madison
ie8 fix

Crave

Fold-out keyboard in pricey portable

In what seems to be the Swiss Army knife of portables, the S-XGen ultramobile personal computer (UMPC) from Seamless Internet includes an Intel PXA270 Xscale 520MHz processor running Windows CE 5.0 operating system, Microsoft Office Mobile, 256MB of RAM, a 20GB hard drive, Wi-Fi (802.11b), Bluetooth and tri-band GSM/EDGE/CDMA EV-DO network access, Ethernet and USB ports, a 4-inch TFT LCD touch screen, a 280 pixel Web video camera, and a fold-out QWERTY keyboard, all of which collapse into a package measuring 6.5x3.8x1.25 inches and weighing 14 ounces.

Eight hours of battery life accommodates … Read more

Company with a camera that sees through walls gets $14 million

Camero, a company out of Israel that has developed a camera that can "see" things through solid walls, has raised $14 million, bringing the total is has raised to $20 million.

The investment comes about four months after it showed off a prototype of the Xaver800 and began to sell systems to customers. Investors include Greylock Partners, Motorola Ventures and Walden.

The Xaver800 doesn't technically capture images directly. Instead, it issues ultrawideband signals and the data harvested is then used to create 3D models of things the signals bounced off of. The trick is that the camera … Read more

Harman's auto audio gem

Harman Kardon unleashed its nifty Drive+Play 2 for gadget-loving drivers everywhere. With an impressively simple setup (you can hook it up in a couple minutes sans tools), you can have a single interface for everything from your iPod or Zune to your phone or satellite radio. The 3.5-inch color display is easily mountable on your dash with screws or adhesive, and a 2.4GHz wireless control knob lets you navigate the very iPod-like skinnable menu system for "distraction-free browsing."

The system is powered by a cigarette-lighter module that doubles as an FM transmitter, line output, and … Read more

Video grabber for iPod and PSP

Depending on where you get your video content, it can be a real pain to get movies and TV shows onto your iPod or PSP. Enter Streaming Networks' iRecord PRM-100 ($199.99), which lets you record video in real time directly to any USB mass storage device at a rate of around 3 hours of recording time per gigabyte in H.264/AVC format (with AAC audio tracks). Now you can record your gaming sessions and prove to your friends what a great Halo 2 player you are. You can even record music in MP3 format, though real-time music encoding … Read more

Eco-chic scooter gets equivalent of 1,350 mpg

A Vespa Granturismo might get 64 miles per gallon, but this little guy sure one-ups it. I read about it on ThisNext: it's called the GreenEmotor, or GEM (there does not appear to be any relation to the GEM electric car brand), and it's a zero-emissions electric scooter that gets the equivalent of 1,350 miles per gallon. More specifically, you'd get 1,350 miles of electric charge (a single charge will cost about 12 cents on your electric bill) for the $3 that you'd spend on a gallon of gas. The various GEM models range … Read more

Get TiVo without a TiVo box

The moment many have long awaited has arrived: Comcast cable customers can get TiVo on the cable company's own DVR set-top boxes.

TiVo is now available as a software download, which means no new piece of hardware for current customers and no waiting around for hours on a technician.

It's the first time TiVo's been available on non-TiVo hardware. Motorola says its DCT6412 set-top box is one such model. Technical trials began in December 2006, and market trials will begin this spring, the companies said. What they're not saying is how much the service will cost. … Read more

Crave goes to Vegas for CES

Today is my last day here in Vegas, and I still haven't even begun to see everything I wanted to! However, Rich DeMuro and I had a chance to walk around the South Hall and the Sands Convention Center to find some truly craveable gadgets. I'll be back next week with another special guest host in San Francisco. See you then!

Control your iPod from 500 feet away

Challenging the Keyspan TuneView is iJet's black two-way RF iPod remote (available in March for $129.95), which lets you view your tracks and control your player from up to 500 feet away. (This was measured in an open space, always a popular RF-range caveat; since there are walls in the real world, your results may vary.)

The iJet is a fraction of TuneView's size, just a bit smaller than a Nano. Both your iPod and the remote charge in a dock, which transmits the contents and EQ settings menus to the remote for viewing and choosing in … Read more

Look ma, no MP3 memory

One size fits all with the latest memory-free MP3/video player from HandHeld Entertainment, the Zvue Model 260. Instead of making several models of different capacities, Zvue lets you decide how much memory you need. The entry level configuration of the Model 260 ($99.99) will include a starter 512MB SD card instead, but the slot will accept a card as large as 4GB when it becomes available mid-year.

Physically, the silver-and-black player bears more than a passing resemblance to an iPod. It measures 4.16 x 2.4 x 0.5-inches, a hair long and thicker than a video … Read more

Thin is in with credit card-like MP3 player

The MP3 player takes on a whole new dimension--literally--with the Walletex Wallet MP3 player. It measures a measly 2mm/0.091 inch thin--thinner than a pair of credit cards and slim and tough enough to store in a credit card wallet slot.

On one side of the player are the usual transport keys that require a forceful push, which means the thing won't accidentally start playing when it's in your wallet and you're sitting on it.

Sticking out from one end is a unique all-purpose sliver USB jack that's the same thickness as the rest of … Read more