Galaxy outs GTX 460 WHDI edition with wireless TV connectivity
When it comes to video cards for your computer there are a lot of different brands and models to choose from. Most of them will have the same tech inside and offer the same features. Galaxy has a new NVIDIA GTX 460 video card that is different from the other GTX 460 cards already on the market with a new and very cool feature that will make it easy for you to send content from your PC to the TV.
The video card is called the GTX 460 WHDI edition and it looks a bit like a WiFi expansion card has been grafted to the back of a normal video card. The WHDI edition has five antennas on the rear that stream any content including games and video from your PC directly to your living room TV. A receiver box connects directly to your TV.
The video card uses AMIMON technology inside and will ship in early October. The video-streamed from the video card can be sent at HD resolutions without any compression that might affect frame rates or video quality. The card promises under a millisecond of latency when in use. The card also has wired outputs for HDMI, DVI, and DisplayPort.
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Klipsch unveils new AudioRock outdoor wireless speaker
I am a big fan of Klipsch speakers for many uses. The best surround sound computer speakers I have ever owned came from Klipsch and the company has some fantastic home theater speakers as well. Many of the speakers that come from Klipsch are very expensive, but some of them are not out of the reach of most of us.
The latest offering from Klipsch is a speaker that isn't too expensive at $199.99 and is designed to be used outside with the Klipsch LightSpeaker system. The LightSpeaker system isn't included with the AudioRock speaker though and if you don't have one it will set you back another $600. The AudioRock speaker is weatherproof and rustproof. Inside the speaker are dual 0.75" tweeters and a dual voice coil 5.25" woofer.
It gets power from a removable and rechargeable lithium battery pack that provides eight hours of continuous listening. The battery takes four hours to charge fully. The wireless tech used to connect to the LightSpeaker system is 2.4GHz and the receiver is built into the AudioRock speaker. The outside of the speaker looks like a rock and has a granite color. The drivers are angled up at the listening for improved sound. You can buy the AudioRock right now.
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Verizon Wireless announces new mobile phone trade-in program
If you are already a Verizon customer or are a customer on another network that is looking to migrate over to Verizon, the wireless provider has a new program you may find interesting. The company has unveiled a new program where you can trade in any mobile phone working or not and get money in the form of a gift card towards a Verizon purchase.
There is naturally a catch to the new service and that catch is that you get very little money for your phone. I dropped my iPhone 3GS a while back and it works, but the screen cracked. Verizon would give me about $12 for my iPhone. If the iPhone had a screen that was not cracked, I could get a bit more for it.
If you have a new iPhone 4 in 16GB of 32GB varieties and want to trade it in Verizon will give you $212. That is assuming the device has no cracks and still works. The program will send you a pre-paid return shipment box to send the handset in and then the gift card is sent back to you. In most cases, I would bet you could get more money for your device off eBay or Craigslist. The Verizon program will also accept devices and donate them to charity.
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New Apple TV device torn down at iFixit
I have an original Apple TV and the thing sucks so bad that it is virtually useless. Out of all the time I have owned it, I bet I have used the thing three times. Talk about an epic fail of a product. When Apple announced the new Apple TV, I was not interested even a bit in the thing considering how bad the first product was. There are a lot of people excited about the new device though so maybe it won't suck as bad as the original.
If you are interested in the new Apple TV and would like to see what the thing is hiding inside its black case, iFixit has ripped one apart already. The new version is much smaller than the original and comes with a remote control. Should you ever want to repair your device on your own, this tear down could come in handy.
The first step to getting inside the device was to remove the rubber base. Strangely, the thermal pad that you can see as soon as the base is off is conducting heat to the plastic base, not metal. After that some Philips screws and a screwdriver later you get a look at the innards of the little device. One interesting find is that there are solder pads on the side of the new Apple TV that are unused and match perfectly with the dock cable connector.
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Gateway launches new NV59C66U Notebook with integrated WiMax
Gateway have unveiled a new notebook, the NV59C66U with integrated WiMAX wireless connectivity and a deluxe look and feel.
The Gateway NV59C66U uses the Intel 6250 wireless card, which can connect to both WiMAX and Wi-Fi networks. Because of this, the Gateway NV59C66U will be able to be connected to mobile networks on the move - while at home, or on the road (once connected to a WiMAX provider).
The Gateway NV series feature Intel Core i3 and Core i5 as well as the AMD Athlon and AMD Turion processors. Supporting up to 4GB of memory, upgradeable to 8GB total. Storage wise, we have 320 and 500GB.
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Toshiba unveils A665-3D laptop with NVIDIA 3D Vision tech
You don't have to look very hard to realize that the big feature that various manufacturers in the tech industry are pushing this year is 3D. The number of 3D capable computers, Blu-ray player's and TVs is constantly increasing on the market today even though by most accounts consumers aren't adopting 3D in the capacity that manufacturers hoped. That hasn't stopped Toshiba from pulling the covers off a new 3D notebook called the Satellite A665 3D.
