Sharp Electronics announced eight new HD ready LCD Televion sets for their Aquos line. These new LCDs all feature a contrast ratio of 1200:1, a resolution of 1366 x 768, a viewing angle of 176 degrees, and a response time of 6ms. The new models are as follows:

LC-32GD8E and LC-37GD8E:

* 16:9 WXGA (1,366 x 768) LCD panel
* Built-in Freeview Digital Terrestrial Tuner (DVB-T)
* HD Ready
* Advanced Super View and Black TFT LCD panel
* 6ms response time
* HDMI Digital Interface
* DCE (Dynamic Contrast Enhancement)
* Clear Voice Function
* Auto Volume Control (AVC)
* PC Input (Analogue RGB)
* High brightness 450cd/m2
* High contrast 1200:1

LC-32GA8E and LC-37GA8E:

* 16:9 WXGA (1,366 x 768) LCD panel
* HD Ready
* Advanced Super View and Black TFT LCD panel
* 6ms response time
* HDMI Digital Interface
* DCE (Dynamic Contrast Enhancement)
* Clear Voice Function
* Auto Volume Control (AVC)
* PC Input (Analogue RGB)
* High brightness 450cd/m2
* High contrast 1200:1

LC-32GD9E and LC-37GD9E:

* 16:9 WXGA (1,366 x 768) LCD panel
* Built-in Freeview Digital Terrestrial Tuner (DVB-T)
* TruD Technology for smooth video image playback
* HD Ready
* Advanced Super View and Black TFT LCD panel
* 6ms response time
* 2 x HDMI Digital Interface
* Advanced OPC (Optical Picture Control)
* DCE (Dynamic Contrast Enhancement)
* Clear Voice Function
* Auto Volume Control (AVC)
* PC Input (Analogue RGB)
* High brightness 450cd/ m2
* High contrast 1200:1
* Clear flat speaker for enhanced sound
* 2 x 15 Watt speakers

LC-32GA9E and LC-37GA9E:

* 16:9 WXGA (1,366 x 768) LCD panel
* TruD Technology for smooth video image playback
* HD Ready
* European Eco-label award
* Advanced Super View and Black TFT LCD panel
* 6ms response time
* 2 x HDMI Digital Interface
* Advanced OPC (Optical Picture Control)
* DCE (Dynamic Contrast Enhancement)
* Clear Voice Function
* Auto Volume Control (AVC)
* PC Input (Analogue RGB)
* High brightness 450cd/ m2
* High contrast 1200:1
* Clear flat speaker for enhanced sound
* 2 x 15 Watt speakers

You can expect to find these new Aquos models in the UK starting in June.
[Check it out via TechDigest]

(more…)

No Tags

So you’re finally running a dual core system and you’re starting to realize that multi-processor machines are indeed the stuff of life (ok - maybe that’s stretching it a bit but they’re at least cool to work with). Wouldn’t it be cool then if you could own a 16 core system? Well Tyan Computer is about to make that possible with the Tyan Typhoon B5372 system which promises to be the first deskside (note not desktop) computer with 8 (count em) Intel low voltage dual core XEON processors. That adds up to a 16 core system folks.

The Typhoon is a silver box measuring 68 x 36 x 32 cm with four removable motherboards inside. Each motherboard houses two dual core Intel XEON 5100 series CPUs. Each board is also capable of handling up to 12 GB of 533MHz or 667MHz DDR2 memory bringing the total system memory up to 48GB. You’ll need Windows or Linux clustering software to make the four boards work well together but before you even get that far, you’ll need to pony up $10,000 bucks for the system.

Tyan is also planning on releasing another system called the B5191 which will have four Conroe based Core 2 Duo processors within it.  This system will take up to 64GB of memory and is aimed at the supposed cost conscious folks out there although prices aren’t firmed up yet. Crazy stuff folks. Then again, we should be expecting quad core systems next year.

[Check it out via GearLive.com]

No Tags

I’ve always been a fan of Victorinox knives and so when I heard that the Gadgeteer posted up a review of the SwissBit Swiss Memory s.beat MP3 Digital Audio Player here on their website, I just had to take a look. The Victorinox knife that I currently have, has been in my possession for nearly 14 yrs now and it’s still in awesome shape. How much cooler would it be if the knife had an integrated digital music player, voice recorder, FM radio receiver, FM radio recorder, and storage space? Well that’s what the s.beat offers us here. You can get 1 GB or 2 GB storage configurations which is just enough for daily usage or for time in the gym. One word of caution though - don’t think about bringing this with you on a flight. The knife would never make it past security.. at least it’s not supposed to! So here’s the verdict from the Gadgeteer:

If you have been wanting a feature-packed yet miniscule MP3 player, then the SwissBit Swiss Memory s.beat MP3 Digital Audio Player definitely deserves a second look. Where else can one find a combination MP3 player, voice recorder, FM radio, FM radio recorder and mass storage device that also serves as a functional pocket knife?

[Check it out]

No Tags

LaptopMag has posted a review of a digital music player called the MusicGremlin here on their website.  The unique feature on the MusicGremlin is the integrated WiFi receiver which lets users wirelessly access MusicGremlin’s online music catalog. Other features include:

• 8GB storage capacity
• Supports USB 2.0
• Supports MP3 and WMA file formats
• 2 inch color display with a resolution of 220 x 176
• 10 hour battery life
• Measures 4 x 2.5 x 0.8 inches and weighs 4 ounces

Here’s the verdict:

Such quirks, combined with the relatively high $299 price tag, will likely keep the MusicGremlin ensconced in a niche market for the time being. But for users who prioritize instant gratification over perfect sound quality and physical ownership, this is definitely the wave of the future.

