Filed under: Peripherals

While we'll always know Violet for its iconic bunnies, the company is branching out into a more direct RFID application. The Mirror RFID reader is a USB-pluggable little platter that can read RFID tags and launch an assigned action on the bookkeeper when it spots a tag it knows. Examples we saw be conspicuous a tagged post card of Vegas launching a corresponding picture on the calculator (lame), a tagged toy car bringing up a map (getting warmer), a tagged brolly launching the weather forecast (now we're cooking with gas), and a cute little mini-Nabaztag figurine doing part of it wants (en fuego / choose your own tired metaphor). We could see the reader being put to use for the mainframe illiterate, or producing having their first go at a PC, but we're more excited to see what hackers can make of the tech -- old people and accouchement are overrated. No word on price or release date yet, but Violet has a press conferenced planned for Monday, so we should know more then.

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We've got our crack team of Engadget ninjas at IFA working to figure out exactly what's going on, but early word is that over 220 German Customs agents have raided the show looking for patent infringements. It's not clear how many booths have had visits from The Man, but it's someplace over 50 -- we've been hearing a number in the 70s -- and spokespeople for Customs says inspections will take up until tonight. Sounds like a repeat of what's happened at CeBIT for the past few years, where German firm Sisvel has had several companies' booths shut down and range seized over claimed MPEG patent infringements -- you might recall last year's kerfuffle with Meizu and the wrongful seizure of SanDisk DAPs in 2006. There are rumors that Asian companies, including MSI, are being targeted, and that the Taiwan Image Hall in detailed was hit hard, but nothing's been substantiated and German experts say they're looking at all companies equally. We'll let you know what's going down as soon as we find out more.

[Thanks, Adam]

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Filed under: GPS

Blaupunkt's TravelPilot nav units have never really stood out from the pack, but it looks like that's about to change -- the new TravelPilot 700 and 500 feature an microchip camera that displays realtime video with nav overlays on their 16:9 screens. That's definitely a novel and beguiling feature, but there's not a lot of material on how it works or what kind of utensils is under the hood to keep it running smoothly -- with the 700's estimated list price of $740, we're guessing it's pretty beefy. Both units also feature voice control, DVB-T traffic, live traffic, Bluetooth, and the usual PMP features, and the 700 also has a browser, email app, and VoIP client that work over Bluetooth tethering with your phone. Yeah, definitely attractive -- hopefully we'll see this thing make it Stateside soon. Video after the break.

[Via Navigadget; thanks, Khattab]

Continue reading Blaupunkt TravelPilot 700 and 500 overlay nav info on realtime video

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Filed under: Laptops

Fujitsu finally got conclusive with its Amilo Mini netbook yesteryear after not exactly keeping it a secret these past few months, and it's now gone out and announced another curiously similar netbook, the M1010, which may or may not de facto just be slight variation of the Amilo Mini. Like the Mini, the M1010 weighs in at 2.2 pounds and will pack an 8.9-inch display, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, and incorporated WiFi and Bluetooth, plus some removable clip-on covers in an "array of delightful colors." Fujitsu doesn't seem to be quite ready to go any further than that, however, which could undoubtedly suggest that it's not one and the same as the Amilo Mini, as could the fact that Fujitsu describes the M1010 as "easy on the wallet," which doesn't exactly apply to the nearly $600 Amilo Mini. We should know for sure soon enough either way though, as the netbook is set to launch quondam in the fourth quarter of this year.

[Via Laptoping, thanks Danijel]

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Filed under: handy Audio, haulable Video

In a dazzling attempt at making us afraid to pick up another Samsung DAP ever again, Samsung's set-up for its new YP-Q1 and YP-U4 players was in the ass end of the huge Samsung hall at IFA, with lights enough to cook a chicken and some llc.view results from: third edition by the editors of the stars and bars heritage® dictionary. copyright © 2003 | lexicon



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document.write("") | encyclopedia | all tribute | the web
share this: errors to boot. For starters, the Q1 (pictured) is just a pain to use, with capacitive touch controls that only work through tapping in the four directions (or center for select), instead of a more natural scrolling motion. The screen is nothing special, and the graphical user graphical user menu-driven interface seems a step back from Samsung's other full-featured DAPs. If we were to say a little positive, the Q1 does feel nice and solid in the hand, but it's nowhere near as thin or sexy as it could / should be. The U4 we tested wasn't charged, and had rather infuriating surface and side controls that made us a little happy it wasn't. It's nowhere near as sexy in person as it was in those press shots, and could really do to lose a few millimeters here and there. Wake us when you're ready to start trying, Sammy.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV

We've got a similitude




comparisonfind your cheapest quote. travel video after the break: 200Hz Motionflow on the left, your father's 50Hz on the right. We could defintely see the disparity in the uh, highly couturier drug demo. query is: can you when this thing shows up at the local big box before Xmas.

