New network Walkman unleashed?
Apparently, a new network Walkman has been released somewhere on this earth, offering up to 18 hours of video and 33 hours of audio playback. Features include support for WMA DRM files, and both the NWZ-A815 and alleged NWZ-S615F come with 2GB of flash memory. Styling cues were borrowed from Sony’s NW-A800 range of Walkman devices. Word on the street has it that these devices will be released this September, so stay tuned.
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Add comment August 28th, 2007
Tamiya and Loopwing have unveiled a plastic toy car that is powered by electricity supplied via a wind power generator kit. Some assembly knowledge is required before you kick things off, but it can’t really be that hard, could it? The entire bundle consists of a couple of gears, a capacitor, a small steering module, and a wind powered charging station in addition to the said car. It takes approximately 5 minutes of strong wind to provide the tiny car with enough juice to run around for 3.5 hours before being exhausted. Do you think this toy will sell exceptionally well in Holland? At $30, it looks like a potential stocking stuffer candidate.
Sony has just launched the Vaio LT PC/TV that aims to merge the functions of a computer and entertainment system in a single device, making this suitable for those living in cramped apartments. You get a lovely “floating glass” design that measures 22″, bringing a widescreen LCD display to the living room, Intel Core 2 Duo processors running the show inside, 2GB RAM, 802.11n WiFi connectivity, a hard drive, a graphics card, and Windows Vista Ultimate. A 1.3 megapixel webcam has also been thrown in for you to carry out video calls, while the High Definition version comes with a Blu-ray drive. The standard model will retail for approximately $1,900 this October, while the HD version costs a cool grand more. And I thought that the PS3 was supposed to be the main attention in a living room. Would you pick this over the (much cheaper) PS3?
Playing video games is fun, but what happens when you’re on the receiving end of an electric shock whenever you lose to the computer? British researchers have been doing just that in order to study how the human brain reacts to imminent danger, where gamers played a game that requires you to run away from red dots. Upon being caught, the gamer will receive a mild electric shock. The study has shown that whenever the predator stood a comfortable distance away, most blood flowed strongly to the prefrontal cortex in the forebrain, and whenever it moved near, blood flow will be redirected to the midbrain - the area that controls reflexes like fighting or fleeing. All this brain talk makes me remember, I’ve got to fire up my Brain Age 2 for more brain training!
The next time somebody is kind enough to fix up a phone in your home, do take the extra effort to check if it is a spy phone or not. The Telespy phone is actually a motion detector that senses whoever enters your home, calling you to let you know what’s going on inside the room. Great if you want to pick out conversations between Aunt Edna and Uncle Jim discussing about grandfather’s last will and testament contents. The Telespy will retail for $84.99, but it is currently out of stock.
Looks like the classic game, Spin the Bottle, has just been given a modern boost. It is now electronically powered to prevent you from using an unopened bottle of soda back in your more foolish, youthful days that resulted in being grounded for a month after your parents came home to a sticky living room. Is it worth the $34 you have to fork out for it? I suppose if your kid is having his/her friends over for a birthday party, it would be cheaper than hiring a clown.
The Pen Activated Recorder is a pretty unique device as you can discreetly switch it on by simply removing a pen from your pocket. That way, you won’t have to rouse suspicions of anyone in the vicinity. The only drawback that I can see would be the analogue tape recorder which definitely doesn’t offer the versatility and ease-of-use associated with digital media. The voice activation feature works great since it will stop recording during long silences, while a tape counter lets you revert to where you last left off. The Pen Activated Recorder is powered by a couple of AA batteries and records on a MC60 tape. It retails for £70.50 (approximately $140) after taxes.
The N Series of multimedia phones are beneficiaries of new accessories from the Finnish cellphone manufacturer. These include the Nokia Bluetooth GPS Module (LD-4W), the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo headset (BH-903), the Nokia Bluetooth Headset (BH-903), and the Nokia Bluetooth Speakers (MD-7W). The LD-4W offers 10 hours of operating time and will retail for 125 Euros, while the BH-903 comes with an OLED display and offers up to 15 hours of music/talk time, letting you know visually of incoming SMS and MMS messages, and retails for 200 Euros. As for the BH-902, this standard Bluetooth headset retails for 115 Euros and comes with an OLED display as well. Finally, the MD-7W Bluetooth speaker provides 3D stereo widening and dynamic bass control, with magnetic attachments holding them together during storage. It will cost 130 Euros. All prices quoted are before taxes.
I remember the older Alcatel handsets that run on AA batteries back in the day where NiMH batteries in cellphones ruled the roost. After all, AA batteries are universal so you don’t have to worry about running out of juice at the most inopportune moments. The only problem was the extra weight and ultra long charge times of rechargeable AA batteries. Sanyo brings a tear to my eye by unveiling a prototype cellphone that runs on a single AA battery, offering a phenomenal five hours of talk time and 250 hours of standby time. Do you think that AA-powered handsets will be making a return in the near future, or is this just wishful thinking?