Best New Technology

If you already own one of the early B1 or B2 AMD Phenom chips, or if you like stuff on the cheap, you will soon be able to run on any motherboard with the Table Lookahead Buffer “fix” disabled. This fix is the one that causes a 5-20% performance dip to protect users from a supposed rarely occurring bug in AMD’s early Phenom chips.

AMD is now claiming it is working with motherboard manufacturers to help enable new BIOS releases that will allow users to turn the fix on or off to get the common 5-20% performance increase and take the risk of running into the uncommon TLB bug.

It sounds like a good idea to me. Give the users a choice, at least.

Read more at Tech Report.

TiVo just announced today that downloaded video content can now be viewed directly on TV sets. As the leader in digital video recorders or DVRs, TiVo continues to deliver a broader range of entertainment from Web that can be easily accessed from the tube.

TiVo updated their Desktop Plus PC software to enable the users to search for new video content easier. TiVo users can now check the newest video content available through RSS feeds. You know, like RSS the website way. But making the TiVo now better than satellite and cable channels is the app that allows users to access niche and specialized video content.

Tara Maitra, VP and General Manager of Content Services at TiVo said:

“TiVo users will have the best video from the Web easily available on their television sets from user generated as well as brand named sites.Through the addition of new applications such as web video, we continue to build towards our goal of making TiVo the one stop shop for content, through one box and one integrated user interface.  With our combination of premium content available through Amazon Unbox, millions of songs via Rhapsody and music videos, and soon YouTube videos, we feel like we’re connecting consumers to entertainment in a way no one else can.”

Aside from the recently launched application and software upgrade, TiVo users can access the very popular and the always controversial YouTube in the near future via a TiVo DVR. We’re expecting end of 2008.

Read [TiVo]

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Adding to our growing fascination with text scanners comes a device that promises to help out researchers looking to collate a lot of data for reports. This small, handheld scanner is called the Dixau from Korean company Unichal. This digital text scanner uses a camera to literally read along with its reader, not only scanning the text from a book but the cool part is that it will then reference online searches from Google, wikipedia, and even dictionaries to give the reader a more complete picture of the story or text entry they are attempting to study. Imagine writing a dissertation about a historic even and the Dixau brings along Wikipedia entries to the party.

Legal researchers may find it a very helpful tool in trying to go through myriads of files, case books, even testimonies where having an extra set of eyes which can also pull up supporting or refuting data in near real time. And scholars who seek to study scripture, historical texts, or even newspaper reports can also benefit as the Dixau would then provide additional text references to give more enlightment from the text at hand.

If you could get it in the U.S., it would run about $90. However, the Dixau may cause copyright lawyers to freak out as it can cause obvious copyright issues. But the good of the device itself should outweigh the concerns of an overly litigious group of individuals seeks to lock down their intellectual property.

Hat Tip: D’Vice

Genius has just released their new 3D surround sound quality headphones, the GHP-05 Live. The GHP-05 Live features enhanced true bass levels that contribute to producing that 3D surround sound quality. The GHP-05 headphones also offer a wide acoustic range which should offer good quality with a variety of audio from classical to vocal music.

Genius has built the GHP-05 Live’s true 3D sound quality using precise echo phase control that creates clear and natural sound. This is the same technology that enables engineers to power amplifiers and speakers to make the sound moves around in a super low-bass, upper high-treble and pure vocals. Giving credit to the headphone’s soft velvet padded ear they should offer comfort for extended wear.

With a price tag of $59, the GHP-05 Live headphones come with an extension cable, a 3.5mm-RCA converter and a 6.3mm gold plated adapter that can be connected to any audio devices. The GHP-05 Live looks cool and sporty although some may get turned off by its bulky design, especially now that there are smaller and slimmer headphones available in the market today. But for loyal users of Genius products, the GHP-05 Live would be a good addition to other their other Genius speakers.

Product [Genius] Via [Business Wire]

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The Citizen ITX21-5014 Independent watch is meant for folks who want a fully functional watch that does not fail when it comes to aesthetics, and this timepiece fulfils its “mission” particularly well without going overboard. Details include a checkered etched solid stainless strap, well designed buttons, and a full face, lightly smoked glass among others. On the background dial of the watch, you get an LCD display which can be turned on or off. The alarm, calendar, chronograph and timer functions will be enabled only when the LCD is turned on. The Citizen ITX21-5014 also has an EL backlight just in case you want to know what time you keep on getting up to go pee in the middle of the night. Just make sure you have $223 stashed away somewhere before you pick up the Citizen ITX21-5014.

Polaroid is more famous for camera-based products, but here they are with a portable media player instead. Dubbed the MPU-43315, this Polaroid player comes with 60GB of internal memory (courtesy of a hard drive, of course), a 4.3″ LCD display, support for WMV, MPEG4, MP3, WMA and WAV media files along with the option to include selected DivX plug-ins at a later stage. Word on the street has it the Polaroid MPU-43315 will retail for less than £200 when it hits the market.

Posted Mar 17th 2008 6:58PM by Donald Melanson
Filed under: Misc. gadgets

Dutch art group Studio Roosegaarde is no stranger to interactive art installations, but it looks to really be upping its game with its latest project, which promises to change its form in response to human sounds and motion, assuming it doesn’t blind them first. To do that, the installation will apparently make use of an array of tubes, sensors, LEDs and unspecified embedded electronics and “mechanisms,” along with some software that will let the light show “evolve” its behavior over time. There’s no word as to where you might be able to leave your mark on it just yet, however, although the studio says it’ll be ready by the end of the year.

[Via MAKE:Blog]

The Original Cushtie Pillow - Pink
An announcement: after exhaustive testing we have found the softest pillow ever, The Cushtie. Its secret: thousands of spongy polystyrene micro-beads, housed within a soft stretchy skin. Caution: may cause drowsiness.

See price

Ever had that strand of hair coming out from your nose, but your fingernails can’t quite seem to get enough grip to pluck it out? Here’s the LED tweezers that makes life a whole lot easier.

LED Tweezers is the new fashionable design of stainless steel. It consists of bright LED, tweezers and mirror in a lip stick size which is storable and portable. Let you make up your eyebrow easily and conveniently at night.

Priced at $10 a pop, they make a perfect gift for that constantly preening geek.

Liquid Space 2.1 might make you think that this is some sort of audio system, but it is actually a piece of interactive artwork that is smart enough to react to human sounds and motion physically, courtesy of embedded electronics and software. Liquid Space 2.1 will be able to create a dialogue with visitors simply by evolving its behavior with time. A bunch of LEDs and electroluminescent lighting are used to deliver the effect of movement. Whoever wants to place this in their building (or outside of it) had better be prepared for an expensive electricity bill at the end of the month!