Gadget Access

Finally here’s something that actually does what it advertises. Ubanana’s uCan - a waterproof mp3 player that you can actually wear in up to 10 feet deep water. But the best thing about this uber-cool looking gadget is the fact that all the essential parts that you normally get from a normal MP3 player are actually integrated within the gadget itself. Yes folks, that means no dangling wires that connect the earphones to the body of the MP3 player, its all integrated into the player itself.

The uCan has 1GB of memory which can store around 250 MP3 or 500 WMA files and gives out up to 15 hours of battery life. But we wouldn’t advise you to go diving into the open sea and stay under water for 15 hours just to enjoy using the uCan MP3 player, your supply of oxygen might not last that long. You can snag the uCan for $150 once it hits the stores sometime in July 2008.

Product [Ubanana] Via [Switched]

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While we have already seen the blackberry Bold announced as a soon-to-be AT&T and Rogers handset, up till now we just knew that the Bold would be available “beginning this summer.” It seems the answer to the release date as well as some other interesting tidbits have just been leaked.

While the Rogers release date is still unclear, we can tell you that AT&T will make it available in July for $300. However, in a little more interesting news it seems that the Bold is also headed for T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint just a few months later. They are all set to offer up the Bold beginning in September. Verizon and Sprint customers will have to shell out the same $300 as AT&T customers, however T-Mobile seems to be a slight bit higher coming in at $350.

Of course, these have not been confirmed by any of the carriers, so these dates and prices are still subject to change. Lets at least hope that the T-Mobile price drops just a little, otherwise that seems quite unfair.

Read [InfoSync] Via [EngadgetMobile]

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It looks like June is going to be another big month for the ultra-mobile PC market. In addition to the MSI Wind dropping on June 3, we will also be getting the Eee PC 901.

The Eee PC 901 will retain most of the same styling and features as the 900, except the 901 will feature an Intel Atom processor, built-in Bluetooth and have some metal allow parts added to the keyboard and hinge. The touchpad will also receive a metallic border. It was also confirmed, as we noted from the last images that the 901 will loss the Asus logo in favor of an Eee logo.

DigiTimes is also reporting that the notebook will be “at a price below” $650. Which would mean its pretty safe to say that it will retail for $649.99.

Via [DigiTimes]

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Whoa.  Hold it right there.  Is everyone drinking fouled cool aid or just gone straight to the rock?  What happened to our little cottage industry this week?  Let’s play “Who’s on Crack” shall we:

Microsoft. Says they hope to earn a 40% marketshare by 2012.  They were at 13% in ‘07.  Verdict?  Crack.

Amazon.  Analyst says the Kindle will sell like hotcakes, er iPods and be a $750 Million business by 2010.  Um, the same Kindle I’ve been making fun of for a while now?  Sorry.  Crack.

CBS buys C|Net. Even forgetting the premium they paid for it, C|Net (contrary to what Om thinks) is a dead brand.  Dead.  Sure they have a big audience but who still goes there for real product info?  I did back in the 90s.  Not since.  Dead.  And yes, Crack.

Icahn to Yahoo: you’re fired. Kudos to Mr. Icahn for standing up what he believes in.  Yangs personal battle with Microsoft seemed to figure into the play and did so at the expense of the talented folks at Yahoo.  I give Jerry Yang the crack here.  Icahn stays on the wagon.  For now.

Apple rumor mill. Kicking into overdrive this week, you’ll see strung out bloggers right and left in the coming weeks ahead. Crazy Intel rumors, retracted or better yet: oh, that never happened…wha?  Intel let the cat out of the bag, crackers.

Touch screen blackberry.  Ah Boy Genius, your photoshopping skills are fantabulous.  If only the real deal looked half as good as your rendering.  I am not sure who, but there is crack involved.

Note for the kids: Gadgetell does not endorse crack.  As far as I know, we endorse nothing.  Except maybe Unicorns.  Doug, Adam, Robert: can I get a ruling on endorsing Unicorns?

Anything to add to this illustrious list?

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by Darren Murph, posted May 16th 2008 at 11:23AM
Surely you remember Shinoda Plasma and its obscenely large PTA display, right? Unfortunately, this one’s no 142-incher, but 125-inches of curvaceous screen real estate still isn’t anything to sneeze at — especially when we’re talking about an actual prototype. The 3- x 1-meter display consists of three PTA (plasma tube array) modules connected together, and it features a rather uninspiring 960 x 360 resolution but weighs just 7.9-pounds. The actual “display part” measures just one-millimeter thick, and while this unit is likely to make a veiled appearance at InfoComm next month, a mass produced version will reportedly be produced in conjunction with Hibino. Honest opinion? We’re still feelin’ the resolution of Alienware’s curved monster, but digital signage fans should certainly dig where this one is headed.

