Golden Crystal's KI-T12 PMP apes Nokia's 7260

 

Interestingly enough, this isn't even the first time we've seen a gizmo take a note from Nokia's 7260, but this particular copycat simply handles DMV, MP3, MPX and WMA formats, features a wee 1.5-inch color display and includes a built-in FM tuner to boot.

Golden Crystal Technology's KI-T12 didn't quite make the cut for the infamous keepin' it real fake list, but even though it's not a straight-up rip, there's no denying the similitude.

Per usual, you'll have to send in an inquiry to find out how much these things run, but honestly, why would you want to do that?

Furthermore, you'll find six equalizer presets, your own electronic pet game (Tamagotchi, reincarnated!) and a text viewer.

 

 

Best Buy's Insignia Kix: please make it stop

 

We were positively floored by the unadulterated horror of last year's NS-DVxG DAP from Best Buy's in-house Insignia brand, and now here comes the Insignia Kix to provide a low-cost, 1-inch screened entry to Insignia's shoddy lineup.

Look out Apple, Microsoft, SanDisk and anyone else who actually gives a damn about DAP design, features and quality: Best Buy still has a horse in this race.

The player supports MP3, WMA, WAV and Audible, sports an FM tuner, runs for 30 hours on a lithium-ion battery, and stores 1GB of your tunes for $60.

We suppose we can't rag on 'em for building a USB mass storage device, but that's about as positive as we're going to get for this one.

 

 

XROAD V4050 GPS coming stateside

 

The 4.3-inch touchscreen PND -- a rebrand of the Takara GP43, according to Navigadget -- comes with a 2GB SD card preloaded with US and Canadian map data and features the oh-so-popular SiRFStar III chip, a 400MHz Samsung CPU, Bluetooth, and MP3 and AVI support.

The cool kids might cruise in their cars on Friday nights, but you know we kick it old-school and troll the FCC database for hot new gadgets -- which is how this Capoint XROAD V4050 GPS turned up in our sights.

No word on pricing or availability, but that Takara unit sold in Europe for €500 ($719).

 

 

Kinwei KW-P4 PMP: no buttons, no labels

Format support for the 2GB player is the usual mix of the standard and obscure, with MP3 and WMA audio support bracketed by "MTV" and "AWV" video formats, and you're also getting an FM tuner, ebook reader, and games built in.

In a sharp departure from the usual DIGITAL SOUND PROCESSING label overload, the KW-P4 instead features a virtually unmarked touchpad below its 2.4-inch screen.

We've seen some dramatically pared down interfaces on portable media devices before, but this PMP from China's Kinwei takes minimalism to a whole new level.

Of course, it's not at all clear how to actually use this thing, but at least it's calming, no?

 

 

Neonode N2 makes its FCC debut

 

For those not up to speed on it, the N2 boasts a 2-inch touchscreen that fills up most of the front of the handset, along with a 2 megapixel camera, a miniSD card slot, and quad-band GSM / GPRS capabilities (no WiFi though).

From the looks of the tests reports, however, the touchscreen-based handset doesn't seem to have picked up any of those much-desired 3G capabilities in its trip across the Atlantic, although we suspect it'll still find its share of fans.

Hit up the gallery below for a few more pics courtesy of the FCC, and keep it locked here for any word of a release.

It's been out in Europe for a good few months already, but the Neonode N2 has now finally landed into the FCC's all-important hands, which would seem to suggest that a US release isn't all that far off.

 

 

Cool Gadgets You Can't Buy in the U.S.

And we dial in Jen's "lovah" Eric, who details the travails the two of them had trying to run Ubuntu on their home machine (call them Windows re-converts).

In the second half of the show, Terrifying Tim Gideon stops by to scare us with a PC Magazine Labs ghost story--and it's all truuuuuue!

And Brian Heater talks about what technology companies are doing to help the people affected by the California wildfires.

Of course, we also have Brian's Hot Five in Five--the top tech news of the week, delivered at lightning-fast speed.

This week we're joined by Corinne Iozzio, who gives us the lowdown on a range of wonderful gadgets that are readily available--just not here.

And Jen's Weird Gear this week is perfect for masochistic FPS fans.

Then Dan proposes age limits on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace--and as usual, gets argued with.

Tune in and check it out.

 

 

Haiku Review: Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV680

Redesigned chassis
HD DVD burner
Not inexpensive

 

—Molly K. McLaughlin

PC Mag's "The Best Tech You Can't Get"

 

Whatever the reason, there's plenty of cool tech that US resident will never get to see--without making a trip overseas or having access to an importer and a significant amount of extra spending money.

If you're an avid reader of tech blogs, you constantly come across countless exciting products that will never make it to our shores.

