Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

In yet more news about the perpetually forthcoming Fusion CPU / GPU combos from AMD, new details have been leaked regarding the chips' sizes, configurations, and other bits of insufferably tedious details that only Professor Frink could truly love. According to this latest report, the "first" Fusion processor will be called "Shrike," sport a dual-core Phenom CPU, an ATI RV800 GPU, and a footprint of just 40nm. Another chip, codenamed "Falcon," will debut in 2010 at a 32nm size, based around a platform known as "Bulldozer," and will be launched to combat Intel's 32nm offering. Of course, we've been hearing about these chips since 2006, so we're not exactly on the edge of our seats hearing new details of what essentially amounts to vaporware.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Home Entertainment

There's no official word on the wires, but we don't think Stuff.tv has a particularly good reason to fake press shots of new Sonos gear, so we'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt until we hear otherwise -- the cheeky Brits say Sonos is set to unveil two new ZonePlayers, the ZP120 and ZP90, both of which feature MIMO antennas for extended range. Just as in the current lineup, the £249 ZP90 is a receiver only, while the £349 ZP120 features a built-in amp in a package 43 percent smaller than the ZP100. Should be available soon, separately or in the £699 BU150 bundle.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Laptops

If you've been squirming around like you've got ants in your pants wondering if Fujitsu's tiny Lifebook U2010 was going to make its way Stateside -- feel free to relax. Word on the street -- and from the FCC -- is that the diminutive and convertible laptop will come to our fair shores as the U820. The device actually gets a bump in the screen department, featuring a 1280 x 800 display as opposed to the previous specs we had detailing a 1024 x 600 touchscreen. Hit the read link to learn pretty much everything you could ever hope to know about the laptop... and then some.

[Thanks, Will O.]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Movistar's Chilean outpost has now become -- somewhat surprisingly, may we add -- the very first carrier in the world to launch the BlackBerry Bold and put it into subscribers' hands. The carrier's making sure everyone knows what a coup they've managed to pull off, too, proudly proclaiming "FIRST ONES IN THE WORLD" with a red banner draped across the Bold's image on Movistar's site. Pricing seems a little high at 299,990 Chilean pesos (about $588) on a two-year contract, but hey, you've gotta pay to play; just how badly do you want to be one of the first people on the face of the planet (John Mayer notably excepted) to put this thing to use?

[Via Engadget Spanish]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Cellphones

You know how Stewart Copeland plays that insanely slick triplet hi-hat part in "Message in a Bottle," and every time you hear it you wonder how it's possible for him to stay so perfectly in time? And you know how his drums fit so perfectly in the pocket with Sting and Andy Summers on pretty much anything The Police ever touched despite the fact they all hated each other? Well, Copeland's "soundtrack" for the BlackBerry Bold -- commissioned by RIM -- should rid you of all of those amazing memories real fast. The drummer provided six ringtones, an alarm sound, and a Bold "theme" for the company's new device, yet not one of them is remotely pleasant to listen to. In a word or two? They stink.

[Via CrackBerry; Photo courtesy of spisharam]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Cellphones

Well, finally. iPhone firmware 2.0.1 has just been released by Apple, and we're hoping it solves the myriad problems introduced by 2.0: crashing apps, interminable keyboard delays, choppy scrolling -- you know what we're talking about. We're pulling down the 250MB file now, we'll let you know how things turn out -- won't you do the same?

Update: Well, it took its sweet time to install, but things seem a little tighter and snappier all around. We'll give it a day or so of actual usage before we pronounce things A-OK, though -- how's it going for you?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: GPS

Okay, so the vast majority of you won't be needing a navigation unit that also provides pertinent information while cruising several thousand feet above your nearest freeway, but for the amateur pilots out there looking for the best of both worlds, take notice. Bendix/King's AV8OR is a self-proclaimed handheld Multi-Function Display, which gives pilots "enhanced situational awareness" by providing "real-time satellite weather information, topographic terrain and aeronautical navigation information." You'll also find more traditional GPS capabilities suitable for ground transportation routes, and the 4.3-inch display ought to be large enough for most. 'Course, the $749 price tag will likely keep most non-pilots at bay, but those thinking of picking up an ultralight aircraft probably won't flinch at such a comparatively minute figure.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Gaming

Apparently not willing to let things get to the point that someone has to step in and say, "enough already," Nintendo president Satoru Iwata recently told The Wall Street Journal that the company will be easing up on the number of accessories it releases for the Wii. More specifically, he said that, with the upcoming release of the Wii MotionPlus and Wii Speak add-ons, "most of the ideas for accessories that we had initially come up with are out now," and that while they "might think up some more," they "don't have any plans to release a whole lot more." Of course, we're guessing that's not a sentiment echoed by third-party manufacturers, who we're sure we can count on to keep on cluttering up the living rooms of Wii owners the world over.

