Originatic Smart-Leaf PCs

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: CES, CES 2009, PC / Laptop, Wireless / WiFi, USB,

Originatic unveiled their Smart-Leaf line at the CES, a rather clever PC that has both wall and desk mode. The Oasis has a standard keyboard with touchpad intended for personal or business usage, while the Mountain has a stainless steel keyboard and trackball, perfect for kiosk usage. Both have WiFi and a 3mp webcam with angle adjustment, card reader, audio out and 6, count ‘em, 6 USB ports. They have spill-proof LCDs, keyboard lock, are scratch resistant and have the option of a touchscreen. With various amounts of memory and hard drive available, the Oasis’ price starts at $1,899.00 while the Mountain can be yours at a minimum of $2,699.00.

Read More | Originatic

Cellular Bluetooth XLink BT

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

Trying to finally divest yourself of that little used landline? The XLink BT gives you the ability receive and send calls from a landline utilizing your mobile service. The gateway can be used with up to 3 cellphones with different ringtones and has the advantage that you can use your free nights and weekend calls at home. Keep your phone within Blutetooth range for access, and calls that are made from your regular phone will be redirected to your cellie without worrying about poor indoor reception. Simple, eh? Even simpler is the price. The XLink BT will set you back a mere $79.99 with 60 minutes of free long distance. You can also get unlimited outgoing calls for a flat $25.00 a month.

Read More | XLink

VTech IS9181 Internet Radio

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

Is there no end to the influx of Internet radios these days? This is VTech’s entry, the IS9181, targeted for adults. Priced at under $200.00, connect to your home wireless 802.11 network and have access to over 11,000 Internet stations. You can also listen to MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV and Real files stored on a WiFi PC. The radio comes with an aux-audio cable to use with your iPod, MP3 player or any other audio device with a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Read More | Gadgetell

ASUS Eee Keyboard/Browser

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: CES, CES 2009, Design, Internet, PC / Laptop, Peripherals, Wireless / WiFi,

Imagine a keyboard PC with a 5-inch touchscreen built in. That’s exactly what Asus did with their Eee, unveiled at the recent CES. The screen can be used for browsing while the keyboard itself can be used to stream audio and video when attached to a TV or other screen with built-in wireless HDMI. At a weight of under 1KG, it also features a 1.6GHz Intel Atom microprocessor, 1GB DDR2 DRam, Windows XP Home and either 16 or 32 GB storage. Look for the Asus Eee around September of this year.

Read More | Stuff.tv

iVoice Diamond-X Dual Mic Bluetooth Headset

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

iVoice’s has unveiled the Diamond-X Dual Mic Bluetooth Headset that they claim is the first to report the caller’s name from the owner’s address book. It also has auto-volume control, 200 hours of standby and 5.5 hours of talk time, and two microphones. It comes with a mini-USB power adapter, and car and wall charger. The headset also has 3 sizes of rubber ear gels for better fit and should be out this month at a price of about $100.00.

Read More | iLounge

LG LH-85 Series Wireless HDTVs

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: CES, CES 2009, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Wireless / WiFi,

LG is displaying an LH-85 series of wireless LCD TVs at the CES 2009. The HDTVs include the 47-inch 47LH85 and the 55-inch 55LH85 with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 60gHz radio and multi-element antenna array. It also features its 10 point IRE system, color management, and a new picture wizard for calibrating the TVs. The new series should be available in May. Contact LG for more information and price range.

Read More | cnet

BUG Labs announces five new BUGmodules at CES

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Broadband, CES, CES 2009, Handhelds, Portable Audio / Video, Science, Wireless / WiFi,

We are big fans of BUG Labs, so we are naturally excited about the news this morning coming out of CES that they are set to release a total of five new BUGmodules. If you are unfamiliar with what BUG Labs and the BUGbase is all about, check out our video from last year’s CES after the break. Anyhow, here’s a list of the new BUGmodules:

• BUG3g: Gives you phone and/or data connectivity
• BUGwifi: Give you 802.11b/g Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR capabilities
• BUGbee: An 802.15.4 antenna to be used with ZigBee home automation setups
• BUGsound: Give you a 20mm speaker jack, four 3.5mm jacks, and an omnidirectional microphone
• BUGprojector: An integrated DLP Pico projector which outputs at 480x320 resolution

None of these have been priced, or have even been stamped with a specific release date, but you can expect them to ship before the end of the quarter.

Click to continue reading BUG Labs announces five new BUGmodules at CES

Read More | PR Newswire

iTunes goes DRM-free, gets price adjustments

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Music, Software, Wireless / WiFi,

In the final announcement of the MacWorld 2009 keynote, Phil Schiller listed off some of the changes coming to the iTunes ecosystem. First and foremost, in our mind, is that iTunes is going completely DRM-free. Starting today, 8 millions songs on the service will be DRM-free, and by the end of March, all 10 million will be without DRM. Consumers will be able to upgrade their entire purchased music library to iTunes Plus, which means no DRM and much higher quality at 256 kbps.

In a related note, Apple also announced that the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store is no more, and that instead, your iPhone can now download iTunes tracks no matter what connection you are on - that means no need to find a Wi-Fi hotspot in order to download the latest from Flo Rida. Of course, iPhone downloads are also DRM-free and sport the same quality.

AT&T iPhone tethering plan to launch this week?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Broadband, Smartphones, Rumors, Wireless / WiFi,

It seems that the days of silly iPhone tethering workarounds may be coming to an end (for those who are willing to pay for it.) Rumor has it that AT&T might finally launch an iPhone tethering plan, which would allow owners of the iPhone 3G to use the phone as an Internet access point. Now, we know that MacWorld 2009 kicks off tomorrow, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the tethering plan will be announced there, but as our friends at Ars bring up, the functionality would likely require an iPhone OS update, and that in and of itself might be newsworthy enough to be mentioned tomorrow morning, if all of this comes to fruition.

The costs may outweigh the benefits, depending on your travel schedule and how much you’d plan on using the tethering option, as we are expecting the cost to be at or around $30 per month. A little spendy, we think, unless you plan on using it frequently - but then the issue of the iPhone battery comes in to play. Sure, you can plug it in to a USB port, but unless your notebook is plugged in to a power source, then you are using up extra notebook battery life. Or, you could just use a Mophie Juice Pack.

The fact that there was never an official tethering plan for the iPhone has always been odd to us, since other AT&T smart phones have those plans ready from the get go. Let’s hope this rumor rings true.

Read More | TUAW

Nextar NXBT-001, 002 Solar Bluetooth Kits

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smartphones, CES, Misc. Tech, Portable Audio / Video, Transportation, Wireless / WiFi,

Pay attention, people of California. It is now illegal for you to use your cell phone while driving unless you have a hands-free device. Nextar, located in the same state, has cleverly released two solar Bluetooth kits, the NXBT-001 and 002. Each clips to a sun visor and recharges in standby mode. The 001 provides 250 hrs.of standby and 10 hrs. of talk time. It has an LED signal display, supports A2DP and AVRCP and comes at a price of $59.99. The 002 has 6 hrs. of talk time and 150 hrs. of standby with a backlit LCD display and caller ID. Its price is $69.99. Both will debut at the CES and come out in the spring.

Read More | iTech News Net