Our pals over at eCoustics.com has new info on the Samsung Q1U series of UMPC’ check it out:

Introduced in May 2007, the Q1 Ultra is Samsung’s second generation UMPC. Complete with a 7” wide 300 nits ultra-bright LED backlit LCD, an integrated split-QWERTY keypad for fast text entry, and full PC compatibility, the Q1 Ultra is designed to enhance productivity, ease-of-use and portability in a range of personal and professional scenarios. With an increased battery life of up to 4.5 hours coupled with faster speeds, flexibility and mobile functionality, the Q1 Ultra product provides a compelling solution packed into an ultra small 1.5 pound package.

The Q1U-ELXP--powered by the 600MHz A100 Ultra Mobile processor and a 40GB hard disk drive--is available for an MSRP of $999.00. The Q1U-XP UMPC--powered by the 800MHz A110 Ultra Mobile processor and a 60GB hard disk drive--is available for an MSRP of $1149.00, while the Q1U-SSDXP--powered by the 800MHz A110 Ultra Mobile processor and a 32GB Flash NAND solid state drive--is available for $1649.00 MSRP.

http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/383955.html

Aving.net has the juice on LG’s forthcoming LG-KS20 at the upcoming IFA 2007 (IFA is the world’s largest consumer electronics trade show for both industry experts and the general public with unique trade visitor services, special events and a comprehensive program for consumers.) I have seen IFA bandied about the nets this month and people always ask me what it means so there you go.

back to the LG phone...it features 12.8mm thickness and 2.8-inch all touch screen display with full browsing capability. Running on Windows Mobile 6.0, the LG-KS20 supports HSDPA network, 3.6Mbps download speed.

Other features of the 3G smart phone included push email service, 2M camera, mp3 playback, Bluetooth 2.0, cursive script recognition and video call. It will be available in 4Q 2007 in Europe market.

Source and more pics: http://aving.net/usa/news/default.asp?mode=read&c_num=56716&C_Code=01&SP_Num=0

I don’t normally post sale deals but this is a great deal for anyone wanting to jump on the HD DVD band wagon. Right now Amazon.com is offering 3 additional free HD DVD movies along with the already great promo of 5 free HD DVD movies that’s been going on for a few months now. To be fair it’s really only 2 extra movies with the XBOX 360 HD add-on drive since King Kong already comes with the drive. Anyway you slice it you get 8 HD-DVD movies and the drive for $179!

Also the 8 free movies deal works with the purschase of a Toshiba HD DVD standalone player.

Xbox 360 HD DVD Player and Eight free HD DVD deal

Eight HD DVDs with the Purchase of a Toshiba HD DVD Player

The 8 free movies also works with the Sony PS3...but they are Blu-Ray HD movies

Engadget Mobile takes a look at the the mobile device we’ve been lusting after since it was announced. Here is a blurb:

Take a peek inside the mind of a good many mobile power users and you’ll find two diametrically opposed, seemingly contradictory voices locked in an eternal struggle: one demanding as much power, speed, and capability as possible, the other crying out for portability (and heck, maybe even fashion). HTC has a long, storied track record of trying its darndest to satisfy every possible smartphone market segment by designing and offering devices spanning the full range of size, appearance, and capability, meeting the needs of those two voices to various degrees. Now that we have that mental imagery set up, let us be clear from the outset—the Advantage X7501 feeds heaping loads of happiness to the power voice while mercilessly beating the portability voice into submission.

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/08/27/hands-on-with-the-htc-advantage-x7501/

HotHardware scoped out the new DIY home NAS. They liked the units top-notch Gig-E NAS Performance and that it can hold up to 3TB of storage capacity. It comes with great setup tools, wizards and bundled software utlities. However it’s not without faults, the Cube Station CS407 does not feature hot-swap drives and is expensive for the build quality.

Here is a clip:

End user demand for storage capacity is expanding exponentially year after year, as multimedia content, email, and document and file generation show explosive growth in this age of new media.  In addition, protecting that data is becoming increasingly more critical, with investments in digital music and video collections, as well as those all important family photos and business-critical documents in both the Consumer and SOHO markets.  As such we’ve been looking at an array of NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices here at HotHardware over the past few months, many of them designed for do-it-yourself end users.

In the following pages we’re going to take a look at the Synology CubeStation CS407 NAS Server.  This system comes configured “bare-bones”, ready for installation of up to four SATA hard disks with RAID 0,1 and 5 capabilities. With a max total capacity of up to three terabytes of storage, this unit ought to handle plenty of those cute baby-covered-in-mashed-green-peas shots that the family holds near and dear to their hearts.  And with this type of multi-drive product, you can “RAID it up” and rest easy, knowing your backside is covered with at least some level of data storage redundancy.

http://www.hothardware.com/articles/Synology_Cube_Station_CS407__DIY_Network_Attached_Storage/?page=1

It’s true and Engadget has the proof!! Here is a blurb:

"It’s high noon, Apple and AT&T—we really hate to break it to you, but the jig is up. Last night the impossible was made possible: right in front of our very eyes we witnessed a full SIM unlock of our iPhone with a small piece of software. It’s all over, guys.

The iPhoneSIMfree.com team called us up to prove their claim that they cracked Apple’s iPhone SIM lock system, and prove it they did. (No, we don’t have a copy of the unlock software, so don’t even ask us, ok?) The six-man team has been working non-stop since launch day, and they’re officially the first to break Apple’s SIM locks on the iPhone. It’s done. Seriously. They wouldn’t tell us when and how they would release it to the public, but you can certainly bet that they’ll try to make a buck on their solution (and rightly so). We can hardly believe the iPhone’s finally been cracked. No, scratch that—we just can’t believe it took this long.

Again: we can confirm with 100% certainty that iPhoneSIMfree.com’s software solution completely SIM unlocks the iPhone, is restore-resistant, and should make the iPhone fully functional for users outside of the US. Read on for details and links to our video, and check out the gallery of images below."

http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/24/iphone-unlocked-atandt-loses-iphone-exclusivity-august-24-2007/

Digital Trends takes a look at the GlobalSat DG-100 GPS data logger. They found it to be an affordable GPS tracking solution, very easy to use and user configurable. However not all was roses as the software was slightly ugly, the unit lacks Bluetooth and is Windows only at this time.

There is the into:

Now that GPS and satellite networks are so common and inexpensive to utilize on a consumer level, GPS tracking (a.k.a. geotracking or geocaching) has become a mainstream hobby for millions of geeks and traveling photographers worldwide. There are countless commercial applications for GPS data logging, from tracking truck drivers and cargo to mapping highly accurate traffic patterns, locations of accidents, and more. GlobalSat maintains a vast satellite network to communicate with its GPS tracking devices like the Data Logger DG-100, a $90 USD gadget. We studied the DG-100 and took it on the road (and in the air) to get a good feel for how it performs. Continue reading to see the results of our tests.

http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/review4707.html

Flash Padlock features “Auto-Locking,” so you don’t need to remember to enable the protective feature - It will automatically lock and protect itself after removal from the computer.  Flash Padlock is impervious to “brute force” hacks or keystroke loggers that would defeat a software secured USB flash drive. 

Padlock Security Features Include:

- Hardware-Enabled Auto-Lock Function:  Device Auto-Locks after removal from computer.
- User Customizable Security PIN:  User sets unique security PIN (up to 10 digits long) for unlocking device. 
- Platform Independent:  Works on Windows, MAC and Linux platforms without the use of additional software.
- Easy to Use:  Direct keypad access and indicator lights make locking/unlocking simple and understandable.

Flash Padlock is immediately available in two capacities:

- Flash Padlock 1GB ~ $29.99 USD MSRP
- Flash Padlock 2GB ~ $39.99 USD MSRP

http://www.corsair.com/products/padlock.aspx

NewerTech drops the miniStack NAS utilizing its own brand of advanced network storage technology to enable direct storage and access by up to 20 users simultaneously with up to 6 times faster performance (their words) than older PC file sharing-based technologies. The miniNAS has both USB 2.0 and Ethernet connections, offering storage capacities up to 750GB, the ability to stream multimedia and HD files to UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) compatible media players, and easy set-up. Additionally the miniNAS has user-selectable levels of read/write privileges, from no access, read only, or full access.

miniStack NAS Applications:

-Home network file sharing/storage, backup/archiving, and other shared external drive access needs.
-Small business as a primary or secondary network storage solution.
-Public office/facility (libraries, villages, etc.) backup, archiving and conservation of data.
-Multimedia storage device (MP3s, digital photos, digital video).

miniStack NAS is available in seven pre-configured 7200RPM solutions, from 80GB to 750GB, priced starting at $119.99 MSRP.  A 0GB “Add Your Own Drive” kit is also available for $79.99 MSRP. All pre-configured and certain OGB kit miniStack NAS models include a $200 retail value utility software bundle comprised of ProSoft Engineering Data Backup 3, NovaStor NovaBACKUP, and Intech SpeedTools Utilities.

http://www.newertech.com/products/ministackNAS.php

The The DXG-572V has a 5 Megapixel CMOS sensor, 4X digital zoom, 2-inch flip-out LCD screen, built-in digital voice recorder, and mass storage capability. Records full-motion video in near DVD-quality, with sound (640 x 480 at 30 frames per second) in MPEG-4, AVI format. The unit has 32MB Internal Memory and can use SD or MMC memory cards.

