Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Dealzmodo: 15 Cheap Blu-ray Players as Low as $200 [Dealzmodo]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/i8MHHPXaEyM/dealzmodo-15-cheap-blu+ray-players-as-low-as-200

There's no question that Blu-ray is still not as inexpensive as DVD, whether you're talking about the players or the discs themselves. But prices have come down in time for the holidays, especially if you're willing to settle for an early generation model or a refurb.

In fact, we have a list of 15 Blu-ray players (thanks to DEG) that don't go for $300 or under just on Black Friday; they go for that little every day if you're willing to do a quick online search. Here are all 15 models, many with links to decent deals if you're too exasperated to search yourself.

Magnavox (NB500MG9)
MSRP: $298
AVG $220

Panasonic (DMP-BD30)
MSRP: $499.95
AVG $250
What We Said

Panasonic (DMP-BD35)
MSRP: $299.95
AVG $200
What We Said

Philips (BDP7200)
MSRP: $399.99
AVG $240
What We Said

Samsung BD-P1000
MSRP: $999
AVG $200 at low end
What We Said

Samsung BD-P1200
MSRP: $799
AVG $200 at low end
What We Said

Samsung BD-P1500
MSRP: $399
AVG $250
What We Said

Sharp BD-HP2OU
MSRP:$399
AVG $250
What We Said

Sharp BDHP21U
MSRP: $349.99
AVG $250

Sony BDP-BX1
MSRP: $499
AVG $290

Sony BDP-S300
MSRP: $499
AVG $250
What We Said

Sony BDP-S301
MSRP:$499
AVG $230

Sony BDP-S350
MSRP: $399
AVG $250
What We Said

Sylvania NB500SL9
MSRP: $349.00
AVG $200

Sylvania NB501SL9
MSRP: $289.99
AVG $220

Consumer Reports Survey Details America's Black Friday Spending Plans [Black Friday]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/DjnFEIYlMZg/consumer-reports-survey-details-americas-black-friday-spending-plans

While you are busy letting us know your Black Friday plans for this year over in our Question of the Day, do feel free to cheat off the paper of the 1,000 or so folks Consumer Reports called up and grilled on their own personal plans for post-holiday mayhem. How will Giz readers stack up?

CR found that, unsurprisingly, the number of folks hitting the stores is higher this year despite the economy's current position in the proverbial shitter—26% versus 21% in 2007. And of that 26%, electronics remain the main target, although much more so this year than last, with 85% heading to the gadget aisles over 70% previously. What's hot with CR's poll respondents? Gaming systems (those Xbox 360 price cuts seem like they're working out pretty well), which 46% of BF shoppers have their eye on first (compared to a much-lower 29% last year. iPods and other MP3 players come in a close second at 44% of folks planning on buying, up from 33%.

Still, I must throw in my two cents here: if you're able to wake up at the crack of dawn to stand in the cold waiting for some electronics deals with hundreds of other bleary-eyed souls, you're simply not doing Thanksgiving with the gluttony and excess it deserves. So save the shopping for later in the day at the computer, in your underpants, with a nice hot mug of the previous night's mulled wine helping you start the day (er, afternoon). That, friends, is a post-Thanksgiving Friday well-spent. [Consumer Reports]

Meraki's Solar Powered Wi-Fi Repeater Finally Shipping in December [Solar Wi-fi]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/jr5Wo66pVXg/merakis-solar-powered-wi+fi-repeater-finally-shipping-in-december

We first wrote about Meraki and their solar-powered Wi-Fi repeater back in mid '07, but they're finally getting ready to ship these next month. According to Cleantechnica, it's going to be $749 if you have your own solar panel, which then balloons up to $1499 for "larger units". The main idea that Meraki is going after is "getting internet access to everyone", so powering these units off of el sol is a good idea.

City planners can deploy these in parks, or really rich people can deploy these all over their multi-acre ranches so they can torrent anywhere. If Michael Jackson still had Neverland, he'd be all up in this solar action. [Meraki via Cleantechnica via Treehugger]

Apple TV Firmware V.2.3 Update Gives Third-Party Remote Support, AirTunes Streaming [Apple TV]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/bf5DRCBTeuw/apple-tv-firmware-v23-update-gives-third+party-remote-support-airtunes-streaming

For all you Apple TV users out there, Apple's now released firmware version 2.3. The patch, downloadable through the media hub's built in updater, now lets users stream music from AirTunes to any speakers connected to an Airport Express or other Apple TVs in the house. You'll also get the ability to use third-party remotes, and make playlists that include a mixture of audio and video formats. [Apple Insider]

Scalado Promises to Finally Kill Irritating Phone Camera Lag [Phone Cameras]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/yoDMgdLoWy4/scalado-promises-to-finally-kill-irritating-phone-camera-lag

It's the worst thing about phone cameras (except for the image noise, poor low-light performance, desaturated colors and incessant motion blur): the picture delay. Scalado says they've managed to eliminate it by constantly recording and displaying actual JPG images of the frame in real time. In other words, when you take a picture, rather than calling the camera to snap a completely new hi-res image, the Scalado Camera Engine simply saves what you can already see. Popular sensor makers Aptina, OmniVision Samsung and MtekVision are already licensing with the tech, so your camera phone experience might become slightly more bearable before too long. [Slashphone]

Apple DisplayPort to Dual Link DVI Adapter Delayed to Dec. 23 [Apple]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/tPol-LGqwRU/apple-displayport-to-dual-link-dvi-adapter-delayed-to-dec-23

While we liked the shiny unibody MacBooks, their new miniDisplay Port requires the use of a dual link DVI adapter to drive the 30" CinemaDisplay. Not only is the adapter $100; it's a custom cord that can't exactly be spotted between the batteries and singing cards at the drug store. Now Apple has informed preorderers to expect their shipments no sooner than December 23rd—which just goes to show that in a fight between Steve Jobs and Santa Claus, Steve Jobs would win...or something like that. [9to5mac]

Casio's EX-FH20 reviewed: perfect for YouTube slow-mo junkies, nobody else

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/19/casios-ex-fh20-reviewed-perfect-for-youtube-slow-mo-junkies-n/

The key to any good pseudo-educational show featuring demonstrations that typically result in explosions (i.e. Mythbusters) is super-duper slow-mo sequences that expand those fleeting instants of incredibly expensive pyrotechnical glory into multiple minutes of time wasted between commercial breaks. If you're looking to record your own similar antics, amateur-style, Casio's time-stretching shooter the EX-FH20 is for you, delivering decent image quality and a bevy of burst and slow-mo modes that will capture 7 megapixel stills at 40 fps and 1000 fps video at 224 x 56. However, if that sounds rather gimmicky to you, according to PhotographyBLOG's full review there's really nothing noteworthy about the machine which, at $600, is out-paced and under-cut by other, similar SLR-lite options like Canon's PowerShot SX10. 'Nuff said.

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Portable Video