Continue reading Sony introduces $2,000 BD-Live-capable BDP-S5000ES Blu-ray player

Asus’s high-end solution for hi-def multimedia on PCs has arrived in India. The Xonar HDAV1.3 is touted to be the world’s first HDMI 1.3a compliant audio/video enhancement combo card. The card integrates certifications of Protected Audio Playback Systems (PAPS) and full Advanced Access Content System (AACS) which helps to play unconverted Blu-ray audio on the PC and with a bit of help of ArcSoft’s Total Media Theater, Xonar can produce lossless audio content from Blu-ray movies at 24bit, 96-192Khz.

Splendid HD video processor onboard ensures quality video playback at 1080p resolution while proprietary AV200 audio processor delivers 192K LPCM audio on 7.1 channel. The rich feature set doesn’t end here as it also has a 120dB Signal-to Noise Ratio (SNR) delivering audio to the 7.1 channel stereo and DS3D GX2.0 for gamers. However, to use the DS3D GX2.0 feature, the user needs to have an ASUS GPU installed in the computer.

The card will sell at a price of Rs. 15,300 ($348). Who said quality comes cheap?

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Advertisement: Samsung Hub - Everything Samsung!

Samsung's new digital picture frames, which double as secondary monitors for your PC, come by way of the best PR email ever. It's straight to the point, and refreshingly blunt. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the author comes from the splendid county of Yorkshire, England -- a place renowned for its generous and straight-talking natives. The mail:

Samsung announced four new frames. Two are wireless and all four can double as secondary PC displays. They’re not the first to announce this, but they should be the first to market as Asus has shown no inclination to actually release the frame they showed off several weeks ago[...]

The one odd thing, the wireless models have almost no internal RAM, seems bold for Samsung to assume people will use a memory card or the wireless services…probably just a method to keep the wireless unit’s price down.

In fact, it appears that the mail, from the splendidly named Brian M. Beeler, isn't PR at all. His email domain resolves to a text-only page with a single link to an online games-for-cash site.

There is little to add to Mr. Beeler's excellent description, other than that these monitors will run from $130 up to $290, depending on size (8" or 10.2" screen) and do indeed have official shipping dates, starting in September.

Samsung Announces the SPF-85H, SPF-85V, SPF-105P and SPF-105V [Digital PictureFrame Review. Thanks, Brian!]

Asus Picture Frame Doubles as a Computer Monitor [Gadget Lab]

Lenovo, being one of the sponsors of Beijing Olympics 2008, released a few Beijing Olympics 2008 themed USB flash drives to offset some of what the company spent. All the USB flash drives in the line are limited editions, which could explain the rather exorbitant price for at least one of them.

This year’s torch lighting event has got to be one of the most splendid things I’ve seen. The torch USB flash drive is shaped like a torch and actually uses the same material used for the Olympic torch itself. A bit of the Olympics torch doesn’t come cheap though; the 4GB flash drive costs $142. There’s the cheaper, toy-looking 4GB Mascot series which has six different colors with Fuwa the mascot and the Olympics logo at the front and back respectively. Another series is composed of five different medallion-like flash drives which have already sold out. Finally, there’s the 1GB titanium drive which comes in sets of five in a mahogany box, leaving people with no illusion that it’ll be on the lower-end of the price range.

Mascot series

Mascot series

Medallion

Titanium drive

Titanium drives in the mahogany box

via Everything USB

The Nomad’s new love grip doesn’t compromise that sexy ruggedness. The new grip maintains an IP67 rating agianst dust and moisture, and it still meets those stringent MIL-STD-810F military standards for drops, vibration and temperature extremes...splendid.

In addition, the Nomad retains its all-day usage of eight hours on a battery charge, offers a range of compatible battery options, delivers a rate of up to three scans per second and offers easy field-to-office connectivity. See our previous review of the Recon X Series.

The new pistol grip has a suggested retail price of US$109 and is available through Nomad dealers. For more information on the Nomad, visit http://www.trimble.com/rugged

From the website:
....................

