Gear Live: Enter the High Tech Lifestyle

iPhone screenshot shows 3G setting switch

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi

All signs are pointing to a new 3G iPhone launching in the next six weeks or so. The latest is this screenshot that is, supposedly, taken from the iPhone 2.0 Beta 5 firmware. Check it out - within the Network settings pane, you now have an Enable 3G toggle switch. It’s a way to put a little bit of power back into your hands as the user, what do you care about more, speed, or battery life? I personally would love a setting that disabled 3G when the iPhone realized I was connected to a WiFi hotspot.

In all seriousness, Apple needs to launch this thing already. The employees over at the Rumor Mill are working way too many overtime hours.

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Nintendo WiiWare launches

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Casual, Nintendo, Release Dates, Role Playing Games, Strategy, Wii

Finally, Nintendo‘s answer to the original game experiences in the Xbox Live Marketplace and Playstation Network has arrived in the form of WiiWare. Unlike the Virtual Console titles we are used to from Nintendo on the Wii, all WiiWare titles are original games. Small developers can get to work on creating some of these smaller casual games. WiiWare titles cost between $5 and $15, and as of today, you have six to choose from. We have full descriptions of each after the break.

Click to continue reading Nintendo WiiWare launches

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Spider Named After Neil Young

Posted by Sheila Franklin
Categories: Music, Science

This just proves it pays to be a rock star. We have already told you about asteroids that have been named after celebs. Jason Bond, an ECU biologist, discovered a new arachnid last year in Jefferson Co., Alaska. Although there are some rigid rules to follow, he managed to name the trapdoor spider Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi because he likes the man’s music and his work as an activist. This is not the first time that a creature has been named after a rocker. A whirligig beetle was named Orectochilus orbisonorum in honor of Roy.

Read More | Live Science

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Panasonic Blu-ray DMP-BD50

Posted by Sheila Franklin
Categories: Corporate News, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies

Panasonic has unveiled its new 3rd generation Blu-ray player DMP-BD50. It features DolbyTrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, PIP, and BD-Live to connect to the Net. The company has included an SD card slot for viewing images on an HDTV from video or still cam with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a VIERA link to control to home theater components with one remote. Available this spring, save your quarters as this one will set you back $699.95.

Read More | Panasonic

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NES Zapper Lamp

Posted by Sheila Franklin
Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Video Games

What does one do if she/he still has some of their old Nintendo games and a Zapper gun lying around? In the case of “fluffypants,” you turn them into a lamp. Using an inexpensive lampshade, a pack of fun foam, and a cardboard base designed to look like the original Duck Hunt cartridge, she shows you full instructions to create your own. Maybe next week she will turn other Nes games into coasters or bookcases.

Read More | Craftster

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Unboxing Live 034: Mio Moov 310 GPS

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Features, GPS, Videocasts

Stream this video to your iPhone

The thing about GPS devices nowadays is that they all pretty much do the same thing. They point you in the direction that you want to go (usually.) So, any small differentiators they can provide will normally be what sells the device, if it isn’t selling on brand name alone. In this episode, we unbox the Mio Moov 310 GPS unit. What is Mio doing to make this device stand out from the crowd? Well, for starters, the Moov 310 includes one year of real-time traffic updates - something you typically need to pay an extra subscription fee for on other GPS units. Also, it costs $249.00, and can be found online for even less.

Of course, there’s more to it than that. Check out the video above for the full unboxing of the Mio Moov 310.

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orbitsound T3, Music in the Air

Posted by Sheila Franklin
Categories: Design, Music, Portable Audio / Video

The orbitsound T3 is a device that you wear around your neck, plug in your MP3 player, iPod, music phone, PSP, or PMP, and you get what the company calls “music in the air.” Battery powered, it is about the size of a cellie, is portable and lightweight, and features full airSound stereo. We were a bit curious about how it worked and discovered that the gadget “uses your chest cavity as a resonator to reinforce the sound from the unit when worn around your neck.” Uh-huh. We understand it will also work with a PC, TV, or desktop stereo and suspect that this is not an inexpensive gadget, as no price was available. Contact orbitsound for more details.

Read More | orbitsound

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Stream 202 DAB/FM/ WiFi Radio

Posted by Sheila Franklin
Categories: Broadband, Internet, Music, Portable Audio / Video, Wireless / WiFi

Roberts has come up with the nifty Stream 202 radio that plays DAB, FM, and WiFi if you have a broadband connection with wireless router or Ethernet. Stream your computer’s stored tunes, listen to stations all over the planet, and save your faves with 15 presets. The Stream also features an intuitive menu, 2 alarm timers, an aux. input for MP3 player, and a socket for headphones. At a size of 300 x 174 x 115mm and a weight of 1.47kg, the radio comes with an AC adaptor or can run on 6 D batteries (not included.) It carries a price of £149.99 (~$292.00.)

Read More | Roberts

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Echo Free USB to Phone adaptor

Posted by Sheila Franklin
Categories: Cell Phones, Internet, PC / Laptop, USB

CuPhone’s Echo Free USB to Phone adaptor allows you to make both Skype and land line phone calls globally at no charge. You can choose whether to use your PSTN line to route the call to your Skype or start from the Skype with the phone key pad. You can also use it to conference with a local PC, remote Skyper, and a public phone. The CuPhone works with Windows, Mac, and Linux operated systems and it has an independent sound card so it won’t occupy your sound channel. Get one for $34.00.

Read More | CuPhone

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Pixelmator updates to 1.2, adds bunch of features

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Apple, Software

Here at Gear Live, we are big fans of Pixelmator. In case you haven’t heard of it, Pixelmator is an image editor for OS X that takes advantage of a bunch of different OS X features in a way that few apps do. We love it because, while not as powerful os Photoshop, it has just about every feature the average person needs in their image editing/manipulation app, at a price that is far, far easier to swallow at just $59. Oh, and it does support PSD files, and is the world’s first image editor powered by your graphics card. Anyway, they’re calling this one “Pixelmator 1.2 Draftsman,” and there are a bunch of new features that we look forward to getting our hands on. We’ve got the full release notes for you after the jump.

Click to continue reading Pixelmator updates to 1.2, adds bunch of features

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