Archerfish Quattro Video Monitoring System Available On Amazon

Topic: Hot Gadgets

Are you paranoid? I'm not talking "smoked a bowl and now think the police are looking into your apartment with telescopes" paranoid, I'm talking "willing to spend $1,700 on a home surveillance set-up" paranoid. If you are, than the Archerfish Quattro interactive video monitoring and recording system is for you. This home security camera set-up, which won a CES 2009 Design & Engineering Award, is now available on Amazon.com.

The set-up includes two cameras, and the Archerfish Quattro device, which turns your cameras into more than just mindless, staring eyes. The company brags that their system is able to recognize certain events, like intrusions or arrivals, and can warn you via text message or email. I'm not sure how smart these cameras really are, but for $1,699 they'd better be pretty damn bright.

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Posted on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:08:44 CST | by Robert Evans

The Mega Mini Spy Camera Ultra: For Covert Ops

Topic: Hot Gadgets

Have you ever found yourself deep behind enemy lines, hidden by the capricious shadows as you carefully listen in on an enemy planning brief? Of course you have, we've all been there. And we all know how down-and-out annoying it is to be without a camera or audio recorder when the psychopaths you've been tailing admit to their nefarious deeds. Thanks to BrickHouse Security, you need never be in this position again.

Their Mega Mini Spy Camera Ultra is small enough to fit inside a clenched fist, but capable of taking 640 x 480 30 FPS video. It can accept 16 GB micro SD cards, and comes with two rechargeable batteries. BrickHouse brags that their gadget can fit up to 250 hours of video onto one 16 GB card, which gives you plenty of time to get in and out of that tiny despotic nation with the secret intel you need.

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Posted on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:03:38 CST | by Robert Evans

Ainol V9000 'Megatron' PMP Has 4.8'' Screen

Topic: Hot Gadgets

There's an unseen downside to writing about technology for a living. Every week brings a slew of rumors and official info on hot new devices coming down the pipe. I fall in love with a new gadget about every eight hours, more often during the Christmas season. The sheer amount of awesome deals on badass gizmos is enough to drive a man to bankruptcy. Usually I'm able to clamp down on my techno-lust, but not this time. If and when Ainol's new V9000 PMP hits the United States, I doubt I'll be able to stop myself from buying one. (via Akihabara News)

This sweet new Chinese PMP is nicknamed the 'Megatron', and for good reason. It has a solid, industrial-looking design that frames its enormous 4.8" screen nicely. The Megatron can render 1080p video, and also features an HDMI port. It's got 16 GB of internal storage, a DM Tuner, and a 2450 mAH battery.

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Posted on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:23:04 CST | by Robert Evans

Sony Reader Daily Edition Available For Pre-Order

Topic: Hot Gadgets

Do you have a maddeningly powerful, nigh-unsatisfiable thirst for a Sony Reader? Probably not. But if you think the Reader Daily Edition sounds like a cool gadget, you can pre-order it now from SonyStyle.com. The Reader Daily Edition is a pretty big step up from the Sony Reader. The Daily Edition adds a 3G wireless connection, and also packs 2 GB of internal memory, a 7" screen, and expansion slots for memory cards.

Oh, and did I mention the 3G is free? There are no fees for basic connectivity. That sounds really odd, but you have to remember that Sony is relying on 3G access to provoke people into making impulse e-book purchases. The Reader Daily Edition doesn't have a browser in the traditional sense, so it's not like people are going to run Sony into bankruptcy by browsing excessively.

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Posted on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:49:45 CST | by Robert Evans

The Speakal iPom: Flower Powered Music

Topic: Hot Gadgets

Today Speakal announced the launch of the iPom apple shaped speaker. This new gadget can accept music directly from SD cards or USB drives, and can also connect to your media player via 3.5mm headphone jack. It is compatible with the Zune, iPod, iPhone, CD players, computers, and gaming consoles.

The iPom's design deserves a word. The base is shaped like an apple and contains a 12 Watt subwoofer. The device's two speakers are each contained in a separate flower. Users can remove the flowers from their stand and position them in order to create a surround sound effect. The design looks a little silly, but the idea is pretty neat.

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Posted on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:29:47 CST | by Robert Evans

Dell Android MID on AT&T in 2010?

