Category Archives: Gadgets

Two new Windows Mobile devices from HP

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HP has officially announced the new line of its mobile devices. Along with new WM6 phones and a GPS navigator, HP is launching the 100 Series “Classic” and 200 Series “Enterprise” edition PDAs.

Both models are based on Marvell PXA310 624MHz CPU, and have 64MB of RAM, 256MB of ROM, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, and color touchscreens. Both featured latest version of Windows Mobile 6 OS.

100 series has a 3.5-inch, 240 x 320, RGB screen, Mini-USB, and SDIO card slot,
200 series has 4-inch, 480 x 640, 260k screen, 24-pin and Mini-USB connectors, plus SDIO and CF card slots.

  

New Windows Mobile 6 Phones from HP

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HP has presented the new Windows Mobile 6 Smartphones.

First one the 600 comes with Marvell PXA270, 520MHz Processor, 128MB of RAM, 256MB of ROM, integrated GPS, 2.8-inch 320×240 touchscreen, 3 megapixel camera, WiFi, and Windows Mobile 6 Professional and only numeric keypad. This is a clear competitor to HTC Touch, which is the best 2.8′ WM6 SmartPhone so far.

The 900 series phone has a standard QWERTY keyboard, and only 2.46-inch square display, other specs remain similar to 600. This model will compete wth Blackbery-style devices.

  
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Canon 40D: Comparing predicted specs with real ones.

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Canon 40D Officially released. It is time to compare our predicted specification to the real ones.

Canon 40D Specifications:
[Predicted] 10.2 Megapixel APS-C size CMOS sensor
[Real] 10.1 Megapixel CMOS Sensor, extensive noise reduction technology, and 14-bit conversion for outstanding color tones and gradations.
Almost correct

[Predicted] 5 fps and 30 large JPEG frame burst
[Real] 6.5 fps, burst rate up to 75 consecutive JPEGs or 17 RAW images
Wow! Reality is much better!

[Predicted] Integrated Cleaning System(like in xti)
[Real] EOS Integrated Cleaning System
Nobody even doubt that

[Predicted] 3″(or at least 2.5”) wide viewing angle LCD screen
[Real] Large 3.0-inch LCD monitor and advanced Live View Function with new options for reduced shutter time lag and quiet operation.
3 inch LCD is cool!

[Predicted] Spot metering and High Precision 9-point AF system
[Real] New AF system with 9 cross-type sensors, and world’s first diagonal high-precision cross-type AF at center point with f/2.8 and faster lenses.
Same thing in other words

[Predicted] DIGIC III(May be Digic II) image processor with 0.15 sec start-up time
[Real] and DIGIC III Image Processor.
Correct

[Predicted] sRaw (Small RAW format preview)
[Real] sRAW: Approx. 7.1MB (1,936 x 1,288)
Correct

[Predicted] 100,000 cycle shutter durability and rugged magnesium alloy body
[Real] Strong, rugged build quality: magnesium-alloy exterior, shutter durability-tested to 100,000 cycles, top speed 1/8000, top x-sync speed 1/250.
as we think

[Predicted] Simultaneous RAW and JPEG recording
[Real] JPEG, RAW and RAW+JPEG simultaneous recording possible.
Cool!

[Predicted] 100-3200 ISO range
[Real] Equivalent to ISO 100-1600* (in 1/3-stop or whole stop increments), ISO speed can be expanded to ISO 3200
Well. Lets say it was correct

[Predicted] E-TTL II Flash
[Real] E-TTL II autoflash
Yep

[Predicted] Complete compatibility with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites
[Real] Compatible Lenses: Canon EF, EF-S, TS-E, and MP-E lenses
Correct

[Predicted] USB 2.0 Hi-Speed and Video Out connectivity
[Real] USB 2.0 Hi-Speed, mini-B port. NTSC/PAL for video output
Right again

[Predicted] Price: (MSRP) $1599
[Real] (MSRP Body only) $1299
Better, but $1599 probably was Kit price


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Two new Wireless USB (UWB-USB) Devices

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How many wires do we still have around system block? A little bit less then couple years ago. Wireless network, wireless mouse and keyboard, Bluetooth headset for Skype and Counterstrike, and Bluetooth PDA synchronization. That’s a lot of wireless connections, but still not enough. Modern science is still not allow us to transfer power without wires, but where is the solution for all this USB wires? Bluetooth was the first one who tried to get into this field, but it seems not everybody like Bluetooth. I don’t know why, but so far I did not see any Bluetooth powered printers or digital cameras. Another solution was based on current USB architecture. Same connectors, nothing to change inside our current devises, just eliminate wires. It is called UWB-USB (Ultra Wideband USB). We heard several announces of such devices about a year ago, but first real ones will be available just within next couple moths. So far there are two of them.

