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Pentax is kicking its CES festivities into medium gear with a pair of cheapo point-and-shoot digicams that we expect will be a tipping point to a great avalanche of affordable shooters. The $199.95 Optio P70 features a 12-megapixel sensor, can capture 720p video at 15 FPS, ISO from 64 to an astounding 6400 (though only at 5-megapixels), has a 4x zoom lens, a 2.7-inch LCD display, and comes in silver, white, or red. The E70, meanwhile, sports a 10-megapixel sensor, a 2.4-inch display, 3x zoom, but delivers the same staggering ISO range as the P70 for a slightly more affordable $129.95. Both models feature "Pixel Track Shake Reduction" and face-detection, will be available in February, and have put at least one editor to sleep. Filed under: Digital Cameras Pentax's Optio P70 and E70 digicams won't break banks, hearts, or kneecaps originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Samson isn't bothering to wait until NAMM kicks off on January 15th; instead, it's bringing its newest handheld recording device to Las Vegas. The Zoom H4n takes off where the H2 and H4 left off, offering up an improved user interface, built-in X/Y stereo condenser mics, a digitally controlled mic preamp and the ability to use internal and external mics simultaneously for 4-channel recording. You'll also find a spacious LCD, a Broadcast Wave Format (BWF) compatible time stamp, track marker functions and audio recording at up to 24bit/96kHz on SD/SDHC media. Unfortunately, there's no word on a price, but we are told that its rugged exterior can handle even the rowdiest of shows. Full release is after the break. Continue reading Samson delivering Zoom H4n handheld recording device at CES Filed under: CES, Handhelds, Portable Audio Samson delivering Zoom H4n handheld recording device at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
If these fine specimens look familiar, well, they should -- one's already been announced (albeit on a different carrier) and the other two have been thoroughly scooped. Motorola's CES haul includes the eco-tastic Renew W233, a simple candybar destined for T-Mobile that features a neutral carbon footprint and components made of recycled water bottles; the Tundra VA76r, a rugged 3G flip with push-to-talk that previously launched on Rogers and has its sights set on AT&T this time around for a January 13 release; and the headliner of the bunch, the SURF A3100. The WinMo 6.1-based SURF -- alias A3000, alias Atila -- features a full 2.8-inches of touchscreen adorned with a custom skin designed by Moto, 7.2Mbps triband HSDPA, a 3-megapixel autofocus cam, AGPS, and support for microSD cards up to a purely theoretical 32GB in size. Though the radio is fully equipped for North American action, no stateside launch is in the cards just yet; for now, you'll find the SURF in Asian markets before the quarter's out. [Via Phone Scoop] Gallery: Motorola's SURF A3100 headlines three-pack of new phones Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds Motorola's SURF A3100 headlines three-pack of new phones originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
While you and HP can argue the rest of the night away about the most accurate moniker for its Pavilion dv2, the dv3 is definitely an ultraportable. The AMD-powered machine comes in a plethora of configurations with CPUs ranging from 2GHz (Athlon X2 QL-62) to 2.4GHz (Turion X2 Ultra ZM-86), ATI's Radeon HD 3200 graphics, up to 8GB of DDR2 RAM, 160/250/320/400GB hard drive choices, WiFi / Bluetooth, a dual-layer DVD burner, gigabit Ethernet, an ExpressCard slot and a satisfactory array of ports including three USB 2.0 sockets, VGA, HDMI, eSATA combo (with a third USB port) and audio in / out. Users can select from a six or nine-cell battery, and there's even an optional fingerprint reader if you're unashamedly paranoid. Interested? It's available today, junior, for $799 and up. Gallery: HP greets us with 13.3-inch Pavilion dv3 entertainment laptop Filed under: CES, Laptops HP greets us with 13.3-inch Pavilion dv3 entertainment laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
