Tech Gadgets Reviews

Everex has just announced their new mini PC, the MyMiniPC and have dedicated it to the “+100,000,000 MySpace users of the world.” The limited edition of the gPC mini (MyMiniPC) is running a special edition of gOS, called gOS Space 2.9 that has built-in support for MySpace. Aside from the built-in support for MySpace users Everex has also included some pretty solid features, which includes a 3D desktop and OS X style dock with a stacks like feature. Similar to other versions of gOS, the system is still pre-loaded with a mix of software such as Firefox, OpenOffice and Skype, but now also includes a more media-centric dock with “expandable icons” that include links for MySpace, News, Photos, Videos, Music, TV and Movies, Work and Fun.

Aside from the operating system the MyMiniPC features a 1.86GHz Intel Pentium Dual Core processor, 512MB RAM, 120GB hard drive, a DVD+/-RW drive, as well as the usual array of ports which include; Ethernet, DVI, S-Video, Firewire, USB 2.0 (x4), headphone/speaker, microphone and a 2-in-1 card reader. The MyMiniPC retails for $500 and according to Everex is available in limited quantities.

Read [Everex]

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Fresh from the rumor mill is the black 3G iphone. I am thinking this is somewhat credible. A new look for a new phone; Apple would want to create some visual differentiation among its new product. The rumor also says the black case is plastic, which I don’t believe. I think Apple is rooted in metal ipod cases (at the very least on the back of the devices) and I don’t see a reason to switch.

What do you think, real or fake?

Read [iPodObserver] Via [IntoMobile]

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Sony wastes no time in rolling out its very first internal Blu-ray disc BD-ROM drive, called the very un-catchy BDU-X10S, available now for pre-order on SonyStyle.com. It’s going to come pre-bundled with a bunch of accessories, including Cyberlink’s PowerDVD BD Edition Player software, an SATA Data Cable and Power Cable (4pin to 15 pin), mounting screws, disc loading tray cover replacement kit, and of course a user manual and quick start guide.

What’s more surprising is that it’s only listed for $199.99 on the product page from Sony’s web site. Certainly opens the Blu-ray experience up to new markets now, doesn’t it? And the BDU-X10S can also play your old VCDs and DVDs, in case the cost of Blu-ray discs still get you down. It’ll be compatible with all versions of Windows Vista, and will also run on Windows® XP SP2 Home or Professional Operating Systems. So if you think you’re ready for “the Blu’s,” check out Sony’s new internal BD-ROM drive when you get the chance. Estimated ship date will be on April 7, 2008.

Via [Macworld UK]

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Its always nice to see a happy outcome, a Cuban blogger, who recently had her own site blocked by the Cuban government has won an award for that very site. Yoani Sanchez who writes the Generacion Y blog as a journal of her daily life in Cuba was given the Ortega and Gasset prize for digital journalism. This prize comes as an annual event that is presented by the Spanish newspaper El Pais. According to the paper, Sanchez was awarded the prize for “shrewdness in overcoming hurdles to freedom of expression in Cuba, her vivacious style and her drive to join the global space of citizen journalism.”

According to reports she hosts her blog on servers in Germany and was able to attract 1.2 million hits this past February. But perhaps more important than the award, Sanchez who spoke with Reuters via telephone was quoted as saying that “this is great encouragement for Cuban bloggers who are still at an embryonic stage.”

Thankfully the Cuban government has been getting a little looser lately when it comes to ‘modern’ freedoms such as cell phones, computers, DVD players and toasters. Hopefully some of this new found ‘freedom’ will find its way to the Internet access, which is currently still controlled by the government and we can only hope that Yoani Sanchez does not receive any unwanted attention courtesy of her blog, award and new found attention.

Read [Reuters]

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The developers behind Snapture, a new camera enhancement add-on for the iphone, don’t pull any punches on the product site:

While the iPhone itself is a slick package, the fact of the matter is most of the Apple built apps are mediocre and overly simplistic - to point where features are sacrificed. It’s like buying a new sports car and driving it at the speed limit.

That’s a valid point, and the five authors of the software didn’t just complain: they did something about it. Snapture adds many new features that should have been built in. There’s burst mode which captures three frames in a row, a 3X digital zoom, a grayscale setting, proper 360º auto-rotation (for snapping pictures upside down), a level (which appears to use the iPhone’s accelerometers) and support for different image sizes.

Camera Pro, another iPhone app, has offered these features for a while, but it costs $20. Snapture is free, and also has a much slicker looking website. You’ll need to have a jailbroken iPhone to run it. If you do, you’ll find Snapture in the Utilities section of the Installer application.

