LIVEdigitally

The runaway success of Motorola’s slimline mobile phone Motorola RAZR V3 has prompted the company  to produce some extra models.  This time Motorola joined forces with Dolce & Gabbana to create a limited edition series of RAZR with a distinct D&G style.

Dolce & Gabbana Group with its two brands is one of the most outstanding names in the sector of clothing and luxury goods. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana (the founders) are considered two of the most creative and talented designers in the world of modern fashion. 

The new RAZR styled by D&G has some specific features, making it different from the other members of Motorola RAZR family.  The cell phone comes in gold finish, has a special personalized background and a screensaver from D&G. It also features a special sound for power up (and down), an exclusive polyphonic ring tone and a video clip that illustrates 20 years of history of Dolce & Gabbana.

This limited edition RAZR also features a slightly more functional camera (now up to 1.23 megapixel) and additional expandable memory.  Each phone will have its own individual number, making it a real must-have. It comes with a golden Bluetooth headset and a pendant signed with famous “DG” initials.

The limited edition of Motorola RAZR V3i will be sold at Dolce & Gabbana boutiques.

Source -  http://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/dolcegabbana/

The Weekly Girl’s Gadget Report is brought to you by http://www.gadget4girls.com/

-Courtesy TechLore.com

The HD-DVD Camp has struck the first blow, as Toshiba’s HD-A1 HD-DVD player is now available at retail stores. Coming in at a surprisingly affordable $499 for the hardware, this “first of its kind” player is priced cheaper than the initial DVD players of 1997. The ability to own your favorite blockbuster hits in actual high-definition quality is something that early adopters have been looking forward to for longer than most would care to admit. Unfortunately, HD-DVD needs more than just the early adopter if they’re going to be successful this time, and it’s anyone’s guess if they’re going to make it.

Why is HD-DVD’s success questionable?

Good Price, but Competition Looms

First and foremost, it won’t be the only game in town for long. Sony, Dell, and an army of other bigwig electronics companies have their own format, known as Blu-Ray, coming this summer. (Check out the article “HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Not To Merge - War on the Horizon” for more.) While the Blu-Ray folks have some advantages in terms of technology, initial reports are that they’re pricing themselves right out of the market from the get-go. The first Blu-Ray players are expected to debut at nearly double the price of HD-DVD. It looks like HD-DVDs approach to not completely redesign the technology wheel is paying off in terms of affordability.

Prices will drop on Blu-Ray hardware as time passes, but their biggest ticket to success comes in the form of a game console. Sony’s Playstation 3 will be equipped with a Blu-Ray drive, and though a price for the system hasn’t yet been announced, anything over $500 would practically hand the console war over to Microsoft AND guarantee Blu-Ray’s failure as the next dominant format. Microsoft is expected to release a HD-DVD add-on for the XBOX 360 sometime in the near future. Pricing has not yet been formally announced, but anything reasonable could give HD-DVD the early success it needs to stay on top for the long haul.

Software is double-edged sword, and cannot be used as a determining factor for HD-DVD’s success. Each has lined up a good number of studios that will support one or the other, but it’s split just about even enough to be considered a tie. Some of the titles you want will be for HD-DVD, others for Blu-Ray.

HD-DVD does have one good advantage when it comes to software…price. Retail prices on HD-DVD movies that are currently available are selling between $18 and $25, higher than regular DVD titles, but not by much. Blu-Ray discs will cost more to manufacture in the beginning, which will be felt at retail with prices expected to start at $29 per movie and go up from there. Surely a plus for HD-DVD, but only if the movie you want is available.

Read the rest of this entry >>

While in Taiwan a couple of weeks back I also saw the “Sony Fair” which was basically a large tent full of Sony gear.  I don’t mean to be too negative, but it was a bit lame.  It seems to me that since Morita passed away, the company really lost its vision and its edge.  With the single exception of the Playstation group, Sony has failed to lead in innovation in virtually every category, and slowly but surely, their absolute dominance over the market has dipped accordingly.

Pretty much the only interesting thing in the batch was the Sony Ericsson M600i phone, which may be a decent competitor to the Treo 700w/PPC6700 wherever it gets launched…

After reading “Ideas for the new iPod — loud and clear” by Howard Wolinksy, as well as the latest from Phil Swann, I thought I’d muse on what they may be announcing.  Here are my predictions:

 1) Widescreen iPod: this just makes sense.  The cool factor here would be Apple completely re-inventing their GUI, either with an all-touchscreen version, or possibly moving all the buttons to the edges or back of the unit.  This would allow them to keep the same form factor while improving the video display.  Plus it’s better than the video Scoble found about a Msft-designed iPod!