The DXG-572V 5.13 Megapixel CMOS sensor captures still images in JPEG format up to 4048 x 3040 resolution (not interpolated). Basically you get clear, vibrant photos that are detail rich.  The camera has a built-in flash and self timer, as well as a white balance adjustment to control color/lighting for any weather or lighting situation, even if it’s cloudy or sunny.  The A/V-out allows you to show pictures or videos on you television.

The DXG-572V is available immediately with a suggested retail price of $149.99 through major retailers and at http://www.dxgusa.com

The full-featured Triton units offer full-color, touch-screen controls and the the way cool ability to record and attach audio to waypoint files. Other features unique to Triton include a built-in 2MB pixel camera, digital compass, barometer and built-in LED flashlight. All of these features are smartly integrated and designed to create a slick handheld GPS. Oh yeah, and its IPX-7 rated and water submersible.

Magellan Triton is the first device to offer full, onscreen compatibility, usage and display of National Geographic’s maps. National Geographic offers its 28 titles of TOPO! outdoor recreation mapping software titles (covering all 50 states), which include five layers of maps - from National Geographic Atlas maps to the most detailed U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps.

In addition, Triton is the first handheld GPS that allows adventurers to download maps and waypoints from TOPO! and from National Geographic’s new Weekend Explorer 3D, which includes 21 titles for major urban centers and surrounding recreational areas.  Yep...you can now layer the NatoGeo maps with Magellen’s topo maps...nice!

Here is a round-up of the new units and features:

TeleNav GPS Navigator on the HTC Advantage includes full-color, 3D moving maps, voice and on-screen navigation, more than 10 million business listings in North America and lowest gas prices for nearby stations . The service also includes real-time traffic alerts, allowing users to route around traffic with the click of one-button. Additionally, HTC Advantage customers can use TeleNav GPS Navigator to find nearby Wi-Fi hotspots, where they can then pimp the Advantage’s built-in Wi-Fi capability.

Obligatory quote from the company president:

"We developed TeleNav GPS Navigator to work on hundreds of phones and smartphones, but this is the first time it is available on a device like the HTC Advantage,” said Dr. HP Jin, president, CEO and co-founder of TeleNav. “Our service is a natural fit for users of this extremely portable, yet powerful, device.”

More info after the break...

Paper scanners are great peripherals for the modern computer.  They let us bring papers, documents, and photos from the real, physical world into the virtual, digital one.  However they are usually big, bulky devices that require a lot of space or, in the case of most portable models, time to set up.  And the typical scanner still needs a computer or notebook to operate.  So what if you could have a portable scanner that did not need a computer, could be easily carried anywhere, and can make a scan of any document, photo, magazine, or book.  Well now you can with the Planon DocuPen RC800.

The RC800 is a full color, 24-bit scanner in a compact, lightweight form that provides a convenient way to scan full page documents on-the-go.  With the included 128 MB memory card, the RC800 can store many pages into memory with each page only taking a few seconds to scan.  Using the on-board controls, you can select B&W/Color/24-Bit Color and 100 / 400 dpi resolution. 

Read our full review of the Planon DocuPen Portable Color Scanner

Sophia Mobile has launched a Windows CE 6.0 pda phone in Japan. The NANI pda phone featuring a WVGA wide display screen (4.3 inch 800 x 400) , WiFi (802.11b/g), and accepts W-SIM wireless card (yeah we had to look it up too). Keypad-less design makes good use of with a 4.3-inch display screen. With its Windows CE OS a local favorite here you get a built-in media player supporting many of the media file formats including MPEG, Divx, Xvid, Wav, Wma, MP3 and Ogg Vorbis.

Other notable features: RMI Alchemy Au1250 Media Processor 600MHz, miniUSB, 3.5mm headset jack, microSD card slot, 140 x 80.5 x 17 and only 180 grams.

More pics at http://www.slashphone.com/111/7915.html

Kingston Technology announced it is releasing an all-in-one Mobility Kit that includes a microSD card with dual adapters and a USB card reader to give mobile consumers handy storage access when using SD- and USB-compatible digital devices. Neat.

Hmmm...not much to say really, it’s usefull collections of all the adapters you might need with your shiny new memory card. Here is a quote from Wendy Lecot a marketing manager with Kingston:

“With our Mobility Kit at their fingertips, consumers can store their entire mobile life - photos, songs, text messages, video clips, and contact info on the microSD card and then work with it seamlessly across multiple device platforms, The combined convenience of miniSD and full-size SD adapters and USB reader lets users easily convert their cards to navigate between mobile phones, PCs, and other digital devices”.

Available with a stylish black USB reader in the 1GB kit and a red reader for the 2GB version, the Mobility Kit also includes a keyloop to hang from a cell phone...look at my cell phone bling. Now that you mention it however, it is nice to have that very handy.

http://www.kingston.com/flash/sd_mmc_home.asp