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Livestream Livepack: a 'satellite television truck in a backpack'
"Game changing" is thrown around way too frequently these days, but man, this thing just might be. The Livepack is being described as "a satellite television truck in a backpack" by creator Livestream, and for all intents and purposes, it is. Put simply (or as simply as possible), the pack includes everything one would need to stream "HD quality" footage: encoding hardware, a Firewire cable and the real kicker, a built-in wireless connection with six load-balanced 3G modems over three carriers (AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint if you have to know). Users simply provide their own camcorder, mash a button when it's show time, and out goes the signal. The Livepack can currently be rented for $2,500 per month (includes 30 hours of streaming) or $1,500 per month if you commit to a year-long agreement. So, who's up for showing the world their high school prom live in HD? Demo vid is after the break.[Via Red Ferret]
mSpot brings new release movie streaming to major US carriers
mSpot has been streaming full-length movies to cellphones for a few years now, but not until this week has the company had a potential customer base of 40 million. As of right now, mobile phone users on Sprint, AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile (yes, that includes the G1, Pre, iPhone and every other smartphone with a half-decent browser) can surf over to m.mspot.com in order to stream major motion pictures, and being that the service is on-demand, you can also pause and restart 'em whenever you darn well please. Deals have been inked with Paramount Studios, Universal Pictures and the Weinstein Company, and we're told that more agreements are in the works. Movie rentals will cost $4.99 per title, and can be viewed from 24 hours to 5 days after they're rented. Naturally, mSpot recommends paying for an "unlimited" data plan, and if you're smart, you won't utilize the service whilst traveling abroad.
Android-based ODROID handheld available for pre-order
Hard Kernel has just announced that the developer version of the ODROID Android-powered portable gaming device is available for pre-order as of today. The device features an 833MHz Samsung S5PC100 processor (same as the iPhone 3GS), 512MB of RAM, and a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen. Sadly, there's no integrated 3G, but WiFi b/g, Bluetooth and mini-HDMI output is supported. The Android OS 1.5 runs off a 2GB TFlash card, with an 8GB SD card supplied for storage. Also included are a download/charger cable, serial console debugging board and batteries. Going for about $320, this bad boy is expected to ship on November 5th. If all goes well, you can expect to see a consumer version sometime in December for around $250.[Via SlashGear]
Digital Cube storms back with touchscreen-based i-Station E9 PMP
Digital Cube may not be a household name in portable media players (at least on this side of the Atlantic), but there's no doubt that its latest attempt at greatness is a real looker. The touchscreen-based i-Station E9 arrives with an expansive 3-inch panel, hardly any buttons to speak of, an FM tuner, accelerometer, video output, support for more formats than you can shake a stick at and a user interface that looks particularly fascinating. Battery life is pegged at just 12 hours for audio and 4 hours for video, but with prices set for $115 (4GB) / $132 (8GB), we won't kvetch too loudly.[Via Cloned In China]
iLuv's $270 i1166 portable multimedia player finally shipping next month
Set in stone for March, eh? Looks like that ship date slipped just a wee bit. iLuv's curious i1166 -- which plays back an array of multimedia from an array of sources on its 9-inch LCD -- is now slated to ship to the US next month. Originally introduced at CES, the $269.99 device can play back content stored on an iPod, DVD, SD / MMC card or USB drive, though the omission of a screen resolution gives us serious pause. Other specs include twin 3.5 millimeter headphone jacks, an "iPod-friendly" user interface and a bundled remote, none of which justify the lofty asking price in our humble eyes. You and your wallet can feel free to disagree in around a fortnight, though. Show full PR text iLuv Announces Availability of the i1166 9" Portable Digital Multimedia Player for your iPod and DVD/DivX– The Perfect Solution For Travel Entertainmenti1166 Features DivX video playback and a Digital Panel with Enhanced Resolution for Media Viewing for iPod & DVD, SD / MMC / USB Slot, Digital Photo Frame CapabilityPORT