Jul 27
Amazon sells out of Kindle
Posted in: Today's ChiliE-tailer is now pushing the Kindle DX on its home page after listing the base device as “temporarily out of stock.”
Jul 27
Panasonic’s new HM-TA1 and HDC-SDX1 ‘budget’ camcorders attack the concept from very different ends
Posted in: camcorder, hands-on, Panasonic, Today's Chili
Let’s just put it out on the table: the Flip-inspired HM-TA1 ($169, left) and the ultra traditional (though delightfully mini) HDC-SDX1 ($499) are very different cameras. But are they $330 different? You be the judge. The 1080p-shooting TA1 is nothing surprising if you’ve seen any recent portrait-style pocket camcorders from Flip or Kodak, though it has a quality build and friendly interface. It also records to Apple’s 960 x 540 iFrame format, and can double as a USB webcam. As an added bonus, it’s rather small for its category, a distinction shared by the flip-out-LCD ultra zoom HDC-SDX1, which Panasonic calls the world’s lightest full HD AVCHD camcorder. Outside of that fancy codec and the 2.7-inch flip-out LCD, the SDX1 actually sounds a lot like the TA1 on paper, with the same webcam and iFrame features — both cameras also are bring-your-own-SD-card for storage. Obviously the image quality should be a decent step up, and the 23x zoom (paired with optical image stabilization) bests the TA1’s 4x digital zoom easily, but we’re wondering how consumers will feel about these widely disparate price tags when the TA1 lands in August and the SDX1 follows in September. PR is after the break.
Gallery: Panasonic HDC-SDX1 press shots
Gallery: Panasonic HM-TA1 press shots
Panasonic’s new HM-TA1 and HDC-SDX1 ‘budget’ camcorders attack the concept from very different ends originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Jul 27
Panasonic joins minicamcorder crowd
Posted in: Today's ChiliPanasonic enters the Flip-dominated minicamcorder market a couple of years late, plus announces another HD model to compete with its other two $499 models.
Jul 27
M-Edge Offers New Kindle 2 Cases: Waterproof Guardian, M-Skin, New Yorker Jackets
Posted in: amazon, kindle, Today's Chili, waterproof
M-Edge had added several new cases to its lineup of accessories for the Amazon Kindle 2 electronic reading device. The waterproof Guardian case is made of polycarbonate, with flexible sealed cutouts that provide access to device controls. Dual hinges and a rubberized o-ring keep the case waterproof at depths up to one meter. The case floats, and has a lanyard attachment on the bottom edge to provide additional security so it won’t float away. The case is available in red, blue, and black for $79.99
The M-Skin is a silicon case with a built-in screen protection flap. A small snap holds it in place when the Kindle 2 is stowed away in your bag. When you’re ready to read, the flap flips up over the back of the device, where another snap holds it in place so it won’t get in your way. The charging port and headphone jack are covered with fold away flaps, and the keyboard is fully covered, with printed letters on the keys so that you can still enter text on your device. The M-Skin is available in white, pink, blue, purple, and gray for $29.99.
Finally, three new options are available in the New Yorker Jacket series ($49.99), which features iconic artwork from the popular publication. The graphics are printed on fabric using a photo sublimation process. A Kindle-compatible hinge and elastic straps are used to secure the Kindle inside the case. The case is also compatible with the M-Edge e-Luminator 2 book light for nighttime reading. The new options are “Dog Behind the Door” by George Booth, “Dogwood Tree in Bloom by Joseph Farris, and “Page Turner” by Ana Juan.
All of these new cases, as well as many other accessory options for the Amazon Kindle 2, are available from the M-Edge Web store.
Jul 27
A Rundown of the New Apple Gear [Apple]
Posted in: Apple, imac, Mac, Today's Chili, top
Faster iMacs, more powerful Mac Pros, larger Cinema Displays, a Magic Trackpad, and a nifty battery charger were among the Apple product announcements today. Here’s a rundown of what you need to know:
Jul 27
$20 Wikipedia Reader Uses 8-Bit Computing Power
Posted in: e reader, R&D and Inventions, Today's Chili
A digital book reader could bring information to students in developing countries using a technology that is long past its prime: 8-bit computing.
The Humane Reader, a device designed by computer consultant Braddock Gaskill, takes two 8-bit microcontrollers and packages them in a “classic style console” that connects to a TV. The device includes an optional keyboard, a micro-SD Card reader and a composite video output. It uses a standard micro-USB cellphone charger for power.
In all, it can hold the equivalent of 5,000 books, including an offline version of Wikipedia, and requires no internet connection. The Reader will cost $20 when 10,000 or more of it are manufactured. Without that kind of volume, the each Reader will cost about $35.
“Everything about it is related to the cost,” says Gaskill. “It’s meant to be an absolute basic system that can deliver Wikipedia and e-books for educational and non-profit use.”
A major driver for this kind of technology is that 8-bit processors are cheap and people in developing countries have greater access to TVs than to computers.
