August 2004 Archives

Dell has announced a new addition to their line of LCD TVs that is a leap forward for them in terms of good looks.

The Dell W2600 is a 26" LCD TV that is HDTV (720p) ready, has a good 500:1 contrast ratio, 450 nits brightness, 25 ms response time, dual tuners, and works with a PC at 1280x768 pixel resolution.

The Dell W2600 26" LCD TV is 32.7" x 16.6" x 4.2" and weighs 43lb (with stand).

It is currently available from Dell.com for $1999 with free shipping and we think it may come down as low as $1699 later in the year.

Dell Shopping Link

(Dell are also expect to announce Plasma TVs later this fall)

Apple has officially launched the new iMac G5.

The design of the iMac G5 has all the computer components inside the monitor, kind of like a big thick tablet pc on a stand, or as a Apple puts it: "The entire computer, including a G5-based logic board, slot-loading optical drive, hard disk, speakers, and even the power supply — dwells inside the enchanting display".

There are 3 models of iMac G5 available:

1.6GHz iMac G5 with 17" widescreen lcd monitor, 256mb DDR400 SDRAM, 80GB hard drive, 64mb GeForce FX 5200 graphics, and combo cd-writer/dvd drive, for $1299.

1.8GHz iMac G5 with 17" widescreen lcd monitor, 256mb DDR400 SDRAM, 80GB hard drive, 64mb GeForce FX 5200 graphics, and combo cd and dvd writer drive, for $1499.

1.8GHz iMac G5 with 20" widescreen lcd monitor, 256mb DDR400 SDRAM, 160GB hard drive, 64mb GeForce FX 5200 graphics, and combo cd and dvd writer drive, for $1899.

The 17" iMac G5 is 16.9" x 16.8" x 2" (6.8" with stand), and weighs 18.5lb, and the 20" iMac G5 is 18.6" x 19.4" x 2.2" (7.4" with stand) and weighs 25.2lb.

They look nice but I guess I expected a little more for the price: no built-in wireless, DVD-writer is only 4x speed, underpowered video card, 20" display only goes up to 1680x1050 resolution.

More from Apple

The Rio Carbon is a potential iPod mini killer - Rio carbon has more storage (5gb hard drive), Rio Carbon is smaller than the mini (2.5”W x 3.3”H x 0.6” D), Rio Carbon is lighter than the mini (3.2oz), and the battery life is longer than the mini (20hrs).

The Rio Carbon is now available for pre-order for $249.99 and will ship September 3rd.

Rio also has a cool limited edition of the Rio Carbon, just 500 available: The limited edition Rio Carbon is laser engraved and numbered on the back, has a limited edition collectors box, has free 2 day air shipping upgrade, and comes with 3 months of Napster music service and 20 free song downloads.

I have pre-ordered one and will be reviewing it next to my iPod Mini when I return from my trip on September 14th.

Pre-Order the Rio Carbon Now

The Apricorn Ez Bus Mini 20GB is the Mini-Me of USB 2.0 external hard drives.

The EZ Bus Mini comes in two sizes 20gb and 40gb for around $200 and $280 respectively, quite a bit more than larger USB external hard drives (both physically and in terms of storage capacity).

Is it worth the extra cost? keep reading to find out.......

Engadget found a pic on an Asian forum that is supposed to be the Axim X50 but it looks faked to me, too much like the old Axim X5.

Here's what is known about the Dell Axim X50:

Like the X30 there will be 3 models, presumably called High, Mid, and Low with different processors and/or memory to differentiate them.

The X50 high will have a 3.7" VGA (640x480 pixel) screen, and all versions of the Dell Axim X50 Pocket PC will feature both a compactflash and a SD memory card slot.

Dimensions are said to be similar to the Dell X3 and X30 but the design will be different.

Expect other features of the Dell X50 Pocket PC to be similar to the X30: wireless and bluetooth in the high, lots of memory, removable battery etc.

This has the potential to be a killer Pocket PC, correcting the only big drawback of my X30 with the new VGA resolution screen.

