Jul 19
Filed under: HDTV, Peripherals, Storage
Super Multi Blue, Blu-ray, HD DVD, LightScribe, GGW-H20LI, GGC-H20LI — pay close attention, these are the terms you’ll need to familiarize yourself with for this post about LG’s latest multi-format optical drives. The $500 GGW-H20LI reads both HD disc formats, and writes at 6x dual-layer BD-R/RE discs (as well as DVD±RW), while the completely differently named $400 GGC-H20LI can read back both formats, but only write DVD±RW and CD-R/RW.
Also in LG hybrid high def disc news, the company is offering 10 HD movies on either Blu-ray or HD DVD for free when you snag a $1,200 Super Blu BH100, but only until July 21st — that’d be this Saturday. Also of note, LG says we should “stay tuned” for a followup to said BH100, but it isn’t prepared to announce further details. Bummer.
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Ryan Block
Jul 19
Filed under: GPS, Portable Audio, Portable Video
LG is still pretty fresh to the GPS market, but it’s already kicking off a second round of devices with the LN790 Portable Navigator. The device features a 4.3-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth phone pairing, video and music playback and photo viewing, with an SD card slot to store the goodies. Oh, and that map stuff all those kids go for these days, with US, Canada and Puerto Rico pre-loaded, and live traffic info for 50 North American cities. You should be seeing this one hit shelves in September for around $699. More shots after the break.
Continue reading LG’s new LN790 Portable Navigator
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Paul Miller
Jul 19
Filed under: Displays, HDTV
Perhaps to replicate a bit of that success LG has found in its Chocolate brand, the company is eschewing the usual serial number mayhem for a new Opus badge to denote its “best of everything” LCD line. The displays will show up in September, and come in 42-, 47- and 57-inch flavors. All three displays are 1080p, with 120Hz TruMotion to fight the jaggies, TruColor showing 92 percent of the NTSC spectrum, Super IPS, XD Engine and looks to match the specs. The prices, unfortunately, line up as well: you can score the 42LBX for $2499, 47LBX for $3299 and the 57LBX for $4499. More shots after the break.
Continue reading LG debuts new Opus LCD lineup at the top end
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Paul Miller
Jul 19
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Transportation
Strapping a DirecTV antenna atop a moving vehicle is typically never a sound idea, but thanks to KVH’s new lineup of TracVision SlimLine satellite systems, bringing HDTV to your RV just got a whole lot sleeker. The firm has launched four separate 12-inch systems that aim to bring “crystal-clear reception” into one’s RV or camper, and those springing for the flagship R6 DX (pictured) will even receive a DirecTV H20 free of charge. Dubbed the “smallest and simplest” in the industry, these devices will actually come integrated into a number of 2008 RVs, but those looking to upgrade their current ride can look forward to “full support for standard and HD DirecTV programming,” as well as access to Dish and ExpressVu. Now this is a quintessential aspect of a road trip done right.
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Darren Murph
Jul 19
Filed under: Transportation
While there’s long since been ways to get a piece of your mind (or your best Photoshop effort) launched into space, getting your person up there isn’t exactly feasible if your pay stub isn’t stamped by NASA. Now, however, Space Adventures is looking to hoist a pair of untrained civilians into space in 2008 and 2009 aboard a Soyuz craft, and the firm will soon be selling seats for the low, low price of $100 million apiece. The Lunar Mission will eventually bring you “to the other side of the moon,” and while we’re sure the itinerary is quite detailed considering the price of admission, the firm isn’t dolling out too much more until you prove your bank account is stocking the required dough.
[Thanks, Yossi]
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Darren Murph
Jul 19
Filed under: Portable Audio

It looks like Apple is on a roll with its latest round patent applications. Hot on the heels of the recently seen illuminated touchpad and Home on iPod filings, comes two new applications that should have only the fiercest of fanboys excited. First up is a technology which the Cupertino camp calls “Dynamic lyrics display for portable media devices,” or as we would describe it — karaoke on your iPod. Nothing really groundbreaking here: obviously lyrics would be displayed while you belted out your favorite Pat Benatar song, which is pretty unexciting and definitely unoriginal. Patent number two seems a bit more promising, as it addresses the possibility of using your iPod or other “portable media player” as a wireless remote for your PC or media center, thus allowing you easier access to your Best of the 80’s collection. Of course, this would require a wireless iPod, which doesn’t exist, although we understand those new iPhone things have some kind of wireless capability…
[Via Unwired View]
Read — Dynamic lyrics display for portable media devices
Read — Portable media player as a low power remote control and method thereof
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Joshua Topolsky
Jul 19
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
It looks like the Navy’s not the only one keen on predicting the future these days, with the ever-experimenting folks at DARPA now also getting in on the act with a proposed solution of their own. Dubbed “Deep Green,” the program consists of a variety of software that battlefield commanders can feed information into and get fed back forecasts of how a mission might turn out in return. At the center of the system, according to Wired’s Danger Room, are two pieces of software: “Blitzkrieg,” which produces combat models for commanders to consider, and “Crystal Ball,” which pools a variety of information and offers up the most likely scenarios and the best course of action. We’ll just have to wait and see if it actually pans out or goes the way of the laughing bullet.
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Donald Melanson
Jul 19
Filed under: Cellphones
Walk into an Apple or AT&T store, walk out with an iPhone in whatever color you like: that is, if you like black, silver, and chrome. Which is why, as usual, we’re stoked that Colorware’s on the case (literally), offering up another 29 shades for your Apple phone. The price: $150 if you send yours in, or $650 / $750 if you buy a 4GB / 8GB new from them.
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Ryan Block