Matco, a security and spy camera company, has just released the PDV-040 Portable Pocket Digital Video Recorder (what a mouthful). A brick-sized portable video player that lets you record external analog video sources into MPEG-4 digital (25-28 fps), as well as audio only in MP3 format (via its A/V cable or built-in microphone). MORE »

Popularity: 2% [?]

I coined the term minimalist materialism to define the primary tenet of my pursuit of gadget nirvana. The concept is both objective and an objective. It does not carry the occasionally negative connotation of the individual words, but is meant instead as a principle to be pursued and upheld. But I’m getting ahead of myself. MORE »

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Last week, Toshiba announced two DVD/TiVo units. The RS-TX20 and RS-TX60 both feature DVD-R/RW and TiVo Series2 functionality in a single device, with progressive scan component outputs and TiVo Basic. These units join a product line that was previously limited to the SD-H400, an 80 GB TiVo Series2 PVR with a progressive scan DVD player. As an SD-H400 owner, I am looking forward to these new products, but with a hint of trepidation. MORE »

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Pinnacle Systems has just updated their Pinnacle ShowCenter media adapter to version 1.5, which can now handle Internet Radio and Personal Video Recording (PVR) functions. However, since the ShowCenter media adapter itself does not have an internal hard drive, it will actually communicate your TV programming commands to a networked PC for storage and playback. MORE »

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It was just two weeks ago that Sony hinted of a possible VAIO Pocket Video Player under development, today we find out that Sony will be shipping the HMP-A1 Hard Disk Multi Player on June 26th in Japan for ¥63,000 (about $560). MORE »

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Peter Rojas, the Editor of Engadget, gives TiVo some advice: “create a version of your software that works on a regular PC and then either license it to manufacturers so they can put it on their PCs instead of Microsoft’s Media Center operating system or sell it directly to consumers so they can install it themselves (or do both). Like it or not, standalone digital video recorders (like the ones that run TiVo now) are going to disappear and be replaced by both amped-up cable set-top boxes and living room PCs, and since TiVo isn’t having much luck getting cable operators to put TiVo software in cable boxes, you’re going to have to do the next best thing and try and get yourselves onto PCs. Yes, there are plenty of other excellent options already out there for the PC (we won’t bother naming them all), but TiVo has the best user interface, not to mention great brand recognition, which means you have a small window of opportunity to become THE digital video recording software for the living room PC. The alternative is to become merely a footnote in the history of digital entertainment.” MORE »

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Today we get word that Meedio, the developers of myHTPC, has announced the first commercial availability of their new media center software to the nearly 10,000 registered users of their myHTPC.net forums. Meedio wishes to expand their offering by introducing two new bundled products: Meedio Essentials, which will be available in July, and Meedio TV, which will be available in August. Together these programs provide a convenient remote-controlled television interface for digital media, games, weather, PC documents, and other applications. MORE »

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The closer we get to the release of the iRiver PMP-120 (sometime this June or July) the more details are becoming available. IGN has a first take, but the iRiver worldwide site has just posted the specifications (subject to change) for the PMP line. If all the details are true, iRiver’s PMP-100 series “Personal Multimedia Players” (running Linux) will kick any Microsoft OS based “Portable Media Center” device out of the water. Reason being, Microsoft PMC devices can only play Microsoft media codecs like WMA, WMV and standard WAV and AVI files, but general portable media players, like this one based on Linux, can play a larger variety of digital formats, thus giving you more bang for your buck without restrictions. MORE »

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Looking for a phone that can do more than just make phone calls? Check out the ElanzaWebPhone and ElanzaWeb-VideoPhone. Both are Windows CE powered devices that offer Internet access, touch screen control (optional IR keyboard available), Voice over IP (VoIP) communications, and basic computing, without the need of a separate PC. What’s more, the ElanzaWeb-VideoPhone supports MP3, MPEG-1/2, and JPEG media files, as well as television if you go all out and purchase the phone with the optional TV tuner. MORE »

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Elanza, kind of sounds like a new Hyundai, but it’s actually a consumer electronics company who has produced one of the most advanced portable Wi-Fi touch panels we have seen to date. The ElanzaWebpad is designed to be used as a portable Windows CE PDA, Internet terminal, television (built-in TV tuner), and as wireless telephone. MORE »

Popularity: 2% [?]