Squishy Lights Make for the Best Luminous Trees

It’s no secret that we’re fans of all kinds of tech and gadgets, but we especially hold a soft spot in our hearts for things like this. They’re just fancy, and crazy enough to pique our interest. Of course, if you were to actually put any of these squishy lights in your home, you might get some second glances, or maybe even some dumbfounded stares, but isn’t it worth it? After all, you could probably take some solace in the fact you’d be the only one on the block with them.

These spheres are created from modular silicone, and they’re just squishy enough that we’re sure you’d take a few minutes out of every day to play around with them. The really cool part though, is the fact that these lights react to one another. While you’re able to turn one on by its lonesome, the real illumination happens when you bring more of the balls close together. Hence the reason you’d put them together in the pictures you see, or as luminous trees. They don’t seem to be very tall though, so they probably can’t really light up any significant amount of space. Which is a real shame.

The Squishy Lights were designed by Julien Bergignat. Unfortunately, there’s no word on when these luminous spheres will come to market, and the only word we have on a release marks these things hitting the land of France before anywhere else gets a crack at them. But, they have to be launched somewhere, so the faster the better. Hopefully the French can figure out a great way to use them, so that by the time they make it around the world, we can figure out a better way than making strange piles of glowing orbs in the corner of our room.

Astro A30 Costs $150 and Connects to All Your Gaming Platforms

A few years ago, the bigger your sound system was, the better your house was. You were the envy of all your friends, neighbors, and relatives. And while that may still be the case in some houses around the world, it’s definitely looking like the headphone revolution is still going strong. In this case, we’ve got a pair of gaming headphones that aren’t just for your computer. Oh no, Astro wants to make sure that if you play a game, that you can plug in your expensive, shiny new headphones into whatever it is you’re playing it on.

There’s definitely other gaming headphones out there, quite a few of them, actually, and many of them have the ability to connect to your PC, and video game console. Astro goes a few steps further though, and allows you to connect while you’re on the move. Have an iPhone or iPod Touch? Plug ‘em in! Have a PSP? Not a problem! Although, we can’t sit here and say that everything is all perfect. Unlike the majority of other gaming headsets out there,” the Astro A30 is just designed to be headphones. No microphone, so you can’t speak to your gaming buddies over online play. That doesn’t mean much for the iPod Touch/iPhone, but we’re sure that the majority of people who play online games on their Xbox 360 want to be able to talk to people.

When it’s all said and done, these headphones are going to cost you $150. And while we may believe that’s a bit too high for these precious headsets, we could be wrong. After all, we haven’t had the chance to play with them, and the sound quality of these bad boys could blow us away. We just don’t know. Unfortunately, our wallet speaks louder than our words, and right now, it’s shaking.

ViewSonic VNB132 & VNB141 ViewBooks and VPC190 all-in-one hit shelves

ViewSonic’s latest notebooks and all-in-one desktop have finally gone on sale after being unveiled at CES 2010 back in January. The ViewSonic VNB132 ViewBook and VNB141 ViewBook have 13.3- and 14-inch displays respectively and use Intel’s CULV processors, while the ViewSonic VPC190 All-In-One

has an 18.5-inch display and an Intel Atom D510 processor.

The VNB132 ViewBook pairs the SU2300 Celeron CPU with a 320GB HDD and 2GB of memory, along with WiFi b/g/n, three USB 2.0 ports, a 7-in-1 card reader, both VGA and HDMI outputs, a 1.3-megapixel webcam and a 4 cell battery. It retails for $649. Meanwhile the VNB141 ViewBook gets the SU7300 Core 2 Duo CPU, a 250GB HDD and 2GB of memory, as well as WiFi b/g/n, the same ports as its smaller sibling, and an integrated DVD burner. It retails for $829.

As for the ViewSonic VPC190 All-In-One, that runs Windows 7 Home Premium on 2GB of memory, and has a DVD burner, 1.3-megapixel webcam and six USB 2.0 ports. There’s also WiFi b/g, 10/100 ethernet and a 4-in-1 memory card reader. It retails for $629.

