GadgetReview

Today I’m going to introduce you to a truly awesome gadget that you can’t possibly get your hands on before Christmas unless you know somebody or can shell out epic bribes.

We’re talking about the eDGe, and this little beauty is worth the $490 you’d shell out for it for one very good reason: it’s a netbook and an e-reader.  All at once.  That’s right, it’s BOTH.

It’s WiFi enabled and looks vaguely like a Nintendo DS that you hold constantly upright, like an actual book.  It runs on Google’s Android system, joining a growing family of same, and can serve all the functions of both a netbook (send email, instant messages, surf the web, run apps, write notes and so on) and an ereader (it’s got a 9.7 inch E-ink e-paper display on one side and a 10.1 inch LCD screen on the other, just so you know what side gets what)

Their creator, Virginia’s Entourage Systems, has started taking preorders for the devices, so you can sign up for them now.

Read

Would you pay $8000+ for a 40-inch LCD TV, even if it was uber cool and sleek?  Hell no!  But for some reason B&O thinks you will…well, thinks someone with an ass load of moola will.  The BeoVision 10 LCD TV measures 40-inches in size, has a 120hz refresh rate, rocks a full HD picture, a built-in speaker system and a brushed aluminum frame.  Yup, that’s all they’ve got to offer for what is the equivalent price of a decent car.

Worthless video after the ‘leap’ …Continue reading: BeoVision 10 LCD TV From B & O Causes Serious ‘Oh’ Face (video)

So in case you haven’t heard, Californian gadget buffs, there’s a push on in Sacramento to ban certain types of big screen TV that use too much energy.  Of course, by “certain types”, I mean roughly a quarter of all TVs in production today and every single plasma TV over sixty inches.  Needless to say, the people are not happy about this, and small businesses are firing back also, but perhaps the worst news came today with a simple pronouncement from Wired Magazine’s Gadget Lab that declared that such a law would be useless within two years, as “energy hogging TVs” would be gone by then anyway, thrown over in favor of LCD and “greener” TVs.

Basically, California’s planning to blow a bunch of money it doesn’t have to make a law it can’t enforce that’ll be rendered moot in two years anyway when the kind of TV it would ban can’t be found on the market.

Way to go, California legislature!  Best start checking the want ads–come November I’d be plenty of you will be run out on a rail.

Read

It’s really, REALLY, hard to find a camera any more without an LCD display, so I was definitely shocked to find the OneShot camera, a camera so tiny that it’s about the same size, length and width, as your thumb.

There is no LCD display here.  No slots for flash memory, either.  But it apparently somehow manages to not only come with face detection, but also never need batteries.  This camera actually recharges like some of those flashlights you see–all you have to do is shake it.

The OneShot seems to not only run on a dynamo but also offers no expansions in memory.  This may be one of the weirdest cameras I’ve ever SEEN.

Read

If you’ve got a hundred and seventy five thousand dollars handy, and you really want incredible definition in your movies,  then JVC’s newest offering, the OLA-RS4000, might be exactly what you need.

It premiered at the CEDIA Expo in Atlanta, and is a ten megapixel LCD projector that can show movies on four screens simultaneously in full HD or WUXGA resolution.

This is of course a downright amazing projector, and considering how it’s priced it had really better be.  In fact, some might even say that this is overkill, but most of them will probably be shouted down by the eager fan boys desperate to get their hands on one of these even though there’s no way they can afford one.

And here’s one final bit of good news– they won’t even come out for another month yet, so you have plenty of time to line up that second through fourth mortgages on the house so you can afford one.

Read

Countries without borders would probably be a political nightmare, but when it comes to LCD TVs it’s aesthetic bliss.  LG’s newest sets, announced at this year’s IFA conference, boasts high refresh rates, ultra high contrast ratios and as alluded to a borderless design.

First up is the SL9000 and 9500 (42-inch and 47-inch).  It rocks a 3,000,000:1 contrast ratio, a 2.9cm slim body, 100hz refresh rate, 1920×1080 resolution, Bluetooth, a USB 2.0 input for viewing media and LEDs lined along the edge, which gives it that slim and trim body.  It’s younger sibling, the SL8000 (32, 37, 42, 47”) is slightly fatter at 4.5cm but has a higher refresh rate of 200hz.

The flagship of bunch is the LH9000, which is available in a 42-inch and 47-inch size.  It lacks the Borderless design, but it’s completely LED backlit which explains its massive 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio.  It too has a 200hz refresh rate and all of the above features.

At this time LG hasn’t announced a launch date or price, but were hearing they’ll arrive sometime in October or November.

Read

Asus has been nailing it on the computer front and in an attempt to swing to the fences they have announced a new line of LCD monitors that the company says “is inspired by the binary state, incorporating a series of contrasting elements like the numbers 1 and 0, straight lines and circles, and black and white into an ultra-slim monitor”.

Crackpot marketing slogans aside, the Designo MS Series LCD Monitors, which come in 5 sizes – MS246H/D, MS236H/D, MS226H, MS227N , MS202N/D – top out the specs with a 1920×1080 resolution, 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 2ms response time, 250 cd/m2 brightness and a set of touch sensitive LED buttons. Check out the specs list below for a full run down, but the the 22-inch and 20-inch include a lower rez with the 20-inch tacking on an additional 3ms to the response time.

There’s no word on a price or launch date, but these look tasty enough for the holiday shopping aisle.

Read

We’re already big fans of the MIMO’s USB monitors, so it should come as no surprise as we wax lyrical about their next iteration, the MIMO 710-S and 720-S.   This iteration, though, offers up a more aesthetically pleasing clam shell design and a rotatable stand that can be flipped closed to protect the screen during transport.  Spec wise were looking at a 7-inch 800×400 resolution, 500 cd/m2 brightness, USB input and some touchscreen capabilities for the 720.  While the 710-S is up for pre-order with a price tag of $150, the touchscreen version’s price remains a mystery.

Read

Toshiba churned out a set of new LCD photo frames today.  Available in an 8-inch and 10-inch flavor, both frames include FrameChannel’s content service, which enables users to link not only their favorite photo, music, video and social network accounts, but view content from a variety of news outlets and program personalized weather, traffic and sports.

Specs wise the frames include built-in WiFi, touch sensitive controls and an accelerometer that automatically rotates photos and uploaded video to the correct orientation.

Both frames will be available this August and start at $179.99.  The 8-inch frame will be available in white (DMF82XWU) and black (DMF82XKU), while the 10-inch (DMF102XKU) is available in black only.

Full release after the ‘leap’ …Continue reading: Toshiba Intros Two LCD Photo Frames With FrameChannel’s Content Service

If there was a Moore’s Law for monitors the EVGA dual-LCD InterView System would be the most recent result.  From old school CRTs to conventional LCDs, this new phase in LCD evolution is set to hit the market soon.

The InterView features two very thin, 17 inch, rotatable LCD displays, fixed into a single desktop stand. The desktop stand base comes with 3 USB ports, a built in camera and microphone. In some ways, it looks like a laptop, with an elevated wide screen display.  The displays have 1,440 x 900 resolution, enough for meetings and presentations. The ability to rotate 180 degrees horizontally is one of its features that I like most,  but what is coolest about this features is that the screen auto re-orientates itself when turned! The monitors also comes with dual keyboard and mouse input, allowing for each monitor to be controlled separately. But keep in mind that this set up requires a dual VGA card to run both screens from one machine.

Even though the design is striking it’s not for everyone. Gamers, graphic artists and investment bankers are likely to find the most use from this innovative set up. With a $650 price tag it’s not likely that you will be seeing to many of these flying off the shelf at back to school sales.

Read