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Gigaware adapter brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80

by Darren Murph posted Nov 9th 2009 at 12:29PM

Up until now, there have been just two ways to get HD Radio in a portable, handheld solution: buy a Zune HD, or opt for Insignia's NS-HD01. As of today, Gigaware is changing all that, and it's hoping to give HD Radio a kick in the pants by opening it up to every single iPod touch and iPhone user in the US. iBiquity's own HD Radio module has been tucked neatly inside the clickwheel in-line adapter you see above, giving any iPhone / iPod touch with iPhone OS 3.0 (or greater) the ability to listen to HD Radio and FM stations in their area. The (now available) adapter itself sells for $79.99 exclusively at RadioShack, while the accompanying app -- which sports a manual tune wheel or auto-seek option, social network integration, bookmarks and iTunes Tagging -- is available to download free of charge. It's a novel idea, sure, but something tells us the limited availability and lofty price tag will keep it from selling like gangbusters.

Gallery: Gigaware dongle brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80

Continue reading Gigaware adapter brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80

Sony recalls 69,000 AC adapters due to shock hazard

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 28th 2009 at 2:52PM

Oh, Sony. You've been doing so well with not making things blow up lately. Even a seemingly minor fizzle turned out to be a false alarm. While it's not laptop batteries this time, it seems that Sony has run into a bit of trouble with some of the AC adapters used for its VAIO all-in-one desktops and docking stations. Specifically, the insulation used in adapters for the company's VGC-LT and VGC-JS2 series desktops and VGP-PRBX1 and VGP-PRFE1 docking stations can apparently fail over time and pose an electrical shock hazard for users, although there have been no reports of injuries to date (and only four reports of any short circuiting). Still, it's probably a good idea to take Sony up on its offer for a free replacement. Hit up the link below for all the necessary details.

Cables To Go Wireless USB Superbooster Extender might be as awesome as it sounds

by Darren Murph posted Oct 12th 2009 at 10:18AM

We're not claiming to be experts on marketing or anything, but Cables To Go should really consider a name change. The outfit who's job it is to make your life one that's completely devoid of cables has pumped out yet another cord-free solution in the Wireless USB Superbooster Extender. Said device, which has an admittedly sensational name, is comprised of two pieces: a receiver that connects to your USB-equipped PC via a standard USB cable and a wireless dongle that connects to whatever USB device you'd like to make wireless (a printer, a scanner, a heated blanket, whatever). The kit provides cordless connectivity up to 150 feet (even through walls), though you'll be paying dearly to take advantage. How dearly? $189.99 -- yeah, that dearly.

[Via PC Launches]

Kingston's MobileLiteG2 card reader makes your thumb look huge

by Darren Murph posted Oct 8th 2009 at 10:42PM

There's diminutive, and then there's Kingston's MobileLiteG2 card reader. The second-generation of this here reader supports a wide variety of formats (SD, SDHC, microSD, microSDHC, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo and Memory Stick Micro), and it also boasts retractable covers on each side to protect the USB connector and the memory card. At just 2.45- x 1.16- x 0.646-inches in size, there's an 87.425 percent chance that you'll lose this before the MobileLiteG3 comes out, but honestly, that's probably a-okay with Kingston. Those looking to downsize in a big way can order this bugger up for $11 (for the reader itself), $28.50 (bundled with a 4GB SDHC card) or $46 (bundled with an 8GB SDHC card).

[Via OhGizmo]

Atlona ships AT-DP200 DVI to Mini DisplayPort adapter

by Darren Murph posted Oct 2nd 2009 at 10:40AM

Folks who just so happen to own a Mini DisplayPort-equipped monitor (you know, like Apple's 24-inch LED Cinema Display) have been longing for this adapter for what feels like forever, and while Atlona assured us it was coming way back in July, it has taken until now for the all-important ship date to arrive. The AT-DP200 is capable of maintaining resolution and HDCP compatibility, but considering the $179 price tag, we might suggest picking up a new graphics card instead. Your call, buster.

Continue reading Atlona ships AT-DP200 DVI to Mini DisplayPort adapter

Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba and Sony align on Mobile High-Definition Link

by Darren Murph posted Sep 29th 2009 at 10:19AM

Say it with us now: "Yippee!" Why such joviality? We'll tell you why. Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony and Silicon Image have all teamed up to create yet another new connector, with this one hoping to forever harmonize the strained relationship between mobile phones / PMPs and high-def displays. The so-called Mobile High-Definition Interface Working Group is seeking to create a new "industry standard" for connecting handsets and other portable consumer electronics to HDTVs and displays, though we're still wondering why exactly we need a replacement for HDMI, DisplayLink and the forthcoming Light Peak so soon. As with most of these things, details about the actual product(s) are slim, but trust us, they're working on it. And they're working hard.

Xbox 360 802.11n WiFi adapter floats through the FCC

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 15th 2009 at 1:12AM

See those two antennas? They can only mean one thing: lickity-quick 802.11n WiFi on Microsoft's unannounced Xbox 360 adapter. Of course, the FCC label reads, "Xbox 360 wireless N networking adapter," leaving little doubt as to its purpose. A spec bump that should push the raw data rate to at least twice what you've seen on 802.11b/g networks while offering more options for placement thanks to improved range. What, you do have an 802.11n network at home, right? It's IEEE official now, you know?

Wi-Fire long-range WiFi adapter hands-on and impressions

by Darren Murph posted Sep 2nd 2009 at 1:39PM

It's an age-old problem. What do you do when you're just barely out of range of a nearby WiFi signal, and moving closer really isn't a convenient option? hField Technologies has been solving said quandary for years with its continually revamped Wi-Fire, and we were fortunate enough to grab hold of the newest, third-generation version in order to put said company's claims to the test. Quite frankly, we were more than skeptical about this so-called range extender; let's face it, this thing has all the markings of an 'As Seen On TV' trinket that does little more than fantasize about delivering on its promises. Thankfully for all of the parties involved, we're happy to say that our doubts were hastily shelved. Read on for more.

Continue reading Wi-Fire long-range WiFi adapter hands-on and impressions

Video: PhotoFast CR-7000 SDHC to CF adapter takes on 5D Mark II, lives to burst about it

by Thomas Ricker posted Aug 21st 2009 at 4:37AM

While we love those fast, high-capacity CompactFlash cards guaranteed to capture every frame of HD video shot by modern DSLRs, occasionally it would be nice to process those pixels to an SDHC card. The convenience of SD or the fact that you likely have more than a few unused cards lying around is enough justification to switch, at least temporarily. Fortunately, Akihabara News did a quick hands-on demonstration of the PhotoFast CR-7000 doing the SDHC-to-CF adapter thing inside of Canon's ultra-quick 5D Mark II. Sure, it won't capture 1080p video, but it seems to handle bursting reasonable well in a pinch. Check the full read over at Aki after peeping the video after the break.

Continue reading Video: PhotoFast CR-7000 SDHC to CF adapter takes on 5D Mark II, lives to burst about it

Clickfree Transformer for iPod / iPhone makes auto backups, music retrieval painless

by Darren Murph posted Aug 13th 2009 at 7:51AM

Clickfree, the outfit responsible for breathing new life into the notion of automatic backups, has just introduced what may very well be its most interesting and useful product yet. The Transformer for iPod / iPhone is a dual-purpose device, giving users the ability to backup multimedia from their PCs onto any remaining space on their iPod or iPhone as well as providing an easy way to retrieve content from those devices should your PC's hard drive ever decide to call it a ~~day~~ life. Per usual, no software installation is required, and the adapter plays nice with Vista, XP and OS X 10.5 or later. In related news, the company is also introducing its Transformer SE next month, which will ship in a piano black finish and function with any external USB hard drive to deliver a fully automated backup. If you're willing to pay the price for peace of mind, you can get your order in today at $49.99 and $89.99, respectively.

Continue reading Clickfree Transformer for iPod / iPhone makes auto backups, music retrieval painless

Logitec DisplayLink-certified USB-to-DVI dongle handles QWXGA

by Darren Murph posted Aug 12th 2009 at 9:46AM

DisplayLink may not have the rampant following you probably thought it would when it was originally introduced, but we'd credit much of the indifference to the inability of most adapters to hit the magical 1080p mark. Up until now, most USB-to-DVI dongles couldn't support resolutions higher than UXGA (1,600 x 1,200), but at long last Logitec has stepped in to provide an alternative that blows right on by 1,920 x 1,080 and stops at QWXGA (2,048 x 1,152). If this here product looks like just the thing you and your spare monitor have been waiting for, feel free to hit the read link and place your pre-order for ¥12,980 ($136). But hey, don't blame us if your graphics card gets envious.

[Via Akihabara News]

hField Technologies intros revamped Wi-Fire long-range WiFi adapter

by Darren Murph posted Jul 28th 2009 at 8:04AM

Evidently hField Technologies has a good thing going with this inelegant Wi-Fire thingamajig, as it has just followed up versions one and two with the latest and greatest third iteration. The revamped Wi-Fire, which is more formally known as the HFWFG200, is said to be some 40 percent smaller and 30 percent lighter than the previous incarnation, yet it promises to maintain a solid WiFi signal while up to 1,000 feet away from the source. In one of those classic "two steps forward, three leaps back" moments, the company has added in support for Linux and OS X-based systems, though the device only works with 802.11b/g devices. In other words, you won't see 802.11n speeds out of this thing, and you'll still get looked at funny with it affixed atop your laptop's display. If you're willing to swap dignity for connectivity, you can get one headed your way today for $59.

[Via HotHardware]

Gallery: hField Technologies intros revamped Wi-Fire long-range WiFi adapter

iLuv's iEA15 adapter lets any headphones work with VoiceOver, iPhone

by Darren Murph posted Jul 23rd 2009 at 9:21AM

The suits in Cupertino already confirmed the existence of a proprietary chip in the new iPod shuffle headphones, but if you're squarely in the tin foil hat crowd, we've got one more shred of evidence to win you over. iLuv's newest adapter, the iEA15, outrightly asserts that it is "equipped with a remote control chip provided by Apple, Inc.," but it's the functionality of said adapter that has our interest piqued. Rather than settling for a set of VoiceOver-capable earbuds that you aren't really fond of, this here go-between enables any headphones with a 3.5 millimeter jack to connect with (and control) Apple's newest shuffle. Moreover, it'll play nice with the iPhone family as well, and the built in microphone enables you to handle a call without ever removing your 'buds. The frightening part is that no price and release date have been set, which probably means iLuv's lobbying to get that Made for iPod tax down in order to not charge $50 for this thing.

[Via CNET]

Wireless USB 2.0 to dawn on the Japanese horizon?

by Vladislav Savov posted Jul 17th 2009 at 1:03AM

Japanese researchers at KDDI have spliced two technologies that didn't seem to have much of a future in the wireless realm -- USB and Infrared -- and come up with a method for achieving transmission speeds of up to 1Gbps. Their innovation is in overcoming a latency problem that until now prevented USB 2.0 transmissions from being converted into Infrared signals and then back into electronic form. While still very early in the development and standardization process, this is a tantalizing premise, especially with ever-increasing storage capacities in portable devices. The new communication medium, which admittedly sounds a lot like irSimple, will be demonstrated for the first time at the Wireless Japan 2009 exhibition later this month, but we wouldn't hold out hope for an imminent release.

Castrade's Game Box lets your game consoles talk VGA, sweet nothings to your computer monitor

by Tim Stevens posted May 22nd 2009 at 8:56AM

If you have HDMI out on your game consoles and HDMI in on your computer monitor you can pretty much stop reading. If, however, you're still stuck in the analog realm, check out Castrade's upcoming CG-USC01HD-PLUS Game Box. It sports composite, S-video, and component inputs, porting everything over to VGA at resolutions ranging from 800 × 600 at 75Hz all the way up to 1920 x 1200 at 60Hz. But, with maximum input resolutions of 1080i or 720p, true 1080p to your display is right out. DVI output would also have been nice, but there are adapters for that, and since the box sports a VGA pass-through you can use that same monitor for PC gaming, too -- you know, in case you start to miss patches and pesky DRM and such. The Box ships in Japan on May 27 for ¥10,000, which equates to about $100 here. Just like that white PS3 in the background, though, there's no word of an official US release.

[Via AV Watch]

Continue reading Castrade's Game Box lets your game consoles talk VGA, sweet nothings to your computer monitor