Devices Site

Who says GPS navigation devices have to be so boring? Certainly not iriver. Far from being another run-of-the-mill widescreen equipped color screen GPS device, the iriver NV Life adds a DMB TV Tuner, FM transmitter, supports SD cards up to 4GB and a widescreen touch-sensitive WVGA LCD display to its impressive set of features. And with that being said, not only does using this device become so simple and easy, it becomes fun as well.

The iriver NV Life will come in either 2GB or 4GB variants and will have a direct connection of security with A/S service. This means that when a stolen unit is taken to an A/S service center for “repairs” the rightful owners will be immediately notified. I think this is a feature that all portable devices should be equipped with, because you never know when someone might steal your valuable stuff.

Living up to the “simple and easy” moniker it tries to represent, the iriver NV Life has a UI that’s been upgraded with readability and accessibility in mind, and most of the buttons are placed in optimal positions. Probably the only thing that can let it down would be the battery life, but unfortunately no details about that have been made available yet. But if you’re in Korea, as it seems that this device will only be released there for now, you can go and check one out for yourself in local stores. Be sure to give us a quick shout out after you do.

Via [Akihabara News]

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Posted Mar 27th 2008 9:11AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Robots
The always jam-packed ROBO-ONE competition in Japan was more heated than ever this year, with bi-ped robots tackling others and ripping them limb from limb. Okay, so maybe that’s somewhat of a stretch, but you can rest assured some serious throw downs, um, went down. Interestingly enough, we heard that an i-SOBOT competition was also included (infighting, anyone?), and that the Maru family’s King Kizer took home the gold. That’s all well, fine and good, but we know what you’re after — take a (long) look at the hundreds of photos waiting in the read link below.

[Via MAKE]

As the ultra-portable PC putsch made its way into our digital beerhalls, the biggest players, HP and Dell, sat back and watched. Rumors have always flushed around the sewers of Dell fandom that one was on its way, but it’s HP, with the Mini-Note 2133, that’s acted first.

With a rumored street date of April 7, the simple, sleek HP follows in the mold of less-radical second-gen ultramobiles, ditching the original "Origami" tablet form factor in favor a standard laptop-like clamshell design. Engadget, hearing the whispers, reports that it’ll be cheap, capable and Vista-equipped, with configurations running from $600 and up — all with proper hard drives and at least a Gig of RAM. You’ll even be able to ditch Fista in favor of Linux and pay only $550, making this look like a swell alternative to the Asus Eee PC.

It’s all about hitting a sweet spot that no-one’s quite hit yet, located somewhere on the three scales of size, price and performance. The one they always seem to forget about with these things is battery life.

Naturally, this measure is missing from the leaked specs.

Photo Credit: Engadget

Lost? You still own a map? This week the geeks take on GPS devices. First there is an HP versus Navigon shootout and then coverage of something called the GyPSii, with more on the way.

March 21st - March 27th Make the MoveFirst up is a business white paper for users of Linux operating systems which explains in detail how to Make the Move to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop. You’ve heard the buzz about SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10, and maybe even seen a demonstration, but you’re still hesitant to migrate. You know that adopting a new operating system is a big step for administrators and users alike. Fortunately, migrating to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is easier than you think, and the benefits you’ve heard about such as lower cost of ownership, stronger security and greater flexibility and control are all real. With careful
planning, your migration can be smooth and highly rewarding.  

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Contents

1

Geek Thoughts

2

This Week on Geek

3

Geek.com Web Picks

4

Don’t Forget About This

1

Geek Thoughts - Is That a GPS in Your Pocket?

This week we have a feature highlighting a couple of the lesser known GPS units on the market. Surprisingly, not only are they lesser known but they’re also among the least expensive, with the Navigon 2100 selling for as low as $150 most weekends. It used to be that to hit a lower price point, especially with a GPS, you would have to sacrifice features. Not so with these units, as they all feature not only maps but some include add-ons such as special map-oriented enhancements,
games, and even real-time traffic updates and points of interest.Where can the GPS functionality go from here? How about in your mobile? Nowadays you either have integrated GPS functionality or you have mobile phones that are capable of figuring out where you are via cell tower triangulation. This technique has been popularized as of late by Google with its latest version of Google Maps which offers a feature called My Location.

