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Anything but iPod: Ok… before you laugh at the brand names ridiculous prefix, hear me out. I have listened to the iHome stuff for the iPod- a few of the clock radios and they sound fantastic for the price, so I’m pretty hyped to see one for the Zune. I have a few Zunes laying around that need a home (yeah what a terrible problem to have).

Cesar over at Zune Insider reports that this is the first clock radio (ZN9) for the Zune that will features a gradual wake or sleep to your favorite crunchy tunes. Additionally, you have the ability to set the alarm for weekends and weekdays. The table radio is housed in a “retro-classic” wooded speaker cabinet with a line in for other non-Zune gadgets.

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Absolute Gadget: To get a Blackberry device from its users would require you to prise it out of their cold, dead hand but they may well very soon be chucking it away – to get their hands on this new phone that departs from the usual design by going all clamshell-like. 

According to Boy Genius Report, Research-in-Motion will be launching the clamshell phone, called the Kickstart, before the end of the year. It should sport a Suretype keyboard as well as a digital camera, an external LCD and, a tiny navigation trackball and a 2.5-inch LCD.

It is rumoured that the new phone will come with an updated version of RIM’s own Operating System, the Blackberrry Device Software 4.6, which should be able to cope with videos.

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HDTV News: LG has been one of the fastest growing electronic companies today. This has been proven by their mainstream electronic device flodding the consumer market. One of this device is the LG 37LG30, an LCD HDTV that is perfect for various types of lifestyles.The 37LG30 features 720p high definition resolution, 3 HDMI inputs, invisible speakers, and a 12,000:1 contrast ratio. With this dynamic view, you’ll get great gaming and flawless movies. All in a flat, stunning screen.

LG has brought, along with this set, some of the most functional technology in the industry. LG’s 37LG30 features 3 HDMI connections with LG SimpLink. HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the only interface in consumer electronics that can carry both uncompressed high-definition (HD) video and uncompressed multi-channel audio in all HD formats including 720p, 1080i and even 1080p.

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PC Magazine: Bulky CRTs and rear-projection televisions are on the way out, while sleek and thin LCD and plasma HDTVs are becoming the sets of choice. The LCD TV has earned the top spot in worldwide sales because prices have steadily decreased while picture quality and integrated features have made regular, albeit evolutionary improvements. However, increasingly attractive values haven’t eliminated the wide variance in pricing among similarly sized model lines, and understanding some of the basics of the technology can help you choose the right LCD HDTV for your needs and budget.Choosing Your Resolution

1080p resolution (1,920 by 1,080 pixels progressively scanned) is currently the pinnacle for consumer home theater material, and with all other things being equal, you want the screen resolution of your HDTV to match this format in order to provide the most detailed picture possible. Some manufacturers advertise “1080i” LCD TVs, but be aware that there is no such thing—it simply sounds better than saying a particular model has half the screen resolution of a true 1080p display…

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PMP Today: Mapping on Nokia phones has just improved with the introduction of Real Time Traffic or RTT to the Nokia Maps service. This is a premium add-on to Nokia Maps 2.0. With the increasing convergence of mobile devices, especially in devices under the Nokia branding, the new development puts personal navigation devices or PNDs at risk of being obsolete in the near future.

“By adding RTTI, Nokia can save precious time for drivers by alerting them of traffic, construction or other road hazards that could affect their journey. When Nokia Maps receives the road updates from ARC Transistance, the application can dynamicly re-route during navigation and provide a faster route.”

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Electronista: Microsoft is turning to Pegatron Technology, a subsidiary of ASUS, to produce Xbox 360 consoles with integrated Blu-ray drives, according to reports. Exactly one month ago, Microsoft denied rumors of Lite-On producing a Blu-ray drive for its popular game console, but chose words carefully to avoid excluding other suppliers.

The new account claims that Blu-ray Xboxes will ship in the third quarter, but at this stage it is not known exactly which markets will get the HD-capable consoles, nor at what price, or even if the launch is guaranteed.