In the case of phones, for example, it usually comes down to the lockdown on telecommunications by the big four wireless carriers.

Sometimes that's due to the tight control that a handful of manufacturers possess in certain categories.

 

 

Gateway offers up 22-inch HD2200 / 24-inch FHD2400 LCD monitors

Finding that 30-inch XHD3000 to be a bit too rich for your blood (or just too ginormous for your desk)? Gateway understands, and that's why it's offering up new 22- and 24-inch LCD monitors for those who demand a bit less screen real estate. Up first is the 22-inch HD2200, which features a 1,680 x 1,050 resolution, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, four-millisecond response time and 160-degree viewing angles. The 24-inch FHD2400 delivers 1080p support with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 400 cd/m2 brightness and an ultra-speedy three-millisecond refresh rate. Moreover, both displays tout Faroudja DCDi video processing, DVI / HDMI / VGA / component jacks and built-in picture-in-picture functionality. As for pricing, the smaller sibling will run you $349.99 while the 24-incher will demand an extra $200, and both of 'em are available from a number of retailers as we speak.

Helio's Mysto: A Samsung U600 with EV-DO

Ok, here you go, the first rendering of Helio's new Mysto -- AKA, the Samsung SPH-A523. Looking every bit as fine as Samsung's U600 Ultra Edition slider (on the right), the Mysto busts EV-DO data, GPS, stereo Bluetooth, and a 3.2 megapixel camera up under that QVGA display while maintaining the U600's 10.9-mm thin profile. Date and price? In time friends, in time.

Envision's 20-inch G2016wa LCD display

Envision certainly cranks out a lot of cheapo displays, but the company's latest 20-incher, the G2016wa brings quite a bit to the table for $240. The 1680 x 1050 display features a 5ms response time, 3000:1 contrast ratio, VGA and DVI with HDCP inputs, and built-in stereo speakers. Unlike Envision's previous Best Buy-only arrangement, this bad boy should be popping up all over starting right now, so those of you still rocking those grubby CRTs have no excuses left.

 

[Via Electronista]

 

Nintendo DS gets 1seg tuner, too -- watch out PSP

Maybe you know the deal with 1seg, but in case you don't, it's Japan's new(ish) native-brewed broadcast digital TV service technology that devices like the PSP -- and now the Nintendo DS -- are rocking. Granted, we can't help but thinking the way this cartridge is going to jut out the back of one's DS is hardly elegant compared to Sony's much more densely designed solution, but the Japanese obsession obsession with the DS knows no bounds, so godspeed, 'Tendo. This dongle will sell for ¥6800 (about $60 USD) when it goes on sale in Japan on November 20th.

 

[Via Engadget Japanese and Akihabara News]

MSI Notebook Brings Back the "Turbo" Button

MSI Computer -- which like many Taiwan ODMs, has moved into its own branded products -- announced the GX600 gaming notebook on Wednesday, featuring an interesting feature: one-touch overclocking.

 

The GX600 weighs 6.16 pounds and is available in two versions: the MSI GX600 Extreme Edition, which features a flame graphic on the exterior, and the MSI GX600 Performance Edition. Unfortunately, prices were not announced.

 

The novel feature here is a throwback to the days of the 386: the "turbo" button. Press it while the notebook is plugged in to A/C power, and the notebook kicks up the CPU speed by an additional 20 percent. Could this be done in software? Certainly, but the button is so much cooler.

 

Specs after the jump.

Lenovo rolls out five new ThinkVision LCDs

It looks like five is the magic number today, with now Lenovo now following up Viewsonic's latest batch of projectors with five new ThinkVision LCD monitors. Leading the pack is the 19-inch L190x, which is apparently the first monitor to be rated EPEAT Gold. That rating is based on 51 different environmental criteria, of which the L193p had to meet all 23 required criteria as well as at least 20 of EPEAT's 28 optional criteria. Apart from that notable bragging right, however, the monitor looks to be pretty standard fare, with it boasting a 1280 x 1024 resolution, an 800:1 contrast ratio, and 5 ms response time, among other common specs. The other stand-out model in the line-up is the 19-inch L190x which, according to Lenovo, features the "slimmest bezel in the industry at just 6.6 millimeters." Rounding out the lot are three entirely no-frills models, including the 15-inch L151, 17-inch L171, and the 19-inch L194. Look for all five to be available next month, with prices ranging from $199 to $379.

Acoustic Research ARWH1 headset looks familiar for being a world's first

Oh, Qualcomm, how soon you forget. Just a few months after the Lubix UBHS-PH2 Bluetooth headset became the world's first device to ship with Qualcomm's MEMS display tech, the big Q is at CTIA touting the Acoustic Research ARWH1 headset as the first device with such a display to hit the market -- even though it's just a rebrand of the exact same Lubix headset. Sneaky! Expect to see the AR version in stores this November for $99.

