Nissan Debuts $400 In-Car Navigation Option

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Low-cost, in-car navigation systems may finally be on the horizon. Mazda unveiled a $500 nav option for the 2010 Mazda 3 sedan a while back, and Suzuki is also selling a (very poorly integrated) one. Now Nissan is planning to make available a $400 option for the Sentra, and possibly other vehicles, as early as January.

Detroit News reports that the system will feature a 5-inch touch screen, an intuitive interface, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, and XM satellite and XM Traffic NavTraffic. It also charges iPods and iPhones.

Once you get into the $400 and under range, it becomes much more appealing to have the unit integrated neatly in the dashboard–especially since Nissan’s unit works with an optional backup camera. Try that with a standalone PND.

Clever Power Outlet Incorporates Dual USB Chargers

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Gadget Lab reader Michael Lowdermilk writes:

Hi Charlie,
Since you’re a power junkie I wanted to get your feedback on what you think about adding USB ports to power outlets.

By “power junkie”, Michael isn’t referring to my constant attempts to wrest control of the Gadget Lab from its esteemed editor (damn your physical fitness and level-headed approach, Tweney — I’ll get you one day). Instead, Michael is talking about my weakness for cleverly designed wall-warts, of which his is one. After some correspondence between us, Michael has at last launched his power outlet, the TruePower, which combines a couple of standard 100V-240V sockets with a pair of USB ports.

These ports are, of course, for charging-only, but given the proliferation of junk that dangles from our computers’ busses these days, there is a real, and obvious, need for something like this. Michael is selling them through Fastmac for $10 a pop, which is cheaper than a USB charger alone, and those double sockets mean that you can hook up both your USB Humping Dog and a USB fan to keep him cool.

TruePower USB Outlet [Fastmac. Thanks, Michael]

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Ask Engadget: Best headset / microphone for podcasting?

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Marcus, who’s looking to hook himself up with a solid USB headset / microphone for Skype calling, podcasting and just generally having a royally great time.

“I’ve found myself using my PC for a lot of conversations lately, and I’m also considering recording a podcast to share with anyone who will listen. There are tons of USB headset / microphones out there, and I’m hoping someone has some solid recommendations based on experience. I’ll consider both headsets and standalone mics, by the way, but I’d like to keep the bill under $100 if possible. Help!”

To be completely honest, we’re still trying to determine for ourselves which device is best for these kinds of activities. If you’ve found a diamond in the proverbial rough, spill it in comments below, won’tcha?

Ask Engadget: Best headset / microphone for podcasting? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Multifaceted adapter combines 3-port USB hub with iPod / iPhone connector

Multi-purpose adapters aren’t anything new, but it’s often the simplest of the bunch that prove most useful. Take this bugger for instance, which is little more than a vanilla 3-port USB hub connected to an iPhone / iPod dock connector port. The purpose for its existence? To prevent you from having to haul Apple’s flimsily built charging cable and a USB hub with you each time you scurry out, and to just generally make your time on this planet entirely more enjoyable. Now if only it could recharge our prototype Volt that we’ve secretly got hiding in the Engadget Garage, we’d really be able to extol the $14.99 asking price.

Multifaceted adapter combines 3-port USB hub with iPod / iPhone connector originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USB Hub Packs Clutter-Reducing iPhone Charger

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Until somebody builds USB sockets into standard power-outlets, we’re stuck stringing endless cables and hubs from our poor computer’s USB ports. And have you ever noticed just how long it takes to charge your laptop’s battery when you have a full complement of gizmos hooked up?

The 3 Port USB Hub with Line-In Dock connector for iPhone/iPod won’t help with the juice-drain, but it will keep the number of cables that festoon your desk to a minimum. The cable snakes into the three-port hub and reappears at the other end, terminating itself in an iPod dock-connector. As the rather long-winded name implies, the cable will both charge the iPod and allow data syncing.

At $15, it comes in at roughly the same price as other USB hubs, but thankfully also means you’ll need One Less Cable.

