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Tokyoflash reveals Kisai Night Vision wristwatch, makes telling time fun again
Tokyoflash is on the loose once more, and this time it's introducing a concept that has been in the works for months on end. The Kisai Night Vision -- which was made official moments ago, first appeared on the company's blog as a mockup in August of 2010 -- and as they say, "what a difference a year makes." As of today, the LED wristwatch is up for grabs, constructed with black stainless steel, sub-surface LEDs, a hexagonal form factor and support for USB recharging. Despite your initial assumptions, it's actually capable of displaying both time and date, and there's even a built-in alarm with a "light-up animation." Fancy! It's available in black with blue, green or red LEDs, and if you order soon, you'll be able to snag one for $129 / £79 / €89; procrastinators will face a sticker of $149 / £91 / €103. Take a shufti in the gallery below. %Gallery-133304%
Samsung Galaxy S II now shipping for $100 in America... on Alaska's GCI
Leave it the regional folks to steal the thunder of the Big Four. While we were all led to think that Sprint's Epic 4G Touch would be the first subsidized Galaxy S II to officially land in the US of A, it looks as if Alaska's GCI has beat 'em all to the punch -- and in more areas than one. A tipster residing in The Last Frontier just picked one up today, and best of all, it's running a solid Benjamin less than it will on those other operators. Oh, and it's compatible with the company's "4G" (read: HSPA+) network. Unadulterated wilderness? Yep. Northern Lights? Definitely. Early / cheap access to the year's hottest Android smartphone? Evidently. So, who's up for a little northern exposure? [Thanks, Joshua]
Olympus PEN E-PM1 Mini gets a $500 price tag, September release date
Remember that cute little Micro Four Thirds camera that Olympus unveiled in June? Well, we just got word that the PEN E-PM1 Mini will ship next month, with an equally petite $500 price tag -- including a 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens. The company is positioning the 12.3 megapixel camera as an upgrade for point-and-shoot users, as "the easiest PEN to use," thanks to a new, simpler user interface and 23 Scene-Select modes. Still, the E-PM1 is a very capable interchangeable lens camera (ILC), and includes a 3-inch 460k-dot LCD, 1080i HD video capture, RAW shooting and a maximum sensitivity of ISO 12,800, along with Manual, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priority shooting modes. The Mini will be available in purple, pink, brown, white, silver, and black -- our color of choice. Jump past the break for the full scoop from Olympus.
Sprint welcomes BlackBerry Bold 9930 and Torch 9850 on 8/21, Bell now flaunts its 9900 and 9810
BlackBerry fans who prefer conducting business at the speed of "Now" will be getting their new fixations -- the Bold 9930 and Torch 9850 -- on August 21st. This is according to a pair of internal documents leaked from Sprint, which suggest RIM's new touch-enabled QWERTY handset will carry a $250 price tag, while its counterpart, the full touchscreen (and similarly specced) 9850, will sell for a more palatable $150. We understand the keyboard addiction is hard to break, but that's quite a monetary motivation to choose full touch. In related news up north, Bell has beaten its August 16th target date for the Bold 9900 and Torch 9810, as both devices are now available to its Canadian customers for $170 and $150, respectively. Granted, these prices represent Bell's standard three year commitment, but at least they remain reasonable -- unlike the option from a certain Magenta-themed network. Also, we've got some good news for Rogers customers, as the carrier has lowered the price of its Bold 9900 to a more suitable $200, compared to the original $250. Hey Sprint, care to follow suit? [Thanks, Luis]
Vizio tablet now shipping nationwide, priced at $300
Well friends, if you've been waiting to get your hands on the 8-inch Vizio tab (and don't live near a Costco), your time has come. The company announced today that its slate has begun shipping to retailers nationwide including Sam's, Walmart and Amazon. The Android tablet is now priced at $299, a $30 drop from our last retail sighting -- and just in time to entice those of you heading back to school in search of a new piece of tech to play with during that history lecture. Or perhaps you just want to kick it like Blake Griffin... don't worry, we won't judge you. Besides, what else do you need for your dorm room other than an integrated universal remote to queue up all those Lord of the Rings marathons?
