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NVIDIA launches sub-$80 GeForce GT 430 for single-slot cooler enthusiasts
The graphics card that doesn't require a fridge-sized cooler is turning into something of a rarity nowadays, but we doubt the market for quiet, efficient, and halfway-decent GPUs is ever going to disappear completely. NVIDIA is fleshing out its Fermi family today with a creature that aspires to such epithets, the 96 CUDA core-equipped GT 430. It's a patently humble GPU, as indicated by its $79.99 typical price, 49W TDP, 5.7-inch board length, and single-slot cooler design. Mind you, while those are typically considered positives, they do limit gaming performance quite significantly, with the GT 430 getting roundly beaten by ATI's (sob!) AMD's similarly priced Radeon HD 5670. So what niche is left for this card? Well, it's an upgrade over integrated graphics and it gets you on the 3D bandwagon, but on the whole we're left scratching our voluminous craniums as to why anyone would dodge AMD's more accomplished hardware for NVIDIA's latest. Hit up the reviews below and form your own opinion, if our one doesn't suit your outfit today. Read - HardOCP Read - AnandTech Read - PC Perspective Read - Hot Hardware Read - Legit Reviews Read - Hexus%Gallery-104721%
Capcom's titles go on sale for 99 cents
Good news everyone! Capcom's putting some of its iPhone titles on sale this weekend, so head on over to the App Store to pick up Resident Evil 4, 1942: First Strike, Mega Man II, Dark Void Zero, or a few of Capcom's other licensed games for just a penny short of a buck. Not all of the titles are on sale, so no luck with Street Fighter IV or Phoenix Wright, but there are some good options in there anyway. I'm especially excited for Mega Man II, since that was such a favorite of mine as a kid. It turns out that being patient on the App Store can save you a lot of money, and even bigger developers are learning that going cheap, if only for a limited time, can significantly raise apps in the rankings.
Orange launches OLED-donning San Francisco, doesn't break the Android piggy bank
Oh snap! This is exactly what Nokia needs right now -- another cheap Android handset to gobble up its wallet-friendly stronghold. What we're looking at here is Orange's oddly named San Francisco, a £99 ($154) pay-as-you-go Eclair handset crafted by ZTE. Much like its humble sibling Racer, Orange's 4.6-ounce offering is loaded with a 600MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset, 3.2 megapixel camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, FM radio, and MicroSD expansion. Yet for the same price, the San Francisco somehow comes with a larger 3.5-inch 480 x 800 OLED capacitive touchscreen. This sure sounds like a tempting deal, but don't whip out your credit card just yet -- we'll give you a yay or nay once we've seen how the phone fares in real life. For now, check out the official promo video after the break.
BleckBarry raises the bar for KIRFs, casually crawls under it
BleckBarry! This is the handset that puts the "phone" in smartphone but, sadly, leaves out the "smart." Featuring a 2-inch display, Bluetooth, a whopping 506KB internal memory, FM and TV (with antenna!), and all the dual SIM action your heart can take, this $62 wonder does one thing well: it makes the BlockBerry look great in comparison.
Augen's 10.2-inch GenBook 108 goes on sale at Kmart for $190
Didn't get in on one of those $199 netbook closeouts earlier in the year? If you're willing to deal with Android (an Android that lacks bona fide Android Market access), you can redeem yourself right now. Augen's 10.2-inch netbook, dubbed the GenBook 108, is now on sale through Kmart, offering a 1024 x 600 resolution display, an 800MHz ARM11 processor, 256MB of DDR2 memory, 802.11b/g WiFi, an SD / MMC card slot and a 2100mAh battery. The whole shebang weighs just 1.8 pounds, and Augen even throws in a (p)leather carry case, a USB cable and a 93 percent full-size keyboard. Get in on the fun for just $189.99 -- but you may want to read about our disappointment with the outfit's Gentouch 78 and $99 netbook before carelessly pulling the trigger. [Thanks, Nick]
Stamp $50 Android tablet prototype raises eyebrows in India and beyond (video)
Stamp (no relation to Terence) is an Android-powered tablet that's making waves mostly for its price: $50. AllGo Embedded Systems has been leaking information out since April, and while there's nothing incredible revolutionary here (Android 2.1, MPEG-4 / H.264 Video playback, USB mass storage support, WiFi connectivity, FM radio, NAND or SD-card boot), in light of the much-ballyhooed $35 tablet it's good to see a comparatively priced platform that you won't need to be either a student in India (or purchase a million units) to get your hands on. Of course, a lot can happen between now and... whenever the thing is released, but don't let that get you down. It looks like the age of low-powered Android tablets is coming closer every day. And that can only be a good thing, right? Video after the break.
