Sharp's Galapagos media tablets landing December 10, costing quite a few Yen

Sharp's evolutionary tablets are coming, people. It's just that they're coming to Japan and they're not going to be terribly affordable when they do arrive. The Kin maker has just revealed a December 10 launch date for its Mobile and Home Galapagos models -- a 5.5-inch slate with 1024 x 600 resolution and a 10.8-incher with 1366 x 800 resolution, respectively -- pricing them at ¥39,800 ($474) and ¥54,800 ($653) for the Japanese market. As usual, direct currency translations are inadvisable, but if you must have a price comparison of some sort, the larger Galapagos model (equipped with an 8GB microSDHC storage card) costs ¥4,000 less than Apple's 32GB WiFi-only iPad. Of course, the big differentiator in Sharp's mind will be the e-bookstore and content ecosystem it's working so hard to create for these Galapagos terminals -- the value of which has yet to be determined.

Sharp's Galapagos media tablets landing December 10, costing quite a few Yen originally appeared onEngadget on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 02:39:00 EDT.

Toshiba's 32-inch Power TV runs for 2 hours on integrated battery

You read that headline correctly, Toshiba just announced its new Power TV family of battery-powered LED TVs. Mind you, these aren't tiny portables. Toshiba's PC 1 sets are pushing 32- or 24-inches and are the world's first (according to Toshiba) to integrate a rechargeable battery good for about two hours of power. Why? Because even people lacking clean, consistent power desire the mind-numbing escape afforded by a large televisedsoccer football match. The sets feature "auto signal booster" tech to enhance viewing in areas with weak signal coverage and "auto view" to optimize the picture based on ambient lighting conditions. Tosh is also announcing its new 55-inch 55ZL800 3D LED flagship TV with new multiprocessor CEVO Engine as well as its 29-mm deep WL700 series of slim LED TVs available in 46- and 55-inch models. See the full press release after the break.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Toshiba's 32-inch Power TV runs for 2 hours on integrated battery originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 04:06:00 EDT.

LaCie's Hub4 quadruples your USB 3.0 pleasure

Even in their prime, USB hubs were never the sexiest part of a tech geek's shopping trip -- people would typically grab the most functional (or crazy) looking option and move on to picking out their next set of "future-proof" RAM sticks. We're not convinced LaCie's really going to change all that with its Hub4, but it sure is trying hard by giving it a curvaceous exterior and those oh-so-desirable blue USB jacks. Yes, the USB 3.0 color coding is large and in charge here, highlighting a full quartet of ports for all that SuperSpeed gear you've been stashing. Of course, you'll still need at least one 3.0 connector on your computer to make the most of this USB peripheral (otherwise you'll have a very curvy and very standard USB 2.0 hub), but if that's already accounted for, you'll just need $59.99 and the source link to get yourself connected to the future.

LaCie's Hub4 quadruples your USB 3.0 pleasure originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 07:49:00 EDT

T9 Trace ships as QuickType on Samsung's Wave II

So Samsung's Bada 1.2-based Wave II is now shipping in a variety of European and Asian markets, and it turns out that so phone's so-called "QuickType" input method is actually T9 Trace, Nuance's Swype competitor that was announced earlier this year. Just like Swype, T9 Trace works by letting the user glide a finger around the virtual keyboard to identify what letters they're trying to type -- and if it works as well as Swype does, it's a surprisingly natural, accurate, and fast way to enter text. Samsung, of course, has been one of Swype's longest-running partners, notably having its Omnia II featured in a Verizon commercial where the Guinness record for fastest text is broken -- so it'll be interesting to see whether Sammy keeps a healthy mix of T9 Trace and Swype in its products, or if Nuance has locked up a more lucrative deal. At any rate, follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading T9 Trace ships as QuickType on Samsung's Wave II

T9 Trace ships as QuickType on Samsung's Wave II originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 11:59:00 EST.

Groegg Color Changing Thermometer

While some of us take sleep for granted, others might find it a whole lot more difficult to get some shuteye even after plenty of tossing and turning around on bed. Well, the temperature does play a rather huge role in helping you doze off into dreamland, but that’s easy for adults to adjust – turn on the air conditioner, pull over an extra blanket, but how about your little one who doesn’t know how to communicate yet? The Groegg Color Changing Thermometer will step in here, as this $34.99 device works as it is named – it will reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), making sure it is yellow when a baby’s bedroom is maintained at 61-67°F to prevent SIDS. Should it get too hot, then it will turn red, while going blue when vice versa. Not only that, it functions as an adorable nightlight as well for the uninitiated. Too bad it doesn’t run on batteries but needs to be plugged into a power outlet all the time.

