preGadget

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets Look, we’re sorry, but 1,420 LEDs just isn’t cutting it anymore. Maybe back when we were children a touchable 14-foot by 6-foot wall lit up by a myriad of magical blue lights would’ve managed to pull us away from our Lincoln Logs for a minute or three, but the kids of today grew up on Baby Einstein and a post-Steve Blue’s Clues — they aren’t easily impressed.

” Whatever you draw slowly fades over time, and apparently you can draw using a bunch of different colors and shapes, though we’re only seeing blue squares here. The wall can accomadate six people drawing at once, and pulls about as much electricity as a regular toaster. It’ll be unveiled on March 16th.  Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments.

Original Source!, Click here for detail story!

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Displays Polaroid film may be gone, but for some of us with fond memories of the format — for no discernible reason, Polaroids were slow, blurry and expensive — this digital picture frame concept seems a fitting tribute. There’s a dry erase portion on the bottom, and the frame can stand on its own or be pinned to a cork board for added realism.

There’s a dry erase portion on the bottom, and the frame can stand on its own or be pinned to a cork board for added realism. “Standard” mode emulates a regular digital frame, while “Classic” mode slowly fades the picture into view. Yeah, maybe a little too cute for its own good, but maybe we like it that way. [Via Gadget Lab] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments.

Original Source!, Click here for detail story!

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Media PCs Asus continues to crank up its media PC relatedofferings, its latest are two HDMI equipped sound cards aimed at HTPC users or prosumers. Next week at CeBIT expect to see the Xonar DX sound card, a slimmed-down edition of its Xonar D2X card made to fit any PCI-E x1 equipped computer. Dolby Digital Live and DTS connect support is still part of the package, plus EAX 5.

Dolby Digital Live and DTS connect support is still part of the package, plus EAX 5. 0 compatibility. Next up is the Xonar AV1, complete with three HDMI jacks and Asus’ Splendid HD chip to assist audio and video mastering. Price or release date on these is unknown but we’re sure to get a closer look once the show starts.  Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments.

Original Source!, Click here for detail story!

Filed under: Robots While robot / human relations seem to be fairly solid at the moment, it looks like the fight has long since been on between canines and their robotic counterparts. Some researchers at Saint Louis University compared Sony’s AIBO with a mutt named Sparky at three different nursing homes, to see how residents would respond. Maybe Sparky just isn’t that affable, but the researchers found that AIBO and his living breathing competition were both equally successful in alleviating lo.

Maybe Sparky just isn’t that affable, but the researchers found that AIBO and his living breathing competition were both equally successful in alleviating loneliness. AIBO also has the added advantage of, erm, cleanliness, and is easier for senior citizens to take care of, so it looks like Sparky is pretty much out of a job. Get used to it, buddy, it’s called outsourcing.

Original Source!, Click here for detail story!

Filed under: HDTVNot happy letting us Yankees get away with all the 3D sporting action, the BBC plans to test a 3D HD broadcast of a Rugby Six Nations match next month. A lot like the NBA’s test with last year’s All-Star Game and NBA Finals, the March 8th game between Scotland and England will be captured by three camera rigs and then transmitted via satellite — unlike the fiber connection used by the NBA — to an audience watching a big screen with 3D glasses.

Can Communicate, Inition and Axis are the companies forming 3DFirm, which is partnering with the Beeb to make the whole thing happen, including working out a new style of camera work and post production. We won’t say we’re waiting for a 3D broadcast of real football to get excited about these tests (we’ll just think it. ) Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments.

Original Source!, Click here for detail story!

Filed under: Cellphones Hold the presses: Apple may be releasing a new iPhone this year. . . with 3G! Crazy, we know. The latest iteration of this rumor comes to us courtesy of UBS analysts, who say Infineon will likely be building chips for the phone — they’re powering the current iPhone, so no real surprise there. UBS is also betting on a mid-year 3G iPhone launch, and thinks that EDGE production will ramp down early so Apple gets a chance to clean out inventories.

Original Source!, Click here for detail story!

Filed under: Desktops, Laptopsdigg_url = ‘http://digg. com/microsoft/M_lowered_Vista_reqs_to_help_Intel_sell_incompatible_chips’;So now that the “Vista Capable” lawsuit is a full-blown class action, the judge has unsealed all 158 pages of emails between Microsoft execs trying to sort out what went wrong with the sticker program. While bits and pieces have been blacked out, what remains is still fairly incredible — although Intel’s 915 chipset was initially rejected as incompatible with Vista, MS.

We set ourselves up. ” That’s pretty damning, if you ask us — and the complete emails, linked below, are full of similar bombshells. Looks like this case may have some serious legs after all. Disclaimer: Nilay’s a lawyer, but he’s not your lawyer, and none of this is legal advice or analysis. Read - Seattle Post-Intelligencer coverage of the caseRead - PDF of all the emails Permalink | Email this | Comments.

Original Source!, Click here for detail story!

Filed under: Gaming While we chew on that incoming Metal Gear Solid 4 80GB PS3 (with DualShock 3) in the States, Europe has a pair of SKUs of its own to look forward to. Sony’s hitting with a “movie bundle” on March 19th that includes Spider-Man 3, 300 and Casino Royale on Blu-ray, along with a 40GB PS3, all for the regular €399 price. If you can wait until March 29th, for the same price you can nab a 40 gigger bundled with Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.

If you can wait until March 29th, for the same price you can nab a 40 gigger bundled with Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Both bundles promise to be quite appealing, but apparently neither come packing HD cables, which could be a bit of a hangup for those ready to make the Blu-ray plunge. GT5 box art is after the break. [Via PS3 Fanboy]Continue reading Europe getting 40GB PS3 bundles packing Gran Turismo, Blu-ray movies Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments.

Original Source!, Click here for detail story!

Filed under: Features, Laptops We just got our 2. 5GHz Penryn / 4GB fourth-gen MacBook Pro. Plenty of power under that hood, but the outward differences are few: it’s got the new, reorganized F-key layout (which we’re not all that fond of), and the trackpad physically the same (with the addition of multi-touch, which works just as well as it did on the MacBook Air).

We’ll have some updated benchmarks shortly. P. S. -It includes the same model 60Wh battery they’ve been selling on these for a while, for those puzzled about the battery life changes made to the Apple’s MBP spec page. Gallery: Apple MacBook Pro (with Penryn and multi-touch) unboxing Permalink | Email this | Comments.

Original Source!, Click here for detail story!

Filed under: RobotsThe iCub robot was already doing pretty well for itself in the creepiness department, but a group of researchers from the University of Plymouth are now working to take things one big step further, by teaching the so-called “baby robot” to talk (as opposed to teaching it baby talk). That will supposedly be done over the next four years, during which time the researchers will work with language development specialists who normally study how parents teach children to speak.

” Unless the robot gets some ideas of its own, that is. [Image courtesy of BBC News] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments.

Original Source!, Click here for detail story!