Hasta La Gadget!

Rumors of updated iMacs have been flying fast and furious lately, and now it seems like they’re getting a bit of credibility — AppleInsider says retailers, including Apple’s own stores, have been told supplies of iMacs and Mac minis are “constrained” and that future orders will go unfulfilled. You heard that right — the Mac mini, the red-headed stepchild of the Mac line, is now also officially on Refresh Watch. Combined with the rumors of revised and potentially cheaper plastic MacBooks and we’re hoping Apple’s about to get aggressive with its low-end pricing, but that’s probably just wishful thinking.

P.S.- Doesn’t that seem like a lot of updates to dish out at once? The savvy rumor connoisseur would be expecting a couple random analysts to mouth off at this point, followed by whispers of an impending event and its cancellation due to “last minute issues.” Gene Munster swirls his glass and predicts the MacBook will feature CableCARD slots and function as a DVR. Spring follows winter, winter follows fall.

Filed under: Desktops

iMac, Mac mini supplies growing thin, refresh expected soon originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola VE440

(Credit: Motorola)

Motorola is no stranger to MetroPCS and Monday the manufacturer tightened the relationship even further with the new VE440. Positioned as a low-end music phone, the VE440’s candy bar design and functional feature set won’t amaze you, but it offers a few welcome goodies …

Originally posted at Dialed In Podcast

Today’s guest on The 404 Podcast is The Paper Raincoat, a local band of the “experimental rock ambition” genre, as Jeff calls it. Amber Rubarth and Alex Wong have both garnered musical recognition for their individual acts, but only recently came together to form The Paper Raincoat. The release of their first EP, Safe in the Sound, ushered in an international fan following and an impressive list of accomplishments, including the iTunes Indie Artist Spotlight. We’re very excited to have them in the studio with us today, and they come bearing instruments for a live acoustic show!

(Credit: The Paper Raincoat)

As we talk to more bands, we’re starting to understand the long process of dreaming, writing, playing, and touring with your music in the current music business scene. With outlets like Facebook, Myspace, Last.FM, and many more, artists can easily cast a wide net over an audience that would normally require a major label contract to reach. We talk with The Paper Raincoat about the naming of the band, their recording process, their fantastic DIY album art, and their upcoming tour.

In case you haven’t figured it out by now, there are a million places to stream their music live, but the best thing you can do to show your support is to preorder a CD. One-hundred percent of the preorder money will go to printing the record, and you can pick between three packages, the highest of which lands you a limited edition CD, two signed posters, a T-shirt, and a custom USB wristband drive with a personalized video “thank you” and exclusive video content from the band. In the meantime, you can also follow the band on Twitter, attend their CD release party at Joe’s Pub in NYC, and download their brand new song, “Right Angles.”

EPISODE 434

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Originally posted at The 404

If you live in the north you’ve probably noted a chill in the air. The leaves are turning, the days are shortening, and anybody with a pair of skiis or a snowboard in the closet is walking with a bit of a spring in their step. A whole new season of extreme powdery antics is just a few months away, and for those looking to capture those antics — or those on the streets, up in the air, or anywhere else in between — a rugged helmet camera is the way to go. Earlier this year we got a chance to run the 720p-recording ContourHD through a few helmeted trials, and now we’ve been given exclusive access to test the company’s new version, the ContourHD1080p. The name tells you the biggest news here, full 1080p recording in a tiny package, but there’s more to it than just pixels. Read on for the full details, and a video of a couple of dudes jumping off a cliff.

Continue reading VholdR ContourHD1080p helmet cam announced, we go hands-on

Filed under: Digital Cameras

VholdR ContourHD1080p helmet cam announced, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You might have first seen it at CES this year, where it won the CES Best of Innovation 2009 award in its category. Now the iLuv i1166 9-inch Portable Multimedia Player for iPod and DVDs is just about here. You’ll be able to get it in mid-October for a list price of $269.99.

The i1166 is clever, compact, and versatile, and should appeal to travelers, whether as backseat or on-flight entertainment. It’s essentially a case that can hold an iPod or a DVD. You can also plug in a flash drive or an SD/MMC card. Videos will play on the 9-inch widescreen TFT LCD. Control playback with the on-screen display or with the included remote. The i1166 can also show photos or play movies.

You and your travel companion can each enjoy the show, as the i1166 comes with two headphone jacks. Power the device with an outlet or the built-in rechargeable battery. It’s been a long time since CES, but the iLuv i1166 looks worth waiting for.