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Engadget

Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD Camcorder for the YouTube Set

by Paul Miller, posted Jul 11th 2008 at 8:10AMBreaking News


Sure, it might shoot 720p video, but you aren't gonna catch indie filmmakers capturing the next low-budget masterpiece on Kodak's new Zi6 HD pocket video camera. The camera is Kodak's response to Pure Digital's Flip and Creative's Vado, complete with upright form factor, YouTube friendliness, simple as could be interface, a flip-out USB plug (with some surprising spring action), and, of course, totally shoddy video quality.

The camera is powered by a pair of AA batteries, sports a 2.4-inch LCD, and can switch between VGA video, 30fps HD and 60fps HD. It'll sell for $180 in September, in black or pink, but there's only 128MB of memory on board -- you'll have to spring for an SD card if you want to do any substantial shooting.
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10 Best Budget Gadgets

by Dan Reilly, posted Mar 7th 2008 at 7:36PM

Economic slowdowns or a crappy run at the race track doesn't mean that you can't own some of the best technology out there. Lots of people are caught between dreams of upgrading their cameras and TVs and the reality that their pockets just aren't deep enough to purchase top of the line products. With that in mind, we're here to offer you a selection of gadgets that give you the best return on your dollar in terms of quality and performance. Now you can go forth with the knowledge that you're spending your money wisely and buy yourself a shiny new toy.
Best Budget Gadgets
Best Budget Smart Phone:

BlackBerry Curve

If your career is growing too fast for your old phone to keep up with, but your bosses aren't springing for an upgrade, it's time to move up to the BlackBerry Curve. This phone has everything you'll need to manage your life. Now you can e-mail, IM, and browse the 'Net anywhere while keeping your appointments straight with the built-in organizer. For fun, snap pictures on the 2.0 megapixel camera and listen to tunes or watch videos with the media player. If you're really on the go, BlackBerry Maps gives you directions and maps for your destinations. Depending on your service plan, you can get a great deal (sometimes as little as $99) on a full-featured, all-in-one phone that'll leave you with the tools and the time to make more money.



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Wal-Mart Gets $200 "Green" PC

by Tim Stevens, posted Nov 1st 2007 at 7:17PM

Wal-Mart Gets $200

Of all the retailers out there, Wal-Mart probably wouldn't rate high on environmentalists' lists of green retailers. But,that's where you're going to have to go if you want to get your hands on a new self-titled "green" PC that will cost just $199.

The Everex TC2502 gPC is a low-powered and limited-spec desktop computer that runs a version of Linux called Ubuntu rather than the much more popular Windows or Mac operating system. Ubuntu is a free operating system that looks and feels much like the competition, but doesn't offer the compatibility that even a Macintosh can offer to the ubiquitous Windows PC.

Linux has gained a lot of popularity over the past few years, finding itself installed in all sorts of devices. And, there are software applications out there for the operating system that will do everything you can do on a PC, including opening and reading files from most of the applications in Microsoft's Office suite. However, Office itself is not available, nor are most games. But given the seriously lightweight nature of the specs for this machine, you'd be hard-pressed to get any modern games to run anyway.

Those lightweight specs lead to reduced power consumption -- hence the "g" in the gPC name -- which is obviously aimed at the eco-mindful consumer.

As Engadget points out, however, this computer is rather wasteful in other regards. Internally, the system uses miniaturized components to help reduce power consumption and cost, but ironically the manufacturer throws them all into a big, plastic, non-biodegradeable full-sized case. Apparently this is due to Wal-Mart research that indicates its customers consider a larger PC to be a more powerful one, a notion that will make smart shoppers everywhere shake their heads.

From Wired and Engadget

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Cheaper TiVo HD Out Now

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jul 24th 2007 at 12:01PM

Cheaper TiVo HD Available

That rumored budget HD TiVo box we discussed earlier, it's here! And carrying the moniker TiVo HD, it ditches the previous naming scheme of 'TiVo Series X.' It seems the previously-reported specs, and even the photo, turned out to be accurate.

Here are some of the features the entry-level Tivo HD will lack:

  • No OLED
  • No fancy remote
  • No THX

What do these feature omissions mean? For most people, not much. The lack of OLED simply means you won't get an on-console read-out of whatever the Tivo is recording unless you have your TV on -- a cosmetic advantage at best. The fancy remote is really just a glorified regular remote (besides, you'll probably be using a universal remote, anyway). Now, the lack of THX can be a bummer for those who have compatible, high-end A/V receivers or sound systems, but chances are that most non-audiophiles won't notice the difference.

The box does come with dual Cable Card slots, with M Card support, which allows the use of two tuners with one card (great feature). The box also includes an ATSC tuner for watching digital broadcasts and an analog NTSC tuner, in case you're buying a TiVo for your 10-year-old tube. TiVoToGo, and downloading Amazon.com movies and TV shows, among other Internet offerings, are also supported.

Now, if only Tivo could get its fantastic interface to scroll faster through the 200-plus channels most satellite and cable companies offer, it would have a real winner. (We hate to say it, but the otherwise glitchy DVR boxes from your cable company do a better job of quickly scrolling through channels.)

From Engadget and Tivo.

Related Links:


Budget-Priced HD TiVo Specs Revealed?
Say Goodbye to the Ugly Cable Set-Top Box
Transfer Your TiVo Lifetime Service

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