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SnorePro might stop you from snoring (but probably won't)

by Laura June, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 7:03PM


We'll level with you: the Snore Pro sets off a few snake oil alarms -- it does, after all, claim to fix a problem that has been seemingly incurable from time immemorial. The device (which is not exactly cool looking) apparently has a two-pronged approach to help snorers kick the habit: first, it delivers an "electronic stimulation" to the wearer's skin causing a sleep disturbance (which the company compares to a nudging spouse). Secondly, it claims to record each and every snore. The recorded data theoretically provides the user with feedback about their progress and gives them clues as to why and when they snore. We don't know when it's going to be available or how much it will cost, but we hope it's less expensive than the weight loss pills and the real estate pyramid scheme software we just ordered.

Aircell's Gogo in-flight WiFi goes live commercially on Virgin America

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 6:35PM


The time has come, internet mavens... to comment on this post from 35,000 feet up, of course. After launching to a select handful of lucky souls last week, Virgin America has gone live with its Aircell-engineered Gogo internet service on select flights. As of now, an undisclosed amount of VA flights will offer guests unlimited use (with certain restrictions around VoIP, we hear) while in the air for $12.95 on flights longer than three hours and $9.95 for flights under three hours. The airline's entire fleet should be WiFi-ready by Q1 2009, but for now, why not kill some time tracking planes with live internet access? Fun, right?

Laptop Cop ups its security arsenal with Skyhook WiFi positioning

by Donald Melanson, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 5:59PM


Skyhook Wireless' WiFi positioning technology has already found its way into quite a few previously position-less places, and it now looks like it's added one more feather its cap, with Awareness Technologies announcing that it has added the capability to its Laptop Cop laptop protection software. In addition to pinning down a location (supposedly with a "higher degree of accuracy than GPS"), the software will also let you remotely retrieve or delete files, among other tasks -- assuming it's a Windows laptop, that is. If that's not a problem, you can grab the software on its own now for $50, or get it pre-loaded on the Dell laptop of your choice. We're assuming existing Laptop Cop users will also be able to get an upgrade, although it's not clear if that's available just yet.

Windows Vista / Server 2008 SP2 Beta out now to MSDN and TechNet subscribers

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 5:22PMBreaking News


Windows Vista SP2 may not be hitting manufacturers 'til next April, but the beta is already scootin' about to MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Yep, as of this very moment in time, the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2 Beta is in the wild, and Microsoft is planning to making it publicly available via TechNet this Thursday. Check all the juicy details in the links below.

Read - Announcement
Read - More details / download schedule

Nintendo DSi gets its first flash cart, courtesy of Acekard

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 5:17PM

Good news, future DSi owners -- it looks like all your homebrew dreams have just moved one step closer to reality. The Acekard 2i is the newest version of the popular flash cart, just the thing for storing save files, using Action Replay codes, and running backups and homebrews. So don't fret, kids -- by the time the handheld becomes available Stateside, you'll be able to make music, take pictures and tweet to your heart's content. Why else would you purchase a game system? Just make sure you check out the video of the cart in action after the break.

[Via DS Fanboy]

Continue reading Nintendo DSi gets its first flash cart, courtesy of Acekard

Acer's K10 pocket projector announced, projected for January

by Laura June, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 4:47PM


Tiny projectors are pretty much a dime a dozen these days, so we'll be honest, the Acer K10 kind of looks like more of the same. Sure, it's small -- just 1.2 pounds -- but that's not nearly as small as some (and certainly not small enough to be impressive). It's an SVGA projector with an 800 x 600 resolution, and it's got an LED backlight with about 20,000 estimated life hours, delivering 100 ANSI lumens with a contrast ratio of 1000:1. The K10 also boasts both S-video and VGA connections. It's a little hard to say, but this might be what we've been searching for to project our tiny kitten photo collection upon our walls. It's supposed to be ready for a January release and it'll go for about $443.

[Via About Projectors]

NewerTech intros quad-interface SATA HDD dock of its own

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 4:12PM


It's amazing, really, that this meme has lasted this long. When we first noticed Brando's SATA HDD Dock, we figured it was destined to become a cute, one-off gift that only the hardest of hardcore storage freaks would bother with. Over a year later, we're having trouble counting the iterations available. Now, we've got storage mainstay NewerTech diving in with one of its own, as it has just revealed the quad-interface Voyager SATA hard drive docking station. As you'd expect, the unit turns any 2.5- or 3.5-inch SATA I / II hard drive (up to 2TB) into an external drive, and with FireWire 400 / 800, USB 2.0 and eSATA sockets, you shouldn't have any issue hooking it up. It's available now for stocking stuffing at $99.95.

Tesla Motors burns out another as Darryl Siry signs off

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 3:40PM


Apparently the fear of snapping up another job after ditching the green fields of Tesla Motors isn't on Darryl Siry's mind, as the SVP of Marketing and Sales has publicly admitted to leaving the company over "disagreements in strategy." The news comes but 1.5 months after Elon Musk made himself CEO and told a few others to stay happy elsewhere, and while Darryl's replacement wasn't directly named, Siry does outrightly state that he has only remained on this long to recruit "a very strong successor." The best part of his farewell? This gem: "So what now? I have no immediate plans but look forward to exploring various opportunities that I find out there." Translation? I'm so loaded after my stint in this place, it doesn't even matter, holmes.

