Nintendo Famicom Voice Recorder

The Nintendo Famicom Voice Recorder is an item that shouldn’t miss from any collection of a genuine nostalgic gadget collector. It s release is targeted mostly at Asia because in th ‘80 these little things’ grandparents were very popular. As for those that lived in the USA,it is normal that this gadget doesn’t particularly ring a bell because they got a different version of the NES controller, a smother one,

But if you’re thinking of going retro, Japanese style, here’s a place to begin, the Nintendo Famicom Voice Recorder.

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B20, IRiver’s mini DMB television

IRiver has just announced the release of the all-new mini DMB television, the B20. It is equipped with 4 GB of flash memory which you can expand through the miniSD memory card slot. It has a 2.4-inch LCD display with 320 x 240 pixels and a range of colors of 260k. It also has a FM tuner that can be used also as a voice recorder. It supports MPEG-4, OGG, MP3, WMA, WMV9 formats and you can also view JPEG images on it. The battery holds for 26 hours of MP3 playback, 5 hours of videos and 4 hours of DMB TV. The price is set at 267$ for the 4 GB version and 213$ for the 2GB one.

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DC X725 by Benq

Benq amazes us once again with the launch of the new compact classy digital camera. The DC X725 is as small as 12.5 millimeters, and the material from which it is made of is steel, so it is stainless and more resistant. It comes in four different colors, black, red silver, or pearl. It has a 1/2.5 CCD and can go up to 3x optical zoom. The ISO sensitivity can go up to 1600 on photos and 4000 on videos. You can also increase the memory, as it has an SD/SDHC memory card support. The range of mega pixels is, for the time being, unknown, but we can assume it has more then the previous release of Benq that had 7.2. We also have no information regarding the price.

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Bluetooth headset with new features – Sound ID 400

The new Sound ID 400 Bluetooth Headset offers some features that no other headset current offers:

PersonalSound – offers users 3 listening modes, tuned to the most common hearing preferences, to choose from in order to further enhance speech clarity without raising the volume.

Environmental Mode – enables users to hear equally out of both ears in-between calls. When this mode is activated, the hearing ability is enhanced and soft sounds can be heard while wearing the headset – allowing clear conversations “On” and “Off” the phone. This is a great feature as most of us like to leave our headset on in-between calls.

Compatibility with the Sound ID CompanionLink Remote Microphone – The CompanionLink is a small clip-on device that syncs with 400 and can be worn by a conversation partner or placed near a sound source to pick up audio at its origin for a richer sound experience. Clip the CompanionLink on the person sitting or at the back of the mini-van to clearly hear them over any wind noise, place it near the TV to better hear your favorite sitcom or place it at opposite end of the conference table to clearly hear what colleagues are saying.

It will be available at the end of this month for $129.99. Full press release after the jump.

SOUND ID ANNOUNCES THE SOUND ID 400 BLUETOOTH HEADSET– BRINGING NEW FUNCTIONALITY TO THE BLUETOOTH CATEGORY

Offering PersonalSound custom hearing modes to boost your listening power and Environmental Mode to amplify sound between calls

Only headset on the market to be compatible with the new Sound ID CompanionLink Remote Microphone

PALO ALTO, California, September 14, 2009 – Providing mobile consumers with a new way to enjoy hands-free communications, Sound ID today announced the latest product in its line-up – the Sound ID 400 Personal Sound System.

The Sound ID 400 continues the company’s winning combination of best-in-class audio and scientifically engineered all-day wearing comfort. However, the 400 stands apart from the rest of the Bluetooth headsets on the market today, offering three unique features:

1) PersonalSound™, which consists of three listening modes tuned to the most common hearing preferences to further enhance speech clarity without raising the volume. This feature is only found on Sound ID products – no other Bluetooth headsets offer this capability.
2) The Sound ID 400 is the only headset to deliver Environmental Mode™, a feature that enables users to hear equally out of both ears in-between calls. When the Environmental Mode is activated, the hearing ability is enhanced and soft sounds can be heard while wearing the headset – allowing clear conversations “On” and “Off” the phone.
3) Additionally, the headset is the only one of its kind to be compatible with the optional Sound ID CompanionLink™ Remote Microphone – creating a Personal Sound System. The CompanionLink is a small clip-on device, a mere two-inches in size, that syncs with the Sound ID 400 and can be worn by a conversation partner or placed near a sound source to pick up audio at its origin for a richer sound experience. This device can greatly enhance the clarity of speech in many communication situations, such as: (1) a distant talker, e.g. a lecturer; (2) a very noisy environment, e.g. a restaurant; or, (3) a talker whose speech is received as faint due to his or her physical location with respect to the listener, e.g. a passenger sitting in the back of the car.

