ECTACO Releases Cheap jetBook Lite eBook Reader

Topic: Home Entertainment

A company called ECTACO has unveiled what it claims to be the most affordable eBook reader available called the jetBook Lite. The device sells for $149 and supports most eBook formats. The device has been backed by Barnes & Noble for formats as well.

The jetBook Lite will now support DRM, ePub, Mobi, PRC, RTF, .txt, .pdf, .fb2, .jpg, .gif, .png, and .bmp. the device also supports multiple languages including English, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Chinese, and other languages. Read more

Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Pace Set to Launch Multiroom DVR with Cable Operators

Topic: Home Entertainment

Earlier this week a company called Pace announced a very cool new multiroom DVR that used a central storage device to send simultaneous streams to all connected TVs in the home. The cool part is that the DVR system could send nine streams at the same time.

The device also somehow recorded more simultaneous shows than its two tuners would normally allow. Pace has announced that it is set to launch the multiroom DVR with cable operators including Buckeye Cablevision, Inc., Mediacom, and Sunflower Broadband. Read more

Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

New Samsung 3.9mm LED TV Panel Is World's Thinnest

Topic: Home Entertainment

Samsung unveiled a 3.9mm ultra-thin LED LCD TV panel. Samsung calls this 40-inch ultra-thin LED panel "Needle Slim".
Well, a needle is still way thinner unless Samsung means a knitting needle. Anyway, this ultra-thin LED has full HD resolution, 120Hz and 5,000:1 contrast ratio. Read more

Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Que proReader Hits Barnes & Noble In 2010

Topic: Home Entertainment

I bet the boys at Amazon are longing for the good old days when they had virtually no competition. Now there are e-readers coming out of every nook and cranny in the tech world, including several that beat the pants off of the Kindle in functionality. Despite the fact that the nook is the Kindle's superior in almost every conceivable way, Barnes & Noble feels the need to hedge their bets. According to Engadget, they'll be selling two different e-readers come 2010.

The second reader to hit B&N shelves will be the Plastic Logic Que proReader. The proReader just had its press release sent out today, which announced to the world the coming of the 8.5 x 11” tablet. The proReader tablet, like the nook, will use the Barnes & Noble online bookstore to power its library.

Posted on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:51:06 CDT | by Robert Evans

New Roku HD-XR And Roku SD Player Unveiled

Topic: Home Entertainment

Roku announced today for immediate availability two new Roku players. The new Roku SD and Roku HD-XR expand the product lineup to three models.
Now you can choose between three Roku players at price points ($79.99, $99.99, $129.99) on Amazon.com. All Roku players continue to deliver instant entertainment from Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand and MLB.TV.

The new Roku HD-XR is the first Netflix-streaming device to embed next generation 802.11n dual-band wireless connectivity.
The Roku HD and HD-XR players feature High Definition streaming capability, connecting directly to any TV using HDMI or Component video (both products also include S-video or Composite video outputs as well). Read more

Posted on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:08:41 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Walmart Set to Offer Installation Services

Topic: Home Entertainment

Walmart is one of the largest electronics retailers in the country and the world for that matter. The company fights Best Buy as the location that many consumers go to when they want something electronic. Best Buy has had its Geek Squad for a long time now and Walmart is now set to move into the installation services business as well.

Walmart has started a partnership with N.E.W. Customer Service Companies that will allow the retailer to offer in-home setup services for items purchased from Walmart stores. The new install services should be coming soon. Read more

Posted on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Epson Adds Tethered Shooting to P-6000 and P-7000 Photo Viewers

Topic: Home Entertainment

Epson unveiled its P-6000 and P-7000 photo viewers a while back and has been adding new features to the devices ever since. The P-6000 and P-7000 photo viewers are devices that allow photographers to offload their photos to a larger hard drive for storage in the field.

The photo viewers are perfect for backing your photos up while you are shooting them. Epson announced last week that the P-6000 and P-7000 digital photo viewers have gained new features. Both of the devices can now be tethered to a DSLR camera via a USB cable. This allows the image taken to be stored to the camera's internal memory card and to the Epson photo viewer at the same time. Read more

Posted on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Sony PS3 Gets Netflix Movie Streaming

Topic: Home Entertainment

Last week we reported that Netflix will be available on a mystery device with material install base. Today Sony announced that the Sony PS3 will get Netflix streaming enabled.
It was clear that the new device had to be a game console. Sony did the right step here and took away a big selling point of the Xbox 360, which has supported Netflix streaming for a while now. Read more

Posted on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:15:40 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Netflix Enabled Devices Will Get A New Mystery Member

Topic: Home Entertainment

Netflix announced their earnings (pdf) yesterday. The movie rental company Netflix ended the third quarter of 2009 with approximately 11,109,000 total subscribers, representing 28% year-over-year growth from 8,672,000 total subscribers at the end of the third quarter of 2008.
Revenue for the third Quarter was $423.1 million, up 24% from last year. Besides solid numbers Netflix unveiled some interesting things at the earnings call according to NewTeeVee.
Read more

Posted on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:26:38 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

New Insignia NS-BRDVD3 And NS-WBRDVD Blu-ray Player Stream Netflix

Topic: Home Entertainment

Best Buy and Netflix announced this week that the new Insignia Advanced Series Blu-ray Player NS-WBRDVD and the Insignia Connected Blu-ray Player NS-BRDVD3 (photo) are streaming Netflix movie rentals.
Both new Insignia Blu-ray players are Internet ready, giving Netflix members on an unlimited plan access to a growing library to watch instantly on their TV. The Insignia Advanced Series model uses built-in Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet while the Insignia Connected player uses an Ethernet connection.
Read more

Posted on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:54:32 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Shure Unveils Sound Isolating Headphones for iPod/iPhone

Topic: Home Entertainment

Shure has unveiled a new set of headphones that are designed specifically to work with Apple products like the iPod and iPhone. The headphones are called the Shure SE115m+ and feature an inline mic for making phone calls.

The mic housing on the right earpiece cable also has three buttons for controlling volume, music, and video playback. The headphones use Shure's Dynamic Micro Speaker II drivers for enhanced bass and sound quality. The earphone sleeves are interchangeable and block outside noise by forming a tight seal with the ear. Read more

Posted on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun