Gadgets Blog

Netflix has made the migration as the world’s largest online movie rental service to your living room by partnering with Sony Electronics to enable Netflix subscribers to instantly watch movies streamed from Netflix on Sony’s BRAVIA Internet Video-capable HDTVs. Those who own older BRAVIA models can also use it with Sony’s BRAVIA Internet video link module. Starting from the fall, Netflix members who are on an unlimited plan will be able to use the Sony BRAVIA Internet Video-capable HDTVs, letting them watch over 12,000 movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix. Netflix members will need to fork out a minimum of $8.99 monthly for unlimited streaming from their library.

Press Release

Samsung has come together with T-Mobile Europe and the Elite Model Management agency by bringing a couple more special edition phones to the masses - the Samsung Elite Preston S5600 and Samsung Elite C3050. These two phones will be available in the Netherlands, and will come in exclusive white versions. The first of the two would be the Samsung Elite Preston S5600 that will come together with a Charming by Ti Sento bracelet, while the other Samsung Elite C3050 is accompanied by Ti Sento phone strap. Do you think these colors will appeal more to men or women? There is no word on whether these two phones will be available exclusively in the Netherlands or will it make an appearance in other European countries.

Source: Unwired View

Nokia might be holding on to the largest market share for cellphones at time of publishing, but that doesn’t mean that their competitors are resting and remaining idle. In fact, with the iPhone’s release, Nokia’s market share has been declining steadily while other phones from HTC and now with the Palm Pre are slowly but surely catching up. Then again, Nokia does control most of the entry and mid-level handsets worldwide especially in emerging markets, but when it comes to rugged phones, Nokia has hardly played serious ball in this area to date. The Nokia 3720 Classic is the latest handset from the Finnish manufacturer, where it will be an IP-54 certified cellphone that was specially designed to resist water, dust and shock throughout its lifespan.

The Nokia 3720 Classic is greatly influenced by their own line of popular ‘rugged’ devices of the past, where it comes encased in durable materials. Not only that, it remains entirely sealed to make sure the inner electronics do not suffer from moisture problems or being drowned. The sealed, leak-proof design and durable materials used to create the chassis that comes in a range of colors. The battery cover itself will be locked using a screw, so those who suffer from sporadic “SIM card registration failed” problems might want to think twice (Nokia handsets do suffer from a number of those, depending on the make). Apart from that, Nokia phones are generally reliable all round, and you definitely won’t break your heart after dropping it on the floor for the first time by accident (it happens to virtually everyone, so don’t feel left out).

The Nokia 3720 is tipped to retail for around 125 Euros before subsidies or taxes, and it will most probably arrive in store shelves later this summer. Each purchase comes with exceptional battery performance, an LED flashlight, a microSD memory card slot, a 2.2″ LCD display and rugged design.

Press Release

With more and more people purchasing notebooks as well as netbooks these days, it is only logical that the number of accidents involving a notebook/netbook cracking or breaking increases due to simple statistics, but then again most of us are pretty careful with how we handle our precious working equipment, right? For those who are more clumsy than others, the risk is definitely higher - in fact, I’ve dropped my Dell Inspiron from my bag onto the asphalt before due to some careless handling, and the moment it hit the road, my heart cracked. In fact, emotional damage wasn’t the only one, as my poor Dell’s rear USB ports were damaged too, with the plastic surrounding it cracked beyond repair. Getac has come up with their latest rugged notebook, the 9213 which we’ll look at later today.

This is currently the smallest and lightest business-rugged notebook computer from Getac, where it comes with a full magnesium alloy chassis and case, alongside a shock mounted hard drive and LCD for extra durability, shrugging off all the bumps, drops and mishaps which would normally render standard commercial notebook computers useless. Not only that, klutzes would be be happy to know that Getac’s 9213 comes with a spill-resistant keyboard, touchpad and surrounding surface that makes sure untoward accidents that happen in “friendlier” surroundings like the office won’t cause your work to, well, drown.

Within the chassis, you will find a business notebook powered by the latest ultra-low voltage 45nm Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn Processor, ensuring you obtain maximum performance with outstanding battery life of up to 8 hours, although that greatly depends on the type of programs you’re running as well as the number of connectivity options you switch on. For folks who want even more juice, taking out the removable optical drive makes room for up to a dozen hours of battery life. Security-wise, the Getac 9213 includes a built-in TPM security module and fingerprint scanner, making sure only authorized personnel will be able to access all your documents within, while a shock-protected hard drive makes your information within safer compared to normal solutions. Additional features include a 1.3-megapixel webcam, two digital mic arrays, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, 3GB RAM, 160GB hard drive and a 13.3″ widescreen WXGA TFT LCD monitor with LED backlight.

