Best New Technology

by Ryan Block, posted May 25th 2008 at 6:26PM

Well, doesn’t Tranquil PC seems pretty stoked about their new Atom-based Harmony home servers? Though they’re not exactly mind-blowing (to us, anyway), two new fanless models should be shipping in June: the T7-HSAi (left, with a single 3.5-inch drive or two 2.5-inch drives) and T2-WHS-A3i (right, with up to two 3.5-inch drives), both featuring Ethernet, four USB 2.0 ports, 512MB or 1GB RAM options, and running Windows Home Server. With base configs and 500GB drives, the T7 will start at £278 ($550 US), and the T2 at £299 ($590 US).

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Filed under: Desktops, Storage

by Darren Murph, posted May 25th 2008 at 1:30PM

You never really know what all will emerge from a simple interview, and thanks to a recent sit-down with Canonical chief executive Mark Shuttleworth, we now know that a build of Ubuntu tailored for ultraportables (or subnotes, as it were) is just around the bend. According to Mr. Shuttleworth, the aforesaid software will be announced “in the first week of June,” and it’ll be called the Netbook Remix. He also noted that the outfit is currently “working with Intel, which produces chips custom-made for this sector.” Sadly, it seems we’ll have to wait a week or so before finding out more, but those interested in reading the interview in full can certainly give the read link a visit.

[Image courtesy of TurboGadgets, thanks KC Kim]

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Filed under: Laptops

We have recently seen the images and those gave a nice look at what appears to be a cross between a slightly more grown up Treo and a Centro. Those images did also give us a nice side shot that showed what appeared to be an on/off switch for the Wi-Fi and these recently leaked specs are indeed highlighting Wi-Fi as a feature, something that has been long lacking with the Treo lineup. Of course as with any leaked specs, these are highly unconfirmed and come courtesy of a “good friend.”

With that said, the details are set to include the previously mentioned Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g along with GSM, EDGE and UMTS HSDPA 3.6 support, a 2-megapixel camera, assisted-GPS, a microSD card slot which sadly is located under the 1500 mAh battery, a micro-USB connector for both power and sync, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR + A2DP, 256MB NAND-Flash with about 175MB available for the user, 32MB SDRAM, a 320 x 320 touchscreen display and running Windows Mobile Professional 6.1.

The new Treo, which is the 850 is also codenamed the Skywriter. With a solid set of specs, this should make anyone looking for a new Treo happy, but aside from the addition of Wi-Fi it just may not be enough to convince current Treo users they need to upgrade. Still waiting on any information regarding pricing and availability.

Via [TamsPPC] Via [gadgets On The Go] Image [BGR]

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Vudu, while maybe not attracting quite as much attention as originally hoped, are proving they are still alive in the small but welcomed movie set-top-box market. The Vudu box was originally launched back in the Fall of 2007, but sales may have been slow because of the limited availability, up till now it could only be found directly with Vudu or with Amazon.com.

However customers can now purchase the Vudu box in one of 24 Best Buy outlets in California, which should help overall sales and awareness of the product. While the management from Vudu would not comment on the strategy behind the limited availability of Best Buy locations, its safe to assume that they are most likely looking to see just how well they will sell.

According to Patrick Cosson, VP of marketing at Vudu;

“Brand awareness is growing very quickly, as our Web site traffic is growing very quickly,” said Cosson. “And it’s growing all across the country—in all kinds of markets.”

Hopefully they move well and eventually move on to stores in other states as well. Currently Vudu offers around 5,500 movies, about 1,000 TV episodes and only 150 HD movie titles. The Vudu currently retails for $295.

Via [Video Business]

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Solar power looks like it is here to stay, and we have so far seen solar powered cars being the Holy Grail in the fight to be independent of black gold, or rather, oil. Hybrid cars aren’t exactly catching on as fast as environmentalists prefer, and solar powered cars have not made the impact they were supposed to mainly because the technology is not yet there for a powerful, conventionally shaped vehicle that runs entirely off the sun’s rays. Never mind modes of transportation on land - here we have a solar powered speedboat that will slice through water pretty much in the same way an ordinary speedboat does, save for the fact that this one relies on the sun to power its electric engine instead.

Dubbed the Czeers MK1 prototype solar speedboat, this is the first of its kind in the world, and is capable of hitting speeds of 30 knots in full stride. It will come in shades of carbon fiber, solar cell and lush orange leather that makes it look truly out of this world. I wonder whether there will be wind-assisted versions in the future, but who knows? The Czeers MK1 is but a prototype at point of publishing, and was developed by the Dutch-based Delft Technical University Solarboat Team. Its original platform was an entry in the 2006 Nuon Frisian Solar challenge, picking up first prize whilst attracting some serious investment power from Rabobank so that a full scale test boat could be constructed.

Constructed entirely from 100% carbon fiber inlaid with leather trim, the Czeers MK1 features photovoltaic cells on almost all horizontal surfaces and an LCD touch-screen control system that will definitely drive any geek wild. It measures 10 meters in length, cramming in 14 square meters of solar panels and an 80kw electric motor. Not a single drop of oil is used, making this penguin friendly. Since it relies on an electric motor, you can bet your bottom dollar that no fumes nor engine noise will be produced, making this one quiet puppy. The current build rate stands at 4 to 8 boats a year, so these ought to cost more than your firstborn.

Source: Gizmag

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by Darren Murph, posted May 25th 2008 at 10:41AM

Sure, you’ve seen a plethora of R500 shots already, but this ultrathin Portégé has somehow managed to keep its clothes on — until now. One curious owner just couldn’t resist the urge to operate, and after careful dissection, we’re left with a handful of snaps showing off the unit’s internals. Don’t be shy, check out the whole lot in the gallery below.

[Thanks, Jai]

Gallery: Toshiba’s Portege R500 gets cautiously torn apart

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Filed under: Laptops

I’ve tried for many years to learn how to play the guitar. Unfortunately every time I get to the point where my fingers are finally moving the way they should be, life gets in the way and suddenly I have no time to practice. Needless to say, there is a perfectly good guitar and amp sitting in my office that rarely gets used. Here is one amp that anyone will be able to use, regardless of musical talent.

The Mytunes MP3 Amp isn’t quite the same think as my little Fender amp. Rather than plugging in an electric guitar, you just hook up your ipod or other mp3 player and rock out to someone else’s music. It only has a 5-watt output, so don’t expect to hear this throughout the entire house, but it should be enough for your office. So whether you’re a guitarist, or just like cool looking speakers, you might check out this one for just $40.

Source: Uberreview

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by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted May 25th 2008 at 7:10AM

What we have been calling the Asus Eee Box looks to finally have an official name. Based on unnamed sources, the Inquirer is reporting that the desktop PC will be called the Asus EBOX. As already speculated, they are saying it will be revealed on June 3 at Computex. Specs also look to be what we’ve been told already: 160GB HDD, 2GB RAM, and a Linux OS. Nothing much more to see here, but we’re hoping Asus will give this thing a competitive price for those looking to tinker with a slick open-source box.

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Filed under: Desktops

These cuff links are the perfect gift for the game enthusiast. Scrabble game pieces that are attached to gold or silver cuff links can make you the talk of the party. You get to choose the letters personally. This is definitely a unique idea that will spell out your fashion style. These cufflinks are sure to be a conversation starter no matter what party or event you will be attending.

In case that wasn’t enough, they will be mailed in a velvet cinch pouch.

Gimme!

Price: $15.99
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

Posted in Gizmo of the Day, Miscellaneous