Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile, Imaging

Sony Ericsson continues to expand its line-up of Walkman phones with the announcement of the W902, W595 and W302. All of these Walkman phones feature Sony Ericsson’s music recognition application called TrackID, music and mood matching technology called SensMe and shake control for changing tracks with the flick of the user’s hand. Here are the things that you can expect from these new Walkman phones.

First up, we have the W902 which features the same sound quality as the W980 and is slated for release sometime in the near future and was also honored for its “best audio experience” by the German TESTfactory. ThW902 touts a 5-megapixel camera with video capturing and sharing capabilities, retro music navigation, a scratch-resistant 2.2-inch QVGA screen and lens which is said to be made of mineral glass and an 8GB Memory Stick Micro. The W902 supports UMTS/HSDPA 2100 and GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 and will be available in Volcanic Black, Wine Red and Earth Green sometime in Q4 of 2008.

Next we have the W595 which is geared for those who like sharing music with their friends. This Walkman phone is equipped with stereo speakers, an in-box sharing jack for sharing music with a friend and a Bluetooth connectivity for throwing music into wireless speakers. The W595 comes with a 2.2-inch LCD screen, a 2GB Memory Stick Micro and slew of preloaded games to accompany users during otherwise boring moments. Like the W902, the W595 is also a UMTS/HSDPA 2100 and GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 phone. It will be available in Active Blue, Cosmopolitan White, Jungle Grey and Lava Black sometime in Q4.

Finally we have the slim W302 Walkman phone featuring a 2-megapixel camera, FM radio, TrackID, Bluetooth Stereo and a 512MB Memory Stick Micro. The W302 sports a compact metal finish measuring only 10.5mm wide. The W302 supports GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 networks. It will also be available by Q4 in Midnight Black or Sparkling White.

Read [Sony Ericsson]

Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Video, Portable Video, Gadgets / Other, Miscellaneous

Picture this, you’re on a subway, and some guy standing next to you is gripping the hand rail has a terrible odor.  Clearly, he did not apply his under-arm deodorant before he left for work.  The smell of this man caught your attention, but the sight of him draws you in more as this man has a video display on his armpit. 

Yes, this new concept method of advertising is actually being considered.  Guess what kind of company wants to use it!  That’s right, a deodorant company, specifically Right Guard. 

This is one of those stories that is so zany, that it’s too easy to go off on.  For example, what is going to be one the armpit screen, a deodorant commercial?  I can just see a very attractive woman saying, “Hi, if you’re smelling this, than you should know that this is what you might be smelling like if you’re not using Right Guard”. 

I have seen digital displays put on clothing before at trade shows and the like.  I found them to be brash and annoying, with only enough memory to play a repetitive video file.  However, as you can see in the photo, that woman looks interested.  However, I think she’s more interested in the guy rather than the screen. 

Via [ubergizmo]

Full Story » | Written by Mark Rollins for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: News, Web, Websites

We like you, we like you not. We like you, we like you not. It seems to have been a veritable rollercoaster ride for the past weeks as offers were tossed back and forth about as easily as not so cleverly veiled insults between Yahoo! and billionaire investor Carl Icahn. But it seems as though it may have finally come to some sort of resolution before the August 1 board meeting, as Yahoo! offered Icahn a minority position on the board (he and two other hand-picked candidates will join) in exchange for his agreement to pull back with his “toss the idiots” ideology, and back the rest of the existing board in the August 1 shareholder’s vote. So, it just may be a “keep your enemies close” move.

This kind of unexpected move did occur after influential mutual fund manager Bill Miller of Legg Mason said Friday that he and the 4.4 percent stake he controls would be backing the Yahoo board in the proxy battle.

Yahoo! just really seems to have a bee in their bonnet about Microsoft coming anywhere near them, regardless of the offer. When their unsolicited bid for $33 a share was offered up, (while yes, Yahoo! wanted $37), it was said that Microsoft “wasn’t serious”.  Enter fuming shareholders who felt this was more about the board worrying about their tushes than anything else.  Still entertaining to watch the circus from afar though.

Back to Yahoo! and Icahn. We now have a marriage of convenience when just a week or so ago they were tossing such zingers around about each other as this flowery compliment Carl Icahn sent to the Yahoo! shareholders about his now bed buddies:

“Over the years I have attempted to make changes at many companies but I have yet to see a company distort, omit and twist events and facts in the manner that Yahoo! has done in their press release issued Saturday night, July 12.”

While of course, not to be outdone, Yahoo! came back with just as much sugary-sweetness.

“How can Yahoo! stockholders trust Mr. Icahn to deliver what he claims he can deliver when his actions have been so contradictory -and when all he has delivered so far is a risky proposal of questionable value from his new friends at Microsoft?”

But, it looks like things are all better in Yahoo!-land. I can practically hear the birds chirping from here. I’m curious to see how it all goes down once the day to day operations actually begin with the new buddies in place. I’d also love to be a fly on the wall in Microsoft headquarters about now.

