Zune HD footage shows off touchscreen interface

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: HDTV, Microsoft, Portable Audio / Video, Videos

Here’s a bit of Zune HD footage taken at the GDGT launch, where the Zune folks were on hand to give people a look at Microsoft’s upcoming iPod touch competitor. The rule was that no photos or videos could be shot, but you know how well that goes over in a room full of gadget geeks. Yeah. Over a minute of Zune HD interface footage is featured above, so go ahead and behold the beauty.

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Pioneer’s Ultraslim DVR-XD09 is world’s slimmest DVD burner

Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Accessories, Peripherals, Storage

Pioneer has put out a DVD burner that is so compact, it could easily be mistaken for a CD case.  The company claims the DVR-XD09 is the most compact design yet, and includes all the usual features including reading, writing, dual-layer, as well as DVD plus and minus.  It is powered by a USB 2.0, and has top writing speeds for 8x single-layer and 6x on double-layer media.  You should be able to purchase it this month for $79.99 in August. 

Read More | Pioneer Press Release via Hot Hardware

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Pew Study Finds Most Teens Play Games

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: MMORPG, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox

A recent study by Pew finds that 97% of American teens of the age 12 to 17 play computer, portable, console or online video games. When asked, half of them claimed they played yesterday and the ones who admitted to daily playing say they did so for at least an hour. Here are some of the other statistics:

• 86% of teens play on a console like the Xbox, PlayStation, or Wii.
• 73% play games on a desktop or a laptop computer.
• 60% use a portable gaming device like a Sony PlayStation Portable, a Nintendo DS, or a Game Boy.
• 48% use a cell phone or handheld organizer to play games.
• 80% of teens play five or more different game genres, and 40% play eight or more types.
• Girls play an average of 6 different game genres; boys average 8 different types.

We expect that if Pew queried adults, they would find at least the same statistics, or more for those who play MMORPGs like WOW. As for the good news, another study last September found that, for the most part, teens playing games resulted in positive social action.

Read More | Pew

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Garmin nuvi GPS System - Super Simple

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: GPS, Product Reviews

Looking for a last minute gift for Dad’s day? I recently purchased a Garmin nuvi GPS unit for a friend who is navigationally and electronically challenged. These things are so easy to set up that my friend got the hang of it in less than 10 minutes. We went out to dinner and because the restaurant we wanted to visit had gone belly up (no pun intended,) we asked it to find us another. It took about 4 seconds to find one with similar cuisine in the same area.

The positives? Easy learning curve, touchscreen, low cost for smaller models (less than $150.00) and step by step oral instructions. The negatives? Go your own way and the sometimes annoying female voice will chastise you. And occasionally the unit refuses to stick to your windshield. Good thing it’s portable.

Read More | Garmin

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DigiLife HD Camcorder/Projector DDV-JF1

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cameras

DigiLife has a new pocket HD camcorder. From the outside, this camcorder looks like a dozen others. The DDV-JF1 shoots and displays 720p video on its 2.5-inch LCD display. As an added bonus, it has a built-in 640x360 pico projector. There is not much more information about the combo device, but the company plans to display it at Computex this month and no doubt we will hear more then.

Read More | I4U

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Panasonic Portable DMP-B15K Blu-ray Player

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: HDTV, Portable Audio / Video

Panasonic has released the supposedly first portable Blu-ray Disc Player. The DMP-B15K has an 8.9-inch WSVGA LCD Screen, a PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus, 2 1/2 hours battery life, a built-in LAN port and can playback photos. With its signature Viera Cast, it can handle Internet content such as Amazon VOD, YouTube and Google. Nice as the player looks, you might want to wait for the next generation, as the DMP-B15K will set you back $799.99.

Read More | Panasonic

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K-box Turns Surface Into Speaker

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Music, Portable Audio / Video, USB

Kerchoonz, the revenue sharing musician’s site, has introduced the K-box. The compact 115 x 55 x 20mm device can be plugged into your cell phone, laptop, MP3 player or portable game system. Set it on any solid flat surface and it becomes a speaker with a bass response of 40Hz to 20KHz. Battery life is up to 20 hours, then you can recharge via USB. The K-box is available for GBP 39.99 (~$56.00.)

Read More | Kerchoonz

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Handheld Retro Mini NES System

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Nintendo, Portable/Mobile

Still have some of those old 8 bit Nintendo games kicking around as coasters? Time to play with them again with the Portable Handheld Retro Mini. The mini system has a 2.4-inch LCD TFT screen, built-in speakers, headphone out jack and comes with (NTSC) video/audio out cables. Stick in 4 AA batteries (not included) and save Zelda again, visit Castlevania or play with the Mario Brothers for up to 8 hours. No cartridges are included with its $49.99 price, but check out your local thrift store or ask your parents as they may have a couple stashed somewhere.

Read More | ThinkGeek

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USB Hub With Flashlight

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Accessories, USB

Night owls can work without bothering the rest of the family with this USB 2.0 Hub with flashlight. Push the button on the bottom and out pop 3 ports and 2 built-in bright white LEDs. At a size of 158 x 35 x 22mm, the hub is adjustable to multiple angles and can double as a flashlight or reading light when traveling with an on/off switch. The device is available for a mere $14.00.

Read More | gadget4all

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Sanyo LP-WXU700 WiFi Projector

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Misc. Tech, Wireless / WiFi

Sanyo Japan has unveiled their LP-WXU700 Projector, supposedly the world’s first to be WiFi enabled. At a size of 334.2 X 78.4 X 257.5mm and weight of 3.6kg, it supports the IEEE802.11n standard and is designed for portability. The WXGA projector has a 500:1 contrast ratio, 3,800 lumens of brightness and can stream video through a PC. HDMI and USB interfaces are included as well. On sale in Japan on June 19 for ~$6,300.00, there is no word as yet to when it will arrive in other countries.

Read More | Crunch Gear

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