The Cyberus ID700WTA Smart Info Engine; You Got Your E-Reader In My Media Player

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E-Readers are still a fairly young type of product, which means the market is currently glutted with different company's takes on the idea. Some of them, like the Barnes & Noble nook, are really cool looking gadgets that could end up establishing an e-reader dynasty. Others, like the Sony Reader, are about as exciting and inspired as a pair of flannel pajama bottoms. I'm not sure yet which category Cyberus' new ID700WTA “Smart Info Engine” falls under, but I've got strong suspicions it could end up being awesome.

The ID700 isn't a dedicated e-reader, of course. Cyberus bills it as being a hybrid reader and personal media player. I think they need to stop splitting hairs and just call the damned thing a tablet PC, but that's just me. The ID700 has a 7” LCD screen, and comes with a protective folding cover that makes it look slightly more like a book. While Cyberus doesn't run their own e-book store, this reader can handle most e-book formats and, as an added blessing, can read PDF files.

Posted on Thu, 5 Nov 2009 03:46:30 CST | by Robert Evans

Creative Throws Their Hat Into The E-Book Ring: Zii MediaBook

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All the tech news sites (including this one) have dedicated an enormous amount of time, effort, and words discussing the Apple iTablet. Despite the fact that such a product may not and may never exist, every rumor and analyst speculation about it has been picked apart and discussed to death. While we were busy geeking out over this mythical gadget, Creative was busy actually building the damn thing.

That's right; Epizenter reports that, at their Annual General Meeting, Creative made a surprise announcement. They unveiled a working prototype of their very first e-reader, tentatively named the Zii MediaBook. This MediaBook isn't your standard black-and-white e-ink reader either. It's got a touchscreen, text-to-speech functionality, and an SD slot. Creative also says it will be 'Internet-enabled', but didn't elaborate if that meant 3G functionality or WiFi (or both).

Posted on Sun, 1 Nov 2009 02:39:25 CST | by Robert Evans

Gift Tip 2: Phobos High End Gaming And Media PC By BFG Technologies

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The Phobos product line is composed of gaming and multimedia PCs brought to you by BFG Technologies. This line of machines offers high functionality and has been developed with features that will quench the gaming desire of any Graduated Gamer. The developmental goal of Phobos is to deliver a gaming/home theater system for those gamers and media enthusiasts who aspire for a high-performance system, but cannot build or service one, which can be due to several reasons like lack of time, skill or enthusiasm. Therefore, BFG Technologies provides a complementary Concierge Service with Phobos, which will prevent any installation and maintenance strain.
Read more

Posted on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:51:29 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Western Digital WD TV Live HD Media Player Video Review

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Tweaktown published a review of the Western Digital WD TV Live HD Media Player Video.
Quote from the review: "Today we present you with a video review of the Western Digital WD TV Live HD media player. It is the third media player to be released by the American hard drive company in the past year and from all accounts and our testing; they’ve hit the nail on the head with its third version! Read more

Posted on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

brite-View 1080p HD Media Player Video Review

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Tweaktown reviews the brite-View media player selling for $89.99 on Amazon.com.

Quote from the review: "Today we get a close up look at the brite-View CinemaTube 1080p HD Media Player. On the surface we thought we might be in for a treat. What type of treat, you say? Well, something different than the usual run-of-the-mill HD media players we’ve been looking at this year. And by different, we mean a player with a unique controller, interface and feel. It turns out the brite-View product is (yes, again) another Realtek-based player. Yawn??! Read more

Posted on Fri, 9 Oct 2009 16:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Epson Offers Multimedia Business Projectors Starting Under $600

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Epson has announced three new projectors in its EX-series today that offer good features at prices starting under $600. The projectors include the EX31, EX51, and EX71. The three projectors are aimed at businesses looking for good performance at a good price.

The projectors have 2,500 lumens of light output making them bright enough for rooms that aren’t dark. The EX31 will sell for $549, the EX51 will sell for $649, and the EX71 will sell for $749. The projectors have 3LCD technology for vibrant images. The EX31 has SVGA resolution, the EX51 offers XGA resolution and HDMI, and the EX71 offers WXGA resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio. Read more

Posted on Tue, 6 Oct 2009 12:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Active Media Products Introduces Aviator 312 External USB 3.0 SSD

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A company called Active Media Products has unveiled a new SSD that uses the USB 3.0 interface called the Aviator 312. The SSD is an external storage solution designed to operate at 4.8Gbits/sec making it about ten times faster than USB 2.0. The drive is very small measuring about 3" long x 0.2" thick.

