Posts filed under 'Communications'
Thomson today announced retail availability of the LYRA X3000 by RCA, a pocket-sized Personal Multimedia Recorder that easily enables direct recording of audio and video content from multiple sources without using a computer.
Content-hungry consumers can use the LYRA X3000 for watching favorite TV programs on the device, moving favorite shows to a different display as a mobile source of entertainment, and for storing and enjoying an enormous volume of music and photo files. The X3000 is now on sale with a suggested retail price of $399.
The compact LYRA X3000 enables consumers to watch up to 80 hours of video, listen to some 300 hours of mp3 music, or store up to 10,000 JPEG images.
The X3000 allows consumers an array of recording options. Using an included home theater docking base, consumers can easily record audio/video directly from an external source, such as analog TV, DVD player, CD player or camcorder. Video and audio recording can even be time shifted when using the docking base in conjunction with the included IR Blaster. When transferring video, the included DivX transcoder software enables conversion of video files to DivX format for playback of any video. Using a removable lithium ion battery, the X3000 provides up to four hours of constant video playback, enabling consumers to watch multiple movies on a single charge.
Compatible with both pay-per-song and subscription services, the LYRA X3000 can store hours of mp3 music, Windows Media Audio music, and Audible audio book files on its 20GB hard drive. Ready to entertain right out of the box, the X3000 comes pre-loaded with two country music videos from the American Music Channel, a free 7-day trial to Yahoo! Music Unlimited, and 100 free music downloads from emusic.com. ID3 tag song data with artist, album, song title and genre is displayed on the viewing screen. Music buffs can listen to their collection of mp3 files using one of nine playback modes, including normal play, shuffle and repeat. The included free Yahoo! Music Engine enables creation of playlists and facilitates management of personal digital music catalogs.
“If content is king, then LYRA X3000 is well worthy of the crown,” said Thomson’s Dan Collishaw, Chief Operating Officer of Thomson’s Americas Audio/Video and Accessory businesses. “The X3000 adds great value to the burgeoning portable video player market through its ability to record directly from external sources and compatibility with a wide range of audio download services” Collishaw added.
Additionally, this versatile jukebox offers the capability to create slide shows with zoom and photo rotation, as well as music accompaniment. Digital photos are easily transferred from an SD memory card or compatible camera without a computer, or audio, video, and photos can be moved from a PC to the device using the high speed USB connection. Further, a built-in microphone located on the top of the unit lets consumers record voice notes describing individual photo slides, and also lets the X3000 function as a voice recorder.
Although compact in size, the LYRA X3000 by RCA boasts a 3.6-inch TFT ultra-bright color LCD screen with 320 x 240 resolution for brilliant color reproduction. The lightweight portable entertainment device weighs under eight ounces and is only 3/4 of an inch thick.
Providing versatility and flexibility, the X3000 is packaged with a full accessory kit, including:
* Thick plastic cover case to protect X3000�s display from scratching and denting
*Two RCA input/output cables for recording in near DVD quality and playing back video with 480 lines of resolution.
* Car DC adapter for charging X3000 in the car
* Earbud style headphones
* 3- Device Universal Remote Control for recording from or playing content on the TV set
March 30th, 2006
It’s a story to gladden the hearts of those of you who queued for days to get you hands on the Xbox 360, or worse still, are still waiting despite pre-ordering. Microsoft Chief Executive, Steve Ballmer, has admitted that he is not allowed a free console otherwise he would have to declare it as income. As a result, the Ballmer family are still Xbox-less (or so he claims) with Christmas just around the corner.
“The Ballmer children do not have their Xbox 360 yet. I’m in the same boat as many of you,” Ballmer said. “Thanks to the wonders of Sarbanes-Oxley [ financial disclosure regulations ], management does not get a free Xbox 360.” What, not even a prototype for ‘testing’. Pull the other one Steve!
Still, the thought of Mr Ballmer standing in the rain, or arguing with a sales clerk in Walmart, is one that we treasure, so in the spirit of the season of goodwill we wish him every success in his quest for the most ineptly launched console since the last ineptly launched console.