Swimming Cap Toiletry Bag

You might remember swimming caps from when you were a kid?

These are the exact same model your parents or maybe even your grandparents had and now they are back as a toiletry bag.

The same old rubber, the same small little air pockets shaped like a diamond, and it's even the same shape.

In fact, these are the same swimming caps made in the same factory that made them decades ago, but now they are refurbished with a big zipper and a small chain and tag for your name and they make a splendid toiletry bag.

Obviously waterproof, these things can hold a lot and because they are so stretchy they give easily and are happy when you overstuff them.

The only thing you shouldn't do — wear them as a swimming cap.

They didn't look good then, and they don't look good now.
....................

Jet Black, Sky Blue, Grass Green, Pale Magenta, Urgent Orange or Snow White.

$25.

Press release after the jump

The Asus EN9800GTX+ Series also comes with the exclusive ASUS GamerOSD that unleashes the true power of Asus VGA cards. This handy feature delivers GPU overclocking from onscreen displays during games – allowing users real-time performance upgrades whenever they require it.

Taipei, Taiwan, July 11, 2008 – In catering to users who desire a high performing and reliable graphics card, ASUS, world-leading producer of high quality graphic solutions, has today announced the ASUS EN9800GTX+/HTDP/512M that utilizes the latest generation of NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+ GPUs. The world’s first overclocking version of the 9800GTX+ Series – the EN9800GTX+ TOP, will also be released soon, and will incorporate impressive performance results. This first-rate limited edition graphics card is part of the ASUS EN9800GTX+ Series, which offers ingenious tools to further amp up graphical performances. These include GamerOSD for real-time overclocking, benchmarking and video capturing during PC gaming; SmartDoctor for shader clock overclocking and intelligent hardware protection, and Splendid™ Video Intelligence Technology for vibrant visual enjoyment.

Extreme HD Gaming and Visual Computing Applications
The EN9800GTX+ Series enables full-throttle and lifelike gameplay; as well as optimal power management with HybridPower™ technology. The PureVideo® HD engine delivers unmatched video quality; while the PhysX™ technology pushes the limit in ultra-realistic gameplay. With nForce® SLI®-ready motherboards, amplified performances of up to 2x in a dual SLI configuration and up to 2.8x in 3-way SLI mode can be achieved. Packing so much performance at an exceptional value, this graphics card offers extreme HD gaming with a first-rate entertainment experience.

Tactical Tailor is a company that truly knows what “tough” is. Founded by a US Army scout sniper, Tactical Tailor has the expertese and experience in what a tough pack requires. Tactical Tailor’s Enhanced Day Pack exhibits this knowledge throughout from the materials used for construction, a “KISS” attitude, and the inclusion of almost everything you need, without everything you don’t.
Constructed of mil-spec 1000D Cordura no other pack in our lineup contained such a rugged material. Cordura is a type of nylon developed by the DuPont company. The Cordura brand is now owned by Invista. Cordura is 3x more durable than normal polyester and 2x as durable as normal nylon. Both inside and out the Enhanced Day Pack is made of this almost bomb proof material. All zippers on the Tactical Tailor Enhanced Day Pack are genuine YKK and pull smoothly. There aren’t any flanges near the zippers to get caught making it very hassle-free. On the shoulder straps a nice amount of 1/2″ thick foam is spread throughout. Along your back is 3/8″ thickness foam in a 1000D Cordura enclosure. This pack doesn’t have a true internal frame-sheet per say, but the sturdy foam in the backing keeps the pack’s shape nicely and is a suitable substitute.