2) iTiVo: in an ideal world, Apple would buy TiVo, then make a nicer looking box with the basic TiVo GUI.  Then within a year they could put out a 2nd-generation unit that has very slickly merged some iPod-isms with some TiVo-isms.  I don’t think this will happen anytime soon, but an Apple-powered DVR does not seem likely, although I could easily predict the model would be about recording ON the Mac, as opposed to a brand new box in the living room…

3) iPhone: highly debatable topic here, will/should Apple make a mobile phone?  I think it’s possible (here’s a counterpoint), my theory goes like this: Apple worked with Moto to make a phone, but Moto screwed it up.  So then Moto made the SLVR, and did a good job of it.  But the whole time Apple guys were saying to themselves “we could blow this out” and now they’re doing it.  If we don’t see it this week, I still believe it’s in a lab somewhere!

4) OS X Mobile edition: Both Om Malik and Michael Gartenberg have been talking about Windows Mobile 5.0 a lot recently.  I’ve heard that there are already 100 different WM5 devices announced or shown so far.  Why should they have all the love?  It’s not a “typical” Apple thing to do, but then again, 10 years ago nobody would’ve predicted Apple running up a 90+% market share in MP3 players! 

5) Nothing!  Absolutely nothing!  Okay, by “nothing” I mean a new iBook with a bigger screen, or bigger hard drive.  Or an iPod with a 100GB hard drive… boring boring boring!

But then again, they might just crank out another iProduct…

It might be time to stop trying. 

I will quote, if I may, from a press release I was sent today.

PR: Are you ready for the coolest iPod experience yet?
JT: Heck, ya!

PR: Then crank up some tunes, plug in and watch the amazing iCar do its thing
JT: Ok, sounds interesting I guess… but tell me, does it rock?

PR: It rocks right to left, front to back, and up and down
JT: Get out! But wait, are those functioning doors???

PR: You can even manually open the doors and hood to create a whole new look
JT: This is far too awesome. Tell me though, I see rims. Do my keen eyes detect… spinners?

PR: real working spinner wheels, wild graphics, chrome accessories, big tires and stereo system
JT: Craziness! So what you’re saying is, it’s like a little toy car, only better, because it rocks, spins, and has working doors. Got any lights on that bad boy?

PR: Colored lights illuminate the wheel wells, rims, undercarriage, engine and trunk areas
JT: This is sounding too good to be true. Wait a sec, this is an iPod accessory, so how’s the sound? And tell me the tech specs so I know how to compare it to other, similarly rocking iPod-cars.

PR: the high-quality speaker pumps out the sound
JT: Hold on, that doesn’t give me much to go on. Anything else you can tell me on the sound quality, before I invest $34.99 in a Matchbox that I use to listen to mp3s in mono-sound, I want to be sure it sounds good!

PR: sound and vision unlike anything that’s come before
JT: Sign me up!

More info from Corgi

“Designed specifically for your Mac, the Cordless Desktop S 530 Laser includes a comfortable ultra-flat keyboard and a high-performance laser mouse. The stylish white and silver design perfectly matches both consumer and pro Macs.”

I’m a solid PC guy, and truth be told, I’ve never owned anything from Apple. I must say though, I’m more than a little jealous the way that their accessories actually match their computers. I’m not sure when we all decided that Apple’s Macs and accessories owned the color white (and left PC’s with ugly beige), but they sure look sharp.
Great looks aside, this setup, which was announced at CES last week, sports the following features:
- dedicated buttons to control song playback in iTunes
- 6 month battery life
- battery level indicator
- two USB receivers (extended range desktop, and compact notebook)
- precision laser mouse
- two USB receivers (compact notebook & extended range desktop)
When I break down and buy something from Apple, expect a full test (or maybe hell will freeze over first). Anyway, it’s a lot of cutting edge tech for $100, if you’re into the Mac.

Read the press release here.

The Sansa e200 series features a slim new design and a 1.8-inch (4.572 cm) TFT color screen (QCIF+) along with high-quality audio, photo viewing and video playback capabilities. It offers an industry-leading, 6GB capacity that holds more than 1,400 MP3 songs. It is also available in 2 and 4GB models. Its large color screen is ideal for easily viewing playlists, photos and personal videos.

Its distinctive, high-strength and lightweight back cover is made with an advanced Titanium alloy from Liquidmetal® Technologies that is stronger than steel and highly resistant to scratches and wear. It includes a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery for long playtime and can be replaced by the customer to ensure the player provides many years of continuous service. Dimensions of the Sansa e200 are 1.7 in. wide x 3.5 in. long x 0.5 in. high (4.4 cm wide x 8.9 cm long x 1.3 cm high).

For instant access to millions of digital songs, the Sansa e200 series players will support Microsoft® PlaysForSure™ so consumers can download and pay for songs individually or download an unlimited amount of music for a flat monthly subscription fee from music stores such as Rhapsody To Go® and others.

The Sansa e200 will be available in the spring in 2, 4, and 6 GB capacities. With a color screen, and support for displaying photos, as well as MP3’s and WMA’s, and even videos this clearly has the iPod Nano in their sights. Of note, to keep the small form factor, they’re using microSD flash cards. An icon based menu system, and a replaceable lithium ion battery complete the package. It will be priced to match Apple’s Nano at $200 for the 2 GB, $250 for the 4 GB, and $300 for the 6 GB model.
See some more info here.