“The Sound ID 400 showcases the innovative audio capabilities that our headsets are known for and kicks it up a notch with Environmental Mode and compatibility with the CompanionLink Remote Microphone,” said Michael Jones, President and CEO of Sound ID. “Together, the Sound ID 400 and CompanionLink create a new Personal Sound System that elevates the traditional Bluetooth experience by improving speech intelligibility and aiding in clear conversations – whether on or off the phone.”

The Sound ID 400 also offers NoiseNavigation™, which uses multiple microphones and special DSP algorithms to remove background noise and elevate speech. The goal is to improve speech understanding in noisy situations. Finally, Sound ID 400 can connect with two devices simultaneously – enabling users to answer calls from two phones from the convenience of one headset. It is designed with a Black Velvet soft-touch finish.

Summary of Key Features
· PersonalSound™, in addition to offering the volume control, the user can select from 3 custom listening modes that are tuned to enhance speech clarity and boosting listening power.
· Environmental Mode™ can be activated to create a “hear-through” feature that enables users to hear equally out of both ears, even when wearing the headset, transforming ordinary hearing into extraordinary hearing.
· NoiseNavigation™ removes background and wind noise while boosting speech for clear conversations.
· Multi-Point Technology enables users to securely connect with two Bluetooth-enabled phones, such as a work and a personal phone. Then, the Sound ID 400 can answer or originate calls on either phone.
· Automatic Volume Control reduces the need for users to manually switch volume settings, as the headset seamlessly adjusts to changing environments and variable noise situations.
· CompanionLink™ Remote Microphone is an optional accessory, which can be worn by a conversation partner or placed near a sound source, to pick up audio near its source for a richer listening experience.

Sound ID 400 Bluetooth Headset Specifications
· Lightweight: 8 grams (0.28 ounces)
· Dimensions: 53.5 x 15.5 x 7.5 millimeters (2.1 x 0.6 x 0.3 inches)
· Powerful Battery Life: Up to 7 hours talk time, 200 hours (8 days) standby
· Latest Bluetooth Technology: Bluetooth version 2.1+ EDR and eSCO improves the transmission sound quality and is compatible with earlier versions of Bluetooth
· Convenience: Easy and secure simple pairing; comes with a Universal A/C wall charger, 100-240v

Sound ID CompanionLink™ Remote Microphone Specifications
· Pairing on the Fly: Automatically pairs with the Sound ID 400 headset
· Lightweight: 8 grams (0.28 ounces)
· Dimensions: 53.5 x 15.5 x 7.5 millimeters (2.1 x 0.6 x 0.3 inches)
· Powerful Battery Life: Up to 10 hours talk time
· Bluetooth Radio: Wide band with a range of up to 30 feet line-of-sight

Pricing and Availability
The Sound ID 400 will be available in Q4 for $129.99 MSR. It comes with a Universal AC charger (100-240 VAC), USB charging cable, three sizes of RealComfort EarLoops and an Ear Hook for an alternative over-the-ear wearing option. The Sound ID CompanionLink Remote Microphone will also be available Q4 for $79.99 MSR.

About Sound ID
Sound ID™ was founded with the mission to bring personalized sound to mainstream consumers. Sound ID has accomplished this by combining deep knowledge of the human ear with cutting-edge Bluetooth technology and patented Adaptive Noise Compensation techniques. The result is a new category of Bluetooth-compatible headsets – designed to revolutionize your personal appreciation of sound by addressing your unique hearing preferences in a wide variety of environments.

Noted Ear Doctor from Stanford University and entrepreneur Dr. Rodney Perkins founded Sound ID based on the premise that personal communications devices, such as Bluetooth headsets, could benefit from knowledge advancements of how the human ear processes sound. From there, Dr. Perkins brought together top scientists and engineers in psychoacoustics, product design and software development to create a truly advanced product line.