I didn't think much of the Sony Network Walkman when it was announced: a 20gb MP3 player for $399 ($100 more than the iPod), that mostly used Sony's own ATRAC3 music format. I've been waiting to see a review to see if it's worth looking at.

Judie over at the gadgeteer got hold of a Sony Network Walkman and write a detailed review. Here's what she thought:

Liked: great battery life, small, solid, easy to navigage
Didn't Like: ARRAC format, high price, must use Sony SonicStage application to manage music.

I still think I will give it a miss.

The mobile version of ShinyPlastic.com has been updated:

The mobile home page now shows just the last 10 items with details and 50 more with just the date and title.

Individual pages have been created for every item.

A seperate style sheet is being used.

Take a look at http://shinyplastic.com/mobile/ on you pocket pc or other mobile device and let me know what you think.

Akimbo, the broadband internet based video on demand player is almost ready to launch.

Through the Akimbo service you can download and watch any of the 20,000+ hours of programming from 50+ channels they have available.

The Akimbo player is available for pre-order for $229 and is expected to ship in October. The player requires a subscription ($9.99/month or $199.99 lifetime) plus you will have to pay to watch some premium programming.

The Akimbo player has a 80gb hard drive and an ethernet port but if you want to go wireless you will need a seperate 802.11b USB wireless adapter.

(more from the associated press)

New digital camera #3 for today from Sony is the Cybershot V3.

The Sony Cybershot V3 is more "prosumer" featuring a 7.2 megapixel sensor, 2.5" LCD screen, 4x optical zoom, MemoryStick and Compactflash (type 1 only) memory card slots, hot show for flash, some manual controls, and 640 x 480 pixel 30 frames/second video.

The Sony Cybershot V3 is 4.7" x 2.2" x 2.7" and weighs 13.8oz.

The Sony Cybershot V3 will be available in late october for around $700.

Sony's second new camera for today is the ultra-compact Sony Cybershot L1.

The Sony Cybershot L1 features a 4.1 megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom, 1.5" transreflective LCD screen and records video at 640 x 480 pixels and 30 frames/second onto a MemoryStick Pro memory card.

The Sony Cybershot L1 manages to pack all of that into a body that is just 3.8" x 1.7" x 1" and weights just 4oz.

The Sony Cybershot L1 will be available in October and will cost around $300.

On September 30th we will hold a drawing of all newsletter subscribers for the following prizes:

A 1GB Google Gmail Account (6 subscribers will win an account)
An Audia-X FM Transmitter
A Fossil Wrist Net Smartwatch
A Ultra Products Ultraviolet light tube set and 18" rounded IDE cable

For your chance to win a free Gmail account or one of the other gadgets on offer all you have to do is subscribe to the ShinyPlastic.com Mailing List - we send at most one email a week and promise never to give away or sell your email address or other information.

More information and privacy policy

No, it isn't a new Arnie Terminator movie, it's the new slim digital camera from Sony.

The Sony Cybershot T3 is a 5.1 megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom and a 2.5" LCD screen that also shoots video at 640x480 30 frames/second (to a MemoryStick Pro memory card).

The Cybershot T3 weighs just 5oz, and is very small and thin (3.6" x 2.4" x 0.7"), but cannot claim the world's smallest crown which stays with the Casio Exlim EX-S100.

The Sony T3 will be available in October for around $500.

Creative's Singapore site has some info on new Creative Muvo2 FM MP3 players.

The new Creative Muvo2 players have a 5gb hard drive, FM radio tuner/recorder, and 14 hour battery life.

The Muvo2 FM comes in 5 colors: white, black, pink, green, blue, and should sell for $200-230 when it comes out in the US.

Creative Singapore

NEC has announced an interesting looking new Tablet PC: the VersaPro VY11F.

The NEC VersaPro features a 1.1Ghz Pentium M low-voltage processor, Radeon Mobility 7500 graphics, 512mb of PC2100 SD-RAM, and a 20GB 1.8" hard drive.

The NEC VersaPro also has a 10.4 inch XGA (1024 x 768 pixel) TFT LCD screen, ethernet, 802.11a/b/g wireless, and runs the new Windows(R) XP Tablet PC Edition 2005.