Hanns.G's 28-inch HG281D monitor gets reviewed

Hanns.G's 28-inch HG281D monitor doesn't look to have gotten much in the way of an official release 'round these parts, but that hasn't stopped the folks at Extreme Tech from snagging one for a review, with them lured in mainly by the monitor's sub-$700 price tag. As you might expect, while the monitor hits all the right spec marks, including a 1920 x 1200 resolution, 3 ms response time, and 800:1 contrast ratio, it doesn't quite hold its own against similarly-sized, and significantly more expensive monitors. The biggest problem, it seems, is the monitor's poor gamma curve and dark color performance which, when combined with the utter lack of any extra features, make the monitor tough for them to recommend. On the upside, it apparently does have good fast-motion performance, and there is that price, but it sounds like you may want to wait for some of the competition to go on sale before taking the plunge on this one.

LG.Philips unveils 20.8-inch QXGA LCD for the medical realm

Although we're sure clever consumers could put a 20.8-inch QXGA (2,048 x 1,536) display to good use, LG.Philips' latest is aimed squarely at the medical market. Deemed the "highest resolution panel of its size," this unit also touts a 600 candela brightness and In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology that enables doctors, nurses and curious onlookers to see imagery in exceptional detail. The panel isn't set to enter mass production until the first half of next year, but those hanging out at FPD International in Japan can reportedly catch it on display right now.

[Via FarEastGizmos]

Pepper Computer: "we're not dead"

Pepper Computer, manufacturer of the original Pepper Pads and developer of the Pepper Linux OS, has admittedly seen better days. After months of silence from the firm's executives led forum members to write the company off as dead, CEO Len Kawell has finally responded to users' pleas and posted a summary of Pepper's current state of affairs -- but not before we left a message at headquarters stating our intentions to write up a deathwatch piece this week. According to Kawell, both the OS and Pepper Pad 3 -- which is manufactured and supported by Hanbit -- are still alive and well, though poor sales of Pepper-powered OEM devices have meant declining revenue for the company -- resulting in what sounds like considerable downsizing. At this point, without the money to pay developers, Pepper is looking to either sell its distro or open source it, although even the latter route requires resources that seem to be in very short supply right now. If you're looking to contribute to the project in some way, make sure to chime in by clicking on the Read link; you can help them out and help save us from having to pen yet another teary corporate obituary at the same time.

 

[Thanks, moorashj]

Ask an Analyst: Gaming Lags on LCD TVs?

This question for Robert Heron, PC Magazine's HDTV lead analyst, comes from executive editor Jeremy Kaplan.

 

Robert, have you heard about any delays in LCD TVs? My friend's brother in law just bought a giant LCD, and he's complaining about the reaction time when gaming via his PS2. Just wondering if there was something obvious that he's got set wrong or connected wrong, or some known issue that you had heard about. Here's the IM thread that spawned this question:

 

[10:21] So he just scored a 52" HDTV. Yea, it was nice to watch. :)
[10:25] He said that with his PS2, however, it seems less responsive than it was with his old conventional TV, like there's a delay between pressing buttons and action. Since the PS2 has analog connections, perhaps some delay in the TV itself?
[10:25] Ever hear anything like that?
[10:26] What type of connection? RCA?
[10:26] I assume so -- your options with a PS2 are usually RCA or S-video.
[10:27] I believe that switching between inputs is generally a bit slower, since even if you're not using the HDMI, DVI, and other ports, the system still tries to detect a signal on 'em.
[10:29] It's not signal detection -- it's when he's actually playing that everything seems delayed.
[10:29] And I'm wondering if it's a known phenomenon, like a slow A/D conversion + upsampling to fit the big screen.

 

Robert's answer after the jump.

NEC works up LCD with switchable viewing angles

source : engadget

 

If Rockwell's Somebody's Watching Me pretty much sums up your life, NEC apparently understands your pain paranoia. In an effort to help out, the firm has developed an LCD "that can switch between wide and narrow viewing angles without impairing image quality." This ability enables viewers to narrow the 140-degree viewing angle down to 30-degrees so that any plans to sneak a peek at what you're glancing at are immediately subverted. Furthermore, NEC's technology is said to differ from other alternatives by "not causing image quality to deteriorate," as it relies on a function of the rear plate (as opposed to the panel's front plate) to handle the switcheroo. If everything stays on track, expect these units to hit the market sometime next year in everything from ATMs to laptops.

 

[Image courtesy of NEC]