May 26

RIM Boldly Announces the New BlackBerry 9000

Posted in: BlackBerry, Gadgets, Today's Chili


This article was written on May 12, 2008 by CyberNet.

blackberry curve.pngThe highly anticipated new BlackBerry has been Boldly announced and is said to be available this Summer exclusively from AT&T in the U.S. with other carrier versions coming soon. It’s called the BlackBerry Bold (a.k.a. BlackBerry 9000) and it sure is slick. The Mobile Phone/Smartphone market is a hot place to be right now and the competition is fierce! The arrival of this new BlackBerry Bold makes it even more competitive with a handful of enticing new features which include:

  • Improved display with better screen resolution – it’s twice the resolution of the Curve model and brings it to the same resolution offered on the iPhone (480×320)
  • Glossy metallic look
  • GPS is “enhanced and assisted”
  • Exchangeable back leather plates in different colors will be offered
  • Increase in internal memory
  • Price is estimated to be between $300 and $400
  • 802.11a/b/g wireless capability

In some ways it is similar to the Curve (e.g., camera capable of capturing video) and previous BlackBerry models (with the QWERTY kebyoard and trackball), but RIM managed to make the BlackBerry Bold jam-packed with new features that consumers are sure to love.

The new website for the BlackBerry Bold is now live at www.blackberrybold.com where you see 360 degree views and checkout all of its features…

Competition in the Mobile Market…

It’s interesting to see how competition is changing and affecting the mobile market. In March Apple announced their $100 million iFund to support the development of the iPhone and iPod Touch Applications and now RIM is expected to announce a $150 million fund to invest in companies that are creating software for their devices. Had Apple not offered such an option, would RIM have made this move?

And speaking of competition, it looks like Sprint may be having a hard time with customers leaving to checkout what their competitors have to offer. During the first quarter of 2008, they saw 1.09 million subscribers walk away and now they are left with 52.8 million remaining subscribers. At this point they say they are “re-working” their strategy and they’re also hoping that the Samsung Instinct (an iPhone Competitor which hasn’t hit the stores yet) will help out their business.

Like we said earlier, the competition is fierce right now in the mobile market and it’ll probably only continue…

Sources: AP , Engadget, Gizmodo

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May 19

New video of HTC Hero’s Android build offers Frenchy vision of widget utopia

Posted in: Android, Gadgets, hero, HTC, Today's Chili

The verdict is still out on whether what we’ve been seeing is indeed some precursor to Android 2.0 “Donut,” or (more likely) some elaborate HTC skin designed bring HTC’s Android home screen experience up to par with its extensive Windows Mobile reskinning. Either way, things are shaping up quite nicely for the HTC Hero, with another leaked build showing widget functionality galore, including weather widgets that actually show the weather. Interestingly, this isn’t a complete replacement for the existing home screen, since in the add widget dialogue you can pick an HTC Gadget, a Google Gadget, or other regular things like Shortcuts, and most everything seems to cohabitate well in the example video. With the rate these leaks are coming, we’re guessing we’ll be hearing more about the HTC Hero before too long, and if not we’ve always got the nouveau cocktail jazz electro crossover stylings of Air to keep us calm. Video is after the break.

[Via Android Guys]

Continue reading New video of HTC Hero’s Android build offers Frenchy vision of widget utopia

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New video of HTC Hero’s Android build offers Frenchy vision of widget utopia originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 May 2009 10:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 14

SmartSwipe Safe Online Shopping

Posted in: Gadgets, Today's Chili

SmartSwipe is the new, smarter, more secure way to shop online. The SmartSwipe (by NetSecure Technologies) is the world’s first truly secure personal credit card reader. When you install SmartSwipe, you can swipe your credit card at your home or office computer just like you would in a store. Plug the SmartSwipe into your computer’s USB port, go shopping to your favourite online stores and swipe your credit card – it is that easy. The best part is that you know your credit card information is safe and secure.

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May 13

Twinklepict miniature Zoetrope from Banpresto

Posted in: Gadgets, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS, Today's Chili

Banpresto has an interesting new device coming out called the Twinklepict, which is essentially a miniature zoetrope.