At first glance the Tactical Tailor Enhanced Day Pack really doesn’t look very intuitive. It appears rather simple, bland, and boring. Using the pack however you’ll discover that this pack was designed by pure geniuses whose apparent goal was to make a very functional pack while keeping it simple. Located closest to the wearer on the side of the pack is a long zipper. Unzipping this reveals a side opening laptop compartment. While not very conventional, this design turns out to be a most splendid idea. The ease of removing or storing your laptop is increased as well as the speed. If you travel by air a lot, this side opening option is a godsend making taking out your laptop for screening much quicker and easier. As grand as this laptop compartment is, it does have a downfall. Users with 17″ notebooks have been sadly left out. The max this pocket will hold is a 15″. The next pocket down is the main compartment. This pocket is generous in size and will easily accommodate your textbooks and binders. No surprises there. The next pocket down is the organizational pocket. The size of this pocket is very roomy as well. You shouldn’t have any problem stashing another notebook or binder in there either. Located inside is a very sturdy key clip as well as a functional organizer. Past this pocket are two more standard pockets. One’s fairly tall should you have a smaller sized notebook and the farthest one acts a quick accessory pocket. On the sides of this pack is a water bottle pocket and an external organizer. While some may prefer an extra pocket to the external organizer, I’ve found the external organizer to be one of the finest features on this pack. Should you need a pen or pencil it’s very easily accessible. Initially you won’t think this feature as very grand, but soon you’ll begin to wonder why all of your packs don’t have an external organizer. The opposite side water bottle compartment folds out to reveal a mesh with shock cord retention. This will expand to fit large nalgene bottles. You can also choose to store small camera in this pocket and zip it back up. The carry handle on this pack is very beefy and is reinforced on the inside. A welcome addition to this pack is the inclusion of double stitching. This significantly reinforces the pack and adds to the peace of mind. Out of this tank of a pack, the only complaint I had were the zipper pulls. When I first received the box this backpack was in I heard a good amount of metal clanking. At first I thought, “Oooh, Tactical Tailor must’ve sent me some extra goodies!” That turned out to be sadly untrue, and it was the large metal zipper pulls clanking against the zippers. While this is an annoyance, it’s nothing a little wrapping of 100mph/duct tape can’t fix. On the front exterior of the pack is a large hook and loop panel for fun patches or ID.

However simple and plain looking the Tactical Tailor Enhanced Day Pack may seem, it definitely doesn’t sacrifice comfort. While there aren’t any specially engineered, space-age, rocket-science ergonomic designs built into the back, the Enhanced Day Pack was a leader for men and women in this lineup for comfort. The nice wide shoulder straps distributed the weight well in conjunction with the padded back. There is hardly any ventilation for your back, leading to some sweaty moments, but the comfort is supreme. I would rate the Enhanced Day Pack a hair short of first place for light loads comfort, but with a strong lead in first with heavy loads.

Pros:

• 1000D Cordura construction
• 3/8″ closed cell foam padding all around laptop
• Side opening laptop compartment
• Made in USA
• Comfortable with light or heavy loads
• External organizer
• Heavy Duty drag handle
• Velcro panel
• Stands up on own
• YKK zippers

Cons:

• Loud zipper pulls
• No back ventilation
• No frame sheet
• 17″ laptop incompatible

Price: $97.75
Links: TacticalTailor.com (Product Page)

RELATED: Day Pack Reviews: The Roundup

Tactical Tailor is a company that truly knows what “tough” is. Founded by a US Army scout sniper, Tactical Tailor has the expertese and experience in what a tough pack requires. Tactical Tailor’s Enhanced Day Pack exhibits this knowledge throughout from the materials used for construction, a “KISS” attitude, and the inclusion of almost everything you need, without everything you don’t.
Constructed of mil-spec 1000D Cordura no other pack in our lineup contained such a rugged material. Cordura is a type of nylon developed by the DuPont company. The Cordura brand is now owned by Invista. Cordura is 3x more durable than normal polyester and 2x as durable as normal nylon. Both inside and out the Enhanced Day Pack is made of this almost bomb proof material. All zippers on the Tactical Tailor Enhanced Day Pack are genuine YKK and pull smoothly. There aren’t any flanges near the zippers to get caught making it very hassle-free. On the shoulder straps a nice amount of 1/2″ thick foam is spread throughout. Along your back is 3/8″ thickness foam in a 1000D Cordura enclosure. This pack doesn’t have a true internal frame-sheet per say, but the sturdy foam in the backing keeps the pack’s shape nicely and is a suitable substitute.

