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Verizon Offering Treo 700p
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, Smartphones, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi,
For those haters that wanted a new Treo, but weren’t feeling Windows Mobile, you can finally snap up the Treo 700p from Verizon starting on June 1. The 700p runs the Palm OS and runs for $499 USD with a $100 rebate, winding up at $399. Of course, if you want to actually use the phone, you are gonna have to keep paying, as $80 per month is the cheapest plan offered for the smartphone, which hooks you up with unlimited EVDO usage (good!) but just 450 minutes of talk time per month (bad!). Still, this is a phone that we expect the business types to migrate towards, so the lure of unlimited data is where it’s at.
Read More 
| Verizon Treo Shop
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Sony Unleashes The VAIO UX Micro PC
Posted by John Goulden Categories: Broadband, Corporate News, Handhelds, PC / Laptop, Portable Audio / Video, Wireless / WiFi,
Although I still believe that UMPC devices will remain a niche market, similar to that of the Tablet PC, they do have potential. One of the biggest drawbacks to them is the lack of a physical keyboard and that’s where Sony’s newest variation of their U Series VAIO, the UX Micro PC, has a leg up on the competition. Naturally, Sony is eschewing the whole UMPC moniker and continuing to do their own thing, but the UX Micro doesn’t lack for features because of that. Crammed into its tiny enclosure (150.2 x 95 x 38.2mm closed) is a 4.5” XBrite touchscreen LCD with a 1024x600 resolution, an Intel Core Solo ULV processor running at 1.06GHz, an itty-bitty keyboard, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EDGE, USB 2.0, a MemoryStick Duo slot, a CompactFlash slot, a folding antenna,
twocameras and a biometric fingerprint sensor. If that’s not enough, a docking station is included that tacks on three more USB ports, FireWire, Ethernet, VGA output, and an A/V port. There’s got to be a kitchen sink in there somewhere.
It all comes at a price though, and a painful one at that - $1,800 USD when it becomes available in July.
ANYCOM BluNa iPod Nano Bluetooth Adapter
Posted by John Goulden Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Handhelds, Portable Audio / Video, Wireless / WiFi,
When you’ve got a sleek, lightweight audio player like the iPod nano, you don’t want to clutter it up with all kinds of bulky or cumbersome attachments. That’s why the ANYCOM Bluetooth adapter, dubbed the BluNa, is so nice. Weighing only 10 grams, the BluNa slips onto the bottom of the nano, adding a negligible amount of length, and provides Bluetooth audio support in the form of A2DP and AVRCP profiles. The BluNa gets its power from the nano, which is good for weight savings, but will diminish your battery life to some degree.
Available in June 2006 for approximately $100 USD.
Read More | ANYCOM via I4U News
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SlingPlayer Mobile Now Available
Posted by John Goulden Categories: Broadband, Home Entertainment, Internet, Portable Audio / Video, Software, Wireless / WiFi,
The Slingbox just gets better and better with each new update, and the gang at Sling Media have finally released SlingPlayer Mobile. Unlike streaming media options offered by Verizon, Sprint and Cingular, there’s no recurring monthly fees (aside from the data plan), and you can watch exactly what you want to. The software works on PocketPC and Windows Mobile 5 devices, with the exception of Windows Smartphones. SlingPlayer Mobile for Smartphones will be released in the 2nd Quarter of 2006.
For proper operation a minimum of 112Kbps sustained incoming bandwidth is required. Beyond that just about any type of Internet connection will do, including WiFi, USB, Bluetooth, EV-DO and UMTS. EDGE may not quite make the grade as its advertised speeds range form 80-130Kbps, so your mileage may vary.
SlingPlayer Mobile is available for purchase at $29.99 USD unless of course you qualify to get it free. To obtain a free license you must have purchased and registered your SlingPlayer prior to April 26, 2006.
Read More | Sling Media
SAMBA 75 - USB GPRS/EDGE Modem
Posted by John Goulden Categories: Broadband, PC / Laptop, Wireless / WiFi,
We talked about the SAMBA 3G CDMA/EV-DO modem almost exactly one year ago, yet there’s no indication that it ever saw the light of day. What did get released was the SAMBA 75, a quad band GPRS/EDGE USB modem that fills a need, but falls a bit short of 3G glory. It’s been out for a while now, but doesn’t exactly carry a high profile, which is really a shame. When you look at the number of laptops that have eschewed CardBus in favor of ExpressCard, or that lack a PC card slot altogether, there’s definitely a market for a product of this nature.
A quick peek at the basic specifications doesn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary.
• Integrated Quad Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE Engine
• SAMBA 75: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• Data, SMS, Fax, MMS, Downloads
• TCP/IP stack implemented
• Audio/Video streaming
• GPRS class 12, class B
• EDGE class 10, class B
• Integrated USB-Hub
• GSM antenna included
• USB serial link
• World-wide applicable
Current street pricing in the US places the SAMBA 75 at $197 USD. Stay tuned as we’ll be doing a review of the SAMBA 75 in the near future.
