Cool toys and Gadgets

Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Video, HDTV, Computers, Desktops, Laptops, Gadgets / Other, Gaming, Console

Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us, it’s time we enjoy those gadgets that we bought, whether it be a brand new HDTV, gaming system, MP3 player, or computer.  Of course for us techie people, we like to see how this year compares with previous years in terms of money spent.  With the economy in a slump, experts predicted this shopping season to be down, but Cyber Monday managed to persuade many consumers to open their wallets, punch in their credit card number, and eagerly await their arrival of their new gadget(s).

Statistically speaking, last year on Cyber Monday had bought in $733 million in revenue, and this year bought in a 15% increase - an astonishing $846 million spent, stated ComScore in a report.  This came as a relief to many retail stores because sales had dropped by 2% or $12 billion from November 1 to Cyber Monday of this year as compared to last year. 

Gian Fulgoni, Chairman of ComScore, had this to say about why Cyber Monday prospered:

“With Cyber Monday promotions beginning in earnest over the Thanksgiving weekend, consumers have finally begun to open their wallets, setting off a streak of four consecutive days of extremely strong growth.  This is an extremely encouraging development for retailers, and we can but hope that their aggressive discounting has still left room for profits.“

A bit of bad news - when retails formally announce their profits, it is expected to overall be down from last year, even though Black Friday and Cyber Monday both did exceptionally well In addition, it could be the overall worst holiday season in terms of profit in decades.  I noticed, and you might have as well, there are many more commercials and advertisements with deals in effort to promote the holiday season.  Also, holiday music that usually starts after Thanksgiving, I was hearing it on the radio a week before Thanksgiving, probably in efforts to make people spend more.

Cyber Monday has become especially big in the last few years because Americans are finding they can get as good as and in some cases better deals than on Black Friday.  All they have to do is click a buttons buttons, type in a few numbers, and let the website and its employees do the rest. 

Now, the big question that remains is how well will retailers do in the coming weeks.  Of course, it was nice to see this big shopping spree from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, but I don’t think customers are ready to splurge yet with the state of this economy. 

Read [Los Angeles Times]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile, Gadgets / Other, Lifestyle, Web, Web Apps, Websites

Genius.  Why trust the ability of the pizza franchise worker to jot down your order correctly when you can simply SMS your order in and be assured you get mushrooms and meatballs, not anchovies and steak tartar?  Apparently one out of five of us already are and this has forced Papa Johns, pizza purveyor, to start to focus on their new mobile site.

The mobile site is now optimized for the iPhone (boy, what isn’t these days?) and brings pizza, coupons, and directions all in one spot.  Papa John says $1 million in sales has come from mobile devices so far so there is considerable excitement from the Papa Johns team:

“As these devices are getting more powerful browsers, we’re able to take advantage and offer upgraded features and better designs,” said Richard Wise, vice president of operations at wiseOutlook, the company that developed Papa John’s mobile ordering service.

Convenience is big in the pizza business and this trend shows a good application of our devices and technology to advance it even more.

Source [Intomobile]

 

 

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Section: Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation

This is the best story of the holiday season.  One outfit, Lightning GPS and their distributor, Brickhouse Security, are offering churches free GPS tracking devices for use during the holiday season when they have valuable nativity scenes placed outside their buildings.  For some, the temptation to boost (steal) these figures is too great and many congregations are left to mourn the financial and emotional loss.

But not now.  Lightning GPS will guide police, much like the North Star guided wise men across a desert (sorry, couldn’t resist) to their figures.  While the tech isn’t new - we’ve seen commercial devices track down motorcycles and boats - giving them away as a way to help churches and garner some free publicity is new.

A GPS Tracking Device can track objects virtually anywhere in the world and is small enough to covertly fit inside most everyday objects. If that object is moved or tampered with, a silent alarm is triggered, alerting the owner that the object is on-the-move.  At the same time, an individual or police can go online and instantly track the item on a map anywhere it goes.

Putting the churches on the offensive is an interesting move.  I imagine there is very little street cred in responding to the, “What are you in for?“ question in jail with, “I stole baby Jesus.“  You’ve been warned.

Press release: [pr web] company site: [Lightening GPS]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Section: Computers, Desktops, Laptops, Networking, Gadgets / Other, Green, Peripherals, Printers / Scanners

These days, it’s important that companies try to create more eco-friendly/green products to help out the environment.  Every little bit helps.  The two new printers from Brother do just that.  While they do not have a lot of green features, they will automatically print on both sides of the paper using an automatic duplex feature. 