Product page [Snapture]

When it comes to digital compact cameras, it seems Canon can do no wrong. Most reviewers only manages to come up with a few niggles instead of real negative points. So it is with PC Mag’s in depth test of the SD790 IS: a wider angle at the zoom’s short end would be nice, as would a faster lens (the maximum aperture is ƒ2.8).

The camera is an incremental improvement, bringing some of the newer features found on Canon’s high end models, including the spinning control wheel from the G9, motion detection (which ups the ISO and shutter speed if it sees something moving) and a fast (1.8 second) startup time. Inevitable, the pixel count has grown, and now stands at 10MP (the previous model had a paltry eight million pixels).

At $350, it’s not cheap, but it is small enough to slide into a pocket and, being a Canon, pretty much guarantees good pictures.

Canon PowerShot SD790 IS [PC Mag]

The Mobile Fragrance Communications Kit from NTT DoCoMo functions on the similar scent delivery technology that NTT currently utilizes in homes and movie theaters across Japan. All you need to do is download fragrance playlists onto your DoCoMo handset and transmit it via infrared to the portable “aroma generator” that is already pre-loaded with base fragrances. These scents will then be released into the room of your choice, accompanied by MIDIs and animated GIFs to keep that happy feeling up. Pilot programs will commence this April 10th until the 20th - do you think this idea will catch on outside of Japan?

How many times have you sat and pondered whether or not it was daylight outside? Unless you spend the better part of your days living underground, chances are that you don’t think about this very often. Sure, when you’re sitting in a cubicle after hours it may cross your mind, but is that enough to justify a watch that solely tells you whether the sun is up or down?

Apparently for some people it’s worth coughing up $300,000 for a watch that does just that. Part of the reason that it is so expensive is that it is a unique timepiece that used Tourbillon movement, which is supposed to overcome the limitations imposed on the accuracy of watches by the earth’s gravity.

Sure, that sounds interesting and all, however, that’s not enoug to justify spending $300k on a watch. Especially one the doesn’t even tell the time.

Source: BornRich

It seems only fitting that after two weeks of feverish 3G iphone rumor mongering there would finally emerge a photo of this mythical device. This one was fed to the ipod Observer, and if there’s any merit to it, your 3G iPhone will be a shiny black little number, with a rear end clad in glossy black plastic instead of aluminum.

Based on the photo, the phone also appears to do away with the separate black plastic end piece that covers the antenna. Personally, I have to say it also looks suspiciously similar to Knight Creations’ customized TiAlN (Titanium Nitride/Titanium Aluminum Nitride) iPhones. And although Apple does include that black plastic end piece to help create a clear signal for the phone, I’m not convinced Apple would completely do away with aluminum.

So what’s the verdict, people: Pretty decent mock-up, obvious fake, or possibly the real deal?

[Via iPod Observer]

Apple has reached yet another milestone with their very successful iTunes music and video download service. The service has risen to become the top music retailer in the country beating out Wal-Mart. iTunes has been steadily moving up the MusicWatch survey charts, which are tracked by the NPD Group, to its current position.

In June 2007, we reported that iTunes became the #3 music retailer. Then, less than a year later, we reported that iTunes moved up to the #2 spot in February of this year. Now, two months later, Apple has reached the top of the mountain according to a survey which puts iTunes against brick-and-mortar stores. Because consumers can buy single tracks on iTunes, iTunes is given credit for the sale of one CD for every 12 tracks sold. The metric tracked by NPD Group even excludes wireless transactions.

iTunes touts 50 million customers and is said to have the world’s largest music catalog with six million songs. To date, the service has sold over four billion songs. If you were to consider wireless transactions iTunes would have an even more commanding lead over traditional music retailers like Wal-Mart.

Read more from the Apple press release.

Brian’s Opinion

Oh my god it finally happened! Someone has knock Wal-Mart off of its pedestal. Wal-Mart tried to fight off the competition from iTunes by opening up its own music download store, but I think it’s safe to say the online store’s performance has been lackluster at best compared to the success of iTunes. Clearly, the dominance of the iTunes store being paired up with the successful ipod media player was too much for Wal-Mart to overcome.

By being the top music retailer you can be assured that Apple will have some pull when it comes to record companies. You can also be assured that they will use that pull to their advantage even though some record companies have attempted to jump ship from iTunes for other non-DRM music stores like Amazon’s. Unfortunately, right now that’s probably going to be about as successful as a retailer who threatens Wal-Mart to pull a product out of their stores.

Just like Wal-Mart, iTunes has great dominance in the marketplace. If you pull your music off of it then you’ll only be hurting your own bottom line considering the number of consumers that purchase music off of iTunes on a daily basis. iTunes will be a business model that many companies will attempt to copy in order to reach the same success that it has had. A good example of this is the Microsoft Zune and the accompanying Zune Marketplace.