Product page [USB Fever via the Giz]


Samson’s Q2U microphone does USB and XLR on a budget

Samson's Q2U microphone does USB and XLR on a budget

Sure, there are a variety of ways to get your high-end XLR audio onto your PC, but the solutions we’ve seen before haven’t been cheap. Shure’s dual-purpose mics cost up to $250 and while the Icicle adapter is only $60, it’s a strictly BYO microphone affair. Samson’s $89 Q2U package includes all you’ll need to become a podcasting wunderkind, most important being the mic itself, which comes with both XLR and USB cables. It also features an integrated 3.5mm headphone jack for zero-latency monitoring, includes a set of studio headphones, and even comes with a tripod so that you can wildly gesticulate while expressing your fury about the Dollhouse cancellation — even if your 23 subscribers can’t see you. It’s all available now, so stop popping your P’s and get with the ordering already.

Samson’s Q2U microphone does USB and XLR on a budget originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In-wall USB charger is as cheap as it is ingenious

What you’ll require here is about 30 minutes’ endurance, a $10 budget, and a good reason why you’d want to swap some good old versatile wall plugs in for USB-only power outlets. Once you’ve got all that sorted, it’s a quick skip to the source link, where you’ll get step-by-step instructions on converting to “the future” of power distribution. And hey, just to help you justify all that expenditure of effort, we’ve got a whole category devoted to the cornucopia of most awesome devices you can power via USB. Kudos gained for clever design, kudos lost for relatively redundant outcome.

In-wall USB charger is as cheap as it is ingenious originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 Wireless speakers impressions

Back in the day (or way back, as it were), we recall quite vividly the impression made upon us by Klipsch‘s ProMedia v.2-400. It wasn’t the cheapest four-piece speaker set for the PC, but compared to the competition at the time, it certainly offered up a sound rivaled only by much higher-end options — options that were generally tailored for home theater applications. Fast forward to today, and Klipsch is still carrying on the ProMedia line nearly a decade later. The latest set to waltz into our labs are these: the ProMedia 2.1 Wireless. Essentially, these are the exact same ProMedia 2.1 speakers that were released eons ago (in the midst of the Y2K chaos, if you’re looking for specifics), but with a wireless twist. Klipsch has integrated 2.4GHz wireless technology into the subwoofer, and it tossed in a USB dongle in order to beam out audio from whatever PC or Mac that you connect it to. Pretty simple, right? Hop on past the break for our two pennies on how this package performed.

Continue reading Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 Wireless speakers impressions

Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 Wireless speakers impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharkoon USB LANPort gets your isolated USB drives on your local network

Pogoplug may have been the first to make this type of contraption popular, but now it’s time for the no-names to sneak in and offer up comparable devices for a bit less cheddar. Sharkoon has evidently taken a break from punching out SATA HDD Docks in order to develop its USB LANPort, which effectively puts any piece of USB storage (flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) on one’s local network — though it seems this is mainly for making multiple drives available to a variety of machines via customized permissions. The USB LANPort 100 converts a single drive into a device that can be streamed from locally, while the USB LANPort 400 handles up to four USB devices. Unfortunately it looks as if these weren’t designed to link USB drives to the internet at large, but we’re sure the hacker in you could figure it out. Both boxes support automatic and manual IP address contacts, and they’re both available now across the pond for €22.99 ($34) / €36.99 ($56) in order of mention. As for a US release? Your guess is as good as ours.

Sharkoon USB LANPort gets your isolated USB drives on your local network originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s FVA-U1 reads veins, coming to Japan this month

Sony has finally delivered on its Mofiria promise with what it claims is the world’s smallest and lightest finger vein reader. That assertion may be challenged by Hitachi, whose 3mm-thick scanner promises to be even smaller, but the critical difference here is that the FVA-U1 is about to go on sale in Japan come December 18, whereas Hitachi’s hardware is nowhere to be found. The Sony scanner weighs a measly 33 grams, hooks up via USB, and adds an extra layer of biometric protection for your most precious data. Whether carrying around an extra dongle just to protect some Excel spreadsheets and your Outlook account is worth it, we leave up to you.

Sony’s FVA-U1 reads veins, coming to Japan this month originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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