[Via Joystiq]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

If our gallery of hands-on pictures from this morning were all you needed to pull the trigger on ZeeVee's ZvBox, well, we'd surmise that you have more money than sense. Regardless, if you've done your homework and feel confident that the localcasting box will make your life remarkably better, you can rest assured that units are shipping out now. Better still, those uncomfortable with Amazon for whatever reason can now secure the box from Best Buy, J&R, NewEgg, TigerDirect, and ZeeVee's own storefront. Unfortunately, the $499 price tag hasn't gotten any easier to swallow.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Transportation

While Nissan hasn't quite cut drivers out of the equation all together (yet), it is making some considerable progress in controlling just how they drive, including preventing folks from driving drunk and, now with its new ECO pedal, preventing people from driving inefficiently. To do that, the pedal simply pushes back against the driver's foot when it detects wasteful acceleration, which Nissan says could improve fuel efficiency by as much as five to ten percent. Of course, the system can be switched off, and it likely won't be making an appearance in all Nissan vehicles right off the bat, although the company says it'll be showing up in at least some of them as early as next year.

[Via Autoblog]
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Filed under: Laptops

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Pictures_of_Apple_s_new_MacBook_leaked'; We can't say for sure these are the real deal, but if recent leaks of iPhone 3G production models are any indication, we might just be looking at Apple's new MacBook. It's a bit hard to make out what's happening in these photos, but to our eyes we're seeing the back of a metal laptop lid, as well as the as-yet-unused inner panel of the display. The text clearly reads MacBook, which falls right in line with rumors that the next iteration of the smaller laptops would be aluminum just like their big brothers. Right now it's anyone's guess if these pics are legit or not -- but you can be sure we'll be keeping a close watch on this one as these pictures emanate from the same site carrying the last supposed leak. Two more shots after the break.

Continue reading Pictures of Apple's new MacBook leaked on Taiwanese site?

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Filed under: Laptops

As a recent VIA promo video would have you believe, the company's lightweight Nano processor is capable of soundly beating Intel's competing Atom CPU when it comes to playing HD video. Or is it? Not willing to take VIA's word at face value, jkkmobile decided to try out the very same 1080p video on an Eee PC with the same Atom processor that VIA used in its test and -- surprise, surprise -- they found that the video played just fine. Now, it is entirely possible that the Nano can beat the Atom in playing video under certain circumstances (and given the raw benchmark numbers, that even seems likely), but when it comes to basic HD video playback, it seems that the Atom can at least hold its own. Head on past the break to see for yourself.

Continue reading VIA Nano trounces Intel Atom in HD video playback? Not quite.

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Filed under: Home Entertainment

The process took over a year, but it looks like common sense prevailed in Cablevision's appeal of its network-DVR copyright infringement case. You might remember that Cablevision had planned to roll out "remote-storage" DVRs a couple years ago that would play programs off Cablevision servers instead of storing shows locally, but shelved the plan when the networks sued over the concept, claiming that separating content storage from playback would essentially constitute rebroadcast and infringe on their copyrights. The networks won the first round, but it seems like the technical distinction between local and remote storage wasn't enough to convince the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that Cablevision was "broadcasting" anything -- the court just lifted the injunction barring Cablevision from supplying remote DVRs to its customers. We're still big fans of managing our own content locally, but this is definitely a win for the consumer, as it'll mean cheaper equipment costs and hopefully a larger selection of media available on demand -- too bad we're also betting that the networks will try and appeal this one to the Supreme Court.
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Filed under: Storage

