Filed under: Gaming

Sony's 2.41 firmware update for the PS3 is apparently out and riding the network updates. This according to our readers and those of the official PlayStation Blog. Now deep breath, install, and hope your system doesn't hang like the few 2.40 unfortunates.

[Thanks, David]

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Hot off the press - it seems as though Dell wants to control the entire computer market, and this time round they have made a foray into the cheap computer pie by releasing the Dell E and E Slim notebooks. There will be a couple of models - the 8.9" and 12.1" E Slim, with the former meant to go up against the Asus Eee PC 900 while the latter will be targeting the MacBook Air and Lenovo X300 notebooks. Both models will be powered by either Linux or Windows XP, depending on your preference. The Dell E will retail from $299 upwards. I wonder how much of a success these new Dell models will be - more competition equals better prices for the consumer, I say! Image courtesy of Engadget.

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Filed under: Gaming

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Filed under: Laptops

You know it's getting bad when even Amazon can't tell all the flavors of the Eee PC apart -- a listing for an "Eee PC 900" with 16GB of flash and an Atom processor just went live on the etailer's site with a pre-order price of $399. Those are actually the specs and tasty price of the long-awaited Eee 901, so we're going to say that ASUS's endless stream of minor new Eee models has everyone confused, and that the 901 looks like it's ready to drop -- is this the Eee that'll finally make you take the plunge?

Update: NewEgg just went live with the 12GB XP-based 901 for $599.999999. Shipping today. Also, Amazon is now listing XP and Linux-based 901s for the same price although still as pre-orders. Our advice: stay away from the so-called Atom-based Eee PC 900 until Amazon claifies the configuration.

[Via I4U, thanks Carl]

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Mmmm, tech wear always turns me on, and these LED dresses from Rhyme & Reason certainly have my heart in a stranglehold. Inconspicuous white knitwear might look rather ordinary during the day, but when dusk falls, that's when the LED dress really stands out from the crowd, evoking a sense of wonder and awe - both for the wearer and passers-by. When not in use, you can always hang the LED dress in your living room to make it double up as a lamp of sorts. I wonder how I can get rid of stains on a dress as fragile as this.

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A group of engineering students from the University of Adelaide in Australia, have managed to bring their brains together with motion control experts to come up with a competitive automated foosball table. this invention uses a rather complex motion sensor system in order to keep it going, where custom-written “AI” software, a 96-pinhole camera and LED sensor grid system make up part of it. I wonder whether this foosball table is able to perform tricks like juggling the ball and making crazy snakes as top human players can.

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Big boys love their toys, and the Muck Truck is definitely appealing. This beast of a mini-dumper might look small in the photo, but in reality, it is around three times the size of a standard wheelbarrow, capable of hauling up to 250kg worth of stuff up inclines that are 30° steep without having you see a chiropractor after that. The only problem would be having the missus approve the $2,500 required to bring home the Muck Truck. Tell her you need it to carry more top soil for her flower bed and she might just give you the go-ahead.

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Now this is one of the better looking USB flash drives in the market that boast a spiffy design - it comes in the form of a heart-shaped necklace that doubles up as a fashion accessory in addition to carrying precious photos of the lady and her man during their more intimate moments. Inside you will find 2GB of storage space, and the 20g weight of this necklace won't leave your girlfriend with a permanent hunch.

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Filed under: Home Entertainment

Blu-ray recorders have been on the scene for a while now, but now that the format war's over, it looks like more companies are starting to commit to BD-R devices -- like Pioneer, which announced today that it'll have a Blu-ray recorder out in Japan by the end of the year. The company didn't say what model it would be or what price point it was aiming for, but the tech is being jointly developed with Sharp, so hopefully it's have a family resemblance to units like the 1TB AQUOS BD-HDW20 in everything but the $2,611 pricetag.

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They say that prevention is better than cure, which is why you get a faux security cam like the one above. Meant for both indoor and outdoor use, this security cam doesn't just stay stationary in one spot - it features an activation light to fool thieves and nefarious folk who don't read Ubergizmo, while the camera will also pan from side to side just to up the realism ante. The only drawback would be once the thieves catch on to your game, you won't have any video evidence to help the authorities in tracking your stolen belongings down. It is powered by a trio of AA batteries, so hopefully these will be able to last for a fair bit before giving up the ghost lest you spend more on batteries in the long run instead of installing an actual security system. The Realistic-Looking Security Cam will retail for $17.

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Old School meets New School with the The iPod Gramophone. The handcrafted ceramic gramophone projects music using horn acoustics without requiring auxiliary power or speaker components.  Simply place Apple earbuds on the gramophones integrated cradles and music channels through the coiled tube and resonates out of the flared bell. The gramophone is compatible with all iPod models and is best suited for amplifying blues, folk, classical, jazz, and other music genres that do not produce heavy base frequencies.

