Posts in Music & Play
Myvu ships new fashion video glasses
Mike Yamamoto | May 30, 2008
Some manufacturers have tried to address this asthetic challenge, but it remains a work in progress. Now Myvu, which was one of the earlier companies in the market, is taking its products to the runway with the fashion-conscious Myvu Crystal and Myvu Shades, both of which the company has just begun to ship.
The viewers have 320 x 240 resolution and include CyberDisplay technology, according to iLounge, with the Crystal version offering an improvement in vision field of 35 percent over previous models. Whether the new designs are enough to make them popular among fashionistas is an open question, but one never knows. They could become the gadget equivalents of the Cadillac of Mini-Vans.
Via Crave CNET
Thanko's solar-powered MP4 player
Juniper Foo | May 30, 2008
Even before Apple's ventured commercially into solar-powered devices, here's a working Japanese MP4 player from etailer Thanko that runs on the power of the sun. Don't expect the usual petite form factor since this packs a solar panel on its side which can be pulled out from the body to better worship the sun. According to Thanko, a sunny day generates about 120,000 lux, and 1 hour's charging is good for 15 minutes of video or 35 minutes of music playback. Just in case it's the monsoon period, there's also a USB mains, though that'll test your patience with a 5-hour juice-up required.
Quite amazingly, this Japan-only product has packed onboard a glut of features. There's a 2-inch TFT 220 × 176-pixel LCD display, FM radio, mono speaker, voice recorder, games, software to convert AVI/RM/MPEG/VOB/DAT/RMVB files to video format, support for MP3/WMA/WAV formats, 4GB onboard drive together with microSD memory card slot for up to 2GB, though no SDHC support. The price is equally surprising: Just 9,980 yen (US$96). It may sound like a bargain, but caveat emptor, let the buyer beware.
Via Fareastgizmos | Picture credit: Thanko
A killer viral campaign
Leonard Goh | May 27, 2008
It seems like it, from a video I received. The killer already claimed four victims and I was apparently next on his list. He even knew where I work, and heck, that I blogged about the limited-edition Sony Alpha 300 dSLR last week. Just when I was about to reach for the phone and dial 999, another screen popped up and I breathed a sigh of relief.
This turned out to be a viral campaign that Fox Networks is spreading among Netizens to promote its latest series, Dexter. You put your friend's (or enemy's) name, his workplace, and leave a message for him. A video will be generated with the information and the link sent to the party's email account.
The video starts off like a usual news clip until you see your name written in blood red ink on the wall, stating that you are next. Even though April Fool is over, it still makes for a great prank. Just don't send this to the police.
The little speaker that could
Jasmine France | May 26, 2008
I'm a sucker for teeny, tiny tech. It's terribly easy to lose, but it's also
great for travel and transport, since it doesn't take up too much space in a
pocket or bag and won't weigh you down. I've certainly come across plenty of super small MP3
players, and I've had my hands on some reasonably compact portable
speakers. But the IceTech Duette is easily the tiniest standalone speaker I have ever seen. It's
downright adorable, in fact. Plus, it's super cheap (US$12) and it doesn't sound
utterly horrible--it even gets rather absurdly loud for its size.
Not smitten yet? Consider, then, the accordion-like extendable subwoofer. I can't help myself: I love gadgets that look like little creatures. The Duette, which is roughly the size of a golf ball, features a built-in battery that can be recharged via USB (cable included). A standard 3.5mm plug flips out from between the speaker's legs for use with any MP3 player or other audio source. There is a single switch on the side for turning the unit on or off, or boosting the volume. If you want the most compact speaker possible and aren't super picky about audio quality, the Duette is a great option.
Via Crave CNET
Pick any color for your new Walkman
John Chan | May 23, 2008
If you've ever bought an MP3 player which comes in many different colors, you might have felt the agony of having to choose only one. Should I get that white one to match my MacBook? Go with basic black because it matches everything else? Looks like some designer at Sony has had that problem before, and sought to solve that with the new NWD-E020F series Walkman players.
Like its predecessor, the E010 series, there's a cap on this new entry-level player which hides a built-in USB jack. This makes for more convenient song transfer, a proposition made all the more sweeter now that the process is a drag-and-drop affair, less SonicStage. Its biggest feature has to be that they come bundled with additional panels which let you change the color to suit what you want to be seen carrying on a particular day.
The NWD-E020F will be available in this region from mid-June. So far, the US pricing stands at US$69 and US$79 for the 1GB and 2GB versions, respectively, while optional panels aside from the bundled ones will cost US$12 each. These prices may not be exactly what you will pay in your own country, but they shouldn't stray far.
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