Sharp offers 5 new video player/recorders on hard disk and DVD

Sharp offers 5 new video player/recorders on hard disk and DVD, including the DV-AC60 with 1TB of disk space (127 hours of recording time in HD), 2 digital TV tuners and 1 analogical TV tuner, at about €1,270. Also with 3 TV tuners, there’s the DV-ACW55 with 500GB of disk space, and the DV-ACW52 with 250GB. If you don’t need 2 digital TV tuners but only 1, there’s the DV-AC55 (500GB) and the DV-AC52 (250GB).

Sharp equipped all 5 models with an IrSS allowing you to send photos (taken with a phone, for example) directly to the media recorder and save them on the hard disk or a DVD. Honestly, the demonstrations were convincing and the results and a 40” screen in HD were excellent. Well done Sharp!

 

This latest Olympus camera, the SP-550UZ, has a 7.1Mpix sensor

This latest Olympus camera, the SP-550UZ, has a 7.1Mpix sensor, an 18x optical zoom, 21MB of internal memory. It supports xD cards, up to ISO5000 (3Mpix for ISO5000), the RAW and JPEG formats (3072x2304 max), and videos in VGA at 30fps. The camera measures 116x78x78.5mm and weights 365g. 

new Logitec security cameras

new Logitec security cameras 

As a responsible cat owner, you MUST know what your favorite pet is doing, at all times. This task usually becomes a difficult exercise, for example when you need to go to work so you can afford buying catfood. Well, Logitec has 2 new security cameras that you can plug on the Internet and control via a web interface! 2 new models for 2 different connection modes: either a Wi-Fi/LAN combo (LAN-WC30/PT 240 EUR) or LAN alone (LAN-NC30/PT) . These are color cameras with a 0.3Mpix sensor supporting VGA videos at 30fps, which is enough to watch your cat sleep, jump all over the place or destroy your furniture

the latest NEC phone comes with 11.4mm of pleasure

I prefer having a 11.4mm thick phone than a 114mm thick one. Anyway, here’s the N703i µ, the latest NEC phone available at DoCoMo. This is a 3G phone with a 1.3Mpix camera (not the third world, but not Japan either), 630mn of battery life in standby, Privacy Angle (so that other people don't see you're surfing porn sites while commuting in the metro), and also, as a delicacy just like Wasabi on a sushi, 49 LEDs on the cover, that display a different icon for incoming calls, emails…

 

OpenMoko Announces the World’s First Integrated Open Source Mobile Communications Platform

OpenMoko Announces the World’s First Integrated Open Source Mobile Communications Platform at Open Source in Mobile Conference in Amsterdam

Preliminary Specification

Note: These are _not_ final. But since we've had so many questions on our mailing lists,
it's probably best to post them in one place:

Hardware

• 120.7 x 62 x 18.5 (mm)
• 2.8" VGA (480x640) TFT Screen
• Samsung s3c2410 SoC
• Global Locate AGPS chip
• Ti GPRS (2.5G not EDGE)
• Unpowered USB 1.1
• Touchscreen
• micro-sd slot
• 2.5mm audio jack
• 2 buttons
• 1200 mAh battery (charged over USB)
• 128 MB SDRAM
• 64 MB NAND Flash

Software

• Dialer
• Contacts
• Application Manager
• Calendar
• More...

Getting into your home using the RFID Digital Door Lock

Getting into your home using the RFID Digital Door Lock is a breeze. Just tap your RFID card or keyfob to the reader button to activate, authenticate and unlock your door.

With the PIN pad, you'll never lock yourself out ever again. Calling a locksmith to unlock your door or to change your lockset because you misplaced a key will be a thing of the past. Change your PIN and reprogram your RFID cards should you ever lose your keys or have them stolen. No need to change locks.

This lock is pickproof as it has no keyholes and comes standard with a night deadbolt function which disables all external functions, allowing you to sleep safe and sound. The built-in alarm will deter thieves at the door itself, if the door is forcefully entered. Also includes an imaginary PIN and an external forced lock feature which prevents unauthorized opening through the mail slot or window. Set by default on automatic locking mode, you can change modes to have your door lock manually.

Other features of the RFID Digital Door Lock.