The figures inside are backlit by a flashing internal light that, as the figures spin around quickly, make them appear animated both inside the Twinklepict, but also in the light projection made with the shadows.

twinklepict zoetrope banpresto 2

The device will retail for around $33 and be out at the end of June, likely after the upcoming Tokyo Toy Show which we will definitely be attending.

japan-trend-shop-banner

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May 05

Logitech MX Air the Most Expensive Mouse?

Posted in: Features, Gadgets, Today's Chili


This article was written on July 17, 2007 by CyberNet.

So I thought I was crazy last October for spending $100 on the Logitech MX Revolution mouse, but prices continue to rise as Logitech adds some innovation to their product line. The newest family member to dent your pocketbook is the Logitech MX Air which will ship in August. The price is a mere $149.99, and you could probably gather that up in a week if you don’t eat. :)

Logitech MX Air

This is probably one of the only mice that comes with a polishing cloth, but it does have some unique features that are nifty besides for just the cloth. The most notable thing is that the mouse contains motion sensors to track movements just like a Wii controller. With this you could actually point to the items on the screen that you want to click on, although your arm would probably get tired rather quickly.

So what about the buttons and the scroll wheel? Take a look at the overview of the buttons on the mouse:

Logitech MX Air

The scroll wheel has been replaced with a touch-sensitive surface much like the touchpad on a laptop. Then there are four buttons for navigating forward/back, selecting items, playing/pausing media, and adjusting the volume. To do something like increase the volume you would put your finger on the volume button and wave the mouse to the right, or to decrease it you would wave the mouse to the left. I am very interested in seeing how well you can select things, like text, using this method.

The 2.4GHz wireless signal gives the mouse a range of about 30-feet. That means you could walk away from your computer and still adjust things like the volume or skip songs using pre-defined gestures that are application-specific. Other programs it is designed to work with include iTunes, Windows Media Player, Winamp, Windows Photo Gallery, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, and more.

One thing is for sure…this is going to give "mouse gestures" a whole new meaning! I don’t think I’ll be picking this mouse up when it comes out because of the price, but it sure would be cool to have. I’ll wrap things up with a video produced by Logitech of the MX Air in action:

Logitech MX Air Homepage (Won’t be available for purchase until August)
Source: Hardware Geeks

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May 05

CyberNotes: Stay Connected With JanSport LiveWire Backpacks

Posted in: CyberNotes, Gadgets, Today's Chili


This article was written on October 21, 2006 by CyberNet.

CyberNotes
Weekend Warrior

There are all kinds of backpacks that are designed for carrying laptops — meaning they’re padded extra well and they might have a special compartment specifically for the computer.  But what about a backpack that takes catering to your tech toys a little further?  I did a little searching and came across JanSport’s LiveWire line that is more than just your ordinary backpack. The price will certainly bite a little, ranging from $180-$250.

One of the most impressive within the LiveWire line is the Dreamer which requires some AAA batteries (yes, a backpack that requires batteries).  So, what’s so special about it? Well, for starters, on the right side you’ll find controls for an iPod which can easily be slipped into a pouch and connected. Then from there, you can go to the left side to find your Bluetooth-enabled cellphone features. So how would these work together?  While listening to your iPod while on the bus, in a taxi, etc. and your phone rings, the music will automatically pause while you push a button on the left side to answer your phone.  There’s a microphone built right in to the left strap that will pick up your voice– this takes hands free to a whole new level. After you’re done with your conversation, the music will continue playing.

Another backpack in the line is the Maffia which has a headphone port which connects to a CD/MP3 player without having to pull it out of the backpack.  Of course it does include that padded sleeve to keep your laptop protected. They come in an assortment of colors with lots of pockets for all of your gadgets, and a cord pocket will keep all of your wires from tangling up. Other such models with unique looks and features include the Kingpin, Trinity, and the Mullet.

Certainly if you’re wanting to go all out, you’d go for the Dreamer which is the ultimate backpack for connectivity for your iPod and your Bluetooth-enabled cellphone.  Regardless of which backpack you choose, they price will certainly be more than your average backpack.  You can view the entire line with details at www.jansport.com/livewire.

