In just about a decade, much of the world has forgotten that film cameras ever even existed. For this week’s Shooting Challenge, not only did participants shoot on film—they used crumby, often expired disposable cameras to do it. More »
Keep it simple, stupid. That seems to be Bose‘s driving philosophy in its just-announced VideoWave entertainment system, and it’s all about integration. There’s no separate sound system to speak of: everything is built into the 46-inch 1080p LCD display. There are 16 speakers in all, including six woofers in a magnesium enclosure — yeah, that’s heavy; the total weight of this sucker is just under 100 pounds, according to PR. The surround sound is calibrated automatically via Bose’s own Adaptiq, and its PhaseGuide sound radiator technology shoots high frequency audio waves to bounce off adjacent walls to recreate the effect of surround sound (i.e. a surround sound bar). The bare minimum of wires runs out of the TV, connecting to the separate console set-top box. There are three HDMI and two component ports on the back, and on the front are composite, HDMI, and USB ports (one apiece). There’s an IR emitter in front for controlling other consoles, and while Bose claims you won’t need IR blasters if the STBs aren’t hidden away, they’re bundled just in case.
The second pillar of VideoWave is a radio-frequency ClickPad remote control, and it’s as basic as it gets — power, input, channel selection, volume, and mute. Bose claims that this remote will run all the connected boxes, with the console detecting what they are and automatically adding to the input list. Now, here’s where it gets interesting: running your finger along the surface activates a border of options around your screen (the video source is shrunken) and you can select options that are custom-tailored to the source (DVR, cable boxes — there’s even a custom iPod interface with a proprietary dock). Like we said, the company believes it’s got a handle on the set-top box scene and has custom-tailored border interfaces for pretty much everything out there, which can be upgraded via firmware (hence the USB input on the console). In person, the software and control is pretty slick and snappy.
And now for the price and release date. It’s actually just around the corner, October 14th, and sold exclusively through Bose stores. The upfront cost is mighty steep at $5,349, and that includes a mandatory personal delivery and installation. Then again, if you have much money to spend, is a 46-inch screen really large enough? And what of any number of other TVs with integrated sound bars? (Mitsubishi’s similar Unisen series, for example, starts at $1,699.) Too early to say, but it’s Bose, and that name alone packs a premium. Video after the break.
Gallery: Bose VideoWave press shots
Bose VideoWave fits surround sound into TV, custom UI aims to simplify set-top box clutter (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
The really great inventions seem so obvious in hindsight. Of course, a pizza cutter shaped like the U.S.S. Enterprise. This is even better than those mailboxes shaped like R2-D2.
Think Geek is today announcing the availability of the Star Trek pizza cutter. Modeled after the Enterprise, it features an all-metal construction. The ship’s saucer is replicated by a sharp 4-inch diameter steel blade and the 4.5-inch handle mimics the warp nacelles and generators. It’s not dishwasher safe, so you’ll have to hand wash it. Or, more likely, leave it dirty.
This is an officially licensed product. You can grab one now for $24.99.
When we got our first glimpse of the Espresso Book Machine from On Demand Books we were of course thoroughly charmed by the Rube Goldberg nature of the thing, but were left feeling unconvinced of the practicality of it — would people really pay money for custom-printed physical copies of classic books they can download for free? Is it really a viable choice for self-publishing? We may be skeptics, but Xerox is a believer, putting its reseller weight behind the machine (which uses not one but two of the company’s printers internally), selling, leasing, and servicing the things through its retail connections. This means Espressos could start showing up more frequently at bookstores and perhaps even coffee shops early next year. Until then, watch the magic happen after the break.
Xerox to sell on-demand Espresso Book Machines to retailers who sell books to people (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
This article was written on April 23, 2008 by CyberNet.
Web Browser Wednesday
Could you imagine going through a day of using your computer without being able to copy and paste stuff? I know, it sounds crazy! Being able to copy and paste saves me unbelievable amounts of time every day, and I have a huge appreciation for the copy/paste keyboard shortcuts.
With the help of some Firefox extensions we’re going to demonstrate how something as simple as copying and pasting can be taken to a new level! I’m sure you’ll find at least one or two extensions that can make you more productive. Here are our top 10 Firefox extensions for copying and pasting:
Have you ever gotten burned out of filling in the same form one after another? Copy/Paste Form will let you copy every field from a given form, and paste it directly into another form! Or even better… save the form and paste the content back in later on. It supports text fields, passwords, selections, checkboxes, and radio buttons.
Now I know that not every one of those extensions will apply to you, but hopefully there are a few that sound like they could be helpful. Copying and pasting content has always been about being more productive, and many of these extensions assist in that area. Let us know in the comments how you make the most of copying and pasting.
Copyright © 2010 CyberNet | CyberNet Forum | Learn Firefox
Related Posts:
We first spotted Lenovo’s Le Phone at CES. The Chinese company behind the ThinkPad threw an evening event with prototypes of the handset scattered throughout. We got a little hands-on time with the phone and were suitable impressed. It was slick, slim, and featured a stunning AMOLED screen.
