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IBM looks back on 100 years of history, finds plenty to be proud of (video)
Want to know who the self-confessed "mother of the motherboard" is? Or why every piece of organically farmed, tenderly loved food at your local Trader Joe's has a barcode on it? Or perhaps you're curious to learn more about how millions of airline reservations can be made around the world with unfailing reliability? All those queries have their answers in IBM's self-congratulating videos after the break. Commissioned as a celebration of the company's upcoming 100th birthday, they chronicle some of its more notable moments in the global spotlight. Our favorite little nugget of discovery was finding out that testing for the IBM Personal Computer included the question, "would it run Pac-Man?" -- conclusively proving that the foremost reason for the PC's existence is, and has always been, gaming.
Century's 8-inch Plus One LCD-8000UD adds DVI input, character
So you've seen the ThinkPad W700ds and thought you could do with one of those compact secondary displays, eh? If Century's earlier Plus One model didn't exactly float your boat, you may be excited to learn that the company is adding DVI connectivity to the 8-inch panel, while keeping the same 800 x 600 resolution, USB input and 250 nits of brightness. Being able to alternate between two video sources without fiddling with cables is definitely appealing, as is the reduced CPU overhead when selecting the DVI linkup. Sadly, the price still hasn't climbed down to sane levels, and at $174 before shipping, you're probably better off scooping up some previously loved 17-inch LCD for even less. Or just cramming all 23 of those IM windows into that fancy cascading toolbar, whichever works.[Via Akihabara News]Update: Turns out that DVI port is actually an output, and it seems the product listing has now been changed to reflect that. Thanks, gothamsound!
Century's all-in-one dock gives your netbook a greater sense of value
For those who need a little something more from their netbooks, at least while at home, Century's all-in-one dock should help out in that department. It fits just under the little laptop and features a pop-up fan to help with cooling, 8x DVD-writer, and a slot for a 2.5-inch SATA HDD or SSD drive, because let's face it, your digitized copy of the complete Doctor Who series probably isn't gonna all fit on your portable. It's compatible with XP and Vista, but no word on how well it'll jibe with Linux. It looks to be on sale now in Japan for ￥9,980 (US $100), and if you're needing some more intimate shots, Akihabara's got a hands-on with it. [Via Everything USB] Read - Product page Read - Hands-on
Century's Plus One 8-inch USB monitor seems pretty OK for displayin' stuff
You know how it is, with so many apps fighting over that valuable desktop real estate. Luckily, there is no shortage of companies looking to fill the void in your life (or your workflow) with an additional 8 inches of USB-enabled monitorin'. The newest entry into the market is the Plus One LCD-8000U by Century, a digiframe-looking thing that sports an 800 x 600 resolution, 250 cd/m2 brightness, and supports either portrait or landscape mode. What's not to love, right? Well, the fact that it's going for $190 is not very lovable. Still, it's good to have options. Or something. Award winning video after the break.
4.3-inch USB-powered monitor asks "will the real nettop please stand up?"
So you've just purchased a new desktop that checks in at 1.6- x 2.4 - x 2.1-inches (actual size may vary), and you're looking for the perfect LCD to accompany it. At long last, we finally have a solution for the aforementioned quandary. The Century LCD-4300U is a 4.3-inch LCD monitor that not only provides the convenience of a USB connection, but it also gets every ounce of energy it needs via that same USB cable. The mini monitor touts an 800 x 480 resolution, LED-backlighting and compatibility with Windows XP / Vista and OS X. Now, if only the darn thing didn't cost ¥19,800 ($197), we might have ourselves a runaway winner.[Via OhGizmo]
Video: Century's Compact Flash SSD SATA adapter reviewed
Akihabara News managed to snap up Century's 3x Compact Flash adapter for review. As expected, the do-it-yourself SATA adapter aggregates a trio of CF cards and presents them as a single solid state disk to your computer in either RAID 0 (better capacity) or RAID 5 (better integrity) modes. The one caveat is this: the speed of the SSD is determined by the slowest CF in the mix. Regardless, this is without a doubt the most inexpensive way to create a quick and dirty SSD at about half the cost of an off-the-shelf, retail model. Check the action after the break.
Century's SATA adapter supports 3 CF cards: cheap SSDs for all
While we patiently wait 18 to 24 months for the CFast CompactFlash cards to arrive, there's always this: the DIY Century Compact Flash to SATA adapter. We've seen these adapters before of course, but this is the first we recall supporting 3x cards. That's a quickie 96GB SSD for about $450 (plus $192.57 for the adapter plus shipping) given current on-line prices. Not bad when you consider the $1,000+ price tag for a smaller 64GB SSD. Better yet, performance should be rock solid based on earlier reviews. In stock with RAID 0 / 5 support starting May 1st.[Via Akihabara News]
Universal releases over 100 HD DVDs to date
Break out the party hats and streamers folks, as according to the well-compiled statistics over at HD DVD Stats.com, Universal has cranked out 104 high-definition titles to date. Of course, the number in and of itself is essentially meaningless, but when you consider just how critical the studio is to the HD DVD camp, one could easily envision the format war shifting should the firm eventually decide to support Blu-ray. Unfortunately, it still seems that we're quite a ways from seeing that come to fruition.
LCD screen lets you waggle on the go
We admired Engadget's custom-made portable Wii, but most gamers don't want to take such drastic steps to achieve Wii mobility. That's where Century steps in.They've made a portable 7-inch LCD screen that connects to the Wii, and contains its own sensor bar. It's priced at 14,800 yen ($120)? Good thing we're scary recluses and don't go places anyway! That doesn't seem terrible for an LCD screen, but it's more than we'd enjoy paying for the privilege of a smaller screen.
Century's Dolphin waterproof MP3 player
Wrap an MP3 player in a silicone tube held secure with cable-ties and what do you get? Well, if you're Japan's Century then you've got yourselves a waterproof MP3 player dubbed the Dolphin. Ok, the player does carry an IPX7 Ingress protection rating which means it really is waterproof (not just splash-proof) up to a depth of about 1 meter -- ideal for laps around the Coral Key Park & Marine Preserve. Inside, the Dolphin packs 1GB of flash, USB 2.0, and support for MP3/WMA playback off 8-hour battery. Looks aside, at ¥12,800 (about $107) -- which includes a pair of unusually decent looking waterproof headphones -- it'll save you a healthy chunk-o-change compared to the $250 waterproof iPod shuffle we showed you last week. [Via Impress]
Century's 16-port USB 2.0 hub for two PCs
We've got USB hubs from all walks of life, including wireless, three-port, and duck-inspired, but Century has 'em all topped with its new CHMP-16. This 16-port USB 2.0 hub sports a brick-like design, (obviously) requires separate AC power, and can be connected to two PCs simultaneously. With just the flip of a switch, all 16 of your USB peripherals can instantly be operated on a secondary computer, which just might cause an unstable OS to completely self-destruct. Although we're not sure on how much coinage this thing will demand, we've got to admit, this should be a required purchase for the avid Thanko collector.
Broadcast radio crosses the century mark
We'll admit, there's not a whole of gizmos invented 100 years ago that we still rely on (and bicker about) on a near-daily basis, but broadcast radio has managed to stay in our homes, cars, hearts, and complaint letters for a full century. Exactly one hundred years ago today, Reginald Fessenden fired up his transmitting station at Brant Rock, Massachusetts in order to broadcast a "brief speech," followed by an Edison phonograph recording of Handel's Largo." He also sent out a few other holiday jams and well-wishes to those spending Christmas "onboard US Navy and United Fruit Company ships equipped with Fessenden's wireless receivers." Fessenden earned more than 500 patents in his lifetime, including credit for the "radio telephone, a sonic depth finder, and submarine signaling devices." So while the FCC tries to regulate it, and we prefer the cleaner, less ad-filled satellite rendition of radio, we're still raising our glasses to a technology that's changed technology over the past hundred years, and here's to a hundred more.[Via Slashdot]
