Betaenglish: uord

      English: word

      Spanish: palabra


853. Space to think

The present has recently caught up with William Gibson. The great prophet of the digital future, who not only coined the word "cyberspace" in his debut novel Neuromancer in 1984, but imagined its implications and went a long way to suggesting its You...

2838. Ogg Vorbis / Theora Language Removed From HTML5 Spec

Rudd-O writes "It's official. Ogg technology has been removed from the HTML5 spec, after Ian caved in the face of pressure from Apple and Nokia. Unless massive pressure is exerted on the HTML5 spec editing process, the Web authoring world will continue to endure our modern proprietary Tower of Babel. Note that HTML5 in no way required Ogg (as denoted by the word 'should' instead of 'must' in the earlier draft). Adding this to the fact that there are widely available patent-free implementations of Ogg technology, there is really no excuse for Apple and Nokia to say that they couldn't in good faith implement HTML5 as previously formulated."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

2393. Rumor: BlackBerry 9000 specs

So the BGR has some unconfirmed specs for the potential new RIM device known as the BlackBerry 9000 series. They say that one of the devices in that series will have at least these specs, but probably more. Lets start with the screen which is either 480×320 or the other way around 320×480, no word whether it will be a touchscreen, or what will happen to the keyboard with that large of a screen. It is rumored to have a gig of on board storage, and an Intel XScale PXA270 processor running at 624MHz, which is a bit up from the 620MHz ARM processor in the iPhone. Furthermore, it is said to have GPS and WiFi, as well as GSM and 3G via HSDPA. The camera is still sitting at the rumored 2 megapixels, but there is supposedly talk of a 3.2MP cam by the time this thing launches. Other than that, it will have all the features of OS 4.3 enabled, and possibly more whether it be through modifications to OS 4.3 or a totally new OS. BlackBerry 9000 specs revealed, our early Christmas present to you [via boygeniusreport] Relevant Entries on SlashGear


Copyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear

1849. Google Quietly Closes AdSense API to Small Sites

NewsCloud writes "Google has raised the required minimum traffic limit for publishers who wish to use its AdSense API to 100,000 page views per day. The AdSense API was introduced in March as a way for sites with user generated content to share advertising revenue with their members. Says Google, "This policy change will probably result in fewer developers going live and give us a chance to enhance our support resources and processes to more easily support a greater number of developers in the future...we hope to be able to lower it in the future as we become more efficient at supporting our developers!" Meanwhile, some publishers report waiting a month for their API usage to be approved. I take Google at its word for now but worry that small developers could be increasingly squeezed out of the mashup space if this were to become a trend."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

2356. Venturi intros CREW vn740 DMB-equipped GPS unit

Filed under: We haven't heard much from the Venturi that makes solar/wind-powered vehicles lately, but the Venturi that makes generic PMPs and GPS devices still seems to be kickin' it, with it now showing off its new CREW vn740 model. While there's nothing too stand-out here, the device should certainly handle all your in-car distractions quite nicely, with it boasting a large 7-inch touchscreen, along with some DMB TV capabilities, a PIP function, and an integrated FM transmitter, among other standard features. No word on how much it'll set you back, but only those in Korea will have to worry about that little detail.

[Via Navigadget]  Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2358. NVousPC outdoes itself with Romero Britto special edition laptop

Filed under: NvousPC has never been one to shy away from unorthodox paint-jobs for its laptops, but it now looks to have outdone even itself with its latest eye-catching model, which it created with a little help from pop artist Romero Britto. As with the company's other laptops, however, the specs are decidedly less stand-out than the exterior, with this particular model boasting a 15.4-inch display, a T7600 Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and a lowly CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo drive. No word on pricing or availability, but you'll apparently be able to get a closer look at it at Britto's Miami Beach gallery through February of next year.

[Via Mobile Whack]  Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2371. NEC shows off fluorescent light-powered wireless camera

Filed under: It looks like those looking to put together a quick and easy surveillance system for spying on their employees could soon find their solution courtesy of NEC, which is set to debut a new security cam that draws all its power from a standard fluorescent light. But that's not all, the camera also boasts some built-in 802.11b WiFi capabilities to stream all that video (or, more specifically, an image every ten seconds) back to a PC, which can presumably be used to monitor dozens of these little all-seeing wonders. No word on a price or release date, but NEC will apparently have more to say about it at the iExpo2007 conference that gets underway in Tokyo on December 5th.
 Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2379. i-Station lets loose U43 do-it-all PMP