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May 04

Digital Photo Gallery

Posted in: Gadgets, Today's Chili

Digital%20Photo%20Gallery.jpg

Gadget Reviews: It is quite compact – not bigger than a paperback – the dimensions of the portable digital photo viewer are the following: 19.5cm x 11.3cm x 1.4 cm, so you can bear it in your pocket. It features a 7-inch screen display with 800 x 480 resolution and is compatible with USB devices. 4 GB of internal memory can be expanded with a SD card.

The Album digital photo gallery is capable of storing 40.000 photos which can be downloaded directly from SD card or Digital Camera. It is quite easy to use: it allows creating folders, deleting photos, changing pictures manually, and offers the possibility of slideshow and three hours of battery life.

Album Portable Digital Photo Gallery [Gadget Reviews]

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May 03

Apple Stocks Up, Competitors and Carriers Down

Posted in: Apple, Gadgets, iPhone, Today's Chili


This article was written on June 10, 2008 by CyberNet.

It was an interesting day for Apple stock yesterday. Durning Steve Jobs’ keynote at WWDC we saw their stock go up and down as the time went on, and eventually once the keynote was over, it just stayed down for a while. It has been steadily climbing back-up, but now their competitors and other cell phone providers are seeing their stock drop as the news of the iPhone 3G settles in. The iPhone can sure rattle things up, can’t it?

So who’s up and who’s down as of 9:45 AM (CST)?

Up

  1. Apple (AAPL): + 3.56

aapl stock.png

Down

  1. Research In Motion (RIM): -0.53%
  2. Nokia: -2.10%
  3. Garmin (with their Nuvi Phone): -5.51%
  4. Samsung: -2%*
  5. HTC: – 6.9%*

*= closing value from yesterday

PC World attributed the fact that stocks were sinking to Apple’s new iPhone. It’s now 3G, half the price, and it’s one of the most affordable smartphones out there that is full of features. Clearly other manufacturers and carriers are worried. Let’s take a look at some of the carriers in the U.S. to see what’s going on:

  1. AT&T: -1.06%
  2. Verizon: -1.87%
  3. Sprint Nextel Corp.: -3.85%
  4. T-Mobile: -1.67%

Some of you are probably wondering why AT&T stock is down if they are the exclusive carrier in the United States for the iPhone. While the iPhone is great for AT&T, they did release an announcement saying that over the next two years they will be losing money because of the cheaper price on the phones. In the end though, they should benefit because they are expecting an increase in subscribers.

Steven Hartley, a senior analyst at Ovum, a marketing research firm said in regards to the iPhone, “We feel that this time the potential for disruption is great than before. Apple’s marketing strength has allowed it to consistently punch above its market share weight. Vendors should not be complacent and must continue to focus on the user experience to regain the marketing initiative from the iPhone, or risk losing even more ground in the high device marketing stakes.“

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Apr 29

106 Historical Scenes Rendered Hilariously Inaccurate by Technology

Posted in: feature, Gadgets, photoshop, Today's Chili, top

For this week’s Photoshop Contest, you were charged with inserting technology into historic scenes where it didn’t belong. History would be a lot more interesting if there were this many Wiimotes in it.

First Place — Dan Fruzzetti
Second Place — Ryan Warner
Third Place — N. Dwyer

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Apr 26

Enhancing Chat Experience

Posted in: Gadgets, Today's Chili

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The Cool Hunter: Take the IPEVO TR-10i for example, your new desktop pal. It’s the ultimate accomplice for anyone who uses Skype and iChat as much as we have been lately.

So what exactly does it do? It works as a desktop mic, a speakerphone and also as a handset for when you want to take a private call. With dedicated Skype buttons, you may never have to pay for a call again. Want to record a call to listen back to at a later date or to add to your podcast? This gadget has got you covered. It also weighs next to nothing so is pretty handy to take with you on business trips and of course it helps that it is a bit of a good looker.

IPEVO – Enhancing Experiences Over The Internet [The Cool Hunter]

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