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New Hot Plate goes hi-tech

Kids heading off to college who don’t want to spend all their money at the college commissary may want to check out this HiTech hot plate, known as the Fagor Portable Induction Cookstop.

Both Stylish and Safe

The Cookstop is more energy efficient and heats up faster than conventional coil hot plate models. But contrary to those coil models, the Fagor Induction Cookstop doesn’t heat the air around the heating element, thereby keeping inadvertent skin burns to a minimum (not to mention dorm room fires due to forgetting to turn it off).

Safe to the touch, the Cookstop needs a magnetic connection to heat.

The Cookstop needs a magnetic connection with posts and pans in order to complete a circuit and heat up the dish, so simply taking off the pot or pan will cause the Cookstop to simply pause in heating until the circuit is once again closed.

In addition to its safety features, the Cookstop heats far quicker. According to one reviewer, the Cookstop violently boiled a full post of water in under 5 minutes. But speed and safety aren’t just their only features, as the Fagor Portable Induction Cookstop has give different heating levels.

Cost is $200 from Fagor.com

Hat Tip – Wired Gadget Lab

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Griffin Technology PowerDuo Reserve Review

Anyone who has owned an iPhone for even a short period of time can tell you that its biggest flaw — or at least, the biggest flaw that isn’t directly related to the carrier — is its frustratingly insufficient battery life, especially compared to standard mobile phones. The typical solution for most users is to either switch off services such as Wi-Fi, 3G or Bluetooth when they aren’t being used, or to simply charge the iPhone one or more times during the course of the day. I rarely use my iPhone as an actual phone, and I still find myself running the battery down below 20% during an average day if I don’t take the time to recharge it at least once. I’m not always in a position where I can sit around and wait for my iPhone to charge, however, and that’s precisely the problem that Griffin Technology’s PowerDuo Reserve is intended to solve.

You may recall that Griffin had previously released a car charger and a home AC charger called the PowerJolt and PowerBlock, respectively. Each of these chargers had a single standard USB port and included a USB to Apple dock connector cable allowing you to charge any of the iPod models, from the Shuffle to the iPod Touch. Griffin has now replaced these with the PowerJolt Reserve and the PowerBlock Reserve, omitting the included USB to dock connector cable and replacing it with a rechargeable battery pack.

You can purchase the PowerJolt Reserve and the PowerBlock reserve separately, or you can purchase them together as the PowerDuo Reserve. The major difference between buying the individual packages and buying the PowerDuo pack is that the latter includes only one battery pack to share between the two chargers. If you anticipate needing to keep a charged battery pack in two different places, or you simply would prefer to have two battery packs charged and ready at any time, you may want to consider buying the separate packages.

The styling of the chargers has changed pretty significantly since the previous versions, both now employing a theme of shiny black plastic and rounded right-angles that is far more in line with the Apple aesthetic. The PowerJolt Reserve features chrome trim around the area where the battery pack is docked, which not only makes it a better match for the decor of most modern automobile interiors, but it also serves to make the area more visible in a darkened vehicle. It’s a minor feature, but it makes the device just that much easier to use, and serves as a further indicator of the kind of thought that went into the design of the product.

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Domyos Interactive System is new type of exercise game

Considering the WiiFit and Dance Dance Revolution have sold well in the non-gaming crowd, I have been wondering when some company was going to come out with something like this.

The Domyos Interactive System is targeting a whole new type of audience of non-gamers as it doesn’t require any console to plug it into, but fits right into any television set or display.

From there, the user can work out with one of the game cartridges on an exercise mat that includes a sort of DDR type game that several players can join in on. (Provided they have the correct number of mats.)

There is also this hurdle sort of game, and this system keeps track of your calories burned. There is a video of it after the jump.

My source also reveals that it has “a bike attachment and a pair of reflective gloves for martial arts type fast reflex stuff”. You may have noticed that you didn’t see that in the video, and neither did I.

Well, my source didn’t have a price on this gaming device, nor any sort of availability date. You might ask yourself whether or not it can compete in a video game client with Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, but lets let the consumers decide.

Source

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