Showing posts with label USB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USB. Show all posts
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Sharp have announced a new range of AQUOS LED-backlit LCD TVs, the LE700 series, ranging in size from 32- to 52-inches. Each offering Full HD 1080p, they use Sharp’s X-Gen LCD panel with 10-bit processing and a dynamic contrast ratio in excess of 2,000,000:1.The 52-inch and 46-inch sets also have a dejudder function, while all four include 120Hz refresh and 4ms pixel response time. Viewing angles are supposedly 176-degrees, while LED lifespan is expected to be 100,000 hours.
Connectivity includes four HDMI v1.3 ports, two component inputs, integrated ATSC, QAM and NTSC tuners, PC input and RS-232C for custom installations. A USB port allows for photos and MP3s to be played, and there’s also AQUOS Net – aside from on the 32-incher – which brings weather, stock, gaming and news reports to the HDTVs.
All four new HDTVs will be available this month in the US. The 52-inch LC-52LE700UN is priced at $2,799.99; the 46-inch LC-46LE700UN is priced at $2,199.99; the 40-inch LC-40LE700UN is priced at $1,699.99; and the 32-inch LC-32LE700UN is priced at $1,099.99.
Monday, June 29, 2009
In a move that’s been a long time coming, the major participants in the European cellphone market have backed a proposal to standardize microUSB as the generic charger port. The scheme was led by the European Commission, and has now received support from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Apple, Motorola, NEC, LG, RIM, Qualcomm, Samsung and Texas Instruments.
Together, those companies account for 90-percent of the European cellphone market. The EC have positioned the scheme as environmentally sound, suggesting that cellphone users will not have to throw away their old charger whenever they buy a new device.
The first devices using the standardized connector will arrive on the market in 2010, though of course many phones already use microUSB for charging and data connectivity. What will be interesting is how Apple respond to the move; the dock connector is not only a common feature among docks and accessories, but a source of licensing revenue from third-party manufacturers.
Together, those companies account for 90-percent of the European cellphone market. The EC have positioned the scheme as environmentally sound, suggesting that cellphone users will not have to throw away their old charger whenever they buy a new device.The first devices using the standardized connector will arrive on the market in 2010, though of course many phones already use microUSB for charging and data connectivity. What will be interesting is how Apple respond to the move; the dock connector is not only a common feature among docks and accessories, but a source of licensing revenue from third-party manufacturers.
How can you make your external USB Blu-ray drive better than everyone elses? Well, you could make it a Blu-ray burner, give it a range of connections and make it super-cheap, or you could go the ASUS way and put a great big light-up blue X on the side.
According to ASUS, the SBC-04B1S-U’s “elegant stand design and high glossy appearance represents its high feel of science and technology”, which is perhaps stretching the limits of what a basic USB Blu-ray reader can be described as. They also provide a dedicated app for adjusting the light-up X’s brightness, meaning you can have it set to different levels when reading or writing different media.
Baseline specs are 4.8x maximum Blu-ray disc reading, 8x DVD burning and 24x CD burning. It connects via USB 2.0 and is compatible with Windows but not OS X; no word on exactly how much that big flashing X will set you back, though.
According to ASUS, the SBC-04B1S-U’s “elegant stand design and high glossy appearance represents its high feel of science and technology”, which is perhaps stretching the limits of what a basic USB Blu-ray reader can be described as. They also provide a dedicated app for adjusting the light-up X’s brightness, meaning you can have it set to different levels when reading or writing different media.Baseline specs are 4.8x maximum Blu-ray disc reading, 8x DVD burning and 24x CD burning. It connects via USB 2.0 and is compatible with Windows but not OS X; no word on exactly how much that big flashing X will set you back, though.
Friday, June 19, 2009
We first heard about Huawei’s E583X wireless modem back in February, and now the company has been showing it off at CommunicAsia in Singapore. A MiFi rival, the E583X – also known as the i-Mo – packs an HSPA modem and WiFi router into a palm-sized battery powered box.
