For early adopters, import video game uber-retailer Liksang now has Playstation X units available for sale in the US. It’s the Japanese model, so it probably doesn’t play US games, and all the menus are likely in Japanese, but if you absolutely have to be the first person on your block to get one, Liksang’s the place. They have a review in english and some great pics of the innards of the PSX as well. Price for the 160 gig model is $800, 250 gigs is $1000.
Apple Rumors: Creative Delivers
There’s a buzz around the web about some soon-to-be-announced “mini-iPods” that are supposed to be much smaller than the current iPods, though capacity will be limited to 2 or 4 gigs. While the technology is certainly there (though some naysay it’s impossible) the real speculation is around the price. Reportedly Apple will be releasing mini-iPods starting at just $100. While I think it’s unlikely that any high capacity players are likely to come it at $100, it’s possible that Apple has a plan in the works for a wide selection of music players, some flash-based and some using a hard-drive like the current iPods. Flash players could start at $100, while 2-4 gig HD mini-iPods players would probably start around $300-$400. That would give Apple a wide variety of music products to capitalize on the iPods success, and encourage the use of iTunes as well. Smart move.
But if you absolutely can’t wait for the mini-iPod’s release, or if you don’t like the idea of being tied to Apple’s high prices, non-removable batteries, and less-than-ideal PC compatibility, Creative has got a mini-iPod of their own. The new MuVo2, already available in 512 mb, 1 gig and 1.5 gig flash flavors, will soon be available with a 4 gig HD. The new unit, which measures just 2.6″ x 2.6″ x 0.8″, boasts a 14 hour battery life from the removable battery and uses a CF sized hard-drive for music storage. It uses USB 2.0 for transfer of music, has a removable battery, and appears to have a jack for headphone remote. It will play Windows Media files as well as MP3, so while iTunes won’t work seemlessly, other music services like Napster will. Price is just under $400, available immediately in Asia, expected soon in the US.
UX50 Easter Egg: Have You Seen This Man?
Crazy little January 1st easter egg appeared on my UX50 (thanks to a heads-up from mattyy at ClieSource): a little fiddling with the time and a soft-reset cause this man to appear in the settings screen for a fleeting moment, holding what appears to be a driver’s license or some sort of ID. Who is this guy? Swag for the first person to positively identify this man and post his name here in the comments section.
Is That an Almanac in Your Pocket…
…or are you an Al-Qaeda operative? From AP:
WASHINGTON – The FBI is warning police nationwide to be alert for people carrying almanacs, cautioning that the popular reference books covering everything from abbreviations to weather trends could be used for terrorist planning. In a bulletin sent Christmas Eve to about 18,000 police organizations, the FBI said terrorists may use almanacs “to assist with target selection and pre-operational planning.” It urged officers to watch during searches, traffic stops and other investigations for anyone carrying almanacs…
Also be on the lookout for people carrying maps, Lonely Planet Guides, and so-called “vacation photographs.”
Digital Music Stores Reviewed
Brian Briggs over at BBspot has written a very thorough review of the current digital music store offerings, including iTunes Music Store, the “New” Napster, Musicmatch, Rhapsody, Wal-Mart, BuyMusic, and oldster EMusic. Though I’m still pretty fond of CDs, myself, this is just the sort of round-up that many music fans have been waiting for. (The site is currently encountering a bit of Slashdot effect, so be patient.)
Shhh….This is OnStar….
According to the New York Times the ATX “telematics” system available in many autos, such as Ford, BMW, Mercedes, Cadillac and others, can be turned into an eaves-dropping device by the Feds or perhaps even by nefarious hackers. The ATX system is similar to GM’s OnStar system in that it allows drivers to call to have their doors remotely unlocked, call for directions, or even get automatic roadside assistance in case of an accident using an internal cellular/gps/telematics system. The problem is that the ATX system is vulnerable to government hack: the Feds in at least one case have asked that the cellular connection in a target vehicle to be left “open” so they can eavesdrop on the conversation in the car. While a panel of judges turned them down because doing so would have disabled many of the safety features of the system, the Times speculates that ATX could easily alter the system to allow eavesdropping without affecting the safety features. It is also possible that other warrants have been granted in other districts, since the decision denying the warrent in this case would only affect the Ninth Circuit (western US). And of course we wouldn’t even know about a similar warrant requested under the So-Called Patriot Act.
For now, OnStar claims that its system is not vulnerable to such intrusions, since the system requires the driver be notified whenever a connection is established. But all that could change with a keystroke.
Aside from the intrusion into one’s privacy that is made possible by the ATX system, the vulnerability to legal or illegal eavesdroping is bound to have an impact on the way that consumers view these systems. That’s too bad, since these sorts of telematics can really save lives as well as provide comfort for drivers. Without legislation barring the government from hacking OnStar or ATX, consumers are likely to opt-out of telematics systems, fearing (rightly) that the system they pay for is being turned against them.
Live From New York: Streaming Blogs
I don’t really understand blogs, especially the current trend of posting a pic of what the blogger is eating at the moment or a picture of the sunset that turns out pretty crappy looking on that camera phone. But then again I was the guy who didn’t “get” MP3s until 2003. So it should come as no surprise that I am nonplussed by the latest feature of TextAmerica that allows users to upload video footage from either cell phone or PDA, and stream it right from their blog. Just what we need. Streaming video of people walking their dogs and shopping for shoes. When will the celebration of mundanity end?
ARQuake Gives New Meaning To Meatspace
Check out this project called ARQuake that overlays Quake game elements (monsters, health packs, ammo packs, etc) on to the real world for users wearing VR goggles, allowing the user to play Quake in the real world. While in early stages right now, there is a functional demo that looks amazing (well, in a retro 1992 kinda way). While the possibilities for VR technology are endless, there is no doubt that gaming is going to push the market, and this is a demonstration of the kind of things we can expect.
Via BoingBoing
WinCE .Net Mini PDA w/Keyboard
The Sygmarion III is a Windows CE .Net compatible device, which means it should run most of the Pocket PC software available. The specs are pretty close to what you’d see on any top-end PPC device: 400 MHz ARM processor, 64 megs of RAM, 32 megs of ROM, CF and SD expansion. But what distinguishes it is the integrated keyboard and huge 5″ widescreen display. Of course, that means it’s relatively large too, at 7.4″ x 4.6″ x .08″ and about 1lb. Battery life looks pretty good though at between 5 and 8 hours. Price is $600 from Dynamism.
Playstation X: Officially Released and Reviewed
Sony has released the Playstation X as of Dec. 13th in Japan. The Playstation X is a hybrid game console, PVR (like TiVO), music jukebox and DVD player/recorder that Sony has just released in Japan. There are two models, one with 160 gig drive, another with 250 gigs, for around $750 and $950 respectively. From the few reviews that are available in Japanese, from what I gather there are some problems with the PSX, namely that video quality is not great, and that it may not play MP3s from the HD — only ATRAC. Which is to be expected I suppose, but it does signal’s Sony’s intent to strictly control the content on the PSX. On the upside, the PSX is capable of multitasking, for instance it can record a TV program at the same time that the user is playing a networked game that also uses the HD for game information. There are also some interesting connectivity options — it appears the PSX can download photos directly from some cameras, and may be able to interact in other ways with some Sony Clie handhelds. I haven’t seen any news on when it might show up in the US, but I expect it’ll be by March 2004. Hopefully by then the dollar will be a little stronger…