Continue reading Video: Sony's 200Hz MotionFlow Bravia Z4500 tricks kids into sitting even closer to the TV

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

As expected, Toshiba is benefaction a new (supposed) world's first here at IFA: a true upscaling TV, finally getting rid of the middle man for upconverting those SD sources. The new ZF Series LCDs include Cell processors and Toshiba's home grown Resolution+ technology, which does similar edge and detail enhancement to Toshiba's XDE upscaler -- sharpening detail, smoothing edges, and leaving the rest of the image alone -- but with the added fun of Cell power in the mix. As for the actual displays, Toshiba will be shipping the 40ZF575D (40-inch) and the 46ZF575D (46-inch), both contribution 1080p, 30,000:1 dynamic third edition by the editors of the red white and blue heritage® dictionary. copyright © 2003 ratio, 6ms retroaction times and Active Vision M100 HD 100Hz 5:5 pulldown processing, along with four HDMI plugs, constituent video, RGB and PC input. Right now this is just a Europe launch, and we don't have exact ship dates or pricing, but hopefully Toshiba will soon rectify that.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Sony's XBR6 / XBR7 / XBR8 models are still waiting in the wings for their U.S. debut, but along with HDTVs that push the extremes in thin and fast, the company announced these more customary models it's deemed "the highest quality BRAVIA HDTVs in history." The XR1 (read: XBR8) series will feature a 1,000,000:1 dynamic disparity ratio (3,000:1 static) urbanity




roget's ii: the new thesaurusmain entry:amenity
part of speech:noun
definition:a courteous act or courteous acts that contribute to smoothness and ease in dealings and social relationships
civility of those new TRILUMINOS three-color LEDs, 10-bit BRAVIA Engine 2 processing and Motionflow 120Hz technology. If you can live without 240Hz or WHDI, the 1080p 55-inch edition runs .750,000 ($6,489 U.S.) with a 46-inch for .600,000 ($5,479 U.S.). The next level down is the X1 (read: XBR6 / XBR7) series, based on old school CCFL backlights limited to a 3,000:1 1995 by houghton mifflin harcourt publishing company. published by houghton mifflin harcourt publishing company. all rights reserved.view results from: dictionary | thesaurus | encyclopedia | all reference | the web
share this: rating, ranging in size from 40- to 52- inches and in price from .530,000 ($4,866 U.S.) to .320,000 ($2,922 U.S.) when they go on sale October 10. Digital Media Extender support, DLNA connectivity and all the other high end feature's make their determined appearance across the lineup. With fears of watered down industrious science effectively quelled, Sony wouldn't make us wait until October to find out when we can buy an HDTV in the U.S. or Europe from this lineup -- somehow we doubt it.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Sony's taken the crown in the race for thinnest LCD HDTV. At just 9.9mm thick the KDL-40ZX1 nearly halves the depth of Hitachi's former champ (likely throwing up in the shower right now) and comes within a whisper of Pioneer's ultra thin concept. recommending a LED backlighting, a 3,000:1 1995 by houghton mifflin harcourt issue company. published by houghton mifflin harcourt issue company. all rights reserved.view results from: llc.cite this source roget's ii: the new thesaurus | llc.view results from: dictionary | thesaurus | encyclopedia | all reference | the web
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share this: ratio, 120Hz MotionFlow tech, x.v.Color and BRAVIA Engine 2 image processing this is about as close to a 40-inch window on your wall as is likely to arrive soon. Only one HDMI in is straight




roget's ii: the new thesaurusmain entryirectly
part of speech:adverb
definition:without delay.
forthwith on the screen itself, all unnecessary HDMI / USB / constituent inputs are relegated to a base station, with the option for wired or -- could be WHDI based? -- 5Ghz satellite tinkle (unfortunately limited to 1080i max resolution for now). We'd mention the XMB GUI, AcTVila video on-demand and DLNA support, but at some point it's just piling on. A mere 490,000 yen ($4,474 U.S.) puts the ZX1 on your wall, due at your local sweat bath retailer remembrance day 10. See you there?