Runtime is tipped at up to 5hrs, after which the E583X recharges from a USB port. You can also leave it plugged in and use it as a standard USB modem, though only with that one computer. As with the MiFi it supports up to five simultaneous WiFi connections and has a microSD card slot, though the Huawei apparently only supports microSD access via direct USB connection, not by any WiFi client as on the MiFi.
Still, it looks to be a little smaller than the MiFi, which may sway some users who are short on space. We’d say this one will come down to which carriers offer the Huawei and which plump for the Novatel rival; the E583X is set to land in Europe come July, though there’s no word on which networks have signed up.
Runtime is tipped at up to 5hrs, after which the E583X recharges from a USB port. You can also leave it plugged in and use it as a standard USB modem, though only with that one computer. As with the MiFi it supports up to five simultaneous WiFi connections and has a microSD card slot, though the Huawei apparently only supports microSD access via direct USB connection, not by any WiFi client as on the MiFi.Still, it looks to be a little smaller than the MiFi, which may sway some users who are short on space. We’d say this one will come down to which carriers offer the Huawei and which plump for the Novatel rival; the E583X is set to land in Europe come July, though there’s no word on which networks have signed up.
Verizon are wising up to the fact that data subscribers want to keep using their WWAN modems even when outside the reach out EVDO Rev.A networks, hence this: the USB1000 Global Modem. As well as CDMA service while in the US, the Verizon USB1000 supports triband HSPA for when you’re abroad; there are also global data plans for regular travelers.
The USB1000 Global Modem itself is priced at $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and assuming you’re willing to sign a two-year agreement. After that, you can choose from a range of pay-per-use or monthly plans, depending on your likely usage. GlobalAccess Monthly starts at $129.99 for 100MB in 31 destinations ($0.005/KB after that) plus 5GB in the US and Canada ($0.05/MB after that); alternatively there’s a $219.99 plan which gets 200MB in those foreign destinations.
If you’re traveling less often, the GlobalAccess Pay Per Use plan might be more cost-effective. Verizon require a 5GB monthly US data plan, at $59.99 per month, but after that you’ll pay $0.002/KB in Canada, $0.005/KB in Mexico and $0.02/KB in more than 175 other destinations.
The flexibility is good, but we can’t help but think that you’d be better off picking up a pay-per-use SIM card in whatever country you’re traveling to, and using a local network direct rather than roaming. That certainly seems like it would work out cheaper than Verizon’s service.
The USB1000 Global Modem itself is priced at $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and assuming you’re willing to sign a two-year agreement. After that, you can choose from a range of pay-per-use or monthly plans, depending on your likely usage. GlobalAccess Monthly starts at $129.99 for 100MB in 31 destinations ($0.005/KB after that) plus 5GB in the US and Canada ($0.05/MB after that); alternatively there’s a $219.99 plan which gets 200MB in those foreign destinations.If you’re traveling less often, the GlobalAccess Pay Per Use plan might be more cost-effective. Verizon require a 5GB monthly US data plan, at $59.99 per month, but after that you’ll pay $0.002/KB in Canada, $0.005/KB in Mexico and $0.02/KB in more than 175 other destinations.
The flexibility is good, but we can’t help but think that you’d be better off picking up a pay-per-use SIM card in whatever country you’re traveling to, and using a local network direct rather than roaming. That certainly seems like it would work out cheaper than Verizon’s service.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Kingston announced a brand new flash drive series yesterday called the DataTraveler 200, which sports a 128GB capacity for the very first time. Other models are 32GB and 64GB, rounding out the line up nicely.
These flash drives feature added security by means of the Password Traveler software. Other specs include a capless design with a retractable USB connector. It’s also compatible with the ReadyBoost feature on Windows Vista.
These flash drives will work with both PCs and Macs. Available now, the 32GB, 64GB and 128GB DataTraveler 200 flash drives cost $120, $213 and $546, respectively.
These flash drives feature added security by means of the Password Traveler software. Other specs include a capless design with a retractable USB connector. It’s also compatible with the ReadyBoost feature on Windows Vista.These flash drives will work with both PCs and Macs. Available now, the 32GB, 64GB and 128GB DataTraveler 200 flash drives cost $120, $213 and $546, respectively.
Sony Japan have announced a new range of B-series Walkman PMPs, in the shape of the NWZ-B142F(JE). Not a snappy title, but the PMP claims to make finding the track you want more straightforward courtesy of its ZAPPIN feature, that runs through your music playing a five-second snippet from the middle of the song.
That won’t take all that long, since the NWZ-B142F(JE) Walkman only has 2GB of onboard memory. If audio previews aren’t your thing, then there’s a three-line monochrome LCD display, together with an FM radio. The battery is rated for up to 18hrs of music playback, and a three-minute “quick charge” is good for 90 minutes of runtime.
Other features include an equalizer, 30 radio presets, voice and radio recording, bass enhancement and support for MP3 and WMA files. File transfer is drag-and-drop over USB 2.0, and the whole thing weighs just 26g. It’s listed as “coming soon” but there’s no pricing information.
That won’t take all that long, since the NWZ-B142F(JE) Walkman only has 2GB of onboard memory. If audio previews aren’t your thing, then there’s a three-line monochrome LCD display, together with an FM radio. The battery is rated for up to 18hrs of music playback, and a three-minute “quick charge” is good for 90 minutes of runtime.
Other features include an equalizer, 30 radio presets, voice and radio recording, bass enhancement and support for MP3 and WMA files. File transfer is drag-and-drop over USB 2.0, and the whole thing weighs just 26g. It’s listed as “coming soon” but there’s no pricing information.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Tiny gadgets have an unmistakable allure, so a 5.5 x 2 x 2 cm camcorder is always going to catch our eye. The Muvi Micro Camcorder is apparently the smallest in the world, but marketing hyperbole aside it does offer a compact way to capture VGA 640 x 480 25fps video to microSD card.
There’s also an optional voice-activated mode, which will start recording if noise over 65dB is heard. The casing is metal, and Firebox offer an Extreme Sports Pack with the necessary brackets to attach the camcorder to a helmet, bike or handglider.
Recharging is done via USB, and the Muvi Micro Camcorder is compatible with up to 8GB microSD cards. It can also be used as a webcam over the USB connection. It’s on sale now, priced at around £79.95 ($131); the Extreme Sports Pack is around £19.95 ($33).
There’s also an optional voice-activated mode, which will start recording if noise over 65dB is heard. The casing is metal, and Firebox offer an Extreme Sports Pack with the necessary brackets to attach the camcorder to a helmet, bike or handglider.
Recharging is done via USB, and the Muvi Micro Camcorder is compatible with up to 8GB microSD cards. It can also be used as a webcam over the USB connection. It’s on sale now, priced at around £79.95 ($131); the Extreme Sports Pack is around £19.95 ($33).
Virgin Mobile USA have announced a pay-as-you-go mobile broadband service, which will be exclusively available through Best Buy Mobile. Broadband2Go uses a Novatel Wireless EVDO Rev.A USB modem, and offers contract-free data from as little as $10; however, there are limits over how that data access can be used.
The USB modem itself will be priced at $149.99 when it goes on sale from late June. On top of that, you can buy 100MB of data use for $10, 250MB for $20, 500MB for $40 and 1GB for $60; all but the 100MB package expire after 30 days, with the cheapest offering needing to be used within 10 days. Virgin Mobile have designed a new monitoring site, which can be used to track data use, when your package will expire, and to buy more access.
Compatible with Macs and PCs, the dongle also includes a microSD slot happy with up to 16GB cards. Virgin Mobile USA use Sprint’s data network, so anywhere they have coverage you should be good to go. This is really a deal for anyone unwilling or unable to sign a data contract: for the money, regular users will get a better deal committing to two years.
