Reg Hardware

25th February 2008 Archive

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  • Newcomer punts miniature 'pub phone'

    Perfect for pocketing?

    It’s small, it’s shiny and it’s perfect for the pub, apparently. Electronics company Onyx has designed a miniature mobile phone that’s intended to be used in addition to your primary handset. Onyx's Liscio: a mobile down-time Dubbed Liscio, the tri-band GSM handset measures just 91 x 35 x 18mm and weighs a mere 60g. Onyx, …

    Phones 25 Feb 08:02

  • MS axes Xbox 360 HD DVD drive

    After Toshiba, after the studios...

    Microsoft is dropping its HD DVD add-on drive from its list of Xbox 360 add-ons, the software giant revealed this past weekend. The blame was placed firmly on "recent decisions made by Toshiba, Hollywood studios, and retailers", but whoever's responsible, MS will "no longer manufacture new HD DVD players for the Xbox 360". …

    Consoles 25 Feb 08:41

  • Krell touts top-rank iPod dock

    Sounds good

    There are plenty of iPod docking stations available right now, but if you demand nothing but the best for your Apple player - and have the cash to get it - then high-end stereo manufacturer Krell reckons it has the perfect dock for you. Krell's KID iPod dock: expensive Its KID iPod dock is being marketed with that bold …

    Gadgets and Gizmos 25 Feb 10:27

  • Nokia unwraps bendy nanotech phone

    Roll with it

    Nokia and the University of Cambridge jointly designed a concept mobile phone that allows users to mould the handset into different shapes. Nokia's Morph: formed from shape-altering substances Dubbed Morph, the handset has been designed to demonstrate the possible future benefits of nanotechnology for mobile devices. Morph …

    Phones 25 Feb 11:17

  • Toshiba Portégé R500 slimline laptop

    Review Not as sleek as the Air, but packs more features

    Take this boy out of the box and the first thing you’re going to say — we guarantee it — is “strewth, that’s light”. We did. After years of carrying around small notebooks that were still big in weight, picking up this featherlight laptop was a real surprise. OK, something as small as, say, the Asus Eee you expect not to weigh …

    PCs 25 Feb 12:02

  • Samsung laptop battery burns

    Pillow-as-desk usage to blame?

    A Samsung laptop's battery caught fire yesterday, setting light to the bed it had been left on, South Korean firefighters have revealed. The P10 laptop overheated, causing the bedclothes to smoulder and burn. No one was hurt in the incident, Reuters reports, which took place in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, South Korea. Details are …

    PCs 25 Feb 12:10

  • Fujitsu preps 500GB laptop HDD

    Me too

    Fujitsu has become the latest hard drive maker to spin up a 2.5in laptop hard drive capable of holding up to half a terabyte of data. Fujitsu's MHZ2 BT: half a terabyte in laptop-friendly form Its MHZ2 BT family connects to the host over a 3Gb/s SATA link. Each drive has 8MB of cache on board, and consumes up to 1.8W when …

    Storage 25 Feb 12:32

  • Sony claims home cinema kit helps movie buffs keep the noise down

    Keep listening

    If you’ve recently been served with an ASBO for making too much noise, then Sony’s lined-up a home cinema range that should help, because its latest speaker and player combo range automatically limits sudden loud sound effects. Sony's DAV-DZ: suppresses sudden sound bursts All three models in the Bravia DAV-DZ home cinema …

    HD 25 Feb 13:03

  • Canon eyes biometric photo tagging

    Eyes front

    If you’re sick of other folk claiming the kudos for your well-framed shots then Canon may have the answer. The company has filed a patent application for a technology that allows each camera snap to be embedded with a digital watermark of your iris. Canon’s camera would incorporate an infra-red sensor to capture the …

    Cameras 25 Feb 13:07

  • Powerline Ethernet specialist preps 400Mb/s unit

    First public demos next month

    Powerline networking specialist Devolo will next month demo an Ethernet-over-the-mains prototype capable of delivering up to 400Mb/s bandwidth. Devolo's keeping mum about the details until it shows the kit off at the CeBIT show in Hannover. We suspect the unit essentially comprises two separate 200Mb/s HomePlug AV that sit …

    Networking and Wireless 25 Feb 15:08

  • Pioneer passes up petite plasma production

    Company will only produce 50in and above

    Pioneer is reportedly planning to stop making 42in plasma displays, outsourcing manufacture to a third party so it can focus its own manufacturing efforts on screens that are 50in or bigger. The report, which has appeared in Japanese newspaper Asahi and was later picked-up by Reuters, gives no official reason for the move. It …

    HD 25 Feb 15:14

  • Dicota Take.Off Control iPod and laptop bag

    Unwired Video Review A bag. With integrated iPod controls

    This laptop messenger bag from Dicota is called the ‘Take.Off Control’, and it’s got iPod buttons built right into the strap, meaning you don’t have to fiddle with your audio player to change tracks or volume. It fits laptops up to 15.4in widescreen. It’s well built, but costs £75 - is it worth the money? Can't see the …

    Gadgets 25 Feb 16:36

  • Sony talks up titanium-clad shooter

    Tough enough?

    If you’re worried about scratches and knocks affecting the look and performance of your camera, then Sony’s created one that’s as hard as nails, thanks to a titanium shell. Sony's W300: a titanium shell protects the 13.6-megapixel camera The 13.6-megapixel Cyber-shot W300’s coating is, Sony said, around five times tougher …

    Cameras 25 Feb 16:44

  • Yes! It's the vacuum cleaner mouse!

    It really sucks (you're fired - Ed)

    It isn’t often that Register Hardware gets the opportunity to say just how much a product sucks, so this time we’re going to milk it. Japanese gadget specialist Thanko has created a mouse that’s also a minature vacuum cleaner. Thanko's mouse looks pretty normal, until... Built into the 62 x 115 x 40mm mouse is a dinky vac …

    Gadgets and Gizmos 25 Feb 16:54