Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation It's not that texting from planes is currently impossible, it's just not terribly reliable. Thanks to Avidyne's Q4-bound MLX770, however, all that is about to change. The two-way datalink receiver will not only enable pilots to have access to the radar mosaic for most of the world along with weather conditions, but it will add support for text messaging right from the MFD. And we're not talking about CPLDC -- we're talking bona fide SMS. To keep pilots from chatting away too much unnecessarily, the system will limit messages to 32 characters, and beyond that, each message sent will run between $1 and $2. And to think, we actually have the nerve to gripe about $0.20 texts... [Via FlightGlobal]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: GPS Dying to get your eyes and fingers all over Mio's GPS-incarnation of KITT? Can't hardly wait to hear the voice of the voice of the original KITT barking directions at you? Well you're in luck, friend. Radio Shack has apparently begun taking pre-orders for the Knight Rider-branded satnav, which they claim will be available to own come September 24th. Ready to go? Get your credit card out, then prepare to be $269.99 lighter and 40 percent nerdier. [Thanks, Jason]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Home Entertainment Not a lot here that you can't already make out for yourself, but we'll give ya the down low, anyway. The Crystal USB Desktop Speakers are powered via USB 2.0 and only pack 1-watt per channel, yet somehow, they're touted as "audiophile" grade. The product description rambles on in embarrassing fashion about just how amazing these things will sound, but seriously, we'd just be happy with the decently cool looks (yes, we're being generous here) and relatively low $39.99 price tag. [Via Random Good Stuff]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds Movistar's Chilean outpost has now become -- somewhat surprisingly, may we add -- the very first carrier in the world to launch the BlackBerry Bold and put it into subscribers' hands. The carrier's making sure everyone knows what a coup they've managed to pull off, too, proudly proclaiming "FIRST ONES IN THE WORLD" with a red banner draped across the Bold's image on Movistar's site. Pricing seems a little high at 299,990 Chilean pesos (about $588) on a two-year contract, but hey, you've gotta pay to play; just how badly do you want to be one of the first people on the face of the planet (John Mayer notably excepted) to put this thing to use? [Via Engadget Spanish]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras Okay, so we won't totally judge Chinavasion's "High Definition Great Value" camcorder before we get to know it, but we'll be frank, we ain't gettin' to know it. Those willing to give this heap a fighting chance can look forward to hope for 720p capturing at 30fps, 8-megapixel still shots, a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, 19MB (and not a byte more) of internal memory, an SD / SDHC expansion slot and an HDMI output for showing off your adventures to friends and family (who will inevitably whisper behind your back about what camcorder you chose). Nah, we're not seriously riding this thing that hard, but do tell if you're the first soul to lay down $157.50 for one. Anyone, anyone? [Via Random Good Stuff]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Laptops It's almost over folks -- at least, that's what we're continuing to tell ourselves. Anyways, Sammy has decided to follow in the footsteps of practically everyone else in the laptop realm by revealing a few newcomers over in South Korea. Granted, we already knew that a few of these were coming, but now we've got actual units with Photoshopped screen savers to prove their existence. Ready? Let's go. We've got the Centrino 2-based 12.1-inch Q210, 13.1-inch Q310, 14.1-inch R460, 15.4-inch R510 / R560 and 17-inch R710 on the consumer side, while the P210, P460, P461, P510 and P560 make up the business crowd. A few more lovely images are waiting in the read link, though no price / release dates accompany them. [Thanks, Khattab]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets Here's one of those inventions that just makes sense. The Hidden Tap by Jelmer Moorman uses a sensor to follow your hands and dispense water. As you move your hands from left to right under the faucet, water goes from hot to cold just like like a regular tap. We have no word on availability, but Hidden Tap is part of the Kunst Zonder Kapsones venture company started by Fernando H. Arias, so we have a feeling that given enough interest, this thing will be showing up in high-end contractors' bags of tricks at some point. Hit the continue link to see the thing in action, but be warned -- it's a .wmv file. [Thanks, Fernando]Continue reading Hidden Tap faucet flows from left to right as you go from dirty to cleanRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Robots Jacob Whitehill at UC San Diego's Jacobs School of Engineering has demonstrated a proof of concept that allows his facial expressions to speed-up and slow-down video playback. Pretty sweet. But we're more interested to hear that his project is part of a larger effort at the UCSD Machine Perception Lab (gulp) to use automated face recognition to "make robots more effective teachers." We can see the future now... Human: (frowning) Robot: Aw, my meat bag is sad, I will now give it a hamburger and turn on Golden Girls. Fortunately, human teachers who've somehow missed out on the billions of years of biologically evolution required to recognize the "oh face" can