Entertainment gadget

Aug 16th 2007 3:36PM by Darren MurphFiled under: HDTV, Home EntertainmentAmong many other things, Samsung has unveiled its F8 series of oh-so-sexy LCDs at IFA in Berlin. Focusing on the LE46F86BD in particular, this display touts 100MHz Motion Plus technology to sharpen up those images, 1080p support, a baffling 25,000:1 contrast ratio, and a superCLEAR panel coating to boot.

Jul 25th 2007 12:39PM by Erik HansonFiled under: HDTV, Home EntertainmentSamsung has released more details about the company's third-generation Blu-ray player lineup, including a home theater-in-a-box system, and the Duo HD dual-format HD DVD / Blu-ray player. We learned about the two Blu-ray players earlier this month, and we can add to that info support on both players for 24 or 60fps playback at 1080p.

Jan 8th 2007 1:11PM by Darren MurphFiled under: CES, HDTV, Home EntertainmentJust after Verbatim announces that it's shipping 30GB dual-layer HD DVD-Rs our way, here comes some more news to slightly deflate that bubble. At an HD DVD presentation held at CES, at interesting PowerPoint slide caught our eye, as it (very briefly) described plans to "expand HD DVD disc capacity from 15GB to 17GB per layer, and moreover, to add a third layer as well, eventually resulting in a 51GB HD DVD disc.

Jan 18th 2007 3:45PM by Ross RubinFiled under: Home Entertainment, NetworkingEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:When Apple first released details about what is now called Apple TV, I wrote that it would create a DVR dilemma for the Cupertino company, one that it decided by bypassing DVR functionality (at least for now). The result will be a product that avoids many setup foibles and complexities of digital video recorders while allowing use of the increasingly versatile streamlined Apple Remote.

Aug 6th 2007 2:49PM by Ross RubinFiled under: Cellphones, Features, LaptopsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:A few weeks ago a two-part Switched On column (see: here and here) discussed Apple's approach to the iPhone keyboard. I agreed with Apple's reasoning that, for a phone, or at least this first iPhone, the gains that could be made by going with a soft keyboard outweighed the cons.

Aug 30th 2007 1:00PM by Paul MillerFiled under: Displays, HDTV, Home EntertainmentRight on schedule, Philips has unveiled its new wave of Ambilight-powered television: Aurea. Sure, it's not as sexy when you call it by its 42PFL9900D model number, but the 42-inch 1080p LCD is sure to turn heads either way.

This is all the entertainment part that you can get from this Phone Center. It has two handsets that can be connected to it and have the speakerphone functionalities

ATI Wonder 650 USB and ATI Wonder 650 Combo PCIe are two gadgets made by AMD to please all those people who use their computers for entertainment too. If you like to watch videos, TV shows and stuff like that AMD TV Wonder products are right for you.

Apparently, the company is planning to launch the Hangar 18 HD Entertainment Center "this week," but unfortunately, no specifics beyond that were doled out. In an interview with Bryan de Zayas, consumer segment marketing manager, and Marc Diana, desktop product marketing manager, it was noted that the firm was heading in a more "design-focused" direction, and while neither would discuss pricing, it was insinuated that base figures may not be as high as anticipated.

In speaking with the New York Times, Sony Computer Entertainment of America spokesperson Dave Karraker was boasting about how "100,000" PlayStation 3 units were being shipped stateside each week, and were continuing to "sell out" nationwide. Aside from the fact that a large majority of the country can find, secure, and purchase a PS3 now without worry over being shot up or forced to pay ridiculous prices, Mr.

Jun 13th 2007 10:21PM by Darren MurphFiled under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals, Portable Audio, Portable Video, WirelessWhile Philips' latest universal remote lacks the genius design seen in the prototype book iteration, it's tough to deny the utility here. This universal remote may not sport the most luxurious button layout, but it does manage to control up to six devices and play nice with your iPod; moreover, the SJM3151's built-in LCD screen touts the ability to mimic your player's screen, so you can sneak a peek at what's on deck without squinting to see the faraway dock.

