Gadgets, Gizmos, and Games for Geeks

LG is showing off their new HT702TN home theater setup which they’re calling a “5.3 channel” system. LG is using the term as a result of additional woofers in the front left and right channels which are supposed to improve low frequency response.

[UPDATE 10/20/2006: According to this post at Gizmodo, this was either a hoax or an erroneous report. Too bad.] While the photograph below might seem a little shady, there’s a rumor on the street that Microsoft announced a 100GB hard drive for the Xbox 360 during a presentation at their Korean X06 conference.

Slim Devices, makers of some of the best streaming media devices out there has announced that they’ve been acquired by Logitech. Logitech paid $20 million in cash for the company, along with potential for additional payments tied to future revenue goals.

For several years, a French artist going by the name “Space Invader” has been roaming the streets all around the world and creating subliminal (and some not so subliminal) Space Invaders tile installations in all sorts of public spaces.

While I’ve seen plenty of retro handsets for mobile phones, this is the first one that I’ve seen which features wireless Bluetooth connectivity. ThinkGeek’s exclusive new retro handset provides wireless connectivity to any Bluetooth enabled mobile phone.

Sony has begun shipping their new 46-inch BRAVIA XBR LCD Flat Panel HDTV. The Sony KDL-46XBR3 features all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a top-notch display. The panel features full 1080p (1920×1080) native resolution and three 1080p HDMI inputs (two on the back, one on the front).

For some time there have been rumors circulating around the web about Sony’s upcoming Playstation 3 and possible support for Linux. According to this press release from Terra Soft Solutions, the rumors appear to be true.

Apple has admitted to shipping some 5.5G iPods infected with a Windows virus called “RavMonE.exe.” Apparently the virus infected a PC at an iPod manufacturer’s facility and subsequently found its way onto some of Apple’s players.

Want to take advantage of the high resolution display on your laptop? Now you can with this new mobile device which features an over-the-air digital high definition receiver. Autumnwave’s OnAir GT features tuners for both high-definition over-the-air and digital cable (QAM) broadcasts as well as for analog over-the-aid and cable signals.

Belkin’s forthcoming SportCommand seeks to provide a solution for remotely control your iPod in inclement weather or while performing outdoor activites. The remote provides wireless control of key iPod navigation including pause/play, next/previous track and volume.

Toshiba has shown us the future of television in the form of the most unwieldy contraption I’ve ever seen. Looking like a cross between a space helmet and some sort of industrial grade hair dryer, the prototype system is said to provide an all-encompasssing 360-degree television experience on its massive convex screen.

This may be old news, but since I never saw this commercial, I figured that some of you might not have either. The commercial is for Sony’s BRAVIA line of TVs and features a drop of over 250,000 multi-colored superballs down the streets of San Francisco.

Check out these nifty mini artworks by artist Cynthia Malaran, inspired by classic computer and video game systems. Currently available works include the Apple Newton, Classic Macintosh (diptych seen above), Atari and NES joysticks and a 3.5″ boot disk.

This new soft drink from Coca-Cola and Nestl

If you live in Chicago like me, the top story yesterday was the presence of celebs including Oprah Winfrey, Bono, Kanye Wes and Penelope Cruz on Michigan Avenue for the announcement of Bono’s Product RED. Product RED incorporates special products and services from a variety of major corporations including American Express, Converse, Armani, Motorola, Gap and Apple.

Palm’s new Treo 680 series of smartphones were announced today. They come in four colors: graphite, crimson, arctic and copper (does anybody else out there think this is a Cingular exclusive?) and feature a smaller form factor than earlier models.