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Groegg Color Changing Thermometer copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

180s Ear warmers with headphones – Why didn’t I think of that?

The weather is turning cold quickly, and in another 2 minutes I’m not going to relish putting little cold plastic earbuds in my frozen ears. But that’s not to say I won’t want to listen to my music. So now what?

Well sometimes, though I’ll admit it’s not very often, a product comes along that just makes perfect sense. Simple as they are, such is the case with 180s earmuffs, these soft shell, Thermolite® Active insulation muffs are warm and stylish and offer superb wind resistance. The best part is, some of these muffs actually have stereo headphones built right in.

These comfy earmuffs feature a patented behind the head design and are fully adjustable for all head types.Your 180’s are also collapsable and the cord is detachable so they will fit easily in your pocket when you are not listening, or warming you ears.

The 180s are compatible with all MP3 players and can easily be worn with helmets, hats or glasses. Very nice and they can be yours for around $35.00 from  www.amazon.com

Source: www.180s.com

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Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ 180s Ear warmers with headphones – Why didn’t I think of that? copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Weird Nokia 'N00 Prototype C' shows up on eBay, possible N86 8MP successor?

With the N8 and the E7 stealing most of Nokia's Symbian-flavored spotlight right now, it's easy to forget that numeric keypads and sliders aren't necessarily dead and gone -- but a strange prototype that's shown up on eBay's German site suggests that Espoo might still be hard at work on the form factor currently championed by the N86 8MP. This device is labeled as the N00 Prototype C; "N00" is a really common designation for Nokia prototypes in the Nseries, so that comes as no surprise, but the "Prototype C" is an especially odd thing to silkscreen onto the case. Notably, the phone appears to feature a 12 megapixel camera sensor with Carl Zeiss optics and a xenon flash, likely giving it most or all of the N8's photography chops, and a strange element below the display might be a touch-sensitive strip of some sort -- possibly for zoom control or manual focus while snapping pictures and videos. There's also a kickstand on back, suggesting the screen's big enough to make people want to set it up on a desk and watch content. There's a very real chance, of course, that this thing has been wiped off Nokia's roadmap; worse yet, it could be a hoax -- but if you're willing to drop $800 on the auction, you can find out.

Weird Nokia 'N00 Prototype C' shows up on eBay, possible N86 8MP successor? originally appeared onEngadget Mobile on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:49:00 EST.

Softbank makes 16GB iPad WiFi + 3G free with two-year contract

An iPad for zilch on contract? Yessir... but only if you pack up and move to the Land of the Rising Sun. Softbank Mobile has just announced a new pricing plan that makes Apple's 16GB iPad WiFi + 3G model totally free with a two-year data agreement in Japan, and for those who recall it being "free" before, this situation is a bit different. You see, there's no built-in monthly surcharge for this one; rather than paying off your iPad over 24 months, you're actually getting it for nothing as long as you're kosher with forking out ¥4,725 ($56) per month for that 3G goodness. The deal starts on December 3rd, and we've got a strange, strange feeling that it'll do quite well if marketed correctly. And by "correctly," we mean "at all."
[Thanks, Ken]

Softbank makes 16GB iPad WiFi + 3G free with two-year contract originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:33:00 EDT.

Zalman's SandForce-based N Series SSD drive gets reviewed, patted on the back

Zalman's making an SSD? You betcha, and it's embedding a SandForce SF-1222 controller in its N Series line. That controller has proven to be the go-to one for loads of solid state drives, but Zalman's joining the party a touch late. Unfortunately for it, the MSRPs affixed to the 64GB ($169) and 128GB ($289) versions aren't exactly class-leading, but the benchmarking gurus over at Legit Reviews took it upon themselves to test a 128GB model anyway. After running the gauntlet, the conclusions drawn were fairly predictable: scores were right in line with every other SandForce drive they had tested in recent months, with words like "speedy, resilient, and reliable" detailing the drive. Reviewers did point out that the pricing situation would likely hinder adoption rates, and it's still unclear if a company more closely associated with cooling accessories and cases can stake a claim in the storage realm. Hit the source link for the full skinny if you're edging closer to pulling the trigger.

Zalman's SandForce-based N Series SSD drive gets reviewed, patted on the back originally appeared onEngadget on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:01:00 EDT.