Having GPS in your mobile is leading to a slew of social networking enhancements including a popular one called Gypsii. Now it’s just a matter of the user deciding to let his/her location be
known, and it’s up to the developers to decide what crazy functionality will be available next.

I’m left wondering what the GPS and mobile phone manufacturers can do to differentiate themselves in what is becoming a very crowded market. The only thing left that I see is the abilty for the GPS to not only suggest where you should go, but to actually take you there.

What services do you think the GPS units can offer next? Join the discussion in our forums.   VistaNext is a competitive guide explaining When and Why to Choose SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop Over Windows Vista. Cost is not always the most important consideration, but if you are purchasing hundreds or thousands of desktops, it becomes a vital part of the equation. The total cost of desktops stretches far beyond the initial licensing fee. This white paper helps you to decrease your total cost of ownership.  

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2

This Week on Geek - March 21st - March 27th
News
LimeWire opens digital music storeNBA game to be broadcast in 3D

Sony rethinks $50 bloatware removal charge

Microsoft bolsters security with Komoku acquisition

Maryland bill seeks to punish WiFi leeches

UCLA researchers create self-healing artificial muscle

Blaster tool allows rescuers to bust through concrete walls

Sony BMG considering own digital music store

Western Digital releases My Passport Elite drives

Digital billboards in California hacked by graffiti artist

Social apps get a Ringside seat on your website

All 12 seasons of South Park free to view online
Chips
Intel’s 2008 and beyond roadmap presentation40 nm process from TSMC
Mobile
Verizon Wireless wins open C-block spectrumGoogle sends white space open letter to FCC

Motorola to split in 2009

Windows Mobile get new website on April 1st
Games
Latest PS3 update adds BD-Live supportReview: Nanostray 2 for DS

Review: Condemned 2: Bloodshot for Xbox 360

Ubisoft buys the Tom Clancy name rights

Target supports independent games with t-shirts

Review: Patapon for PSP

Review: Rainbow Six Vegas 2 for Xbox 360

Review: SEGA Superstars Tennis for Xbox 360

Mabinogi MMO coming March 27

NCSoft licenses Unreal Engine for 2 more MMOs

Virtual Console gets $4 Sega Master System games
Apple
iTunes issues credits due to writer’s strikeReview: Altec Lansing’s T612 iphone speaker system

Screenshots and video of iPhone firmware 2.0

Mozilla CEO criticizes Apple over Software Update practices

Memorex puts color in its iWake clock radio
gadgets
Dell reacts quickly to SSD failure claims with factsGet a Chumby for College Hoops

LED jacket gives bike riders added safety

Patent investigation affects Blu-ray players

Sirius, XM merger OK’ed by DoJ — now for the FCC

Ireland going green with wave power

SlySoft adds BD+ support to AnyDVD HD

Hold off on that Blu-ray player purchase

Mio offers widescreen Moov GPS models

Get your breakfast on with the Egg and Muffin Toaster

Feature: GPS units from Navigon and HP provide innovative features

Review: Haworth Zody Chair

Cut the cord to your PC with The Drone - not ready

3

Geek.com Web Picks Submit your favorite sites, articles, software picks, diversions,etc., to Joel@geek.com (mail subject: Good Sites). Here is one of my faves:An error message you should never see
We’ve all received them at one point or another. Developers leave in messages during initial development like, “You should never see this message.” Well, check out the pic at the link above and see if you’ve seen that one before. My favorite one that I’ve received far too many times is “Please contact an administrator to perform this task.” I get that one when I’m on my home PC where I AM the administrator. You gotta love Windows.   Support LinkAnd finally there is a look at support from Novell for OpenOffice.org in It’s Time to Make Your Move. Have you seen the costs associated with Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007? Send the children out of the room and take a look. Now take a look at OpenOffice.org from Novell. It’s much more cost effective and includes the office tools your employees need to stay productive. And with full support available from Novell, there’s no better time to switch to OpenOffice.org and free yourself from high costs and complicated licensing.  