Read [Wired]

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Section: Audio, Headphones

Back in January, duringCES 2008, Dr. Dre, an artist Jimmy Lovine, and Monster all teamed up to create a new type of headphone, marketed by Dr. Dre. These new headphones were designed by Dr. Dre and his goal was to create headphones with superior quality, “extreme clarity”, and crystal clear sounds.

With the help of Jimmy Lovine, Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman, and Monster, he created a pair of headphones, called Beats, with quality similar to what artists and producers use in recording studios. Being an artist and producer himself, he knows firsthand what recording studio headphones are like, and he wanted to give the public something similar. Here is what Dr. Dre said about recording studio headphones and what his goals were in his Beats.

“Artists and producers work hard in the studio perfecting their sound, but people can’t really hear it with normal headphones. Most headphones can’t handle the bass, the detail, the dynamics. Bottom line: the music doesn’t move you. With Beats, people are going to hear what the artists hear and listen to the music the way they should – the way I do.”

They were first on display at CES 2008, and are finally ready for retail. They are set to be on sale on July 25 in a few locations including Apple retail stores, and online stores, Best Buy, and Dr. Dre’s official Beats website. These headphones are of the utmost quality, and have noise reducing technology. Unfortunately, they will cost a pretty penny, as they are set to retail for $349.95. I’m sure many hardcore fans of Dr. Dre would consider purchasing these headphones.

Read [Business Wire]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation

Today, Garmin announced two new GPS units that are similar to each other called the Nuvi 500 and Nuvi 550. The interesting thing about these GPS units is that they are both capable of helping when driving, or when outdoors such as hiking. One of the main differences between the 500 and the 550 is that the 500 provides US only maps, while the 550 comes with maps of North America.

Both of these devices sport 3.5-inch screens, full street maps, waterproof touchscreens, as well as handy topology maps. It comes with a swift toggle system to switch between maps, and it also comes with a compass. The topology maps and the compass should both come in handy when outdoors. They also have support to load photos as well as sharing photos. It has something called Route 66 guide, which means it will display special POI’s or landmarks along highways.

Additionally, they come with the option to receive live traffic updates from Traffic Message Channel, or MSN Direct Information, for gas prices, traffic info, and other local information. These two GPS units are expected to start selling sometime in the near future. The 500 should sell for $500, and the 550 will cost the same.

Read [Garmin] [Garmin] Via [Electronista]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Peripherals, Printers / Scanners

Lexmark recently announced six new printer models in the Home & Student department, as well as the Small Office Pro department. Each of these printers are very nice, of high quality, and provide many services.

The first printer comes in the Home & Student series, and is called the X4950 printer. It comes with built-in 802.11g Wi-Fi, a 2.4-inch OLED screen, which shows menus, previews, and available options, it also scans and copies documents at a 4800 x 1200 resolution, outputs at 30 pages per minute in black, or 27 per minute in color. This printer is set to be available sometime in September for $150.

Next up we have the X6650, which comes with a slightly smaller display screen, measuring out at 2-inches, however, it comes with the ability to fax. Similarly to the X4950, it also has Wi-Fi. However, it prints at a slower rate, 25 pages per minute in black and 18 per minute in color.

The base unit in this series is the X5650, which comes with the same features as the X6650, but it doesn’t come with Wi-Fi. The X6650 will sell for $130, and the previously mentioned X5650 will retail for $100.

The next 3 printers are in the Office Pro series, and they are similar to the aforementioned printers, except they come with a few extra features. The X7675, is similar to the X4950, except it comes with Ethernet, faxing, and prints a bit faster at 32 pages per minute. It is set to cost $200.

The next printer, the X4975 loses the Ethernet and faxing support, but it can print on both sides, and only costs $180.

Last up we have the X6675, which prints a bit slower, at 25 pages per minute in black ink, and 18 in color. However, it does come with faxing and Wi Fi. The X6675 is set to retail for $150.

As you can see, each of these printers come with something unique, so it will be easy to choose the printer that fits your needs.

Via [Electronista]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile

AT&T is giving some love to all Samsung BlackJack II fans with the announcement of two new colors of the already popular handset. Aside from its previously released black and red colors, the BlackJack II will soon be donning the new Ocean Blue and Romantic Pink colors. Aside from these seemingly attractive colors, the BlackJack’s face will be white while its back portion will have various decorative designs.

Hot on the heels of the increase in sales of the Palm Centro with its new two-tone colors and white face, AT&T and Samsung are hoping to achieve the same with the Samsung BlackJack II. Along with these two new colors, the mobile handset will also get an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1 hopefully during the later part of the year.

The Ocean Blue and Romantic Pink BlackJack II will be available soon and will set you back $99, which comes after mail-in-rebates and along with a 2-year AT&T contract.

Via [IntoMobile]

Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation, Transportation, Features, Interviews

One of the things in this year’s tour that is really making an impression on me is riders choosing to make their bike heavier.  Normally, cyclists (or any endurance athletes) strive to have nothing extra.  No cost is too big, no weight savings too small.  So when you have more and more Tour riders choosing to put a Garmin GPS and a PowerTap hub, it deserves a closer look.

