Hasta La Gadget!

Back in March, Maingear entered the world of the all-in-one PC with the utilitarian Solo 21. Even though the unit is now only five months old, it’s being replaced with a model that’s more attractive, more functional and that carries a lower price. We’re most excited that the redesigned Solo 21 is now fully upgradable — and yes, this includes the Mini-ITX motherboard itself. Available from $899 on up, the baseline configuration includes a 3.3GHz Intel Core i3 2125 CPU (Ivy Bridge), 4GB of RAM, 500GB of storage, a DVD burner, Bluetooth, WiFi and Windows 7 Home Premium. The Solo 21 also supports mSATA SSD storage and can also be outfitted with Blu-ray in place of the standard DVD configuration. You’ll also find it supports the VESA mount, should you decide to throw the PC on your wall. If you’d like to become a bit better acquainted with Maingear’s latest refresh, you’ll find the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Maingear Solo 21 receives a makeover, $899 all-in-one PC is now fully upgradable

Filed under: Desktops

Maingear Solo 21 receives a makeover, $899 all-in-one PC is now fully upgradable originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As the OnLive storm continues to ride itself out, details of who the winners and losers are (mainly losers) keep washing up on the shore. Today’s casualty seems to be CEO Steve Perlman himself, who — just days after the firm reinventing itself — is “departing to work on his myriad of other projects.” In his place the former COO, Charlie Jablonski, is temporarily taking the reins, as well as continuing his role as head of operations in the new organization. Finally, completing this wave of announcements, is the news that chief investor, Gary lauder, will officially take the title of Chairman. So, as the new incarnation settles into its new structure, we’ll just have to sit tight, waiting to see what the next chapter in the OnLive story is.

Continue reading More OnLive management moves: Perlman out, as investor Lauder settles for Chairman

Filed under: Gaming, Internet

More OnLive management moves: Perlman out, as investor Lauder settles for Chairman originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There is nothing quite like a pair of high quality cans to gety our blood pumping with the right kind of music, no? I guess you would not be too far off the mark with the £349.99 Parrot Zik Headphones, don’t you think so? This unique pair of wireless headphones are able to deliver hands-free, capacitive controls, offering the wonders of seamless Bluetooth and NFC pairing, in addition to delivering powerful noise cancellation, boasting an automatic stop/play function as well as bone conduction, speech-detection technology.

Imagine changing tracks and adjusting the volume with but a single swipe of your hand, or how about automatically pausing or playing the song whenever you receive a call or remove the headphones? In fact, you are also able to make the necessary adjustments to the stereo image, offering the owner of this pair of cans total control over your listening experience. In addition, you are able to download the app for improved use and functionality with smartphones and tablets. It will obviously run on batteries being wireless and all, sporting a replaceable/rechargeable 800mAh cell.

[ Parrot Zik Headphones copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Fancy a wickedly wide 21:9 aspect ratio LCD that’s more than a touch larger than what you’ll find on that unique Toshiba Ultrabook? It looks like LG’s got you covered, with its 29-inch EA93. We spotted a half dozen of the ultra-wide IPS displays during a preview of the show floor at IFA, and were able to grab a few frames. You need to see this LCD in person to get a feel for just how wide it really is — with a 29-inch diagonal panel that’s incredibly short and squat, you’ll be compromising quite a bit of desk real estate in order to add some horizontal pixels.

From booth materials, it seems that LG is promoting this product as a multitasking solution — the format is well-suited as a replacement for dual-monitor rigs, letting you view several windows at once without adjusting your eyes vertically. We already had a solid grasp on the EA93’s specs, which include a 2,560 x 1,080-pixel panel, a four-way split screen feature and plenty of inputs, including two HDMI ports, DVI Dual Link and DisplayPort, though the product placard also revealed USB 3.0 connectivity and 7-watt stereo speakers. Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but if you’re prepared to add such a device at any cost, we’d suggest clearing some desk space now — these are set to ship in November.

Filed under: Displays

LG EA93 21:9 aspect ratio 29-inch LCD spotted on IFA show floor (eyes-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

Spectrometers are a pretty invaluable piece of lab equipment. They make it rather simple to identify substances by analyzing the light that they absorb. Problem is, for the hobby scientist, they typically cost thousands of dollars. Jeffrey Yoo Warren’s latest Kickstarter project aims to put these powerful tools in the hands of your average Joe, with an open-source DYI model, where the key ingredient is a shard of DVD-R. Using that piece of plastic in conjunction with black paper and a webcam, his $35 kit allows anyone to quickly and easily reveal the spectral fingerprint of any substance. There’s even a $5 model that works in conjunction with a free Android app, turning your smartphone into a legit lab tool. The goal, ultimately, is to build up a library of substances that can easily be matched with samples caught in the wild — in essence, to build a “Shazam for materials.” The original inspiration was an effort to identify contaminants left behind by the BP oil spill, but Warren also touts its ability to reveal hidden dyes in laundry detergents and to differentiate wines or olive oils. For those with grander ambitions, a $300 pledge will score you a pre-built and calibrated desktop spectrometer, complete with pyrex dishes and a full spectrum lamp. To help fund this backyard (or back pocket) science revolution, hit up the source link.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Public Lab DIY Spectrometer wants to be the ‘Shazam of materials’

Insert Coin: Public Lab DIY Spectrometer wants to be the ‘Shazam of materials’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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