Ford has a new MyKey system that aims to help teens drive much safer, considering the fact that those who have just received their new driving license tend to think they’re immortal or something along the lines, only to find out much later that a car has its limits and real world driving is totally different from video games, no matter how many laps you have done at home in Gran Turismo. The MyKey system from Ford enables parents to limit not only the speed of the vehicle, but the audio volume as well. That’s pretty nifty and interesting - after all, teens need to let out their angst through music, so a cap on volume level is most welcome to geezers like me.
The MyKey feature will roll out in 2009 onwards as standard equipment on the 2010 Focus coupe, and it will also be a standard feature on other Ford models to follow including the Lincoln and Mercury lines. Owners will be able to program a key to limit the vehicle’s top speed and audio volume, where the former will be limited to just 80 mph while the audio system cannot pump out anything more than 44% of the maximum volume. Perfect to let the parent sitting on the passenger side in front to continue nagging the new driver beside without having the latest track from Linkin’ Park drowning out the one-sided conversation.
In addition, one can also program in speed alerts that chime at 45, 55 and 65 mph speeds. This reduced speed function works great since fuel economy can be improved as well, as research has shown that driving 55 mph instead of 65 mph consumes 15% less fuel, while being forced to mastering eco-driving habits such as avoiding jackrabbit starts and excessive idling will be able to further improve fuel economy by over 50%. The MyKey system also has an earlier low fuel warning at 75 miles to empty instead of the usual 50 miles, which will prevent parents from getting a call in the middle of the night to drive out and meet their kid in a stalled vehicle that’s run dry.
LG has slowly but surely been gaining the trust by people worldwide for its brand of cell phones, and they have certainly come a long way from their humble beginnings. Here we have a brand new handset that is set to blow your mind away - the LG Renoir, also known by its more formal moniker, the LG KC910. This slim handset is packed with a bunch of features, including a full touch screen display as well as an 8 megapixel camera. Granted, cell phone cameras still lack the sensors to make them the equal of standalone digital cameras, but that doesn’t mean they cannot capture sweet looking images under the ideal conditions (bright light and stationary subjects). More on the LG Renoir right after the jump.
The 8 megapixel camera would be the focal (pardon the pun) point of this handset, since very rarely does any commercial cell phone feature a digital camera with such high megapixel count. It will feature Schneider-Kreuznach certified optics, a Xenon flash, auto and manual focus, sensitivity up to ISO 1600 and geo-tagging that helps you remember just exactly where you’ve taken that image no matter where you go. In addition, the Touch Shot feature allows the photographer to focus on any object siply by touching it on the screen, with the shutter firing automatically once the finger is removed. Touch Shot on the Renoir is the first for any cell phone, and greatly helps reduce camera shake in the process.
Other features of the LG Renoir include 3G HSDPA support and Wi-Fi connectivity to keep you connected to the Internet at all times, regardless of where you are (although your international roaming costs might fly through the roof, but that’s another story for another day). In addition, the A-GPS capability makes it a snap for you to access an online map, allowing you to get around even in unfamiliar areas. Interestingly enough, all these features are crammed into a handset that measures just 13.95mm slim. You will be able to pick up the LG Renoir in Europe next month, followed by Asia, Latin America and CIS releases in November. Would be interesting to see how the user interface is like, and whether it can hold a candle to Apple’s UI?
I’m sure you are probably looking at this picture and wondering: “How is this speaker standing up?” That is a good question, and I believe the answer lies in a high-density ballast located at the base.
What you are looking at is the YO, an iPod speaker system designed by an American designer Victor Vetterlein. These speakers are both wireless and detachable, and they charge on the dock. I don’t know if it charges the iPod either, but it should.
In fact, the designer wants to charge the unit with renewable energy sources such as wind power, solar power, or even hydroelectricity. I suppose anything that uses renewable energy sources has to be good, right?