I had the chance to interview Jake Jacobson, Garmin’s Senior Media Relations Specialist, who is actually in France with the Tour riders, the lucky guy.  He was gracious enough to answer my questions despite moving from town to town in the French countryside following the action.

I’ll point out here that saying Garmin’s hundreds of thousands of dollar investment in the Garmin-Chipotle team was a move into a niche market was probably not the wisest of moves for me.  Luckily, Jake didn’t hold against me and was gracious enough to answer anyway.

Gadgetell:  What does the Garmin team like most about their Edge 705?  What competitive advantage do they feel they get from this gear?

Jacobson:  The cyclists and staff of Team Garmin appreciate the options and data provided to them by the Edge 705. As David Millar and other cyclists have said on several occasions, they simply want as much information as possible and the flexibility to display it and analyze it as they see fit. And whether they’re glancing down at their power metrics during a time trial or studying their stats hours after the ride is over, Team Garmin has embraced the training and racing advantages offered by the Edge 705.

Gadgetell: Garmin’s sponsorship of a team is a pretty big move as is expanding the edge line to four units, where does Garmin see this niche headed?

Jacobson: These days, describing cycling and/or the fitness world as “niche” marketing is a bit of an understatement. During the three weeks of the Tour de France, more than 20 million roadside fans and 110 million daily television viewers are expected to watch extensive coverage of Team Garmin. Each year, cycling coverage reaches 4 billion people, a number that is sure to grow as cycling emerges as an easy and enjoyable solution to global challenges associated with the environment and health issues. Riding a bike helps you “go green” and get exercise at the same time. The benefits of GPS-based data when using the Edge and/or Forerunner products quickly become evident whether users are participating in a walk on the weekend or the world’s biggest endurance race.

Gadgetell: Historically, cycling companies and tech companies to some extent, have shunned working with other makers.  Garmin has broken this idea with the ANT+Sport wireless concept that connects the Garmin unit with other products.  Who else will be offering components that support this connectivity? 

Jacobson: Because ANT+ is an open protocol, we welcome component makers to work with us in creating compatible devices. Currently SRM, Saris and Quarq are enjoying the benefits of working with ANT+, and interest grows with each day that the Edge 705 turns heads on the Tour de France.

Big thanks go out to Jake and Garmin for taking time out of their busy Tour schedule.

Company site: [Garmin]

Photo by Jerzy Snowman

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Imaging, Digital Cameras

For photography enthusiasts looking for a point-and-shoot that can provide a long-zoom feature, Panasonic’s new Lumix DMC-FZ28 might actually be the camera they are looking for. The DMC-FZ28 promises a 10.1 effective megapixel CCD sensor with image stabilization feature, a Leica branded 18x optical zoom lens that spans up to 27mm wide angle to a 486mm telephoto and a has a maximum aperture that ranges from f/2.8 to f/4.4. It also allows macro focusing up to one cm. at wide angle or one meter at Tele Macro mode. This camera also comes with a 2.7-inch LCD with display resolution of up to 230,000 dot, and a 0.2” electronic viewfinder.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 also boasts of face detection and object tracking feature with its multi-area autofocus system. It has a high ISO sensitivity of 100 to 1600, shutter speeds ranging from 1/2000 to 60 seconds. In addition, it has intelligent multiple, center-weighted and spot metering, nine white balance settings and 37 scene modes for users to take a gander on.

Aside from all those mentioned features, the DMC-FZ28 can also capture movies at 30fps with sound and you can store these movies into the camera’s SD or MultiMedia and SDHC cards. This is in addition to the camera’s built-in 50MB internal memory. The DMC-FZ28 also features USB 2.0 high-speed connectivity, NTSC video output, and high-def component video output.

This new Lumix camera will start shipping sometime in August with an suggested retail of around $400.

Via [Imaging Resource]

Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Hardware

It seems for Mike Arrington and the 560+ commenters that there is a desire in the market for a web tablet.  Arrington is proposing they build it as a project and bring it to market themselves in a bold bid to build traffic and a product that many seem to seek.

In truth, what they look to build is an inexpensive ($200) iPod touch.  My touch lives in my living room.  I use it to surf the net, play games and be connected whenever I feel like it.  The instant on, quick WiFi and fun operation make it a staple I am not sure I’d be happy living without at this point.

Arrington and his band of rioters want a big screened version.  OK, I can see how that would be fun, but building such a beast at $200 is going to be very difficult.  Another plus/minus is open source.  I don’t want to rain on his parade, but I’ve not been satisfied with open source projects.

What I do think is Apple will be jumping into this market with a student/web tablet.  They’ve the software platform, distribution model and even a store to buy add-ons and content from.  It is all slick and done.  All they need to do is build the hardware.  I see this coming at $599 to $799 range and it doing very, very well.  Perhaps September will bring some interesting things from Apple, really one of the only companies I could see doing this right.

How about you?

Read [Techcrunch]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »