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B&O brings noise cancellation to its wireless over-ear headphones
Bang & Olufsen debuted its wireless over-ear headphones over two years ago and despite offering active noise cancellation (ANC) for its on-ear model, the Beoplay H7 lacked that important feature. Just in time for Christmas, the company is back with an update to those over-ear headphones that delivers ANC for $100 more. The new Beoplay H9 looks nearly identical to the H7s with the only aesthetic difference being the addition of microphones on the outside of the ear cups to help block out unwanted noise.
HP retools its Envy Phoenix h9 desktop, says the new version will go on sale October 26th
It was just a few months ago that HP refreshed its Envy Phoenix h9 desktop tower with Ivy Bridge processors, and now it's gone back to the drawing board to re-tool the design itself. In its latest incarnation, it has an "armor-plated" design and toolless hard disk bays that can support up to three drives. HP says it also fine-tuned the cable dressing to improve airflow and cooling performance. As ever, the machine will be offered with third-generation Intel Core processors and your choice of NVIDIA or AMD graphics. Solid-state drives are also an option. Curious? You'll have to wait until the Windows 8 launch on October 28th to get one. An odd move, if you ask us, since the h9 isn't a Win 8-optimized system, and the changes here appear to be purely hardware-related.
Up close and personal with the LG VX8550
Now that the successor to LG's Chocolate line has been available to Verizon Wireless customers, we thought it would only be fitting to put the latest addition through the paces and see if the VX8550 is a worthy successor. From a quick glimpse, both the LG VX8500 and the VX8550 both share the slide up form factor both sporting a hidden keypad. LG has kept the camera on the back of the slide on the VX8550. This allows for safe storage of the camera when not being used while also decreasing the amount of fingerprints, smudges, and scratches on the lens.
Sony's DCS-H9 15x megazoom digicam reviewed
If you (or your wallet) aren't quite ready to succumb to the DSLR urge just yet, but yearn for a solid megazoom to bridge the gap between your pocket-friendly P&S and that future money pit you're sure to eventually end up with, Sony's DSC-H9 offers an enticing list of options including a 15x optically stabilized zoom lens. Reviewers over at Megapixel were quite pleased with the "comprehensive bundle" that Sony includes in the package, and while the svelte three-inch flip-up LCD monitor, ridiculously long zoom, and "good image quality for printing past the widest angle" were praised, there seemed to be a negative vibe about the whole shebang. Among the lengthy list of digs were complaints that the compression was too strong, noticeable barrel distortion, purple fringing, and pincushion effects marred image quality, and a "convoluted menu system" kept operators on the verge of frustration. As if those weren't damaging enough, the battery was said to drain faster than other Sony digicams, and the plastic enclosure was dubbed "too slippery" for their preferences. Of course, it's not unusual to see these megazooms suffer in one area or another while still offering incredible closeups for a relatively low price, but we'd recommend perusing the read link for yourself before pulling the trigger on the H9.[Via PhotographyBlog]
Hands-on with the Motorola Miniblue H9
It may not be the world's smallest anymore, but make no mistake, folks: Motorola's Miniblue H9 is really small. Of course, manufacturers have pretty much perfected the miniaturization of Bluetooth circuitry to the point that headset design has been more a question of aesthetic design for some time now -- so is smaller necessarily better when it comes to these suckers?
Sony's DSC-H7 / DSC-H9 CyberShots get official, pack 15x optical zoom
If you're here for surprises, you're not apt to leave satisfied, but if you're interested in a few extra deets on Sony's latest duo of megazoom digicams, this is the spot. Set to replace the DSC-H2 and DSC-H5 just about one year after their respective releases, Sony once again did a horrendous job keeping the DSC-H7 and DSC-H9 on the low, but we're not complaining or anything. Anyways, future H7 / H9 owners can look forward to a Carl Zeiss 15x optical zoom lens, 8.1-megapixel sensor, face detection technology, HDTV output, the ability to shoot up to 1/4000 of a second, Bionz processing engine (seen in the Alpha lineup), Super Steady Shot optical image stabilization, up to ISO 3200, and red-eye reduction. The H9 steps it up ever so slightly by adding a three-inch flip-up LCD (compared to the H7's 2.5-inch rendition) and Sony's own NightShot technology, which purportedly allows photographers to snap legible shots even in dark alleys. Notably, neither camera sports any kind of movie mode whatsoever, and those hoping to shoot in RAW will also be sorely disappointed, but if you're fine with those two oversights and the massive zoom tickles your stalking instincts, both cameras will be landing in April for $400 (DSC-H7) / $480 (DSC-H9). %Gallery-1827%
Engadget Exclusive: Sony's 2007 Cybershot lineup
That's right, we've got 'em -- catalog shots for Sony's 2007 Cybershot line-up of digital cameras. Go ahead, check the new T20HDPR, T100, T20, H9, H7, G1 (pictured), W200, and W90 Cybershots -- you won't be sorry. All the new cams bring Sony's Super SteadyShot image stabilization and HD output to the show in addition to a hot mix of features spread out across the line; these include such notables as 802.11b/g WiFi with DLNA support, 2GB on-board memory for music playback, a 3-inch tilt-screen LCD, 3.5-inch (yes, 3.5-inch!) LCD, a couple of 15x optical zooms, face-detection technology, and BIONZ image processing -- good to know. Judging by the pics, we can expect a formal, pre-PMA show announcement from Sony on 27 February. Check the gallery below for all the details.%Gallery-1709%[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
H9 UMPC runs Linux
So, Vistagami isn't really your thing, and that Pepper Pad line never really caught your eye. Beijing Peace East Technology Development, Inc. is taking another shot your UMPC dollar with its new H9 7-incher. BPETD is calling this one the "world's first" Linux UMPC, and while we assume Pepper might take issue with that statement, there's no denying that this one would look quite at home among a lineup of Origami units. Unfortunately, a Linux OS isn't the only difference between the H9 and its Windows-based counterparts. Under the hood there's a mere 520MHz Intel PXA270 processor, 20GB HDD, 64MB ROM and 128MB of SDRAM, though connectivity is decidedly spiffier, with GPS, WiFi, GPRS / CDMA, PCMCIA and SD card support. The 7-inch touchscreen runs at a respectable 800 x 480, and the usual accouterments of headphone jack, microphone and built-in speakers are included. The OS purports to feature all those snazzy functions you might need from such a handheld, but from the looks of things it isn't incredibly polished. Of course, we have no idea if we'll be even seeing this thing outside its native China anyways, or how much it might cost were it to make it to these shores.