Filed under: , ,
At this point, we're fairly certain i-Station will only use a number other than "43" in its product titles once it has exhausted the entire US alphabet, but since we're not quite to that point, we're forced to live with U43 this go 'round. As expected, this Korean PMP is packed to the brim with features, including a 4.3-inch WQVGA (480 x 272) display, WinCE 5.0, a T-DMB receiver, GPS, e-dictionary, 30GB / 60GB hard drive and support for a smorgasbord of file formats. Notably, some features will depend on which flavor you pick up -- Standard, DMB or NAVI -- but the whole lot plays nice with MPEG1/2/3/4, AC3, DivX, XviD, WMV, WMA, OGG, WAV, AAC, FLAC, APE, JPEG, BMP and PNG. 'Course, all this functionality won't run ya cheap, as word on the street pegs this bad boy at ₩448,000 (or around $481).

[Via AkihabaraNews] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2383. NEC develops real-time Japanese-to-English mobile translation software

Filed under: We've already seen the idea of data-to-voice translation passed around, but NEC's latest software is far beyond the drawing board. Reportedly, the firm has developed a system that can understand around 50,000 Japanese words and translate them to English text on the mobile's display in just a second or two. The software was made compact enough to "operate on a small microchip mounted in a cellphone," and was designed especially to help users convert common travel phrases. Notably, it would be technically possible to make the English translation vocal, but according to NEC spokesman Mitsumasa Fukumoto, the firm isn't looking into that possibility at the moment. No word on when we'd see this technology hit the masses, nor if any other language combinations were in the works, but this would certainly make touring English-speaking locales a lot less strenuous for Japanese speakers.

[Via Physorg] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2423. The $10 Billion Poker Game Begins

Hugh Pickens writes "Monday was the deadline for potential bidders to file with the Federal Communications Commission over the auction of the 700-megahertz band, a useful swath of the electromagnetic spectrum that is being freed up by the move to digital television. Once bidders file they become subject to strict 'anticollusion' rules that in effect prohibit participants from discussing any aspect of their bidding until the auction is over. The next official word will be late December or mid-January, when the FCC announces who has been approved to bid. The auction will start on January 24. Participants will use an Internet system to enter bids on any of 1,099 separate licenses that are being offered (pdf). Most coveted seems to be the C block, 12 regional licenses that can be combined to create a national wireless network. This is the spectrum Google is presumed to be most interested in. The bidding will be conducted in a series of rounds (pdf)."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

2440. Microsoft and Goods pair up to make Gold Zune 2s

Microsoft commissioned Goods to make 20 gold Zunes. 10 are 80GB models, 10 are 8GB flash models. They look nice, and they are obviously made with gold. No word on price, and I am sure the line is short for a gold Zune, but its still probably longer than 20 people, so it will be interesting to hear what price was actually paid for each of these limited edition models. I’ll admit, I used to hate the Zune, I still do hate the first edition one I have, but these new Zune 2s are quite attractive. The Zune Originals makes them even more attractive, but taking that step further and covering them in gold and slapping the Goods artwork on the back, well, that just makes it so much better. However due to me having an iPod Touch, and monetary restrictions, I won’t be jumping in line for one of these Zunes. Music entwined in gold: Limited edition Zune 2 [via born rich] Relevant Entries on SlashGear


Copyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear

2450. Linutop v1.2: low-power Linux desktop Revisited

Tech reviews are very much a snapshot process, making a decision after a relatively short period of time and of a single incarnation of the product. Useful, yes, but not an exact facsimile of living with something day in, day out that you’ve bought yourself. If you’re lucky - and assuming that no manufacturer ever pushes out a product so perfect there are no possible improvements - you get a company that’s constantly tweaking and augmenting; if you’re really lucky, you get an opportunity to revisit their product and ring the changes. Back in May I spent some time with Linutop’s fanless, Xubuntu-based micro-PC, framing my review from the perspective of a Linux-naive home user, to see if the compact device would make a decent alternative to a low-end Windows PC. At the time I criticised how tricky, for a fledgling user, it was to add functionality beyond what was preinstalled; since then, Linutop have released v1.2 of their software package, and asked if we’d like to check out the changes. Linutop Linux-based compact PC The hardware is unaltered from when I last reviewed the Linutop, so you still get an all-aluminium case measuring 3.66 x 1.06 x 5.9-inches and weighing just 9.9oz (280g), containing an AMD Geode LX700 processor, non-upgradable 256MB of RAM, 4 USB 2.0 ports, VGA-out, 10/100 ethernet and audio in/out. Aside from the RAM, there’s no internal memory; instead, Linutop provide a 1GB USB memory stick containing the modified Xubuntu OS, preinstalled software and room for your own files. What’s been fettled, then, is the software: Linutop quote boot time has been halved, improved media playback including digital TV capabilities added (via online stream or a hardware DVB-T dongle), PXE boot (simply add a single line to the startup config file to boot from the network) and more. Linutop connectivity If you’ve read my original reviewthen you’ll know that boot time was a significant issue for the Linutop: it took around two minutes, and there were no ’sleep’ or ’standby’ options to avoid that. Thankfully whatever OS changes have been made have almost halved that; v1.2 takes around 1m6s from plugging in the power (there’s no switch, you have to yank the power cord) to the desktop being ready to use. Not exactly instant-on, but far more comparable to the sort of low-end systems users may be used to. You’re still presented with the settings screen, but now there’s more choice in display resolution, including catering for widescreen displays, and this time changing resolution and keyboard layout (then restarting) worked as it should. Similarly, running multiple programmes or switching between settings is quicker and seems to stall the CPU far less than when I tried it last. There’s a pause loading programmes, yes, but only a minor one and well within expectations. Linutop software Firefox, the Gaim instant-messenger and AbiWord word processor are still preinstalled, but they’re joined by the VLC media player which can handle just about any media format thrown at it. Video can be played full-screen, another improvement in v1.2, and you’re able to stream video and audio files from external storage, Web TV or shared Windows folders across the network. The Linutop is also compatible with Skype, although - I’m told for reasons of keeping down size - it’s not preinstalled; you need to download the installation script from the Linutop Wiki yourself. Straightforward, yes, but you’ll only know about it if you visit the Linutop blog. There’s a useful readme file stored on the USB key that outlines DVB-T use, network boot, system recovery and more, but again no link to it - it really needs to show up on the desktop, or even better automatically open when you boot the Linutop for the first time. Without it, you’d easily be at a loss as to how to access the digital TV functionality, which would be a shame because it works relatively well despite the system’s Spartan specs. There’s no dedicated software; just plug in the USB tuner (Linutop supplied me with a Hauppauge WinTV Nova-T, complete with tiny aerial) and type ’scandvbt’ in a Terminal window. You need to tell it your country and then, confusingly, identify your nearest regional broadcast tower (for which I had to look online), but after that it automatically scans the available channels and loads them as a playlist into VLC. You can then reorder and delete them, but you have to remember to save the playlist before exiting as the software won’t do it automatically. Linutop DVB-T digital TV Like all TV tuners, your mileage will vary more with signal quality than anything else; needless to say, when supplied with a reasonable signal (through an installed aerial rather than the portable one included) the Linutop managed both window and full-screen playback with no problems. One issue with the lack of dedicated software is the absence of a signal-strength gauge; there’s no way of telling whether moving the portable aerial around would have a beneficial effect on image quality. I tried using a Freecom USB tuner but the Linutop would not recognise it; there is a scant list of compatible hardware on the project Wiki. With VGA-out the only way of connecting a display, you’re limited if you want to hook the Linutop up to a TV or other large display. It’s a shame, because it would make a compact and functional alternative to a normal DVB set-top box. When I asked Linutop about this, they pointed out that most flat-panel displays have VGA among their connections and as such they’ve no plans to add S-Video or similar. However, I was told that HDMI “could be interesting” as a future development. There has also been some interest in the PVR community as to using it as a MythTV frontend, although consensus is that the hardware would only support standard rather than high-definition media. There’s no option to record DVB-T TV directly on the Linutop. Of course, the home market is only one area Linutop are aiming at; the silent, low-power (no more than 5-6W) device is ideal for digital signage and presentations. There are new options for looped webpages, photo presentations and Flash, and you can set these to automatically run on boot so as to minimise user involvement. Linutop - supplied with Firefox browser Documentation remains a thorny issue; the Linutop Wiki remains the first signposted port of call, but it lacks the sort of “new user” information so necessary when dealing with an unfamiliar OS. The same NAS problem I experienced in May remains - searching the Wiki results in no guidance, the readme file details accessing Windows shares on other PCs but didn’t work for my LaCie NAS, the Xfce desktop environment support didn’t help and I was again left to the mercy of Googling for answers. Is it too much to ask for a simple “type in your username & password” script to make common setup issues like these straightforward? My request from last time still stands: a few bookmarks to basic Linux tutorials would go a long way in rescuing new users. Linutop tell me that they’re in the process of re-examining their Linux documentation to better cater for those new to the platform, but that they also prize the fact that the OS implemented is “standard” so as not to require changes from more adept users familiar with Xubuntu. Linutop Despite all that, the upgrade to v1.2 is a significant one, and it certainly broadens the Linutop’s scope as a home PC. It’s interesting to look at the state of competition; in my initial review I compared the Linutop to a cheaper Dell Dimension desktop which far exceeded the former’s specs (albeit consuming many times the power even when idle), and the past few months have seen ASUS release it’s Linux-based Eee laptop. Although ostensibly aimed at significantly different markets, the Linutop and the Eee could both be viewed as basic home computers and here the Eee laptop (priced from $299) could edge ahead with what’s supposedly a particularly user-friendly GUI and battery-of course its battery-powered portability. When I put this to Linutop they confirmed that their target is more professional than home, and it’s true that in school, library and business settings the Linutop undoubtedly makes more sense than the Eee. It’s smaller and likely more robust, consumes less power and - most importantly - has access to the UBUNTU software library. Would I still recommend the Linutop for a home user? Again, it’s a qualified yes. Just as some are buying an ASUS Eee as a second machine for when their kids are wanting to go online but the main PC is occupied, the Linutop makes for a great, low-maintenance system that, out of the box, can quickly get up and running. It’s also a decent Linux learning platform, with the backup that most mistakes can be erased with a simple restore of the USB stick (which you can do from an optional boot menu on restart). For a home looking for their first computer, I’d still lean toward a full, traditional PC, if only for the flexibility it brings, but anyone else - particularly business or library/public service users - should certainly consider Linutop’s offering. Thanks to Linutop for the loan of the unit; it’s available now for €280, while the v1.2 OS can be downloaded from the site by existing owners. Rating:

    3.5 out of 5 stars

Relevant Entries on SlashGear
Copyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear

2586. Microsoft Wants To Give You A Rorschach

Preedit writes "Microsoft has set up a website that uses inkblot images to help users create passwords. The site asks users view a series of inkblots and write down the first and last letters of whatever word they associate with each inkblot. Then they combine the letters to form a password. Microsoft claims it's a way to create passwords that are easy to remember but hard to crack. But a word of warning, the story notes that Microsoft is collecting and storing users' word associations."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

2617. Apple files patent for multitasking gaming touchscreen

Filed under: ,
Apple's always had less-than-enthusiastic stance towards gaming, so the company's latest patent filing seems a bit out of character, seeing as it details a multitasking touchscreen that would allow games to be played while still controlling other applications like media players. The system works be categorizing touch inputs and routing the data to the appropriate application -- a simple tap might go to the game, while a longer press might be sent to the media player. According to Apple, "the invention allows various applications to be integrated and used on devices that are not readily suitable for supporting multiple applications at the same time." Of course, there's no word on when we might see this make its way into an actual product, but if this means we might see games on the iPod touch and iPhone, bring it on.

[Thanks, Mark] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2673. House Bill Could Criminalize Free Wi-Fi Operators

Velcroman98 sends word of a bill that passed the US House of Representatives by a lopsided vote of 409 to 2. It would require everyone who runs an open Wi-Fi connection to report illegal images, including "obscene" cartoons and drawings, or be fined up to $300,000. The Securing Adolescents From Exploitation-Online (SAFE) Act was rushed through the House without any hearings or committee votes, and the version that passed on a voice vote reportedly differs substantially from the last publicly available version. CNET reports that sentiment in favor of such a bill is strong in the Senate as well.Read more of this story at Slashdot.

2700. Wii demand has Nintendo reconsidering its advertising plans

Filed under: While Nintendo having trouble meeting demand for the Wii is hardly news, it looks like those supply problems now have the company reconsidering its advertising plans, with some ads in the U.K. apparently already pulled. According to Marketing Week, Nintendo says that's being done in order to "take a responsible stance this Christmas and not fuel demand." In their place, Nintendo will reportedly be running more ads for the DS, which it seemingly has no trouble cranking out (the Wii ads will then return in full force in early 2008). No word if the advertising drawback will also extend to North America, but it certainly seems like there's enough shortages to go around.

