Aug 18

Sony debuts iPod / iPhone-friendly ALTUS multi-room audio line

Posted in: audio, BestBuy, ipod dock, IpodDock, sony, speaker, Today's Chili

We haven’t seen a new S-AIR product since Sony outed a few wireless HTIBs back in March, but it looks as if the outfit is hopping back on that horse with a new line at Best Buy. The ALTUS audio product range gets going with the “premium” ALT-SA31iR multi-room iPod package, which is comprised of an iPod / iPhone docking station and a pair of wireless speakers; it also touts an AM / FM tuner as well as an LCD-equipped S-AIR remote commander. The AIR-SW10Ti iPod docking station adds in a wireless subwoofer, while the ALT-SA32PC multi-room audio package consists of an S-AIR transmitter that connects to one’s PC via USB and a pair of wireless speakers. Finally, the ALT-A33PC package has an identical USB S-AIR transmitter, but includes a universal receiver with analog audio inputs. As for prices? Try $700, $400, $500 and $200 in order of mention, with each up for pre-order today through Sony and on sale in Best Buy locations starting next month.

Gallery: Sony debuts iPod / iPhone-friendly ALTUS multi-room audio line

Filed under: ,

Sony debuts iPod / iPhone-friendly ALTUS multi-room audio line originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , ,
Aug 13

Microsoft’s Zune HD AV Dock and Power Pack up for pre-order

Posted in: Microsoft, pre-order, Today's Chili, zune, zune hd, ZuneHd

No need to hide your unabashed love for Microsoft — we know you’ve already plopped down a few bills to pre-order your Zune HD, but did you bother sinking a few Jacksons on high-margin accessories? If not, we’ll have you know that the Zune HD AV Dock (left) and Zune HD AV & Power Pack (right) can be pre-ordered right now from Microsoft’s online store as well as through Amazon, and we suspect most every other respectable e-tailer will pick ’em up soonly. Both devices are expected to ship alongside the device itself on September 15th, with the former including a dock, three inserts, wireless remote, AC adapter, HDMI cable and AV output cable for $89.99. The latter is meant to pipe content from your docked Zune HD onto a TV, as it includes an AC adapter, HDMI cable and AC output cable for $49.99.

[Thanks, Thomas]

Read – Zune HD AV Dock
Read – Zune HD AV & Power Pack

Filed under: , ,

Microsoft’s Zune HD AV Dock and Power Pack up for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Aug 08

Sony’s Party-shot dock crashes faux festivities to prove its potential for automated blackmail

Posted in: sony, Today's Chili

You probably already know exactly how each and every one of your friends would feel about seeing an autonomous robot photographer at your next shindig. Crave Asia managed to snag one of Sony’s new Party-shot docks for the office, and while the set up is described in an almost heartbreaking tone — “We’ve got the lights, we’ve got the disco ball, but unfortunately we’ve got no friends,” says the narrator — you do get a pretty good feel for how the gizmo would work in a more celebratory setting. The swivel seemed to move a lot slower than we expected it to, although we can’t be convinced without seeing it firsthand in a setting with more than two people. Now all that’s left to prepare for is how to convince your camera shy guests that there’ll be enough narcissistic attendees blocking the lens anyway. Video beyond the gates of the read link.

Filed under:

Sony’s Party-shot dock crashes faux festivities to prove its potential for automated blackmail originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Aug 2009 17:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Aug 07

Engadget Podcast 158 – 08.07.2009

Posted in: Apple, AppStore, att, engadget podcast, EngadgetPodcast, Features, Google, Microsoft, nikon, podcast, sony, Today's Chili, windows 7, Windows7

The gang’s all here, folks! Yes, it’s been a rough couple weeks apart, but Josh, Paul, and Nilay have finally managed to reunite, and Engadget Podcast 158 is the happy result. Join the boys as they take Apple to task for its recent App Store shenanigans and the dismissal of Eric Schmidt from the board of directors, pick apart the Windows 7 upgrade matrix, and then shift into cruising gear for a run to The Shack and some quick thoughts on a trio of new cameras. Yeah, it’s good to be back.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: Ruby Soho

Hear the podcast

00:02:20 – FCC queries AT&T, Apple on Google Voice iPhone app rejection
00:03:10 – Google’s Eric Schmidt resigns from Apple board over “conflict of interest”
00:12:40 – Phil Schiller says Apple didn’t censor a dictionary.
00:35:15 – Official Windows 7 upgrade chart is ridiculous
00:45:20 – The Shack! Radio Shack’s current bid for relevance
00:52:43 – Nikon Coolpix S1000pj projector-cam beams into reality along with friends
00:59:28 – Kodak Zi8: Kodak Zi8 impressions: surprising functionality, but it’s still a pocket camcorder
01:04:38 – Sony Party-show dock: Sony’s Party-shot dock snaps incriminating Facebook photos while you drink


Subscribe to the podcast

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).
[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.
[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace

Download the podcast

LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (AAC)
LISTEN (OGG)

Contact the podcast

1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.

Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget

Filed under:

Engadget Podcast 158 – 08.07.2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , , , , ,
Aug 06

Sony’s Party-shot dock snaps incriminating Facebook photos while you drink

Posted in: digital camera, DigitalCamera, sony, Today's Chili

As if your Facebook profile doesn’t have enough hard evidence that you’re completely unfit for any job you might strike up the courage to apply for, here’s a thoughtful accessory for producing even more regret-inducing snapshots. Launched tonight alongside Sony‘s DSC-WX1 and DSC-TX1 Cyber-shot digicams, the $150 IPT-DS1 Party-shot (ships in September) is a newfangled camera dock that pans 360 degrees and tilts 24 degrees, automatically detects faces, adjusts composition and takes photos for you. It’s like the GigaPan, sans the whole “useful panorama” aspect. The dock can churn for up to 11 hours on a pair of AA batteries (an optional AC adapter is also available), though at least for now, it only works with the aforesaid TX1 and WX1 models. Also of note, anyone with half an ounce of dignity will likely freak out and leave upon seeing this set up at your next shindig. Just sayin’.

Gallery: Sony’s Party-shot dock snaps incriminating Facebook photos while you drink

Filed under: ,

Sony’s Party-shot dock snaps incriminating Facebook photos while you drink originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , ,
Aug 04

Zune HD dock and remote hands-on

Posted in: feature, Features, hands-on, remote, Today's Chili, zune, zune hd, ZuneHd

Glossy black gadgetry lit only by the very table on which it rests isn’t exactly an ideal situation for photography, but when it’s our first sighting of the Zune HD video dock, we’ll do our best. Microsoft had a small booth set up at tonight’s gdgt launch party in San Francisco, where they were showing off the device (no shots of the UI allowed, even if it’s largely unchanged since our last handling a month back). The dock was connected to flat-panel screen via HDMI and output 720p. A separate remote is provided for navigating through your videos from the comfort of your couch while leaving the media player docked, but once we got our hands on that, it was at this point that a rep made us put the camera away. Bummer. Hopefully we can get a better glimpse soon, but for now, images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Zune HD dock and remote hands-on


Filed under: , ,

Zune HD dock and remote hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Aug 04

Kensington’s iPhone / iPod charging dock throws a mini battery into the mix

Posted in: accessories, Apple, charger, charging, Today's Chili, usb

At this point, you’ve probably assumed that there’s simply no way any company can produce yet another iPhone or iPod dock that’s significantly different from the legions of alternatives already out. And you’re wrong. So wrong. In an effort to milk that Made for iPod / iPhone partnership for all it’s worth, Kensington has just introduced its Charging Dock with Mini Battery Pack, which not only charges your dock connecting iPod or iPhone, but also energizes an external battery pack through the same USB cable. When you leave, you’ll depart with a charged device as well as a charged battery pack in case you need to use 3G services for more than eight minutes. Brilliant, no? It’s up for pre-order now for $69.99.

[Via iPodNN]

Filed under: , , ,

Kensington’s iPhone / iPod charging dock throws a mini battery into the mix originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , , , ,
Aug 02

Rotaliana Diva iPod / iPhone dock vamps up your situation

Posted in: iPhone, ipod, ipod dock, IpodDock, Today's Chili

Have you been searching for just the right kind of iPod / iPhone dock to add a touch of class to your lion’s den? Well Rotaliana has you covered. If the perfect compliment to your collection of Conrad Plank-produced bootlegs involves anodized aluminum, a secret door which becomes a light, and the soft glow of an LED clock, you’ll want to check out the Diva. The oddly shaped dock features embedded speakers and an AUX input, but we have a feeling you’re not laying down the €360 (or about $513) for this thing because you want to hook up your MiniDisc player. If you do take the plunge, let us know how it feels to have your music shooting out of a mutated traffic cone.

[Thanks, Bernard]

Filed under: , , ,

Rotaliana Diva iPod / iPhone dock vamps up your situation originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Jul 31

Onkyo ND-S1 iPod dock feaures digital audio, composite video, and leaves iPhone owners out of luck

Posted in: ipod, ipod dock, iPod Nano, ipod touch, IpodDock, IpodTouch, nano, Today's Chili, touch

We’ve seen plenty from the folks at Onkyo in the past, but until now their iPod accessories have been rather few and far between. That said, we gotta say that this here ND-S1 iPod dock looks pretty, pretty good. Obviously designed with the home entertainment crowd in mind, this guy features optical / coax digital output, composite a/v outs, and supports 16bit audio playback (up to 48kHz). Also on hand are a USB connection for syncing with iTunes and a remote control. Compatible with your iPod classic / nano / touch (sorry iPhone users), you can expect to see this hit the streets sometime this fall. There’s no word yet on price, but you can get a closer look after the break.

[Via AV Watch]

Continue reading Onkyo ND-S1 iPod dock feaures digital audio, composite video, and leaves iPhone owners out of luck

Filed under: , ,

Onkyo ND-S1 iPod dock feaures digital audio, composite video, and leaves iPhone owners out of luck originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Jul 27

Brando HD Media Player Docking Station does multi-format 1080p

Posted in: 1080p, media player, MediaPlayer, Today's Chili

It seems that Brando can’t go a month without bringing out yet another slightly-improved domicile for your orphaned SATA HDDs. Following in the footsteps of the very recent Multimedia Dock, the latest unit adds H.264 decoding to the already present DivX, Xvid and MPEG-4, while output graduates to full 1080p. Featuring HDMI and a plethora of supported media formats, the humble docking station has certainly grown up, but is it enough to compete with standalone media players? Input flexibility would suggest so — the new device accepts 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch hard drives, alongside USB flash memory, SD, MMC, and MS cards — but alas, Brando loses the plot at the final hurdle, asking for an astronomical $199. With prettier alternatives available at half the price, this is unlikely to sell like hotcakes, but Brando’s breakneck refresh cycle give us the feeling it won’t be long before we see that perfect do-it-all dock.

Filed under: ,

Brando HD Media Player Docking Station does multi-format 1080p originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,