Gadgets

Dinosaurs may be extinct, but robotics maker WowWee is bringing them out of the Cretaceous Period and into the computer era.

The Roboraptor is a fierce but cuddly interactive toy robot dinosaur that simulates a real raptor's body movements. His head and swishing tail are guided by touch and sonic sensors that detect sound and direction; infrared vision sensors help the 32-inch bipedal beast avoid obstacles.

Roboraptor's behavior changes according to his moods, which swing between hunter, cautious, playful--and every now and then, introspective. Go near the little guy's face when he's hunting and he'll … Read more

Logitech announced a new webcam and software designed to tap into the increase of webcam usage using instant messaging and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP).

The PC gadget maker's new QuickCam Fusion is designed for that casual conversation between friends or as a Web conference business tool, the company said. Priced at $99.99 in the U.S and available this month in both the U.S. and Europe, the webcam features a wider lens with 78 degrees of visibility and requires Windows 2000 or XP to operate.

Worldwide sales of PC cameras have grown from 2.9 million … Read more

For a long time, scuttlebutt has had it that TiVo was about to get into the digital downloading of content via the Internet.

Well, according to the Associated Press, the time may finally have come. The AP reported on Friday that the digital video recorder maker has struck a deal with the Independent Film Channel for a trial program that would give users access to several of the network's shows for downloading.

TiVo spokesman Elliot Sloane told the AP that beta testers would begin getting the IFC shows next week.

Further feeding the frenzy, leading tech gadgets blog Engadget … Read more

For some time, digital video recorder maker TiVo has been struggling to meet financial expectations despite having one of the most passionate user bases in business. Good news for the company has been hard to come by, but one piece had been that satellite TV behemoth DirecTV provided its customers with TiVo's DVRs and service.

But now word comes that DirecTV is abandoning TiVo by year's end. And that can only mean more tough times for the DVR maker. Indeed, its shares plummeted 9 percent after the news hit Thursday.

To be sure, TiVo has had a devil … Read more

PC gadget maker Logitech took the wraps off a box of new goodies for PC game enthusiasts, including a programmable keyboard with an LCD display and two mice with laser tracking technology.

All three products are designed to tap into a video games industry (hardware, software and accessories) that The NPD Group estimates just reached $4.1 billion for the first half of this year--June to July. That's an increase of 21 percent over the $3.4 billion the analyst firm found in the first half of 2004.

Logitech's new G15 keyboard ($79.99) features a built-in LCD … Read more

MP3 player maker iRiver launched its latest family of music devices with Microsoft's PlaysForSure seal of approval.

The company says that makes the T30 and the T10 the first flash memory-based music players to support portable subscription-based music services, such as Rhapsody To Go, Napster To Go and Yahoo! Music Unlimited.

Both ultra-portable devices are available online now and are expected to hit select store shelves this month. The company said it still plans on selling its 100-series, 700-series, 800-series, 900-series and N10-series of music players as well.

The new T10 series sports a color display an FM tuner … Read more

Hewlett Packard's 8250 inkjet printer, targeted at consumers who will want to print pictures at home, costs $199 in stores, but it probably costs $199.80 to make, says Doug Moore, an analyst at research firm Current Analysis. The manufacturing cost estimate might be ten percent high at best, but either way, that doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room.

"It's the (business) model for the low-end inkjet market. The manufacturers reap whatever they are losing on the printers on the supplies," he said.

HP is trying to recover lost ground in the inkjet market … Read more

Thinking about podcasting but are nervous about investing in thousands of dollars of hardware?

Russell Johnson, a 30 year veteran of commercial, public and Internet broadcasting and international media projects has come up with his all-in-one box dubbed the WorldVibrations Radio Station & Podcaster--also known as the WVRS-P.

The company is taking orders now starting at $2,850 and expects to ship the product around the globe on August 22.

The box includes all the hardware and software that a person would need to start up an Internet-based radio station as well as an automated podcast studio, including streaming … Read more

Louis Armstrong, move over. A new digital trumpet is now on the market and it looks to help make even the most inexperienced trumpet player sound like a pro.

The Morrison Digital Trumpet--or MDT for short--is a brass-style MIDI wind controller invented and designed by Steve Marshall and Australian multi-instrumentalist James Morrison.

The horn, which sells for a little more than $1,678, also creates alternative sounds that musicians cannot produce on their acoustic instruments.

For example, the Web site says, "you can use the MDT to double on clarinet, saxophone, guitar, or bass."

Transposing songs is done … Read more