[Via Wii Fanboy]
 Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2703. iriver's new Mplayer stash raids the rainbow

Filed under:
Maybe we're not Korean enough to catch the appeal, but it seems like somebody is buying these Disney-branded Mplayers from iriver: the company just released ten new colors for the player in addition to the existing five available. Despite our stodgy form-factor reservations, we've gotta admit that it's a pretty sexy palette. No word on prices or capacities, so we'll just assume they're still sporting 1GB capacities and a $50-ish pricetag. There's another shot after the break.Continue reading iriver's new Mplayer stash raids the rainbow Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2715. Smith brings "world's largest all-electric truck" to the US

Filed under: This one's been spreading its all-electric charm around Europe for a little while already, but it looks like Smith Electric Vehicles' Smith Newton truck is now finally making its way to the US market. According to the company, with a gross vehicle weight of over 24,000lbs, the vehicle is the "world's largest all-electric truck," with a rack of "suitcase-sized" 278 volt batteries and a 120 kilowatt motor required to push it along at speeds up to 50 mph. That combo also gives the vehicle a range of some 150 miles, and an acceleration from 0-30mph that the company says is faster than the equivalent diesel-powered truck. No word on what it'll set you back, but Smith is set to open a factory in Fresno sometime next year to accommodate its new US presence, with a larger factory capable of turning out 10,000 vehicles a year to follow in 2010.

[Via Far East Gizmos]
 Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2723. Pixel Lab unveils Prism-esque RippleNote T7700 laptop

Filed under:
We can't exactly say we were expecting a Korean company to up and create a laptop that matches perfectly with your Nokia 7500 Prism, but lo and behold, Pixel Lab has done the unthinkable. The RippleNote T7700 stays true to its name, rocking a textured lid and an all black design that will certainly have its fair share of proponents and bashers. Nevertheless, those digging the look can expect an Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 processor, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160GB hard drive, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, a 7-in-1 multicard reader, 1.3-megapixel camera, integrated microphone, a DVD burner, VGA out and a couple of USB ports to boot. No word on a price or release date, but don't worry, you'll see this one a mile away when it finally lands. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2733. Nextlink reveals miniscule Invisio G5 BT headset

Filed under: Nextlink certainly isn't the first company to boast about having the "world's smallest Bluetooth headset," but judging by some quick math, its Invisio G5 may actually be the most diminutive -- for the moment, at least. Measuring in at just 3.3- x 1.6-centimeters and weighing less than six grams, this wee earpiece has an abnormally high risk of vanishing, but at least it will last through some 20-hours of yapping if you do manage to keep track of it. The unit also comes with a protective charging case, and the Soft Spring technology purportedly enables it to "adapt perfectly to the contours of the ear." There's no definitive word on pricing nor availability, but a brief search revealed that this thing can be had for around a C-note at a variety of online stores.

[Via TechDigest] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2734. Nyko's Wireless Nunchuck makes you that much less coordinated

Filed under: , ,
Well, this was inevitable. And we suppose it's not a terrible thing in itself, some people really loathe that cord tying the Wiimote and Nunchuck together, especially in light of how minimalistic the Wii is in most other regards. We, on the other hand, appreciate the defence the tether provides against injuring our house guests any more than necessary with our crazed arm flailings. Who knows if Nintendo will ever get around to releasing a wireless version of the Nunchuck, but Nyko's going to make a buck here either way with its Wireless Nunchuck setup, which is headed for CES next month. There's a 2.4GHz receiver module that has to be plugged into the Wiimote, but the Nunchuck itself is pretty much a virtual clone of Nintendo's -- which is appreciated. No word on price or a release date just yet. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2744. Hackers have broken into the two most important science labs in the US

The first is Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which I assume is somewhere near Oak Ridge Nuclear facility in Tennessee. The second was the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the famous site of the A-Bomb testing and development. What did they steal from the Oak Ridge lab? A complete visitors database from 1990 to 2004 including SSN numbers and birth dates, with 3000 of the nations best researchers visiting the lab each year, lets just say they pretty much have a Who’s Who of the science community now. Nothing has been said about what was taken from the Los Alamos lab, but there was an attack and it seems likely it was successful at least to some extent, word is there were probably also attacks on other labs in the US. Hopefully nothing more important than the guest list was taken, but due to greed, or leverage, the guest list with SSN numbers might be sufficient to get what they really want, it’s quite sad to think that simply signing in to help the US with some research might have some effect on your life days, or even years later. Hackers Launch Major Attack on US Military Labs [via pcworld] Relevant Entries on SlashGear


Copyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear

2745. Super Talent 256GB SSD uses SATA port to connect

256GB is huge in terms of SSD storage, and will probably cost you a small fortune, as such the price obviously isn’t listed, go figure. Super Talent has actually released two different 256GB SSD drives. The FSD56GC35M is the one we are talking about today, and it is an amazing drive. It comes in a 3.5-inch form factor, connects via SATA and is completely interchangeable with any other SATA drive. Furthermore, it is an industrial drive, with operating temps of -40 to 85 degrees Celsius. Lets not forget the inherent bonuses of all SSD drives, namely lower power consumption and the ability to handle bumps and vibration better due to a lack of moving parts and generally faster performance. Like I said, no word on price, and its likely only available if you can afford the price that’s so high they seem unwilling to give it out freely. Super Talent Launches 256GB SATA SSD [via PCLaunches] Relevant Entries on SlashGear


Copyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear

2746. Nyko Wireless Nunchuck severs the final cable on the Wii

Wireless sensor bars have severed one of the two unnecessary cables in the Nintendo Wii setup, and now Nyko has come along and offered a solution for the final frontier. You can now make your Nunchuck wireless to; it’s as simple as attaching the adapter to the Wiimote, and then using the provided wireless nunchuck. The two communicate over the 2.4GHz band which might make things tricky depending on how many other gadgets you have in your house that uses the same band. I assume batteries, likely not of the rechargeable type, are required. The receiver end probably cuts your Wiimote’s battery down a bit too, so you’ll definitely want to pick up Nyko’s recharging station and rechargeable battery for the Wiimote. No word on price or availability, but we should hear more come CES. Wiimote, Nunchuck connection severed [via CrunchGear] Relevant Entries on SlashGear


Copyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear

2748. Dell XT Tablet PC confirmed, by Dell

All this talk of an XT Tablet from Dell started with some sales representatives and customers getting info from them about a possible December 11th launch. Then the manual got posted by Engadget proving that it existed, but not adding any weight to the rumored launch date. Then eWeek comes along, who had a Dell spokesperson not only confirm the tablet’s existence, but the December 11th launch date. There will be an event (Dell has those?) where Dell will apparently launch the tablet. No word on price, or anything like that right now, in fact I’m not even sure Dell will start selling the tablet on the launch date, but they probably will. So, start saving up if you is in the market for a new tablet. There weren’t any pictures of the entire tablet that I could find, but here is a couple from the manual. Dell confirms December 11th Launch of XT Tablet PC [via gottabemobile] Relevant Entries on SlashGear


Copyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear

2824. Cal Flame U8000 brings the home theater outside

Alright, so I know its not barbeque season anywhere within the US, but for something like this, you better plan ahead as I would assume its not cheap. It’s a pop-up TV with a 4.1 sound system all built into what looks like a set of steps. Honestly, when I first saw the picture I thought it was a set of steps with a built in TV and speakers, but nay, its bench seating with a 42” plasma and I quality audio system built in. You see, when I first looked at it, I thought at most a 20” screen, that’s where I got the steps idea from, but a 42” screen, and those are some mighty big steps. If I had to guess, the black hold at the bottom is the bass port, and the small square black hold is for inputs or something like that. It automatically raises and lowers the TV on your command, and you can enjoy some television while you are swimming, hot-tubbing, barbequing, whatever it is you do outside for leisure. No word on price, or just how durable it is in terms of weather, personally though, I think it’d be cool inside too. The Trendy U8000 Barbeque Accessory [via bornrich] Relevant Entries on SlashGear


Copyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear

2848. Dutch ODF Plan Could Sideline Microsoft

Yeti7226 sends word of a discussion coming up Wednesday in the parliament of The Netherlands that could result in mandated use of Open Document Format at government agencies there. If the plan is enacted, public-sector organizations, as well as the government, would have to transition to using ODF by 2010. Microsoft Netherlands has lobbied hard against the provision. Backers say it doesn't exclude Microsoft, because ODF can be produced out of MS Office via the use of plugins. A funder of the OpenDoc Society invited Microsoft to join that organization, saying: "This plan is not about Microsoft, it's about ensuring the perpetual availability of data without any obstacles."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

2850. Yahoo! Answers, A Librarian's Worst Nightmare

Slate has an interesting look at the realm of online question and answer forums. Yahoo! Answers is boasting over 120 million users and 400 million answers placing it just behind Wikipedia for most visited education/reference site on the internet. While this may be a great insight into crowd mentality and search preferences, it seems to be a "complete disaster as a traditional reference tool." "For educators fretting that the Internet is creating a generation of 'intellectual sluggards,' the problem isn't just that Yahoo!'s site helps ninth-graders cheat on their homework. It's that a lot of the time, it doesn't help them cheat all that well. [...] Like Yahoo! Answers, Wikipedia isn't perfect. But for savvy browsers who know how to use it, Wikipedia is an invaluable source of factual information. In the last two years, there's been a heated debate over whether Wikipedia is as trustworthy as Encyclopedia Britannica. This obscures a crucial point: Wikipedia is at least reliable enough that such a question can be asked. Take my word for it--no one is going to make any such claims about Yahoo! Answers any time soon."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

