Genius' SP-T1200 speaker system loves to be touched

So you could argue that most any speaker system would appreciate some TLC, but Genius' latest really adores it. The SP-T1200 2.0 Touch Speaker System comes with a black-onyx finish and enables owners to rely on a touch screen to control function, volume, bass or treble. When touched, the panel lights up to visually show that contact has been made, and while these promise 30-watts of skull-rattling sound, we wouldn't count on audiophile type results. Grab 'em now if you wish for $99.

American Airlines to test in-flight WiFi tomorrow

You heard right, folks. American Airlines is planning to open up the world wide web to passengers on board an unspecified round-trip flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles. The Gogo service, provided via Aircell, will be free for patrons tomorrow, but will eventually run users $12.95 for flights greater than three hours and $9.95 for trips under said threshold. We're also told that more trials are expected to get going on flights between New York and San Francisco and New York and Miami, though no time frame is given for when the service would escape the beta stage and hit mass implementation. Additionally, the Gogo system is supposed to "prioritize the flow of data so that passengers downloading movies or large documents won't prevent other passengers from getting their email," so don't expect to use that excuse for not sending in those Q2 close reports.

Motorola gets official with GPS-packing MING A1600, A1800

Motorola hasn't exactly been doing the best job keeping these two handsets under wraps, but it now looks like it can now rest a bit easier and let the details fly, as it's finally gotten official with both the MING A1600 and MING A1800. As we've seen, the two handsets are nearly identical, with each packing a 2.4-inch QVGA touchscreen, a 3-megapixel camera, integrated Bluetooth, a microSD card slot, an FM radio and, of particular note, built-in GPS (but no WiFi, as previously rumored). The MING A1800, however, adds two SIM card slots, which will let you hop between GSM and CDMA networks with relative ease. Still no official word on pricing or availability, unfortunately, but we'd expect those details to be making themselves known soon enough.

Force3D, Asustek, GeCube roll out Radeon HD 4850, 4870 series cards

AMD has already gotten its official business with its new Radeon HD 4850 series out the way, and it now looks like the flood of various iterations is in full swing, with at least three manufacturers already pushing cards out the door. Among the first out of the gate is relative upstart Force3D, which has not only let loose a Radeon HD 4850 card, but a Radeon HD 4870 as well, the latter of which AMD still seems to be staying mum about. As HEXUS.net reports, however, this particular version will boast a core frequency of 750MHz, along with 512MB of GDDR5 memory and an effective clock speed of 3,600MHz. According to DigiTimes, Asustek also has a pair of similar Radeon HD 4870 cards set for release, along with a pair of HD 4850 cards packing 1GB and 512MB of DDR3 memory, while GeCube seems to be content to launch just a single 4850 with 512MB of DDR3 memory. Hit up the links below for the full rundown of specs, which unfortunately doens't include prices just yet.

Intel's 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme Mobile X9000 gets tested

you need a desktop chip packed within a 3-inch thick, 15-pound beast of a "laptop" to get decent FPS while at a LAN party? Intel's speedy Core 2 Extreme Mobile X9000 checks in at 2.8GHz (prior to overclocking, of course), and promises to punish today's latest games while sipping less power and generating less heat than the aforementioned alternatives. The gurus over at HotHardware were able to sit down with said chip and put it to the test; overall, the Mobile X9000 "proved itself to be as fast as its desktop counterparts in many scenarios, all the while consuming less power as a complete system in the Dell XPS M730 notebook testbed." If you're the type that gets all hot and bothered by benchmarks and graphs, there's plenty of those in the read link below.

Nokia dishes out OS2008 Feature Upgrade for N810 / N800

The first official OS2008 update came to Nokia's internet tablets late last year, and those yearning for yet another can finally breath a sigh of relief. Reportedly, the company has pushed out the OS2008 Feature Upgrade for theN810 and N800, but we are told that users will still need to "reflash the device in order to install this release." Thankfully, future OS updates are slated to be provided over-the-air without the need to reflash. The changelog is actually quite lengthy, but the highlights include an open source email application based on Modest and the tinymail framework, simplified account setup and the introduction of Chinese character rendering support in email, browser and RSS feeds.

First Symbian Foundation handsets arriving in 2010

you didn't think all these global players could just toss their eggs into one basket and pop out a new handset next week, did you? All sarcasm aside, those stoked about the possibilities of the newly formed Symbian Foundation will be waiting a good while before an actual handset is loosed on the world, or so Kai Öistämö says. Said exec has been quoted as saying that the first mobiles "bearing the new platform" wouldn't appear until 2010, which should be about the same time that the platform "has been fully open-sourced." For more of Öistämö's comments, head on down to the read link; for the nearest box of tissues... well, you're on the own there.

A voice-recognizing navigation system to be available within June" FineDigital showcases voice-recognizing FineDrive X700 GPS "

It's been a hot minute since we've seen anything fresh from FineDigital, but the firm has just introduced the slim and seductive FineDrive X700 over in South Korea. Humorously, the company is asserting that this particular unit is the first of its kind to offer voice recognition, but even a light amount of research would help it understand such a statement is far from being ture. Nevertheless, the unit does look to offer a spacious screen and a bundled remote, but details beyond that are unfortunately absent.

When it will be possible to buy OpenMoko?

Unless you're very very special, you haven't yet had an opportunity to run your hands over Openmoko's latest open-source creation, the Free Runner, which was announced several months back with the hope of a spring release. Unlike the Neo1973 before it, the FreeRunner's said to be chock full of enough spit and polish to take on an audience larger than the original's hardcore developer base, and while a springtime date with destiny is now out of reach, it looks like they'll only miss the mark by a few days. A recent message from Openmoko's VP of marketing on the community listserv said that the retail phones should be packed and shipped by tomorrow and -- if all goes well, of course -- should clear customs by the first of July, meaning buyers should be able to get them delivered in the first week or two of the month. If they'd been able to squeeze in 3G, we'd hardly be able to contain ourselves, but even as it is, we suspect there's enough buzz to get units sold; let's just hope they're already hard at work on version three.

Gigabyte M704 unboxing video excites reviewer, just relax...

It's about time someone we understand got his hands on Gigabyte's M704 UMPC. In this case, Chippysteve over at UMPC Portal put together a relatively long video that has him gushing over the new machine, navigating XP, tapping the screen, and putting the little computer through its various tasks. He seems to love the thing unconditionally, but did admit that the chiclet keyboard could use some work. Interface responsiveness looks decent and he proved the unit's performance by running some 1080P video without much of a glitch, so his adoration is at least partially deserved. Don't forget to note his excitement over the free docking station. That all said, we're just glad to see this thing in action in the Western hemisphere.

Shenzhen's portable LCD TV with NES emulation is lawsuit-errific

We have no idea how Shenzhen is going to be able to market this 8.4-inch LCD TV with built-in NES games / emulation in the States without a little amorous attention from Nintendo's lawyers, but seeing as the PDVD8088 apparently has been certified by the FCC, it looks like the unit may indeed be headed for our fair shores. Other than the NES features -- and included controller -- you're really not looking at much, here: built-in DVD player, MPEG4 compatibility, SD radio, FM transmitter, and USB ports so you can play media off flash drives. No word on price, but something tells us Shenzhen might have to jack it up a little when the Big N comes calling.

Janky V688 PMP

" V688 unbelievable "

Model No: V688

Factory Location: China

Target Markets: Worldwide.


Description :

1. 1.8 inch display, 260K movie play, MP3 lyrics synchronous.
2. Support multi music format, multi cycle.
3. Mode: USB flash drive.
4. Record and A-B repeat function.
5. FM radio picture browse.
6. Skype phone.
7. USB 2.0 lithium battery.

Specification :

Accessories: stereo earphone, installation CD, user's manual, USB cable, charger.

Flash Portable Media Player 'Unbelievable'

we've seen Plenty of chintzy in our day, but Shenzhen Link-Create Technology's MP901 goes above and beyond the call of jankiness. This PMP -- which looks as if it were (and probably was) pieced together using whatever spare parts could be found around the plant -- sports a 2.4-inch LCD, a 1.3-megapixel camera, 128MB to 4GB of internal storage space, a T-Flash expansion slot, integrated microphone and an FM tuner. Additionally, you'll find a rechargeable Li-ion, support for NES emulation, built-in speaker and support for AVI, MPEG4, MP3, WMA, AAC and WAV file formats. Per usual, pricing remains a mystery, but considering that minimum order quantity of 500, we've no real interest in unearthing the truth.

Key Specifications/Special Features:

• 2.0-inch TFT screen
• Image resolution: 3,520 x 2,816 pixels (maximum)
• Capacity: up to 4GB flash memory
• Video format: AVI (XviD)
• Audio formats: MP3, WMA and DRM9
• Photo format: JPEG
• Supports E-book and game function
• Supports microphone and FM recording (optional) function
• Supports micro SD card (up to 2GB)
• Interface: high speed USB 2.0
• Output port: 3.5mm earphone
• EQ modes: normal, rock, jazz, classical, pop, bass, 3D and user EQ
• Play modes: order and shuffle
• Repeat modes: once, repeat one, folder once, folder repeat, normal, repeat all and intro
• Supports multi-language (optional)
• Battery life: about 5 hours
• Color: black
• Size: (L) 77 x (W) 45.6 x (H) 7.2mm
• Weight: about 41g

Country of Origin:

• China (mainland)

Brand Name:

• EasyMP4

Primary Competitive Advantages:

• "Green" Product
• Large OEM Capacity

Main Export Markets:

• Eastern Europe
• North America
• Mid East/Africa
• Central/South America
• Asia
• Western Europe
• Australasia