WASHINGTON, NY – (September 28, 2009) - iLuv, the leader in innovative audio solutions, is proud to announce the availability of their best 2009 invention from a new line of enhanced and creative products, the i1166, 9" Portable Multimedia Player for iPod and DVDs. The "CES Best of Innovation 2009" award winner in the Portable Multimedia Accessories product category, the i1166 features an iPod-friendly user interface (UI) and brings hours of widescreen personal multimedia entertainment to travelers starting mid October 2009 at www.i-luv.com for the MSRP of $269.99. "We are confident that the i1166 will blow away every gadget lover's expectations with what it can do and get tremendous attention from the holiday gift buyers. There's virtually nothing it cannot play! We proved that we listen to our customers' need by upgrading the picture quality, enhancing the playback solutions, and building it user-friendly." says Howard Kim, iLuv Marketing Manager. "I can proudly say we're introducing the most advanced portable multimedia player up to date"------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Features for Your iPod * Play video content of your iPod on the 9" widescreen digital TFT LCD * Full control of your iPod with user friendly graphic interface * Charge your iPod when docked (with AC adapter) * Compatible with iPod touch 2nd generation, iPod nano 5th generation, iPod nano 4th generation, iPod touch, iPod nano 3rd generation, iPod classic, iPod with videoFeatures for SD/MMC, USB and DVD Player * Watch your favorite movie or TV show files on SD/MMC memory card or USB flash drive * DivX® certified * Play DVD videos on the widescreen digital TFT LCD * Enhanced user interface with detailed controls * Convenient OSD (On-Screen Display) * Multiple subtitle, angle, and audio functions and fast motion playback * Supports 3 power sources: AC, DC and Built-in Li-Polymer rechargeable battery * Playable Media: Audio CD / VCD / SVCD / DVD / CD-R / CD-RW / DVD±R / DVD±RW / DivX / MP3 / WMA / JPEG * Connectivity includes two 3.5mm stereo headphone jacks * Dimensions (W x H x D) 11" x 6.1" x 1.9" * Remote Control included------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------For more information on product specifications as well as pricing and availability please visit www.i-luv.com.About iLuv:iLuv is a brand of jWIN Electronics Corp. dedicated to developing IT peripheral products, unique audio video products and accessories for portable media players and other personal entertainment devices. The iLuv i1166, iMM9500, iMM183, iSP200 and i303 were recognized as CES Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Award Honorees including the "Best of Innovations 2009" for i1166 in the Portable Multimedia Accessories Product category. This follows on iLuv previously winning two CES Innovations awards in 2007 and three in 2008. For more information on iLuv, please visit www.i-luv.com.
Philips SA075 PMP joins the HD-capable crowd
There's an unfortunate lack of details on this one at the moment (official or otherwise), but it looks like Philips has a new PMP in the works that seems set to join the growing ranks of HD-capable players out there. Like those other recently-announced players, this new SA075 model includes a suitably high res touchscreen (800 x 480) on the device itself and, perhaps more importantly, an HDMI out port for true HD video playback on your TV (although it's not clear if that means 720p or full 1080p). And, well, that's about all that's known about it right now -- more on this one as we get it.[Via Cloned in China]
Video recording hacks for the Pre making nice progress
The Pre's proven to be an eminently hackable platform pretty much from day one, and given that, it stands to reason that major "missing" features are going to either be added in the hard way or a few good programmers are going to die trying. The virtual keyboard developments are seen as a big win for users, and next up is true video recording -- something inexplicably missing from the device considering its ample (well, theoretically ample) processing power. Work on homebrew recording tools seems to be moving along nicely, with some open-source tools already available -- so far, they're apparently able to push it to 480 x 320 at 30fps, but it comes out encoded strangely and doesn't resemble anything your average end user would want to be dealing with. That's where Palm hopefully comes in with a future webOS update, but for now, at least we're able to play around. Follow the break for video of the hack in action. [Via PreCentral]
Poll: Has your Zune HD screen been unresponsive?
