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Archive for June, 2008

Tetra T-Pad smartphone is tough, just not $2,600 tough

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 10:04AM
Ever since Motorola was tossing the Tetra name around in 2005, the brand has catered to those operating in less-than-beautiful conditions. The T-Pad smartphone is no exception to the rule, boasting a shock-proof (MIL-STD-810F) casing, IP65 waterproof rating and a keypad that resists dust, debris and any other manner of matter. Specs wise, you’ll find a 640 x 480 resolution display, Intel’s Xscale 400MHz CPU, Windows CE.Net 4.2, Bluetooth, 64MB of SDRAM, USB connectivity and optional WiFi / GPS. Unfortunately, this little bugger is reportedly stickered at £1,300 ($2,592), so unless your employer is picking up the tab for you to have a mobile while wrestling polar bears at the North Pole, we’d probably recommend a cheaper alternative.

[Via CNET, thanks Yogesh]

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Filed under: cellphones, Handhelds

LancerLink DDV-1080HD Camcorder


LancerLink from Japan has just rolled out the DDV-1080HD camcorder, featuring the following :-

  • 1/2.5″ 5 megapixel CMOS sensor
  • SD/SDHC/MMC memory card slot (up to 32GB)
  • 3.0″ LCD display
  • 2x digital zoom
  • USB 2.0 port.
  • Video recording in 1080p at 30fps or 720p at 60fps in .MOV format

You can pick up the DDV-1080HD for €300.

Lobster Claw Harmonica

Talk about zany and fun! If you’re musically inclined and love all things seafood, then the Lobster Claw Harmonica ought to be your musical instrument of choice. Retailing for just $1.99, it looks so realistic that leaving it on the dinner table might just tempt a rather happy diner to take a crack at it only to discover that there isn’t any meat within. Perfect for those meal time tunes whenever you have guests around.

HTC Touch Cruise Review - MobileBurn

MobileBurn reviews the HTC Touch Cruise and writes, “Despite its business image, the HTC Touch Cruise features a whole host of multimedia applications, such as a 3.0MP auto-focus camera, a video camera, a media player, and some games. I wasn’t expecting much from the Touch Cruise’s camera, as it seemed like a sideline feature of the device, and was missing any sort of flash function. However, my expectations were unsubstantiated and the camera performed surprisingly well. Activating the camera is as simple as pressing the shutter button on the right side of the device. Within the camera menu there are options for video recording, panoramic photos and a multi-shot function, among others. Oddly, there was no macro mode, but this didn’t cause a problem for the camera, which still managed surprisingly crisp and detailed close-ups. Also not included was a night mode, but again, the camera did surprisingly well, adjusting itself automatically to suit. However, should the camera not perform as desired, a few small tweaks that can be made, such as white balance and brightness.”

Read more about the HTC Touch Cruise.

iPhone prices in Canada: Roger’s $60-115 plans with three year contracts

Canada’s Rogers Wireless did lay out four separate monthly service plans for iphone use in Canada. The plans are CN$60 a month for 150 weekday minutes, 400MB of data, and 75 sent text messages; CN$75 for 300 weekday minutes, 750MB of data, and 100 sent text messages; CN$100 for 600 weekday minutes, 1GB of data, and 200 sent text messages; and CN$115 for 800 weekday minutes, 2GB of data, and 300 sent text messages.

Each plan also includes unlimited evening and weekend minutes (9PM-7AM), visual voicemail, and access to Rogers Wireless and Fido Hotspots. Sending additional text messages will cost 15 cents each, and additional data is billed at a rate of 50 cents per megabyte for the first 60MB, and then an additional 3 cents per megabyte. The price for extra weekday minutes varies depending on the plan, ranging from 15-35 cents.

But the big catch here is that their contract is for three years, unlike a two year contract in the US. Rogers is also offering a pair of “Value Packs” for the iPhone 3G, incorporating a number of extra features like more text messages, call forwarding minutes, and early evening calling for CN$15 and CN$20.

Read More at Mac World.

Headsets.com giving away gear to those nailed by Ca’s new hands-free legislation

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 3:40PMWe feel for all of you in California who are dealing with the new hands-free legislation that came down upon you today like an edict from your overlords. If you’re one of the unlucky few who get nailed by the 5-0 for talking on your cellphone while driving, though, there’s some silver in those dark clouds. Headsets.com is giving away the Plantronics Discovery 925 bluetooth earpiece — worth $150 clams — in exchange for proof that you were pulled over. Now, don’t go talking on your cellphone in the hope of getting one of these, though — that $20 fine could get you a decent headset today anyway.

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Filed under: cellphones, Transportation

Olympus announces 360-degree CCD sensor prototype, surveillance firms drool

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 1:00PM
Around this time last year, we got wind of CCD-based projectors and cameras from Olympus that were outfitted with a curious “axial symmetrical free curved surface lens.” Now, said company is finally providing a few details about its current prototype, which essentially enables 360-degree photographs to be taken. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on perspective), the sensor isn’t quite ready to be pushed out into the world, but as you can certainly imagine, it’ll likely make a B-line for surveillance outfits just as soon as it’s ready.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

Honda tests Walking Assist Device

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has started to test its experimental walking assist device by helping the elderly as well as folks with weakened leg muscles get around without any assistance, letting them regain their pride and mobility. If there is one country that needs this device, Japan is it considering the fact that they have the highest number of senior citizens within. The whole idea of this walking assist device is to help people relearn to walk safely and efficiently. I hope to see a commercial version ready soon without breaking the bank.

E-Tickets Now Available

Guess music isn’t the only thing going digital as police forces and troopers in several states are heading down that road as well, where a simple scan of a driver’s license or the swipe of an ID card enable officers to enter the location, type of violation and print the ticket on the spot thanks to a handheld device. These electronic citations will soon phase out handwritten tickets, helping increase accuracy while cutting down on the paperwork. Guess there is no way to manipulate the system now, is there? Oh, I suppose only brilliant hackers will be able to make sure that their driving records are squeaky clean while the rest of us have to be more cautious on the road.

Philips lights up building with LEDs

Philips holds the distinction for being the first company in the world to light up its office with nothing but LED solutions. This office is owned by Generali and located at 100 Champs-Elysées Avenue, Paris, making it famous by being a milestone in lighting history. The entire LED effect also goes down well with scene and atmosphere effects that are also LED based. The whole idea can be attributed to architect Anthony Béchu who had been commissioned by Generali, in order for the former to come up with ‘an innovative window in the world of LEDs’. Research has shown that LED lighting solutions improve people’s well-being in addition to providing designers a greater amount of flexibility in the layout of open spaces and the ceiling design. This frees designers from the lighting orientation too often given by fluorescents tubular lamps. Thanks to the relatively long lifetime of LEDs, maintenance costs are reduced to a bare minimum - a good thing in today’s ever rising energy cost scenario.

Throughout the office spaces, the functional office lighting is realized through 422 luminaires integrated in a false ceiling with 600 x 600 grids. Each luminaire is powered by 16 or 12 high power LEDs of 2.6 W depending on their location in the office space. This provides an average of 300 lux everywhere and 500 lux on the working planes. Philips has given special care to the development of optics. In addition, recessed SpotLed 3 K2 luminaires each with 3 LUXEON high-power LEDs are applied in the corridors. The solution complies with lighting norms and standards on energy consumption, illumination levels and visual comfort.

The building would definitely be a sight to behold in its entirety, as when the glass façade of the top two floors are lit, anyone looking at it will get the sense that the building is more like a a beacon in the night to the outside world.

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