2009 Holiday Gift Guide: Kodak Zi8

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cameras, Handhelds, HDTV, Women, Men, Techies, Under $250

We love how inexpensive it’s gotten for people to attain the ability to record high definition video, and we think this category is set to explode this holiday season. Based on this, and you know how much we love video, we’ve got to recommend the Kodak Zi8 handheld camera. Why? Well, the Kodak Zi8 records full 1080p HD video at 30 fps, and can also take 5 megapixel still images. It incorporates image stabilization as well, which helps avoid that whole Blair Witch shaky cam effect that none of us enjoy, and in a rare move, it even has a microphone jack so you can connect a nice, high quality audio device, if you so choose.

It’s definitely a great value for such a small device that packs a nice punch. The Kodak Zi8 typically sells for $179, but you can find it on Amazon for a little less than that.

Honorable Mention:
Flip Mino: It isn’t HD, but it’s about $60 cheaper than the Kodak Zi8.

Read More | Kodak Zi8 pocket video camera

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It’s official: Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, and Zune hit Xbox 360 on November 17

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Internet, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live

For those of you who weren’t able to get into the Preview Program, you can now rest assured that the latest Xbox 360 features, including Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, and Zune Marketplace with instant on 1080p streaming, will be arriving on all Xbox 360 consoles on November 17th. Yup, that’s just five days away, which isn’t that bad at all. To celebrate the launch of the new dashboard, all Xbox Live Gold features will be available to Xbox Live Silver members from November 20-23, allowing Silver members to sample Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, and online multiplayer. Oh, what’s that? You didn’t know that only Xbox Live Gold members were able to use the new social networking aspects of the dashboard? Yeah, major fail, we agree.

We previewed the dashboard in a recent episode of Bleeding Edge TV, which you can check out at the top.

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Xbox LIVE Fall Update: We’ll be previewing Facebook, Twitter, Zune 1080p for you on Monday

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live

We just got word from our friends at Xbox LIVE that we’ll be getting the new Fall 2009 Dashboard Update on Monday, which means we’ll be bringing you a preview and walkthrough of all the upcoming Xbox 360 dashboard features, including Twitter, Facebook, Zune instant-on 1080p movies, Last.fm, and more. For a look at everything we’ll be bringing you on Monday, hit the jump. Now go enjoy your weekend!

Click to continue reading Xbox LIVE Fall Update: We’ll be previewing Facebook, Twitter, Zune 1080p for you on Monday

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Newegg Deal: Samsung 58” 1080p plasma HDTV

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Hot Deals

Newegg is selling the 58” Samsung PN58A650 Touch of Color plasma HDTV at a very decent price. The Samsung PN58A650 hooks you up with a full 1080p display, and four HDMI inputs. You can pick up the the HDTV set for just $1799.99, which is $1,200 less than the original price, and even about $600 less than the best price on Amazon. Take a look at the Samsung PN58A650 HDTV on Newegg to get the savings.

As always, you can find all sorts of Newegg promo codes and deals on our forums.

Read More | Samsung 58" PN58A650 HDTV

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JVC announces HD Everio GZ-HM400 video camera

Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Cameras, HDTV

JVC is up to more camera tricks with the new HD Everio GZ-HM400.  This camera has 32GB of internal memory and can record to an SD/SDHC card.  It features a 10.3 megapixel CMOS sensor for nine-megapixel stills and 1080p video.  It also has a One Touch Upload to YouTube and an export function to download stills and videos to an iTunes Library.  It is available now at a price of $999.95, but Amazon has them for $896.44, a 10% savings.

Read More | Virtual Press Office

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BenQ Goes Green with LED-backlit V2400 and V220 Eco

Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Design, Displays, Peripherals

It’s good to know that major electronics makers have realized that it makes more sense to “go green” than to avoid it. BenQ, for example, has recently created two new V Series monitors that are meant to be eco-friendly. The 24-inch V2400 Eco and 21.5-inch V2200 Eco have dynamic contrast ratios of 5,000,000:1, and are LED-backlit 1080p panels. The monitors are made from 28 percent recycled plastic. They also reduce power by 30 percent in eco mode, and 36 percent overall. These displays are available in China in a week, but we expect them to arrive stateside soon enough. 

