CNET News Poll
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)What's wrong with you?
Doesn't everybody have at least one of these things? I'm just curious, is there anyone out there who flat-out refuses to buy an iPod or Zune or whatever? Are you just bucking the trend? Oh, and please tell us how old you are. I want to know if there are any iPod-less kids reading the Audiophiliac.
Amazon is set to ship the Oppo BDP-83 on July 6 for $500.
(Credit: Oppo)Over the years Oppo's developed a following for its impressive upscaling DVD players, so a lot its fans were wondering when its much-anticipated BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player would finally show up after being announced last year. Well, it's finally here, and the official price tag is about what we expected: $500.
The idea behind the Oppo BDP-83 is that you're getting a high-end Blu-ray player for mid-range money. Oppo touts the Anchor Bay video processing and the player has support for both SACD and DVD-Audio and is loaded with connectivity, including 2 USB ports, an Ethernet jack for BD-Live content, and 7.1 analog audio. However, it lacks any sort of streaming video service, such as Netflix.
Anybody excited the BDP-83 is finally here?
Additional reading: Oppo BDP-83 early look
Just as America gears up to celebrate Independence Day comes news that iPhone 3GS owners are getting some freedom of their own.
This is the site for purplera1n, which enables the installation of third-party software not approved for Apple's App Store.
George Hotz, who you may recall as the teenage hacker who originally unlocked the iPhone, has let loose a jailbreaking app for the iPhone 3GS code-named purplera1n. It enables the installation of third-party software not approved for Apple's App Store.
For now, purplera1n is Windows-only (but not Windows 7) and requires the latest iTunes installed, as well as an iPhone 3GS with the 3.0 firmware. In a Friday blog post titled "I make it ra1n," Hotz says a Mac version is "coming shortly."
Hotz notes that he normally doesn't make tools for the general public and would rather wait for the iPhone dev team to do that.
"But guys, what's up with waiting until 3.1? That isn't how the game is played," he chides on his blog. "We release, Apple fixes, we find new holes. It isn't worth waiting because you might have the 'last' hole in the iPhone. What last hole...this isn't golf. I'll find a new one next week.
John Biggs over at CrunchGear is among those who have already given purplera1n a go and declares the jailbreaking process "amazingly simple."
Why do we get the sense jailbreaking is going to be part of a whole lot of Fourth of July agendas? But take note: Hotz does caution that purplera1n is in beta and suggests backing up your data before running the app.
The haptic feedback patent, if approved, would bring the iPhone in line with rival handsets that provide localized tactile feedback.
(Credit: CNET )Three patent applications by Apple were published Thursday, and they cover technologies including haptics, fingerprint recognition, and RFID.
The haptic feedback patent, if approved, would bring the iPhone (and possibly other Apple devices) in line with rival handsets, which already provide localized tactile feedback in, for example, an onscreen soft keyboard.
Haptic technology gives people sensory feedback--in the form of a vibration or pressure--when they use a touch screen. Essentially, it makes touching a key on a touch screen more akin to pressing a real button.
The fingerprint recognition patent does not really have to do with authentication and security, but rather with identifying which fingers are in use, so as to associate different functions with different digits.
The RFID reader patent would see RFID-communicating circuitry integrated with the circuitry behind the touch screen itself.
All the above are just applications, though, so it could be a long while before we see any of this functionality built into iPhones or other Apple devices.
David Meyer of ZDNet UK reported from London.
CNET News Poll
Happy (almost) Fourth of July!
Two hundred thirty-three years ago, our nation's founders declared independence from Great Britain. But nailing down a final version of the Declaration of Independence took time, with the writers (or more likely their couriers) flitting about on horses with drafts, as the authors debated phrasing and passed edits around.
That got us thinking: which tool of the Digital Age would have had the greatest influence on the course of American history? Vote in our poll, and as always, chime in with your own ideas in the TalkBack section below.
Sometimes, in order to grow, you need to take a step back and look with adoration and respect to the things you took for granted as a child. It also helps to mock them incessantly.
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EPISODE 144 |
“Grease” game coming to Nintendo
6 high-tech ways to upgrade your barbecue from start to finish
Pretttttyyyy (Jason edition)
Vacuum-tube chess set
What the hell?
The Microsoft vomit ad saga
Kill Me
The most expensive 16 gigabytes on the planet: The Mnemosyne USB cube
Tool Time
Video mask allows you to film underwater hands-free
Gender gap
thereifixedit.com
It’s about time (childhood nostalgia edition)
iPod clock terrorizes hobbits
Back when we first saw the Duet D8 on the Beyond E-Tech Web site, we pegged it as an iPhone clone. After all, it looked a lot like Apple's device so we were intrigued by what it might offer. But after some study, we realized someone had photoshopped the iPhone's menus into the D8's frame and our interest began to wane. And now after putting the D8 through its paces, we can report that it's not worth much of a look at all.
Like the Duet D888, the D8 offers the welcome ability to make calls from two separate lines, but its average feature set and middling multimedia performance left us wanting more. Even more importantly, it fails the usability test because of its clunky touch screen and tiny virtual keyboard. Read our Duet D8 review for the full story.
Now that the iPhone OS 3.0 firmware has added stereo Bluetooth functionality to the Apple iPhone, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit stereo Bluetooth and what it promises.
Motorola Rokr S9 HD with iPod adapter
(Credit: Motorola)Stereo Bluetooth, or A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile), is essentially a Bluetooth profile that lets you stream music from one device to another without the use of wires. The technology has been around for years, and almost all music phones have this feature. In fact, it was quite a big letdown that the original iPhone and iPhone 3G did not have this built in when they first launched, considering the iPhone's iPod heritage. Still, it's better late than never. The iPhone OS 3.0 update also brought stereo Bluetooth to the iPod Touch 2nd gen. If you have a music player instead of a phone, you can also purchase additional stereo Bluetooth adapters, like this Motorola D650 iPod adapter.
Stereo Bluetooth headphones come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some, like the Motorola Rokr S9 HD, are meant for active lifestyles, as it's shaped to hug the sides of the head. Others, like the Samsung SBH-600, are meant for serious audiophiles, especially with its promise of surround sound and bass boost. We also like the mono-to-stereo headsets, like the Plantronics Voyager 855, that can change from a mono headset to a stereo version simply by connecting an additional ear bud. One of the more popular stereo headsets among our readers is the Jabra BT3030, which isn't really even a headset so much as it is a pendant that you can use with any pair of 3.5mm-compatible headphones.
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Episode 53 |
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The unlimited monthly plan wars continue to get hotter following a new service from TracFone. The Mobile Virtual Network Operator recently debuted StraightTalk, a prepaid, no-contract wireless brand that offers 30MB of data plus unlimited calling and messaging for $45 per month. Alternatively, you can get 1,000 anytime minutes and 1,000 text or multimedia messages for $30 per month.
Boost Mobile has offered a $50 per month plan that includes unlimited data since January, but StraightTalk now ties with MetroPCS for a calling and texting option. Yet, it is worth noting that Boost Mobile pays taxes while other carriers do not.
StraightTalk's coverage via Verizon Wireless isn't entirely nationwide and its phone selection is hardly impressive--you're limited to the LG200CM, Motorola W385, and Motorola Razr V3 (yes, it's back)--but beating this price will be difficult--at least for now.
