Archive for November, 2004

Nintendo DS

| Posted Nov 30th, 2004 by Chief Gizmateer [e-mail, website]

Nintendo DS

With its two screens, Nintendo DS instantly shows its innovative face. But capabilities like a touch-screen input, voice recognition and wireless communication set it apart from every other game device, and again demonstrate Nintendo’s passion for groundbreaking originality. Game players need only use their imagination to see how the DS promises to transform the portable game industry by changing the way gamers relate to their games – and each other. Two screens offer two perspectives on the action at once. The touch screen could make accessing items, moving characters or navigating menus as easy as a tap or drag on the screen. Voice recognition could let players simply tell the game what they want it to do. Chat software will let users transmit text messages, handwriting and even drawings to one another. And wireless functions could link players in the same room – or across the country. The unique features of the Nintendo DS hold a wellspring of potential for the future. Game players will be wowed.

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AOL launches a virus offensive with 9.0

| Posted Nov 30th, 2004 by Chief Gadgeteer [e-mail, website]

NEW YORK – America Online Inc. is packaging new features to combat viruses, spam and spyware in response to growing online security threats. Subscribers will be able to get the free tools through a software download, known as AOL 9.0 Security Edition.

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“12 Gizmos of Christmas”: #4 – Cell Phones

| Posted Nov 30th, 2004 by Chief Gadgeteer [e-mail, website]

There was no way we Geeks were going to feature plain vanilla cell phones without a PDA or a camera. With the number of gadgets that a self-respecting geek has to carry around, consolidation is the name of the game, and integrating PDAs with cell phones was a natural merger. Once you get your hands on one of these cool PDA phones, you’re never going back! Cameras may not have seemed like the thing to stick into a phone, but they’ve taken off like a wildfire. We feature 2 PDA phones and 1 camera phone.

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RIM BlackBerry 7230 Phone

| Posted Nov 30th, 2004 by Chief Gizmateer [e-mail, website]

RIM BlackBerry 7230 Phone

Now Blackberry users can wirelessly read email, make phone calls, book meetings, and more–in color. The RIM Blackberry 7230’s high resolution 240×160 display supports over 65,000 colors. The popular handheld also includes increased memory for application and data storage (16 MB flash memory plus 2 MB SRAM), and easy integration with multiple email systems, so you can keep your existing email address or use the one included with the Blackberry. Plus integrated attachment viewing lets you read Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, and Adobe PDF files with ease.

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Sony Ericsson T610 Phone

| Posted Nov 30th, 2004 by Chief Gizmateer [e-mail, website]

Sony Ericsson T610 Phone

Featuring a high-resolution, 65,536-color screen, this phone supports the Java and Mophun platforms, Bluetooth, infrared, cable, and Apple iSync connectivity, features a handy Quickshare camera, and more.

The T610’s four rows of animated menu icons bring a PC-like navigation experience to your phone while still leaving plenty of room for messages, which the phone’s MMS capability lets you to compose using images, sounds, and text. With both Java and Mophun platform support, the widest range of mobile phone games and applications are also available for you to download and enjoy.

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palmOne Treo 650

| Posted Nov 29th, 2004 by Chief Gizmateer [e-mail, website]

palmOne Treo 650

The Treo™ 650 smartphone from palmOne makes it easier than ever to stay connected. It simplifies your life by combining a compact mobile phone with email, an organizer, messaging, and web access.3 There’s also Bluetooth® technology so you can connect wirelessly to other Bluetooth devices. Not to mention an MP3 player, a digital camera that captures video, and a vibrant color screen that brings everything to life – all in a device that’s still small enough to fit in your pocket. Seems like Treo smartphones just keep getting smarter.

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Gadget allows skiers track each other

| Posted Nov 29th, 2004 by Chief Gadgeteer [e-mail, website]

Straight out of James Bond’s Q- Lab: a gadget destined to quash the “noon-at-the-top” mountain-meeting mantra and the ubiquitous walkie-talkie cackle of skiers seeking wayward companions. Skiers will be able to strap on special wristwatch transmitters that allow families and friends to track each other on the mountain.

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“12 Gizmos of Christmas”: #5 – Portable CD Players

| Posted Nov 29th, 2004 by Chief Gadgeteer [e-mail, website]

Day 5 of the 12 Gizmos of Christmas brings us Portable CD Players! Ever since Sony first introduced the Walkman, portable music players have become a must-have gadget. You gotta have your music with you wherever you go: running, travelling, at the gym, grandma’s… With the advent of MP3 technology, it was inevitable that CD players would start integrating that capability. Read on for more.

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Panasonic SL-SX430 Portable CD/MP3 Player with D-Sound

| Posted Nov 29th, 2004 by Chief Gizmateer [e-mail, website]

Panasonic SL-SX430 Portable CD/MP3 Player with D-Sound

This portable CD/MP3 player provides some unusual benefits along with the ability to play CDs, CDRs, CDRWs, and CDs with MP3 files. The first is “advanced D-sound technology, which is essentially a combination of a digital amplifier, which helps reduce distortion for crystal-clear sound at higher volume levels; S-XBS and digital audio gain control, which helps improve bass response at higher volume levels; and MP3 re-master technology, which maximizes sound quality from compressed music files, such as MP3 and WMA.

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Sony D-NF400 Psyc ATRAC Portable CD Player with Digital Tuner (AM/FM/TV/Weather)

| Posted Nov 29th, 2004 by Chief Gizmateer [e-mail, website]

Sony D-NF400 Psyc ATRAC Portable CD Player with Digital Tuner (AM/FM/TV/Weather)

Spin your commercial CDs, your homemade music CDs of almost any stripe, or listen to the radio, TV, or weather-band transmissions with Sony’s versatile, full-circle D-NF400 Psyc-styled Walkman portable CD player. The snazzy player includes SonicStage software, which lets you take full advantage of ATRAC3plus (Sony’s proprietary music-compression technology) when making custom MP3 CDs on your computer. Playback options include 32-track programming, repeat (track, disc, or program), random play, and–thanks to Sony’s great work in DSP efficiency–more than 85 hours of ATRAC3plus CD or up to 50 hours of audio CD playback from 2 AA batteries (not included).

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