Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Amazon HD Video On Demand Offically on TiVo [TiVo]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/IVBd_C1fApA/amazon-hd-video-on-demand-offically-on-tivo

We knew TiVo was beta testing Amazon HD VOD,so it's not a huge surprise it's actually official today. TV shows and Movies will be available in HD with most videos supporting 5.1 surround sound.

Starting today TiVo lovers can expect to see Amazon HD availability on their Series 3 / TiVo HD boxes. HD content is priced about the same as normal SD downloads with HD TV shows starting at $3 and newly released HD movies at $4-$5. There's no details yet as to the quality of the picture or download speeds, but from the beta testing HD downloads are supposedly "outstanding" and handle surround sound very well.

With Amazon HD VOD, Netflix streaming HD, and the recently announced Blockbuster OnDemand, TiVo is slowly working to make paid internet content available on your TV. This is all great news but what about some Hulu love? Please TiVo, we beg of you...


THE FUTURE IS CRYSTAL CLEAR: HIGH DEFINITION DOWNLOADS FROM AMAZON VIDEO ON DEMAND COMING TO A TIVO DVR NEAR YOU

ALVISO, Calif. – April 21, 2009 - TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in televi! sion ser vices for digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced the availability of HD movies and television shows for download from Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) directly to their television set. Starting today, broadband connected subscribers with a Series3™, TiVo HD, or TiVo HD XL will have access to high quality HD downloads available from Amazon Video On Demand.

Movie and television lovers from coast to coast can browse through hundreds of selections, all without having to leave their living room and at the fraction of the cost of purchasing a Blu-ray disc. High definition episodes of current TV seasons will be available for purchase at $2.99 and top new release HD movies will be available for rental from $3.99 - $4.99. The experience is made even better with the vast majority of titles providing Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, offering a full surround sound experience.

"Consumers are seeking affordable entertainment alternatives to an expensive trip to the movies. With HD downloads for movies and TV shows, TiVo and Amazon can transform any night into a memorable movie experience, all for a fraction of the cost of the theater," said Tara Maitra, general manager and vice president of content services and advertising sales at TiVo Inc. "Our customers now have access to a new world of ultra high quality HD television and movie choices available when the DVDs are released, something no other DVR, cable, or satellite company can match."

TiVo Search, which is optimized for HDTVs with a wide screen display, will include HD results from Amazon along with broadcast and cable programs when a user performs a search.

"TiVo is enabling customers to access our unparalleled library of hit movies and TV shows, bringing them directly into the home where friends and family can watch from the comfort of the couch," said Bill Carr, Amazon vice president music and video. "Together with TiVo, Am! azon Vid eo On Demand is excited to offer HD and increase the selection, quality, and convenience for the TiVo community."

To activate their broadband-connected TiVo DVR, subscribers can log onto Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/videoondemand/tv. After a one-time registration, they can use the remote to search and browse the Amazon selections right from the TV screen, then download the selection directly to the TiVo DVR. To receive more information on how to download HD content from Amazon via your TiVo DVR visit www.tivo.com/amazon.



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Posted by Augustine at 11:01 AM

A $500 PC That Rocks Out Crysis [PC]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/eQwNQ-Q4Mqk/a-500-pc-that-rocks-out-crysis

Okay, for $699, you might not be able to buy the best laptop in the world. But for $500, you can build a PC that plays Crysis at a solid 40 frames per second.

Except for the RAM, I'm actually fairly impressed with the components Maximum PC picked out: an ATI Radeon HD 4870 at $175, $71 Intel Pentium E5200 2.5GHz Wolfdale, $90 MSI Neo3-F LGA 775 motherboard, $21 2GB DDR2-800 RAM (with a rebate, you can go up to 4GB of RAM for $7 more, which I'd recommend), $25 optical drive and $50 320GB hard drive (for $10 more, you can go up to 500GB). Finally, for the case and power supply, a Rosewill TU-155 II 500 Black, which is a good pick since Rosewill makes decent power supplies (I also like Seasonic, which is what I rock in my PC) and it's only $75 for the whole package. After rebates, that's just $479, although that doesn't include Photoshop or Geek Squad ! visits.

A good 22-inch monitor can be had for $150 easy, and obviously a keyboard and mouse can be found for under $10 a pop if you really wanna scrimp. For the OS, Windows 7 beta is freeeee. Or you can find a copy of XP lying around somewhere, I'm sure.

Depending on the resolution you wanna roll with, at 1280x1024, Maximum PC got an average framerate of 44.42FPS, and at 1900x1200, a still respectable 36.22FPS.

If you've never ever built a computer before, check out Lifehacker's first-timer's guide to building your own PC. It's a pretty excellent Saturday activity. And obviously a PC can do way more than play Crysis. [Maximum PC]



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Posted by Augustine at 10:54 AM

EagleTec Nano 4/8GB Flash Drive is Pri-Tay, Pri-Tay Small [Flash Drives]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/qfXUHMlYWHI/eagletec-nano-48gb-flash-drive-is-pri+tay-pri+tay-small

I used to want a Super Talent Pico flash drive, but now I want an EagleTec Nano. Even though they take a few steps back on the metric naming scale, this thing is small.

Now that every press release anyone gets handed comes on a USB flash drive, I've found it hard to actually purchase one. But an unobtrusive 8GB on my keychain for $33 ($22 for the 4GB) is appealing. At least it looks like I can use it with my MacBook and still have room for something in the other USB slot. [Brando]



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Posted by Augustine at 10:53 AM

MSI's CULV-packin' X-Slim X340 ships this month in US

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/21/msis-culv-packin-x-slim-x340-ships-this-month-in-us/


MSI already told us that its ultraslim, super-sexy, WiMAX-ready X-Slim X340 would be starting at right around $1,000, and now we're being told that the planet's first laptop to be based on Intel's CULV (consumer ultra low voltage) platform will be shipping in April. As in, this month. For the forgetful souls in the crowd, this here ultraportable will ship with an SU3500 CULV processor that consumes just 5.5 watts of power and a 4-cell battery. Now, to find a retailer 'round these parts willing to let you pre-order one...

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MSI's CULV-packin' X-Slim X340 ships this month in US originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 10:50 AM

Bluetooth 3.0 + HS gets official, adds speed with 802.11

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/21/bluetooth-3-0-hs-gets-official-adds-speed-with-802-11/


The rumors were true, and today's the day that the Bluetooth SIG gets official with the latest, greatest version of Bluetooth. Bluetooth 3.0 + HS, as it'll be called, promises to be markedly faster than prior iterations thanks to the reliance on 802.11, which is the same protocol used by WiFi modules, routers, etc. The new standard obviously catapults Bluetooth into a new dimension; rather than being good for nothing more than sending images from one phone to another or syncing a fitness module to a DAP, v3.0 is nimble enough to handle camcorder-to-HDTV, PC-to-PMP and UMPC-to-printer transfers. In fact, the inclusion of the 802.11 Protocol Adaptation Layer (PAL) provides increased throughput of data transfers "at the approximate rate of 24Mbps." We had sit-downs with Mike Foley (executive director of the Bluetooth SIG) and Atheros CTO Bill McFarland in order to find out a few more details about plans for the protocol -- if you're eager to hear what they had to say, not to mention see a demonstration of BT 3.0 at work, follow us past the break.

Continue reading Bluetooth 3.0 + HS gets official, adds speed with 802.11

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Bluetooth 3.0 + HS gets official, adds speed with 802.11 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 10:50 AM

Skytone debuts ARM-based, Android-powered netbook / tablet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/21/skytone-debuts-arm-based-android-powered-netbook-tablet/


Well, after months of nothing but hacks and proof of concepts, we now have not one but two Android-powered netbooks -- neither of which are actually available just yet, of course. This latest one comes from Chinese firm Skytone and, unlike the I-Buddie, boasts a slightly more unique convertible tablet design, which the company was apparently able to make happen by cutting corners in every other area. That includes a slightly underwhelming 533MHz ARM processor, a 7-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, a mere 128MB of RAM, 1GB of storage, an SD card slot for expansion, and even optional 3G (although that could just be a dongle). What's more, it looks like Skytone is saying that the netbook, dubbed the Alpha-680, could sell for as little as $100 if and when it's actually released -- which, as far as we can tell, could happen next week or never.