$35 Tablet makes an appearance on Indian TV (video)
The Gadget Gurus, the Subcontinent's answer to The Engadget Show, got a special hands-on with that $35 Tablet PC the world's been buzzing about -- delivered by none other than India's Human Resource Development Minister, Kapil Sibal himself. While constantly referring to "the $35 laptop" (we guess you could hold it in your lap) Mr. Sibal gave us the following info: it sports 2GB RAM, WiFI and 3G, microSD storage, and it runs the Android OS. Additionally, it rocks video out and a webcam -- in short, it's an Android tablet. Don't expect to see this bad boy hit retail channels soon: the government plans on making it available to students and universities in mid-2011, with no plans yet for sales to the general public. To watch the man himself (as well as some wild and wonderful Indian television) check out the video after the break -- fast-forward two and a half minutes to get to the main attraction.
Surprisingly affordable wooden iPhone skins
Now that Apple's giving away cases for your iPhone, you're going to really have to go off the beaten path to find something that gives your phone a more original look than the standard neon bumper. Enter these classy wooden skins sold by KARVT, which not only separate your iPhone from the crowd but also look pretty darn good (if you ask me). And I was surprised at the prices, too; the iPhone 4 cases are only US $25 (with pre-orders going on right now), and the iPhone 3GS cases are $14 (I guess because they're clearing them out). I can't vouch for the quality at all, and the wood looks pretty thin, so it's probably not quite as durable as the rubber bumpers that you get for free. But as long as you're careful with it, I think it's a pretty good look at a more than reasonable price. [via Macsimum News]
OLPC's Negroponte offers India help in realizing $35 tablet dream, probably has a few other motives
The late Joker said it best: "If you're good at something, never do it for free." The truth ingrained in that very statement makes the bold words of OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte all the more curious here. In an open letter to the Indian government published in the Times of India, Nik Neg has seemingly eased up on his apparent grudge against the nation, but there's a decent chance that something's in it for him. Largely, no one with any link to reality believes that India will indeed deliver $35 laptops -- their $10 laptop eventually soared to $100 before evaporating completely. But in the letter, Negroponte offers the Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development "full access to all of [OLPC's] technology, cost free," further urging them to "send a team to MIT and OLPC at your earliest convenience" in order to talk about world domination, the latest Cricket happenings and janky PCs that may or may not ever land in the classroom. Of course, some are surmising that the scheme will enable the MHRD to easily give up their own aspirations, buy a truckload of XO-3s and save face in the process, but hey -- so long as the children win, it's all good. Right?
Augen Gentouch 78 preview
It's taken quite a bit of chasing (and Kmart stalking) this week to score Augen's $150 Gentouch Android tablet, but lo' and behold, the gadget is now in its rightful home... our home! We don't need to tell you that we ferociously ripped open the box to finally see how the Android 2.1 tablet performs, test out its touchscreen and see if it actually has access to app stores (unlike Augen's smartbook which we toyed with earlier this week). We're assuming you're just as eager to find out the answers to those questions, so hit that read more button for some early impressions as well as a hands-on video. %Gallery-98571%
DMC's 5-inch Copia color e-reader landing this fall for $99, others to follow
It's fairly safe to say that DMC Worldwide's Copia e-reader family won't exactly make that estimated Spring 2010 ship date, but a new report over at The Wall Street Journal is cluing us in on a bit of a revised outlook. As of now, the first Copia suite of e-readers will "hit stores this fall in time for the holiday season," a suite that'll presumably include the 5-inch color (LCD) Wave 5 for $99, a 7-inch Wave 7 for $129, a 10-inch Ocean Color for $299 and a pair of E Ink-based options for $49 (Tidal) / $159 (Tidal WiFi). It doesn't seem as if the two Waves will include any sort of wireless connectivity, and given the LCD display, we're sure that battery life will be nowhere near as good as the marginally-more-expensive Kindle. That said, the user interface does look rather striking from afar, and if these manage to slip a bit further in price before that magical day in December, you could very well see a rush to stuff stockings with a member of this here family. Give those links below a poke if you're on the prowl for more detailed specifications.
Sony refuses to get caught up in a price war with Kindle, intends to compete on quality
Boy, Sony sure loves to drag its heels when it comes to obvious industry trends. First netbooks were "a race to the bottom," now the company's saying it "won't sacrifice the quality and design" of its e-readers in order to lay claim to being the cheapest. This comes as a reaction to the Kindle's aggressive new $139 entry price point and continues Sony's reluctance to fiddle with what it sees as a successful formula. We're not going to second-guess the reasoning (too much), but it's not like there's that much room to differentiate yourself when you're using the same E Ink tech as the competition, is there? Guess if all else fails, Sony can always innovate the hell out of those leatherette cases and bundle them with the Reader.
Redbox rolling out $1.50 Blu-ray rentals at 13,000-plus kiosks, nationwide by fall
It's really no surprise that Redbox is going nationwide with its $1.50 Blu-ray rentals, at every step along the way of its Hollywood dealmaking, the company has pointed out its aim towards procuring a supply of high definition movies, and now the day is finally here. The high definition disc packing kiosks currently number 13,300, and the plan is to have Blu-ray in all 26,000 locations by the fall. While we spotted plenty of Blu-ray enabled locations with a San Francisco zip code, other areas in the Midwest and East Coast weren't so lucky. The site points out a few of the movies on offer, including Green Zone, Book of Eli and Bounty Hunter, but there's no way to check which movies are in stock at each box. Of course, at this price, we might be willing to take our chances until Redbox gets things straightened out, or starts offering an online competitor to Netflix.
Apple now selling older HD movies for $10
Buying HD movies from iTunes has never been the most popular option, but it's at least a little cheaper now that Apple has added a $10 or less HD movie section for older titles that were previously sold for the new-film premium of $20. The sub-$10 library only consists of 30 titles at the moment (though we assume that'll grow with time), including 3:10 to Yuma, American Psycho, and The Doors, as well as more appropriate bargain bin specimens like Midgets vs. Mascots, The Midnight Meat Train, and Witless Protection. Ideally, we'd love for the rumored new Apple TV and $0.99 TV show rental option to make all of this somewhat of a moot point, but you'll never catch us complaining about price drops. And besides, it's not like we'll be dropping our Netflix subscriptions based on "maybes" or "mights."
$149 WiFi-only Nook confirmed, 3G price dropped to $199 (update: official)
Turns out all our snooping was spot on with this one. We first spotted a simpler, cheaper Nook making its way through the FCC late last month, and then only last night we got tipped off to a $150 price point for the e-reader sans cellular connection. Now Best Buy has confirmed the whole thing with its listing of the BNRV100 model, which comes in over $100 cheaper than Barnes and Noble's original ($259), although Best Buy has seen fit to give that a price trim as well. We like where this is going, especially if it triggers B&N's competitors to lower their own fees. [Thanks, Paul] Update: Barnes and Noble has now gone fully official with its new $149 Nook. The 3G version has taken a price drop to $199 as well, matching the pricing indicated by Best Buy. B&N is today also outing its firmware version 1.4, which allows the free use of AT&T wireless hotspots everywhere.
Compaq CQ62Z speeds past Atom for $380, jury's out on battery life
We won't lie, the last time we bought a standard Compaq was in high school -- approximately eight months before the LCD hinge broke -- but it's not everyday you find a notebook for a netbook price. (Okay, it might not last as long on a charge.) This week, HP's silently launched the Compaq CQ62Z, which comes with AMD's new 2.2GHz V120 CPU, ATI Radeon HD 4250 graphics and a 15.6-inch LED-backlit display at a legitimately fantastic $380. 2GB of RAM, 802.11n Wi-Fi, a 250GB hard drive, DVD burner and a 6-cell battery round out the package, and you can grab a dual-core processor for a few ten-spots more. Personally, we're still hesitant, but it's been years now... forgive and forget, right?
