New Home Gadgets

by Donald Melanson, posted Jul 24th 2008 at 1:22PM We’ve already gotten word of most of the details of Samsung’s i8510 INNOV8 (get it?) smartphone, but things just got a whole lot more official for the device in Europe and, coincidentally, a number of sites recently got to spend some time with the phone in NYC (despite the lack of an official US release). Of course, there’s not a whole lot of surprises to be found, but it certainly seems like the phone will get the job done and then some, with its built in camera not only boasting an impressive 8 megapixels, but auto-focus, image stabilization, and a flash as well. The rest of the specs aren’t too shabby either. Head on past the break to check out one video of the d (Read the full post about ‘Samsung’s i8510 INNOV8 gets official in Europe, shown off on video’…)

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The BookEndz Docking Station targets PowerBook, MacBook and MacBook Pro owners by offering all the similar ports save for power and ExpressCard, of course. All you need to do is plug your precious notebook into the dock and you’re good to go. Below is the pricing for the respective models to suit your fancy. 17-inch MacBook Pro - $319.95 15-inch MacBook Pro - $299.95 13-inch MacBook - $159 17-inch PowerBook G4 - $299.95 15-inch PowerBook G4 - $274.95 They certainly aren’t cheap, but seem to do their job pretty well. (Read the full post about ‘BookEndz Docking Station’…)

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A few days after stores were tapped dry of iPhone 3Gs across the nation, Apple replenished its supply of the popular handset. Currently about 80 percent of Apple’s stores have iPhone 3Gs up for grabs. The vast popularity of the handset has inspired programmers to create an array of internet tools just to track the device down. Of those tools, Chris Barnes’ iPhone 3G Store Availability tool is the most comprehensive, offering an aggregated list of available iPhones, broken down by model, in every store. Barnes’ site, which refreshes every 15 minutes, shows 152 out of 185 stores are carrying at least one model of iPhone 3G (as of this writing). (Read the full post about ‘Apple Restocks Stores With iPhone 3G’…)

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Buffalo is certainly going ahead of itself by offering the first 8x Blu-ray burners in the world from next month onwards, thanks to the external USB 2.0/eSATA (BR-816SU2) and internal SATA (BR-816FBS) models. This is pretty whacked out since the Blu-ray Disc Association have not yet approved 8x BD-R recording and won’t do so by August, hence the official stance that currently available BD-R media supports recording speeds of up to 6x only. Well, I guess if you want to stay ahead of the competition, then picking up either Buffalo Blu-ray burner won’t be too shabby a decision to make after all. (Read the full post about ‘Buffalo 8x Blu-ray Burner’…)

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Here’s one USB device that could be practical: a portable-USB back massager that can be used whilst at home, or even in the car (with the bundled in-car adapter). It can be used to relax your tired back, lumbar, leg and also neck muscles - at least that’s what the manufacturer claims, we have not tested it. It features four massage modes, which include kneading, tapping, shiatsu and rolling. Massage strengths and rhythms include high, medium and low. Said massager also features a remote control, which can be used to control the massager. The cost owning this personal masseur is £39.99 (about $79). (Read the full post about ‘USB Back Massager Can Be Used In Car’…)

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Whether you want to tell people that this table is supposed to represent blood or red paint, the awesome design is totally inspirational. The “Paint or Die But Love Me” Table designed by John Nouanesing seems to be melting. And if not melting, than not even solid in the first place, but rather a paint spill suspended in motion. There’s a very good reason that people put sheets all over their furniture when they paint their homes. Paint has a tendency to drip from a surface when wet or heavily applied. Once you get some paint on your carpet or on your plush sofa, you can say goodbye to that particular space. (Read the full post about ‘Paint Drip Table’…)

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For those who don’t frequent watering holes, here’s news for you. A beer tube is a simple device that harnesses the power of gravity so that your brew will be dispensed in a jiffy. Fast pouring beer equals to fast drinking, and fast drinking normally translates to you being unable to walk in a straight line shortly thereafter. With the Beer Siren around, it makes sure the local bartender will remain sensitive to your thirst as it will alert the bar and everybody else in the room, as they start to whisper among themselves regarding the job you’re in which is so stressful that you need non-stop alcohol to cope with the situation. The Beer Siren will retail for $19 a pop. (Read the full post about ‘Beer Siren - Ask for More’…)

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AT&T took the opportunity yesterday to tout its impressive second quarter results which were driving by strong wireless growth. Yesterday, we reported that Verizon Wireless touted 1.5 million net customer additions for the second quarter. AT&T countered that with a net gain of 1.3 million for the second quarter.

Wireless revenue for AT&T was up 15.8 percent compared to the same time last year. Even more impressive was revenue from wireless data services including Internet access, messaging and email which was up 52 percent.

(Read the full post about ‘AT&T reports double-digit wireless revenue growth’…)

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Thanko doesn’t want to be left out of the portable media player game with the DTLMP42G that carries the following features :- 2.8″ widescreen LCD display 2GB internal memory SD/SDHC memory card slot Built-in speaker Supports AVI, FLV, RM and RMVB video files Supports MP3 and WMA audio files Supports JPEG images Interested parties will be able to pick it up for €50 at the end of this month, but something tells me the reception will be less than sterling. (Read the full post about ‘Thanko DTLMP42G Portable Media Player’…)

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MSI wants to keep things close to its chest, touting the veiled threat that the new Wind netbooks will have its warranty null and void if you attempt to upgrade the RAM inside by yourself. It will take a fair bit of computer hardware skills since there is no direct RAM access panel located behind the netbook, so be careful while you’re in the process of doing it as MSI certainly doesn’t think that DIY RAM upgrades are legit enough to warrant a, er, warranty violation. Ah well, I think most people will still go ahead and up the amount of RAM in their Wind netbooks, although this rather authoritative gesture might turn some customers off. (Read the full post about ‘RAM Upgrade Voids Warranty for MSI Wind’…)

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