PalmOne released its first handheld equipped with a hard drive. With the LifeDrive, the company tries to offer an alternative to such high profile gadgets suchs as the iPod, while keeping the digital organizer format. Besides the 4 GB storage capacity, the device includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, smart file management system and special service offers from T-Mobile and RealNetworks. Complete specifications are as follows:
After Microsoft and Nintendo unveiled details about their new consoles Xbox 360 and Revolution, last week, Sony released some interesting info about the PlayStation 3 this Monday. As previously known, the PS3 will be based on a PowerPC-based Cell processor clocked at 3.2 GHz and, according to the company, will achieve system performance of 2.18 teraflops – twice that of the Xbox 360. It includes 512 KB of on-die L2 cache and seven AltiVec vector processing units. Graphics are provided by a chip from Nvidia called RSX, which is connected directly to the CPU, running at 550 MHz. The PS3 is expected to ship next Spring.
HP released a limited edition of its Photosmart R607 digital cam designed by singer Gwen Stefani. It is styled in turquoise and white and displays hearts and Japanese kanji and katakana characters. The camera comes with an accessory package including carrying case and charm also designed by Gwen, a wrist strap and a DVD featuring video, interview and wallpapers. The R607 is a 4.1 megapixels camera, with 21x total zoom (3x optical, 7x digital), capable of high resolution prints up to 11x17 inches. The limited edition costs USD 249 compared to USD 199 of the standard one.
Gamers could finally take a look at some features from the long-awaited Xbox 360 on MTV this Thursday. The console will be based on a PowerPC processor with three 3.2 GHz cores and floating point performance of 1 teraflop. An ATI GPU derived from the upcoming R520 with 512 MB of GDDR3 will provide the graphic power to the machine. The system will bring a 20 GB HD, DVD drive, slots for Flash memory and USB 2.0 ports. A vast lineup of game developers has already announced titles for the Xbox 360, which should arrive in stores by Christmas. Pricing was not revealed.
Microsoft will reveal details about the long awaited Xbox 2 on a 30-minute special to be aired on MTV on May 12 (9:30 PM ET). The show will also be broadcast in Europe, Asia and Australia on May 13. The public expects to get more information about the video game such as release dates, processor specifications and whether it will include a hard drive. Most analysts believe the next generation Xbox, which is expected to reach stores in the second half of this year before its rival PlaySation 3, will cost around USD 299.
Sony has introduced a new HD-based MP3 player promising 40 hours of play on a single battery charge. The 20 GB NW-HD5 is also smaller than its predecessors measuring 2.4 x 3.5 x 0.6 inches (59.9 x 89.3 x 14.5mm) and weighing 4.8 ounces (125 grams). Besides MP3, the player supports Sony's ATRAC3 and ATRAC3plus, Windows Media Audio and WAV files. Charging the battery takes three hours via AC and six hours via USB. The NW-HD5 will start selling for approximatelly USD 327 in Japan later this month and worldwide availability is planned.
Shuttle has announced today its new XPC compact PC based on the Radeon X200 Xpress chipset from ATI. Called ST20G5, this new XPC uses socket 939 Athlon 64 processors and has Gigabit Ethernet controller, two Firewire ports, 8-channel audio and Serial ATA ports. It comes with a 240 W power supply and the same silent cooling system used by other XPCs.
Apple revamped its iPod mini lineup with increased battery life of up to 18 hours and higher capacity (6 GB). The players are now also available in new shades of green, blue and pink, in addition to the traditional silver. Prices went down as well with the 4 GB iPod mini selling for USD 199 and the 6 GB for USD 249. Apple also introduced new iPod Photo players with 30 GB (slim) and 60 GB capacities. Prices are USD 349 and USD 449 respectively. The new Camera Connector lets users connect directly to digital cameras.
Archos has announced a new member of its HD-based line of portable media players with digital video recording capabilities. The Pocket Video Recorder AV4100 stores up to 100 GB of data and allows the user to schedule shows to be recorded. A cradle connects the device to video sources such as a TV or a set-top box through USB 2.0. The AV4100 sports a 3.8-inch color screen and external speaker. Optional accessories include a 4-in-1 CompactFlash Adaptor, FM radio & remote control, 5 V car adaptor and carrying case.
MSI released the MEGA 521, an MP3 player that offers a series of additional features: FM receiver with 15 memory positions (optional), voice and FM recording, pedometer and stopwatch. As usual, it also works as an USB flash disk The player measures 82 x 51 x 18,6 mm and weighs 60 g (with built-in Li-ion rechargeable battery). It sports a 23 x 12 mm OLED display and is available in 128 MB, 256 MB and 512 MB capacities.
Netgear announced its new MP115 networked digital home entertainment solution, allowing access to video, photo, and music file collections from anywhere within the home network. The device streams content wirelessly from PCs to TVs and home stereo systems through 802.11b and 802.11g networks. The player includes software that catalogs all digital image and music files stored on the network. Compatible file formats include MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, MP3 (up to 320 kbps), Windows Media Audio (WMA8 and WMA 9), WAV, M3U and PLS. The MP115 interfaces with other home theater devices through stereo audio, composite video, component video, S-Video jacks and SCART interface (for Europe and Australia). Suggested retail price is USD 220.
Samsung has allegedly completed development of a 102-inch high density plasma monitor codenamed Atlas. The equipment has 1920x1080 resolution and a constrast ratio of 2000:1. Its measurements are equally wondrous: 7.2 x 4.2 ft. Samsung has not defined pricing or availability, but the giant plasma monitor should be on sale on H1 2005.
Sony will start selling this month its first HD-based audio player with native MP3 support. The NW-HD3 offers the same 20 GB as the previous models (NW-HD1 and NW-HD2) and keeps support for the company´s ATRAC3plus proprietary format. Measuring 90 x 62.1 x 14.8 mm, weighing 130 g and sporting a 1.5 inch display, the new player promises bigger battery life: 30 hours with ATRAC files and 22 hours with MP3. The NW-HD3 will be first released in Japan (USD 410) and the UK (USD 470), arriving in the rest of Europe one month later.
Apple has released a version of its iPod music player called Photo, featuring a 2-inch (220x176) color screen for displaying images. An included AV cable enables connectivity to a TV or video projector. The iPod Photo also includes a dock with audio and video out, earbud headphones, 1.2m 30-pin to FireWire cable, a 1.2m 30-pin to USB cable, AC adapter, black carrying case and a CD with iTunes 4.7 for Mac and Windows computers. The player is available in 40 GB (USD 499) or 60 GB (USD 599) capacities.
Sony announced two new Network Walkman MP3 players with up to 1 GB of storage capacity. The NW-E95 (512 MB) and NW-E99 (1 GB) use the ATRAC3plus file format. The players - weighing only 40 g - will be on the market at the end of november with price tags of USD 255 (NW-E95) and USD 300 (NW-E99).