Read More | BenQ

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Kodak Zi8 HD pocket camcorder: External mic jack, 1080p, $179

Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Cameras, Handhelds, HDTV, Portable Audio / Video

I had a chance to use the Kodak Zi6 to cover CES, and I thought it was a great little HD video recorder. Good things can always get better, and Kodak has improved the Zi6 in many ways, and the end result is the Kodak Zi8. The Kodak Zi8 still has:

• A swing out USB arm, but now it’s flexible
• Removable batteries, now a lithium-ion battery that can be charged in or out of the camera
• SD card slot - so you can bring extra cards and keep on shooting
• 2.5-inch color LCD

Now, tack on these new Zi8 features, and you’ll see what all the fuss is about:

• External Microphone Jack
• Full HD 1080p video capture
• Built-in electronic image stabilization
• 5MP still capture
• Improved low light performance
• Smart face-tracking technology

Yeah, that external mic jack caught us by surprise as well. Very nice. The Kodak Zi8 will be available in September in red, blue, and black, and you can pre-order it on Amazon for $179. 

Read More | Kodak

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Hands-on with the August 11 Xbox 360 Dashboard Update

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Downloadable Content, Features, Microsoft, Reviews, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Marketplace

This morning, Microsoft hooked us up with an early preview of the next Xbox 360 Dashboard Update. We were able to get a look at the new Netflix features (which no longer require a PC,) the Avatar Marketplace, Game Ratings, Games on Demand, and more. While more coveted features like Twitter, Facebook, Last.fm, and Zune Marketplace won’t be landing until the fall, the update is still a solid one. Here are our thoughts on the next update, which lands on your Xbox 360 on August 11 (or sooner if you apply for early access!)

Click to continue reading Hands-on with the August 11 Xbox 360 Dashboard Update

Gallery: Hands-on with the August 11 Xbox 360 Dashboard Update

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Microsoft SIlverlight 3 now available, takes aim at Flash, HD streaming

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: HDTV, Internet, Microsoft, Software, Video Games

Microsoft Silverlight 3 is live, and you can go ahead and update your browsers now over at Microsoft’s Silverlight page. Silverlight 3.0.40624.0 weighs in at 4.7MB, and works with Internet Explorer, Firefox 2 and 3, and Safari 3 and 4. Here’s a look at some of the major new features:

• Media: GPU hardware acceleration, new codec support (H.264, AAC, MPEG-4), raw bitstream Audio/Video API, and improved logging for media analytics
• Graphics: GPU Acceleration and hardware compositing, perspective 3D, bitmap and pixel API, pixel shader effects, and Deep Zoom improvements
• Application development: Deep linking, navigation and SEO, improved text quality, multi-touch support, 60+ controls available, and library caching support
• Data-binding improvements, validation error templates, server data push improvements, binary XML networking support, and multi-tier REST data support

Also, remember that Xbox 360 Instant-on 1080p stuff? That’s all powered by Silverlight 3 as well (yes, Silverlight is coming to your Xbox 360 dashboard.) It’s a solid upgrade, and the installation is pretty much immediate if you are on any sort of respectable broadband connection. Definitely worth a look, and you can bet that Microsoft will be pushing hard for a few big Silverlight exclusives, like they did with the Beijing Olympics.

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Test Out Instant-On 1080p Streaming Now

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Downloadable Content, Internet, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace

As we all know Zune Marketplace is coming to the Xbox 360. Through the magic of Microsoft Silverlight, instant-on 1080p content will be available when the Marketplace comes to the Xbox 360; but did you know that you could check out the 1080p streaming now? All that you need are a compatible web browser with Microsoft Silverlight installed. As you’ll see in the demo, you can play around with the bit-rate to see exactly how the technology will work, and compensate for changes in your Internet speed. Check it out and let us know what you think, is this enough to replace Blu-Ray in your life?

Read More | Experience Smooth Streaming

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