We figured it was destined for a CES release, and HP has confirmed that today's the day. The hotly anticipated Firebird with Voodoo DNA has been properly introduced to the world, and within it will come an Intel Core 2 Quad CPU, twin NVIDIA GeForce 9800S graphics cards in an SLI configuration, hot-swappable 320GB hard drives (two of 'em) and an advanced thermal management system to keep things cool, calm, collected and quiet. As we'd heard, the rig will be available starting on January 9th for as little as $1,799 directly from Voodoo, while those too frightened to hand over their credit card information online can hold tight 'til it hits select retailers (read: Best Buy, most likely) on February 1st. Have a look at Rahul Sood and team gloating ad nauseum over this thing just after the break. Gallery: HP officially launches Firebird with Voodoo DNA [Via DesktopReview] Continue reading HP officially launches Firebird with Voodoo DNA Filed under: CES, Desktops HP officially launches Firebird with Voodoo DNA originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Here we've got the fruits of AMD's new Neo platform: the Pavilion dv2 series of entertainment laptops. Starting at 3.8-pounds with a keyboard 8% short of full-sized, this 12.1-inch (1,280 x 800 pixels) ultra-portable features a 1.6GHz Athlon Neo MV-40 processor, up to 4GB of memory and 500GB of disk, optional 802.11n WiFi, and WWAN ( Gobi) support. Now what if we told you that this 64-bit Vista Home Premium laptop (no need for the XP fallback here kids) measures less than an inch thick and can be configured with ATI Mobility Radeon HD3410 discrete graphics and an external Blu-ray player for $899 when it ships in March? More you say? Ok, there's also Bluetooth, HDMI-out, an integrated webcam, and 3.5 to 4-hours of battery with prices set to start at $699. Isn't CES wonderful? Gallery: HP's 12.1-inch Pavilion dv2 -- don't call it a netbook Filed under: CES, Laptops HP's 12.1-inch Pavilion dv2 with Blu-ray -- don't call it a netbook originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
And here you thought AMD's 45-nm Conesus was its next generation netbook / ultra-portable processor. Sorry, for that you'll have to wait until the beginning of the second half of 2009 according to Bahr Mahony, Director of AMD's mobile division who we just spoke with here at CES. Instead, AMD's Athlon Neo ultra-portable platform built around existing 65-nm processes is scheduled to make its retail debut in the US in March. Remember, AMD won't be challenging Intel in a race to the bottom so Neo is aimed squarely at that soft, chewy marketshare nestled between the underperforming $499 netbook and over-the-top $1,499 ultra-portable. Neo boasts more processing power than Intel's 45-nm Atom at the cost of a higher load on your battery thanks to the 35W thermal envelop of the Neo chipset combined with a discrete, ATI Mobility Radeon Hd 3410 graphics. The result however is what AMD calls balanced performance from ultra-thin notebooks capable of smooth 1080p playback of your HD media -- a feat that Atom-based netbooks saddled with integrated graphics struggle with. Interesting, now let's see the 3rd party benchmarks. AMD's data versus the Atom posted after the break. Continue reading AMD kinda sorta takes aim at Atom with Athlon Neo Filed under: CES, Laptops AMD kinda sorta takes aim at Atom with Athlon Neo originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Remember that proof-of-concept you saw way back in June of last year? You know, that one involving SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone? Here at Macworld, Sling Media is doing its darnedest to take the spotlight away from the looming Apple keynote by announcing that said app is almost ready for consumption. It'll be demonstrating a functional version in San Francisco, and it's planning to submit the software to Apple for certification sometime this quarter. In case you couldn't care less, it'll also unveil a prototype SlingPlayer for Mac HD, which will enable Mac-using Slingbox PRO-HD owners to stream high-def material to their Mac. As for the good stuff, pricing has yet to be determined for the SlingPlayer iPhone app, but the SlingPlayer for Mac HD will be made available gratis. Full release is after the break. Continue reading SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone, SlingPlayer for Mac HD make debuts Filed under: Cellphones, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone, SlingPlayer for Mac HD make debuts originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Just when we thought HP had moved on, what with the Mini 1000 getting all the love these days, HP has returned to its original Mini-Note 2100 series of netbooks with the 2140. Supposedly aimed at businesses, the new netbook loses that sluggish VIA C7-M of its predecessors and replaces it with -- you guessed it -- a 1.6GHz Atom processor. There's also a 80GB or 160GB hard drive onboard and a 10-inch screen available in 1366 x 768 and 1024 x 567 resolutions, plus that lovable ExpressCard / 54 slot hasn't gone anywhere, but the machine remains otherwise mostly unchanged. Prices start at $499 for the base model, and OS choices include XP Home / Pro, SuSe Linux, FreeDOS and Windows Vista Home Basic / Premium. The laptop is certainly a nice step up over the Mini 1000, but we sure could use a bit more power under the hood. You know, for business. [Thanks, Jarrett] Read - HP updates Mini 2x netbooks with Atom, 10in LCD Read - HP Mini 2140 official site Filed under: Laptops HP's new Mini 2140 stuffs Atom, larger screen into original