Perhaps the most compelling thing about the Android handset was actually its dock, which features a full keyboard, stereo speakers, and a built-in battery, which doubles the thing’s life. It’s an clever solution that caters to both elegance and features.
And then the bad news: the thing was only set for release in China. There was a collective groan when Lenovo let out that little bit of information.
Eight months later, and still no US carriers have announced any plans to pick up the device. There is, however, a piece of good news to be had. Importer Chinavasion announced this week that it will be offering an unlocked version of the phone to global consumers.
Chinavasion isn’t offering a ton of information, aside from a broken English press release, which appears to state that the site will be getting the phone “this week.” And as for price? My guess is that the thing won’t come cheap–unlocked phones rarely do.
One of the most frustrating parts of owning a car is finding parking in giant garages. Driving aimlessly around until you find a spot, and then forgetting where you parked when you finally return to find your car, are experiences all drivers unfortunately have to deal with. But, drivers trying to find a spot in the parking garage in “The Cube” in Birmingham, England, can breathe a sigh of relief: a machine will park your car for you.
Finding parking in the Cube, a 23-story building that houses flats, offices, shops, restaurants, and a hotel, could be tricky; a special kind of parking garage was in order. The garage — only one of two of its kind in the world — is 65 feet underground and cost nearly $3.2 million to build.
The driver simply pulls into the garage, and swipes a special key chain, which identifies each car. The driver them pulls into an elevator, and gets out of the car. The vehicle is taken down by the elevator, and then special robots take over and gently move the car to an open spot. The automated system is so fancy, it even spins your car around so that it’s facing the right direction when it’s returned to you.
It’s unclear how much it would cost to park in this garage, but, by the looks of it, I’m guessing it’s not cheap.
Check out a video of the garage in action at the BBC’s Web site.
What a day — yesterday, that is. Research in Motion finally announced its long-awaited BlackBerry tablet, the 7-inch PlayBook (thankfully not named the BlackPad). While there’s still quite a few missing details, and nary an unit in site for us to try first-hand, we’ve still got a sampling of specs for this little guy to go tête-à-tête on the quantitative field of proverbial battle, at least as it can be seen so far (that early 2011 release date is still a ways off). Looks very promising so far, lined up against Apple’s iPad, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, and the Dell Streak, but our known unknowns — i.e. price, app support, and overall feel of using the QNX-built operating system — are what will really make or break the slate. Until that time, enjoy our number-crunching below:
 BlackBerry PlayBook |  Apple iPad |  Samsung Galaxy Tab |  Dell Streak | |
| Screen size | 7 inches | 9.7 inches | 7 inches | 5 inches |
| Resolution | 1024 x 600 | 1024 x 768 | 1024 x 600 | 800 x 480 |
| Pixel density (approx.) | 170 | 133 | 170 | 187 |
| Platform | BB Tablet OS | iOS 3.2.2 (4.2 in November) | Android 2.2 | Android 1.6 (2.1 / 2.2 in future) |
| Adobe Flash support | 10.1 | Not Supported | 10.1 | Not supported |
| Processor | 1GHz dual-core Cortex A9 | 1GHz Apple A4 (ARMv7) | 1GHz Cortex A8 | 1GHz Snapdragon |
| Graphics | Unknown | PowerVR SGX 535 | PowerVR SGX 540 | Adreno 200 |
| RAM | 1GB | 256MB | 512MB | 512MB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB / 32GB (unconfirmed) | 16GB / 32GB / 64GB | 16GB / 32GB | 512MB |
| Expansion | Unknown | None | microSD | microSD |
| Connectivity | 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR | 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR | 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 | 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR |
| Cellular data | 3G and 4G promised for future | 3G optional (AT&T) | 3G (all carriers) | 3G (AT&T) |
| GPS | None | 3G models only | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | 3MP front, 5MP rear | None | 1.3MP front, | VGA front, 5MP rear |
| Weight | 0.9 lbs | 1.5 – 1.6 lbs | 0.84 lbs | 0.49 lbs |
BlackBerry PlayBook vs. iPad vs. Galaxy Tab vs. Streak: the tale of the tape originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
If you’re searching for a way to wreak havoc on an ex-lover or a rotten business partner, look no further than the video above. The 8-minute tutorial walks you through the steps to hack an iPad to run Windows 95.
That’s just wrong.
We’ve seen people hack iPhones and Windows Mobile phones to run the Android OS, which could prove useful. But if you’re even thinking about installing Windows 95 (not even XP) on an iPad, you’re just twisted. Demented. Messed up. Hellbent on revenge. And a nerd.
At least it’s not Vista, though.
See Also:
You knew Steve Jobs was tearing down his old mansion. You didn’t know what he was building in its place. Until now. More »
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.
