Hasta La Gadget!

Attention do-it-yourself home theater fans, GeeXboX 3.0 is now available. Primarily based off of XBMC 11, the latest software bump for this long-running Linux distro introduces a few nifty features, such as: PVR support for DVB-T (watch and record live TV), full HD video for PandaBoard systems, full HD support for CuBox and improved HDD installation. A year in the making, GeeXbox 3.0 weighs in at a hefty 140MB, nearly double the size of the platform’s last official release. In addition to its new bells and whistles, version 3.0 has “preliminary” Raspberry Pi support baked into its development tree. So, if you’ve been plotting like Wile E. Coyote to build your next HTPC, then you may want to give this ISO a download.

Update: Having trouble accessing the GeeXboX site directly? It seems to be running slowly at the moment, but you can also grab the latest ISO from Softpedia at the link below.

Filed under: Software, HD

GeeXBox 3.0 now available, XBMC 11 calling the shots originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Giada has added a new mini PC to its lineup called the i35V. This new mini PC comes with solid-state storage inside rather than a hard drive making for quieter and quicker operation. The computer ships with a 32 GB mSATA SSD providing the user with faster boot speeds and lower power consumption. The new computer is aimed at home and small office users looking for a highly compact computer for small spaces.

The machine uses an Intel Atom D2500 processor and comes equipped with 2 GB of RAM. The RAM can be upgraded to 4 GB if needed. This is one of the most power miserly mini PCs that Giada has in its lineup. The typical mini PC we see from the company consumes around 35 W of power. The little i35V series mini PC consumes only 24 W of power.

The computer is only one-inch wide and is intended to be used for home theater, entertainment applications, and general computer work in the home or office setting. The machine is roughly the size of a book, and its small size makes it easy to place on a desk, inside an entertainment center, or even under a TV. It’s also small enough to be easily disconnected and carried between locations.

Connectivity options include five USB 2.0 ports, and HDMI output, VGA output, and SPDIF optical audio output. Inside the little mini computer is also a gigabit network socket, and high-speed integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi. The computer also has a memory card slot that reads SD cards and other storage formats. The only thing you would need to add this little machine is the operating system, and it carries a retail price of $168.

Giada i35v mini PC packs mSATA storage is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
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There haven’t been many choices in PC motherboards for audiophiles — the ‘real’ kind that might see even a good dedicated sound card as slumming it. Biostar wants to fill that untapped niche with the Hi-Fi Z77X. Along with run-of-the-mill expansion for an Ivy Bridge- or Sandy Bridge-based desktop, the board’s built-in 7.1-channel audio flaunts six 3.5mm analog jacks, an amp and the kind of exotic-sounding language that leads audio addicts to buy $2,000 cables they don’t need. We’re talking “metal-oxide film resistors” and “non-polarized electrolysis electric audio capacitors,” here. Whether or not the changes have an appreciable impact on sound quality, listeners are ironically left out of S/PDIF audio, which exists only as a header on the board unless buyers spend a little more on parts. That said, if we assume the as yet unknown price isn’t stereotypically high — and that audiophiles don’t mind a big, potentially noisy desktop as a home theater PC — the Hi-Fi Z77x could be a treat for those who want to wring every nuance out of music and movie soundtracks.

Filed under: Desktops, Home Entertainment

Biostar Hi-Fi Z77X gives audiophiles 7.1-channel analog sound, overpriced cables thankfully optional originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 19:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’ve been thinking about building an HTPC without spending a lot of money then first of all we have a post that can help you with that (and a comment section of folks saying they can do even better), and second, it might be time to grab one of SiliconDust’s HDHomeRun Prime TV tuners. The three tuner CableCARD device can turn your computer into a cable box, and Woot is selling brand new units for just $130 (plus $5 shipping) in this morning’s one day sale, a decent discount form the $180 – $200 prices we found elsewhere. Still not convinced this is for you? Check out our hands-on with the device or a quick video trailer embedded after the break. Oh, and if you need a new HDTV to plug it into, Woot’s also running a sale on some LG LCDs with 3D and connected apps for $650 / $900 (47-inch / 55-inch).

Continue reading SiliconDust HDHomerun Prime CableCARD tuners hit Woot for $130

SiliconDust HDHomerun Prime CableCARD tuners hit Woot for $130 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 02:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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