$500 (ouch) - The iPod Gramophone

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Man, the USB T-shirt Mouse is certainly very different from all the mice which we've covered to date, as it comes in the form factor of a rather solid T-shirt, albeit at a size that is small enough for most hands to handle. It doesn't look too good on the ergonomic side of things though, so I wonder what the effect will be like after using this for the entire day at the office. It connects to your computer via USB 2.0, and has a resolution of 1,200dpi which is a mark up from the standard 800dpi we find in most generic optical mice. Choose from blue, green or purple colors for $12 a pop.

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For those who are wondering what the BlackBerry Thunder looks like, well, wonder no more. Here're a few shots of this device in action, running on OS 4.7. It is also known as the BlackBerry 9500 in some circles, but Thuunder sounds so much more imposing than a sequence of digits. So far the user interface is revealed to be rather similar to the iPhone (no surprise here), while the media player is already up and running. Other confirmed specifications so far include a 360 x 480 (weird resolution count) touch sensitive display. Stay tuned for more information!

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There is nothing quite like a formidable firmware update to breathe new life into an ageing device. The Casio EX-F1 is not ancient by any means, no sir, but with the latest firmware update, it definitely helps shutterbugs be a better photographer. Firmware 1.10 will throw in the new "Prerecord Movie" function that allows video capture of 5 seconds before the button is actually pressed, allowing you to anticipate and record moments you never thought possible, doing away with "If only I had..." musings. This update is compatible with the EX-F1's 300 fps, 600 fps, 1200 fps, and 30-300 fps high-speed movie modes, the 1,920 x 1,080-pixel full HD movie mode and the 1,280 x 720-pixel HD movie mode.

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Packard Bell isn't exactly a name to remember when it comes to power-packed computers, but the advent of the ipower X2.0 could change such thinking. This customizable gaming desktop is more than able to compete with other gaming rigs in the market, both in terms of performance and looks. You will be able to choose from Intel Core 2 Quad or Core 2 Extreme processors, NVIDIA or ATI GPUs, throw in a Blu-ray drive for high definition entertainment, have a TV Tuner, and enjoy 7.1 audio. Cooling options are aplenty, ranging from traditional fan-based ones to water cooled models for a near-silent system. Packard Bell intends to release the ipower X2.0 sometime from Q4 2008 onwards, and depending on the configuration, you are expected to fork out between $1,563 and $2,816.

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Forget about the buggy 2.40 firmware update from Sony that has caused a fair number of PS3s to experience previously unheard of problems. Good thing Sony's engineers have managed to whip up the 2.41 firmware update that will be released later this week to the masses. I wonder just how many people will download this firmware when it is available based on a previous bitter experience. Those who have had their PS3s bricked due to the faulty 2.40 firmware update, the solution is as simple as removing the hard drive and formatting it on a PC, and you're good to go.

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Enermax has unleashed its KB005U-B meshed black keyboard in Korea that offers more than what a regular keyboard does. It comes with a USB 2.0 hub to increase connectivity options on your desk, while you get Windows Vista compatibility with five integrated hotkeys and audio I/O with five dedicated media hotkeys. Constructed from aluminum, the KB005U-B also comes with an integrated audio chip that will be able to transfer audio signals via an USB cable automatically. The cordless version of the Enermax KB005U-B is tipped to be released later next month, retailing for approximately $50.

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Samsung wants to shake it with the best of them when it comes with an accelerometer-equipped handset, and the result of this development is the Samsung M3510. This candybar handset is not a looker by any means, but it does come with shake-and-twist gesture controls out of the box. In the meantime, you can check out the other specifications below.

• 2.5G GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity
• 2? QVGA 262K color display
• 2 megapixel camera
• FM Radio with RDS
• 20MB user memory
• microSD memory card slot
• USB 2.0 and Bluetooth connectivity
• 3.5 mm headphone jack

An unsubsidized handset will retail no more than $300, so it will be interesting to see how much carriers are willing to charge. It might take some time (if never) for the Samsung M3510 to arrive Stateside though.

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Patriot has just introduced its A5 MP3 player that comes in the most simple of designs, lending weight to the theory that simple is best. You won't get any disappearing display, but you are privy to touch-sensitive volume controls that light up when in use. The case is constructed from an aluminum-magnesium alloy, making it a prime candidate for attracting fingerprints as your lady friends fawn over it. Features of the Patriot A5 include :-

• WMA and MP3 file format support
• Integrated FM radio
• 16 hours audio playback
• USB 2.0 connectivity
• 2GB internal memory

The Patriot A5 MP3 player will retail for $58 a pop.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

We haven't heard much from Hasselblad lately, but whenever the high-end cameramaker does make a peep, it's usually pretty impressive -- like the new 50 megapixel H3DII-50 back it just announced. Building on the H3DII-39 back, the 50 features a 36 X 48mm Kodak sensor twice the size of other full-frame DSLR sensors that generates 300MB files at 1FPS. Pricing hasn't been announced, but don't expect this bad boy to come in under the $37K pricetag of the 39 when it launches in October -- especially since Hasselblad says anyone who buys a 39 now can trade up to the 50 later for the difference in price and instructions on how to properly sleep on beds made of money.

[Thanks, Douglas]

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