[Via The Inquirer]

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Skytone debuts ARM-based, Android-powered netbook / tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 10:50 AM

Sprint debuts 2-in-1 AirCard 402 mobile broadband card

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/21/sprint-debuts-2-in-1-aircard-402-mobile-broadband-card/


It's not exactly for everybody, but we have a sneaking suspicion that Sprint's new Sierra Wireless AirCard 402 mobile broadband card -- first spotted last month -- will make at least a few multiple laptop owners out there very, very happy. As you can see above, this one can function happily as an ExpressCard one moment and a PC Card the next, with each providing the same dual-band CDMA connectivity and support for EV-DO 1xRTT, Rev. 0, and Rev. A, along with all the other standard features and software you'd expect from a mobile broadband card. Perhaps the best news, however, is the price, which at $99.99 (after $180 instant savings and a $50 mail-in rebate), is pretty much in line with Sprint's other plan old ExpressCard options.

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Sprint debuts 2-in-1 AirCard 402 mobile broadband card originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 10:50 AM

Ito Electronics shows off waterproof OLED displays

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/21/ito-electronics-shows-off-waterproof-oled-displays/


Details are about as light as can be on this one, but it looks like Japan's Ito Electronics has developed some sort of special "packaging technology" that can make OLED displays fully waterproof, which could be particularly used for watches, cellphones, or that fish tank home theater you've always dreamed of. Of course, there's no word on any actual products just yet, nor is there any indication of possible transparent waterproof displays -- or, at least, none that anyone has seen.

[Via OLED-Info.com]

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Ito Electronics shows off waterproof OLED displays originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 10:50 AM

Samsung's 46 and 55-inch B9000 HDTVs boast widgets, wireless external media box

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/21/samsungs-46-and-55-inch-b9000-hdtvs-boasts-widgets-wireless-ex/

With no picture to show for it, unfortunately (that's the 8 series, pictured), Samsung's gone ahead and announced the 46-inch and 55-inch B9000 HDTVs, which looks to be a follow-up to the A950 models from last year. According to flatpanelshd, the latest addition to the Touch of Color series include LED backlights with localized dimming, Medi@2.0 with YouTube / Yahoo! widgets, built-in USB port, DLNA functionality, built-in DVB-T and DVB-C tuners, and most interesting, a wireless connection to an external media box that's reportedly similar to Sony's ZX1 -- no word on whether or not that means it's using WHDI. As for the other details, including pricing and availability, you're gonna have to keep waiting, we're afraid.

Filed under: ,

Samsung's 46 and 55-inch B9000 HDTVs boast widgets, wireless external media box originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 10:50 AM

LG's 240Hz LH90 LED TV series priced, global release dates still a mystery

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/lgs-240hz-lh90-led-tv-series-priced-global-release-dates-still/

LG's finally put a price on its TruMotion 240Hz LH90 series displays. Available in 42, 47, and 55-inch sizes, the LED TVs boast a whopping 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, THX support, and the ability to play DivX files via USB. If you need to start budgeting early, expect to pay somewhere around ₩3,300,000 (US $2,445) to ₩ 6,400,000 (US $4,742), depending on the model. We know it's destined for an international release, but other than that, unfortunately mum's the word when that date might be.

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LG's 240Hz LH90 LED TV series priced, global release dates still a mystery originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 10:49 AM

Texas Memory Systems goes Texas, hobbles together RamSan-620 5TB SSD "drive"

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/texas-memory-systems-goes-texas-hobbles-together-ramsan-620-5tb/


Way to play to your stereotypes, Texas. Texas Memory Systems just announced what it claims is the largest SLC SSD on the market, with 5TB of single level cell (the good kind) flash memory spread across a 2U rack shelf. The drive can handle 250,000 sustained I/Os per second, churn through 3GB of data a second, and has 80 microsecond write latency. Texas Memory Systems claims that for similar performance from a HDD setup you'd need half a million dollars and consume 20x the power. TMS calls the system "affordable for mainstream IT shops" but hasn't mentioned a price or release date just yet. We'll take two.

[Via Channel Register]

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Texas Memory Systems goes Texas, hobbles together RamSan-620 5TB SSD "drive" originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 10:49 AM

OCZ's Neutrino netbook reviewed, deemed totally handy and easy to use

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/oczs-neutrino-netbook-reviewed-deemed-totally-handy-and-easy-t/


OCZ's Neutrino netbook looks much like any other 10.1-incher, but this DIY affair comes with no OS, hard drive, RAM or multicard reader, leaving the users to decide for themselves how to outift it. The folks over at ExtremeTech are kind of unhappy about that point -- they'd like to see it be more customizable than it is for the truly nerdy, but they're still pretty happy with what OCZ's got to offer. They did a test run, installing a 60GB SSD, one 2GB SODIMM and WindowsXP onto the machine, all which went off without a hitch. They didn't try to use the Neutrino for gaming or anything, but it apparently handled everything else quite snappily, and overall, they seem to think that for $269 plus some parts and labor, you can't really go wrong.