The notebook uses NVIDIA 3D Vision technology and ships with a single pair of active 3D glasses. The screen of the notebook is a 15.6-inch HD TruBrite LED backlit offering with a 120Hz refresh rate. The CPU options for the machine include a Core i5-460M or a Core i7-740QM both with Turbo Boost technology inside. NVIDIA's GeForce GTS 350M GPU handles the video action.
The Blu-ray drive can burn to DVD media and has Label Flash technology. The onboard sound system for the notebook is from harman/kardon and has Dolby Advanced Audio tech. Other features include up to 6GB of RAM, 640GB of storage, a HDMI 1.4 output, WiFi, optional WiMax, and a 6-cell standard battery. Bluetooth and a 12-cell battery are both optional as well. The machine will ship in October with a price starting at $1299.99.
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H20 Audio Surge 2G Waterproof Sport Headphones surface
There are a lot of people out there who swim to keep fit. These folks would probably like to listen to some music while they work out, just as people who work out on dry land like to do. The catch for the swimmer is that water and your typical headphones and PMPs simply don't mix. Those that sweat a lot during workouts in the gym will also tell you that sweat can ruin your headphones. A company called H2O Audio has announced a new set of headphones that can survive in the water called the Surge 2G.
The new Surge 2G headphones are 100% waterproof and can be used up to 12-feet deep. The headphones are also completely resistant to being washed and to heavy sweating. Naturally, you will have to pair these headphones with some sort of waterproof case for your PMP or buy one of the several waterproof players that H2O audio sells. The headphones are designed for bass amplified sound.
The earplugs the headphones use isolate outside noise, help improve the bass, and keep water out of the ears. Each set of headphones ships with five different sizes of elastomer earplugs in XS through XL for a personalized fit. The headphones are tested for water resistance before they ship and you can order a set now for $49.99.
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Sharkoon SATA QuickPort Home HDD docking station is perfect for HTPC use
I have talked about Sharkoon on a couple of occasions and typically the product the company is unveiling is storage related. Sharkoon is famous for its SATA HDD docks that allow you to use HDDs to store and access data without having to find a place inside your computer for the drives. Generally, those docks are clearly designed to be used at the desk, not in your entertainment center with a HTPC machine. Sharkoon has unveiled a new SATA dock called the QuickPort Home that is just for HTPC fans.
The dock looks like a set top box or home theater component with an attractive and thin chassis that has a flip down door to reveal the HDD dock and other ports. Behind that front panel are push to open slots for 3.5 and 2.5-inch HDDs with SATA connectivity. When a HDD is inserted into either slot, it sits flush with the chassis allowing the door to be closed for a cleaner look.
Connectivity for the device includes eSATA and USB 2.0. The QuickPort Home also has a memory card reader supporting SD/SDHC, MMC, and MS memory cards. There is also a pair of USB ports with one on the front and one on the back for directly connecting flash drives and other storage devices. The dock measures 240 x 206 x 47.5mm and weighs 950 grams. It will sell for 49.90 euro and can be purchased at Sharkoon retailers.
Gateway adds new AIO PCs to its lineup
Gateway has a large line of notebooks, desktops, and AIO computers. While the majority of the market for computers over the last few years has migrated towards notebooks and netbooks and away from desktop computers the AIO segment is still very popular. Gateway has announced the new ZX4951 and ZX6951 AIO desktops to cater to the needs of this popular segment and those looking for a desktop that takes up as little space as possible.
The two machines are very similar and share the same new design with a curved bottom edge and adjustable stands. The curved edge has lighting that can be adjusted for brightness that illuminates the included wireless keyboard and can be used for room mood lighting reckons Gateway. The ZX4951 uses a 21.5-inch screen, the ZX6951 has a 23-inch screen and both of the machines have HD resolution.
The CPU inside the new AIOs can be a range of parts including Pentium and Core i3 offerings. Gateway also crams Blu-ray drives into both machines and the ZX6951 comes with a TV tuner inside. The screen resolution on both AIOs supports full HD and the PCs ship with 4GB of RAM. The RAM can be expanded to 16GB and storage options include 500GB and 640GB HDDs. HD audio with 5.1-channel support is a common feature. Pricing for the machines ranges from $899.99 to $999.99 and both are available in the US right now.
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AMD Radeon 6850 and 6870 are go to launch on October 18!
Disclaimer: right now, everything is "rumor" - until proven a fact, please keep this in mind.
For what has seemed like a very long time - AMD has teased us with no refresh of their Evergreen (5xxx series), then the name change from ATI to AMD and now finally, some concrete release dates for you to check on your calender.
October 18, 2010.
Continue reading: AMD Radeon 6850 and 6870 are go to launch on October 18! (full post)