It's hard to say if we've ever laid eyes on a family of portable hard drives with less vigor and pizazz, but Memorex isn't kidding around when it calls these things "essential." Boasting nothing more than the bare necessities, the new line of TravelDrives arrives with 2.5-inch HDDs that pack 160GB, 250GB or 320GB of space. You'll find a USB 2.0 port and a flashing LED to keep you from dozing off, and there's even a few color options to choose from in case you're partial to Spring Blossom, Tropic Green, Caribbean Blue or Cool Silver. At least they start at just $89.99, right?Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Here's another load of interesting robot stories from the editor's mailbox. Tom Benson of Readybots writes, "Just wanted to send you our latest announcement (and video) of Readybot". Readybot is a kitchen cleaning bot that we've mention before. Robosoft sent us this news, "ROBOSOFT announces the delivery of three VolcanBuls to Vulcania. These vehicles, without a driver and guided exclusively by GPS, take visitors on a 1km tour through the park to observe the Puy volcanic mountains and to learn about their history." Robots and volcanoes in one places. What more could you want? Michael Somby writes, "I wrote an article discussing software packages available for service robotics applications". The Swirling Brain sent links to a story about robot snowmobiles that help scientists study the melting ice in the Antarctic, a list of the 7 creepiest robots ever, a GEARlog story about Care-O-Bot 3, an io9 report (with photos) on the Pittsburgh Robot 250 Festival that we reported on a while back. He also noticed a cool Wired photo gallery of wooden steampunk robot art by Michael T. Rea, and another of the Vstone Blackbox robot. Oh, and for Battlestar Galactica fans, he spotted a trailer for the new Caprica series. The latest from Roland Piquepaille includes a story on the DelFly autonomous air vehicle, a wire-bending dental robot that will make you smile, and a robot buoy to track oil spills. Know any other robot news, gossip, or amazing facts we should report? Send 'em our way please.

Filed under: Handhelds

Details are really light on this one at the moment, but Germany's Der Spiegel apparently has it on authority that Deutsche Telekom is working on an e-book reader of its own, a move that follows a similar initiative from France Telecom's Orange division. Apparently, Deutsche Telekom's offering, dubbed News4Me, will be tailored specifically to delivering an "individual electronic newspaper" to users, with its content and layout able to "adapt constantly to the way that you read" -- we'd assume it'd boast some other standard e-book reader functions as well. Unfortunately, there's no indication at all as to what the device itself will be like, but Deutsche Telekom is reportedly set to begin conducting tests with "a few dozen" customers in Berlin sometime this fall -- assuming it's able to line up deals with newspapers and other content providers before then, that is.

[Via Crunch Gear]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Laptops

MSI has clearly been busy with its Wind here lately, but that doesn't mean it has forgotten entirely about the gaming crowd. The 15.4-inch GX620 and 17-inch GX720 were both made official today, even though they made their debut at CeBIT. Now that the specifications are nailed down, here's what you're looking at: an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA's 512MB GeForce 9600M GT, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, a 2-megapixel webcam, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, a 320GB SATA drive, an optional Blu-ray drive, 6-cell battery and the usual assortment of ports. Sadly, there's no mention of prices just yet, but click on past the break for the full release.

Continue reading MSI gets official with Centrino 2-based GX620 / GX720 gaming laptops

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Filed under: Cellphones

All but the most affluent among us have likely purged the pricey Meridiist from our memories, but if you've ever wondered what exactly a £2,650 ($5,162) cellphone looks like (and really, who hasn't?), you'll definitely want to check this out. The fine folks over at Stuff were able to point their camera at TAG Heuer's exquisite handset ever-so-briefly, and while the images tell half the story, the folks handling it told the other. The chunky phone reportedly reeked of unnecessary luxury and was built solidly, but we didn't get the impression that they were champing at the bit to call this a bargain. At any rate, there are a few more shots where this one came from (that would be the read link, for the uninitiated).Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Transportation

Finely riding that razored edge between tragedy and comedy, the New York Times reports that not only did the SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket lose its three satellites and fail to reach orbit during a recent launch, but it also destroyed the remains of actor James Doohan, best known as the original Star Trek's Chief Engineer "Scotty." The actor's ashes -- as well as those of over 200 others -- were being carried into orbit by the rocket when complications with the ship's stage separation led to the (assumed) destruction of the craft. This recent mishap puts a sad period on the end of the sentence that already included an earlier loss and eventual recovery of the remains.

[Via Slashdot]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Displays

While it's possible they may one day all be replaced by pico projectors, so-called "mobile projectors" are still a mainstay for a good deal of presentation-delivering users out there, and NEC has just introduced two new models for their consideration. Weighing in at a luggable 3.5 pounds apiece, the new NP41 and NP64 DLP projectors each boast a standard 1024 x 768 resolution, along with a 1,600:1 contrast ratio, automatic keystone correction, VGA, RCA, and S-video inputs, and a promised 3,500 hours of lamp life in the projector's eco mode. The only difference between the two, it seems, is a brighter 3,000 lumens on the NP64, compared to 2,300 on the NP41. You'll also have to wait a bit longer to get your hands on the NP41, which will land in October for $999, while the NP61 will start shipping in September for $1,399.

[Via Electronista] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments