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AVIC-F High-End Navigation Systems from Pioneer Rocks Voice Control
Posted by Addy Dugdale at 11:45 PM on April 21, 2008
Talking to your gadgets is the first sign of madness, but people who insist on doing it should look at Pioneer's AVIC-F systems. The three models, the AVIC-F700BT, AVIC-F900BT and the AVIC F90BT all have a type of voice control developed by Pioneer alongside VoiceBox Technologies, which filters out the "um" and "ah" in everyday conversations to decipher your commands.
Western Digital has announced the Velociraptor (US$300 retail), their latest and greatest in speedy storage. Connecting through 3GB/s SATA, the 300GB, 10,000RPM Velociraptor is actually a 2.5" hard drive with a massive "Icepack" heatsink that makes it large enough to fit in a 3.5" bay. Maximum PC already got their hands on a preproduction unit. So how fast was it? Real fast.
The Futurist golden watch certainly seems to be going along with the retro design trend Casio's been exploring 
While we are adorned with the latest and greatest in trendy, designer messenger bags, J.Crew has recreated and rereleased the original. Modelled after the U.S. Postal Service's standard bag from 1868 until the 1970s (before they ditched timeless style and durability for blue nylon), "the original" leather postal messenger features fine leather reminiscent of the favourite baseball glove we never had, along with a secure buckle strap to keep your valuables safe. At 15" wide, we think it will fit many 'a laptop. But for US$795, a less-historical-more-practical inner lining would be nice. [
Next Computing's Vigor Evo HD isn't the most elegant all-in-on PC we've ever seen, featuring a 17" LCD monitor sort of glued on to the side of its tower, but it's not afraid to get its nails dirty, either. Because this handled beast protects its 2 processors, 4 PCI-X slots and 3 TB of storage in a floating chassis, which can take bumps and bruises in stride. There's no doubt that the Vigor Evo HD is intended for the rigors of construction environments—a necessity for when you bring down the house with your uber pwnage. [
At last! Amazon is finally restocked with Kindles, after Jeff Bezos' front-page confession that he was fresh outta e-Books. US$399, folks. [
The Eee PC will be available in a ten-inch version, says Asustek CEO. Speaking at the launch of the Eee PC 900 in Taiwan, Jerry Shen said that customers were clamouring for bigger keyboards for the lightweight laptop. "The feedback we've received from users has been great," claimed the CEO at a press conference. "Many have asked us for bigger screens and better usability. That's what made us start developing the Eee PC 900." Although he declined to name a release date or a potential price for the ten-incher, the larger size will probably bring the price up quite considerably. [
Some of the same kind of health telemetry that the 
Remember the 
When you die, instead of having your grave marked by granite, you can now peg it to something even more immutable: latitude and longitude. A new eco-friendly forest graveyard promises a new kind of service, according to the Sydney Morning Herald:
A recent patent filing by Apple Inc. entitled Enhancing Online Shopping Atmosphere indicates that Steve Jobs' next 
This limited edition set of knife hooks is the perfect way to show guests that you are on the cutting edge when it comes to hanging coats, hats, cadavers or whatever. Designed by Tiyani Chang's TC Studio, these matte black hooks are made of polyurethane and steel. Sadly, they are not stabbed into the wall; they are screwed in more or less like normal hooks. Only 50 will be made available when they go on sale in May, at US$50 a piece. The concept is so simple, it makes us wonder: How many of you have already created this design a hundred times over after burning dinner or mangling a Hot Pocket? [
A California congresswoman has proposed yet another spectrum auction—the 2,155MHz to 2,180MHz range—with some hefty public-service requirements:
Sure, Wilson, there is plenty of information out there today on 
Christiaan Postma's morphing, malleable matchstick clock is pretty amazing, though a tad flawed. A portion of the 150 white lines plastered about the clock's 160 cm by 160 cm face form a word corresponding to the hour of the day. If it's three o' clock, the area where the number three appears on a typical clock would read "three." As four o' clock approaches, "three" disassembles and "four" slowly takes shape. There is one omission that could be painful if you're trying to use it to, well, to tell time. See a time lapse photo of shifty clock in action and the reason for its failings after the jump.
The phone blogs are abuzz with this sighting of HTC's lineup, showing both existing models and a mystery or two on the bottom row. Boy Genius thinks the first, third and fourth are the same, but I'm wondering if the first is a slide-out key version of the second (a P3470), while the third and fourth are something else entirely. In any case, it's a peculiarity that will hopefully be clarified soon, as it's also a damn nice looking phone. WinMo, Android or whatever, we'll be ready to have a look. In the meantime, your guess is as good as ours. (Hint, hint.) [
At Giz, we're in the habit of introducing new products every day, and in the world of gadgetry, specialty kitchen products are a dime a dozen. Today, though, I was taken by surprise by the simplest of inventions: a flat, barbecue-style toaster. When I spotted the Fagor TP-2006 X (with "acoustic warning device") on Appliancist today, not only did the form of it surprise me, but—after a little Googling—so did the fact that the flat toaster is not a new concept:
Hope and doubt are at war today as we pore over this picture of a literal crotch rocket. On the one hand, it looks pretty legit, right down to the stabilising fins, exhaust port for the motorcycle housed within, and blast marks that are no doubt from one of the many instances where this beast dumped out while breaking the sound barrier. On the other hand, the kids and their Photoshoppin' these days means everything online is suspect (isn't that right, 
Why drink Joe from a normal mug when you can tease coworkers with this hilarious gravity-defying fused three-cup stack day after day, and get more coffee per serving while you're at it? Who knows, maybe this will serve as the icebreaker you need to chat up that latte-swilling hottie in Finance. If this were ours, we'd always go for the top-cup grip for maximum gravity defiance—and for US$12 this dishwasher-safe little baby might be ours soon. [
Yetro is something so unfashionable it has yet to be retro—and probably will never be. Example: my RAZR. I've had it for almost three years now. I hate it. Actually, hate is too strong a word. I pity it. My mobile phone with its nauseous blue-painted interface, its ability to change ring tone to the Motorola theme whenever it feels like it, and its battery, which now gives me about five minutes' talk time before it bleeps like a demented synthetic chicken. In the video above, Jesus and I "reenact" a more joyful time, its original unboxing three long years ago. Today, I'm thinking I should bite the bullet and retire the old boiler. Is the utter demise of the RAZR finally nigh at hand?
Solar power doesn't just have to be for them holier-than-thou green types, it can also be for the 
For the photographer with a sharp eye (for recycling) come these innovative bracelets from Australian designer Craig Arnold. Called the re:vision line, these premium-priced baubles are assembled using the discarded lens casings of some of the world's most well-known camera brands. (I swear I spotted a Minolta in there somewhere.) The bad news is that these hacked-up lens hand-me-downs are priced from around $175 to $250, and come complete with wear and tear from their previous owner. Certainly not cheap, especially when you consider that hacksaws, hammers and your friend's brand new Nikon D60—conveniently "borrowed for the weekend"—are so readily at hand on the cheap. [
