Hasta La Gadget!

The last time we ran past Dell’s Zino HD all we had to go on specs-wise was that it housed “desktop parts” and had some nice plugs around back. Now the folks at the appropriately named DellZinoHD blog have found a spec breakdown of the unit, which is apparently also going by the names of Inspiron 300 and Inspiron 400 — the latter of which seems to be slated for the Zino HD branding, or at least seems to mirror the original concept. The Inspiron 300 has more of a nettop slant, with an Atom processor and integrated graphics, and though it has a DVD burner and 3.5-inch HDD, there won’t be HDMI or eSATA ports. Meanwhile, the Inspiron 400 can handle an Athlon or Athlon X2 processor, with an option for ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 discrete graphics (not quite a “desktop” part, if you ask us) and all the other goodies like a Blu-ray option, HDMI, gigabit Ethernet, dual eSATA and so forth. Interestingly, the manual also mentions XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Ubuntu as supported options — though we’re not sure they’ll all be available as retail configurations.

Filed under: Desktops

Dell Zino HD spotted slumming it in Inspiron 300 and Inspiron 400 support docs originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ElectronLuv amplifiers are vacuum tube designs.

(Credit: ElectronLuv)

For over 10 years ElectronLuv has been producing custom amplifiers and high-end components.

I think they’re awesome-looking things, and I love that they’re built to order. In a way ElectronLuv’s design ethos reminds me of the “American Chopper” TV series where they custom build high-end motorcycles to order. But in this case it’s stereo pre- and power amplifiers, guitar amplifiers, turntables, and horn speakers designed to meet ElectronLuv’s customers’ desires.

ElectronLuv also makes custom guitar amplifiers.

(Credit: ElectronLuv)

Some might call it steampunk or retro chic, but I think ElectronLuv products are unique and represent the best of American high-end audio.

ElectronLuv’s Josh Stippich needs three to six months to design and build each of his one-of-a-kind products. In the early design stages Stippich sends his customers drawings to get feedback so he can give them exactly what they want.

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Originally posted at The Audiophiliac

You know that old Motorola Razr that’s been sitting in your nightstand for the last year? If you live near Omaha, Neb., you can march up to the EcoATM at the Nebraska Furniture Mart, toss it in, and automatically get an in-store trade-up coupon or gift card.

The self-serve e-cycling station electronically inspects phones, assigns them real-time secondary market value, and provides in-store payment–if the handset still has any monetary worth. If not, consumers can choose to assign the device to the recycle bin, and then it’s on its way to getting recycled or refurbished.

(Credit: EcoATM)

The kiosk at the Omaha store is the first such station to be installed by San Diego-based start-up EcoATM, and it’s serving as a test case in advance of a scheduled larger rollout.

The company, formerly called ReMobile, declared the Nebraska machine an immediate success when it went into operation September 21–both in the number of recycled devices collected and the trade-up purchases.

On its first day, 23 phones went into the recycle bin. In addition, “the EcoATM at NFM bought back over $100 in phones on day two, including a perfect BlackBerry Curve,” Twittered EcoATM’s Eric Rosser, who said in an interview he thinks retailers will appreciate the automation of the EcoATM and consumers will value the speed and convenience.

The company plans to install kiosks at wireless stores and big-box retailers in San Diego, Texas, Washington state, and Vermont this quarter, Rosser said, with a “massive rollout” set for the second quarter of next year. Eventually the EcoATMs should be able to recognize other gadgets, such as MP3 players, digital cameras, notebooks, printers, and storage devices.

The machines rely on a camera-based system to detect signs of wear such as cracked screens, missing keys, and scuff marks, and to determine a device’s approximate value. If it’s not worth anything, consumers could still get a free gift for their efforts–in Omaha’s case, a waterproof phone case. And in a green nod, EcoATM will plant a tree for them.

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This week we were all over the place on Crave. We had some DIY hacks to create your own Street View experience (again, we’re not sure why you’d want to, but hey, go for it). We talked about a hybrid cellular/satellite phone that’s on its way …

Good news for Canadians who can’t seem to get a decent internet plan for home. Rogers has unveiled a 3G station for residential use dubbed the Rocket Hub, and with it a number of jet propulsion-related puns that we’ll be taking painstaking measures to avoid. It boasts 7.2Mbps HSPA, WiFi and ethernet out, and voice calls over UMTS. Makes sense since it’s riding an Ericsson W3x core. The Upfront cost of hardware hasn’t been disclosed yet, but plans start at $35 Canadian. Launch date (okay, we couldn’t resist) is sometime later this month.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

Rogers’ Rocket Hub disguises 3G data and voice as mild-mannered home modem originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 07:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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