The Connected TV Reality

In March of last year, I canceled my service with DISH Network to embark on a simple experiment. The question was, did I need my television service provider, and the experiment was to see if streaming shows from the Internet could satisfy my television habits. I connected one of my more powerful notebooks as elegantly as possible to my TV via HDMI and the experiment began.

The TV shows they are a-streaming…

In the first few weeks of this experiment, I came to find out that 90% of the TV shows my wife and I watched on a regular basis were available online from either the networks’ websites themselves or from Hulu. What suffered however was live sports and shows for our kids, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as kids probably get enough TV as it is.

Since I am a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan, though, it was very difficult for me to not be able to watch a single game the entire season from the comfort of my own home. I tried connecting to hacked streams; I tried watching them through my dad’s SlingBox; I even tried MLB.TV, but since I am in the Giants local market the games were blocked out. Nothing came close to watching the game in HD on my big screen. Which leads to a conclusion with live events being that they still have a long way to go when it comes to an equally or more compelling offering through the Internet.

For most other shows that were not available online I found that iTunes had season and individual episodes for sale. For example, things like Discovery channel episodes are not streamed, but were available in iTunes.

One other observation was how cumbersome the process was to find the show we wanted to watch. Bookmarking each show’s portal was the most efficient way to quickly watch each show. What is really missing in the world of online streaming is something akin to the guide or EPG provided by network service providers. Boxee made an attempt but I still found their user interface awkward and unintuitive, allthough it has improved. In both the online world of TV as well as the service provider world a more efficient way to quickly find what you want watch or discover something to watch is yet to be solved. Another frustration was that each new episode would appear online generally 24 hours after it aired and in some cases 48 hours — which made talking about the latest episodes with my friends a little awkward since I wouldn’t be able to chime in on the conversation until several days after it aired. It seems as though the trend in connected TV shown at CES this year may take steps in addressing some of this weaknesses.

Connected TV and Streaming Services

One of the big trends we see coming to new TVs in 2010 is the integration of streaming services. We see momentum by TV manufacturers to integrate services like Netflix, Amazon “Unbox”, Hulu, and more directly to the TV or set top box. If you have seen the VIZIO commercials for their connected TV you get the picture. Research from The Diffusion Group anticipates that by 2014 there will be 360 million connected TV’s or Set Top boxes worldwide. The broadband services delivered to these connected devices may come in the way of applications or simply a “walled garden” portal with each service, but consumers will decide which services if any they choose to “install.” This is of course extremely valuable to the content providers providing streaming services, but also to consumers who may already subscribe or pay for those services and want to enjoy that content on their TV as well as their PC or mobile device.

Another element of connectivity coming to the PC is by way of “web apps” for lack of a better term. Things like Yahoo’s Widget channel and even TV applications being developed by service providers like DirecTV are demonstrating what a simple application connected to the Internet for quick information can do for consumers. Quick access on your TV to things like sports scores, weather or stock information, as well as integration with applications like Flickr and Facebook can offer consumers “information snacking” with the services they are interested in without ever having to open a web browser or check them on a mobile device.

TV manufacturers are showing increased interest in adding more intelligence to their TV sets so that they can capitalize on connectivity and streaming services. We are seeing more and more very powerful CPU’s getting integrated into these next generation TV sets and set top boxes that inevitably will move the TV from a simple dumb display into an intelligent screen in your home that can now be a platform to develop new and innovative services or applications.

The Challenge Ahead

One of my key takeaways in exploring the world of Internet TV and streaming services was that the mainstream TV networks are at a major crossroads. Down one road they have their traditional distribution methods through the cable and satellite service providers who pay them large up-front sums of money for their network content. Down the other road is the world of Internet distribution through their own sites and in collaboration through Hulu.com. This road offers them a more direct relationship with their customers and the ability to benefit directly from the advertising spends, but has steep up-front costs associated with it. This is why there is speculation that Hulu.com will offer a paid service or a subscription model so that the networks can benefit from this model in a way similar to the service provider model where money changes hands up-front. This road, however, poses a challenge to their deeply vested service provider model and the networks are extremely cautious not to do anything that aggravates their service provider partners since they represent such a large chunk of their business.

