually that much faster. Both Macworld and TUAW did testing which showed a reduction in boot times from 31 to 19 seconds, web page loading (using the New York Times) went from 34 to 15 seconds, while app launching saw time reductions across the board. So — in essence — yes, the newest iPod touch is about 50 percent faster than the previous model in terms of performance. Hit the read link to hear even more tantalizing details.

Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

New iPod touch gets a speed test, zips right on by originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could it be? Could it really be? Has Vuzix actually deployed a video eyewear solution that isn’t completely unsightly in every imaginable way? Our eyes may be deceiving us, but we’re going with “yes, amazingly” for the time being. Unlike the company’s iWear line — which looks pretty much exactly like the specs worn by Geordi La Forge — the unpriced Wrap 310 resembles a set of sunglasses. Now, these aren’t apt to be mistaken for Aviators or those patented Kayne joints, but at least you’d look halfway civilized if caught in public with these on your face. Packing a pair of video displays and promising a virtual 55-inch image, these get juiced by just two AA cells and can play nice with pretty much any video source, iPod and iPhone included. There’s also an expansion port that’ll give it VGA / component outputs in the near future, and if you subscribe to science fiction, it could also be used to read minds in around a score.

Continue reading Vuzix Wrap 310 video eyewear actually isn’t the ugliest thing of all time

Filed under: Displays, Wearables

Vuzix Wrap 310 video eyewear actually isn’t the ugliest thing of all time originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Things are about to go from bad to worse for Blockbuster. The once powerful video chain is getting ready to close the doors on a number of retail locations, according to a regulatory filing by the company this week. Blockbuster is getting ready to close down 810 and 960 brick-and-mortar stores by year’s end. That’s more than one-fifth of its US locations.

The chain, which currently operates 4,356 locations in the US initially planned to close 380 to 425 by the end of the year. The company has largely struggled to compete with the explosion of services like Netflix and video on demand.

Sony today issued a shiny new update to its age-old Walkman line. The NW-A840 features a 2.8 inch WQVGA OLED screen and measures 7.2 mm thick. The device comes in black and brown and is available in 16-, 32-, and 64GB capacities for $263, $329, and $439 in Japan.

The A-series ship with noise canceling headphones (which, for the record, look an awful lot more comfortable than those proprietary Apple ones). Sony is claiming 29 hours of music playback on the device, which goes on sale October 31st. Spooooky.