I’m quite sure that as a gadget lover that you’ve looked in your house or apartment and just knew that it had to be a better way to make your living spaces and gadget lust just fit all in together better and more efficient manner.

In this wonderfully shot short (click the picture above) we’re introduced to Shadi Shahrokhi and his companies Trak-Kit system and his philosophies for his company.

“What is the digital revolution and how is it affecting the way we conceive the modern, urban home? Digital Architect profiles Shadi Shahrokhi, inventor of the revolutionary Trak-Kit system and principal of Shadi + company a New York-based design studio. A self-proclaimed audio and videophile, Shadi is at the center of the convergence of technology and design which allows for an increasingly democratized digital world. He addresses issues of mobility, efficiency, and elegance and explores new ways of conceiving and realizing the environments where we live, work, and play. First-person observation and Shadi’s own words shed light on an architect whose visionary work is defining new ways for consumers to integrate digital technology into their homes.”

Awesome stuff.

If only I had the money. Thanks to Robert P. and PS Pictures for the information.

[ PS Pictures ] [ Digital Cribs ]

I’ve been an user of Joost since the days it was called “The Venice Project” when I thought the guys behind Skype and Kazaa couldn’t do any wrong. As long as I had my laptop and broadband/wireless access to the internet, I would catch a couple of shows.

However they’ve gone through a few changes from a desktop P2P based client to a web based client… now to an Apple iPhone application. And I couldn’t be any happier. It means that I can get my Fat Albert or Transformers fix even during meetings if I so wished.

Oh hell yeah.

Originally released for the Apple iPhone; FlyCast has released their FlyCast Mobile Network application for the BlackBerry smartphone platform.

FlyCast today announced at the BlackBerry® Developer Conference, where the company is a finalist in the BlackBerry Developer Challenge, that on November 1st, its mobile broadcast network will be ready for the BlackBerry® Curve, BlackBerry® Bold™ and BlackBerry® Storm™ smartphones from Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) . FlyCast’s mobile broadcast network is one of the first of its kind to be available for BlackBerry smartphones. It will be available as a free download from the FlyCast mobile website (mobile.flycast.fm) beginning November 1st.

The FlyCast network is the first specifically designed application to deliver radio, video and podcasts over mobile broadband and Wi-Fi networks to mobile devices. As a compelling free alternative to satellite radio, the FlyCast network has experienced explosive growth in users and content since its launch in January 2008.

Find out more and (future) download from FlyCast Mobile’s website.

Looks like Sony is releasing their Life with PlayStation functionality that brings news, weather, and other typical “start of the day” activities from the non-interactive and usually boring morning news to your PlayStation 3.

Now… if only I can learn how to fight the temptation to avoid squeezing in a quick game or two before going to work.

If you’ve ever wished you could find everything you need to start your day on your PLAYSTATION 3, Life with PlayStation give you one more reason to do so. This free service delivers a new way for you to utilize your PS3 to instantly access real-time news and information like weather updates from over 60 cities around the world.

Life with PlayStation provides a stunning interactive globe, a 3D world map that you can twirl around to see live cloud movement courtesy of the University of Wisconsin, combined with up-to-date weather information from the Weather Channel, top news headlines provided by Google news, and live web cam images via the Earth Television Network — all localized to the select city. And why not have your favorite soundtrack playing in the background while you go through your morning ritual (just think, no TV commercials and teasers to find out if you need to bring an umbrella to work)? You’re on your own for your morning caffeine fix.

Read more over at the Playstation Blog.

I’ve had a secret crush on the Panasonic Lumix series of digital cameras… they do have Leica lenses. But the problem is, they really didn’t have any DSLR’s that were in my price range. Nor did I really fancy most of their handhelds - the L1 has me drooling like no other though. But I still liked them because of Leica’s inclusion and waiting for the day that I can replace my Sony DSLR-a100k.

Now I have another reason to drool over the Panasonic Lumix line… the newly announced “DSLR-ish” DMC-G1. Utilizing the Micro Four Thirds which brings DSLR level of detail into the smaller, thinner bodies of smaller than your typical DSLR bulky camera. In simpler terms… better camera in a smaller space.

Panasonic today announced the world’s first Micro Four Thirds system camera, the LUMIX DMC-G1, the world’s smallest and lightest digital interchangeable lens camera, weighing in at approximately 385 grams (0.85 lbs).* Based on the new Micro Four Thirds System standard, the LUMIX G1 eliminates the internal mirror structure that defines digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras, thus reducing the size and weight by nearly half.** With the mirror-less system, the G1’s flange back, which is the distance between the mount and the image sensor, has been reduced from 40 mm — as specified in the Four Thirds System — to approximately 20 mm.