WD's 9.5mm Scorpio Blue 1TB laptop hard drive gets benchmarked
These days, it's hard to shake the urge to pop a solid state drive into your next laptop, but even if you're down with dropping the requisite coin, the restrictive capacity choices may make it darn near impossible for pack rats to bite. For those fitting squarely into that category, there's Western Digital's newest laptop drive: the 9.5mm 1TB Scorpio Blue. It's one of the first in this form factor (read: the one that slips into most everything smaller than a Clevo) to hit the 1TB milestone, and at just $99, it's a veritable bargain. The benchmarking gurus over at Hot Hardware threw it through the usual gauntlet of tests, pitting it against a 500GB Scorpio Black and a 640GB Seagate Momentus. As you'd likely expect, the 1TB spinner bested the competition in SiSoftware, ATTO and CrystalDiskMark tests, though not by a tremendous margin. Still, taking performance up a notch while also boasting a full terabyte of space makes it somewhat of a no-brainer for capacity freaks, and you can hit the source for a barrage of charts proving as much.
Kingston Wi-Drive for iOS hits stores today, lets you create your own portable music server for $130
Services like Spotify, which had an anything but subtle launch last week, help solve the evergreen issue of limited local storage by streaming millions of tracks to your devices. But streaming services require cell reception to operate (unless you've elected to store music locally), and often carry monthly fees. We've spent a fair amount of time testing Kingston's Wi-Drive, which lets you access music, videos, and other files from a handful of devices simultaneously over WiFi -- assuming you've loaded that content to the portable media server's 16GB ($130) or 32GB ($175) of built-in storage. The device worked well during our review process earlier this month, and now you can pick up one of your own at sites like Amazon and Newegg, or at Fry's and J&R US retail outlets. The server is likely to be a better fit for families than individuals simply looking to boost their iOS device storage, due to both price and capacity limitations, but if you need to stream media to several devices at once during your next road trip, for example, then the Wi-Drive may be worth the investment.
SanDisk Ultra SSD heading to retailers, brings youthful exuberance to aging PCs
Who hasn't needed to upgrade their personal workstation when running short on funds? We've definitely been there. As luck would have it, SanDisk offers all of us who are a bit strapped for cash an option for improving our aging PCs. The company announced today that its latest offerings, the Ultra SSDs, are heading out to retailers as we speak. Promising 280MB / sec reads coupled with 270MB / sec write speeds, the drives provide a welcome tune-up for, ahem, experienced machines. Random speeds on these disks clock in at up to 3Gb / sec with three sizes available: 60GB, 120GB, and 240GB, ranging from $130 to $450. So save up your extra lunch money, as this is certainly a nice way to breathe new life into your current set-up without going completely broke. Who knows, maybe you can use those dollars you'll save on some of this. As for the full rundown, scope out the PR after the break.
Western Digital now shipping 2.5-inch 1TB Scorpio Blue HDD in standard height
Be still, our hearts! Could it be? One thousand twenty-four gigabytes of spinning Scorpio Blue fixed disk finally sized for standard height? If you'll recall, the line of laptop-oriented HDDs was bumped up to 750GB way back in 2010, and now Western Digital's shipping its 9.5mm-high 1TB Scorpio Blue HDDs (shortened from 12.5mm). Aside from the storage capacity increase, the dual-platter drive is essentially the same as any other Blue sporting a 5,400 RPM spin-speed and 8MB cache with Advanced Format support. This latest go-getter will be available for the rather reasonable price of $140, but hey, if that SSD-esque Scorpio black's what you're really lusting after, we understand. Full PR after the break.
Viewsonic ships 7-inch ViewBook VB730 tablet for $230, sticks with Android 2.2
Looking for something a bit different to replace your Galaxy Tab with? Can't say for sure why such a yearning would be reasonable, but if we just rang your bell, Viewsonic's got a newcomer that's on sale now. Just a few months after passing through the FCC's database, the ViewBook VB730 is now in stock over at Amazon, with $229.99 netting you a 7-inch slate with Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, WiFi, a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage space, a microSD card slot and an 800 x 480 screen resolution. Unfortunately, there's no Android 3.2 to be found here; instead, Froyo's listed as the OS of choice, but it's fair to expect a bit of corner-cutting given that shockingly low price point. Hit the source if you're sold.
