Hasta La Gadget!

The previously phased out 11.1-inch Sony Vaio T has shown back up over at Sony Style Japan. The good news is that this time, it’s a Windows 7 CULV on the inside, even if it looks the same on the outside. The new Vaio Ts come with processor options including a dual core 1.2GHz Celeron SU2300, a 1.4GHz dual core Core 2 Duo SU9400, or a 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo SU9600, and they boast Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics, plus 4GB or 8GB of RAM, an up to 512GB SSD or 500GBhard drive. There’s also optional extras like Blu Ray, 802.11n WiFi, a fingerprint scanner, and digital TV tuner. The laptop’s life is rated at about 11 hours when equipped with the standard battery, or 17 with the large capacity. So far, we’ve only seen these bad boys in Japan, where they’re retailing for ¥129,800 (that’s around $1400).

Sony Vaio T makes a comeback, and this time it’s a CULV with major battery life originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Stanley Torch Watch lights your path, highlights your odd aesthetic sensibilities

Stanley Torch Watch lights your path, highlights your odd aesthetic sensibilities originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 06:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scant decades ago, a ball drop in Times Square was more likely to take place in one of its infamous adult theaters than in the square itself. These days, when there is not even traffic in the iconic plaza, even the historic crystal ball which sees in the New Year is clean.

The new energy efficient LED ball, and the glowing “2010” numerals, will this year be powered by bunnies. Duracell has set up stationary bikes in the square which use leg power to generate electricity and then store it, ready for midnight tonight. The whole setup requires 32,000 Watt hours of juice, which is probably not much by Times Square standards, but isn’t bad for human-power.

Reading through the Duracell “Power Lab” blog, it appears that things are a little more surreal in Times Square. Aside from “celebrities” turning up to help juice the batteries (Gabourey Sidibe, anyone? Anyone?), there is also mention of special events being held in the Charmin Restrooms, a sponsored public lavatories, consisting of comedians showing off custom toilet seats “which include everything from bright colors to glitter and feathers”.

Strange activity in the bathrooms? I guess Times Square hasn’t changed that much.

Duracell Powerlab [Duracell]

Pedal-Powered Generators to Illuminate Times Square on New Year’s Eve [Inhabitat. Thanks, Yuka!]

Image: Duracell Power Lab

A day without landline phones? Some may say that’s inevitable, but it looks like AT&T is now starting to try to speed things up a bit, with it recently responding to an FCC request for comments with a 32-page filing that details its position on the matter. That more or less boils down to two major requests: that the FCC eliminate the regulatory requirements that it support a landline network, and that it provide a firm deadline for phasing it out. To back up that request, AT&T has provided the FCC with a whole host of statistics that paint a bleak picture for landlines, including the fact that less than 20% of Americans rely exclusively on switched-access lines for voice service (though plenty more still use them as their primary voice service), that at least 18 million homes now use a VoIP service, and that those two numbers are fast growing in opposite directions. Needless to say, such a change would have a broad range of regulatory implications, and AT&T isn’t providing answers for everything — like exactly how it expects that last mile of users to transition away from landlines, or how to deal with issues of public safety or those with disabilities.

AT&T asks FCC to phase out landline regulations originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It looks as if we’re still waiting patiently for color e-ink to become a reality (at least in a mass produced shipping product), but if you’re kosher with low-energy consumption LCDs, Paradigm Shift has the ticket. Similar to Sungale’s Cyberus ID700WTA, the outfit’s 5-inch EER-051 and 7-inch EER-071WF are both e-readers with color, but neither boast e-ink displays. The former includes 1GB of built-in memory, an SD expansion slot, an integrated MP3 player and support for just about any kind of ebook file (non-encrypted EPUB included). The latter steps up to 2GB of memory, and thanks to the Windows CE operating system, it’ll also handle Office files and the like when it’s not flipping text. Both devices are expected to ship in February through Delstar here in the States, with the 5-incher available in a rainbow’s worth of hues for $149.95 and the big boy in black or white for $50 more. The full release is after the break.

Continue reading Paradigm Shift intros 5- and 7-inch readers with color (LCD) displays

Paradigm Shift intros 5- and 7-inch readers with color (LCD) displays originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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