[Check it out]

No Tags

This is starting to become a pattern here folks. Motorola comes out with a unique design for a phone and Samsung one ups them with a slightly better design a few months later. In the past this happened with the RAZR phone but now it’s happened again with the Motorola Q. Of course the Q took some time getting out of the starting gates but now that it’s finally out, Samsung has decided to show off the new SGH-i320 phone which looks very similar to the Q .. except cooler! The specs from Akihabara News show that the phone as the following:

• 1.3 megapixel digital camera
• 11.5 mm thickness
• Bluetooth support
• microSD slot
• 2.2 inch color screen
• Tri-band GSM support
• EDGE network support
• 120MB of memory
• Speakerphone

The phone is supposedly set for a launch in France this month. No word on an EVDO version but I’m sure that will come out sooner or later.

[Check it out]

[Check it out]

No Tags

Sorry for the downtime just a moment ago - I upgraded the WordPress engine to version 2.0.3 and it took a little bit longer than I expected (which in the WordPress world means it took 2 minutes vs 1 minute).

While I’m talking about the site, I thought I’d lay down some of the stuff coming down the pipe. As you can tell, I’m slowly getting back into the swing of things here at Krunker. There are a number of reviews that are backlogged right now simply because I haven’t had time to get to them so I apologize to some of our vendors who have been waiting patiently for them.

Coming up will be a review of a preproduction model of a Simplifi Digital Amp that we received here a few months back. Following that review will be a look at some Xbox 360 stuff - some games and accessories and then perhaps some more games. We’ll also take a look at some gadgets that I got from last Christmas (a new photo printer and camera). And finally, stay tuned for the launch of our new digital home site - Krunkit.com.

So thanks for dropping by and we hope you enjoy the stuff that goes up here.

No Tags

Introduction

Windows Media Center is arguably one of the best home theater personal computer user interfaces out there today. Up until the introduction of Windows Vista, Windows Media Center (MCE) existed as a separate product SKU for Microsoft. That meant that if you wanted MCE, you either had to purchase a system with the OS, or you had to purchase the OS and build a system around it. With Windows Vista, Microsoft has decided to take a different approach with the digital media platform and make it a part of the Premium and Ultimate Editions of the OS. That’s right - MCE no longer exists on it’s own but is now bundled as part of the mainstream OS (assuming you don’t get the Home Edition of Vista). What this ultimately means is that MCE will become a part of so many more shipping systems than ever before. Of course, many hardware OEMs were already providing MCE 2005 as an option to consumers but the inclusion into the product line of Vista means MCE is here to stay and ready to branch out.

With Beta 2 now out for several weeks, I thought I’d finally look into what changes Microsoft made to the Media Center platform. Many of the changes are only skip deep but there are some new features that make the platform even more exciting than ever before. Note - I’ll refer to the MCE application in Vista as MCE Vista. Let’s jump right to it shall we?

(more…)

No Tags

Microsoft has entered the webcam business with two new LifeCam products - the LifeCam VX-6000 and the LifeCam VX-3000. Each of these WebCams are designed to work with Windows Live Messenger which enables video to video conversations as well as instant picture postings to MSN Spaces blogs.

The LifeCam VX-6000 features:

• High definition video and photos with video a 1.3 megapixels and photos at 5.0 megapixels interpolated
• Built in microphone
• Windows Live Call button
• 71 degree Wide-angle lens
• Universal Attachment Base which allows the cam to be attached to nearly any monitor
• 3X Digital Zoom
• Pan and Tilt
• Automatic Face Tracking software
• Six foot cable
• USB 2.0 support
• 30 fps capture

The LifeCam VX-3000 features:

• High definition photos with a 1.3 megapixel resolution interpolated
• Built in microphone
• Windows Live Call Button
• Automatic Face Tracking Software
• Universal Attachment Base for nearly any monitor
• Pan, tilt and zoom
• Six foot cable
• 30 fps video capture

[LifeCam VX-3000 Product Page]

LifeCam VX-6000 Product Page]

[Digital Communications HomePage via UberGizmo]

No Tags

Earlier this year I purchased a four port USB hub which I thought was enough for all of my needs. Well guess what? They weren’t and now I’m looking to get a larger hub for my home desktop. It looks like someone else out there on the net wasn’t entirely happy with the number of USB ports that they had too so they went ahead and built a whopping 31 port USB hub. That’s right folks.. 31 friggin ports. Check out the pics.

[Check it out]

No Tags

Ok - so you’re sick of typing passwords and you’re not convinced that thumbprint security is good enough (or you just don’t want to use your thumbs at all).. so what do you do? Well you might want to check out the Snappy Face Recogniser. It’s a face detection and face recognition system designed to protect your computer. The system records and recognizes your face and then logs you into the computer system thereby relieving you of the need to type a password. Features of the Snappy Face Recogniser include:

• High speed recognition
• Animated screen savers
• 1.3 megapixel camera
• Low distortion
• Compact and ultra light design

[Check it out via GizmoWatch.com]

No Tags