take advantage of this research as well. See a video demonstration of that after the break, face-controlled video here.Continue reading Expression recognition turns humans into remote controls... for robotsRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Laptops Daewoo Lucoms is no stranger to building smallish computers, but it seems to have taken a few obvious design cues from Intel's 2go PC when crafting its own Lukid. According to the firm's site, this kid-friendly PC includes a 900MHz Celeron M ULV processor, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, a 9-inch display, 30GB hard drive and Windows XP Home Edition. There's also two USB jacks, audio in / out, WiFi, Ethernet and a rather unsightly (though quite useful, we imagine) carry handle. Expect this one to land in South Korea for around ₩549,000 ($531), though we haven't heard a peep in regard to availability elsewhere in the world. [Via AVING]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs It's about time someone we understand got his hands on Gigabyte's M704 UMPC. In this case, Chippysteve over at UMPC Portal put together a relatively long video that has him gushing over the new machine, navigating XP, tapping the screen, and putting the little computer through its various tasks. He seems to love the thing unconditionally, but did admit that the chiclet keyboard could use some work. Interface responsiveness looks decent and he proved the unit's performance by running some 1080P video without much of a glitch, so his adoration is at least partially deserved. Don't forget to note his excitement over the free docking station. That all said, we're just glad to see this thing in action in the Western hemisphere. Peep the vid after the break.Continue reading Gigabyte M704 unboxing video excites reviewer, may put you to sleepRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: GPS We aren't suggesting that these problems are widespread or anything, but a fair number of users over at AVIC411 seem to be having all sorts of issues with their (admittedly pricey) F-Series navigators. According to owners, the issues range from complete lock-ups to distorted voice commands to quirky iPod interactions -- and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Have any of you taken the plunge only to find a litany of problems after installation? Or is your unit humming along just fine? Chime in below and let us know what's up.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Gaming From the get-go, Nintendo's latest console was seen as a dream come true for folks who'd love to lose a few pounds, yet would rather log a few hours on the couch rather than the track. Shortly after the Wii Fit's launch, we're already seeing another wave of dedicated users reporting weight loss, and the trend is even bleeding into the medical field. According to Sue Stanley-Green, a professor of athletic training at Florida Southern College, the Wii Fit and other fitness-related games have "great potential for core strengthening and rehabilitation and may boost compliance with rehabilitation exercises." She also noted that these games were "being used more and more in nursing homes," and particularly with youngsters, titles such as Wii Fit are the only ones that stand a chance at getting them active. We can't decide if that's a positive thing or just downright depressing. [Thanks, Juergen] Read - Wii Fit in rehab Read - Wii Fit weight lossPermalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Household Realities:United has created a device that will likely bring back fond memories of Coldplay's X | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Storage Those that somehow still haven't found a drive or drive enclosure that meets their security / paranoia needs may want to take a gander at one of Raidon's recently released STARAY S Series "data encryption boxes," which offer a number of different security measures to keep your data away from prying eyes. That includes plain-old software password protection on the S1 Series device, fingerprint protection on the S2 model, and keypad-based password protection on the S3 box (pictured above). Otherwise, each one will give you a so-called "X-Zone" partition on the drive that is invisible without the key, along with "S-Code" technology that encrypts the data in the X-Zone. You will have to supply your own 2.5-inch hard drive, however, although the enclosure's screw-free design should at least make that a relatively easy process, assuming you can find one, that is -- it seems like retailers are a little slow to pick these up. [Via BIOS] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Portable Audio We've seen some far-out portable speakers, but Targus is keeping it simple with the upcoming Portable Speaker Book. The folding speakers feature NXT flat-panel Balanced Radiator drivers, and can be powered by either four AAs or USB power. We've no word on pricing, but we wouldn't expect to break the bank when these hit the UK sometime this summer. [Via Randomly Accessed]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video What's better than having a nice leather or cloth iPod sleeve to show off to your friends? If you're thinking one made of imitation meat -- you're dead right! Apparently, a company in Japan is under the impression that you want to wrap your music player in a grade A lookalike, undoubtedly to the thrill of your vegetarian friends and family. Of course, don't just get one for the shock value -- this thing oozes pure, sophisticated style. If you've got 6,800 (or about $66) and dignity to spare, it can be all yours. [Via