Motorola's Photon 4G ships to Sprint on July 31st: $200 on contract
Too often, "expected summer launches" translate into "the very last day possible," so we were happy to learn that Sprint's latest collaboration with Motorola, the Photon 4G, will be available July 31st for the usual $200 on contract. To say the upcoming Android device will come loaded is an understatement: it'll ship with Gingerbread, a Tegra 2 dual-core 1GHz CPU, one full GB of RAM, a 4.3-inch qHD display, dual cameras (8 megapixel rear, VGA front) and 16GB of internal memory. Not surprisingly, Sprint's also integrating its signature Sprint ID feature into the user interface. While the device will be available to the general public on July 31st, Premier Customers will have the golden opportunity to get it online three days earlier. If you were perched on the fence about the HTC EVO 3D, this may be the only Sprint phone that's ready to push you in either direction. Full PR following the break.
Xperia Neo now shipping from Vodafone UK in stunning red apparel
Go ahead and admit it: ever since Sony Ericsson debuted the Xperia Neo, you've been concocting wild situations for exploiting the low-light imaging prowess of that 8.1 megapixel Exmor R sensor. Now thanks to Vodafone UK, you can actualize that vision for free with all monthly plans starting at £26 -- and score a ravishing red exterior to boot. With production back in swing for this Gingerbread-wielding handset, the only question that remains is whether you'll be cracking that bootloader wide open following the unboxing, or if you'll be waiting a few weeks before abusing the Neo's inner delights.
MSI formally unveils 14-inch CX480 laptop, stops short of naming a price
We know, we know -- many of you just want to see some Llano laptops already, but that doesn't mean the flow of Sandy Bridge systems has run dry. MSI just formally outed the CX480, a brushed metal 14-incher it showed off at Computex a few weeks back. It's unclear to what extent you'll be able to configure it, but you will, at least, find multiple versions with either a Core i3-2310M or Core i5-2410M CPU. Otherwise, this 4.9-pound guy packs an NVIDIA GeForce 520M card with 1GB of video memory, HDMI and VGA output, a six-cell battery, a dedicated backup button, an "optional" USB 3.0 port, and a 5400RPM hard drive ranging in size from 320GB to 640GB. Without a price, of course, it's hard to say how sweet of a deal this is, though with that "summery" color palette, we're sure it'll pop up in the usual e-tailers well before back-to-school season gets into full swing.
HP ships $50 WiFi Mobile Mouse, gives your Bluetooth radio a break
If you've been waiting oh-so-patiently for HP's $49.99 WiFi Mobile Mouse to ship, take heart -- the aforesaid critter is now ready to free up one more valuable USB port at your workstation. As mentioned before, this ain't your mum's wireless mouse, as it makes use of WiFi technology -- you know, instead of the tried-and-true Bluetooth. In other words, this bad boy doesn't require anything other than itself to connect. HP promises up to nine months of battery life, offers five programmable buttons, a four-way tilt scroll wheel and adjustable sensitivity. Just think -- you can finally choose to keep those remaining Four Loko cans chilled without resorting to an inbuilt trackpad. Reason enough to pull the trigger, yeah? %Gallery-126581%
Griffin's Beacon for iOS devices now shipping, post-remote living for just $80
Sure, you could get a Peel Fruit to turn your iPhone into a universal remote, but if you want a totally wire-free solution Griffin's Beacon is finally available as an alternative. If you'll recall, the battery powered base -- controlled by Dijit's remote control app -- takes your iPhone or iPad's Bluetooth signal, converts it to IR, and blasts commands to your A/V gear. We spent some time with the device at CES and found the package to be quite nice thanks to the versatile base and relatively seamless app. If you're feeling the urge to switch up how you've been flipping through channels, $80 will get you one from Griffin's website or an Apple Store starting today.
