Gadgets Future

by Joshua Topolsky, posted May 5th 2008 at 9:45PM
Do you absolutely love Gateway desktops? If you said yes, prepare to be seriously stoked. The company is releasing a slew of new systems this week, ranging from cheapo starters to pretty heavily equipped gaming / multimedia models. We’ve got all the info that’s fit to print (and frankly, some that isn’t), and we’ve rounded up the basic specs and features after the break. Enjoy!

FX7026

• Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 CPU
• Overclocked NVIDIA 8800GT graphics chipset
• 4GB of RAM
• 640GB hard drive
• $1,099.99
• Available at retail locations

GT5670, GT5674, GT5676 and GT5678

• AMD Phenom quad core, or triple core processors
• 3GB or 4GB of RAM
• 320GB to 750GB hard drive capacities
• NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE or ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics chipsets
• $549.99 to $849.99
• Available at retail locations

FX541

• NVIDIA SLI-capable motherboard
• Dual PCIe x16 slots with SLI support
• $1,199.99
• Available online

FX541XT

• Factory overclocked CPU
• NVIDIA SLI-capable motherboard
• Dual NVIDIA 8800 GT factory overclocked video cards in SLI mode
• $3,499.99
• Available online

DX442

• Intel Pentium Dual-Core, Intel Core 2 Duo, or Intel Core 2 Quad CPU
• Intel G33 chipset with GMA X3100 Graphics
• 2GB or 3GB of RAM
• 320GB or 500GB hard drives
• $549.99 to $999.99
• Available online

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Filed under: Desktops

Guess the iphone really does more than what it is supposed to, with this unique robotic setup that involves a watering can that is able to take instructions from an iPhone. Whenever the Safari’s screen state goes from horizontal to vertical, it will fire a status update to a webserver using Javascript that has been set to move the watering can either up or down. Now if only something can be done to fill up the watering can when it runs dry while you’re a few hundred miles away from home as well.

Before that other Newton, there was Newton, the helpful, friendly housebot. Equipped with an "IBM PC XT equivalent system," a "16-bit real-time microcomputer," and a 20MB hard drive, Newton was kind of like a PC crammed into the body of a cheap R2-D2 knockoff. With baleful orange eyes peering out of a swiveling, saucer-shaped head, watching you.

"You’d be amazed at what he can do," the cheesy 1980s jingle promises. But what exactly he does is not clear from the video, apart from distracting kids from working on their homework, attempting to scare an obviously sedated baby and comforting an old lady who appears to have slipped into the late, pathetic stages of dementia and loneliness.

As the excellent Paleo-Future blog suggests, fast-forward to 6:20 in the video to experience the Newton theme song in all its glorious, big-haired awesomeness.

As expected, Lenovo today launched the U110 ultra portable entertainment and fashion-oriented notebook computer. The $1,899 IdeaPad U110 is the company’s “star” offering with great useful features such as VeriFace Face Recognition technology, Dolby Home Theatre and the MultiMedia Control Center, a built-in camera, WLAN, Ethernet and Bluetooth.

In what amounts to little more than another animated i-Dog speaker alternative, The Sharper Image has recently come forward with the iDance WALL-E MP3-playing robot ($25) in preparation for the buying frenzy that will likely accompany the summer release of Disney-Pixar’s new WALL-E flick.

The 8-inch trash-compacting robot dances and makes sounds when it’s packed with a trio of AA batteries and nearby or plugged into an audio source. Pretty cute in a useless sort of way, don’t you think?

Via Crave.

It’s official: After years of delays, T-Mobile launched its new 3-G data network in New York City on Monday. Contrary to previous reports, which claimed the rollout would initially be voice-only, the service does in fact include data. That’s the good news. The bad news is that if you live somewhere other than NYC, the 3-G data train may take a while to get to you. According to carrier, the plan is to expand its UMTS/HSDPA network to “be available in cities where a majority of its subscribers currently use data services” by the end of the year.

From Monday’s press release:

T-Mobile’s 3-G network supports voice and data services consistent with available service and handset offerings. The company today offers multiple phones that are able to operate on the UMTS network. The phones are designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide the great call quality and rich communication services customers expect from T-Mobile. [Emphasis ours]

“Multiple,” in case you were wondering, means two phones by our count: The Samsung t639, which T-Mobile started selling in New York City last October, and the Nokia 6263. Those aren’t exactly the “compelling data-centric, all-in-one devices” that sell 3-G services, so T-Mobile will undoubtedly be augmenting its device line-up over the next couple months as it continues to expand its new 3-G service.

by Darren Murph, posted May 5th 2008 at 7:54AM
Just in case you haven’t learned enough about the forthcoming Samsung Instinct from our hands-on gallery / UI video walkthrough, Sammy has launched a promotional website designed to give you the skinny. Within the site, you can peer at a handful of press shots, get schooled on all of its features and sign up to be notified when it’s ready for your hands to be wrapped around it. Nothing too exciting, but those with the Instinct high on their list of next mobile to own will surely find it worth the click over.

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Filed under: cellphones

iPod touch and ipod nano owners will be able to enjoy new offerings from Griffin Technology, with the former getting a FlexGrip case while the latter is blessed with the FlexScreen case. The FlexGrip features a two-tone silicone case with a smooth front as well as a textured, nubby rear surface which provides additional grip, making it perfect for those suffering from sweaty palms. Other features include a full-face screen protector (for the touch) and Click Wheel protectors (for the nano). As for the two-piece FlexScreen, you get a clear silicone case featuring the same textured back as the FlexGrip and a clear hard polycarbonate face shield. You won’t find all the relevant jacks blocked by either product, as Griffin are old hands at iPod accessories. Both will retail for $15 a piece.

Sprites Mods has hacked the Automated White Board which is capable of extracting text input from the Internet while plotting it on the whiteboard. This is made possible by using an electromagnet that releases a spring, pushing a perspex rod on the whiteboard, moving the entire carriage including the pen’s tip away from the surface. If the pen requires to be ‘down’, the electromagnet will actuate and gravity will push the tip of the pen down to the whiteboard’s surface yet again. A microcontroller will control the driver ICs. To get a better idea of how the entire thing works, just take a look at the video and be amazed. I wonder how soon will corporate America have something like this.