Latte ICE Music/Video Player (1Gb/2Gb/4Gb)

It's pretty wild and crazy if a PMP manufacturer manages to do anything different than what's already out there, so we've got a soft spot for Shenzhen's EM-2811, being sold as the "Latte ICE." Sure, nothing spectacular, and the 1GB-4GB capacity is seriously amature hour, but we like the look of the device, and the interface is pretty strong for a no-name DAP. There's a miniSD slot to overcome that capacity handicap, a 2.8-inch QVGA screen, FM radio, voice support, AVI / MPEG video playback, and a built-in speaker. Tetris is included, but with the button layout we're hoping they can finagle a couple emulators on there. Battery life of 4 hours video and 8 hours audio is painful, but overall the Latte ICE isn't at all bad for a $70 starting price. Video is after the break.

Detailed Specifications

Port:
1) Communication: USB2.O high speed
2) Input and Output: 3.5 mm earphone output

Capacity:
1) Memory: 2GB, 4GB
2) External Expandable Memory Slot: Micro SD up to 128MB-2G

Display:
1) Size: 2.8 inches QVGA
2) Resolution: 320*240
3) Tag language: Multi languages
4) Menu language: Multi languages
5) Menu system: Image menu and text menu

Supportable file formats:
1) Audio: MP3, WMA
2) Video: AVI/MPEG (Crystal Clear Video)
3) Record: WAV
4) Picture: JPEG

Power and playing time:
1) Battery capacity: 3.7V/550mAH lithium ion battery
2) Video playing time: 3-4H
3) Audio playing time: 6-8H
4) Recording time: About 10H

Voice record:
1) Sampling rate: 8KHz/16KHz
2) MIC record format: WAV (32Kbps/64Kbps)
3) Record method: MIC record
4) Recording time: Max. 32H (512MB capacity)

Audio play:
1) Max. output power of earphone: L10mW+R10mW(32 ohms)
2) MP3 bit rate: 64Kbps-384Kbps
3) WMA bit rate: 64Kbps-320Kbps
4) Frequency response: 20Hz-20KHz
5) SNR: 85dB
6) Distortion: 0.06%

EQ system:
1) Built-in EQ: Normal, 3D, Rock, Pop, Classic, Self-defined, Bass, Jazz
2) Self-defined EQ: Available

Video play: (Crystal Clear Video)
1) Frame: 24 Frames
2) Resolution: 320*240
3) Format: AVI
4) Encoding: XVID
5) Converting tool: AVI Converter Setup V3.0

FM radio:
1) Receiving frequency range: 78MHz-108MHz
2) Saved channel no.: 30
3) Max. output power of earphone: L10mW+R10mW (32 ohms)
4) SNR: 45dB

Supportable systems:
1) Operation System: Supports WIN98 (requires installation of driver ); XP/WIN2000 (Driver not required)

Accessoreis
Player, Stereo Earphone, USB Cable, Charger, Utility CD, Maual, Warranty card

Infosys: Holograms on handsets( Infosys develops 3D cellphone cameras, projectors )

We've seen a couple handheld 3D devices, but Infosys just announced that developed a chipset capable of capturing and projecting 3D holograms from ordinary cellphones, and that it hopes to take the tech mainstream by 2010. The system captures a series of 2D images from normal cameras and uses them to develop 3D holograms, projecting received images using a laser projector and micro optical elements. Infosys also had a patent granted on the system required to transmit 3D data over normal telecom networks without clogging them up -- the data is transmitted unprocessed, and the chipsets at either end do the heavy lifting. There's no word on what devices this stuff might appear in, but we're wondering what that laser system is supposed to project onto -- or if we'll have to take up smoking to get our 3D on.

iRiver cute Lplayer Price $109.99

The Lplayer from Iriver will seem familiar to some people. At first glance, it looks like a smaller iriver Clix. The two players use the same D*click technology—the company's term for its innovative, practically button-free design. You navigate the good-looking interface by pressing down on the sides and corners of the tiny player's screen. The Lplayer comes in 4GB ($109.99 list) and 8GB ($159.99) capacities—with lower price tags than both the iPod nano and the Clix. One thing missing from the Lplayer is the Clix's excellent support for Rhapsody, but for the price, the player offers solid file support wrapped in a good-looking package.

Crabfu strikes again with Tortoise RC bot

While they may be lacking in technical prowess, Crabfu bots never are lacking in charm, and this here remote controlled Tortoise bot charmed our very pants off. Video is after to the break, but be sure to be on your guard for Tortoise bot's war of attrition with an indifferent kitty -- you may just end up trouserless, and we can't be held responsible


The Crabfu R/C Tortoise 'bot crawls along the ground like a turtle, with a set of 4 sub-micro servos controlling its pokey little legs.

I just love the clever usage of cable ties to keep the tips secured onto his little legs. Each leg is tied to an independent channel and axis on the remote joysticks, which let it move around by wildly gesticulating your thumbs.