2876. Everex's Nanobook becomes the Cloudbook, gets gOS

Filed under:
While we haven't heard much more about the gOS laptop with the $300 price tag, word is that Everex will be equipping another portable model -- the 7-inch, VIA-based, ultra-portable Nanobook -- with a $400 MSRP and its Google-themed Linux OS. The device -- apparently being referred to as the "Cloudbook" -- is rumored to be launching at the CES in January, and will become available to the public the following week. Specs include a VIA C7 ULV 1.2GHz CPU, a 30GB hard drive, 512MB of RAM, WiFi, a card reader, two USB ports, and a DVI out. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet, but there seems to be ample information supporting the rumors. Just give us multiple colors, an SSD, and tell us where exactly the trackpad is and we could be in serious like.

[Via jkkmobile] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2889. The Garmin Colorado 400 BlueChart GPS unit

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Well that didn't take long. The Garmin "Colorado" rumor we mentioned yesterday appears to be closer to a reality today. According to reports, the new device will be actually be called the Colorado 400 Bluechart GPS, and will sport a slew of new features, the biggest of which is the ability to display aerial photos and / or USGS topographical maps. Additionally, the new device (aimed at the marine market) will feature detailed, coastal US marine charts, a new "Rock 'N' Roller" input wheel, a 65,000 color 240 x 400 display, an SD card slot, 2-axis compass, an altimeter, temperature sensor, plus ANT Communications (wireless exchange of routes, tracks, waypoints, and geocaches between two units). No official word on whether this is actually available, but supposedly you can order it right now for $599.99.

[Via GPS Tracklog] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2936. DoCoMo and other Asian carriers eyeing FCC auction?

Filed under: Everybody is sworn to silence until the auction is over, so we won't be seeing much more information about this until it's all over in the spring of next year, but for now it's still fun to speculate. Business Week is doing quite a bit of that speculating as well, with word that DoCoMo, KDDI, SK Telecom and even China (through the T-Mobile and Global Tower invested Blackstone Group) could be chipping in a few billion here and there to spice things up for Google and friends in the 700MHz C Block auction. DoCoMo, which got burned in the US a while back with pre-Cingular AT&T Wireless, mentioned to Business Week that it'd be interested in partnering with Google for its wireless network, and the other carrier might not be talking but have to be at least considering the possibility of being involved in US wireless data in a big way, and KDDI has a history of being chummy with Google in Japan. The word is that average North American data service bills are less than $10 a month, and are expected to grow to $38+ a month by 2012 -- and who wouldn't want in on that action? As growth slows in Europe and Asia, it seems only natural for the innovators over there to head over here and kick things into gear, but we'll try not too far ahead of ourselves.

[Via The Inquirer] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2946. UPOP "PMP" treads dangerously close to UMPC territory

Filed under: , , We've already seen some so-called PMPs that are seemingly secretly longing to be a UMPC, but none have tread quite so closely as UPOP's latest device, which likely won't let you ditch you laptop altogether but should get the job done in a pinch. Helping it in that respect is the unit's combination touchscreen (4.8-inch) and full QWERTY keyboard, along with your choice of 30GB or 60GB hard drives, built-in WiFi, a DMB TV tuner, and an SD card slot for expansion, not to mention Windows CE 5.0 Professional for an OS. Unfortunately, there's no word on what it'll cost, and we have sneaking suspicion that it won't be making its way over here anytime soon, but those looking to blur device boundaries could certainly do worse than seeking one of these out.

[Via PMP Today]  Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2972. TomTom LINK 300 hits the FCC

Filed under: While it likely won't be of much interest to folks that buy their GPS units one at a time, those responsible for keeping tabs on whole fleets of vehicles will no doubt be pleased to hear that TomTom has an updated version of its LINK device on the way, as evidenced by its recent appearance at the FCC. As with the earlier version, the new LINK 300 model is designed to be paired with TomTom's WORK platform, which allows for two-way communication between a vehicle and the main office, and provides a means to keep track of working hours and breaks, among other work-related things. While there's no official word on a release just yet, we wouldn't expect it to be too long before a select few drivers out there have one of these keeping watch on their every move.

[Via Navigadget]
 Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

2987. eeeXubuntu: Ubuntu distilled for your Eee

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For all you Eee users out there who've been trying to squeeze Ubuntu into the little white box, some help is on the way. A kind and enterprising Linux enthusiast has used their precious time and energy to put together an Eee-customized build of the much-loved OS, which includes fully-integrated hardware support, native wireless drivers, functioning Ethernet support, tweaks for low-resolution desktop environments, and a bunch of other little enhancements that will make using Canonical's powerhouse a lot more pleasant on your tiny laptop. Word on the street is that development and refinement continues on the build, so expect improvements as time wears on. Now, if only someone could perfect that Amiga OS build for the Eee...

