Archive for April 20th, 2009

The theremin is just one of those instruments that nerds can’t stop digging and modding. This newest iteration, the Squaremin, resembles the much-loved instrument in that you don’t touch it to play it — rather you move your hands about to control the octave and output of notes. The Squaremin was made using an ATmega168 chip, and boasts two infrared sensors to measure proximity — one to control the note played, the other to control the octave which is played out of the front speaker of the instrument. Check out the video after the break.

[Via Make]

Continue reading Video: Theremin-esque digital synth sure to get Brian Wilson up in arms

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Video: Theremin-esque digital synth sure to get Brian Wilson up in arms originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ever since we saw the glowing review AMD’s ATI Radeon RV740 prototype received, we’ve been looking forward to the day that the company would make one of these 40nm wonders available. It looks like that day might be close at hand — according to these purloined slides, a little something called the ATI Radeon HD 4770 is due to make the scene next month in the $99 price point. This handsome lad sports GDDR5 memory, DirectX 10.1 support, a 750 MHz clock speed, a memory clock of 800 MHz using a 128-bit memory bus, a frame buffer size of 512 MB, and much, much more. Curious? Of course you are. Check the slides out below for all of the glorious details.

[Via Tom's Hardware]

Gallery: ATI Radeon HD 4770

Filed under: Desktops

AMD’s 40nm ATI Radeon HD 4770 outed, slated for May release? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The verdict is already out on Netgear’s EVA 9150 Digital Entertainer Elite, and now the ball’s squarely in your court. The self-proclaimed “flexible digital media player” — complete with its dual-band 802.11n WiFi, integrated 500GB hard drive and broad video codec support — is now shipping worldwide. In case you’ve forgotten, this unit plays nice with Windows, Mac and Linux platforms and boasts a pair of USB ports for adding flash drives and additional storage. Worth $399? Answer with your wallet, bub.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite available worldwide for $399 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While those with tens of thousands of dollars to burn can buy themselves a pre-built, space age media pod like the Ovei, the rest of us have to have to either make do with a comfy couch and a darkened room, or improvise, as one enterprising Instructables member did with this so-called Geodesic Media-Pod. Both recession and environmentally-friendly, this contraption is apparently constructed almost entirely out of recycled refrigerator boxes, and it even employs a ventilation system (including parts salvaged from a Shop Vac) to ensure that it stays somewhat comfortable inside. Of course, while it’s partly intended to be used as a flight simulator, there isn’t actually any movement going on, although there are at least accommodations for some surround speakers and, of course, a mount for a monitor. Head on past the break for a video, and hit up the link below for the complete how-to if you’re feeling inspired.

Continue reading DIY geodesic media pod: forged from cardboard, filled with shame

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Gaming, Home Entertainment

DIY geodesic media pod: forged from cardboard, filled with shame originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fake corporate-marketing unboxing videos aren’t anything new — some of them are even pretty amazing — but this latest one from T-Mobile is definitely the skeeziest we’ve ever seen. Follow along as a sex-crazed Sidekick LX attempts to limit access to his bubbly new owner’s “spring break photos,” pushes her into watching her “hot friends” play beach volleyball, and lament that he’s ended up in the purse rather than her pocket — yep, the Sidekick LX is the creepy little brother you wish you never had. No wonder she stashes it next to the pepper spray. Video after the break.

Continue reading Sidekick LX gets “unboxed,” shows off its creepier side

Filed under: Cellphones

Sidekick LX gets “unboxed,” shows off its creepier side originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We don’t know exactly what the next generation of TiVo hardware will be like, but if these survey screenshots are to be believed, we have an idea what they might be called. EHD reader Justin tipped us off to a recent online survey road testing new names like TiVo eVO, TiVO OmniBox, TiVo Series4 and TiVo OnDemand for new hardware with the TiVo features we’ve come to know and love plus video on-demand access. Squaring off against competition like the Roku player and Xbox 360, peep the gallery and see how these roll off the tongue, or suggest innovation and environmental friendliness.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

TiVo survey hints at new name, direction for Series4 boxes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not sure if you’ve noticed, but NAB is in full swing over in Las Vegas. Not one to let a spotlight pass it by, LaCie has today introduced a new 8TB model of its 4big Quadra alongside a trio of new storage bundles for professionals who need gobs of free space and loads of speed. The 4big Quadra is a 4-bay RAID solution that handles hot-swappable disks and seven RAID modes, and by hitting up one the outfit’s new combos (8TB, 16TB and 32TB), you also get a 4-port eSATA II PCI Express Card 3Gb/s card. Check ‘em this May starting at $1,999.

Filed under: Storage

LaCie debuts 8TB 4big Quadra, new RAID bundles at NAB originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure, it’s not the first 3D camera we’ve seen ’round these parts — and it sure ain’t the wackiest — but it looks like CompoBank of South Korea is diving headlong into three dimensional imaging with the release of both a camera and a 7-inch digiframe, sometime in late 2009 or thereafter. The company’s prototype 3D digital camera features a parallax barrier 3D display, which uses two pictures to assemble the image, and an anaglyph format option (for those who prefer the old school red/cyan glasses). Parallax 3D images can be viewed on the digiframe, which boasts an 800 x 480 screen resolution and a function to convert pictures and video files from 2D to 3D. The company plans on making its products compatible with Fujifilm’s 3D camera and display systems, which should also see the light of day sometime this year. There’s no word yet on a release date, except that it will be this fall “at the earliest.” Check out that fine camera after the break.

Continue reading CompoBank’s prototype 3D digital camera and digiframe

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Displays

CompoBank’s prototype 3D digital camera and digiframe originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Plantronics isn’t planning to share intimate details about its Voyager PRO Bluetooth headset until April 23rd, but evidently its supply chain executives didn’t exactly touch base with marketing before sending out stock to Best Buy. Jeff and John both managed to procure the $119.99 Bluetooth headset over the weekend, and we’ve got the shots to prove it. Based on the teaser site down in the read link, this here headset should be it’s most advanced yet, but for a buck twenty, it better answer and respond to our calls without us having to intervene.

[Thanks, Jeff and John]

Filed under: Peripherals

Plantronics Voyager PRO gets purchased, unboxed early originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For better or worse, dual sliders are quickly becoming one of Nokia’s trademark form factors — but one thing we’d never really expected out of Espoo was a dual slider equipped with EV-DO Rev. A. Sure enough, FCC documentation has revealed a diminutive black dumbphone that packs CDMA800 / 1900 with 3G and slides two ways: one to reveal a numeric keypad, the other to offer up music controls. Historically, Nokia has “co-ODM’d” its CDMA devices with an unnamed Asian partner, and we suspect this device is no different — but we’ve got to give them credit for crafting a genuinely Nokia-esque device here. The draft user’s manual doesn’t reveal a retail name or model number, but we do see references to UIMs (the CDMA equivalent of SIMs) and British spellings of “organiser,” which leads us to believe North America might not be on the VIP list for this one. Would be a shame, wouldn’t it?

[Via Phone Scoop]

Update: Commenter Kunal points out that this looks an awful lot like the China-bound 8208, which makes us wonder — why the FCC approval? Did that bad boy pique the interest of Verizon or Sprint?

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia heads deeper down CDMA path with FCC-outed dual slider originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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