hardware

One-Button VHS to DVD Converter

Audio/Video, Home Theater, Gizmo of the Day / By /

vhs to dvd converterHere’s another VHS to DVD converter that’s an all-in-one unit being sold at Hammacher. It’s a one-touch system – stick in the VHS tape, and a blank DVD and press a button for conversion.

This also includes a built-in HDTV tuner so you can record from your TV/cable/satellite as well. It can also read and convert DV/Digital8 camcorder videocassettes. Includes an HDMI output.

A bit pricier than the other hardware/software options, but you may prefer the easier learning curve.

Buy now!
Price: $349.99
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

IBM may buy Sun Microsystems

Computers, Networking & Internet, Software / By /

IBM may buy Sun Microsystems in what may be a $7 billion deal. Apparently, IBM is offering $10/share which at the time the news came out was more than twice Sun’s then stock price.

IBM would be purchasing a fellow hardware and software vendor, and there is a decent amount of discussion and speculation as to what they are primarily after. After all, IBM has invested a fair amount into Java development, tools and solutions. Further speculation is that IBM does not care for the hardware component, but Sun has considerable high-end mainframe-type hardware in its repertoire.

Of further concern is how the industry will react and in particular, Sun customers and users. As a former Solaris sys admin, I know that Solaris shops & admins are fiercely loyal to the OS; and so are many of the Java developers.

I for one, will miss Sun should this come to pass, as I felt that Sun was very much there from the very beginning of the growth of the public Internet and World Wide Web.

#CES09: Bug Labs announces 5 new BUG modules

CES, Computers, Miscellaneous / By /

We first featured Bug Labs and their ‘open source’ hardware platform which features a Linux heart back in late 2007. Bug Labs is still around and announced 5 new modules at CES: BUGprojector, BUGsound, BUGbee, BUGwifi, and BUG3g GSM.

  • BUGprojector: the mini DLP-based projector Now you can display video from your BUG as big as you want to see it.
  • BUGsound is for music lovers. Has a 20-mm speaker, omnidirectional microphone and four stereo jacks for input, output, headphones and microphone.
  • BUGbee 802.15.4 module and the BUGwifi: 802.11 and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR module. Connect BUGs to WLANs, PANs, headsets and more, wirelessly.
  • BUG3g GSM module: which provides your BUG the ability to connect to high-speed 3G cell networks.

All these new BUGmodules will be available by the end of this quarter, with pricing and shipping details to be announced soon.

More info to come on the BugCommunity as well as the Bug Labs site.#CES09

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