The new Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G1 will enhance the advanced photo quality and flexibility made possible by the Four Thirds™ System, and with its innovative design, consumers will appreciate the portability of a smaller camera body and lenses. The G1 will be available in mid-November as a kit with the new LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S lens. Also available in November, and announced today, is the LUMIX G VARIO 45-200mm/F4.0-5.6/MEGA O.I.S.lens.

“With the LUMIX G1, we are filling a void that has existed for a long time in the digital camera market, because consumers wanted the power of an SLR, but previous models were bulky and inconvenient,” said David Briganti, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “The LUMIX G answers this challenge as consumers can benefit from the flexibility of changing lenses; a quick Auto Focus; and a sensor that produces high-quality photos. By packing all those powerful assets into an extremely compact body with easy-to-use features familiar to point-and-shoot users, we are excited about G, as it brings new possibilities to the consumer.”

The LUMIX G1 is also the world’s first interchangeable lens camera that will come with color variety — with availability in black, blue and red models — allowing consumers to personalize their style through color, something very popular with point-and-shoot camera models.

Pricing for the camera and accessories are to be announced in early October. Read more at the Panasonic Pressroom.

I can’t wait.

By Andrew Liszewski

While Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and the umpteen sequels it’s spawned have become the defacto standard for skateboarding games, ask anyone who spent time gaming on the Commodore 64 and they’ll tell you that Skate Or Die was where virtual cube-gleaming got its real start. Even for the C64 the Skate Or Die graphics and music were actually quite impressive, and it was definitely one of those games you could play with a group of friends since there were several two-player modes. That is, as long as you had a 2nd joystick, since no one wanted to get stuck playing with the keyboard.

And anyone who played Skate Or Die on the C64 has to remember this dude. He was the owner of the local skateshop and even though he appeared to be on the rough side of 40 going on 50, he still sported a wicked purple mohawk. His shop also served as the game’s main menu allowing you to keep track of high scores or enter various competitions. You made your selection by moving a cursor around the screen, and depending on where it was this dude would spit out rad skateboard phrases (all text-based of course) like “Don’cha like my ‘do’” whenever you passed over his mohawk. If I had to assemble a top ten list of C64 games, Skate Or Die would definitely be in there somewhere, and all these years later I can honestly say I still like that guy’s ‘do’.

[ Lemon64.com - Skate Or Die ]

Link to the original article…

February 17, 2009. Most people with a television know what that date means. It’s the day that analog television stops being transmitted and makes way for digital television. Are you ready for that switch? Have you gotten your coupon yet?

Have you visited Best Buy yet?

Best Buy has made several resources available to help people understand what’s happening with this transition. I’ve got press documents I can send you, but the major points are these:

-Beginning in early 2006, Best Buy began providing consumers with in-store and online information about the DTV broadcast transition including brochures and a dedicated page at BestBuy.com/DTV.

-In October 2007, Best Buy was the first CE retailer to exit the analog business, pulling all analog tuner products from store shelves.

-Best Buy has launched a dedicated hotline – 877-BBY-DTV9 – where consumers can call and speak with a trained home theater specialist to ask questions about the DTV transition and to learn about their options to get ready for the switch.

-Customers will also be able to redeem their DTV coupons and order converter boxes through this hotline if they are unable to get to a Best Buy store.

-Best Buy store employees across the U.S. have received training on the DTV broadcast transition and the options available to consumers. Store employees in positions that are most likely to assist consumers with DTV broadcast transition inquiries have participated in an additional series of in-depth training sessions since June 2007.

Hurry up… February will be here sooner than you’d think.

I remember a while back when I was looking for glass speakers… and only came up with a few offerings from Glas Platz. Seems like we Americans are in for a new treat from Waterfall Audio.

Behold the top of the line Victoria EVO:

Waterfall Audio’s glass loudspeakers are individually handcrafted and designed with sophisticated glass-cutting machinery and advanced proprietary driver designs. Waterfall’s creations are high-end, audiophile-grade designs that are as startlingly transparent visually as they are acoustically.

The first models slated for introduction in the U.S. are two of the company’s newest flagship speakers, positioned to attract discriminating dealers and custom-installers with their unique quality and performance profile. The stunning, three-way Victoria EVO, named for one of the world’s most famous natural wonders, the eponymous falls in Zambia/Zimbabwe in Africa; and the two-way Iguasçu EVO is named for the falls on the border between Brazil and Argentina.

