Tech Peek Base

Bluetooth connectivity between phones and SYNC-equipped Fords is nothing new, but the problem is that a good number of handsets out there in the wild don’t support phonebook download (seriously, check the compatibility chart) which means you can’t dial names by voice — and what’s the fun in calling anyone if there isn’t at least a small chance of your car confusing “Dad” for “Vlad”? That’s where Ford’s all-new SYNCMyRide comes into play, an app for Windows and Mac machines that’ll take the names and numbers (up to 2,000) off your lame vintage handset and stick ‘em on a USB drive; from there, you just plug the drive into your SYNC’s port and kick off an upload. It’s compatible with every SYNC-equipped car on the road today, so we’ve hooked you up with a link to go grab it — but only begrudgingly, since we’d obviously love to see you upgrade to a better phone instead.

Well lookie here. A little phone by the name of “NEXUSONE” just slipped through the FCC as model number PB99100 built by HTC. The filing also confirms a few more details including microSD expansion, 802.11b/g WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. But the real news comes from looking at the radios: quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE with UMTS/HSUPA on 850/1700/1900 frequencies. In other words, this 3G phone is capable of both 2Mbps up and 7.2Mbps down for both the T-Mobile and AT&T networks in the US of A. If this device is sold unlocked (as rumored), at a reasonable price (as hoped), and with a jaw dropping user experience (as tweeted), well, it could be very disruptive to the status quo. Then again, that’s a lot of ifs.

Continue reading HTC Nexus One blessed by the FCC with T-Mobile and AT&T 3G data

Remember that retro-looking PsiXpda UMPC we spotted earlier this month? Turns out it looks just as old school in person. That said, we’re still curiously attracted to the device, which sort of resembles an enlarged Touch Pro2 with a pinch of 1997 mixed in for good measure. The device was whipped out in the wild over at the LeWeb conference in Paris, and we were told that it was rocking Bluetooth, 3G WWAN, 1GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD, and we also learned that Windows XP was chosen due to its ease of integration within a corporate environment (though Ubuntu, Jolicloud and a host of other Linux-based operating systems can and will work). The QWERTY keyboard underneath is backlit in nature, the CPU is a 1.1GHz Atom and the removable battery is good for 2.5 hours of usage (with WiFi on) or 4 hours if using it offline. Hop on past the break for a peek of it in action, but keep the £500 price tag in mind before getting too excited.

[Thanks, Charbax]

Looks like Dell isn’t the only one who knows how to produce an ultrathin laptop, as LG’s latest concoction has just landed at the always-revealed database of the FCC. The XNote LGX30 (not to be confused with the Ion-based X30) is an 11.6-inch netbook with a 1,366 x 768 resolution panel, solid state drive, integrated webcam, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a multicard reader, GMA500 graphics set and a 3-cell battery. The machine weighs just 1.74 pounds and is based on some sort of Atom CPU, and as expected, it’s Windows 7 running the show. We’re hoping to hear a lot more about this thing when CES rolls around, but till then, feel free to peruse the user guide down there in the source link. It’s a riveting read, we tell ya.

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iTunes Music Store: [iPhone / iPod Apps] Asian Painting for iPhone / iPod touch downloads for free

Because nothing says “I ain’t afraid of no recession” like plopping down an excess amount of Benjamins for a Bluetooth earpiece, Vertu has unveiled its V accessories collection. $780 gets you a Bluetooth 2.1-compliant earpiece with 6 hours of charge time (same one we saw hit the FCC recently, we suspect), $490 for a USB memory card reader that as a consolation prize comes with a 2GB microSD card, and as for the ballpoint pen, asking price is a cool $330. For all three purchases, it’s recommended you purchase the special leather case for protection — and if these gifts are already comfortably in your price range, hey, why not?

[Thanks, Shayjd]

Hellooo Onkyo. Sure, it’s just a rebadge of the Japanese Kohjinsha DZ-series dual-display rig we’ve already seen. But Onkyo’s DX raises the bar significantly by delivering a pair of 10.1-inch 1,366 × 768 pixel LCD displays (as promised at CEATEC) that easily trump the 1,024 x 600 panels used on the Kohjinsha without increasing the portable’s overall size. While we’re still looking at the same 1.6GHz Athlon Neo MV-40 CPU, ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, and 3x USB jacks, Oknyo’s offering starts with 2GB (not 1GB) of memory standard expandable to 4GB, a 320GB 5,400rpm disk (not 160GB), Gigabit Ethernet, and 32-bit Windows 7 Home Premium. Here’s the best part: it’s priced at just ¥84,800 (about $966) compared to the Kohjinsha which lists for ¥79,800 / $909 on Kohjinsha’s retail site or a steep ¥100,800 / $1,148 premium if purchased through the GeekStuff4u exporter. Guess which one we’d choose?

Gallery: Onkyo’s DX dual-screen laptop

You’re smart right? Then you probably know that all those low-priced digital photo frames with laughably poor instruction manuals and confusing user interfaces so aggressively hocked during the holidays share one common trait: poor displays. Unfortunately, most shoppers won’t figure this out until they’ve brought the unit home. Fact is, you have to pay a little extra to get a decent 8- to 10-inch panel. And really, what’s more important than the display on a digital picture frame? So check Samsung’s new 800P 8-inch frame. It features an LED-backlit 800×480 pixel panel, 2GB of internal storage (plus microSD expansion), Bluetooth 2.0, support for video and music playback, and Samsung’s second generation UI and panel-making expertise. On sale now in Korea for 199,000 of the local stuff or about $159 of the almighty euro dollar whenever it heads west.

You’re probably already fairly familiar with Acer’s foray into speedy netbooks with the the Ferrari One — the 11.6-incher we found to be slightly underwhelming when we got our hands on it back in September. Still, the famous branding and the red hot lid is sure to be a draw for some, and other than that, this laptop boasts an 1.2GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 CPU, an AMD M780G chipset, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200 graphics, plus WiFi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN and a 6-cell battery. It’ll run you about $600 to grab one up and it’s available now. Full press release is after the break.

Continue reading Acer’s Ferrari One netbook now available — might not help you get a date

Touch Bionics has been at this bionic prosthetics business for a while now, already providing i-Limb solutions to those deprived of the use of their hands or arms. The company’s latest innovation is to reduce all that tech down to the level of individual fingers, with its freshly announced ProDigits being able to replace anywhere between one and all of your precious little piggies. Relying on a traditional myoelectric regime — which reacts to muscle signals from the residual hand — or pressure from the remnant finger for its input, this invention can even be tweaked by doctors (over Bluetooth) to adjust the finer motor functions on a per patient basis. Costing up to £40,000 ($65,000), these new prosthetics will be custom-built for each person, and there are plans to apply to have them made available through national health insurance — in countries that are into that sort of thing. Video after the break.

Continue reading Touch Bionics offers ProDigits for those missing their amateur ones