Press Release

It’s time for another splattering of entries in coolest gadget of the week. Simply vote for your favourite and leave a comment saying why for a chance to win $50. Good luck and have a great weekend.

World’s Fastest Remote Control Race Car

Designed by 46 year old Nic Case, this RC vehicle is currently the world’s fastest remote control car, capable of achieving speeds of up to 161 miles per hour. The RC car has an 11 horsepower engine and uses a 12 cell battery pack as a fuel supply. Nic is already drawing up plans to improve the top speed to break the 200 mile per hour speed barrier.

The full post can be found on Coated.

iPod Mini Rebuilt in Australian Red Cedar

Australian graphics designer Josh Darrah is the man responsible for this rather stunning case mod, which saw him gut his iPod Mini and reassemble it in an Australian red cedar case with brass finishings.
Perhaps the most stunning feature, considering the fact that it is made from wood, is the perfectly carved wooden click wheel. The case was carved by hand with a little help from Darrah’s trusty Dremel, and he added an improvement to the mix in the form of an on-board iTrip FM transmitter.

The full post can be found on We Interrupt.

Sony DVDirect VCD-MC6 lets you record HD video without a PC

In terms of form factor, the VRD-MC6 is roughly 60% smaller than the MC5, but has a 2.7-inch display as opposed to the old 2.5-inch version. The display can be used to preview videos and up to 6 JPEG files at a time. Carrying on with JPEG files, those stored on Memory Sticks, SDHC, xD, USB drives, Sony camcorders and digital photos, can all be written to DVD with the MC6 regularly or in slideshow format. Photos can also be used to create menu screens for video discs or users can choose from four preset backgrounds.

The full post can be found on TV Snob.

WiFi Hotspot Finder

Want to find a WiFi signal quickly and simply? Grab a WiFi Hotspot Finder Keyring. With a range of 60 meters and the ability to detect 802.11b, 802.11b and 802.11g at a press of a button, there’d be no need to either sign spot or pull out your laptop and wander the streets aimlessly (lets face it, that’ll get you mugged). Four green LEDs indicate the strength of the signal, and there’s also a red LED to indicate no signal (I bet no lights would make you think the batteries had run out). The whole search apparently takes just two seconds of your time, which is much faster than booting up your laptop and praying.

The full post can be found on gaj-it.

Springer Bike Leash

Keep Both Hands on the Handlebars and Let Your Dog Set the Pace on Your Bike Rides — Springer Bike Leash

Dogs love the Springer Bike Leash which lets them set the pace on your bike rides. And you can keep both hands on the handlebars.

This leash keeps your dog by your side. S/he is protected from traffic and from getting tangled up in the bike pedals and wheels. The leash should reduce your dog’s tugs by up to 90%.

The full post can be found on Super Cool Pets.

Bike-Car looks pretty zoned out

this strange looking Bike-Car from Italy that looks as though it was conjured from the very same mind that thought up of the fictional Frankenstein? Clearly the designer was confused enough that he could not make up his mind as to design a motorbike or a car, ending up with this weird amalgamation. Hopefully there will be a detached version of this in the future, letting the bike disconnect from the car segment whenever one is faced with a traffic jam.

The full post can be found on CG.

Randy the Rude Gnome

Garden gnomes are supposed to be nice, gentle and sweet, but here’s Randy the Rude Gnome who turns things upside down. He is motion-activated, while greeting you with the finger at first glance, will also speak a rude phrase.

The full post can be found on Foolish Gadgets.

Thanks again to all the sites for their submissions now over to you guys for voting (don’t forget to leave a comment with your reason for a chance to win a $50 Amazon voucher).

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If you write for a gadget themed blog and wish to be included in next weeks contest check out the CGOTW instructions page.

Summer’s here for those living in the northern hemisphere, and you’ll need to make sure you get enough sunscreen on your back if you plan to spend lots of time under the sun to attain that lovely tan. We’d highly recommend you bring the UV Monkey with you though.

This small keyring gadget is like your own personal space monkey. The UV Monkey will assist you by checking UV levels so that you know when to charge solar devices - and when to protect your skin. Once exposed to sunlight, the center will change to different shades of purple to indicate increasing levels of UV light (darker means higher level of UV). The UV Monkey can indicate 4 different ranges of the UV Index (Index 1-2, Index 3-5, Index 6-8, Index 9-11).

Spending $9.99 for a device that could potentially help prevent sun skin damage, why not? The money spent would clearly pale in comparison when placed next to hospital bills involved in treating skin cancer many years down the road.