Recently Filed in Portables

If you’re the kind of person who likes to try to avoid car crashes when possible, you might consider the Muso. This little device hooks into your iPod so you can command it with your voice—and not have to worry about scrolling and looking down at the screen to select songs or artists while you’re on the road, for instance. The pocket-sized accessory connects to iPods and iPhones and syncs up to your iTunes library upon first use, so you can start telling it what… View this story
AV Components • Portables • Miscellaneous • Gadgets • Movies and Music • Audio • Product News

People thought Apple was crazy for releasing another iPhone. Well, who is the crazy one now? Possibly still Apple. However, the company just announced that they have sold 1 million iPhone 3Gs in the first three days. “iPhone 3G had a stunning opening weekend,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “It took 74 days to sell the first one million original iPhones, so the new iPhone 3G is clearly off to a great start around the world.” The unit certainly is global, selling in Australia, Austria,… View this story
Portables • Cell Phones • Networking • Product News

Stop hoarding all of your music selections to yourself. While some may be better off keeping music confined to their headphones, Creative wants you to share everything you’ve amassed on your PC—even with those listening on a portable. The company just announced the ZEN X-Fi collection. Each of the two models holds music, video and photos, but the ZEN X-Fi With Wireless LAN throws in a few sharing possibilities. The unit can stream and download music from any PC on your home network. Each unit… View this story
Portables • Gadgets • Audio • Product News

Despite what you might think (or hope), that iPod isn’t going to last a lifetime. You could upgrade (like I did), or call in Demetrios Leontaris. Leontaris is also known as the “iPod Doctor.” CNN/Fortune has a neat story about this guy, who whips around Manhattan like a superhero, solving people’s iPod dramas. His car doubles as his workspace, but you won’t see Leontaris approaching clients with a “pssst, buddy.” He drives up, makes his assessment, does a quick fix, and off he goes. The… View this story
Portables • Gadgets • Audio • Product News

Best stupid argument of the week: Women are complaining that they can’t use the iPhone because of their long fingernails. Or at least one woman is complaining. The Los Angeles Times interviewed Erica Watson-Currie, who apparently has a lot to say on the subject. However, I didn’t see a focus group or class action mentioned anywhere. Know why? Because it’s a stupid argument. To use the iPhone’s touchscreen, your finger must actually come in contact with the interface. Watson-Currie seems to think that the unit… View this story
Portables • Cell Phones • Enhancements • Product News

Apple is showing off its numbers again, and with good reason. The iTunes Store has a stranglehold on the digital download music market, and it seems as though the video biz isn’t doing too shabby these days either. The company reported today that sales of music downloads from iTunes have surpassed 5 billion, and on top of that, people are renting or buying more than 50,000 movies per day. Some pretty lofty figures there, indeed. Here’s what makes them even more astounding—and even scarier for… View this story
AV Components • Digital Media Stores • Portables • Audio • Product News

Wii-doggies! After yesterday’s rumor about Sony’s plans for Wii-like gaming on the PS3, it looks like the Ericsson brand beat them to the punch. Today, the company formally announced its F305 phone, which adds motion gaming to put “fun and entertainment” into the handset—aside from the fun and entertainment of talking to your friends and loved ones, that is. Boasting horizontal gameplay and dedicated gaming controls, the F305 must be able to take a licking, since it also reacts to swings and swipes. At least… View this story
Portables • Cell Phones • Gaming Systems • Networking • Product News

Instead of worrying whether your iPod will make it through cross-country air travel, get ready to rock the friendly skies. United just struck a deal that will allow its passengers to plug an iPod or iPhone into the in-flight entertainment systems. Crave says that the seatback TVs will offer on-screen navigation, while charging each portable. Each system will be equipped with a 15.4-inch TV and a 30-pin connector. The connectivity was made possible by technology from Panasonic Avionics Corporation. So while you may be subjected… View this story
Portables • Movies and Music • Enhancements • Product News

Everyone seems to have worked the iPod into their home electronics system, so why not the iPhone? CE Pro has a nifty little story about Steve Moore’s AirRemote application, a low-cost way to tweak the iPhone into a universal remote control. The setup includes the AirRemote software and a box from Global Cache, which can turn the iPhone’s IP commands into signals to operate audio, video, lighting, and more. The AirRemote program is also compatible with the iPod touch. “The beauty of the iPod Touch… View this story
Portables • Touchpanels and Keypads • Software • Gadgets • Home Control • Product News

When I travel, my bag is stuffed with all kinds of things to get me through the trip: A book, iPod, laptop, various DVDs, and—a projector? InFocus is making the projector part of my travel checklist with the IN1100. This portable projector family is designed for travel as well as “team settings,” which makes it easy to set up and share with other members of your office. Inside the IN1100, there’s DLP BrilliantColor technology to produce crisp, colorful images. Other specs include a max of… View this story
Video Projectors • Portables • Home Theater • Product News

What does the iPhone have in common with Steve Austin? Three words: better, stronger, faster. OK—stronger may be stretching it a bit, but the new iPhone 3G will supposedly be twice as fast at half the price. We knew the price would drop at some point, but this new 3G uses a quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA, and features support for Wi-Fi, 3G and EDGE networks. Another added bonus: The 3G will incorporate GPS as well as the new iPhone 2.0 software, which has the… View this story
Portables • Cell Phones • Enhancements • Product News

Soon iPhone users will have another cool feature to shove in your face—the magic of Slingbox. The company just announced that they are working on a version of the SlingPlayer software that will deliver live and recorded TV on the iPhone and iPod touch. Just like the bigger version, you start by connecting your Slingbox to your main cable or satellite box. From there, you can access everything on your system via an on-screen remote and a web connection. If you travel a lot, you… View this story
Portables • Gadgets • Web Services • Enhancements • Product News