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4

Don’t Forget About This If you’re looking for a new laptop, make sure to check out our Laptop Buyer’s Guide first. There are a lot of options out there and we’ve tried to make it easier to navigate through them all. We’ve also included links to our Price Search Engine to make your purchasing decision even easier. As always, thanks for reading!Joel Evans

Joel@Geek.com

Chief Geek

Geek.com

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Posted Mar 27th 2008 8:42AM by Joshua Topolsky
Filed under: Portable Audio
Those darn kids — they just don’t listen! And soon, according to a report, they won’t physically be able to listen. It seems that modern teens, with their cloaking jackets, space telephones, and telepathic headsets fail to obey the simplest tenet of leisure-time music enjoyment: keeping their ipod and Zune volumes at a semi-natural level. In focus-group discussions, researchers found that high school students in the Netherlands were aware of the potential hearing loss which can be caused by high volume listening, yet had no immediate plans to crank their jams at anything but 11. Typical of our misguided youth, the teens feel that they have a “low personal vulnerability” to hearing loss — researchers also noted that they believed they were bulletproof, could fly, and would never, ever lose touch with people who signed their yearbook. The study’s findings suggest that the answer to this problem may lie with manufacturers of hardware and solutions like volume caps or warning lights, rather than with the self-control of the end user.

Posted Mar 27th 2008 5:45AM by Thomas Ricker
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming
Today’s benchmark day for AMD’s fastest desktop processor — the Phenom X4 9850. Free of the nasty TLB (Translation Lookaside Buffer) bug, the stage is now set for a head-to-head with Intel’s best. While it’s a significant step forward for AMD, the 9850 proc hardly compares with Intel’s best quad-core desktop CPUs. Nevertheless, as PCPer says, “any enthusiast or gamer looking for a ~$240 processor is going to have a fantastic experience with the 9850.” We’re just happy to see AMD back on track and ready to compete. Now get to it AMD, faster clock speeds and 45-nm processes please? Intel needs someone banging at the door to keep Moore’s Law from becoming Moore’s Recommendation.

Read — PC Perspective
Read — Hot Hardware

With an HTC launch event just around the corner and a reference in Chinese newspaper Commercial Times, something tells us that the rumors about the new HTC smartphone are more than just the figment of an overzealous cellphone blogger’s imagination. Supposedly called the Diamond, the smartphone could hit UK shelves in a fortnight but HTC is naturally reluctant to shell out any details about it since its Android mobile operating system is all set to get a grand reception with the impending launch of Google Dream.
[ Source ]

Loaded Shrapnel Tin

Why is it that after a big night out (they’re all big aren’t they?) your pockets are always bulging with shrapnel? Its because you always pay with notes at the bar, probably in a drunken attempt to unsuccessfully impress the luscious barmaid who is patiently listening to your waffle….

The “Loaded Shrapnel Saver” is the perfect way to save your pockets whilst saving you a fortune at the same time! This large money box holds an incredible ?1500 worth of pound coins, ?500 worth of “silver” and ?50 of “brass” - and there’s a padlock on it to protect your stash!

Contents: 1 Loaded Shrapnel Saver Tin, 1 keep safe padlock.

Technorati Tags: Toys 4 Boys

If you’re into glossy media players with a touchscreen, check out the Onda VX767. It looks like a beauty, at least in theory…

The outside aspect is very similar to an ipod touch, but I bet the price is much lower. On the other hand, it is made for the Asian market, so you’ll have to import it and expect language support.

The best part of this Onda player is the compatibility with a high number of different file formats, like RM, AVI, ASF, MP4, 3GP, FLAC, and much more. The battery provides 40 hours of non-stop music, or 10 hours of non-stop video, which I consider good enough for a PMP.

The technical specifications include a 400MHz processor, and a 4.3-inch screen with 480×272 resolution to watch all the videos.

There is a TV out port and you can stuff up to a 32GB microSD card inside the little bugger.

via

Samsung has a new digital camera in town, but this one doesn’t boast the confidence and swagger of a DSLR mainly because it is but a humble point-and-shoot digital camera. Known as the L210, it will feature the following :-

• 10.2 megapixel sensor with 3x optical zoom
• Samsung Digital Image Stabilization
• Samsung Intelligent Face Recognition Technology
• 2.5″ LCD display
• 10MB internal flash memory
• MPEG-4 movie recording