[Via Pink Tentacle]

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Filed under: Displays

AT&T is currently working on a plan that will make their 3G wireless customers very happy. The recent announcement was a little but of a teaser, but one that should be worth the wait, as they are promising increased speed on their 3G network, offering up to 20Mbps by 2009.

Assuming the goal comes to light, this would mean the speeds would be about five times faster than what users are experiencing today. The plan would involve AT&T making the move to HSPA release 7 and according to statements from AT&T mobility chief Ralph de la Vega, this would require little hardware modifications and should make a smooth transition. Here’s hoping it all works out as planned, with potential 20Mbps speeds, mobile TV and over-the-air downloads may actually become enjoyable.

Via [Treo Central]

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by Donald Melanson, posted May 16th 2008 at 2:51PM Bags that charge your gadgets aren’t exactly a new concept, but that apparently hasn’t stopped Philips from trying to patent the idea, as evidenced by its recently-revealed application for a so-called “Smart Handbag.” This bag is somewhat unique, however, in that it has separate compartments for your various gizmos, each of which contain their own electric conductive circuit that’s used to top off the devices as needed (the bag itself is apparently charged simply by plugging the strap into a power outlet). As if that wasn’t enough, the other end of the strap would apparently be outfitted with a USB connector, which’d let you plug the bag into your computer and instantly have access to all the devices contained within it. Of course, that’s assuming computers still have USB ports whenever this thing actually makes it off the drawing board.

[Via Unwired View]

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Filed under: Misc. gadgets

Typepad bloggers who use the BlackBerry Curve or the Pearl will have no more reason not to update their blogs a little more often, as Six Apart is bringing its native mobile blogging application to both BlackBerry handsets. This means that these bloggers can now upload photos, manage comments, as well as draft, edit and post to their Typepad blogs directly from their phone.

Whereas before, BlackBerry users were able to use post to their blogs using their phones’ mobile web browser or the email-to-blog feature, now with Typepad’s native application, they can just do the same task without opening their phones browser. The post-to-blog feature is now embedded as one of menus of the their blackberry Curve or Pearl.

With the addition of BlackBerry models into the list of mobile platforms that TypePad supports, including Symbian Series 60, Windows Mobile and Palm, what is now left for Six Apart is an iphone supported application, which it promises to deliver soon.

The Six Apart mobile blogging application for BlackBerry Curve and Pearl is available for download at http://www.typepad.com/mobile.

Via [IntoMobile]

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Apparently, it’s sink or swim time for Samsung’s laptop group. Sukyong Hong, Samsung’s senior manager of overseas sales and marketing said that the company would quit the laptop market within three years unless it can triple sales.

Hong says that the company needs to ship 11 million laptops in 2011 in order for its notebook division to meet its “minimum survival” volume. Samsung currently enjoys 1.7% of the global laptop market, but will need to more than triple that to 5.7% within three years. Fortunately, a move into the US market and an unnamed European country is expected to boost sales and bring substantial growth. 

The shocking announcement came amidst the company’s major senior management overhaul. Samsung CEO Yun Jong-yong and Semiconductor business head Hwang Chang-gyu will be replaced.  Last month, the company’s long-standing chairman, Lee Kun-hee, stepped down due to allegations of tax evasion.

Read [PCPro]

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Forget the cash, forget the credit cards, you can even forget the family pictures – mobile phones are now more important to people than their wallets. A recent survey found that more than 38% of workers would choose their mobile phones over other essentials – including their wallets, keys, laptops or digital music players if they had to leave the house for 24 hours and could take only one item.

The survey was sponsored by Nortel Networks Corp, market research firm IDC conducted the survey and found that more than 38% people chose their mobile phones first, while less than 30% picked their wallets as their essential of choice.

Nortel, who is North America’s biggest telephone gear maker was trying to determine how many workers can be defined as “hyperconnected,” or people who use at least seven devices for work and personal access, and at least nine applications like e-mail, chat or social networking sites. The answer was 16%, and that number, at least according to the survey, can be expected to rise up to 40% in the next five years.

Read [Reuters]

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