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Gizmodo: Big Moving Pictures (BMP) describes itself as “a rolling television network.” Basically, that means they deliver gigantic televisions, cameras and sound equipment to major outdoor events like a Blue Angels flying demo to enhance the experience. Thanks to an agreement signed yesterday, BMP plans on kicking the entertainment factor up a notch or two by building gigantic, truck-mounted 40′ x 22′ HDTV screens and hauling them to a rock concert near you. When completed, the displays will be the largest mobile HDTVs in the world—and the first LED displays that provide full HDTV resolution in daytime outdoor environments.

The hydraulically operated jumbo TVs are expected to weigh an astonishing 66,000 pounds and deliver true 16:9 aspect ratio for direct usage of 720P HDTV signals.

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vnunet: Global navigation satellite system end-user devices and systems will generate yearly revenues of $240bn by 2013, research predicts.

However, the implementation of GPS technology in mobile consumer devices such as handsets and digital cameras, and its indoor use, poses some “important challenges”, according to ABI Research principal analyst Dominique Bonte.

“GPS technology was designed for outdoor use and specific military applications, and its weak signals and long fix times are not well-suited to indoor environments and mobile devices with low power consumption and always-on requirements,” he said.

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The Register: Gamers from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 camps rejoiced when it was confirmed that Grand Theft Auto IV would be available on both consoles. But fans have begun complaining that the game’s resolution on the PS3 is lower than it is the Xbox 360.

It’s been claimed that GTA IV runs at a resolution of 630p (1120 x 630) on the PS3, which falls short of the 720p (1280 x 720) resolution claimed to be given to Xbox 360 gamers. On one forum, gamers have begun comparing like-for-like screenshots from both consoles and come to the conclusion that trigger happy PS3 players are coming off worse, resolution wise.

For example, one gamer wrote on his blog that there’s a slight “fuzziness” when playing the title on the PS3, whereas the game is much “sharper” on the Xbox 360. That suggests the upscaling of a lower-resolution image on the PS3 version.

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Electronista: Vodafone UK on Thursday announced it would add ‘unlimited’ access to the Internet and email to its monthly cell phone plans as it tries to garner a larger share of the country’s highly competitive cellular market. The world’s largest mobile telecommunications network company does in fact limit the plan to 500MB per month, as per its fair usage policy. The provider noted use of its Vodafone Mobile Internet service has grown rapidly since its launch last summer, with users accessing popular networking sites, news sites and search engines most often.

Vodafone’s research shows social networking sites Facebook and Bebo are the most searched websites among UK users on their mobile web service, and also rank as number 1 and 5, respectively, on the most-visited list.

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Engadget: We know, it’s tiresome scouring the streets for an AC outlet when you’ve got oodles of sunshine surrounding you. That’s where Devotec Industries’ Solar Charger comes in. The smallest (and freshest) addition to the company’s line weighs in at under 80-grams and measures just 95- x 43- x 10-millimeters, and packed within you’ll find an 1800mAh battery.

Of note, users can also juice up the device via USB or AC for when cloudy days swoop in, and it comes bundled with a slew of tips to handle the most popular handsets out there. Yeah, it does take a full day of sun (12-hours, to be precise) to get this thing fully charged (or 4-hours by AC / USB).

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PC Magazine: Sharp has begun selling a range of LCD TVs in Japan that incorporate Amimon’s wireless video technology, the company said. The displays are the first shipping product to use high-bandwidth wireless technology to eliminate the television cables, Amimon executives claimed. 

Sharp will include the technology as an option in its X-series televisions, which include 37-, 42- and 46-inch screen sizes. According to Noam Geri, vice president of marketing and business development for Amimon, the technology will be offered as an option, and priced at a premium of about 90,000, or just under $900 or €575. A wireless dongle will connect the TV and receiver or gateway, eliminating the wires for the super-thin displays, which might hang on a wall.

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