Hasta La Gadget!

CBS may have teamed up with Netflix in the US to satisfy those of us with an Enterprising bent, but the company has taken a different tack in the UK and Germany. Instead, the firm has signed a deal with Lovefilm to bring CBS and Showtime-owned shows to Amazon’s streaming network. The press release promises that users will be able to watch classic Star Trek, Voyager, The Good Wife, Dexter and Californication instantly, although a brief check of the UK site reveals that you may need to wait a short while more before you can immerse yourself in the Delta quadrant / Hank Moody’s psyche.

Filed under: HD

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Another day, another speaker dock is announced to the world, and this time around, we have the Soundfreaq Sound Step Recharge Lightning, which has been touted by many to be the company’s very first Lightning Speaker dock that will boast of Bluetooth connectivity, and not only that, it comes with an integrated 7 hour rechargeable battery. Not only that, this would also be the first Lightning speaker dock that will feature support for new Apple devices such as the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, so you do not have to fret about this particular accessory ending up obsolete not even a year after it is released.

The Soundfreaq Sound Step Recharge Lightning is the next generation compact Lightning speaker with Bluetooth wireless versatility, but unfortunately, one would have to wait until later this August to be able to grab hold of one at $149.99 a pop. Here is a quick primer on what you are able to expect from the Sound Step Recharge Lightning – it comes across as a compact, low profile speaker which would pave the way for users to dock, charge and stream music sans wires from multiple devices, where among them include iPad, iPhone, Android and Blackberry.

Sound Step Lightning is capable of delivering crystal clear audio thanks to its signature sound profile, and it has been specially crafted for natural bass response and vocal clarity. Apart from that, it also boasts of a 2.1 speaker configuration with a dedicated sub-woofer, while Soundfreaq’s proprietary UQ3 spatial sound enhancement will be able to have it deliver natural bass and stereo separation, making it a truly unique feature where compact speakers are concerned.
Apart from that, Sound Step Recharge Lightning would also feature USB audio, so that users are able to charge and play any iPhone, iPod or iPad using the original 30-pin connector. The USB charging port itself would pave the way for any USB-chargeable gadget like a Blackberry, Android or Bluetooth headset to remain juiced up at all times.

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[ Soundfreaq Sound Step Recharge Lightning copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Ah, what better way to start off the week than by deciphering a cryptic message. Earlier today we received the above image from a mysterious company called Sugar, and that’s all there really is: some crystals in a candy wrapper, the tag line “The sweetest thing that you’ve never tasted before” (the Chinese counterpart implies “irresistible sweetness”), plus the words “July. Austria. Wattens. Unlock.” along the bottom.

As it turns out, Wattens is where the famed Swarovski is based, so we’re going to assume this has something to do with the Austrian crystal maker. As for the “unlock” part, perhaps Swarovski is going to launch its very own bejeweled smartphones or even tablets under the Sugar brand next month? Whatever they are, hopefully they won’t be as tacky as what we’ve seen in the past. The sweetness would be a bonus, too.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

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Much has been made over the past few centuries of the amazing quality of the stringed instruments created by the Stradivarius family. Speculation still rages about exactly how the amazing instruments were made. However, there is a new contention for the most valuable instruments out there. They are the instruments belonging to a group of young musicians from Paraguay who perform together as the Landfill Harmonic Orchestra. Their instruments are made from the trash that they live with every day.

Chipmaker Qualcomm has finalized its investment in beleaguered display manufacturer Sharp. Announced back in December 2012 and totaling $120 million, the second portion of the investment was delayed earlier this year when Sharp failed to satisfy conditions for the investment. Sharp’s now confirmed the transaction, which gives Qualcomm a 3.53 percent share of the display maker, and will presumably increase its involvement on new screen tech being developed between the two companies. The combination of Qualcomm’s MEMs display products and Sharp’s high-resolution IGZO screens will apparently make its way into a number of devices in varying sizes. Qualcomm isn’t the only company with a vested interest in Sharp’s recovery, either — Samsung also holds a 3 percent stake.

Filed under: Displays

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Source: Sharp (PDF)