The first printer, the HL-4040CDN replaces the HL-4040CN.  They have pretty much the same features such like 21ppm printing speeds for black and color ink and prints in maximum quality - 2400x600dpi.  The only new feature in this printer is the aforementioned automatic duplex feature.  Even though it doesn’t seem like duplex printing will do a lot, but it will save a lot of paper if you print out a lot of documents.

The last printer they announced was the MFC-9450CDN, which is an all-in-one printer.  This one isn’t set to replace any pre-existing printers, but is bears many similarities to Brother’s MFC-9440CN.  Likewise with the HL-4040CDN, it prints at 21ppm, copies at 17 per minute, and has a maximum quality of 2400x600dpi.  A nice feature present in this printer is the integrated Ethernet port to use over a network with many computers - great for the office.  In addition, if you directly want to print out documents or pictures, you can do so from either a memory stick or a digital camera by connecting it via USB ports.

Unfortunately, these printers cost a lot - the HL-4040CDN sells for $400, and the MFC-9450CDN sells for $650.  The first printer will be available sometime this month, while the other being available in January. 

Via [Electronista]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Section: Computers, Software / Applications, Gadgets / Other, Miscellaneous

BMW has recently become the first car manufacturer to begin using the Microsoft Surface to allow potential customers to configure their car with the fun of multi-touch.  The BMW Product Navigator will let customers change and configure the exterior and interior colors, rims, and more through the use of color tiles that are placed on top of the Surface table.  The Product Navigator even allows for optional accessories to be added. 

Additionally, it has a secondary monitor that lets the customer see, and also share what they have configured with others.  Once the customer has their car ready and complete they can then choose to print or e-mail the details, and even save them to a USB flash drive to take with them.  I am not sure this would make be buy a BMW, well maybe if I had the money, but if nothing else it would sure make car shopping a little more enjoyable.  Now, they just need to find a way to deal with the annoying salesperson.  Keep reading to check out a video showing off the process…

Read [BMW Blog]

 

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Section: Gadgets / Other, Miscellaneous

Anyone looking to pick up an Amazon Kindle for the holidays seems to be out of luck as Amazon has once again sold out of the Kindle.  Current expected shipping times for a new Kindle are being listed as “11 to 13 weeks” and given that, some may start looking for alternate ways to make a purchase.

Amazon is offering, when available, refurbished models that are selling for $329.  Not much of a discount, but with such a popular item I guess that is a fair price.  Of course, as of this posting even those are sold out as well.  However, there are some alternative methods, but as you can expect, they are not going to be cheap.  The Amazon marketplace currently has some “used - like new” models that are available, which are priced anywhere from $500 even up to $1,500.

Finally, for those that are really desperate, there is always eBay.  Heck, with prices like this, I am almost tempted to part with mine.

Via [I4U]  Via [The Kindle]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Section: Video, Accessories, Portable Video, Gadgets / Other, Lifestyle, Imaging, Camcorders, Reviews, Features

Gadgetell Quick Review

Pros:   Small form factor, does HD video capture.  Macro mode is welcome for close up shots.
Cons: Low light performance is not great.  No lens cover.
The Crux:  If you’re looking to shoot a couple of things really quickly and want it in HD, this is a terrific device.  It’s not going to replace a real HD camcorder, but is very good for a pocket HD cam.

There are plenty of pocketable camcorders these days.  The Zi6 is Kodak’s entry into the field. Kodak has previously built in HD video capabilities into some of its point and shoot cameras.  The Zi6 shoots in 720P HD video at either 30 or 60 frames per second.  It also shoots in VGA mode and shoots still pics

Out of the box

The Zi6 has a removable sticker that has the words “HD” and “YouTube” on it.  That’s kind of a strange combination of words since YouTube is not really known for HD videos. 

The package comes with rechargeable batteries and a small charger.  You can’t recharge the batteries using USB.  The batteries are a standard AA size, so you can switch in alkaline batteries in a pinch.

The camera hardware

The actual camera has a few buttons that allow you to delete or review your pics and vids.  Reading the manual will let you in on a couple of tricks that let you choose the frame rate and more.

Grab an SD card

While the Zi6 has built-in memory, it can only hold a minute or two of HD video.  Thankfully, the Zi6’s SD card slot supports SDHC cards so you can pack in hours of recording onto a card.  You will have to pick up a SD card since Kodak does not include one.  Video is saved in the mp4 format.

The viewfinder

The Zi6’s viewfinder is an LCD about the same size as an iPod Classic’s screen.  The size makes it easy to frame your shots and watch back footage you’ve taken.  You won’t be able to watch your videos back in HD on that screen, but you will be able to watch your videos comfortably.  You can even watch your footage in slow motion if you’d like.

Smart design

The microphone is in a smart location.  If you’re a righty or lefty, you will probably never cover it up when using the device.  The form factor works well.  Other devices I have tested are designed poorly and allow for blocking of lenses or microphones if you are not careful.  If you are used to using an iPod or Zune or any other mp3 player, the Zi6 will feel very natural to you. 

The Zi6 also has plenty of connections with the built in USB connector a video out port that can display 720P via the included component cable.
Kodak even threw in a tripod socket so you can attach the device to a tripod.  When you’d do this with this kind of camera, I’m not sure, but it’s better to have it than not.

Video Quality:

When compared to a full-fledged HD camcorder like the Canon HF100, the Kodak Zi6 is outclassed.  However, the video quality out of the Zi6 is fine for those who are looking for a quick and easy way to grab HD footage of something. 

Shooting video

The zoom is digital, so if you want better quality video, just don’t use it at all.  The microphone only records mono sound which is a shame.  Since this is a budget camera, there is no image stabilization.
There is a hard switch that lets you pick between normal and close up mode.  This is a great feature when you want to get very close to a subject or show fine details.

Since the Zi6 does not have any image stabilization, video quality can be affected by how steady your hand is.  Remember, if you plan on showing people shaky video on a large screen, prepare for people to get motion sickness (anyone remember the movie “Cloverfield?”). If you do have a steady hand, then you can get some decent video out of this camera. 

The low light performance is better than other budget HD cameras I’ve played with.

Different frame rates and modes

Playing with the different frame rates was very interesting.  The Kodak Zi6 has the ability to shoot in 30fps or 60fps while in HD mode.  You’ll really notice the difference if your subject is well lit. 

When comparing the HD30 and HD60 modes in lowlight, I didn’t notice that much of a difference in the quality of footage.  When comparing the two modes in sunlight, the HD60 mode is much smoother

The camera can also shoot in VGA 640 x 480.  The VGA performance is fine, but this camera is really about HD.

Video Samples

You can see the video samples in HD by clicking the “HD” button on the video.  Clicking the button will take you to Vimeo.com.

Gadgetell.com: Kodak Zi6 HD60 in sunlight from Gadgetell.com on Vimeo.
Download this video sample: [Quicktime MOV file]

Gadgetell.com: Kodak Zi6 HD30 in sunlight from Gadgetell.com on Vimeo.
Download this video sample: [Quicktime MOV file]

Wrap up

This is a great little camera for under $200.  If you are looking for a pocketable HD camcorder, you should seriously consider the Kodak Zi6. 

Product page [Kodak Zi6]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Section: Gadgets / Other, Web, Websites

Slept in on Black Friday like me?  No fear, today Gadgetell is bringing you all the fresh deals for Cyber Monday.  First up is 6ave.com.  They have some significant deals going, check these out:

Bluetooth:
Aliph JawBone, now just $84.95 57% off

Cameras:
Samsung S860 now $79.95 21% off
Olympus E-Volt E410 $409 37% off

GPS
Tom Tom One 125 $99.95, 44% off
Magellan Roadmate 1212 $128, 35% off
Magellan Roadmate 1430 $154.95, 48% off.

HDTVs
Panasonic 42” 1080p Plasma $848, 34% off
Panasonic 50” Plasma $948, 32% off

Check out all the deals: [6ave.com]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Section: Video, Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation

Still hungry for bargains from the store that loves low prices?  Wal-Mart has pushed out these deals, and there are some good ones.  Here are the ones that caught my eye:

• Blu ray player by Memorex - $148 Full upconverting from 480 to 1080p plus Blu ray!
• Garmin Nuvi 760 -$246
• Samsung 42” Plasma HDTV bundle - $898 You get the HDTV, a surround sound set up, and upconverting dvd player.
• Garmin Forerunner 305 personal trainer GPS - $165
• 2 pack of 4GB SDHC cards, just $20

Many of these deals are online only while some do offer a free “ship to store” option that will make shipping free, but you’ve got to pick your items up at the local Wal-Mart.

Check out all Wal-Mart is blowing out today:  [walmart.com]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation

Medion, a GPS company based in Europe, recently added to their GoPal lineup of GPSs by launching the new GoPal P5430. 

The P5430 is a high-end GPS that comes loaded with some pretty cool features such as a nice 5-inch touch screen, full maps of Europe by Navteq, TMC antenna to avoid traffic jams, fingerprint sensor for added security, runs on a SiRF Titan 600 Mhz processor, text-to-speech capability, Lane Adviser, Speed Adviser, audio playback, and 3GB on onboard memory. 

It is available right now and is set to sell for 175 Euros, or $225. 

Read [Medion]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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