Gadgets Blog News

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted May 6th 2008 at 6:25AM Once thought to be the exclusive domain of Ford, Sync-like technology looks to be coming to Hyundai and Kia cars by 2010. While Microsoft and Hyundai aren’t calling the technology Sync officially, the new “music and information system” will be a voice-controlled interface that links mobile devices to car stereos, complete with remote firmware updates. Sounds a lot like Sync to us. Interestingly, only later versions will include multimedia and navigation-related features. This is a curious omission — why would Hyundai need Microsoft’s help just to plug in some iPods? The product will be made official at a ceremony in Seoul attended by Bill Gates and Hyundai (Read the full post about ‘Microsoft’s Sync tech to come to Hyundai and Kia, Ford asks “but what about us?”’…)

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If you’re as big a fan of text messaging as I am, then this will be good news for you, too: LG has just released the enV(2), which, if the name didn’t give it away, is the updated, sleeker version of the enV, a phone aimed at the text messaging market. It’s available with Verizon Wireless for a rather reasonable $129.99 with a two-year service agreement. The only problem with this new release is, as Nicole Lee at Crave points out, the other specs are are a bit old hat: 2 megapixels for a camera, even on a cell, is just sad in 2008. (That goes for you, too, Apple!) Also, I wish they would just call it the Envy, instead of the enV: who texts like that? (Read the full post about ‘LG’s enV(2) text-messaging cell phone now available’…)

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Those who have purchased the Samsung Yepp YP-P2 portable media player will realize that its touch screen display is actually furnished by Synaptics Inc., and uses the company’s vaunted ClearPad solution. To get a better idea of what the Synaptics ClearPad Sensor actually is, read on after the jump.

Synaptics’ ClearPad is a high-resolution, transparent capacitive touch solution that provides users with a compelling new experience for controlling displayed applications. ClearPad replaces traditional mechanical buttons and sliders enabling an easy-to-use interface and allowing more display real estate for rich content and on-screen interaction.

(Read the full post about ‘Synaptics ClearPad Sensor’…)

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Almost a year ago, I reported on CrunchGear’s first birthday party; it was a quirky and predictable mix of beer and gear. The guys had a good show of fans, but altogether we barely filled the second-floor. I’m drawing my own conclusion that alongside our own personal and professional online networks, both tech and social scenes have converged in popular, near-trendy ways. The result in this case? A pretty hot CrunchGear party. The line to get into Manhattan’s Red Sky wrapped around the block and the party extended to all three levels of the bar. Passersby must have gotten a good chuckle as so many of the patient partygoers had iPhones in hand and were typing away as they waited to go inside. (Read the full post about ‘CrunchGear’s May Meetup: A NYC can’t-miss event’…)

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It really wouldn’t be stylish to be caught cranking this USB power charger to rev up your cell phone battery, but in all probability, that would be the last thing on your mind if the battery went lifeless during an important call. This cute little power charger connects to cell phones, cameras or any device with a USB cord. All you have to do is crank the handle on the charger fto add those few minutes of extra battery time on the connected device. Precious and completely eco-friendly. The charger kit contains adapters to fit most cell phones (Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, and LG) and weighs a negligible 6 ounces. And at $39, it fits the wallet quite decently too. Available from National Geographic Online. (Read the full post about ‘Eco-friendly Hand-Crank USB Power Charger’…)

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If there’s one thing we’re passionate about here at Popgadget, it’s the need to make great technology easy to use and available to everyone. So I’m excited that Apple has been busy considering how to adapt its cult cell phone (you know the one…) to the needs of the hearing-impaired. According to Gizmodo, AT&T has just announced something called the Text Accessibility Plan (TAP) for iphone users. TAP will give iPhone customers with disabilities the choice of unlimited text messaging, Web browsing and easy access to e-mail for $40 a month. TAP is available to new and existing iPhone users with qualifying disabilities, all of whom will have to complete an application for eligibility to access the service. (Read the full post about ‘iPhone launches data plan for deaf users’…)

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Comfortable headsets are great when you can find them. If they are cordless it’s even better. Now add the ability to listen to your ipod wirelessly for up to 10 hours straight. If that is not enough – what if you and three other people could share the wireless connection? Have I peaked your interest yet?

Kleer (good name when talking about headsets) and DigiFi have joined their resources to give us a cordless headset with CD quality sound known as Opera. A bit rich at $98 but an interesting concept I must say.

Opera is not your ordinary headset. It wraps from behind your head and up over your ears.

(Read the full post about ‘DigiFi, Kleer partner to offer up Opera wireless headphones’…)

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What ever happened to killing two birds with one stone? This - the Sigma APO dual USB charger from Japan. As the name suggests, it will have a total of two USB ports so you can charge two devices with it simultaneously. Not exactly groundbreaking technology, but it’s something road warriors such as yourself would gladly appreciate, I’m sure. It’s light, weighing in on only 43 grams, and runs 1000 mA in total for each port. Meaning that each device gets half of that, 500 mA whenever it is plugged in to it. So now you can relax, and watch your ipod and cellphone get charged while you do nothing. You know you can’t play with devices that are charging, don’t you? Ah, multi-functional devices. (Read the full post about ‘Sigma APO dual USB charger revives two devices with one plug’…)

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Say you have a pool in your backyard, and with summer coming round pretty soon it is time to jump in for a dip with that hottie you’ve picked up the night before. Why not make the entire experience more fun with the Two Person Water Lounger? This is the inflatable 7 1/2′ diam. water lounger that allows two people to relax comfortably head-to-toe, facilitating conversation. It is made of durable 0.3 mm thick PVC that will withstand exuberant play, and has a removable, inflatable cooler located in the center of the craft that holds up to six 12 oz. cans of your preferred beverage and ice. A cup holder built into either side of the hull provides a convenient place for a drink, swim goggles, or sunglasses. (Read the full post about ‘Two Person Water Lounger’…)

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  Kodak EASYSHARE 5300 All-in-One Printer comes with intuitive controls and a 100-sheet main tray plus up to 20-sheet 4 x 6 in. photo tray. Kodak EASYSHARE 5300 All-in-One EASYSHARE 5300 is a Bluetooth wireless technology enabled printer that also lets you enjoy two-sided document printing with optional duplexer attachment. Its automated print settings for optimized print quality and powerful KODAK EASYSHARE Software makes it worth buying for office or personal use. Features Large, high-resolution 3.0 in 7.6cm color display for easy photo cropping. Easy, one-click photo printing from most memory cards. Uses a convenient 2-cartridge and 6-ink system KODAK lab-quality pictures that last a lifetime in as little as 28 seconds. (Read the full post about ‘Kodak EASYSHARE 5300 All-in-One Printer’…)

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