form factor originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Add one more contender to the list of mind control games vying for our attention this year alongside NeuroSky and Emotiv. Set to debut this week at CES, Mattel's Mind Flex requires players to concentrate really hard in order to power a fan that'll float a ball through the hoops. Sure, it's not nearly as complex as what the other two are proposing, but we could totally see ourselves wearing this headset all day while we work -- just to find out how much brain power we're really using. It's expected to hit US retail channels later this year for $80, and if we may be so candid, our only wish is that the headset was small enough to hide under a hat. You know, so we could fool our family members into thinking we had superpowers. Via Gadget Review; Thanks, Christen] Filed under: CES, Gaming Mattel's Mind Flex teaches kids fake telepathy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Rather than simply adding a new capacity option or throwing another adjective on the end (i.e. Ultra, Xtreme, Gnarly, etc.), SanDisk is actually launching something in the flash drive sector that's worth paying attention to. The Ultra USB Backup is hailed as the planet's first USB key with simple backup software activation at the touch of a button, and with capacities up to 64GB, we'd say this is a pretty decent option for keeping your digital paraphernalia backed up sans an external HDD. In related news, the outfit has redesigned the long-standing Cruzer to fall more in line with today's trends, effectively stripping the retro pastel hues and adding in "iconic new design language developed by global innovation firm frog design." The new bunch is expected in stores this April, with prices ranging from $24.99 to $99.99 for the Cruzer and $39.99 to $199.99 for the Ultra Backup. Full release is after the break. Continue reading SanDisk showcases new Ultra Backup / Cruzer USB flash drives Filed under: CES, Storage SanDisk showcases new Ultra Backup / Cruzer USB flash drives originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Hard to believe that the original LCD2690WUXi was introduced over two years ago, but the squared version is finally getting official here at Macworld. The 26-inch MultiSync LCD2690WUXi² packs an IPS active matrix LCD and is clearly aimed at pros and pros alone; some of the super swank features include 97.8% coverage of AdobeRGB, compatibility with NEC's SpectraViewIITM color calibrator, auto luminance control for consistent brightness and color, support for 12-bit lookup tables and an ambient light sensor. Additionally, you'll notice a 1,900 x 1,200 native resolution, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 320 nits of brightness and a trio of selectable inputs (DVI-I, DVI-D and VGA). The panel is shipping as we speak for just $1,199, which ain't bad at all for a screen of this caliber. [Via Electronista] Filed under: Displays NEC debuts 26-inch LCD2690WUXi² for professionals at Macworld originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
The idea of gesture-based remote control isn't new, but GestureTek has added in 3D tracking to the mix for, you guessed it -- even more expressive interaction with your TV. After all, you don't live in flatland, so why should your remote control gestures? Of course, adding in depth perception requires the use of more than one webcam, but maybe that's not a big tradeoff in our age of six and more speakers in the living room. The setup will be on display at CES (sans Xpletive), so we'll try and swing by for a, um, hands on while we puzzle over how to add voice commands to this system. Watching the big game with your buddies just might get even more entertaining yet. Filed under: CES, Misc. Gadgets, HDTV, Home Entertainment GestureTek brings 3D and gestures together for remote control originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Two new ones have arrived today from the labs of LaCie, and neither are destined to ever end up inside of your PC. Up first, we've got the slightly speedier d2 external DVD±RW drive with LightScribe, which toasts discs at up to 22x and connects to PCs via USB 2.0 or FireWire (400, presumably). For those in need of HDD-based storage, the glossy black Hard Disk MAX comes with a pair of 1TB drives that can be set in either a RAID 0 or RAID 1 configuration with the simple flick of a switch on the back panel. There's also a USB port on the front for additional expansion, and the USB 2.0 socket 'round back is what links it up with your computer. Both are available right now for $119.99 / $269.99, respectively. Read - d2 external DVD burner Read - Hard Disk MAX Filed under: Storage LaCie intros 22x d2 external DVD burner, 2TB Hard Disk MAX originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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