Gadgets

Without a doubt, the one tech peripheral that has crossed cultural boundaries is the Apple iPod. But, the most recent rival to the iPod might be the strongest yet. This summer Microsoft announced it would be releasing the "Zune", a machine with ... gaming and music-playing capabilities with the hardware to trump Apple's wonder-gadget. As of today, images of the Zune are first being (unofficially) released to the public. On a recent trip to Mexico I noticed that many cab drivers -- those who charged just 5 U.S. dollars for a 15 minute ride -- owned and operated the iPod. It has become the must- ... (view more)

It seems the iPod is everywhere these days. Recently, Infopackets discussed the announcement by Ford, GM, and Mazda that Apple and its iPod would be fully integrated in many future models. However, the most reasonable and yet elusive place for the ... iPod is the cellular phone market. There are rumblings an announcement will be made by Apple in the coming months on such a product, but many insiders are skeptical about how it will work. Without a question, there is a place for an iPod phone. A significantly powerful one -- and we're talking more than 50-100 songs -- could effectively combine the ... (view more)

Not ready to upgrade to a shiny new PlayStation 3 (PS3), Xbox 360, or one of those newfangled Blu-Ray or HD-DVD players you keep hearing about? If you already own a High-Definition Television (HDTV) and a Sony PS2, Xploder may have the solution. The ... company is readying devices they claim will allow your PS2 to play games in high definition and DVDs in enhanced definition. Games Xploder's press release lists the following options: Select a HD 720p or 1080i setting to give a clearer, crisper picture quality for all PS2 games. Play games in Enhanced Definition (ED) TV 480p mode; a higher ... (view more)

As previously noted , Microsoft officially confirmed the existence of its own competitor to Apple's successful iPod portable music machine, Zune, after months of rumors and speculation. One of Microsoft's big features for Zune is reportedly the ... ability to download music and videos wirelessly. (Source: cnn.com ) That means you wouldn't first need to download the music to your PC, and then transfer it to your player. This gives Zune a true "on the go" feel. If the speculation proves accurate, the Zune player could detect what music is on other people's players nearby and automatically download ... (view more)

On Friday July 21, 2006 Microsoft executives confirmed the launch of Zune, a music software and hardware product line that will rival Apple's iPod and iTunes. In early June, Microsoft denied rumors that the company was developing a digital media ... player to compete with Apple's iPod. However, In a statement released Friday, Microsoft general manager of marketing, Chris Stephenson revealed that the "new music and entertainment project [Zune]... will deliver a family of hardware and software products, the first of which will be available this year." (Source: news.com ) What is Zune? Zune's ... (view more)

Rumor has it that Apple executives may be planning to announce a new venture of providing movie rentals for their iTunes website. Some of the major Hollywood studios include: Warner Bros., Walt Disney, Paramount Pictures, and Universal Studios. ... (Source: thinksecret.com ) Early information indicates that Apple had originally hoped to buy the rights to movies from the studios, and then sell these movies to consumers. Unfortunately Hollywood was adamant about providing the films only on a subscription or rental basis. Therefore, it is assumed that when the announcement is made, iTunes will be ... (view more)

Rumors from the tech world recently suggest that the search engine giant Google is testing an online hard drive, affectionately known as "Gdrive". Although still very experimental (and at this time unconfirmed), the Gdrive would act as a treasure ... chest for client files, essentially freeing up space on a user's computer and accelerating processing speed. For now, "Gdrive" remains the name given by Google's fans, those most excited about the potential project. In reality, it appears the project is codenamed "Platypus", according the one blog investigator who apparently stumbled across the Web ... (view more)

Speculation over Microsoft's entry into the world of portable entertainment has been a rollercoaster for anyone interested in the prospect. Rumors earlier this year labeled the device as direct competition for the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) and ... Nintendo Dual-Screen (DS), but reports of a legitimate "Xboy" could never be confirmed. By the end of March, Microsoft had denied the rumors enough that tech writers simply gave up on the story completely. Theories are now again in the works, some including gossip that Microsoft's device may be more competition for Apple's iPod than its more ... (view more)

With the iPod phenomenon creeping into each corner of Mother Earth, TiVo has jumped into the mix with their own Desktop application for Windows. The new application allows TiVo users to transfer their favorite TV programs directly to computer, and ... then onto portable devices. Like most software of this kind, a premium version exists that allows users to transfer shows to a host of different portable gadgets, including the iPod, Sony Playstation Portable (PSP), and phones from Treo and Nokia. As you might expect, the premium edition, called TiVo Desktop Plus, is available for a fee of $24.95 ... (view more)

The crusade to combat data theft has produced a recent technology which was only previously seen in movies. Those interested in protecting sensitive data can now turn to software which erases files from a remote location, or by using a chemical that ... physically destroys a hard drive. Absolute Software's "Computrace LoJack for Laptops" can ask the company to wipe out files from a hard drive the next time a computer connects to the Internet. In a process which takes anywhere from ten to thirty minutes, random information overwrites the computer's data several times, rendering the original files ... (view more)