DVICE]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets We'll be honest -- there are quite a few things about the Cyber MC brainwave management solution that remain unclear to us, but it's probably for the best. Korean startup Orange Dreams has apparently concocted some sort of eyewear / software combo that can control your brainwaves and calm your nerves, convince you that you really aren't craving nicotine or make you believe that fruits and vegetables really are more delicious than a Cadbury Cream Egg. We're not about to delve into how this thing actually intends to work, but those unafraid can give it a go next month. [Via Hallyu Tech] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Portable Audio There's no telling where in the command chain this came from, but Boston talk show host Howie Carr got censored yesterday afternoon for uttering those nastiest of words: Sirius and XM. He was reading off yesterday's news about the DoJ's approval of the merger when his producer blanked out his mention of the two companies involved. Howie's station, WRKO, is owned by Entercom, a major competitor of Clear Channel -- who of course has its own opinions on censorship. [Via Orbitcast] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Displays, Features, Peripherals Ah, finally, video of the production Optimus Maximus keyboard in real world use with our machine running the Configurator software. We won't spoil all the fun, hit up the video after the break to see it in action. [MP4] - Download, h.264 65MB Update: Ok, YouTube was totally sucky for the first couple hours, but the embedded video is now online after the break. Of course, you can also download it from the link right above. Sorry for the delay!Continue reading Video: Optimus Maximus install, setup, Configurator, and use! Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Displays, Features, Peripherals Ah, finally, video of the production Optimus Maximus keyboard in real world use with our machine running the Configurator software. We won't spoil all the fun, hit up the video after the break to see it in action. [MP4] - Download, h.264 65MB Update: Ok, YouTube was totally sucky for the first couple hours, but the embedded video is now online after the break. Of course, you can also download it from the link right above. Sorry for the delay!Continue reading Video: Optimus Maximus install, setup, Configurator, and use! Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Tablet PCs We'll hand it to 'em -- we've yet to see a RippleNote emerge from South Korea that we didn't think was at least marginally good looking, and the Ripple Tablet T8100 most certainly keeps the streak alive. Boasting a 12.1-inch 1,280 x 800 resolution touch panel, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 120GB SATA hard drive, DVD writer and a 2.1GHz T8100 (surprised?) processor, this beauty can act as a traditional laptop or convert into a tablet should the mood strike you. As for ports, you'll find a trio of USB 2.0 connectors, built-in Ethernet, VGA, 4-pin FireWire, ExpressCard and audio in / out. Mum's the word on a price at the moment, but expect it to pop up 'round Seoul anytime. [Via AVING] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Robots Nonhuman chefs are far from extraordinary, but the latest culinary guru crafted in Japan has a taste for the extreme. Reportedly, the EZ Order Robot was spotted in Osaka whipping up octopus balls (of all things), but apparently, the creature was able to concoct the dish totally from scratch. Interestingly, the demonstration wasn't really established to showcase its kitchen prowess, but rather to highlight other capabilities such as speech recognition and the ability to perform routine tasks without human intervention. Click here for the video, but remember, we're not responsible for ruining your appetite. [Via Live Science] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Portable Audio You know what your mother always used to say about things that seem too good to be true, but the deafening amount of hype and hyperbole being thrown about in reference to the "game changing" Qtrax with "25 million tracks" is quite distracting enough to take note of. According to the Qtrax website, the P2P client -- Windows only, a Mac version is slated for March 18th -- will be available at midnight EST, but while Qtrax is confident of its supposed deals with the majors, a few of those labels claim to be short of an actual deal with Qtrax. The business model is simple enough: DRM'd tracks count the number of times they're played and then report back to the mother ship -- which will divvy up revenue based on ad sales. It sounds like there's PlaysForSure under the hood, and Qtrax claims it'll have an iPod-friendly version ready before too long, but there's a disturbing lack of detail on the official site. There is $30 million of VC funding behind the venture, so they clearly expect some results, but $30 million and high hopes certainly is no guarantee of label support of a crazy -- and perhaps entirely overdue -- scheme like this. We'll be certainly watching for what happens at midnight. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Read - Qtrax Read - Times Online (It's a go) Read - NEWS.com.au (Labels back away) Read - ZDNet UK (Rupert Goodwins weighs in) Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: CES, Features, HDTV, Podcasts This CES: all about the HDTVs. On this CES 2008 episode of the podcast we're talking TV with Engadget HD editor Ben Drawbaugh -- as well as a bit about Lenovo's grand new consumer computing brand plan. We also caught up with our pal Charles over at Virgin America, who talked with us a bit about the airlines nascent plans to get you online during your next flight. Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [RSS OGG] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in OGG) to your RSS aggregator. Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block Guests: Ben Drawbaugh (Engadget HD), Charles Ogilvie (Virgin America) Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International) 05:04 - Mitsubishi laser TV unveiled 13:35 - Sony XEL-1 OLED slips into US stores 19:51 - OpenCable officially becomes tru2way 31:20 - Lenovo launches IdeaPad, IdeaStation laptop and desktop lines 39:24 - AirCell set to hook up Virgin America with in-flight broadband LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Features, Gaming, Podcasts We've wanted a long time to get our old pal Major Nelson on the Engadget podcast, and what better occasion than CES? Ok, maybe E3 -- but there's been no dearth of 360 news at and prior to the show, and no shortage of questions we've been dying to have answered on the air. If you're not down with the Xbox, you'll probably want to wait for a little bit until our next podcast, because in this one we're talking about the recent Live outages, how the console's been doing in the market, the persistence of the integrated HD DVD player rumor, the announcement of the 360's first IPTV rollout, and even waxing nerd about our favorite titles of late. Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [RSS OGG] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in OGG) to your RSS aggregator. Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block Producer: Trent Wolbe Guest: Larry Hryb, aka Major Nelson Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International) LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: GPS, Portable Audio, Portable Video We see a ton (literally) of PMPs and GPS units these days, and nearly all of them seriously lack style. As far as we can tell, the same can't be said for the Inkel W-700, a combo satnav and digital audio / video player that really makes us wish we were in Korea right now. With a dual core CPU setup, 128MB of RAM, T-DMB support, the trusty SiRF Star III GPS chip, a spacious 7-inch 800 x 400 Samsung LCD touchscreen, and a price tag hovering around $500, it sounds like a steal, right? Still, we're going to wait for US maps and a demo of the OS before we plunk down any cold, hard Engadget dollars for one. [Via PMPToday] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Transportation Want to get something really special for someone this holiday season? Something that can't be picked up in your local Sharper Image or Hot Topic? How about the late Saddam Hussein's 269-foot mega-yacht: the "Qaddisat Saddam?" For the low entry fee of $34 million, you'll get you a massive gold, silver, and marble adorned ship replete with Arabesque arches, fountains, dining and silverware for 200, a clinic with a surgical suite, a helipad, 14 cabins, plus bunk space for 35 crew members (or servants, if you will), and a secret passageway to an escape boat and sub-pod (in case you too are paralyzed by fear of assassination attempts). The sellers have thoughtfully renamed the craft the "Ocean Breeze," but we're fairly confident that no matter what you call it, the overwhelming vibe of mustachioed dictator will be impossible to obscure. Check the read link for a thorough tour of the entire ship -- and make sure you have your credit card handy. [Photo courtesy of Radar Online] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Peripherals Remember Razer's Boomslang? Yeah, it's back to cash-in with the Collector's Edition 2007; just 10,000 units are being produced. Go ahead, drop $100 on a mouse from last century. We dare you. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Laptops So there's a bit of grumbling on the internets that PC World, like, totally sold out and lied about the MacBook Pro being the fastest Vista laptop they ever tested (presumably just so they could get mentioned in that new Apple commercial, right?) shortly before the staff went cow tipping and passed out drunk in a public park. The reality is PC World apparently hadn't tested a laptop faster than the MacBook Pro at the time, and it wasn't until weeks later they tested the Eurocom D900C Phantom-X, which handily bested Apple's lappie by a broad margin. At least that's what PC World's editor Harry McCracken told us, but then again we did hear he recently got an Apple tat and is planning a hostile takeover of Macworld magazine in '08. Read - PC World's statement about the MBP Read - ... and their review of the Eurocom Read - The punter doing the grumbling Watch - The Apple ad Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Laptops We can't exactly say we were expecting a Korean company to up and create a laptop that matches perfectly with your Nokia 7500 Prism, but lo and behold, Pixel Lab has done the unthinkable. The RippleNote T7700 stays true to its name, rocking a textured lid and an all black design that will certainly have its fair share of proponents and bashers. Nevertheless, those digging the look can expect an Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 processor, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160GB hard drive, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, a 7-in-1 multicard reader, 1.3-megapixel camera, integrated microphone, a DVD burner, VGA out and a couple of USB ports to boot. No word on a price or release date, but don't worry, you'll see this one a mile away when it finally lands. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!