Hasta La Gadget!

Now that everything Zune HD is official and available for pre-order, Microsoft has seen fit to loose official specs, putting to rest — at least until we can do a full hands on — questions about what to expect from the OLED touchscreen packing device. From dimensions (52.7 mm x 102.1 mm x 8.9 mm, 2.6 oz) to battery life (24 hours for music with wireless off, up to 4 hours of video) and charge time (3 hours, 2 hours to 90%.) While the offical site (incorrectly) currently lists max video res at barely-better-than-DVD 720 x 480, we contacted Microsoft and received the official specs on video support, and if for some reason you needed to hear it again: the Tegra chip is a beast. Ready for HDTV playback when it’s plugged into the AV dock, the Zune software supports up to 1280 x 720, 30 frames per second at a max 14 Mbps bitrate for WMV HD and h.264 sources. Confirmed still a bummer? No wireless video streaming from the Zune Video Marketplace, though the specs do indicate that purchases and rentals will work across all three screens, PC, Zune and Xbox 360. Check the corrected specs after the break, now all that’s left is getting some alone time with one.

Update: Microsoft has hit us with the corrected & updated spec list with a slight change to battery and charge specs: 33 hours of life playing music with no wireless, up to 8.5 hours of video. 3 hours to charge from PC, 2 hours via AC adapter. Hopefully that’s long enough to cover your one man rave in the woods far away from A/C outlets. Check the PDF for yourself, but beware, as Microsoft has informed us one typo remains, as the Zune HD can hold up to 22 / 48 hours (16GB / 32GB) of video optimized for the device, no matter what the official sheet says.

Continue reading Zune HD specs fill in the blanks on video format support, battery life and more – Update: now with more, better!

Filed under: Handhelds, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Zune HD specs fill in the blanks on video format support, battery life and more – Update: now with more, better! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Energizer’s Energi To Go catalog just keeps getting sweeter. After introducing a new range of XPAL battery chargers last month, the company is evidently gearing up to reveal what’s likely to be its most convenient and altogether useful product yet. The USB clip you see above is designed to make contact with DSLR and camcorder batteries and provide juice via USB; in other words, it’s like a portable, highly mobile DSLR battery charger. OhGizmo points out that you may need one of Energizer’s USB-equipped battery packs to charge up the 7.4V cells, but at least we’re still talking about a non-proprietary charging connector. Per usual, there’s no mention of dollars and cents, but hopefully it’ll be rolled out for less than a song here soon.

[Via OhGizmo]

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Peripherals

Energizer USB clip to charge camcorder / DSLR batteries via USB originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen Energizer dabble in portable charging solutions before, but we’ve yet to see it go all out like this. Thanks to a newfound partnership with XPAL Power, the company famous for making drum-toting bunnies famous has issued several new wares in its Energi To Go line. The rechargeable power packs and emergency chargers — over ten of ’em in all — will all ship by July of 2009 and will include devices for PMPs, PNDs, portable DVD players, netbooks and digicams. There’s even an AP Charger that mounts your iPhone (à la mophie’s Juice Pack Air), and the SP line consists only of solar-driven power packs designed to rejuvenated your iPod, camera and pretty much any other handheld device. There’s no mention of price just yet, but as with anything Energizer, you can go ahead and brace for sticker shock.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals

Energizer expands Energi To Go charging line with more solar, iPhone options originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You know the dilemma all too well — you need a cigarette outlet to charge up your PND, yet a spare USB socket would totally come in handy for juicing up that DAP whilst crossing the country in a ’74 Chevelle. Enter Santok, which has just introduced what could possibly be the mother of all in-car chargers. Aside from turning a single cigarette socket into two, it also adds a pair of powered USB ports, leaving us only yearning for a couple of AC sockets to really cap things off. ‘Course, we aren’t so much for melted center consoles, so maybe we’ll just color ourselves satisfied. Now, if only we could spot a price…

[Via Coolest-Gadgets]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Santok’s USB-infused in-car charger is just what the doctor ordered originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 May 2009 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wouldn’t it be great to be able to just toss your various gadgets into a nice little bed of grass and have them instantly recharge themselves through the magic of some WildCharger-style cordless charging technology? Of course it would. Unfortunately, this new so-called Grass Charging Valet available from Taylor Gifts won’t let you do any of that. It will, however, let you conceal your current entanglement of chargers beneath a tasteful patch of 100% faux grass, and set you back a mere $30. Hit up the link below to get your order in if you’re feeling so inclined, and look for it to start shipping next week.

[Via Red Ferret]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Grass Charging Valet doesn’t actually charge your gadgets, isn’t really grass originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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