Balancing this world of broadband vs. broadcast content will be one of the more interesting things to keep your eye on. Whether or not a service like Hulu.com and the network content on that service can benefit from a freemium model is yet to be determined. However an interesting model presented by Epix HD could prove to be worth paying attention to. In essence, Epix HD is a premium cable channel that will offer its subscribers free access to epixhd.com, where consumers can stream on-demand movies and other content offered by the service from any PC web browser. This model works because the online streaming service is a perk for being a subscriber to their premium channel. HBO as also announced something similar. This model makes the likes of Comcast happy because they are getting revenue from their broadcast infrastructure as well as creating more demand for their broadband infrastructure. Bringing the value of their broadband to more then the PC is a major initiative for many service providers.

Another key challenge is around the debate about where this intelligence I speak of should end up. Should it be in the TV or does it make more sense for all the horsepower to move into the set top box either provided by the service provider or bought at retail with the ability to connect to a service providers service.

We believe that we are at the very beginning of some shifting consumer behavior where the three screen, TV-PC-Mobile device, experience begin to blend and offer seamless entertainment experiences. Each major screen in consumers lives represents a different consumption experience and each have a role in this ecosystem. Content owners and service providers are going to have to begin to experiment with what it means to offer both broadcast and broadband content and wrestle with how that content may be complimentary, provide elements of convenience to consumers to discover and enable consumers to consume their content in ways they could not before on whatever screen they happen to desire to view it with.

Where did I land?

My grand conclusion is that for the foreseeable future the standalone “Internet tv” offering is truncated and isolated at best. It is not, by itself, an all encompassing experience and is instead a fraction of the overall experience to come. Because of things like the lack of a guide, effective discovery tools, and live programming all led me back to “selling out” and signing up with a service provider again. Besides, many of my friends and family were getting tired of me inviting myself over to watch college and NFL football games. Luckily I got all hooked up just before the San Francisco Giants season starts. After much research I choose DirecTV for three Reasons:

1. Out of all the service offerings I liked their remote access / programming remotely features. They have an iPhone app as well as a very good online UI to remotely program my DVRs, both of which will evolve and include many interesting features. I also know they have enough technology in the hardware in their latest box to make remote viewing and access to my recorded content, similar to SlingBox, possible.

2. They offer free software to connect any PC in my home remotely to my main DVR and stream recorded shows in SD or HD to any computer in my house. Since I have a computer elegantly connected to one of my TV’s, it now acts as a second set top box allowing anyone to watch a recorded or recording program even as the DVR is currently viewing or recording something else. I am also doing this wirelessly and am having very good success streaming my DVR content in HD wirelessly to my PCs.

3. The DirecTV latest generation DVR’s are software upgradeable to HDMI 1.4 making them 3D-capable when they are updated. DirecTV has one of the only boxes on the market capable of this whereas customers of Comcast, DISH and others will need to upgrade their hardware if they want 3D

Microsoft LifeCam HD-5000, HD-5001 and HD-6000 webcams get TrueColor auto-balance

Microsoft have outed three new webcams, each of which use the company’s new TrueColor Technology for improved color balance and exposure. The new range includes the LifeCam HD-5000 and HD-5001, intended for desktop users, and the LifeCam HD-6000 for Notebooks; each supports 720p HD video recording and auto-focus.

The HD-5000 and HD-5001 are functionality identical, with the latter being a Best Buy exclusive and getting a different bezel. Each has a flexible base section which can be shaped to grip various monitor sizes or be used on the desk. As for the HD-6000, that has a 360-degree pivot together with a shorter USB cable and a bundled carrying case.

Microsoft TrueColor uses software to adjust color balance depending on ambient lighting, as well as face-tracking technology to correctly control exposure so that the user’s face is visible rather than being washed out or murky. The Microsoft LifeCam HD-5000 and HD-5001 will go on sale later in March 2010 priced at $49.95, while the Microsoft LifeCam HD-6000 for Notebooks will follow on in May 2010 priced at $59.95.

Press Release:

Microsoft’s New TrueColor Technology Brings Color to Life

Three new LifeCams feature Microsoft Hardware’s latest technology and 720p HD sensors.

