Gadget Access

by Darren Murph, posted May 23rd 2008 at 2:01PM
If that Swarovski crystal-clad E010 was a bit too rich for your blood, why not take a gander at said unit’s successor? The recently introduced NWD-E020F series sports that well-known USB stick style, and as you can tell, you can customize yours in (almost) any color you choose thanks to the bundled (and changeable) Style-Up panels. By juicing this one all the way up — which takes just an hour, by the way — users can expect a respectable 28 hours of continuous playback; as for file compatibility, the E020 will play nice with MP3, WMA, AAC and LPCM formats. Get yours here (as in, the US of A) sometime soon for $69 (1GB) / $79 (2GB).

[Via CNET]

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Filed under: Portable Audio

by Joshua Topolsky, posted May 23rd 2008 at 8:46AM
Just like we said, the Zune has made its first retail appearance in Canada. Come June 13th, our friends to the north will be able to get their hands on Microsoft’s media players, starting at $139.99 (for the 4GB flash variety), up to $249.99 for the big-daddy 80GB version. Pre-orders are being taken now, but something tells us you’ll be able to get one on launch day regardless.

[Thanks, Andrew]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

by Darren Murph, posted May 23rd 2008 at 9:30AM
Not like we haven’t seen Nintendo’s DS used as a music maker before, but this variant may be the most amazing to date. yarglaaaafr’s ProteinDS application is currently in demo mode, but judging by the demonstrative video waiting after the break, it’s remarkably solid as-is. C’mon, it’s a tool that enables users to scratch up tunes via the handheld’s built-in touchscreen — how could Mario not approve?

[Via BoingBoing]

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Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio

Having trouble walking all three of your dogs simultaneously? Why not let the ezeleash ease your burden by offering an innovative method that will definitely save you a whole lot of muscle strain and stress.

ezeleash is an ergonomically designed dog lead handle, incorporating a bag dispenser and a spray hand sanitizer. It allows you comfortable control of your dog or dogs. The handle has a grip especially designed to reduce strain on your hand and forearm. The bag dispenser is designed to accommodate a roll of specially shaped, biodegradable ezebags. These can be accessed with one hand, while still retaining easy control of your dog. The full bag can be attached to the underside of the ezeleash until it is able to be properly disposed of. The ezeclenze sanitizer allows you to clean your hands at any time after dealing with your pet. The waterless spray evaporates off, leaving your hands fresh, moisturised and germ free. ezeleash has an adjustable lead portion, so that you are able to change the lead length to suit your needs.

Now this is definitely a convergence product made specially for dog lovers, and I must say I am pretty impressed by it! It works fine for just one dog, and even better for owners of multiple dogs. Prices start from $39.90 upwards, depending on the type of packaging you prefer.

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The pajamas I’ve been in all day hardly qualifies me to be doling out fashion advice, but as a human being with eyes, I feel the need to publicly express my disapproval for hoodies. Sure, they’re loose and comfortable, but so are my pajamas. And I don’t leave the house wearing them.

Given my distaste for hoodies for people, then, I’m sure it goes without saying that I’m not a fan of these GEAR4 StreetWear hoodies for the 3G iPod nano. Considering that such cases were available for the ipod since at least 2004, I’m guessing that my opinion of the £9.99 hooded nano sweatshirt, complete with Velcro pocket and keyring, won’t stop production.

Via Shiny Shiny.

What you see above is actually a postage stamp that features a 3-second sport clip depicting various perspectives of the winning soccer goal that Andreas “Andi” Herzog scored past Sweden to grant Austria passage to the 1998 World Cup. This historical moment has been immortalized by the Austria postal administration in honor of the upcoming Union of European Football Associations’ 2008 series.

By using advancements in existing technology, Austria Post has managed to put the moving image of this goal onto a postage stamp. The stamp is very large. It measures 6.5 cm (2.6 inches) wide by 4.7 cm (1.9 inches) tall. With its size, denomination, and the novelty of moving images, it is sure to stand out in a stamp collection.

While this stamp is valid for postage, I highly doubt that anyone will use it for such a purpose since it is much nicer to keep as part of one’s collection. Definitely reminds me of those cool limited edition cards found in various collectible comic card series.

Source: Stamps of Distinction

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by Chris Ziegler, posted May 22nd 2008 at 3:10PM
Samsung’s latest volley in the iphone’s general direction — the Instinct — had been promised for a June launch, but beyond that we hadn’t gotten a specific date. That changes today with news that we should all be able to run our fingers over the Instinct’s glossy front (and back, and sides, and wherever else you should choose to do so) starting on the 20th of the month. Availability in all channels won’t be guaranteed initially, but that’s when Sprint wants to at least start the flow of Instincts into the market for an as-yet-to-be-announced price — so get ready to either speed from store to store in search of your new love on day zero, or just remain nude in front of your computer and scope it out on Sprint’s website.

[Via Phone Scoop]

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Filed under: cellphones

Netflix is going to sell a $99 box that will let subscribers get access to movies instantly instead of waiting for the DVD to show up in the mail. So now it’s instant instead of a few days. Apart from the one-time cost of the paperback book-sized hardware, you won’t pay anything more than your normal subscription fee.

Just one downside - you will only have access to approximately 10% of Netflix’s entire catalog. Somehow I bet Netflix will do a good job of deciding what movies to place into circulation for the set-top box.

This reminds me very much of Moviebeam which failed primarily in my opinion for not only having a severely restricted offering of movies, but having it dictated to me. At any given time, there were very few Moviebeam movies that I was interested in. RIP Moviebeam. Let’s see if Netflix learns from your mistakes.

Posted in Miscellaneous

Filed in archive Announcement by jim on May 17, 2008

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In case you haven't noticed there's been a war of sorts going on among the places, both online, and bricks and mortar that offer digital photo processing.

You can find lower and lower prices on digital printing and other services as well as other incentives.

If there is a CVS Pharmacy near you, you're in luck because they have reinstituted their "Digital Saturdays", from 2-4pm.

Their digital photography experts will be on hand to conduct workshops and demonstrations and to answer your questions about digital photography.

CVS is also offering 50 free digital prints via their online upload service for anyone who signs up, using their CVS club card, on their online digital print center.

I've used this service and found it to be quick, high in quality and reliable. You upload your digital photo files, indicate the location of the CVS store you want them sent to and in a couple of days they're there, and at a low price.

Your free digital photo club membership will also get you other incentives such as the one I got a few days ago for a free 5X7 or 8X10 print.

Source:www.cvs.com

Keeping true to their priority of being significant hubs of the community, Boost Mobile opened its first three retail stores, they are located in Huntington Park, California, Hialeah, Florida and Houston, Texas. In addition to the new retail locations the Boost Mobile prepaid products have been and will remain available to consumers at Wal-Mart, 7-11 and a huge number of other retail outlets.

More than just a place to buy goods, Michael Lanzo, Boost Vice President of Sales and Marketing says, “our stores have a great vibe and highlight the best we have to offer.” Contrary to the common shops, Lanzo adds, “they’re much more than just retail spots aimed at attracting customers—the stores are centers for community connection.  Becoming an integral part of these neighborhoods is a priority for Boost, and we are actively engaging local civic officials and giving back to charities in the communities where our stores are located.”

Boost seems determined to cultivate a ‘community’ image. The stores aim to exude a green vibe, filling the stores with furniture and decor made of recycled materials.

Via [MobileCrunch]

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