For now, the designer might need to settle for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries in the dock, and they are also in the speakers themselves. This is one of the reasons why the speaker can stand like a kid’s inflatable punching bag.
These speakers are specially shaped in order to maximize the acoustic properties, and they are also completely waterproof.
The YO is still another concept that needs to be birthed into reality, but if the features really are that good, then a lot of people will be in line for this one.
Sony’s eBook Reader is now available in cherry red. The interesting thing, however, is that with two circle wheel control knobs at the bottom, the reader looks like a portrait version of an Etch a Sketch. (memo to Hasbro, get on that, will ya?)
Aside from the cosmetic changes, the Sony eBook reader is exactly the same. Users can install and read novels using Sony’s patented e-Ink technology, play MP3s and view JPG pictures.
It’s built-in memory can hold a library of up to 160 books and newspaper editions. The patented (and proprietary) e-Ink technology makes the electronic image look like traditional print on its six inch screen, and pressing the button shows an animated page turn to the next page – kinda fun. And because it has no backlight, the image doesn’t flicker and as such, is easier on the eyes, but more difficult to read in darker, ambient light.
A handy bookmark feature helps keep the reader in place, and it’s magnification option helps vision challenged readers to enjoy reading as well. Battery life is judged, rather interestingly, at 7500 continuous page turns since the e-Ink screen only uses battery power when you are changing pages.
The one problem Sony’s eBook reader has – other than being mistaken for a child’s drawing toy – is that PDF files are hit and miss compatibility wise since Sony’s obsession with proprietary technology can make anything outside of their sphere of influence questionable to use. Even if it says it will.
But can it give the Kindle a run for its money? Quality wise, it can, but it needs to drop it’s price more to compete on price point and so it’s doubtful it’ll hold ground in this economy. Cost is around $275 from Amazon.
We've been waiting ages for a Sony-branded Bluetooth headset for the Playstation 3. For those of you fanboyish enough to agree with that statement and for all you other non-believers the wait is nearly at an end - the official PS3 Bluetooth headset is available for pre-order on Amazon at the tune of $49.99. Will this headset deliver or disappoint like other PS3 headsets? Only time will tell, and we'll be the first to let you know what we think.
We love our red PSP 2000 alot. We love the enhanced graphics, the Skype capability, and especially the TV output feature. We don't love the lack of remote and docking station though, especially when using the TV out functions of the PSP. Maybe it's because we use the PSP Camera to shoot photos & movies that we then like to display for our friends and family on their TV, but it's always been very inconvenient not having some sort of docking station or remote control. Sony's finally wised up to this (seriously guys, what took so long?) and released this nifty docking cradle with remote that will both charge your and output your PSP 2000 to your TV provided you have the right cables.
I don’t know about you, but there is just something about gaming notebooks that turn me off. Number one, you have the extra bulk to tote around which certainly won’t bode well for your back in the long run, while the battery life is nothing short of shameful. Not only that, while it might be able to play the latest and greatest games on-the-road, it will never be able to match up to a real gaming experience on a desktop PC. Despite those personal reasons, gaming notebooks aren’t dead and they don’t seem to be dying off anyways, with Asus being the latest company to unveil a couple more gaming notebooks in the form of the G71 and G50.
Both models will be powered by NVIDIA’s GeForce 9700M GT graphics processing unit that does more than deliver mouth watering graphics, it also supports technologies such as NVIDIA PhysX for a more realistic in-game experience, video acceleration and image processing-advanced capabilities - and all three are collectively known as “Graphics Plus”. The Asus G71 gaming notebook targets the high end side of things, featuring a generous 17″ display with the ability to hold up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, 1TB of storage via hard drive configuration and an array of Intel Core2 Duo and Quad Core processors for you to choose from as the “weapon” of choice. As for the Asus G50, this gaming notebook brings together the 32 core GeForce 9700M GT GPU with a mainstream Intel processor for an optimized portable gaming experience without burning too large a hole in your pocket. You will be able to choose from either a 15.4″ or 15.6″ display, and by choosing a lower powered Intel Core 2 Duo processor, you will be able to use the cash saved by throwing in the high-powered GeForce 9700M GT graphics card.