The NEC VersaPro isn't available in the US yet, base price in Japan is 830,000 Yen, or about $2570.

Product Information Page (Japanese)

The Creative Zen Touch 20gb MP3/WMA player with the cute scrollpad and claimed 32 hour battery life is now shipping at Amazon.com.

Other features of the Zen touch include USB 2.0 connectivity, 160 x 104 pixel blue screen, 4 band custom equalizer, and up to 97dB signal-to-noise ratio.

Buy the 20gb Zen Touch now through Amazon.com for $269.99 and get free shipping, or alternatively follow the amazon link and buy from Office Depot for $253.95.

Update 10/3: We have lots more info on the Dell Axim X50 on our new site: VGAPocketPC.com

No photos yet but info is starting to leak about the next Dell Axim Pocket PC: the X50.

Like the X30 there will be 3 models, presumably called High, Mid, and Low with different processors and/or memory to differentiate them.

The X50 high will have a 3.7" VGA (640x480 pixel) screen, and all versions of the Dell Axim X50 Pocket PC will feature both a compactflash and a SD memory card slot.

Dimensions are said to be similar to the Dell X3 and X30 but the design will be different.

Expect other features of the Dell X50 Pocket PC to be similar to the X30: wireless and bluetooth in the high, lots of memory, removable battery etc.

This has the potential to be a killer Pocket PC, correcting the only big drawback of my X30 with the new VGA resolution screen.

(via bargainpda)

Info showed up on the FCC site for a new HTC built Smartphone OS powered phone codenamed Vivida.

The HTC Vivida has a sliding front that reveals a numberpad, has 2-3 hrs talktime and 100hrs standby (short battery life), SD / MMC memory card slot, 640 x 480 pixel camera and 352 x 288 pixel video recorder, and will come with a charging cradle.

The HTC Vivida is going to be offered by Verison in the US but there is no info yet on release date or price.

(via msmobiles)

Update 10/3: Lots of the rumors below seem to be false, the latest rumor is that the Tungsten T5 will be released tomorrow October 4th and will feature 256mb of memory and no wi-fi.

Rumors are surfacing about a couple of new Palm OS handhelds: the Palm Tungsten T5 (photo on the right), and the Palm Tungsten E2.

The Palm Tungsten T5 is rumored to be coming out in November and features a 520mhz processor, 128mb RAM, Palm OS6, hi-res screen, bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and a SD memory card slot.

The Palm Tungsten T5 will be 4.7" x 3.0" x 0.66" and is expected to retail around $400.

The Tungsten E2 won't be out until April 2005, will cost $250 and will be a lot less interesting than the Tungsten T5.

(via 1src.com)

The new Microsoft optical mouse created by the world-famous designer Philippe Starck is now available at amazon.com for $29.95.

It is a good choice if you wanty a basic wired optical mouse, clean simple look, works equally well left or right handed, and has a good optical sensor.

The Microsoft Starck Mouse comes with wither a blue or orange stripe.

PCWorld got the scoop on some of Hewlett-Packard's new consumer electronics:

2 LCD TVs, the 26" LC2640N ($2499) and the 30-inch LC3040N ($2999, listed incorrectly on PCWorld as 40-inch). Both have dual-tuners for picture in picture, 1280 by 768 pixel resolution, and can support HD-TV and DVD-D.

2 Plasma TVs, the PL4245N HD-Ready Plasma Television ($4999) supports 1080i HD (but needs a seperate set-top box) and the PE4240N Plasma Television ($2999) supporting regular 480p TV. Both also have dual-tuners and DVI-D.

(via Engadget)

Meet the new iPod, same as the old iPod.

HP posted all the details of the new iPod+HP (aka Apple iPod from HP) on their website and its totally underwhelming.

The iPod+HP appears to be identical to the 4th generation Apple iPod, same price same storage (20gb or 40gb).

