The What: DXG has always gone for the low cost bragging rights and they’ve reached the height of their budget crusade with this $150 HD camera that records to 1280 x 720 at its highest res. We’ve seen tapeless camcorders do this before, but that price is pretty insane. It records in H.264 quicktime files, and the camera takes 5mp native stills.
The Oh No You Didn’t: I would expect that this captures the grainiest, most lifeless, tepid high def you’ve ever seen.

DXG-566V HD Features:
Camcorder Features:
Records full-motion video in high-definition
D1 Resolution: 720 x 480, at 30fps
HD Resolution: 1280 x 720, at 30fps
Records video in H.264, MOV file format
2X Digital Zoom
3.0″ TFT Screen
Digital Camera Features:
5 Megapixel CMOS sensor
Captures still images in JPEG format
Up to 8 Megapixel image resolution
Mass Storage Features:
32MB onboard memory
SD Card slot to accept high-capacity or standard SD cards
Connect to your PC to store and transfer data files
USB2.0 Interface […]

Original post by Brian Lam

If we had to add anything to Nokia’s already feature rich N-series phones (the N95, for example) it would be a keyboard (or a touchscreen, but let’s say keyboard here). Boy Genius has a spy shot of an upcoming N-series (not E-series) phone that has this full-sized QWERTY keyboard that’s set for a 2nd half 2008 release.
Here’s what they know in terms of specs: S60 3rd Edition FP2 OS, 5 or 6-megapixel camera, 30FPS VGA (640×480) video recording and a candybar form factor. To us, the keyboard’s the big difference between a phone being a phone with data capabilities and a data phone. [Boy Genius]

Original post by Jason Chen

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

If you want to know why Warner choose Blu-ray and why now is the time, you should head over to Engadget HD. We had the chance to have a few words with the president of Warner Home Video and he was more than happy to clear up a few questions for us.
 
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Original post by Ben Drawbaugh

Filed under: CES, Digital Cameras, Displays, Portable Audio, Portable Video

We haven’t heard a ton from Xias, but the company is looking to change all that with a smattering of new gear at CES. In addition to dressing up the 8 megapixel DCS-860 cam in four new colors, we’ll be seeing the new 12 megapixel DCS-1260 with a 3-inch viewfinder, 3X optical and 4X digital zoom, and face tracking, as well as two new WiFi-enabled photo frames to view your shots on. The 8-inch PF-821 and 10-inch PF-1021 (pictured) both rock 800×600 resolutions, but it’s not clear how the WiFi is implemented — we’d assume it’s for pulling down RSS, but the spec sheets aren’t exactly forthcoming with the info. It’d be interesting if these interfaced with the new DRM-free XiasLive.com content portal that’s also launching, but from what we can tell, that’s mostly designed to interface with the new PV-4022 […]

Original post by Nilay Patel

The Basics: OLED Picture frames! The 2.8-inch screen has a wrist strap, and works as an alarm clock and calendar. The 1.5-inch version has a keychain. They hold 3000 and 120 photos, and have 10000:1 and 1000:1 contrast ratios, respectively. Rechargeable.
The Catch: The $50 1.5-inch screen form factor is the one I want, but that version is only has a passive matrix screen and a mere 1000:1 contrast ratio (vs 10000:1 of the bigger $99 version). The quality of the OLEDs in these frames is unknown.

Pocket Album Deluxe OLED 2.8 Features:
2.8″ (320 x 240) Active Matrix OLED screen with contrast ratio of 10,000: 1.
Holds over 3,000 digital photos with internal flash memory.
Folder structure for organizing photos.
Also works as alarm clock and calendar.
Compact photo viewer with wrist strap.
Pocket Album OLED 1.5 Features:
1.5″ Passive Matrix OLED screen with contrast ratio of 1000:1.
Holds approximately 120 digital photos with 32MB internal flash memory.
Portable […]

Original post by Brian Lam

Spykee, the built-it-yourself Skype robot, just got three different models that you can build him into—one of which is a her. We’ve got the first images of the Spykee Cell, Spykee Vox and Spykee Miss, all of which have a video camera, MP3 player, VoIP phone, microphone, louspeaker, motors, and the ability to shove an iPod into its crotch. The best thing about this guy is that you can control him from anywhere in the internet. Well, maybe that’d be the second best thing—the first best is still the fact that he has an iPod where his junk should be. Get yours from Erector. [Erector]
galleryPost(\’skyperobots\’, 3, \’Erector Robots\’);

Original post by Jason Chen

Mini Diabolo
At its most fundamental level, the Diabolo is a juggling prop, consisting a spool and a separate threat suspended between two sticks. But it’s so much more once you get started - and surprisingly addictive to boot. In fact, it’s both a stunt tool and the gateway to a whole new sport.
See price

Original post by jk

Warner announced earlier today it was 100 percent Blu-ray. We just talked a bit with Warner about some of the whys behind the decision. In a sentence: Because the format war is killing regular DVD sales on top of hurting sales of both HD formats.
Home entertainment president Kevin Tsujihara told us that what was “somewhat troubling” is the “impact consumer confusion was starting to have” on regular DVD. “Consumers were saying ‘Hey, I might was well wait.’”
If another studio had switched “it could have possibly impacted” Warner’s decision. Tsujihara said he “can’t anticipate” the other studios moving over to HD DVD “given the numbers that are out there.” And what are those numbers?
Blu-ray hardware sales in the 4th quarter were accelerating, especially in December “despite the price premium,” which Warner thought was “telling” about consumer demand. Rationally, they’re going to go for the growth market, especially if they’re […]

Original post by Matt Buchanan

Tipped to this during the call with Warner, Toshiba—one of HD DVD’s daddies—has released their statement on Warner’s Blu-ray defection. It reads like a letter from a jilted lover: “We have long maintained a close partnership with Warner Bros” and “Toshiba is quite surprised by Warner Bros.’ decision to abandon HD DVD in favor of Blu-ray.” The full screed of woe:
TOKYO, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ — Toshiba is quite surprised by Warner Bros.’ decision to abandon HD DVD in favor of Blu-ray, despite the fact that there are various contracts in place between our companies concerning the support of HD DVD. As central members of the DVD Forum, we have long maintained a close partnership with Warner Bros. We worked closely together to help standardize the first-generation DVD format as well as to define and shape HD DVD as its next-generation successor.
We were particularly disappointed that this decision was made in […]

Original post by Matt Buchanan

Filed under: CES, Displays, HDTV

Slimming down LCDs just wasn’t enough, Hitachi will demo a 1.5-inch thick plasma HDTV at CES. Cutting more than a third of the thickness from previous displays, it ensures your screen will look as incredible from the side as it does the front. Also on display, but without concrete plans for release, are the “super” Ultra Thin LCD that’s just .75-inches thick, a search technology for visual images, TV video sharing over the internet without a PC, a wireless video gateway and a prototype IPTV interface. Looking from the near future to the slightly further-off future, we’ll get a look at it in Vegas. Check out a side profile of the skinny plasma after the break.
Continue reading Hitachi to show off 1.5-inch thick plasma, .75-inch thick LCD prototypes at CES
 
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Original post by Richard Lawler