At first glance the Tactical Tailor Enhanced Day Pack really doesn’t look very intuitive. It appears rather simple, bland, and boring. Using the pack however you’ll discover that this pack was designed by pure geniuses whose apparent goal was to make a very functional pack while keeping it simple. Located closest to the wearer on the side of the pack is a long zipper. Unzipping this reveals a side opening laptop compartment. While not very conventional, this design turns out to be a most splendid idea. The ease of removing or storing your laptop is increased as well as the speed. If you travel by air a lot, this side opening option is a godsend making taking out your laptop for screening much quicker and easier. As grand as this laptop compartment is, it does have a downfall. Users with 17″ notebooks have been sadly left out. The max this pocket will hold is a 15″. The next pocket down is the main compartment. This pocket is generous in size and will easily accommodate your textbooks and binders. No surprises there. The next pocket down is the organizational pocket. The size of this pocket is very roomy as well. You shouldn’t have any problem stashing another notebook or binder in there either. Located inside is a very sturdy key clip as well as a functional organizer. Past this pocket are two more standard pockets. One’s fairly tall should you have a smaller sized notebook and the farthest one acts a quick accessory pocket. On the sides of this pack is a water bottle pocket and an external organizer. While some may prefer an extra pocket to the external organizer, I’ve found the external organizer to be one of the finest features on this pack. Should you need a pen or pencil it’s very easily accessible. Initially you won’t think this feature as very grand, but soon you’ll begin to wonder why all of your packs don’t have an external organizer. The opposite side water bottle compartment folds out to reveal a mesh with shock cord retention. This will expand to fit large nalgene bottles. You can also choose to store small camera in this pocket and zip it back up. The carry handle on this pack is very beefy and is reinforced on the inside. A welcome addition to this pack is the inclusion of double stitching. This significantly reinforces the pack and adds to the peace of mind. Out of this tank of a pack, the only complaint I had were the zipper pulls. When I first received the box this backpack was in I heard a good amount of metal clanking. At first I thought, “Oooh, Tactical Tailor must’ve sent me some extra goodies!” That turned out to be sadly untrue, and it was the large metal zipper pulls clanking against the zippers. While this is an annoyance, it’s nothing a little wrapping of 100mph/duct tape can’t fix. On the front exterior of the pack is a large hook and loop panel for fun patches or ID.

However simple and plain looking the Tactical Tailor Enhanced Day Pack may seem, it definitely doesn’t sacrifice comfort. While there aren’t any specially engineered, space-age, rocket-science ergonomic designs built into the back, the Enhanced Day Pack was a leader for men and women in this lineup for comfort. The nice wide shoulder straps distributed the weight well in conjunction with the padded back. There is hardly any ventilation for your back, leading to some sweaty moments, but the comfort is supreme. I would rate the Enhanced Day Pack a hair short of first place for light loads comfort, but with a strong lead in first with heavy loads.

Pros:

• 1000D Cordura construction
• 3/8″ closed cell foam padding all around laptop
• Side opening laptop compartment
• Made in USA
• Comfortable with light or heavy loads
• External organizer
• Heavy Duty drag handle
• Velcro panel
• Stands up on own
• YKK zippers

Cons:

• Loud zipper pulls
• No back ventilation
• No frame sheet
• 17″ laptop incompatible

Price: $97.75
Links: TacticalTailor.com (Product Page)

RELATED: Day Pack Reviews: The Roundup

Chocolate Cocktail Drinks Maker
When you discover chocolate perfection - in both hot and cold forms - courtesy of the really rather splendid Chocolate Cocktail Drinks Maker, you’ll either swell to the size of Augustus Gloop (on account of keeping it to yourself) or stay slim and trim by sharing your chocolate goodness with all your chums

See price