Oh, I was drooling until I saw this:

Suggested Retail U.S. Pricing:

Victoria EVO $5,990/pair

Iguasçu EVO $4,390/pair

I’m a few dollars short; definitely for the audiophiles and the like. Seriously though, I just love the idea of glass audio speakers and feel free to send me a pair to review.

Anybody remember the whole Betamax vs. VHS battle? Sony, the chief backer of Beta, wasn’t as nice as Toshiba and the retailers are pertaining those that purchased the Toshiba and Microsoft backed HD-DVD.

This time, some said that HD-DVD was doomed from the beginning with the Sony PlayStation 3 serving as their “trojan horse” to get into millions of homes and help push Blu-Ray over HD-DVD’s popularity. Meanwhile, earlier released Blu-Ray players were having problems playing such recently released and Blu-Ray profile updated titles like Pirates of the Caribbean.

With that said, just under a month ago, Toshiba finally pulled the plug on HD-DVD and a lot of people are looking at their last movies coming out, or have came out. Terminator 2 will be the last real release - I think there’s a Veggie Tales that’s being touted as coming out a bit later, if Paramount doesn’t stop that from being released as well.

So what to do… what to do.

Seems like Best Buy got your back. Yeah… that Best Buy.

Until December 31st, 2008, if you purchased a HD-DVD player and/or HD-DVD attachment (think: Microsoft XBOX360 HD-DVD add-on) before February 22nd, 2008, you’re eligible for a $50.00 that Best Buy will be proactively mailing cards to some of its customers and expects to distribute more than $10 million in gift cards. Also feel free to hit up the Best Buy HD-DVD trade-in program.

This offer starts March 21st.

Even though I avoided this battle for the “next generation” of video, this might be helpful for quite a few of you - I’m still enjoying my Betamax

Meridian Audio Limited has chosen the 2008 Electronic House Expo (EHX), held March 11-15 in Orlando, Florida, to debut its latest high-definition video projector, the MF10. Meridian, a British firm long accepted as a world leader in advanced digital audio and video technologies for music and home-theater systems, has already established itself at the top of the high-end projector market; with the new model, this position is sure to be enhanced.

“Over the last two to three years, core technologies for HD video projection have advanced to significant new performance capabilities,” says Norm Steinke, Chief Operating Officer of Meridian America. “With Meridian’s unique engineering experience and proprietary design, and with our rigorous hand-selection and calibration programs, we are now able to offer fully reference-grade equipment at rational cost, enabling a new level of home-theater excellence.”

Building on the success of the award-winning MF1, the new MF10 uses the latest-generation D-ILA light-engine technology, in a maximum-performance three-chip 1080p array. Based upon an all-new, 0.7-inch DILA device, the MF10’s refined new optical package delivers an important reduction in stray light, producing industry-best black levels (in excess of 30,000:1 native contrast ratio) without the use of a servo iris. This means powerfully stunning blacks and superbly dynamic visual “pop,” with no sacrifice in light output—or of the MF10’s remarkable shadow detail. The result: rich, film-like textures and depth, and an entirely involving, cinematic visual experience.

Another key to the MF10’s unexcelled video excellence is its exceptionally accurate, 16-element, all-glass lens. This ensures sharp, fully focused imaging across the entire screen, edge to edge and top to bottom. Its 2x zoom delivers a large, bright image even in smaller environments with curtailed throw-distance dimensions, delivering image size from 60 to 200 inches. Like Meridian’s MF1 projector, the MF10 will feature the optional 2.35:1 (Cinemascop®) conversion kit from lab-quality optics maker Schneider.

While video performance is indisputably the MF10’s key feature, Meridian has also engineered numerous intelligent design touches. An extremely low-noise cooling system maintains quiet installations, with both intake and exhaust located on the front panel, making location close to the rear wall practicable, for tidy layout and maximal throw-distance. Lens-shifts of 80 percent horizontal and 34 percent vertical further enhance design and installation adaptability, while the MF10’s side-access lamp compartment makes renewal simple even for ceiling-mounted installations.

Meridian’s unequalled selection and calibration standards and stringent quality control make the MF10 the most consistent high-end projector available. This is an important point to system designer/installers offering reference systems, and promising calibrated performance at multiple venues or rooms.

