Best New Technology

With CTIA beginning on April 1 this year, its becoming difficult to judge whether we are seeing some April Fools jokes or good information. However in the case of the Motorola Z9 and the complete lack of secrecy up till this point I tend to believe when they say it will be launched on April 1.

So far we have seen a leaked pic, then the Z9 showed up with the FCC, some white papers were leaked, then a scanned ad showing the price, and finally the last piece of the puzzle—the release date.

In addition to the release date, which according to the BGR, it will indeed be launched with AT&T on April 1, the Z9 will also include AT&T Navigator support. The Navigator, which will be the new name for TeleNav is a GPS solution, but its still unclear if the Z9 will feature an A-GPS solution or true GPS support. Based on all the leaks up till this point it seems the next time we mention the Z9 should hopefully be the official announcement from AT&T.

Via [Boy Genius Report]

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Sony has long been claiming that all its consoles have a 10-year life cycle. Its claims of console longevity seemed inflated at first, but once you take into account the life cycles of its past consoles, those claims hold some merit. In North America the PSP reached its third anniversary on March 24, 2008, and if John Koller, senior marketing manager for the PSP, is to be believed then even the handheld is supposed to have a 10-year life cycle.

Read more [Gamertell]

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iSkin Sonic iPod Mini iSkin Sonic mini iPod Protector

The iSkin mini is desigend to both protect and enhance the visual appeal of the mini ipod. The iSkin Sonic mini is constructed of durable, semi-transparent blue polymer with a multifunctional belt clip.

Technorati Tags: iSkin

Levi’s has updated its line of mobile phones with the limited edition, “Red Tab”. As its name suggests, the new phone’s top section features Levi’s signature red tab to go along with its exclusive etched rear design. Spec-wise, the limited edition packs the same muscle power as “The Original” which is a 2-megapixel camera with flash, mp3 player, and Bluetooth with A2DP (which allows you to stream music to a Bluetooth equipped audio device). The phone still sports the same stylish, black-steel metal casing as its predecessor.

Only 100 Red Tabs will be made available, costing 549 Euros (around $870 US) at the very chic online French retailer Colette. The phone will come in a “premium” package which includes a metal chain to attach the phone to your pants, a hands-free headset, and phone case—you wouldn’t want to be scratching a near thousand dollar phone, would you? If you’d like, Levi’s can customize the phone with your name, up to 13 characters.

Via [Switched On Set]

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If the Sanyo Xacti CG9 was just not right for you, check out the Vivitar DVR565HD—the company’s first camcorder to venture into the HD realm. Rocking a rather slim and compact form factor, the DVR565HD uses SD cards as its recording medium, capable of recording video in H.264/MPEG-4 in full 720p glory at 30 fps. Interestingly, the camera can “upscale” the video playback to 1080i if connected to a TV via an HDMI cable. Little else is known, but the camcorder will feature a 3-inch flip-out LCD display, digital still functionality, and a maximum SD card capacity of 4GB.

The Vivitar DVR565HD will be available in black and silver, hitting the masses sometime in April. Pricing information has not yet been revealed; however, Vivitar is known for its budget friendly devices, so don’t expect a bank-breaking price tag on this one.

Via [Pocket-Lint]

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USB devices are dime a dozen these days, and it can get pretty tricky trying to get all of them hooked up to your computer or notebook which has extremely limited USB ports. If you happen to want a USB port of sorts, why not consider the USB Star Hub II? Here’s the product description, in completely broken English (I’ve left it unedited to contribute to the quirkiness of the entire device).

USB Star Hub II allows you to connect 4 different USB devices at the same time. Each port can turn 180° that make you more convenience to use and the colourful design can help to decorate your desk.

The USB Star Hub II retails for $12 a pop.

Posted Mar 29th 2008 12:40PM by Darren Murph
Filed under: cellphones, GPS

Taking a note from Japan, it’s being reported that South Korean police are backing a highly controversial plan that would equip each new mobile sold in the nation with a GPS chip. Reportedly, Song Kang-ho, chief of the investigation bureau of the National Police Agency, has stated that the government has “already submitted a related bill to the National Assembly,” and the general idea here is to crack down on the rise of kidnapping and various other crimes against children and women. Granted, there’s not a lot of supporting evidence that this is actually set to go down, so until we see it inked in stone, our skeptic hats are remaining in place.

[Via textually, image courtesy of The New York Times]

XtremeMac AirPlay2 FM Transmitter For iPod

Cut The Cord.Upgrade to the wireless convenience of the AirPlay? FM Transmitter and never mess with the clutter of cords again! Simply plug AirPlay? into any Dock Connector iPod, excluding 3rd generation, tune to the same frequency as your FM radio, and push play to hear your tunes through your stereo. AirPlay? has sleek looks to match its superior performance. It’s as thin and narrow as the ipod nano and features three programmable station presets that allow you to conveniently recall your clearest transmission frequencies. AirPlay? also has a mono mode for better reception in crowded radio markets, and a large, bright display for easy viewing, day or night. AirPlay? draws its energy from the iPod and uses a minimal amount of power, which allows for hours of playback time. It connects to the iPod through its Dock Connector and features an additional pass-though female Dock Connector for connecting chargers-enabling you to operate and charge the iPod at the same time! Also includes an adhesive-backed dash mount. AirPlay?’s ease of use, quality transmission, and sleek design make it truly unbeatable. Available in both black and white models. High quality, wireless FM transmission Brilliant blue LCD with easy-to-read white characters Three programmable station presets for convenient recall of clearest frequencies iPod powered, uses minimal amount of energy Pass-through Dock Connector functionality Compatible with all 30-pin car chargers Stereo/mono control Includes Dash mount Tuning range: 88.1 - 107.9

Technorati Tags: iPod & mp3 player

Microsoft will soon be releasing Service Pack 3 for Windows XP. How soon is soon? Reports have it coming as early as April and will be released in two groups. Service Pack 3 (SP3) will come first for those users with the Simplified English, Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, and Korean versions with any remaining versions to follow about 3-weeks later.

Microsoft has also confirmed that SP3 for Windows XP Media Center and Windows XP Tablet Edition will not be available as an integrated version, meaning those users will only be available to update to SP3 using Windows Update. Its also safe to say that this will be that last major update Microsoft will push out before they stop selling XP this June. Which hopefully becomes a point where users will finally feel comfortable enough to make the move to Vista.

Via [Gizmodo]

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Is this ever a funky piece of transportation - the Motorized Monocycle from Hammacher.

Drawing upon a robust history of development that began with an original design conceived in Marseilles, France in 1869, this is the motorized monocycle made in the Netherlands that propels a single rider up to 25 MPH. Powered by a 31cc, four-stroke 1 1/2-hp engine, the wheel operates by using a centrifugal clutch on its inner steel frame to engage the larger 67″ diam. outer flywheel that actually makes contact with the ground with a rubber tire. The ingenious device is steered by leaning to one side or the other, and it can safely negotiate any dense surface such as pavement or grass. A fiberglass frame encloses the engine, drive train, and fuel tank, and provides a cushioned seat and convenient footrests for riders up to 6′ 3″ high when i n a sitting position. The hand-holds have a finger throttle that provides progressive acceleration and a brake that provides confident stops for riders up to 275 lbs. (minimum weight of 110 lbs. suggested for proper counterbalance during acceleration and braking). It can run for up to two hours on less than a 1/2-gallon of gasoline.

No point in picking one of these up if it isn’t a street legal vehicle. Well, unless you want to drive the Joneses up the wall as they try to keep up with your lavish $12,999.95 purchase.