Samsung Series 5 Chromebook now shipping in Arctic White -- Titan Silver edition still to come
We already knew it was coming -- Samsung hasn't been particularly shy about its teasing -- but the big day has finally arrived, and the Series 5 Chromebook is now officially shipping to those eagerly awaiting the Google-powered laptop. If you weren't among the high-end coupon clippers who snatched one up during the surprise sale at Gilt a couple of weeks ago, you can now pick up a Chromebook of your own. At least for now, however, it looks like you'll have to settle for a white exterior -- the "Titan Silver" (also known as black) edition is still in pre-order mode at both Best Buy and Amazon.
ThinkPad Edge E220s available now for $749, runs spreadsheets like the wind
Lenovo has been on a bit of a tear recently. Heck, it was only yesterday that the sleek and powerful X220 and X220T went up for sale online. Today it's the ThinkPad Edge E220s getting some "buy now" love. This more budget-friendly, 3.25-pound ultraportable is shipping to consumers starting at $749 with a 250GB hard drive, Intel HD 3000 graphics, a Sandy Bridge-class Core i5, and a paltry 2GB of RAM. You can bump that to 4GB and a Core i7, but any further upgrades will have to be performed after-market. We're sure you didn't expect to do a ton of heavy tasks, like video editing, on a 12.5-inch screen anyway. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Lenovo ThinkPad X220 and X220T now shipping, starting at $849
Laptop makers seem to enjoy making our lives difficult by sneaking "buy now" labels onto their latest products and Lenovo has kept up that tradition by making its 12.5-inch ThinkPad X220 available without telling anyone. It's now ready to purchase at the company's online store, starting at $849 with a Core i3-2310M processor, and its convertible tablet sibling, the X220T, is also eager to be snatched up, though its starting price is $1,249 with the same CPU on board. Eight business days will be required for delivery to reach you, but we'd wait a whole lot longer than that for the gorgeous IPS display and extreme battery life on offer. Sadly, you can't upgrade beyond the 1366 x 768 resolution nor away from the Intel HD Graphics 3000 "option," but then we hear that PowerPoint presentations should be blindingly fast on these machines anyhow. Hit the source links to see just how high you can raise the price by maxing out the rest of the specs. [Thanks, Dave]
LG Thrive debuts as AT&T's first Android GoPhone, also available as the Phoenix for the committal-type
Those leery of long-term contracts may now join Android's ranks on AT&T, who keeping with their promise, began shipping the Thrive, its first smartphone in the prepaid column. As we'd reported earlier, this restyled Optimus One can be yours for $179.99, no strings attached. Those scraping pennies together can join the (relatively limited) data consumption at 10MB per month for $5... though we feel 100MB for $15, or 500MB at $25, are comparatively better deals. On a related note, the same phone -- this time known as the Phoenix -- is available in slate blue attire with AT&T's customary two-year commitment for $49.99. Though both phones ship with Froyo, we're hopeful to see a Gingerbread update in due time -- depending on Ma Bell's whim, of course.
GoPro ships $99 3D Hero expansion kit, acquires CineForm in its spare time
Remember that 3D Hero expansion kit we ogled back at CES? How would you forget is likely the superior question. At any rate, GoPro has just announced the general availability of that very module, with $99.99 getting you a waterproof 3D expansion kit for the insanely popular HD Hero camera. For those who've forgotten, the kit allows a pair of 1080p lenses to form a single 1080p 3D camera, and it's waterproof to 180 feet, too. In related news, it seems as if GoPro has also taken this opportunity to snap up CineForm, and it's wasting no time in putting the outfit's compression and workflow technology to good use. Customers can surf over to to GoPro's website in order to suck down a gratis copy of CinaForm Studio, which makes it easier on 3D shooters to create, watch and share their three-dee imagery. The app also converts 2D material into 3D H.264 files, and for the price mentioned here, it ain't a half bad inclusion. PR's after the break, if you're so inclined to visit.