The USB modem itself will be priced at $149.99 when it goes on sale from late June. On top of that, you can buy 100MB of data use for $10, 250MB for $20, 500MB for $40 and 1GB for $60; all but the 100MB package expire after 30 days, with the cheapest offering needing to be used within 10 days. Virgin Mobile have designed a new monitoring site, which can be used to track data use, when your package will expire, and to buy more access.
Compatible with Macs and PCs, the dongle also includes a microSD slot happy with up to 16GB cards. Virgin Mobile USA use Sprint’s data network, so anywhere they have coverage you should be good to go. This is really a deal for anyone unwilling or unable to sign a data contract: for the money, regular users will get a better deal committing to two years.
Every sale of Active Media’s new WWF Penguin USB flash drive may prompt the company to send off a 5-percent donation to the WWF, but we’re hoping it won’t encourage owners to grab poor, innocent penguins, snatch off their upper-bodies and attempt to ram the remainder into the nearest USB port. Real penguins don’t come in 2GB, 4GB, 8GB or 16GB capacities, after all.
Neither do they have PVC-free non-toxic silicone rubber bodies, like the Active Media penguins have. The company also claims that their drive is free of lead and mercury.
No matter how many they sell, Active Media are pledging to give at least $25,000 to the WWF fund, so even if you’re lazy and apathetic about your novelty flash storage it’s nice to know the animals will still get a donation. The penguin drives are available now, priced between $12.95 and $42.95.
Neither do they have PVC-free non-toxic silicone rubber bodies, like the Active Media penguins have. The company also claims that their drive is free of lead and mercury.
No matter how many they sell, Active Media are pledging to give at least $25,000 to the WWF fund, so even if you’re lazy and apathetic about your novelty flash storage it’s nice to know the animals will still get a donation. The penguin drives are available now, priced between $12.95 and $42.95.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
We can’t all be Jean Michel Jarre, but thanks to the Arduino microprocessor we can flail our arms around and make music. Omer Yosher’s “Airpiano” is a long strip of motion sensors treated as, via the Arduino, midi keys and faders; moving your hands over and through the sensors control notes or samples, as well as volume.
LEDs embedded in the long controller strip give visual feedback as to your movements, and the full length of the Airpiano is equivalent to an octave’s worth of notes. Of course, since you’re firing off midi messages it’s just as easy to trigger samples, clips, or multiple other things.
Connectivity is via USB, which makes it portable, and accompanying software is used to assign presets and transpose notes. The Airpiano went on show as part of the Berlin Design Festival; unfortunately there are no plans, as far as we’re aware, for a commercial release.
Sony’s PSP Go! might be a masterpiece of miniaturization, but it’ll bring with it a shrinking feeling in your wallet, too. Set to land in the US on October 1st, the all-digital companion to the existing PSP-3000 will not only cost nigh-on twice as much as its bigger sibling, but require all new accessories thanks to a sneaky change of port type.
Rather than using a mini USB port, as the PSP-3000 does, the PSP Go! has a new, multifunction socket on the bottom of the handheld. That keeps down space, of course, but it also means that accessories existing PSP owners already have won’t work with the new console.
Sony, unsurprisingly, are lining up a range of PSP Go! accessories - including AV cables, USB cables, AC adapters, wrist-straps and screen protectors - that will play happily with their new gadget, but that’s no use to the people who have already spent significant amounts of money on PSP-3000 add-ons. The company’s own GPS module and chat keyboards won’t work, and neither will hundreds of third-party accessories.
Rather than using a mini USB port, as the PSP-3000 does, the PSP Go! has a new, multifunction socket on the bottom of the handheld. That keeps down space, of course, but it also means that accessories existing PSP owners already have won’t work with the new console.
Sony, unsurprisingly, are lining up a range of PSP Go! accessories - including AV cables, USB cables, AC adapters, wrist-straps and screen protectors - that will play happily with their new gadget, but that’s no use to the people who have already spent significant amounts of money on PSP-3000 add-ons. The company’s own GPS module and chat keyboards won’t work, and neither will hundreds of third-party accessories.
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