“Hundreds of millions of households have TVs but no access to the internet,” says Gaskill. “I wanted to create a device that uses the display on the TV.”
Gaskill’s Humane Reader is much cheaper than the $100 WikiReader launched last year. (The self-contained, battery-powered WikiReader may be more useful in a zombie invasion, however.)
Over the last few years, a number of initiatives have tried to bring low-cost computing to students in developing countries. The One Laptop Per Child project, started in 2005, promised a $100 laptop but now sells its device for twice as much. Intel has its own low-cost PC for students called Classmate. Last week, Indian officials showed a prototype $35 tablet targeted at students. All these ideas use the latest display technology and chips to power the devices.
Meanwhile, another group of researchers have looked at 8-bit computing as an inexpensive way to reach students. Playpower is a $12 system that uses a microprocessor favorite from the 1970s, the 8-bit 6502 processor. The system plugs into a TV and comes with a keyboard and a basic game controller.
Gaskill says Playpower is focused on educational games, while the Humane Reader is about giving students a digital encyclopedia.
Next, Gaskill hopes to find partners to help produce and distribute the device.
“Once you put these in the hands of the students, they can, not just learn from it, but also hack it,” he says. “The combination of a computing platform and a encyclopedia opens up the world to them.”
For electronics hobbyists, Gaskill hopes to sell a tricked-out version of the Humane Reader, the Humane PC. The PC has almost the same specs as the Reader but offers additional features such as a micro-USB port and infrared port. Gaskill estimates the Humane PC’s bill of materials will cost just a few dollars more than the Reader, though he hopes that it will be sold for profit.
See Also:
- $12 Computer: Playpower Wants to Save the World 8 Bits at a Time
- 8-Bit Imagery Invades Music Videos
- Homebrewed CPU Is a Beautiful Mess of Wires
- 8-Bit Trip: 1500 Hours of Lego Stop-Motion in Four Awesome Minutes
Photo: Humane Info
Jul 27
Amazon Kindle listed as ‘temporarily out of stock,’ Nook and Sony Reader smile coyly
Posted in: amazon, amazon kindle, AmazonKindle, e reader, e-book, e-books, e-readers, kindle, Today's Chili
Amazon’s Kindle may have the price advantage when it comes to its e-reading competitors, but right now it’s sorely lacking in the availability department. Looks like the device is out of commission and has been for at least 24 hours as of this writing. In the past, CEO Jeff Bezos and company have written us apology notes and / or provided a timeframe for its return. This time, however, we’re left with nothing but a bold red “Temporarily out of stock” notice and nary a word on when that sales restriction might lift. Not to worry, though: if you’re really jonesing, the Graphite Kindle DX is still available and shipping immediately. We’ve pinged Amazon and will let you know what we hear.
Amazon Kindle listed as ‘temporarily out of stock,’ Nook and Sony Reader smile coyly originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | 
Amazon | Email this | Comments
Jul 27
A system out of Israel lets the severely disabled navigate wheelchairs, surf the Net, or communicate with others via a pattern of inhalations and exhalations.
Jul 27
Sherpani is a Boulder, Colorado-based company with a yoga-ish sensibility; it even has a Philosophy section on its Web site. The company’s line of bags, for everything from luggage to sports to laptops, features unusual and cheery colors, original designs, and a distinctly feminine sensibility–the daisy logo featured on all the bags should be a hint of that.
I tried out Sherpani’s Tosca laptop backpack ($99.95 direct) for a few days, and I was happily impressed. The bag’s color is called Wasabi (it reminded me of pea soup, but in a good way). It also comes in Salsa (vivid red) and Seafoam (light blue, but out of stock right now). The bag fits laptops up to 15 inches, with some leeway; thin devices may shift around inside the separate zippered laptop sleeve.
The other inside compartment has plenty of room for books, magazines, and so on. It also features quite a few smaller pockets sized for phones, cards, and so on. And there’s even more: two outside pockets on front, the top one shallower and the bottom one nearly 10 inches deep. There’s not much you can’t carry in this bag, yet it still manages to look slim.
A design feature I really liked was the chunky zippers, one of which which goes straight across the top; it makes getting in and out of the bag really easy. Also of note: the light-colored inner lining, which makes finding things inside a breeze.
The Tosca was quite comfortable to wear, even loaded down. It features padded adjustable straps and a handle on top; not much back padding, though, which would make it even more protective and comfortable, though bulkier. I’d recommend it for women looking for a light day pack with a cool and different design.
Click to enlarge the photo above; see a couple more after the jump.
Jul 27
Cricket teases us with Kyocera Zio
Posted in: Today's ChiliFour months after its unveiling at CTIA, Cricket launches a teaser page for the upcoming Zio M6000, Kyocera’s first Android phone. pOriginally posted at a href=”http://www.cnet.com/8301-19736_1-20011863-251.html” class=”origPostedBlog”Android Atlas/a/p
Who's in charge here?
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.