While penning our Zune HD review, we were initially quite baffled by our inability to do much of anything with it after installing Microsoft's newest firmware update. Our concern had been properly kiboshed by assurances from the company that we'd gotten a fluke unit... and by the properly working replacement we received to finish the review with. Now, however, it seems as if we weren't alone in our glass cage of emotion, with gaggles of irate Zune HD users emerging from the woodwork in order to express their disappointment online. Hop on past the break for a video of the issues we were having, and if you're seeing something eerily similar on your own device, drop a vote / comment below.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in] %Poll-34795%
Qualcomm's FLO TV device caught in the wild with a cup of joe
If you're on AT&T or Verizon you may have watched an episode of something or another wirelessly via FLO TV, and while the service has hardly taken the nation by storm, it's probably the closest thing to DMB we Americans are going to get for awhile. Qualcomm was rumored to be working on a dedicated device for the service also called the FLO TV, a television-tuning gizmo with a capacitive touchscreen, and now here it is, captured sitting precariously close to the edge of the table, looking set to tumble onto what's surely a greasy, dingy floor below. The device also doubles as a PMP, and while only 4GB of storage means it won't be a particularly good one, with any luck there's a microSD slot in there somewhere. It's all very hush-hush at this point so we don't have any idea about pricing or availability, but perhaps the loose lips at the FCC will give us an answer to that second question soon.
Griffin iTrip now features iPhone OS 3.0 integration
Griffin, known for its accessories for the iPod and iPhone, has just announced its latest and greatest (though just how great is still in question). The latest iteration of the iTrip takes full advantage of iPhone OS 3.0, allowing you to control the FM transmitter from your iPhone / iPod touch itself. Aren't luscious touchscreen controls preferable to the iTrip's tiny buttons anyways? In addition to app integration, the transmitter features track and artist information on RDS-compatible radios, SmartScan technology for finding the best available frequency in any locale, and a micro-USB port for charging any USB-powered iPod or iPhone from a charger. iTrip is available for $49.99, and the iTrip Controller software can be downloaded for free from the App Store.
Teclast to debut Android-powered PMP? Wake us up when it arrives
Oh, Android -- it's obvious that someone out there wants to see it on tablets, netbooks, toaster ovens -- anything, really, that sports a processor and a display (OK, never mind the toaster oven). Now Teclast, fine purveyors of media players with such exciting features as "buttons" and "batteries," just might have a PMP in the works that sports the buzzworthy open source OS. The T58, whose existence is being reported by imp3.net, is said to sport the RK2808 chipset (with dual-core ARM9 RISC processor), 1280 x 720 touchscreen, WiFi, GPS, and support for all of your favorite media types (that is, if H.264, RMVB, MPEG-4, AVS, and WMV9 files constitute your favorite media types). Can the company manage to not bore us to tears with its next device? And will it have to install a cellphone OS on a media player to do so? Only time will tell. [Via PlayerBites]
iPod touch with "built-in video recorder" not for sale at Dabs
At this point, it's pretty clear that something went horribly wrong in the development of the iPod touch causing Apple to remove the camera somewhere late in its lifecycle. But if you really need more evidence, take a look at the latest circular from dabs.com, a well-known UK retailer and official Apple reseller. This flyer was recently mailed to subscribers and still lists a "built-in video recorder" as a feature. Of course, clicking through reveals the same ol' iPod touch launched sans camera. While the error could be explained as a simple editing mistake in the creation of the advert, we doubt that's the case -- not with all the case leaks, rumors, and that mysterious internal gap just big enough for a camera sensor. Honestly, we wouldn't be surprised to see Apple sneak out a camera-enabled iPod touch replacement during one of its infamous "The Apple Store is down!" Tuesdays.[Thanks, Peter M.]
BMW and Mercedes to have Intel Atom-based infotainment systems in 2012
Intel just announced that both BMW and Mercedes-Benz will be shipping Atom-based infotainment systems designed by Harman-Becker in 2012. BMW will make the system available in the 7-series, while MB will put it in S- and C-class vehicles. According to Paul Otellini, these are just the first Atom-based in-vehicle entertainment systems to be announced, and automakers are coming around to "consistent and persistent platforms," so we'd expect this is the start of a very welcome trend. Sadly there was no demo, but we'll be on the lookout here at IDF.