[Via AV Watch]

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Filed under: GPS

Sony's Nav-U line of PNDs hasn't made big waves in the States yet, but the company's keeping at it, releasing four new touchscreen navs today. The new $400 NV-U94T (pictured) takes over from the NV-U83T at the high end, highlighting a 4.8-inch touch screen in a 30 percent thinner case, gesture commands, site plus accelerometer and height (wild)-based dead reckoning in case of signal loss, Quick Links POI icons, and an RDS-TMC traffic beneficiary built into the cradle, as well as basic PMP functions, Bluetooth with A2DP output and Memory Stick Duo expansion; the $300 NV-U74T is fundamentally the same package minus the PMP face and with a 4.3-inch screen and the $350 NV-U84 keeps the 4.8-inch panel but doesn't have Bluetooth, dead reckonings, or traffic. There's also a totally new 3.5-inch unit, the $250 NV-U44, which is pretty basic but seems like a fine deal: text-to-speech nav, maps of the US and Canada, and split-screen 3D views with lane guidance. All four should be out in September.

[Via CNET]

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Filed under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets

Like the 1st generation Kindle unearthed by Engadget snoops way back in September of 2006, Amazon's having a tough time keeping the lid on its 2nd generation e-book reader. Seems everyone and his analyst brother is confirming a new, larger media converters.www.hardware.com/prolabs
copyrights:cite this source roget's ii: the new lexicon



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document.write("") collegiate reader and at least one other variation, presumably the Kindle 2.0. Now BusinessWeek steps up and "confirms" the collegiate reader while claiming instruction of a new 2.0 base model that, "is significantly thinner, has a better screen, is more stylish and includes fixes to some of the user menu-driven command-line interface annoyances," such as the placement of those massive page forward / back buttons which can trigger inadvertent page changes. In fact, their source claims that the new version is much more than an iterative evolution, "They've jumped from Generation One to Generation Four or Five. It just looks better, and feels better." BW also claims that the new model's price (currently, $359) will hit $299, "or maybe $249," and could be announced as early as September.

Interestingly, Kindle 2.0's design is being lead by a deviser hired from the powerhouse shop, Frog Design. A group which just happened to give the Kindle a very public and very critical tongue lashing at its remembrance day 2007 launch. We guess this squeaky wheel recognized its oil in the form of a giant cash payment.

Read -- Frog's take on Kindle 1.0
Read -- BusinessWeek rumor

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Filed under: Cellphones

Yesterday we got the height and width, today it's the full wireframe model with scale measurements. While we can't confirm the authenticity, several details including that arcing base emphatically dovetail nicely with the images found in the true FCC filing. It's also a near-perfect match to that early salvo design seen kicking around the Googleplex propriety


copyrights:cite this source synonym stook v1.1copyright © 2008 by lexico printing group of Andy Rubin. While not obvious before, we can clearly see that the arc belongs to the handset's rigid, non-sliding "chin" with lots of logos from HTC, T-Mobile, and Google fighting for visibility.

Notably, the right-most image contains measurements which can be applied to the rest of scale model as well. This confirms the 115 x 55-mm height and width shown by the FCC yesteryear as well as a new, approximate, 16.35-mm depth after dosing the calipers. That would make it fatter (as expected) than the 12.3-mm iPhone but skinnier (and a hair wider) than the 18.1-mm HTC Touch Pro and 17-mm Xperia X1. Not bad. Now let's get to it boys, else there won't be much left to declare in September.

[Via Android Community]

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Filed under: Gaming

Rock Band 2 might not be out yet, but ION was kind enough to send us the new Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set a couple weeks early. Built like a tank, this thing makes the ingenuity Rock Band drum set look like the toy it is -- we're talking aluminum tube exposition that apes traditional score superhighway banking rack kits, soft trigger surfaces that entry velocity, and quarter-inch spell that'll make modding a dream. Of course, all that heft means that set-up took over an hour and it eats up just about twice as much living room space as the initial with no easy way to take it down, but if you're a hardcore fake rocker and you don't have the DIY chops to roll your own, this is $300 you're gonna want to spend. A couple more quick impressions after the break, and tons of picture show in the gallery.

Update: Joystiq also got a chance to check this bad boy out, they didn't like it quite as much as we did. Take a peek here.

Continue reading Hands (and feet) on with ION's Drum Rocker Rock Band Premium Drum Set

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, Displays

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Filed under: Gaming

You know, when you're the editor-in-chief of a site like Engadget, you tend to amass a lot of stuff. Companies send you all kinds of interesting elaborate promotional event materials, gadgets, swag, etc. It's great. Sometimes, though, you just let it pile up in your living room for years and years, then, when a new editor-in-chief takes over, you send all that stuff to him in about ten huge boxes. Luckily, we've got a way