REDMOND, Wash. — March 16, 2010 — Microsoft Corp. today brightens your video calls with TrueColor Technology, a groundbreaking new image processing technology that provides superior color and brightness in even the worst lighting conditions. TrueColor Technology automatically adjusts the picture quality to provide a more colorful video whether out on the porch with bright sunshine in the morning or in the living room with low light in the evening. This technology will be available in three new webcams launching today, the LifeCam HD-5000, LifeCam HD-5001 and LifeCam HD-6000 for Notebooks. These LifeCams will also feature 720p HD sensors and Auto Focus technology at a value price. In addition, TrueColor will be available with the recently launched LifeCam Cinema through a software update.

LifeCam HD-5000

“Color quality and brightness are critical aspects of video calls. Through our research we know that a large number of video calls are held in either low light conditions or uneven lighting, and these are challenging situations for any webcam and represent a common pain point for webcam users,” said Daniel Anguiano, product marketing manager for Microsoft Hardware. “Our engineers at Microsoft Hardware created TrueColor Technology to improve the video experience, combining software and firmware to help people look bright and natural in virtually any lighting situation.”

True Colors Shining Through

Microsoft’s new image processing technology analyzes the user’s environment and automatically adjusts the LifeCam settings to provide brighter and more colorful video. It does this through a carefully designed proprietary combination of software and firmware technology to deliver a great experience. To achieve these results, TrueColor Technology includes face tracking technology developed by Microsoft Research, which can detect a person’s face and help ensure it’s not overexposed or underexposed, so the video call picture looks great even in the most challenging lighting scenarios.

LifeCam HD-5000

Launching with Microsoft’s new TrueColor Technology, the LifeCam HD-5000 offers best-in-class video quality in most lighting scenarios and is the only webcam on the market to offer 720p HD widescreen video and Auto Focus for an estimated retail price under $50.1 The LifeCam HD-5000 also features a flexible attachment base that bends to fit on most surfaces, including on top of flat-screen monitors and notebook screens, or directly on the desk, so people can use it at home on the desktop or with their notebook while on the road.

Best Buy will launch an exclusive version of this product, called the LifeCam HD-5001, that includes all the same great features as the LifeCam HD-5000, but will have a custom design with a white faceplate.

LifeCam HD-6000 for Notebooks

Also launching today is the LifeCam HD-6000 for Notebooks, which includes TrueColor Technology, 720p HD widescreen video, Auto Focus and a design just for notebooks. The LifeCam HD-6000 features a 360-degree rotation view so people can point the webcam in any direction to share more with friends and family. With a compact design, short three-foot cord and carrying case, the LifeCam HD-6000 for Notebooks is the perfect webcam for sharing life on the go.

Pricing and Availability

The LifeCam HD-5000 and the LifeCam HD-5001 will be available later this month for the estimated retail price of $49.952 and the LifeCam HD-6000 for Notebooks will be available in May for the estimated retail price of $59.95.2 The LifeCam HD-5000 and LifeCam HD-6000 for Notebooks will be available for pre-sale on Amazon.com and Buy.com starting today. TrueColor Technology will be available via a software download for LifeCam Cinema, which is already broadly available at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/downloads/default.mspx.

Microsoft backs these products with a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty. More information about these and other Microsoft Hardware products can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware.

About Microsoft Hardware

For more than 27 years, the Hardware Group has employed innovative engineering, cutting-edge industrial design and extensive usability testing to create products of exceptional quality and durability that enhance the software experience and strengthen the connection between consumers and their PC. Microsoft Hardware leads the industry in ergonomic engineering, industrial design and hardware/software compatibility, offering consumers an easier, more convenient and more enjoyable computing experience. More information about Microsoft Hardware is available at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware and http://www.microsofthardwareblog.com.

Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T with Core i5-520UM breaks cover

Details of Acer’s first Calpella-based ultraportable have emerged, ahead of the notebook’s expected announcement in the last week of this month. The 11-inch Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T eschews the CULV CPU

s of its predecessors and instead reaches for Intel’s Core i5-520UM, with a basic clock speed of 1.06GHz but the potential for 1.86GHz with Turbo Boost. Meanwhile battery life is rated at up to 8hrs.