MSI takes a break to introduce 3-inch MT-V656 PMP
MSI's been slinging out a healthy amount of laptops here lately, but evidently the outfit is looking to dabble once again in PMP land. The simplistic-yet-stylish MT-V656 boasts a 3-inch display, silver casing, video output, FM tuner, voice recorder, support for an undisclosed variety of games and the ability to handle just about every file format known to man. Oddly enough, it's not clear if the screen is of the touch variety, but considering the dearth of buttons, we're guessing it is. It should be available on the streets of Shanghai now for around $42, though make sure you budget for some sort of memory card -- after all, 4GB only holds so many David Bowie / Rush mashups.[Via PlayerBites]
Mitac takes Tegra to MID-land
We've spotted an early prototype of an upcoming MID from Mitac powered by Tegra and running Windows CE, and we like where it's headed. There are actually a lot of similarities to Mobinnova's smartbook, though we suppose it's more of a Tegra thing: CE with a custom interface on top, emphasis on 720p media playback and output (there's an HDMI jack and TV tuner) and what promises to be an uber-competitive price and good battery life for the form factor. Mitac also plans on selling the thing with a fold-out case / keyboard combo to sweeten the deal. The unnamed device is quite thin, but unfortunately the unit we saw was out of battery -- though NVIDIA assured us it was "really cool" while it worked. Sure guys, sure. %Gallery-73447%
ASUS AiGuru SV1T videophone adds 7-inch touchscreen to 70s nostalgia
You've got to hand it to ASUS -- the little Taiwanese company isn't afraid of pushing the limits in niche markets. Above is its latest Skype-certified AiGuru dedicated videophone, the SV1T. The major new feature of the all-in-one device with WiFi (or Ethernet), VGA webcam, mic, and speaker is that large 7-inch 800x480 pixel touchscreen. A compelling device if they can get the price right; its predecessor listed for $300 -- about $201 too much in a market saturated by cheap netbooks.
Mintpass Mintpad now on sale, as cute as ever
Ah, finally. Mintpass has been teasing us with its delightfully adorable Mintpad for nearly a year now, and after sending a few out to a smattering of media outlets, it fell into a holding pattern for the rest of the summer. Now, at long last, the touchscreen-based PMP is on sale over in the UK, paving the way for consumers 'round the globe to call themselves an owner. Final specifications include a 2.9-inch LCD, 4GB of internal storage, a microSD expansion slot, WiFi, 1.3 megapixel camera, support for a gaggle of file formats and a battery good for 30 hours of audio or 5 hours of video. Too bad that £139 asking price becomes $229 here in the US.[Via PMP Today]
Zune HD review
When we broke news and images of the Zune HD back in April, we were more than a little excited. There had been talk -- and rumor -- of a widescreen, touchscreen Zune for some time, and seeing the fruits of Microsoft's labor made it clear that the company had done its homework. As time wore on and we reported on the official announcement, confirmation of NVIDIA's awesome Tegra chip inside, and news that the Zune Marketplace would extend into Xbox Live, we were downright giddy at the possibilities. Finally the much-anticipated, heavily lusted after micro-slab has been brought to market -- and it's not just the unit itself. Along with the release, we're seeing new desktop software, the Zune brand move towards a connected experience for Windows computers, and the expansion of the Zune Marketplace and ecosystem -- replete with applications designed just for the Zune HD interface. So the time has come for the Engadget review. Does the Zune HD finally match up with Microsoft's ambition, and can it stand up to the heat and ubiquity of the competition? Read on for all the answers. %Gallery-72768%
MP navi's 4.3-inch touchscreen PMP slips through the crack
South Korea has a long history of pushing out wicked cool PMP / navigation / do-it-all devices, but MP navi's first effort definitely aims low. Boasting a 4.3-inch touchscreen, an ultrathin chassis and support for more formats than you'd care to count, there's not much here that sets it apart from the competition. Of course, just looking good goes a long way, so if you're interested in saving this one from imminent obscurity, you'll need to hop a flight to Seoul (mind that DMZ, though) and cough up ₩139,000 ($114).
Zune HD commercial hits major selling points, forgets to include unsettling female spokesperson
Looks like the Zune HD commercials are now hitting the scene, and unless multicolored flashing lights aren't your thing, this isn't likely to cause uneasiness or provoke blatant fanboyism. Instead, we've got a neon spectacle highlighting four of its big selling points: HD radio, video playback, wireless, and yes, games are there, too. See it for yourself after the break. [Via Dark Zune]