[Via Digg] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

3020. w00t! w00t! Merriam-Webster high-fives new word

The excitable visitors of Merriam-Webster's website have crowned "w00t" as word of the year. They got to choose from twenty words and phrases picked from...  

3052. 3-way SLI with nVidia cards now possible

To do this you need 5 things, the first, an nVidia nForce 850 SLI MCP motherboard, 3 8800 GTX or Ultra cards and a near endless budget to afford all of that. So, up until now, you had your choice of dual-card SLI or quad-SLI, the latter was really just a dual-card SLI setup, but with 2 double cards, now you have the choice of 3 cards. When are they going to announce the hexa-SLI configuration with 3 double 8800 cards? Supposedly the 3-way SLI configuration offers 2.8 times the performance of a single card configuration. Who ever thought a ménage à trois could be so expensive? Anyways, you can scope out the 3-way SLI compatible components over at SLIzone.com, have fun emptying your life savings just so you can play Crysis with all the settings maxed out. 3-way NVIDIA SLI offers extreme performance [via thegamergene] Relevant Entries on SlashGear


Copyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear

3055. Intel has a WiFi, WiMAX, and DVB-H all-in-one chip

They were demoing, it’s apparently a software modem and can change between WiFi in the house, school, or business to WiMAX when you are on the go and offer up DVB-H TV all the time. That’s freaking amazing, word is its also a proof of concept for converging CDMA and GSM and other such dreamy combinations. They are called Software radios, for what technical reason I do not know, but I assume it has something to do with their ability to switch seamlessly between available networks and prioritize which one is fastest or preferable or something like that. There were talks of a “Universal Radio” which would be freaking awesome for those that travel a lot. Imagine a single iPhone-like device running Android, with tethering available, and the ability to catch all the DVB signals, all the GSM and CDMA signals, and a plethora of 2G, 3G, and 4G wireless signals on top of WiFi and Bluetooth, that would be the god phone. Well, for now lets marvel at the WiFi/WiMAX/DVB-H chip that they do have ready for us. Intel Demos Software Defined WiFi/WiMAX/DVB-H chip [via Slashdot] Relevant Entries on SlashGear


Copyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear

3056. iSicles Brazilian popsicles or ice cream

Yeah, this time the name does mean just what you think; it’s a frozen treat with an iPod inside. No really, they are peppering in 10k iPod Shuffles and stuffing them into their frozen treats. No wonder why Cracker Jack isn’t selling, how do you compete with a third-world country’s ice cream shop being able to afford to give out 10,000 iPod Shuffles? Anyways, the company worked with Apple to find a way to hide the Shuffles in the popsicles without ruining the iPods, and they did it, and now you have a chance to get one if you live in Brazil and really like ice cream. And, as close as that place is to the equator, I’d assume everyone likes ice cream there. No word on how much the popsicles cost, but I just think its cool as hell that they managed to stuff them in with a Popsicle. And of course, they are only available in Brazil, so if you have some vacation time and really wanted an iPod Shuffle, Brazil might not be a bad option. iSicles: Brazilian Company Hides iPod Shuffles in Popsicles [via Gearlog] Relevant Entries on SlashGear


Copyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear

3064. Hannuri Biz's nurian X10 e-dictionary doubles as PMP

Filed under:
Hannuri Biz has a knack for sprucing plain ole e-dictionaries up with enough multimedia capabilities to still make them relevant, and it's proving yet again that these things still have a place in our world with the vividly colored nurian X10. Aside from sporting an external LCD surrounded by playback controls, this thing also handles all the translating one could stand, and just in case you get tired of mingling with all those words, it can also play back XviD and MP3 files. Additionally, you'll find an image / text viewer, voice recording capability, USB connectivity and a rechargeable battery good for up to 14-hours. Mum's the word on pricing at the moment, but feel free to check out a couple more looks in the read link. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

3111. CES 2008: IceRage reveals its pair of 'magnificent' mice

IceRage is a company that isn't shy with its adjectives. Their press kits use word like 'Fashioneering', and 'Magnificent' - really not bad for a company that makes mice. And the first of these has been christened 'The Ultimate Pocket Mouse'. What could possibly have earned it this accolade? Well, it certainly tries to pile in as many conceivable mouse functions on to a single object as humanly possible.   

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1/14 | Idea conceived
1/17 | Semester starts
1/19 | Design completed