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OCZ's Neutrino netbook reviewed, deemed totally handy and easy to use originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 10:48 AM

everyone get on the bus (at the same time) -- Coke Taps YouTube, Facebook; Mitsubishi Taps Facebook; Pizza Hut 'Twintern' to Tweet

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Posted by Augustine at 7:22 AM

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Cyber-Spies Hack Into Ultra-Sensitive Pentagon Fighter Jet Project [Espionage]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/gFVAKoKb6Bs/cyber+spies-hack-into-ultra+sensitive-pentagon-fighter-jet-project

Computer spies have broken into the Pentagon's $300 billion Joint Strike Fighter project and made off with several terabytes of code. The Pentagon, and consequently the Wall Street Journal, suspects Chinese involvement.

The Joint Strike Fighter, also known as the F-35 Lightning II Fighter, is the most costly project in Pentagon history, so it's a little bit problematic that some spies scampered in and nicked an unknown, but undoubtedly large, quantity of data without getting anywhere near caught. The cyber-spies encrypted the data on its way out, so nobody's really sure where they came from or where the data went, but some IP addresses have been tracked to China, prompting a little bit of back-and-forth between the DoD and the Chinese government.

A Pentagon report issued last month said that the Chinese military has made "steady progress" in developing online-warfare techniques. China hopes its computer skills can help it compensate for an underdeveloped military, the report said.

The Chinese Embassy said in a statement that China "opposes and forbids all forms of cyber crimes." It called the Pentagon's report "a product of the Cold War mentality" and said the allegations of cyber espionage are "intentionally fabricated to fan up China threat sensations."

Though the most valuable information, including data on the F-35's flight control and sensors, is inaccessible (stored on non-networked computers), nobody's really sure exactly what happened, and nobody, from the manufacturers to the researchers to the Pentagon's press team, wants to talk about it. It's a pretty ala! rming re ad, check it out. Wall Street Journal, image also via WSJ



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On the frozen plains of the Siberian tundra, a reindeer herder chances upon a 40,000 year old baby mammoth – the most perfectly preserved mammoth ever found. On Sunday, witness the mammoth's unveiling to the world, as scientists reveal her incredible story. Click to meet the Baby Mammoth now >> natgeotv.com/mammoth
 

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Posted by Augustine at 11:23 AM

Sharp Mebius NJ70A Has Twice as Many Screens as a Typical Netbook [NetBooks]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/y5rLo3BDs58/sharp-mebius-nj70a-has-twice-as-many-screens-as-a-typical-netbook

On paper, the Mebius NJ70A looks just about the same as every other Atom netbook, except for one glaring, 854x480, 4-inch, multitouch LCD difference.

Following a stroke a genius (or possibly just a regular stroke), Sharp's designers have completely replaced this netbook's trackpad with a glass multitouch screen. Akihabara News gave it a try below, but their photos, first impressions and video still leave some questions.

Like, is there a another pointing mechanism? Akihabara's fiddling seems to reveal a touchscreen that is like almost any other capacitive panel, which is to so say sensitive, but not overly precise—and certainly not precise enough for typical mousing duties. Unless the center button is touch sensitive, or another section of the OS 9-reminiscent wristrest area has a Synaptics pad hiding out underneath it, the screen like the sole touch input mechanism, rather than a supplementary fun-screen like the Fujitsu LifeBook's. It's also unclear if the screen can be configured as a second monitor.

The rest is boring, filled out with a 1.6GHz Atom, 160GB HDD, 1GB RAM, 1024x600 main display, 1.3mp webcam, etc. Pricing and release date are still somewhat up in the air, but it looks like it'll be Japan-only for a while, and should ship by late May. [A kihabara]



Presented By:



On the frozen plains of the Siberian tundra, a reindeer herder chances upon a 40,000 year old baby mammoth – the most perfectly preserved mammoth ever found. On Sunday, witness the mammoth's unveiling to the world, as scientists reveal her incredible story. Click to meet the Baby Mammoth now >> natgeotv.com/mammoth
 

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Posted by Augustine at 11:23 AM

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