HP today introduced a mobile broadband notebook that allows users to stay connected at broadband speeds to corporate networks, email and the Internet without being tied to a wireless hotspot.

The HP Compaq nc6140 Notebook PC operates on Verizon Wireless’ Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO) network, which allows customers to connect at broadband speeds to corporate networks, email and the Internet, even while traveling.

The notebook features integrated dual-antennas and pre-installed software to help establish a convenient and reliable wireless connection via Verizon Wireless’ BroadbandAccess network. HP and Verizon Wireless will jointly market the new business notebook.

“Mobile professionals using HP’s mobile broadband notebook no longer have to limit themselves to airports, hotel lobbies or other public Wi-Fi hotspots,” said Ted Clark, senior vice president and general manager, Mobile Computing, HP. “Our customers can now enjoy extremely fast data connectivity speeds, enabling them to communicate better and be more productive wherever they happen to be.”

HP and Verizon Wireless collaborated on the development of the nc6140 notebook to take advantage of the Verizon Wireless EV-DO network that powers its BroadbandAccess service and offers download speeds of 400 to 700 kbps. The notebook also incorporates the QUALCOMM MSM6500(tm) CDMA2000(r) 1xEV-DO high-speed wireless chipset.

“Together, HP and Verizon Wireless provide mobile professionals a robust wireless broadband experience without having to seek out and find public Wi-Fi hotspots in order to connect with email or the Internet,” said John Stratton, chief marketing officer, Verizon Wireless. “The Verizon Wireless BroadbandAccess service and our EV-DO network that supports it provide the advantages of convenience and flexibility.”

For the serious internet user on the go, this is an advancement forward. The nc6140 notebook features EV-DO card built into the device. No more add in cards, or flimsy antennae. The monthly price of $59 for exisiting Verizon Wireless customers is not unreasonable considering the price of other broadband offerings. The best part is, no more running around the airport to find the WiFi hotspot, it truly is everywhere.
Read the full press release here.

Belkin announces its new CableFree USB Hub, the industry’s first USB Hub that does not require a cable to connect to the computer. This Hub allows people to place their laptop anywhere in the room while still maintaining wireless access to their USB devices, such as printers, scanners, hard drives, and MP3 players. This is the first UWB-enabled product to be introduced in the U.S. market. The CableFree USB Hub’s wireless functionality is enabled by Freescale Semiconductor’s ((NYSE:FSL, FSL.B) Ultra-Wideband technology.

CableFree USB will be on display at the 2006 International CES Show in Las Vegas, NV, January 5–8, at 31247 South Hall and at Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco, CA, January 10–13, at 717 South Hall.
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Alas, those waiting for Blu-ray to hit the market can truly begin planning their next-generation optical drive honeymoon: today Pioneer announced that it will be releasing Blu-ray products starting *gasp* at CES next month (starting January 5th!). On top of that, regions for next-generation DVD formats were just announced! (Say it ain’t so, Batman!) Anime freaks, your time has come; the U.S. and Japan will be joined in a sacred electronic union as two of the nations crowned with Blu-ray region 1 status. Joining the behemoths will be powerhouses South America and east Asia (sans China).

Now, after years of research & development, testing and refinement, Mag Instrument is committed to introducing, in early 2006, a line of MAG-LED™ flashlights. Like Mag’s incandescent-lamp flashlights, these newest members of the Maglite® flashlight family will have the style, performance, benefits and features that both professionals and consumers have come to expect from a Maglite® flashlight, including the fact that they are built for a lifetime of service. The Maglite® design tradition will be instantly recognizable in them, and they will offer the beam-focusing capability that has always been a feature of Mag® flashlights, AND MORE!

So, the American icon of flashlights, is entering the digital age. Some LED flashlights are very bright, and are able to provide a lot of light time between battery changes. I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these!
More info here.

Advanced Media, Inc., manufacturer and marketer of the popular RIDATA brand of recordable CD and DVD media, electronic storage products, and digital media accessories, is adding an unbalanced Secure Digital memory card to its RIDATA line “Our unbalanced Secure Digital memory card is further indication that Advanced Media is dedicated to providing its customers the latest advancements in electronic storage media,” remarked Charlie Shiang, VP of Flash Products “This fast card enables users to store specific navigational or mapping information for use in a variety of mobile devices. It can also be used to hold trip details and highly detailed charts.”

The applications are unlimited, any type of digital content provider with the consideration of protecting the intellectual content while in need to be able to sell or populate the whole content will definitely benefit from the Unbalanced SD card, more examples include educational markets, remote learning education, automobile and defense industry ” added Shiang.

The uses for this product will be centered on two parts of SD memory formation: encrypted output control segment and accessible data segment. The data stored on the Encrypted output control segment is strictly prohibited for any kind of “check-in” (write data) or “check-out”(export data) activities with any other devices. Any form of the data movement is actually impossible.
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