Filed under: GPS
Magellan‘s recently unveiled Maestro 3100 probably caught quite a few eyes that were looking everywhere for a decent GPS system under $300, and GPSMagazine took the time to put it through the paces in order to give you a better idea of its true value. One of the biggest praises was (unsurprisingly) the price, as reviewers noted that the street price on this bad boy was actually closer to $250 at the time of posting. Furthermore, the thorough NAVTEQ maps, small and portable design, “improved UI over previous Magellan units,” potent integrated speaker, commendable routing engine, and potentially most important, the complete lack of bugs or crashes garnered quite a few pats on the back battery compartment. Unfortunately, a budget navigation unit is bound to disappoint in at least a few areas, and the shorter than average battery life, chintzy windshield mount, lack of Bluetooth / text-to-speech / real-time traffic data, and quirky backlight left much to be desired. Of course, at the end of the day the folks managed to get where they were going without any major mishaps, and while it may not pack the luxuries found in high-end alternatives, the crew still chose to dub it “a bargain,” but didn’t hesitate in suggesting the Garmin nüvi 350 for those who can scrounge up an extra Benjamin.
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Filed under: Features, Gaming, Laptops
Alright after a break we’re back with part 3, the final installment in this Xbox 360 “How-To” series. Today we’ll be wiring up the LCD screen, installing the parts into the case, modding the keyboard and attaching all latches and USB ports. The end begins…
Notice: Just to clarify, this article refers to the original Xbox 360 and does not cover the Elite, as Ben has yet to crack one of those bad boys open.
Continue reading How-To: Make an Xbox 360 Laptop – part 3
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Taking in the good times at the annual American Psychiatric Association meeting, Wired caught wind of a new type of device that psychiatrists think will be effective in treating tough cases of depression. The devices employ a technique known as transcranial magnetic stimulation, which sends an electromagnetic pulse two to three centimeters into the brain, stimulating prefrontal cortex and paralimbic blood flow, which in turn increases the serotonin output as well as the dopamine and norepinephrine functions. Previously, that technique required patients to go under anesthesia, but these new devices will apparently make it possible for the procedure to be done right in the psychiatrist’s office, with the patient able to go home immediately afterward. According to Wired, some ten companies are already planning to manufacture the devices, which will apparently come in a variety of forms including a handheld unit (seen above) and a “cap” resembling a beauty-parlor hair dryer. In addition to depression, the devices have apparently also shown some promise in treating migraines, although that’s reportedly still being tested.
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Filed under: Cellphones
There are carrier exclusivity agreements, and there are carrier exclusivity agreements — and Apple’s iPhone deal must have been pretty sweet for Cupertino to guarantee their new hotness to AT&T and AT&T alone for five friggin years. USA Today reports the supposed half-decade deal precludes Apple from developing a CDMA handset in that time (duh), meaning that if you live in the US and don’t want to move to AT&T, it’s going to be 2012 before you even have a chance at an iPhone. Better still, Today reports that Cingular’s arch-nemesis Verizon is claiming to have an iPhone-killer in the wings. According to Denny Strigl, Verizon CEO, “We do have a very good response in the mill. You’ll see that from us in the late summer.” It’s war, people, make no mistake about it.
[Thanks, Eric]
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio
If your initial reaction to the Audio-Technica infrared speaker was, “pfff, pointless,” then we welcome you to our party of ambivalence. Still, let’s all ferment in their madness just for the moment, mkay? The AT-SP550TV provides a directed stream of 2W (1W + 1W) stereo audio at a distance of about 7-meters (23-feet). So instead of blasting the sound from your bigazz flat panel across the room, they relocate the speaker to the viewer thereby reducing ambient noise pollution for others in the house. That way, mama can watch TV from the kitchen while baby is lulled to sleep by the wounding glow of consumer narcissism. The unit operates for up to 10 hours off standard alkalines and includes a headphone jack in the speaker section to keep things totally on the hush hush. See, there is some magic to the madness after all. Available in Japan starting June 22nd for ¥16,800 or about $138.
[Via Impress]
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
