Gadgets Blog News

by Darren Murph, posted May 10th 2008 at 11:48PM It’d be absolutely spectacular to actually see one of these admittedly ambitious municipal WiFi projects actually work out every now and then, but instead, we’re seeing the nails start to sink into yet another citywide WiFi coffin. This go ’round, the network blanketing most of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is on the verge of sending out its last signals unless the city can devise a plan in short order to take it over from EarthLink, who unsurprisingly wants out on the double. (Read the full post about ‘Philadelphia’s citywide WiFi close to shutting down’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted May 11th 2008 at 2:26AM We had a pretty good feeling this would go down eventually, but we certainly didn’t see a confirmation (of sorts, anyway) coming this soon. Jim Denney, VP of product marketing at TiVo, has been quoted as saying that although the current version of Amazon Unbox can’t process high-definition content, TiVo and Amazon will jointly announce HD capabilities “in the not too distant future.” Granted, the content — whenever it does actually arrive — will only be accessible by “cable subscribers” with adequate bandwidth, but it’s not like that’s any sort of surprise. Sadly, details beyond what you’ve seen here were left out, but at least you can sleep soundl (Read the full post about ‘Amazon Unbox content going HD on TiVo’…)

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The Clip Stik Ultra-Slim Fan is one interested household gadget that offers an instant cooling breeze, no matter where you are. I guess with global warming and weird weather patterns happening all around, it makes perfect sense to keep a cool and calm head with this. Thanks to a slim “tower” design, this Lasko clip-on fan is easy to use anywhere. Clip it on a shelf or bookcase…or take off the clip and use it freestanding. Even a crowded desk or busy kitchen has room for this fan! Just clip it to a shelf, and you’ll be cooled and refreshed quickly and quietly. Two speeds—quick cooling or gentle breeze. Just adjust the swivel-action clip to direct the air flow where you need it, or away from paperwork. (Read the full post about ‘Clip Stik Ultra-Slim Fan’…)

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Are you a gym rat who needs to know your exact heart rate while performing your runs on the treadmill? Granted, some of the more advanced treadmills will be able to give you a reading of your current heart rate, but those aren’t exactly the most accurate in the world. The Strapless One Touch Heart Rate Watch, IMHO, would do a much better job. Unlike typical heart rate monitors that require uncomfortable chest straps, this heart rate device is as unobtrusive as a standard wrist watch and provides an EKG accurate reading to 1 beat-per-minute after only three beats. A signal beeps twice when your heart rate exceeds or falls below your optimal beats-per-minute target zone, informing you when to increase or decrease workout rate. (Read the full post about ‘Strapless One Touch Heart Rate Watch’…)

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As if we have not yet seen enough of all these new touchscreen phones that have been jumping out of the woodwork lately, here comes yet another, featuring the same old touchscreen, and almost the same specifications as well. Although this time, it could have one thing that separates it from the myriad of other touchscreen phones out there - herculean battery life. That’s because this new touchscreen phone falls under the Philips Xenium brand, which, in case you don’t know, has a reputation for churning out gadgets with incredibly long-lasting batteries. And knowing that this same company completed its very own touchscreen phone (Philips Xenium 9@9v) a couple of months back, this new rumor becomes quite believable. (Read the full post about ‘Philips Xenium X800 e2e to come with “edge to edge” touchscreen?’…)

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With the release of the Eee PC 900 quickly approaching, we are beginning to see more and more pre-order options opening up. The official release date is this coming Monday, which is May 12, but in case you cannot hold out any longer here are a few online retailers that are giving you the option to get your order in early.

We have already mentioned the listing over at ExcaliberPC, but now joining them are J&R, Buy.com and Amazon, all of which have the notebook listed for $549. For those willing to place their order early, let’s just hope the Eee PC 900 does not experience any shipping delays.

Via [I4U News]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness!

(Read the full post about ‘Asus Eee PC 900 almost available, but pre-orders are plenty’…)

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$899 million euros or $1.4 billion is definitely a huge sum of money and it seems like Microsoft would not just want to lose that amount over an anti-trust ruling that the EU has slapped Microsoft in February 2007. The fine was a result of a case filed against Microsoft for failing to comply with a 2004 ruling. So, Microsoft is appealing the EU ruling and hoping against all hopes that the EU would heed its plea to overturn the ruling or at least reduce the fine. If you recall, sometime in 2004, the EU slapped Microsoft with a $768 million fine after it failed to comply with an anti-trust ruling that ordered Microsoft to provide rival companies with data that would allow their servers to connect to the Windows platform which was the predominantly used operating systems in majority of the PCs in 2004. (Read the full post about ‘Microsoft asks EU Court to overturn, reduce 899 million euro anti-trust fine’…)

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Just in time for the summer holiday season comes British based company Devotec, with their entry in to the portable Solar charger market. Devotecs offering comes with a solar board & a neat brown leather slip case. Followed by a selection of adapters for all the major mobile phone brands (Nokia, Motorola, SonyEricsson etc. plus mini USB for HTC style smartphones), as well as mini jacks for MP3/4 players (including the Apple custom iPod connector) and similar portable equipment. To cover all other bases there’s a standard USB port adapter for plugging in your specific USB charger cable you may have with your digital camera. (Read the full post about ‘Devotec Solar Charger’…)

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With summer rolling around pretty soon, it is just about right for pesky bugs to start making their annoying appearance as well, especially at night. While spraying some sort of insect repellent is a pretty neat idea, why not take the fight to them instead of remaining a pacifist? After all, didn’t the old proverb use to go, “He who runs away, lives to fight another day”? The Bug Bag aims to ensure that no insects will be able to run away and do the horizontal tango with another of its own species in an effort to procreate. It accomplishes its task by simply frying them with a powerful electric shock. (Read the full post about ‘Bug Bat helps zap pests’…)

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Laptop sleeves are becoming more and more popular these days. Not only do they allow a laptop to be carried safely in a bag that doesn’t scream “I have an expensive computer in here!”, they also help users avoid carrying backbreaking amounts of junk. The new Cargo Laptop Sleeve from Built NY is perfect for those who just want to carry the bare minimum. It’s made out of tough, protective neoprene and aside from holding a laptop it offers three pockets that can hold a portable hard drive, a mouse, an ipod, or whatever you can find that will fit. It’s also got special zig zag stitching that gives it extra water resistance. (Read the full post about ‘Built NY cargo style laptop sleeve holds more than just your laptop’…)

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