Archive for the 'Gadgets' Category...
Filed under Gadgets
Filed under: Displays
We could tell from the past couple of Dell LCDs that the Round Rock powerhouse was moving in this direction in terms of design, but it’s the specifications that have us most captivated on this one. We’ve received word that the above pictured SP2309 will boast a 23-inch 16:9 panel with a wicked 2,048 x 1,152 (QWXGA) native resolution, an 80,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 98% color gamut (NTSC, we presume), 2-millisecond response time, 2-megapixel camera (with microphone) and VGA / DVI / HDMI inputs. We’re hearing that it should be available for purchase later this month, though pricing details remain a mystery.
[Thanks, Anonymous]
Update: Looks like Canada will get it first (in “one to two weeks”) for $419.99. Thanks, Alex!
Purported Dell 23-inch SP2309 LCD monitor leaked, tasty specs and all originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Nov 2008 16:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under Gadgets
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Storage
Instructables user grybaz has joined a special crew today with his masterful design, and that would be the oft-unappreciated DIY clock crowd. By utilizing a drill, screwdriver kit, pliers, a basic quartz clock movement and a dozen or so old hard drives, he was able to piece together something truly worthy of den placement. Handymen aren’t apt to find this one any more difficult than fixing that pipe that one time underneath the sink, so if you’re looking to do something useful with all of those 4GB 3.5-inch HDDs you’re still hanging onto from college, roll up your sleeves and hit the read link.
[Via Unplggd]
DIY’er constructs artsy wall clock from spare HDD parts, tells all originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under Gadgets
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
The philosophy goes something like this: the great thing about Linux is that it’s secure, and the great thing about open-source software is that it’s thoroughly and constantly vetted for robustness. So to that end, Android should be pretty rock solid, right? Perhaps, but the overwhelming enormity of this particular bug definitely gives us pause. It turns out that G1 firmware revisions RC29 and earlier literally interpret everything you type as command-line operations, so if you happen across a legit command, it’s going to get executed — with superuser permissions, no less. No, seriously. Just go to the messaging app, the browser, or anywhere else a text box is convenient, type “reboot,” press the enter key, and watch magic happen. We’ve tested this on two G1s, both with RC29 firmware, and have gotten this to consistently work on one of the two, so your mileage may vary — but either way, this needed to get patched on the double. Fortunately, Google’s been quick about it, rolling a fix into the RC30 build that’s being rapidly pushed to users as we speak, but man… how did that get through?
Epic Android bug interprets your typing as system commands originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under Gadgets
Filed under: Laptops
After toying with our heartstrings for like, ever, Dell finally gathered up the courage to formally introduce its 12-inch netbook late last month. After arriving at the testing facilities of Laptop Mag, critics quickly found a lot to love about the relatively expansive display, “excellent” battery life and spacious keyboard. In all fairness, there really wasn’t anything to complain about on the surface; the first kvetching we heard was soon after bootup — er, a fair while after bootup, we should say. The biggest knock on Dell’s Mini 12 was its sluggish performance under Vista, not to mention the lethargic hard drive shoved in there. In sum, critics frankly pointed out that the “Mini 12 doesn’t have the right hardware to handle this OS,” and recommended holding off for one with WinXP / Ubuntu if you were dead set on the design.
Dell Inspiron Mini 12 reviewed: bigger, not necessarily better originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under Gadgets
Filed under: Portable Audio
Headphone makers love to brag about the fancy magnets they use to drive their buds, but it turns out that hanging tiny focused magnetic fields around you neck can have unintended consequences — a new study says that headphones can interfere with heart devices like pacemakers and defibrillators when held within an inch of the device. The interference can be be so disruptive that a defibrillator can fail to fire live-saving electric charges, so we’d say that anyone counting on technology to keep their ticker ticking should be extra-careful with where they stow their ‘phones — and although researchers didn’t find any interference from cell phones, it probably can’t hurt to keep those out of your shirt pockets as well.
Headphones can interfere with defibrillators and pacemakers originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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