Prices for the G50 start from $1,249 upwards, and you can expect to pay considerably more for the G71.
Motorola is more famous for their line of cell phones more than anything else, but this time round the company takes a slightly different route by introducing a couple of portable GPS navigation systems that help you find your way around, especially in unfamiliar territory. These two models, the MOTONAV TN20 and TN30, will be available on an exclusive basis at RadioShack Corporation. Let us take a closer look at both devices right after the jump before coming to a conclusion as to whether they are worth bringing home or not.
The Motorola MOTONAV TN20 is the lower end device of the two, but that doesn’t mean it lacks in terms of quality. The TN20 is reliable enough to get you places, since it reduces the stress of driving in unfamiliar areas thanks to spoken street names as well as turn-by-turn directions. You will also benefit from over one million searchable points of interest as well as accurate maps depicting continental US courtesy of NAVTEQ. With the most accurate maps on display and the choice between 2D or 3D display modes, getting to your destination has never gotten any easier. The 3.5″ touch screen display is bright enough to use even under direct sunlight, and it will adjust its brightness automatically to suit the driving conditions. Being small enough to fit in a pocket, you can always carry it with you when you decide to tour the city by foot.
As for the MOTONAV TN30, it comes with all the similar features and functions of the TN20 and more. You will get more maps with the inclusion of Canada and Puerto Rico as well, more than four million searchable points of interest to help you amble along with a sense of direction, a more generous 4.3″ touch screen display as well as Bluetooth connectivity to help you carry out hands free conversations over your cell phone while you’re on the road.
Shared features include on-screen speed, distance, arrival time, elevation, and distance traveled; fastest and shortest route options; advanced lane guidance in complex interchanges; speed limit display with warnings and an SD memory card slot for expansion options. Both the Motorola MOTONAV TN20 and TN30 will retail for $199.99 and $299.99, respectively.
Trying to keep all of your gadgets charged when you’re constantly out and about can be difficult. Especially if you have the tendency to get so wrapped up in things that you forget to charge them all up once you’re finally home for the day. With this kit, you could charge up your gadgets when they die on you at inopportune moments. It would also be great for those that travel a lot. If you don’t have a spare charger and you’re hundreds of miles from home on a tight budget, the kit could save you the money of having to buy another charger.
It features a rechargeable lithium ion battery and a power level indicator. It also includes adapters for the iPod, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, USB male, mini 5 pins, Motorola, Nokia and so on. Out of all that it has a total of seven charging adapters. The kit also has an attachment to turn the power bar into a flashlight and a USB charging cable. To finish things off it has a convenient little pouch to hold all of those item in. So all you have to do is toss this in your car, purse or luggage and you’ll have it with you. The whole kit will cost you $32
I can’t help but think that Sanyo’s newest digital phone frame, the ALBO, sounds like a major brand of dog food. As far as I know, ALBO isn’t a fancy acronym for something, but it is one of the coolest digital picture frames that I have ever seen. Considering that there is currently a huge market for digital picture frames now, that is saying something.
The seven-inch LCD frame has one of the most interesting designs, straight out of a science-fiction TV show’s prediction of what television would look like in the future. Just look at the design, and that last sentence will make sense.
As you can see from the photo, it is possible to turn the screen on a swivel for various formats. You can see them in slideshow format with a quick turn, and the photo frame has some other features and effects.
For example, the ALBO has the ability to display RSS feeds via Wi-Fi, and it can receive photos from a cellular phone through an infrared port. The ALBO comes with 256 megabytes of memory, but I’m not certain how much photos or video that it will hold.
The Sanyo ALBO is scheduled to come out in November 14, for a price of about $422. It is probably only available in Japan.
