Latest Gear Live Videos
CES 2008 Video: ZPower silver-zinc battery power outshines the rest?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, CES, CES 2008, Design, Features, Misc. Tech, PC / Laptop, Podcasts, Science, Videocasts,
While power technologies tend to be less glamourous than gadgets consumers shouldn’t forget the impact and importance of having solid battery technologies in the slim and trim electronic toys and tools they buy. ZPower was pleased to show off their new Silver-Zinc batteries at CES – potentially a revolutionary new product. These new batteries can be interchanged with Lithium Ion batteries but offer more power for longer periods all while reducing the environmental impact. Available soon from a yet-to-be-named laptop manufacturer.
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CES 2008 Video: Bug Labs on the Bug Base and Bug Platform
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Hack Attack, Cameras, CES, CES 2008, Design, Features, GPS, Handhelds, Internet, PC / Laptop, Podcasts, Videocasts,
Think Lego Mindstorms meets Radio Shack. Bug Labs has been working on their Bug Base—a fully modifiable, open-source gadget building block system. The base itself includes specs similar to “a three-year-old laptop” but includes WiFi and Ethernet, USB and more. Once you have the base, you can add additional “modules,” including LCD displays, GPS, cameras, motion sensors and tons more. Each of the modules will require you to program them using a software package similar to VisualStudio in appearance, but everything is open source. Bug Labs has about 80 different sensors on the roadmap right now and they’re constantly interfacing with the community to come up with new ideas.
The concept has a lot of promise and some great tinkering cred. For the first 60 days, they’re offering an early-adopter special with the base costing just $299 (down from $349) and modules ranging from $49-$119. Pre-orders began on January 21st and will ship by March.
Take a look at our video to see us get our hands on the base and its modules and to talk to Jeremy from Bug Labs about what’s coming down the road and what’s in store for Bug Labs.
CES 2008 Video: eJamming online live jam sessions software
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Broadband, CES, CES 2008, Features, Home Entertainment, Internet, Music, Podcasts, Videocasts,
eJamming.com was at Showstoppers during CES 2008 and saw fit to show off their new, cool offering. eJamming is an online live jam session tool, comprised of software that allows geographically disparate artists to get together, play together and record together live on the net. The software accounts for latency by forcing a small delay back through each of the players monitors of between 10-30 milliseconds, which they say takes a musician about 30 minutes to get used to. (And is similarly experienced in some live systems.) By matching the latency based on distance and adjusting for it appropriately, the musicians can play together and record together fully in synch. What’s more, they’re moving towards a model that will allow them to sell access to guest users, to hear the live music.
It’s an interesting concept, though I think they may run into some attach rate trouble with regards to getting fans to pay to listen to the live performances, no matter the price. Still, the service definitely has its merits with regards to musicians being able to get together with no geographical barriers.
Check the video to see us chat with co-founder Alan Jay Glueckman about his service.
Speaking of price, the software is free with a subscription fee of $10 a month.
CES 2008 Video: SlingCatcher demo and a look at SlingBox PRO HD
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Accessories, CES, CES 2008, Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Internet, Podcasts, Videocasts,
We chat with the Sling Media crew and take a special look at the newly announced Slingbox PRO HD. The PRO HD allows you to beam HD to any device, and if you have the upload capacity, to do so with no down-conversion. The PRO HD will be available in Q3 and will retail for $399.99. Coupled with the SlingCatcher, you’ll be able to beam HD-anything to another TV in your house straight up.
Further, the SlingCatcher will function as a standalone device that will allow you to pull a screen or web video stream from a host computer to your TV. For now, you have to coordinate and control it from the host PC, and it still needs to play on the host PC, but the ability to push the video up to your TV without plugging anything additional in is pretty tempting. The Sling Catcher also features 2 USB ports, to allow it to play from external storage. The SlingCatcher will be available around the same time for $249.99 and can push out over HDMI or component. Check the video out for all the grisly details and some great close ups of the Slingers in action.
CES 2008 Video: Garmin Nuvi 880 GPS
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, CES, CES 2008, Features, GPS, Handhelds, Microsoft, Podcasts, Portable Audio / Video, Videocasts,
Garmin continues to impress with their latest GPS devices. Our favorite is the Nuvi 880, with speech recognition. Speak your orders into the 880—say Grandma’s address—and you’re off. The 880 can also help you find what you’re looking for, whether your hungry, need to find a movie theater, or any other myriad of things. For example, just tell the 880 you need a Chinese restaurant and the device will offer a huge list of eateries within the area. Choose the one you want and the 880 guides you there.
Our favorite feature is that the 880 also offers real-time traffic info, news, stocks, current events and more via MSN Direct, making it the perfect traveling companion. The service is free the first 3 months, and will then cost $50/year.
CES 2008 Video: Case Logic customizable laptop bags
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, CES, CES 2008, Wearables, Design, Features, PC / Laptop, Podcasts, Videocasts,
Case Logic showed off a series of bags at CES this year. Their cases range from protecting the smallest of iPod Nano’s to the largest of Laptops. In this video, we give you a look at bags designed for customization by the user, which included pens and Sharpie markers, as well as stencils to help you…well…make it you. Could you technically write on any bag that you purchase? Sure, but would it be as fun? We’d like to think so, but we are some stencil-needing fools. In any event, check the video out to learn more about these stylish totes.
CES 2008 Video: Westinghouse Passive 3D LCD television
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, CES, CES 2008, Design, Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Podcasts, Videocasts,
Westinghouse is working on a gamer’s dream - a passively 3D LCD television. By aiming pixels in different directions, the television creates the illusion of depth thanks to the varying overlap points. This feat is accomplished using only one screen! The downside? Because the pixels are aimed in different directions, the television isn’t capable of switching between 2D and 3D.
The ideal viewing spot for the television is about 1.5 meters - from further away the picture resembles that of a regular 2D television and from closer the images can be a little harder to view.
The passive 3D technology has been in development for about a year. The display has been in development for about six months, and the whole shebang was perfected about three months ago. Westinghouse predicts that their passive 3D display will become available first to the commercial market.
CES 2008 Video: HP’s Kevin Wentzel on HP TX-2000, Artist Edition, HP Imprint
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, CES, CES 2008, Corporate News, Design, Features, PC / Laptop, Podcasts, Videocasts,
HP’s Kevin Wentzel gives us a look at the HP and MTV Take Action Make Art winning notebook design, as well as a first-look at the TX-2000 tablet, during CES. Kevin goes into the HP Imprint process, which is how they get their notebook finishes looking completely fantastic. He also goes into the different specifications that you can get on the new HP notebook computers, which can really be powerhouses if you need them to be. We can expect to see the Artist Edition available this Spring, which will be a limited run. Definitely a collector’s item. Check the video for the full scoop on the latest on HP notebooks.
CES 2008 Video: Motorola ROKR E8
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Cell Phones, CES, CES 2008, Design, Features, Internet, Podcasts, Portable Audio / Video, Videocasts, Wireless / WiFi,
We saw some fascinating cell phone innovations from Motorola at CES. First was the ROKR E8 phone, with its Modeshift technology. The phone doesn’t have keys. Instead, when turned on, “virtual” keys appear. When pressed you actually feel a vibration, confirming you‘ve pressed the button with a bit of tactile feedback. When you switch the mode to music player, all the cell phone keys vanish and a whole new set of buttons appear, specifically for the player.
Very impressive. Pricing and carriers are not yet available.
CES 2008 Video: All about Blu-ray
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Broadband, CES, CES 2008, Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies, Podcasts, Videocasts,
Sony showed up in force for CES 2008 with a bevy of Blu-ray players in tow. Check the video above for a good run down of the Blu-ray technology. Some of the new interactive features are sure to impress, although many of the features have been available within HD DVD for some time.
Take note of the awkward cut that occurs when we ask them about the whole format war thing and the fact that studios are jumping over to Blu-ray left and right. That is when they stopped and told us they didn’t want to talk about that subject. We pushed the issue a bit, but they wouldn’t budge, so we just cut that portion out. Not sure what the big deal was though, I mean, it seems victory may be at hand for the Blu-ray side of things.