1. Belkin CableFree USB Hub and Dongle (set) (F5U301) – $129.99 ESP (estimated availability mid-December 2006)

Belkin will offer a four-port hub that will enable immediate high-speed wireless connectivity for any USB device without requiring software. The CableFree USB Hub gives desktop computer users the freedom to place their USB devices anywhere in the room without running long cables. Laptop users gain the freedom to roam wirelessly with their laptop around the room while still maintaining access to their stationary USB devices.

Freescale’s UWB solutions enable high rate transfer of video, audio, and data streams wirelessly. At rates 100 times faster than Bluetooth™ technology and with wire-like quality, UWB brings a new wireless option to auto, consumer electronics, and PC/peripheral manufacturers. Using UWB, for example, an MPEG2 movie or HDTV stream can be broadcast in real time wirelessly. This allows consumers new freedom in the use of multimedia-centric products, as they no longer need to be connected with wires.

2.Y-E Data Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Wireless Hub, YD-300 based on the Wisair Ultra Wideband (UWB) wireless hub

The Wisair Ultra Wideband (UWB) wireless hub brings wireless connectivity to existing wired USB devices. USB devices can be placed anywhere in the room and can be accessed from any PC or laptop—while eliminating the familiar tangle of wires around the desk area.

The reference design consists of two components: the wireless hub and the host PC dongle. Both include Wisair’s UWB chipset, based on the WiMedia radio platform. The wireless hub provides outstanding performance and link robustness, which is enabled by features such as dual UWB antennas, automatic rate adaptation, and automatic radio channel selection. The host dongle combines the Wisair chipset on a small foot print PCB, together with an on-board antenna.

Key Features:
• Up to 480 Mbps air data rates
• Up to 30 feet operating distance
• Four to seven external USB 2.0/1.1 ports (available simultaneously)
• Dual UWB antennas for enhanced coverage and range
• Automatic rate adaptation for superior link robustness and coverage
• Automatic radio channel selection
• Co-existence with 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth devices
• FCC regulation compliant
• Compatible with Windows® 2000/XP
• Host-side software driver
• Intuitive GUI application for quick setup and connection management
• LED indicators for power, association and activity

  
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Automotive GPS Navigation system that can use satellite images.

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lowrance-iway-600c.jpg

Today we have another interesting news from the GPS world. Lowrance iWAY 600C is a new automotive GPS navigation system that can use satellite images instead of regular roadmaps. The satellite imagery is only available for select metropolitan areas. The iWAY 600C has a big 5″ color touch-screen at 640 x 480 resolution, usb port for map updates, built in media player, 30GB hard drive (25GB reserved for maps and 5GB for mp3s and also built-in FM transmitter to send voice directions and music to an open FM channel)

Retail price for iWAY 600C is $800.

All specifications:

Display
16-bit color TFT touch-screen display
640H x 480V pixel resolution
5″ (12.7 cm) diagonal display size
Super-bright, cold-cathode backlit screen
Sleek, blue LED backlit keypad
Superb readability even in bright sunlightGPS Navigation
Built-in, precision 12-parallel channel GPS+WAAS receiver
Simplified operation with 5 primary keys
Maps can be updated through the internal USB port with Windows® XP/ME/2000, Macintosh OS X, or Linux

Street Mode
High-detail, “bird-eye-view”, satellite imagery (with street overlays) of hundreds of select metropolitan areas in the U.S. and Canada display highways, buildings, stadiums, streets, and adjacent waterways
Built-in, detailed and highly accurate NAVTEQ® turn-by-turn database for the continental U.S. and Canada
Over 5.5 million POIs (Points-of-Interest)
Three selectable mapping displays: 2-D Track Up, 2-D North Up, and Elevated 3-D
Turn-by-turn audio and visual cues, including auto-zooming and automatic recalculation of directions after a missed turn
Street address searching, plus auto-routing choices to choose or avoid Toll Roads and Interstates, and avoid Left-Hand Turns
Mega-memory storage for up to 1,000 addresses
Safety Passenger Mode allows a passenger to use the GPS features while the car is in motion
Media Player
Full-featured stereo MP3 audio player
Full Spectrum FM modulator wirelessly streams music through an open FM radio channel
Full-featured picture viewer displays personal photos (JPEG format)

Specs
30GB internal hard drive, with 25GB of storage dedicated to high-detail mapping and satellite imagery (10GB dedicated to mapping detail for Western Europe models)
5GB of storage reserved for MP3 audio files and JPEG image files (20GB for Western Europe models)
6.1″W x 4.5″H x 2.15″D (15.5cm x 11.55 cm x 5.45 cm)
Completely sealed to prevent internal corrosion
Full one-year warranty

Accessories Included
Speaker/cigarette power adapter with volume control and 1/8″ stereo jack
Hardwire adapter with 1/8″ stereo jack for wiring into car’s stereo system
Suction-cup mounting bracket for windshield applications*
USB to PC interface cable
110VAC to 12VDC power converter for in-home use (transferring music files, etc.)
iWAY™ 600C protective cover

  
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