Hasta La Gadget!

Get ready to tech up your driving experience, as Garmin has unveiled a new accessory for its nuvi line of GPS devices that lets you add a number of customizable gauges and monitoring utilities. The new ESP module tucks into the OBD-II diagnostics port on your car and communicates (via Bluetooth) all-important data like intake air temperatures and the fuel efficiency of your driving to the nuvi up top. Yea, it’s been done before, but Garmin is (for the time being) a major force in navigation devices and could truly popularize this should there be enough interest. For our money, it’s both a neat and geeky way to expand the functionality of the now threatened satnav species. The full dish on price and availability can be expected at CES 2010 this coming January.

Filed under: Gaming

Garmin EcoRoutes ESP module turns your GPS into car sentinel originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While Dell and HP were busy holding a competition to see who could do a worse job of announcing their new optical multitouch displays, Albatron was crafting away a 42-inch monstrosity to completely steal their thunder. The optical part refers to a pair of CMOS sensors embedded in the bezel which are responsible for touch detection, a cheaper alternative to your typical capacitive and resistive tech, which requires an extra USB connection between the monitor and computer. Although some issues were found with Windows 7’s multitouch implementation, the promise of recognizing more than two fingers with the proper software support and the general responsiveness of the unit whet our appetite for more. Alas, nobody dares speak of a price, but a 1080p 22-inch model is already available for $450, in case you wanted to add to your touchy-feely shortlist. The video after the break contains the hands-on and a little mystery — why is there Bulgarian handwriting on the whiteboard in the background?

Continue reading Albatron’s 42 inches of optical touch monitor get examined on video

Filed under: Displays

Albatron’s 42 inches of optical touch monitor get examined on video originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP’s just rather quietly announced a new display hot on the heels of tomorrow’s Windows 7 launch. This 21.5-inch, 1080p bad boy boasts an optical multitouch panel with one finger scrolling and two finger mousing capabilities. Stylus fans will also be overjoyed to hear that the Compaq L2105tm has a stylus of its own that tucks into the side of the monitor when not in use. HP is calling this one the first “Windows 7 certified” monitor, meaning you should be able to pull it right out of the box, plug it in and get moving. The Compaq L2105tm will be available tomorrow for $299. Full press release is after the break.

[Via Display Blog]

Continue reading HP unleashes Compaq L2105tm touchscreen, multitouch monitor

Filed under: Displays

HP unleashes Compaq L2105tm touchscreen, multitouch monitor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You asked, questioned and implored — why, with all these underpowered touchscreen all-in-ones prowling our lands, can we not get a decent standalone touchscreen monitor? Well, somebody somewhere listened, and somebody else, presumably elsewhere, leaked. Presenting the entirely unofficial, but all the same real, Dell SX2210T: a 1920 x 1080 21.5-inch panel that has HDMI and DVI inputs alongside an integrated 2 megapixel webcam and microphone for your Skyping convenience. If its 1,000:1 contrast ratio and 2ms grey-to-grey response time sound familiar, it’s because the non-touch sensitive SX2210 has been available for a while already. From the support documentation we’re looking at, you’ll need to hook up an extra USB connection for the touch interface, which doesnt appear to be multitouch, but we can always hope for a miraculous firmware update down the line, right?

Update: More info has surfaced on this monitor, which can now be purchased for $469 from Dell’s online store, and will come with multtitouch panning and zooming when attached to a Windows 7 machine.

[Thanks, Bruce and dennispg]

Filed under: Displays

Dell SX2210T adds touchscreen functionality to 1080p panel (Update: multitouch!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know it’s been tough finding a 23-inch, full HD monitor that’s just nondescript enough to cause not so much as a passing glance, but it looks like Mitsubishi finally has the monitor for you. In addition to that 1,920 x 1080 resolution, its new RDT231WLM-S model packs a decent 5 ms response time, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, a full range of ports including HDMI and DVI, and an “ECO Professional” mode to cut down on power consumption whenever possible. Unfortunately, it also makes use of a TN panel, and it eschews any modern conveniences like a built-in webcam or USB hub — but, hey, at least it’s one monitor that won’t collect fingerprints left and right. No price or release just yet, but we’d expect those details to be fairly inexpensive and fairly soon.

[Via Akihabara News]

Filed under: Displays

Mitsubishi debuts power-saving RDT231WLM-S 23-inch monitor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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