Open source video blimp controlled by an iPad
So far, we've seen a car, a helicopter, and even a Dalek controlled by an Apple device, so here's another form of transportation: a blimp, this time controlled by an iPad. Bonus points for making the video interesting and fun, too -- we get a well-edited and shot video montage of how the iPad got hooked up via code to a blimp, equipped with a propeller, a camera, and even some lights. The blimp is actually a "Blimpduino," a low-cost open source blimp design connected to an arduino controller. This blimp's controller is connected to an iPad's accelerometer, so tilting the iPad determines the blimp's movement. Plus, it looks like they even threw in some basic augmented reality through the camera, too, just for the heck of it. Very cool. Speaking of augmented reality, Yelp's Ben Newhouse suggested a while back that the relatively inexpensive iPad could be used for all sorts of tasks that previously required much more specialized computers, and something like this proves that the iPad makes an excellent and cheap touchscreen and accelerometer-based interface for any kind of remote control. I don't know if we'll be flying real blimps with iPads in the future, but any sort of remote interface could definitely make use of a quick app that hooks up our actions to mechanics on the other end. [via MacStories]
Creation Tech's $65 UMPC is cheap and unlovable
If you're in the market for another Vivienne Tam-designed masterpiece, keep looking! Coming straight outta Shenzhen, Creation Tech's CTEB7G is a 7-inch UMPC featuring damn near everything you could reasonably expect from a $65 UMPC, including a 533MHz VIA VT 8505 CPU, 128MB RAM, 2GB flash storage, 7-inch (800 x 600) display, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Ethernet, keyboard with built-in touchpad, three USB 2.0 ports, SD card slot, built-in speaker, microphone, and Windows CE 6.0. This thing is underpowered and underpriced, and it looks it -- but we're sure that Ruslan Kogan can find an excuse to rebadge it nonetheless. Please direct all order inquiries to the source link below.
Accessorizing your iPad... for cheap!
Why spend more, when you can buy iPad-friendly accessories at your local office- or art-supply store? That's the question we asked this morning at TUAW as we sent out an iPad taskforce to scan store shelves for discount iPad accessories. In the end, we found one really killer stand, a well-priced case, and a number of also-rans. Our favorite accessory turned out to be a Staples "Study Stand". Built from chrome (the non-Google variety), and retailing for just $6.99, the study stand provided both excellent portrait and landscape presentation at a user-friendly angle. It barely obscured the screen and occupied a minimum of desk space. Best of all, the stand folds. Although the holder tips remain slightly extended from the base, the rest of the stand flattens out and makes the entire package very backpack friendly. As a close runner-up, we found a fashionable $15 neoprene netbook case, meant for 10.2" netbooks at Office Depot. Unlike 10" netbook cases, the 10.2" styles seemed to fit our iPad mockup perfectly. The Office Depot case came in a variety of colors and clocked in on our affordability scale. You can't yet buy real Apple-sanctioned official iPad toys, but you can buy our consumer-friendly alternatives today! It doesn't have to be fugctional[1] to be iPad-ready. %Gallery-88460% [1] Via TJ Luoma: "Fugly + Functional. Natch!"
OCZ breaks into bargain market with 'sub-$100' 32GB Onyx SSD
Say it ain't so! OCZ Technology -- a mainstay in the storage realm but an outfit that tends to serve the performance (read: affluent) market first and foremost -- has just dove headfirst into the value-priced SSD segment. Debuting today, the Onyx SATA II 2.5-inch SSD is the company's most affordable MLC-based solid state storage solution to date; it packs 64MB of onboard cache, up to 125MB/sec read speeds, write rates of 70MB/sec and an MSRP of under $100 for a 32GB version. You know that hasty boot drive you've been looking for? Look up.
