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Top 10 Pervasive Tech Myths That Are Only Wasting Your Time The previously import-only Vaio TZ was just announced for US shores. That’s good news, because its predecessor, the Sony Vaio TX, was one of my favorites subnotes ever. Like the TX, I love the TZ’s the LED backlit screen, usable keyboard, build in EVDO Rev. A by Sprint, and nearly 8 hours of battery life. The TZ’s improvements include Core 2 Duo Chips, a Macbook like keyboard, better specs all around, and a Limited Edition Carbon Fiber edition in jet black. Here’s a quick rundown of how the TZ’s design and specs stacks up against the older TX. galleryPost('sonyvaiotzhandson', 4, 'Sony Vaio TZ Hands On');
newVideoPlayer("harrypotterspells_gawker.flv", 475, 376);We don’t put much faith in magic around here, but with Harry Potter mania sweeping the nation we aren’t surprised to see that some techies are eager to incorporate the supernatural into their daily lives. Instructables user technick29 will help you tap into your inner supernerd with his tutorial on using Harry Potter’s trademark spells to perform routine maneuvers on your PC. Check out the action video to see if you possess the necessary intelligence modifier to put these spells to use. [Instructables How-To: Use Spells To Control Your Computer]
Unsatisfied with the selection on Xbox 360′s Marketplace for movies? CinemaNow, the PC movie download and rental store, has updated their Media Manager software to allow rented or purchased movies to be viewed on the Xbox 360. Over 7,000 of them.
Now when you buy or rent one a flick, your Vista or XP machine will be able to see your Xbox 360 as a connected machine (while using their Media Manager). Not only that, there’s the Burn-to-DVD option on Vista, which lets you (obviously) burn your movies onto a DVD and watch them on any standard DVD player. Like your Xbox 360, for example.
Like to mix it up a little? Live closer to the edge without sacrificing cred? The sleek and elegant Hurdle Lighting can stand both horizontally (hurdle-style) and vertically (old-skool-style), getting around obstructions to satisfy all your illumination needs. A sensor detects its positioning and operates the light accordingly.
The practical bugger looks pretty lightweight as well. Designed by Korea’s Lee Suk Woo and Byeon DongJin, it received a Special Mention in the 2007 LighTouch Design Competition in Singapore. -Anna King
Sony. Experience More. Next Week. Friday Night. 6.30pm. BRAVIA. VAIO. Food. Drink. etc. etc. etc. Details here.
Today, we’re calling all budding poets – give us your best Sony-themed Limericks! Again, our favourite 20 comments get names on the door.
Get cracking! You have until 7.00am Thursday! After this, two more chances to go.
If there is one complaint I have about every boomerang competition I go to, it’s that there simply aren’t enough hot dogs. Apparently boomerang enthusiast Paul Sprague and I don’t frequent the same contests, because when he goes boomeranging (yep, that’s a word), he brings along his self-designed BoomChef solar-powered grill, built intentionally for grilling up hot dogs at boomerang competitions. When he says solar powered, he means it–the thing is literally a glass box that catches sunlight bounced off a reflective Mylar panel.
Good times for Sony, it seems. We had half as many haters and fanboys! I guess true haters wouldn’t want to head down to a very Sony night out anyhoo.
Winners for Tuesday are… Leon Y, Ben Evans, sonymehard, Jimmy (dude, your Monday entry was lame. But Tuesday? Woah, THAT was narky!), David Banham, Feral, MJS, Jeremy S, Harry, bbq, Musky, scott D, lawson, talk2sk, Jimbo, Jaz, Johnny, PL, DoneSold, and Paul. Snaps all round.
Wednesday’s task is a little more creative. Coming v v soon.
[All the details on the Sony. Experience More. VIP night passes]
galleryPost('tivocheapo', 4, 'Tivo Series 3 Lite?'); Remember our unconfirmed Tivo Series 3 Lite pics from last week? Maybe they’re real, maybe they’re not, but someone in the Tivo Community forums is claiming to know TiVo Series Lite 3 specs. They’re almost unbelievably similar to the powerful Series 3′s specs, but I know you can’t resist even fake Tivo specs, so here they are.
AU: With TiVo on its way, it’s interesting to keep an eye on the development of official US specs so we can later pin down whether we’re getting latest version hardware or some sort of throwback — we already know it is going to be very free-to-air network friendly. -SB.
Who better to teach your kids than the Dark Lord of the Sith? This Star Wars Darth Vader Laptop is geared toward young, malleable minds (and, secretly, the rest of us) and employs a lightsaber-shaped pointing device to select from 50 different games. Children can expect to have their memory, typing abilities, and coordination tested, while building their reflexes and musical talents. The product description makes no mention of what Force powers the laptop teaches, but, true to Vader’s usual antics, “breathtaking activities” are hinted at.
Parents need to provide three AA batteries for the laptop to work and there is a headphone jack for quiet play. The provided lightsaber might not cut through any material in the galaxy, but it does make noise when it’s moved around. Interestingly, your child can also choose to learn as a Jedi, though Vader still acts as the teacher. Yeah, we all know how that’ll turn out. [Oregon Scientific]
The Shanling MC-30 Music Center is proof that not all iPod docks have to look the same. It comes packed with not only iPod support, but a Hi-Fi CD player, an AM/FM tuner, and a tube power amplifier. The single-ended tube amplifier allows for 3 watts of power per channel to whatever speakers you have hooked up. And in case you missed the giant photos, it looks kind of awesome.
The squat chassis is made with brushed aluminum and has some attractive LED highlights. It’s legs aren’t just for show, either, as the caps on its two forward supports act as an input selector and volume control. So now that you’re all excited it’s time to bring you back down to Earth: $1,000 for the unit. That’s a big price, but you can bet you’ll run into very few people with a setup like this. [Elusive Disk via Audio Junkies]