The MF10 incorporates powerful DSP for high-performance video processing, including deinterlacing and image scaling, making it a virtually “plug-and-play” solution for high-end, full-HD image reproduction. For installations requiring a range of fully state-of-the-technology abilities, the MF10’s “pixel-for-pixel” unprocessed mode is tailor made to work in tandem with Meridian’s newest digital video processor, the DVP2351. For its part, the DVP2351 is specifically engineered to deliver maximum performance when paired with the new Meridian projector, or with an equivalent model of similar potential. The DVP2351 provides a full range of inputs including 4 HDMI ultra-high-bandwidth 1080p paths, with flexible switching and a host of input/output aspect ratio options, taking full advantage of its powerful scaling/deinterlacing digital-video processing abilities. Totally programmable, and controllable via infrared or RS-232 communications, the DVP2351 is equally adept optimizing the MF10 projector within an all-Meridian system or in a multibrand layout.

Meridian is offering the MF10 Digital Projector and DVP2351 Digital Video individually. Both models are available immediately. MSRP: MF10 projector: $14,995; DVP2351 processor: $3,995.

Time to cut ‘n paste:

Silicon Optix announces that Gefen will use Realta HQV to power its new scaler solution, the Gefen TV Scaler Pro. (MSRP: $699)

Using the power of Emmy® award-winning HQV processing, the Gefen TV Scaler Pro can be connected to set-top boxes, DVD players or any piece of video equipment, providing an instant upgrade to HQV image quality in a very cost effective package. The result is dramatically improved picture quality with a simple one-box addition.

The Gefen TV Scaler Pro offers an extensive set of selectable input and output ports to enable a plug and play solution that works with the widest assortment of equipment. This includes dual HDMI v1.3, component, S-video and composite inputs, as well as an HDMI v1.3 output for an easy connection to any digital television. Optional digital audio support complements the selection of video for an engaging audio/video environment. Once connected, whatever source is selected may be up and down scaled with impressive video refinements to ensure the most vivid imagery possible.

With a suggested retail price of $699, it’s designed for both prosumers and industry savvy consumers who demand the very best from their high definition audio and video systems.

Now… what does that mean? It means that your new HDTV television will friggin’ sing when you plug stuff up into this - think Nintendo Wii finally getting a good upscale to 720p or so - and then into your HDMI enabled television that your video will now look lovely as all get out.

File this under: me want

Fresh off the presses…

Flypaper has many new features and is much faster and more reliable. We also have nearly 100 new Models ready for you to try including: image galleries, cube galleries, word puzzles, multiple choice questions and a set of interactive presentations based on what we call The Revolver.

New since Beta II

* Output your story as a video to play on your video iPod or on popular sites like MySpace, YouTube and Facebook. Flypaper will turn your animations into movies (.flv, .mpg and .mp4)
* You can use the video trimmer (Tools/video) to take just the parts of other videos you want to use in your story.
* Publish to Community is faster and easier. And on the community you can see all the stories you have published before and delete the old ones.
* Publish Settings dialogue that makes it easier to customize your Story’s output.
* Edit/Undo – that’s right you can correct your errors in two clicks (or ctrl-z).
* Updater – easily update to the latest version of Flypaper. Don’t worry we won’t spam you with updates, we only ask when you start Flypaper, and you can turn it off.
* SCORM 1.2 conformance for e-learning stories.
* And many, many more…

So come see us at Flypaper.net and be the first in your company to create Stories that Stick.

Ok… won’t lie. I typically don’t even care about movies, the hype around them… but viral campaigns really get my attention.

Enter Cloverfield. Below is an ad from one of the viral sites, slusho.jp:

Now… who can figure it all out? Don’t forget 1-18-08.com as well.

Wow. I didn’t see this one coming…

The guys over at Ubergizmo caught a frame that all-but-confirms that Skype is indeed coming for the Sony PSP - Playstation Portable.

Maybe that means that the US gamers will finally get the Chotto Shot camera attachment that just never quite materialized in the US. Same with the GPS Receiver attachment as well.

Heck… that means that my Nokia N810 won’t be the only gadget in my pocket with Skype.

Tributaries, makers of fine cables for home audio and custom install solutions, introduces a coax to Toslink converter.

Tributaries extends its family of problem-solvers with the introduction of the AC100 Coax/Toslink Audio Converter. The AC100 cross-converts digital audio signals between “Toslink” optical and coax-electrical SPDIF formats transparently and affordably, converting in either direction, and handling PCM (stereo) and bitstream (Dolby Digital, DTS) signals with equal assurance.

“Our latest ‘fixer’ offers an instant answer to that system-installation ‘gotcha’ where a shortage of digital inputs in one format or another runs smack into an additional source equipped with only one format or the other—inevitably, the wrong one,” says Joe Perfito, President of Tributaries®. “It doesn’t crop up on every job, by any means,” Perfito continues, “but when it does it’s a deal-breaker. In these scenarios the AC100 saves the day.”

All for a low price of $50.00 USD.