Only difference found so far is that HP is offering "HP Tattoos", sticker that go on the iPod related to various artists (Ashlee Simpson, The Cure, Gwen Stefani, Keane, Lloyd Banks, Sting, The Who, The Hives, and Vanessa Carlton). The tattoos come off easily so you wont be stuck with an embarassing tattoo in a few years..... Hmm, call me old but I might like a Who sticker for my iPod mini.

Gateway has announced the release of the first major desktop PC to use the new BTX architecture: The Gateway 700GR.

BTX is a new specification for motherboards and computer design based upon reliable quiet cooling: major components are aligned in a central wind tunnel between two large fans, one at the front and one at the back.

The gateway 700GR features a 3.4Ghz Pentium 4 550 processor, 1GB RAM, Radeon X300 128MB PCI-Express Video Card, 250GB hard drive, DVD Dual Layer Writer, 10/100/1000 Ethernet, 8-in-1 Media Card Reader, 7 USB 2.0 ports and 2 Firewire ports.

The Gateway 700GR will be available in stores this weekend for around $1200.

Press release

HP is expected to announce dozens of consumer electronics gadgets later today including:

• HP branded version of new 4th generation Apple iPod


• A digital projector


• 42" plasma TV


• 30" and 26" LCD TVs


• An entertainment hub


• Printers


• Cameras

Pictures have leaked of the new Treo 650: a new smartphone using the Palm operating system rumored to be oming from Sprint this fall.

The Treo 650 is rumored to have a 312mhz processor, 32mb R320 x 320 pixel screen, 1 megapixel camera, DS memory card slot, removable battery, built-in querty keyboard, and built-in bluetooth wireless.

More pictures and info at treocentral.com (scroll down the discussion)

The price on high quality large screen LCD TVs keeps dropping.

Onecall currently has the Sharp Aquos LC37HV4U 37" LCD TV on sale at $2997, including Free Shipping, after $200 rebate. (Price is for Onecall PASS members: join free on their home page, price expires 8/29 and is limited to stock in hand).

Click here for more info or to buy, or keep reading for the specs.

DesignTechnica has reviewed the Request Multimedia Nitro Pro Music Server.

The Nitro Pro is a 19 inch rack mountable high end hard drive based audio player. It has a Pentium III processor and 128mb RAM, a 40gb or 60gb hard drive, and a CD-ROM drive.

The downside to the Nitro Pro is that it costs $2500 with 40gb drive or $3000 with 60gb drive, for that kind of money you can buy a good off-the-shelf Media PC that can do a whole lot more.

My recommendation would be something similar to the discontinued Gateway 901 Media Center PC (available remanufactured for $1399) with 3Ghz Pentium 4, 512mb RAM, 250GB hard drive, DVD-RAM/DVD-R/CDRW drive, 128mb video card, media card reader, tv tuner etc.

The EISA (European Imaging and Sound Association) has chosen the iRiver H140 as the top Audio Player ("European New Media Audio 2004-2005 award").

The H140 is a 40gb hard drive based MP3 player, with USB 2.0 interface, and 16 hr battery life.

The iRiver H140 supports MP3, WMA, ASF, WAV and OGG music files.

The EISA liked the H140 because: "This very well made portable player has a built-in hard drive whose 40 gigabytes of memory make up to 10,000 MP3 titles available to mobile users. The USB 2.0 port facilitates very fast data transfer for all kinds of files. Besides MP3s, the device can also play WMA, WAV, ASF and OGG music files. Its feature set includes a rechargeable battery, a built-in VHF tuner and a microphone for the user's own live recordings. Users can operate the player either with the built-in controls or with a remote control unit supplied with the product. A large backlit display shows all the information they need. The sound quality, which is excellent by portable standards, and the long list of features make the H140 the clear winner."

The H140 is available from Amazon for $399, and the newer H340 is already available in Europe.

At the same time as announcing 3 green scooters Honda announced a new night vision system for cars that warn of pedestrians in the way.

The system can only recognize people from the shape of a head and shoulders so it won't work for people with umbrellas, on bicycles, and presumably those with silly large hats. I guess if it is raining you have to choose between staying dry or not getting run over.

Oh, and it only works when the temperature is below 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

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