[Via Autoblog]

Dell opens doors on Design Studio for jazzing up Studio 15 / 17 laptops

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 3:07PM


It was HP who made the PC "personal again," but don't think Dell isn't doing its darnedest to make it ultra-personal... again. After seeing a number of Dell laptops get unorthodox paint jobs and hearing that it would make Art House machines CTO in 2009, we've now learned that Dell has swung open the doors to its all new Design Studio. Naturally, said studio was built to customize the outfit's Studio 15 and Studio 17 lappies, and it features an interactive gallery of original artwork commissioned exclusively for this initiative. Available for browsing right now, each unique image costs $75 to have "permanently tattooed into the laptop lid," meaning that you better heart that design a whole lot before pulling the final trigger.

Canon cleared to resume work on SED TV (now that the world doesn't care)

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 2:35PM

We're hard pressed to think of a display-related story that has lingered on longer than SED (well over four years at last count), and believe it or not, this still isn't apt to be the last you hear of it. If you'll recall, Canon recently declared victory after winning a lawsuit against Applied Nanotech that was previously holding it back from making progress, and now Applied Nanotech has waved the final white flag by giving up its right to appeal. Comically enough, it may actually be too late for Canon to even salvage the win, with president Tsuneji Uchida noting that "at times like this, new display products are not introduced much because people would laugh at them." Shh... nobody tell him the world's been laughing at SED for years.

[Via OLED-Display]

Brando offers up laptop cooling pad with built-in hard drive dock

by Donald Melanson, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 2:02PM


Brando's many peripherals certainly attract their fair share of derison, but it looks like the catch-all retailer may win over a few of the doubters with its new laptop cooling pad / USB hub / hard drive dock, especially considering its $33 price tag. That'll get you two fans that promise to keep your laptop from melting whatever surface it's on, plus three USB ports and, most interestingly, a slot that'll accomodate any 2.5-inch hard drive you might have laying around. Of course, there's always the slight chance that things could go completely haywire (or simply fall apart) but, if you want to give it a go, you can get your order in at the link below.

Onkyo's HDC-1L straddles the fence between nettop and HTPC

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 1:31PM


Now this -- this is an interesting character. Part nettop, part HTPC, the Sotec-branded HDC-1L series is a unique mixture of components that are traditionally found in either a diminutive desktop or a media center PC (but rarely both). First and foremost, this little bugger relies on a 1.6GHz Intel Atom 230 CPU, and it only packs 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, Windows XP, Ethernet, audio in / out, VGA, slot-loading DVD drive, a few USB ports and a remote input. Sadly, there's no integrated TV tuner to speak of, but with a starting price of just ¥59,800 ($640), we suppose you could add one and still come in well under the cost of most pre-fab HTPCs. The box should be available in Japan as early as tomorrow, and it'll purportedly be sold with a number of upgrades and extras for those fond of the bundled approach.

[Via Impress]

Gallery: Onkyo's HDC-1L straddles the fence between nettop and HTPC

QPAD rolls out new high-end gaming headset

by Donald Melanson, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 12:58PM


QPAD may be best known for its gamer-minded mousepads, but it looks like it's now branching out in the peripheral business with a little help from beyerdynamic, which has helped it put together its first gaming headset. From the looks of it, they certainly seem to be off to a decent enough start, with the headset boasting a frequency response of 5Hz to 30KH, ambient noise attenuation to around 18 dBA, a noise-canceling microphone, and a USB converter with volume control and a mic mute button. The ear and headband pads are also replaceable, but it looks like you just get one set with the headset. No word on a price just yet, but it looks like you'll get a fairly generous five-year warranty with 'em.

Nokia introduces Home Music WiFi radio

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 12:38PM

Hot on the heals of today's look at the N97, Nokia has dropped the dime on Home Music, the company's first internet radio. Meant for the office or smart home, the device features WiFi and Ethernet connectivity, as well as the usual USB port, aux line-in, analog and digital outs. For those of you who kick it old school once in a while, it also sports an FM receiver and a 10W speaker. No pricing or shipping date yet, but you'll know as soon as we do. In the mean time, hit the read link for more specs and info.

[Via Electronista]

Nokia's Z-Wave Home Control Center hands-on and video

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 12:28PMFeatured Story


Since hearing about Nokia's foray into the world of home automation, our curiosity has been seriously piqued. Thankfully, our girl-on-the-scene Drita has captured video of the new software / hardware combo in action on the Nokia World show floor. It looks like a fully decked out system is going to run you a hefty fee (given all the components required), but can you put a price on the extreme laziness it will enable? We didn't think so. Check out the thrilling video out after the break!

Gallery: Nokia's Z-Wave Home Control Center hands-on and video



[Via Engadget Spanish]

Continue reading Nokia's Z-Wave Home Control Center hands-on and video

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