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Garmin just dropped a couple of sweet convergence devices on us. The GPSMAP 396 and 376c are two GPS mapping gadgets with built in XM radio, XM Weather information (XMWX), and high resolution color screens. The XMWX feature allows the user to see real time NEXRAD radar overlays, wind speeds, and temperature maps in the surrounding area along with forecasts - a useful feature for any boaters out there. The 376c is aimed at in car and marine installation and is compatible with BlueChart format maps. The 396 is aimed at aviation and provides significant additional information about heading, altitude, and other information important to pilots. Both GPS units are WAAS enabled for higher accuracy. Given the blend of GPS functionality, live satellite weather information, and XM radio in a small package I can see some users forking over the $999.99 for the 376c. The 396 is expected to retail at $2695.00 which while being a significantly higher price it is certified for use in airplanes - partially justified by a larger screen, and better battery technology.
Read More 
| GPSMAP 376c via Orbitcast
Read More | GPSMAP 396 via Gizmodo
Plantronics Unveils First Bluetooth Stereo Headset - Pulsar 590
Posted by Sparky Categories: Accessories, Wireless / WiFi,
The well respected headset maker Plantronics has just released initial details about the first Bluetooth Stereo Headset: the Pulsar 590. The headset will feature high quality stereo earphones and a telescoping microphone. The Pulsar 590 is designed to be paired with laptops, cell phones, and tomorrow’s Bluetooth enabled MP3 players. Aimed squarely at VOIP and other voice activated technologies these seem like an ideal tool for someone wanting to use Skype or Gizmo around the house. With a 12 hour talk time and over 10 hours of listening time this sounds like a winner. The Pulsar 590 will retail for under $150 and there will be an optional $50 universal adapter for laptops and cell phones without Bluetooth. Once these come out I’m going to have to give them a try - if they have good enough sound quality they will certainly find a place in this Gear Live writers gadget bag!
Read More | Pulsar 590 via Geekzone
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A Finnish company called International Security Technology has come up with a breakthrough aimed at in home monitoring of elderly or critically ill patients. The Vivago is a wrist band with gyroscopic sensors and a transmitter than can communicate with a base station. The sensors monitor the wearers activity levels and can alert medical professionals if the wearer falls, or is acting lethargically. The Vivago also includes a panic button for emergencies. This sounds like an ideal solution for people not ill enough to require a nursing home, but unsteady and at high risk for falling. I can imagine this giving a family a great sense of security about any aging friends or relatives.
Read More | Vivago via Positive Technology Journal
Latest Gear Live Videos
Ben Heck is certainly a creative and talented hardware hacker. He has managed to take an assortment of older video gaming systems including the NES, SNES, and Atari and rework them into portable units featuring batteries, speakers, and LCD screens. He is now ready to share his genius with the world and has written a book on how to build your own portable gaming systems. A perfect gift for the Final Fantasy 3 fan in your life who wants a quick fix on the road.
Read More | Benheck via Kotaku
Those Aussies certainly have a creative knack - Shane Inder has managed to improve a household item that has not changed in decades: the ironing board. His Ironman is a humanoid shaped ironing board featuring a hole in the head for the cord to pass through, and split legs to make ironing pants easier. It looks like this might actually make a daily household task for all you business types out there just a little bit easier.
Read More | Ironman via Popgadget via NotCot
The rumored iDJ dual iPod mixing board looks like it might just be a reality after all! The iDJ from Numark will feature two iPod docks and all the usual mixing board controls. Perfect for that techie geek just getting into spinning, or the professional DJ who wants to avoid carrying around 100’s of pounds of records. I for one am very excited about the possibility of having an entire portable DJ setup that I could carry in a backpack including the mixer, more music than I would ever need, and still have enough room left over to throw my Powerbook in there for some extra tweaking. The iDJ will also support USB2.0, and I assume iDJ will also accept line in from other MP3 players if the iPod isn’t your thing.
Read More | FutureMusic
Windows Longhorn = Windows Vista
Posted by Kristin Wenzel Categories: Corporate News, PC / Laptop, Software,
The powers that be at Microsoft have decided on an official name for their long-overdue follow-up to Windows XP: “Windows Vista.”
Microsoft employees and lay-people like myself alike stood back stunned for a moment at the sheer… monumental… absurdity of the name. As if “Longhorn” wasn’t easy enough to snicker about, “Vista” is such a “fluffy” sounding name that it’s hard to believe that they are serious. It’s hard to say without sounding like you have a serious lisp, implies a frothy nothingness, and conjures mental images of vast, empty space stretching for miles. Granted, I’m not the biggest fan of the Windows OS, but seriously. “Vista?!” Watch the announcement here.
Straight from the horse’s mouth — I can’t make stuff like this up.
Read More | Windows Vista
This week The Final Cut takes a look at 2 of Friday’s most anticipated releases, The Island, with Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson, and Bad News Bears starring Billy Bob Thornton and Greg Kinnear. Also hitting theaters this Friday are The Devil’s Rejects, a sequel of sorts to House of 1,000 Corpses directed by Rob Zombie; and Hustle & Flow, a film that was the talk of Sundance, even winning an Audience Award. Check out The Final Cut’s recommendations after the jump, and feel free to leave your take on any of this weekends releases in the comments section.
Click to continue reading The Final Cut: A Closer Look At The Island, Bad News Bears
If you own a modded Xbox and have been playing Halo 2 on Xbox Live I invite you all to log in to Xbox Live and install the latest update. That’s right, fire up your Xbox, load up your copy of Halo 2, log in to Xbox Live, download the update and be BANNED! Bungie has released its latest update and without it you cannot play Halo 2 on Xbox Live. This update is to rid most of the people using mods on Halo 2 – I say most, because there is no doubt someone will come up with some way to go around it. For now, I once again invite you all to install the update.
Q: What will happen to a player if his or her Xbox contains modded content?
A: You will be banned if you are detected playing our game with modified Halo 2 content. Your ban will be from matchmaking, it will be permanent, and there will be no appeal process.
Read More | Bungie Update FAQs
500GB miniStack External Hard Drive for Mac Mini
Posted by Alex Grahmann Categories: Accessories, PC / Laptop,
Newer Technology has unveiled its most recent storage behemoth, the 500 GB miniStack. The miniStack line of hard drives, in addition to being an aesthetically perfect match for the tiny Mac, are a good solution for anyone struggling within the Mac mini?s internal storage constraints. As far as ease of connectivity, the unit feature 3 USB 2.0 and 1 Firewire port and powers up and down along with the rest of your system. Though 500GB might seem like overkill to some, it?s perfect for those working in video or other multimedia ? an area where Macs still offer the best solutions.
Read More | Newer Technology