* Comes with 8 RFID Smart Keys (4 cards, 2 fobs, 2 tags)
* Auto/manual lock modes
* External forced lock mode prevents unauthorized opening through mail slot or window
* Burglar alarm
* Smart Keys can be re-registered if one or more is lost or stolen
* Takes 4 AA batteries (included)
* External contacts for a 9-volt battery (in case AA batteries are completely drained)
* Includes mounting hardware, screws
* Dimensions: 5.75" x 2.7" x 1" (Outside component)
* Dimensions: 6" x 3.9" x 1.5" (Inside component)
* Installation guide
* Please Note: this lock needs be mounted such that it will not be exposed to rain/snow

Are Watts killing you?

It's pretty well known that electrical power is at the core of a geek's existence. It breathes life into our entertainment, hobbies, our work and probably a lot of other stuff too. But getting a good grasp on how much power various devices consume can be somewhat difficult to reckon.

The Kill-A-Watt allows you to connect your appliances and assess how efficient they are. A large LCD display counts consumption by the Kilowatt-hour, just like utility companies. You can figure out your electrical expenses by the hour, day, week, month, even an entire year. Monitor the quality of your power by displaying Voltage, Line Frequency, and Power Factor.

Also has these great features.

* Enables cost forecasting
* Accurate to within 0.2%
* Cumulative killowatt-hour monitor
* Displays Volts, Amps, Watts, Hz, VA, KWH, Power Factor
* Operating voltage: 115 VAC
* Max current: 15 A
* Max power: 1875 VA
* Dimensions: 5 1/8" X 1 5/8" X 2 3/8"
* Also see Watt's Up which records data on power consumption

GENESOUND lets rip your LPs into MP3s

This may not be of interest for most of you, but if you have an extensive collection of, say, Led Zep LPs or other LPs, and you want to “store” them onto a more convenient media such as a CD or MP3, this is THE prefect solution! Seagrand will offer in Japan at the end of February the GENESOUND, a LP/CD turntable with a USB and SD port that allows you to record you LPs on CD, USB key or SD card, in MP3. This is really cool and it may allow me to copy my father's jazz LPs (especially the Beatles’ White album).

Sony is trying to provide the SA-CD sound to the largest possible amount of customers.

Sony had prepared a small press conference this morning to present a set of SA-CD products, including the TA-F501 SA-CD player, the 32bit S-Master PRO SCD-X501 receiver, and a pair of SS-K10ED speakers. With a price set at less than €1,550, Sony is trying to provide the SA-CD sound to the largest possible amount of customers. In fact, Sony is targeting "mature" customers in Japan, between the ages of 40 and 60. This audio system will be available in Europe in June 2007.

BiodeLogon, a new security software to log on to Windows.

NecSoft, a NEC subsidiary, offers BiodeLogon, a new software to log on to Windows. There are several ways to access a PC, but image recognition is probably the easiest one for the end user. With the NecSoft software, you just have to show your pretty face to the webcam to access your computer. NecSoft made this system as simple as possible so it can work in different situations. However, I haven’t found any info yet on how to prevent a hacker from showing a photo in HD to the camera instead of the user’s real face…

KoreaTelecom wireless phone with a remote

Sony Ericsson's w880 Walkman Phone is Official:

London, UK - 6th February 2007 - Sony Ericsson today announces two new Walkman® phones; the W880 and the W610 building on the success of hit-models such as the W810 and further broadens the phenomenally successful Walkman® phone line. Sony Ericsson also announces a suite of music accessories designed to further enhance the Walkman® phone listening experience. At just 9.4mm thin, the W880 is the slimmest Sony Ericsson phone yet and combines the full Walkman® phone experience with a device that fits easily into your pocket. The 1GB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) provided in-box gives you room to store up to 900 full length tracks*, while the host of innovative music applications (such as Walkman® Player 2.0 & Disc2Phone) make it easy to transfer and search play lists for your favorite music tracks. All of this, plus a 2.0 megapixel camera, is packed into a UMTS phone that's as slim as a standard CD case.

The W610 Walkman® phone is all about the detail, whether in design that builds on the look of earlier Walkman® phones or the detailed combination of mobile music with a digital camera. The W610 stores up to 470 full-length music tracks* on the 512MB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2) provided in the box. It also offers the inventive TrackID™ music recognition application; a feature that lets you record a clip from the FM Radio and quickly receive a notification of the track name, artist and album±. Additionally a 2.0 megapixel camera with auto focus makes the W610 a wonderful fusion of phone, music player & digital camera.

Afternoon Delight: The Best of Gizmodo

I've got a 24 pound monster kitty who most assuredly needs a bath now and again because he's got dandruff. However, the last time we tried to wash him ourselves, we had a three-person, one-cat melee that ended with me in the ER getting treated for a claw puncture that went clear into the space in one of my finger joints."--InfMom