Topic: Hot Gadgets

AT&T customers are in an odd position. Their carrier has a host of issues in actually delivering the coverage it promises. But, at the same time, ATT users have access to some of the hottest mobile gadgets in the world. And, if Digitimes is correct, they're about to get one more.

A Chinese-language newspaper, the Commercial Times reported that Dell has outsourced all Mini 3 smartphone production to Foxconn. They've also decided to rely on Quisda for the production of their new MID line-up. We've heard rumors before of a Dell Android MID, and now it appears that the company is actually working on a series of such devices.

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Posted on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:47:31 CST | by Robert Evans

Chinon AVi Portable iPod Dock: Is The Boombox Back?

Topic: Hot Gadgets

Every child of the 80s and 90s remembers the iconic image of the bulky, sharp-edged brick boomboxes that once flooded our city streets with hip-hop. Like the popularity of MC Hammer and his glorious parachute pants, the boombox has largely faded from the public consciousness. Now we're able to blare our tunes from smaller devices that deliver better sound quality and weigh less than thirty pounds.

And yet, some people are still nostalgic for the old days. That's the only explanation I can find for the design of Chinon Corporation's newest product, the AVi portable entertainment system. This fancy iPod dock features a built-in 7" LCD monitor and a pair of speakers arranged in the same configuration of an old-ass ("retro") boombox. Outside of nostalgia, this dock packs AUX input, an ATSC digital TV tuner with AV out, built-in telescopic radio antenna, an external TV antenna, digital FM radio, plus an alarm clock.

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Posted on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:03:28 CST | by Robert Evans

The CrunchPad Will Cost $300-$400

Topic: Hot Gadgets

It's been a while since we've heard anything about Michael Arrington's CrunchPad tablet. With the bevy of e-reader, PMP, and tablet launches we've seen in the last few months, it's sort of fallen out of discussion. If you were worried this lack of buzz was a sign of vaporware, worry no longer. UMPC Portal reports that, in a Gilmore Gang videocast, new info about the CrunchPad was finally released.

Arrington stated that "big news" about the pad will be announced shortly. This probably means we can bet on hearing something concrete before the end of 2009. We don't yet know exactly how much this gadget will cost, but Arrington said to expect a price tag of between $300-$400. That didn't sound so bad six months ago, but it comes across as rather high now. The low price of the competition (e-readers like the nook, the Archos tablets) makes the CrunchPad a bit of a hard sell.

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Posted on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:58:39 CST | by Robert Evans

Sony XBR12 OLED TV Will Be 21'', Debute At CES 2010

Topic: Hot Gadgets

Don't lie; if you had thousands of dollars of expendable income to burn through, you'd buy one. OLED TVs are too hot for any geek to not want, and too expensive for most of us to even consider. While we don't have too long to wait before OLED becomes cheaper than LCD, it's still a few years off. This year at CES 2010 we'll get a chance to see a major step forward in this technology.

Currently, LG's 15" TV is the largest commercially available OLED TV. However, Electronista has heard word that Sony is about to bring out an OLED TV that beats LGs by 10". The XBR11 will be a 21" HD OLEDTV with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and a greater than 720p resolution.

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Posted on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:28:16 CST | by Robert Evans

Hallods F43: An Actual HD Media Player

Topic: Hot Gadgets

Some media players can output HD, but the new Hallods F43 media player is pretty much the first to actually have HD resolution. It's got a nice, roomy 4.3" screen with 1280x720p resolution. It supports HD videos and micro SDHC cards of up to 16 GB in size. It has 8 GB of internal memory.

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Posted on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:17:00 CST | by Robert Evans

Panasonic MW-10 Multimedia Photo Frame and iPod Audio System

Topic: Hot Gadgets

Every geek's house needs a few little touches that say to the world, "I live in the future." That's pretty much what the Panasonic MW-10 is. This iPod dock features a 9" photo frame that can display 4GB of video on its WVGA screen. It also contains your iPod track menu, and lets you control the MW-10s speaker system. There's also a built-in CD player and FM/AM radio with a 45 station pre-set memory.

This is a serious piece of living-room equipment, and it carries a serious price tag; $299.95. How much is watching slide-shows and listening to the radio worth to you? To learn more, you can visit Panasonic's website. Remember; you don't buy a digital photo frame because it's practical. You buy it because it's awesome.

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Posted on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:28:02 CST | by Robert Evans