The company says with the massive speed of USB 3.0 a full 25GB HD film can be saved in about two minutes. The drive comes with a carry pouch and a USB 3.0 micro-B cable for connectivity to any port. The drive will work with any USB 2.0 or 1.1 port as well, just at lower speeds. Read more

Posted on Mon, 5 Oct 2009 05:32:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Gateway NV5214u Multimedia Notebook Review

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Today I am checking out the Gateway NV5214u multimedia notebook. The machine is a Best Buy exclusive at a price of about $550. The machine offers up good performance for the money.

The notebook has 4GB of RAM and a 15.6-inch screen. The CPU is from AMD and offers lots of bang for your buck. Read more

Posted on Fri, 2 Oct 2009 10:29:54 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Telcast T56: A 1080p Media Player

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Finding a personal media player that can output full 1080p HD is about as easy as finding a portable keyboard that doesn't suck. If Engadget is right, Telcast, a Chinese firm, may be one of the first. Their T56 PMP has a nice, big 5" screen, 1080p output from an HDMI port, and an 800 x 600 resolution.

We don't know this thing's hardware specs, or how much space it will pack. It will include a GPS and an FM tuner, as well as an SD slot and a unibody-style all-metal stamped body. This thing looks as tough as a rock.

Posted on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:08:49 CDT | by Robert Evans

12 Live Coverage Recommendations For Apple Media Event

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We can't make the trip to sunny California for the Apple It's Only Rock and Roll, But We Like It Media event.
Good thing several other tech sites are at the event and do the usual live blogging, until the day Apple will offer a live video stream to save the earth from all the pollution generated from journalist travelling. Apple could also just let CNN do the coverage. News stations cover every little press conference most people do not care about. The most popular tech press-conference would definitely draw lots of viewers in front of CNN.

I wrote yesterday that the event needs a big surprise as camera iPods are not all that exciting. Daring Fireball gives me some hope as he writes in his rumor round-up for the September 9th Apple event. Not much is leaking out from Apple. Read more

Posted on Wed, 9 Sep 2009 11:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Netgear introduces EVA2000 Set-top Media Streamer

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Netgear has unveiled a new set-top media streaming box called the EVA2000. The box allows users to play their own personal media collections on their big screen in the living room and provides access to YouTube and other video content on living room screens.

The box also supports Roxio CinemaNow and videos from popular services like Hulu, Netflix, and CBS can be streamed from the box with free trials and optional subscriptions. Those with no Ethernet connection at their TV can use the optional Wi-Fi adapter to connect wirelessly. Read more

Posted on Wed, 9 Sep 2009 09:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

CyberLink Offers MediaShow 5 for Saving Home Video

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CyberLink has announced a new software application that allows users to archive and share their home videos and pictures. The application is called MediaShow 5 and wraps a number of features that users will appreciate into the software.

Among the features are face recognition allowing for smart tagging to swiftly tag a large set of photos. The app also has a number of one-click fixes to allow consumers to enhance videos taken in poor lighting and while moving. Read more

Posted on Tue, 8 Sep 2009 07:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Samsung M1 Media Player: Powered by Nvidia's Tegra

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Nvidia's new Tegra processor has already garnered a lot of attention due to its place powering the Zune HD. Now Nvidia has announced that the Samsung M1 media player also packs a Tegra HD mobile processor. Considering the M1 also packs an AMOLED screen and offers 720p HD video playback, it appears to be right on par with the Zune HD now.

Nvidia brags that the M1 also has a Flash-based 3D UI, and will launch with a variety of wireless mobile games in 2D and 3D graphics. We have no information on price as of yet, and other than the fact that it has a 3.3" monitor and the aforementioned Tegra chip, no knowledge of the hardware this media player will sport.

Posted on Sat, 5 Sep 2009 12:10:03 CDT | by Robert Evans

Toshiba JournE Touch: The Tablet/Media Box?

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More and more people every year are using media boxes. Manufacturers have started to take note of this, and now an increasing number of products are being launched that have media box functionality. The Zune HD is a perfect example. It's a media player, but with HDMI out and its own TV interface, it also makes a solid choice for a media box. According to Gizmodo, Toshiba is getting in on the game as well; their JournE Touch media tablet is built for use in the living room.

The JournE is a 7" tablet that runs on Windows CE. It has an ARM processor inside, and it can run a full web browser and access things like Picasa, YouTube, Flickr, and IM clients. It comes with WiFi enabled and its (separately sold) base station has USB and HDMI outlets. At $350, this machine isn't too terribly expensive. With the base station, you could hook it up to your TV and use it as a cheap, tiny media box and browsing device.

Posted on Thu, 3 Sep 2009 11:45:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

Creative Announces Zen X-Fi2 Media Player At IFA

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Are you in the market for a touchscreen media player, but not one that costs as much as the iPod Touch or the Zune HD? If so, you might want to plant your eyes on Creative's Zen X-Fi2 multimedia player this holiday season. This new touchscreen player was debuted yesterday at the IFA conference in Berlin. It's got a very slim profile, and appears to be just a 3" LCD touchscreen with a very minimal frame.

Techtree reports that this media player can handle iTunes Plus, FLAC files, WMV9, MPEG4-SP, DivX 4/5 and XviD formats. It comes with a microSD slot, a TV out capability, a built-in microphone and an FM radio. It comes in three sizes; 8GB ($130), 16GB ($180), and 32 GB ($230).

Posted on Thu, 3 Sep 2009 11:00:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

Nokia X6 Media Player Announced

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Nokia has really been surprising us lately. First the Nokia Booklet launched as one of the sweetest pieces of netbook-ery on the market, and now the world's leading mobile manufacturer has a media player coming down the line as well. Part Zune HD, part iPod Touch, and all Nokia, the X6 is one of the more interesting gadgets that's been announced in a while.

The X6 looks to be an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of high-end media players. It's got a 3.2" touchscreen, 32 GB of storage, a 14mm thin body, a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and a dual LED flash. It's capable of video editing and uploading, has a full web browser, Flash Lite support, A-GPS, Ovi Maps, and Will Wright's Spre included.

Posted on Wed, 2 Sep 2009 11:00:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

Genius Launches New Multimedia Tablets

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Genius has announced that it is now offering new multimedia tablets that pack professional level features into devices at consumer prices. The new additions to the line of digital tablets include the G-Pen M609X and the G-Pen M712X for graphic designers and artists.

Both the tablets are dual-mode devices and come with extensive multimedia functions and are plug-and-play ready. The pads support Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Mac OS C 10.2.8 and later. The dual mode capabilities let the user switch the screen from wide to standard mode and back again. Read more

Posted on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Apple iPod Media Event Rumored for September 9th

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Last week the first rumors about Apple holding a press conference in the week of September 7th appeared. Now AllThingsDigital reports that their sources say the Apple Media event is happening on Wednesday, September 9th in San Francisco.
This Apple Media event will be about new iPods and music only. AllThingDigital confirms again that there will be no Apple iTablet. Read more

Posted on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:34:21 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Bokode the Future of Barcode: An Interview with MIT Media Labs

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Last month I wrote an article about bokodes, an interesting new technology that could revolutionize everything from barcodes to street signs. I recently had an opportunity to interview Quinn Smithwick, a member of the Camera Culture Group at the MIT Media Lab. His answers give us an idea of where MIT hopes to take bokodes in the near future, and the impact this new technology could have upon our daily lives.

Posted on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:00:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

Maxell Unveils Flash Media Lineup

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Maxell has announced that they will be offering a full line of flash-based storage products with USB connectivity. The line will include a number of flash drives with five different available styles. Among the new drives will be a basic USB drive in blue or silver colors.

Maxell will offer a sliding USB drive with a side push design for the retractable USB port. A drive with a rotating 360-degree cover will be available that offers password protection. The USB Style drive has encryption technology and ships with software to allow backup of files automatically to the flash drive. Read more

Posted on Wed, 5 Aug 2009 09:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

CinemaCube HD Media Player Debuts

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A company called ZINNET unveiled a new HD media player for the living room today called the CinemaCube. The device is also designed to allow downloading of BitTorrent programs. Along with the CinemaCube, the company also unveiled a device called Air HD that wirelessly streams HD transmissions to your TV.

The CinemaCube sells for $89.99, connects to your TV, and has a place to connect USB storage devices. The device is networkable and can play content stored on local PCs and allows for PC free BitTorrent downloads. Read more

Posted on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun