Hasta La Gadget!

We knew good and well that Sifteo’s Cubits were coming in the year 2011 A.D., but little did we know we’d be seeing an update so soon, and here at CES of all places. The aforementioned company has apparently forged ahead with a name change, officially dubbing the little guys you see above “Cubes.” Those looking to buy in early are certainly in for a treat, as its Early Access Program will bring a discounted rate as well as lots of extra goodies — more for less is hard to beat, you know. At some point in Q1 of this year, $99 will enable eager early adopters to get a trio of the 1.5-inch blocks, 1000 points to purchase games and apps from the online store, a coupon to redeem once the product is launched in earnest, 50 percent off anything in the Sifteo store (up to $200) and a limited edition t-shirt. It’ll be the only chance to snag a set prior to their nationwide release in the fall of this year, and if you’re still wondering just how much fun you could have, head on past the break for the full release. It’s a hoot, we tell ya.

Continue reading Sifteo announces early access details for Cubes: $99, Q1, lots of extras

Sifteo announces early access details for Cubes: $99, Q1, lots of extras originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s a heavy day at CES, and it’s also a big day for the folks at Pure. Not only have they provided an updated release time table for the Sensia (“later in 2011” for an unknown amount) and Sirocco 550 (March for $499), but it’s also branching out with a few unexpected launches. In order to get even more tunes to the outfit’s blossoming line of WiFi radios, Pure has revealed its FlowSongs cloud-based music service — put simply, it enables consumers to buy music directly from their radio and Pure’s Lounge iPhone app. Users are instructed to ‘Like’ songs on FM or internet radio, and then within the same interface, they’re able to click ‘Buy’ while simultaneously scratching that Instant Gratification itch. Customers can download high-quality versions of the MP3 onto their Mac and PC, and it’ll work on any Flow radio. Currently, the service is expected to launch as a public beta in North America this spring, with individual tracks priced between $0.99 and $1.49 depending on the publisher. Unfortunately, there’s a $5.99 yearly subscription to actually use FlowSongs, which all but guarantees failure in a world where $1.49 tracks feel too pricey on their own.

Moving on, the company is also dishing out a few hardware announcements. Up first is the Contour (shown above), an iPod / iPhone-friendly WiFi radio that touts a black crescent shape (not too unlike Meridian’s M80), touch-sensitive controls and a trio of video outputs (composite, component and S-Video). The One Flow ($149) is about as basic as it gets, rocking a truly retro motif, a 3.5mm auxiliary input and a pair of alarms. Wrapping things up, there’s the i-20, which is hailed as the only digital iPod dock available that supports component, S-Video and composite outputs. In a nutshell, it’s a video output stand for your iPod or iPhone, which may or may not be worth the $99 asking price. Head on past the break for specifics on availability, and tap that source link once your credit card is ready.

Continue reading Pure launches Contour, One Flow and i-20, also debuts FlowSongs cloud-based music service

Pure launches Contour, One Flow and i-20, also debuts FlowSongs cloud-based music service originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LAS VEGAS — Iomega’s SuperHero dock backs up your iPhone as it charges. It sounds like an ideal, portable alternative to backing up when traveling, or for those who hardly ever hook up their iPhone to a computer. And it is, kinda.

The SuperHero looks like a slightly oversized Apple Universal Dock, and charges the phone as normal. The backup comes courtesy of a 4GB SD-card. Your iPhone has way more than 4GB of data on it, so the SuperHero only backs up your contacts and photos. And it isn’t automatic, either. You need to download a (free) companion app and use that to do the business. You can also swap in bigger SD cards should you need to. To restore to a new phone, you use the same application.

It’s a fine solution as far as it goes, and takes care of the most valuable data on the phone: the photos. It’s better to sync your phone and computer daily, but let’s be honest. How many people do that? $70.

SuperHero product page [Iomega]

See Also:

• Backup Pal Backs Up Cellphone Numbers

In recent years, Philips has strayed somewhat from introducing products catering to the North American marketplace. We’re thrilled to say that this year’s spate of CES announcements signifies a stark turn from that approach. The most interesting release from the company during this year’s blowout is probably the PS725 (shown above), a 7-inch portable DVD player that doubles as a mobile TV viewer. Before you bust out the yawn collector, you should know that Philips managed to stuff both an ATSC and an ATSC M/H tuner within, the latter of which just announced a major push into 20 major metropolitan markets back in November. The unit has an 800 x 480 resolution display, three hours of nonstop playback via a rechargeable Li-Polymer battery pack, a screen that swivels 180 degrees and a $299 price point. It’ll ship in March, just as your FLO TV service keels over. In related news, the outfit is also outing a PB9013 portable Blu-ray player, which touts a 9-inch display, a battery good for three hours of enjoyment, a bundled mounting kit and an HDMI output. You’ll also see this one ship in March, but with a $399 retail sticker.

Outside of those two, we’re told that the GeGear Muse MP4 player is now on track to ship in March, with the 8GB model going for $149, the 16GB edition for $179 and the high-end 32GB model for $229. For those out of the loop, it’ll deliver a 3.2-inch HVGA touchpanel, an FM radio tuner, 720p movie support and compatibility with FLAC and APE lossless files. Closing things up, we’ve got the Fidelio DS8550 and DS9010 speaker docks. The former handles your iPod, iPhone and / or iPad, streams tunes over Bluetooth and touts a built-in, rechargeable battery; this guy’s on sale now for $299. As for the latter? That one’s expected to ship at the tail-end of March for $599, with the price premium netting you an aircraft quality aluminum enclosure, improved audio drivers and a proximity sensor to activate a backlit control panel. Bullet points after the break, per usual.

Continue reading Philips crams ATSC M/H tuner into PD725 portable DVD player, intros PB9013 mobile Blu-ray player

Philips crams ATSC M/H tuner into PD725 portable DVD player, intros PB9013 mobile Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Work being done by researchers at the Florida A&M University / Florida State University College of Engineering aims to make life a little easier for those folks who rely on electric wheelchairs by using automatic terrain-sensing tech originally developed for military robotic vehicles. Their prototype electric wheelchair can detect hazardous terrain and change driving strategies appropriately is so promising that the US Army has provided funding. If all goes well, we could be seeing these new-age chairs within five years — CES 2016 can’t come soon enough.

Military terrain-sensing tech to enable smarter electronic wheelchairs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 05:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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