December 8th, 2005
Nintendo has cut the price of the DS handheld console in the US by $20, bringing the price down to $130.
The new price kicks in on August 20 at the same time as the Nintendogs virtual pet game that has proved popular in Japan.
There’s no news yet as to whether Nintendo will also cut the price of the DS in Europe to coincide with the release of the Sony PSP.
Nintendo has also revealed more details about the Gameboy Micro, essentially a normal Gameboy in slimline clothing. It will retail for £69 in the UK, and is expected to go for $99 in the USA.
August 17th, 2005
We love this idea behind this completely blank keyboard. The makers claim that it will speed up your typing by making you remember where the keys are rather than looking down. TechSmec.com is slightly dubious about that, but it will give you extra kudos from your geek friends.
As the website says, “Shouldn’t your keyboard reflect your status as one of the elite?”.
It will also have the side effect of effectively locking your PC when you’re away from it without the need to log off. And of course, what better practical joke to play on the boss?
August 15th, 2005
In an effort to avoid the piracy issues that have plagued the DVD format, the Blu-Ray Disc Association have announced a comprehensive content management system for the next gen optical disc.
The system, called Advanced Access Content System (AACS), has already been adopted by Blu-Ray’s rival, HD-DVD. However, Blu-Ray adds wo extra layers of protection with “BD+”, a Blu-ray-specific enhancement for content protection renewability, and ROM Mark, a measure unique to Blu-ray to guard against mass production piracy. While invisible to consumers, this ROM Mark can only be mastered with equipment available to licensed BD-ROM manufacturers, essentially preventing unauthorized copies of a disc.
“Content protection is a critical issue for next-generation media distribution,” said IDC’s Joshua Martin, Associate Research Analyst, Consumer Markets. “Finalizing the content protection scheme is critical for the launch of blue laser optical disc technology, and new protection schemes should allow for increased consumer flexibility while better protecting prerecorded content compared to current DVD technology.”
Source: DVD Recorder World
August 11th, 2005
IGN.com have written a nice overview of the new PSP web browser that became available with the 2.00 firmware update last week.
It turns out to be a fully featured browser that even supports JavaScript (although not Java or Flash) and so copes admirably with most websites. You’ll need access to a wireless network to connect to the net.
The PSP browser has tabs (three of them) which puts it one up on the current incarnation of Internet Explorer.
Supported file types include JPG, TIFF, PNG, GIF and BMP for images and MP4 for video.
For the full review see IGN.com.
And remember, if you have a US PSP don’t download the Japanese firmware update - for the safety of your PSP wait for the North American version on August 8.
August 2nd, 2005
RTX Telecom, a world leader in wireless product development, today announced that the RTX developed Cordless DUALphone has received FCC approval as the first US DECT product in the world.
The Cordless DUALphone has been successfully launched in more than 45 other DECT markets in Europe, Africa and Asia, giving mobility to many Skype users in these regions. Now US-based Skype users will soon be able to cut the cords and move away from the PC when using Skype.
The DUALphone concept allows the same cordless handset to be used to place or receive calls both via the analog telephone network and via the internet, using e.g. Skype as a softphone.
DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication), a worldwide standard for cordless phones, has gained FCC approval in April 2005.
The biggest advantage for DECT cordless phones, compared to other digital cordless phones operating in ISM bands such as the 2.4GHz band and the 5.8GHz band, is that they operate in a frequency band dedicated to DECT products, making these cordless phones truly “WiFi-friendly”.
For many years, RTX Telecom has served the industry as a design house for wireless products.
Now US DECT can be added to the large portfolio of technologies and products that RTX Telecom can develop for clients around the world. The latest addition to this list of products and clients has been the wireless gamepad developed for the Microsoft Xbox360.
“The opening of the US DECT frequency band will create a lot of opportunities for new cordless products to be introduced in the US market. RTX Telecom is certainly ready to help customers design and develop products that fulfill both market and FCC requirements,” says Jorgen Elbaek, CEO and President of RTX Telecom.
“I am very excited to see the world’s first US DECT product which RTX has developed. I am surprised at how fast RTX has developed the phone; the standard is extremely new. I see the potential of the US DECT market as huge, because US DECT offers excellent audio quality, and does not conflict with US WiFi systems, which is a major problem with the existing US cordless phones,” says Erich Kamperschroer, Chairman of the DECT Forum.
June 30th, 2005
When disposable cameras first hit the shops they were seen as one of the ultimate manifestations of the throwaway, modern age. Of course, they never were ‘disposable’ but instead should have been thought of as recyclable. The disposed-of camera was simply loaded up with film and sold onto the next shopper. Now we find digital cameras being sold as disposable with the Washington Post reporting that CVS drugstores sell two models in this category, a $10 basic version and one that costs $20 and has a small colour display.
The term disposable is again being stretched to its limits. In this case the cameras are actually rentals. After using up the memory card you return the camera to the store and the photos are loaded onto CD for you while you wait. You don’t get to keep the camera.
The cameras themselves are of such poor specification that you might be better off buying a real cheapo digital camera that you actually get to keep. The resolution is only 2.1 million pixels and you are limited to 25 pictures. The screen is there only to help you compose the shot. You can’t review images or delete any from the card, thereby removing two of the major benefits of digital photography.
TechSmec.com thinks that if you really must buy a disposable stills camera, stick with film. It’s cheaper and the end results are exactly the same.
However, we also have word that CVS are to stock a disposable (there’s that word again) video camera. The $29.99 digital video cameras can capture up to 20 minutes of video and sound. CVS will process the camera for $12.99 and return a DVD. The camera itself even has the ability to review and delete footage which puts it one up on the stills variety. This sounds to TechSmec.com like a much stronger sell.
June 12th, 2005
They may be talking peace with Sony in the long-running battle between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, but that hasn’t stopped Toshiba developing the HD-DVD format further.
Yesterday they announced a 45GB disc, only 5GB less than Blu-Ray’s 50GB. On the surface this would seem to narrow the distinction between the two formats, but in fact this may cause HD-DVD more problems than it solves.
The extra capacity is generated by sticking a single data layer on top of a dual-layer. This means that an extra laser read head is required, so not only do we have increased production costs for the discs, we also need more complicated hardware. The lower of cost of HD-DVD was one of its main selling points.
Toshiba was pushing players and recorders to market this year, but only dual layer. The addition of an extra layer will either delay the widespread release of the format, or severely annoy early adopters who find that they can’t play the triple layer discs.
Toshiba may have shot itself in the foot with this one.
Source: DVDRecorderWorld
May 11th, 2005
Search giant Yahoo! has waded into the online music battlefield by launching Yahoo! Music Unlimited, a service which allows consumers to download unlimited tracks, from a library of over 1 million, for only $60 per month.
The model is similar to that of Real and Napster (which it undercuts by %60), but contrasts with that of iTunes where users pay per file.
Users will not be able to burn the tracks to CD for the $60 annual fee. For that privilege they must pay 79 cents per file, still 20 cents cheaper than the 99 cents charged by iTunes. Yahoo! Music Unlimited uses the WMA format and Windows Media Digital Rights Management 10. This support enables subscription tracks to be transferred to any portable device that supports WM DRM 10.
“We are committed to being at the forefront of the rapidly growing online music segment,” said Lloyd Braun, head of the Yahoo! Media Group. “Yahoo! Music Unlimited draws on the best of Yahoo! to provide personalization and community features unlike anything else in the marketplace.”
“From premium radio to an entirely on-demand experience, Yahoo! Music Unlimited has assembled all the key elements to fulfill consumers’ needs,” said Dave Goldberg, vice president and general manager, Yahoo! Music. “For a great value, users get to listen to as much music as they want, while utilizing superior innovations in playlist generation and community features to enrich and expand their music experience.”
Yahoo! Music Unlimited is based around the Yahoo! Music Engine software, which lets consumers rip, mix and burn CDs, import and manage music, and transfer music to portable devices. It also integrates tightly with Yahoo! Messenger, allowing users to share playlists with their contact list.
May 11th, 2005
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