Vodafone UK now selling HTC Desire Z, can be had for free if you play your cards right

Of course, the fact that a high-end smartphone can be scored for free on a European carrier should come as no surprise to anyone -- but in the case of the Desire Z on Vodafone in the UK, you'll be looking at a minimum monthly spend of £35 (about $55) on a two-year contract if you don't want to spend anything upfront, scaling up to £199 ($310) for the phone on a £25 ($39) plan. The specs are the same ones that you've come to know and love (or hate) -- QWERTY keyboard mounted on a crazy hinge, 5 megapixel camera, 3.7-inch SLCD, and access to HTC's new cloud-based Sense features -- so if that gets the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up, run on down to your local Voda shop now and have at it.

Vodafone UK now selling HTC Desire Z, can be had for free if you play your cards right originally appeared onEngadget Mobile on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:57:00 EST

BendDesk could change the face of desktop computing

This is the BendDesk from Media Computing Group. Just looking at this picture makes me want one, badly.

I can honestly say that I would probably keep my desk a whole lot cleaner if it was a screen. I have a video of it after the jump that shows a very interesting photo sorting session. You will note how they can be arranged in a row at the “bend”.

What really made it interesting was the games. You will note how the horizontal area is used as a controller to zap the bad guys dominating the vertical portion of the screen. Don’t let them go around the corner!

I suppose that I am looking forward to a future where I have screens everywhere on this BendDesk. I would probably have my work and a movie going on the vertical screen, and I would have a bundle of side-projects literally at my side. I’m guessing that since it has ten possible points of touch activity, the horizontal area could be a good for a keyboard.

Man, I’m not certain if this would increase my productivity, or decrease my attention span. Perhaps both. Either way, I might want to get two projectors and set this up on my desk now. I don’t suppose that Media Computing Group is not going to be selling these anytime soon.

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ BendDesk could change the face of desktop computing copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

BlackBerry Empathy design concept feels bad that you're stuck using a BlackBerry

Rest easy, folks: we know it's pointy at the bottom, but we've been assured this isn't the BlackBerry 7100's true successor. Instead, the so-called Empathy is the bizarre outcome of of a RIM-sponsored design project at the Art Center College of Design that touts its ability to detect the emotions of its user and his or her contacts. It's not exactly clear how it'd do that, but one crucial element is the biometric feedback ring that communicates your frustration at the phone's inability to properly sync IMAP accounts in real time. All of this anger and joy is displayed on a social map -- colored rings indicate your contacts' previous and current emotional states -- which is presented on a full touchscreen that can become transparent when the phone's not in use. Prefer the Bold to the Storm, do you? Turn the phone around, and boom, you've got one of the scariest looking portrait QWERTY keyboards the world has ever seen. We don't really anticipate seeing this chiseled slab of bleeding-heart technology in RIM's lineup any time soon... but we can definitely see the benefit to knowing when your BBM contacts are ready to put a fist through a wall. Follow the break for video.

Continue reading BlackBerry Empathy design concept feels bad that you're stuck using a BlackBerry

BlackBerry Empathy design concept feels bad that you're stuck using a BlackBerry originally appeared onEngadget on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:01:00 EST.

Microsoft announces 2.5 million Kinects sold in first 25 days

Points for style, Microsoft, crossing the 2.5 million Kinect sensors sold mark a convenient 25 days into your global sales of that ever-so-hackable / sometimes-cool-for-gaming item. This number factors in Black Friday sales from this past weekend, and has us really curious as to how well Sony has been doing of late -- Sony's been mum on Move numbers since it announced 1 million units shipped about a month ago. Microsoft says it's on pace to sell 5 million Kinect units through this holiday, which leads us to wonder: what sort of 3D video extravaganza could we pull off with 5 million Kinects in tandem?

Microsoft announces 2.5 million Kinects sold in first 25 days originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:44:00 EDT.

Headbanger Chat Headset for Call of Duty: Black Ops

You know that a video game is super popular when it has its own unique accessories. PDP has made several of them, like their Nunchuk for Epic Mickey plus all their Tron Legacy peripherals, put out even before the game or the movie has been released.

PDP has also made the Headbanger Chat Headset, which is specifically designed for Call of Duty: Black Ops. I had a chance to check out the game over the weekend, and the game certainly lives up to all the franchise hype.

This Headbanger is designed for the Wii version of the Call of Duty: Black Ops game and is also compatible withConduit 2. It has a “Noise-canceling microphone provides crystal-clear sound and high-quality voice input”.

It is not wireless, but it does have a 10 foot long cord. So for those who want to do their Black Ops with a group of friends, you got a peripheral for it. Just pretend its a Bluetooth headset with a wire.

You should be able to get the Headbanger Chat Headset at the PDP site for about $24.99 in either black or white. Good luck fighting zombies in the Pentagon with John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Robert McNamara, and Fidel Castro. I actually believe that is one of the campaigns.

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[ Headbanger Chat Headset for Call of Duty: Black Ops copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]