Whether it ultimately arrives through Wi-Fi, WiMAX, the cellular networks or some other source, the future of connected entertainment has become easier to hear.Ross Rubin is director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group,.

Apr 30th 2007 5:15PM by Ross RubinFiled under: FeaturesEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:Earlier this month, concerns among Apple fans and glasses among Apple-haters were alike raised as word came from the Cupertino castle that it would miss its self-imposed deadline for Leopard by four months. Rather than deliver Leopard (perhaps code-naming it Cheetah would have sped up development?) at its Worldwide Developer Conference in June as originally planned, the next major version of Mac OS would ship in October.

May 25th 2007 5:13PM by Darren MurphFiled under: Portable AudioHearing Microsoft's name and "in-car stereo" in the same sentence should elicit any forms of surprise, as we've long since known that Redmond was looking to up the ante of automotive entertainment in a bevy of Ford vehicles later this year. A recent patent was granted to the firm that details a "car stereo including a docking station into which an off-the-shelf handheld computer can be docked," and additionally, it insinuates that a multitude of devices will be supported.

.. up technology conference in New York, Mindy Mount -- corporate vice president and CFO of the firm's entertainment and device division -- noted that she'd "give it a B-," and also stated that it was a "solid effort ..

Apr 11th 2007 3:43PM by Evan BlassFiled under: Home EntertainmentEven though its food tastes like crap, you have to give poultry kingpin KFC credit for thinking outside the, um, bucket when it comes to TV spots, using innovative commercials to lure unsuspecting folks into purchasing its slop. You probably remember the company's last high-profile ad which forced viewers to watch in slo-mo in order to get the password for a free sandwich, and now it's utilizing that supposedly "kids-only," high-pitched ringtone in an attempt to drum up interest in the new Boneless Variety Bucket.

May 25th 2007 8:12AM by Darren MurphFiled under: HDTV, Home EntertainmentAs if Sony's legal team hasn't dealt with enough this year already, they're getting dialed up yet again for alleged patent infringement, and this time the California-based Target Technology Company is the one pointing the finger. Apparently, the firm is suing several segments of Sony for "deliberately and willfully" infringing on a patent that Target was granted in 2006.

Jan 9th 2007 7:00AM by Evan BlassFiled under: CES, Features, Home EntertainmentThrow out your Harmony, kick your Pronto to the curb, and say goodbye to the old One4All: SideShow-powered remotes are about to take the home theater by storm. Much more than hunks of plastic and silicon used to control your gear, these remotes offer all sorts of widgety-goodness, delivering stock quotes, RSS feeds, and even an electronic program guide right to the palm of your hand (because, you know, using the guide on your TV is so 2006).

Jan 8th 2007 2:15PM by Barb DybwadFiled under: CES, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Portable Video, WirelessWe got the skinny from the RealNetworks folks on some of their plans for continued hardware integration in pursuit of the celestial jukebox holy grail. They're going to be partnering with iriver on a couple of new audio players that will both integrate Rhapsody software -- one an update to the clix and one a Wi-Fi enabled MP3 player allowing users to both download and stream music from the Rhapsody catalogue over the air.

Mar 24th 2007 1:20PM by Darren MurphFiled under: HDTV, Home EntertainmentIt wasn't too long ago that we caught wind of Samsung's latest Bordeaux sets, but now the firm is one-upping itself by kicking out a new trio in the lineup with even more impressive specs. Jumping from 10000:1 to 15000:1 in the contrast ratio department, the 40-inch LN40M81BD, 46-inch LN46M81BD, and 52-inch LN52M81BD all tout the True Black Panel technology in order to bring "plasma-like blacks" to the LCD HDTV arena, and you'll also find three HDMI ports, "Full HD" resolution, and the obligatory sexy black frame to really set your living room theater off.