Read More | Falcom
BenQ CP120 Wireless Projector
Posted by John Goulden Categories: Corporate News, PC / Laptop, Peripherals, Wireless / WiFi,
BenQ has released their CP120, a Wi-Fi enabled projector that allows users to display presentation materials wirelessly. The projector is 802.11a/b/g compliant and includes their Wireless Wizard software which makes connecting easy, and allows for switching among mutliple notebook computers. BenQ didn’t make wireless the only feature going for the CP120 as it also has DLP technology for a superior picture, weighs a mere 2.6 pounds (thanks in part to its magnesium-alloy case), has an automatic keystoning feature that works in real-time, and an EL illuminated keypad for easy control in a dark room. Just about the only thing missing is an automatic zoom feature, but we can live with that.
The projector is available for a suggested list price of $1,599 USD. Full specifications are available after the jump.
Click to continue reading BenQ CP120 Wireless Projector
Top Global Phoebus MB6000 Cellular Broadband Wi-Fi Router
Posted by John Goulden Categories: Broadband, Smartphones, Corporate News, Wireless / WiFi,
Looking to squeeze as much value out of your 3G wireless connection as possible? Then direct your attention to Top Global’s newest variation on their 3G router lineup - the Phoebus MB6000. The MB6000 is housed in a unique pyramid-shaped housing that is an interesting departure from the norm of squat, rectangular boxes, but may not appeal to everyone’s sense of aesthetics. While your mileage may vary on the design, it’s hard to argue with the ability to take a CDMA 1x, EV-DO, EDGE, or UMTS PCMCIA card and share it with other users over an 802.11b/g wireless connection. The MB6000 can also be upgraded to handle EV-DO Release A and HSDPA should the need arise. If you do decide to take advantage of the Phoebus MB6000 or similar ilk, make sure your data plan is of the unlimited variety or you might be in for a nasty surprise when the bill arrives.
A quick check reveals street pricing to be right around $400 USD with wide availability.
Read More | Top Global via eHomeUpgrade
Slim Devices Squeezebox v3 Review
Posted by John Goulden Categories: Home Entertainment, Internet, Product Reviews, Wireless / WiFi,
If you’re not looking for a full blown media center type system and just crave streaming audio, then a Squeezebox by Slim Devices may be in your future. We’ve seen the Squeezebox come a long way from its humble beginnings (the SliMP3), and it is one of the first streaming hardware players that really seemed to “take off”. The Squeezebox owes its popularity not only to design asthetics, product quality and support services, but to its user community as well. Ever mindful of sonic quality, the crew over at Audioholics has taken a short, but thorough look at the popular audio device and given it high marks.
As one of the latest moves to increase the popularity and draw of the Squeezebox, is the partnering of Slim Devices with Pandora. If you’re not familiar with Pandora, it’s an online service that creates streaming mixes of music based on song and artist input you provide. These mixes, dubbed “radio stations”, deliver not only music you may already be familiar with, but music from artists you may never have heard of.
The Squeezebox v3 is available from Slim Devices for $249 (wired) and $299 USD (wireless) and currently includes a 90-day trial of Pandora’s service for streaming hardware.
Read More | Slim Devices via Audioholics
Giga Vu Pro Evolution
Posted by John Goulden Categories: Cameras, Corporate News, Portable Audio / Video, Wireless / WiFi,
Originally slated for an April 2006 release, the Giga Vu Pro evolution launch date has been pushed back to May 2006. “What in the heck is a Giga Vu Pro evolution” you ask? Think of it as a portable media storage/player device on steroids. Although it can function as a portable media player, its main goal in life is to store digital images and provide the necessary controls and information for critical reviewing. Targeted at professional and prosumer photographers, the GVPe is much more than a standard media storage device with specialized features like a calibrated 3.7-inch widescreen LCD (that can be re-calibrated as necessary), RAW decoding, DVI and analog outputs with sound, RGB and luminance histograms with blown highlights warning, and a built-in FTP server for Wi-Fi capable cameras. Of course, all work and no play isn’t very fun so the GVPe does include MP3 and video playback functionality as well.
Three different versions will be offered with the hard drive capacity as the only distinguishing variable. Suggested list prices are as follows: $495 (40GB), $695 (60GB), and $895 (120GB). All pricing shown is USD.
Full specifications after the jump.
Read More | JOBO AG via Rob Galbraith DPI (adjusted launch date)
Read More | Rob Galbraith DPI (GVPe overview)
Click to continue reading Giga Vu Pro Evolution
Wireless USB PC Lock
Posted by Jared Hislop Categories: Accessories, Misc. Tech, Peripherals, Wireless / WiFi,
Too lazy to press CTRL-Alt-Del to lock your workstation? The Wireless PC Lock with Timer is just for you. This device automatically locks your PC when the wireless fob is greater than 2 meters away from the USB token. You can also set the device to automatically shut down your PC after a certain time. The PC automatically unlocks when the wireless fob comes within 2 meters of the machine. It’s unclear whether or not the device actually locks your PC through Windows, or if the PC is locked using proprietary software. You can also define the amount of time before the computer locks would be data thieves out. The unit retails for $29.00 and is available here.
Read More | Red Ferret
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