Unchanged are the 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 display and roughly inch-thick chassis, along with the full-sized keyboard with its distinctive flat key-caps. The chipset is Intel’s HM55 and the 1830T uses integrated graphics with a dynamic core capable of 166MHz to 500MHz. Inside there are two memory bays.

Ports and connectivity include HDMI, S/PDIF, gigabit ethernet, WiFi b/g/n, a multi card reader and three USB 2.0, while 3G and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR are optional. No word on pricing or specific availability, but we should find that out – together with details on the rest of the new TimelineX range – later in March.

iMo Plus 10-inch USB sub-display coming April with touchscreen option

We rather like USB secondary monitors like those you find in Nanovision’s MIMO range, but the 7-inch size they generally come in might not suit everybody’s desk. Into the fray steps the iMo Plus, USB-connected and DisplayLink powered like the rest, but offering 10-inches and 1024 x 576 resolution along with a resistive touchscreen option.

The 16:9 aspect display has 200cd/m2 brightness and a 400:1 contrast ratio. Unlike some of the other MIMO displays we’ve seen there are no integrated speakers or webcam, but considering most people probably wouldn’t use them anyway that doesn’t seem a great loss. A single USB connection provides power and signal.

Mimo Monitors plan to start taking preorders for both the display-only and the touchscreen versions later this month, with deliveries expected to kick off in mid-April. We’re still waiting to hear back from them with regards pricing. Meanwhile, you can find our review of the touchscreen MIMO 720-S here, and of the MIMO UM-710 and UM-720 here.

Digital Storm BlackOPS PC overclocks Core i7-980X to 4.44GHz

It’s not only MAINGEAR playing games with Intel’s latest Core i7-980X Extreme processor. The new hexacore has found its way into Digital Storm’s similarly-stonking BlackOPS desktop, but they’ve not seen fit to leave its 3.33GHz alone; instead, opt for their TwisterBoost overclocking package and they’ll crank the Core i7 all the way up to 4.44GHz.

The “basic” package pairs the new six-core CPU with 6GB of DDR3 memory, dual ATI Radeon HD 5970 2GB video cards in CrossFireX configuration, and a silent 1,200W PSU. It also gets a 500GB hard-drive and a liquid-cooling system for the processor, though you can choose various combinations of HDD and SSD together with a full liquid-cooling system that covers CPU, X58 chipset and up to four video cards.

Prices kick off at a considerable $5,642 and if you want the 4.44GHz overclock then you’re looking at another $248 on top of that. After that the world can get as crazy as your wallet affords; nobody ever said performance PCs were affordable.

Press Release:

Digital Storm’ Black │OPS Gaming PC Integrates World’s Fastest CPU at 4.4GHz

Ultimate gaming PC updated with Intel’s lighting-fast Core i7 980X Extreme Edition processor

Fremont, Calif. – (March 16, 2010) – Digital Storm, the predominant name in system integration, proudly announces a hardware update to its Black|OPS gaming systems. Now gamers can configure the Black|OPS machine with Intel’s first consumer hexa-core processor, the Core i7-980X Extreme Edition.

With the addition of the 32nm Core i7-980X processor, also known as Gulftown, gamers can effortlessly run up to 12 computing threads at once, a feat that was once unimaginable. Intel’s’ new processor features an impressive 12MB L3 cache, which helps streamline operation by limiting the number of times the CPU needs to access DDR3 memory. The Core i7-980X has a clock speed of 3.33GHz, making it as fast as any processor Intel has ever created.

“The introduction of a six core processor with hyper threading capabilities is a momentous occasion for gaming enthusiasts,” remarked Rajeev Kuruppu, Digital Storm’s Director of Product Development. “With our TwisterBoost overclocking package, we can overclock the i7-980X to a record breaking 4.4GHz. The results we’ve recorded on our test bench have been nothing short of astounding. I can honestly say that our Black OPS machines with this new CPU resulted in the most impressive gaming experience I’ve ever had.”

Digital Storm’s Black|OPS systems with Intel’s Core i7-980X Extreme Edition are currently available for purchase at www.DigitalStormOnline.com. The Extreme configuration has a base price of $5,642 & each Digital Storm system comes with a 3 year parts and labor warranty, including replacement parts, and lifetime customer support.