Technizmo

Nintendo DSi XL coming to North America Q1 2010!

2009-10-29T17:15:00.003-04:00

Damn it, now I have another DS to buy! Nintendo of America has confirmed that the Nintendo DSi XL will be released in North America in the first quarter of 2010.

"A new iteration of the Nintendo DSi™ system will be introduced in Japan on November 21, 2009. To be known as Nintendo DSi LL in Japan, and as Nintendo DSi XL in North America and Europe, it will offer a screen 93% larger than the current Nintendo DS Lite with a better view angle, an additional longer touch screen stylus, and preinstalled Nintendo DSiWare™ software. The new version will arrive in North America and Europe in the first quarter of calendar year 2010." - Nintendo spokesperson

So there you go! And yes, I will be trading in my current DSi for the DSi XL. I can't help myself!

Nintendo confirms Nintendo DSi LL for Japan, DSi XL for Europe

2009-10-29T10:41:00.003-04:00

Nintendo of Japan has confirmed that a new version of the Nintendo DSi, called the Nintendo DSi LL, will be released in Japan on November 21st 2009 for 20,000 yen. The new system will feature 4.2" screens with the same pixel ratio, and will include a large stylus pen. The DSi LL will be available at launch in Wine Red, Dark Brown (which looks more Black to us), and Natural White. It's clear that the new device is aimed at seniors, as it comes preloaded with two Brain Age DSiWare titles, as well as a dictionary/translator app, but I'm sure a few younger gamers will appreciate the added screen real estate as well. Here is a list of specs from the Nintendo of Japan website.

DS：148.7mm／84.7mm／28.9mm
DS Lite：133.0mm／73.9mm／21.5mm
DSi：137.0mm／74.9mm／18.9mm
DSi LL：161.0mm／91.4mm／21.2mm
Default stylus is 4 mm longer than the DSi stylus
The long "touch pen" is just about 40 mm longer than the DSistylus
Weighs approximately 50% more than the DSi/Lite
1 - 3 hrs more battery life than DSi, depending on screen brightness
3 hour charge (same as DS Lite, 30 mins longer than DSi)

The Nintendo DSi LL has also been confirmed for a European release. The new handheld will be known in Europe as the Nintendo DSi XL, and should be available Q1 2010. A statement from Nintendo of Europe reads, "Nintendo today confirms that a new Nintendo DSi XL console is launching in Europe in the first quarter of 2010. The retail price of the Nintendo DSi XL is expected to be higher than that of the Nintendo DSi. Further details will be released soon,"

No word on a North American release at this time. Estimated price for a North American release would be $219.99, that's $20 more than the Wii!

Gallery | click to enlarge

Motorola DROID hits Verizon November 6th for $199 on contract

2009-10-28T17:32:00.001-04:00

Verizon has come clean today with launch details for the new Motorola DROID. You know, the "Everything iDon't, Droid Does" phone. Ya, that one!

The DROID will launch on Verizon November 6th for $199 on contract (after a $100 mail-in rebate). The DROID will be the first phone to pack Google's new Android 2.0, featuring visual voicemail, a 3.7-inch touchscreen display (854x480 resolution), a 5 megapixel camera with flash, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 3G, WiFi, voice-activated search, over-the-air Amazon MP3 downloads, and a 16GB memory card. The DROID also comes packed with a beta version of a new Google service called "Google Maps Navigation", which turns Google Maps into a turn-by-turn routing system!

Me and about a million other people just added this to their "Want" lists on gdgt. Check out the launch video after the break.

Palm Pixi hits Sprint on November 15th

2009-10-26T17:28:00.000-04:00

Palm and Sprint have finally announced launch details for the upcoming Palm Pixi webOS device. The phone will launch at Sprint Stores, Best Buy, RadioShack, and select Walmart's on November 15th for $99.99, after a $50 instant-rebate and $100 mail-in rebate. So really, it costs $250, but who's gonna bother doing the math!

Yes, the device will be available exclusively on Sprint. And yes, you could just buy the Palm Pre for $50 more. But honestly, I'd rather have the Pixi. So Palm... when does Bell get the Pixi?

Nintendo of Japan to release updated DSi with 4-inch screens this year!

2009-10-26T17:18:00.001-04:00

In a shocking and completely out-of-the-blue move, Nintendo has announced that an updated version of the Nintendo DSi handheld with 4-inch screens will be released in Japan by the end of the year. And the real kicker: it will be priced at 18900 yen... the same price as the current Nintendo DSi!

No word on if the revision will be released in Europe or North America, but seeing as how NoA was reluctant to even release the DSi in North America in the first place... we're betting no.

Apple Updates MacBook With LED-Backlit Display, Multi-Touch Trackpad & Built-in Seven-Hour Battery

2009-10-23T16:30:00.002-04:00

CUPERTINO, California—October 20, 2009—Apple® today updated its popular MacBook® with a new, durable polycarbonate unibody design featuring a brilliant LED-backlit display, a glass Multi-Touch™ trackpad and Apple’s innovative built-in battery for up to seven hours of battery life. Inheriting technology and design features from the MacBook Pro line, the new MacBook is an ideal consumer notebook for students and new Mac® users, and is available for $999.

“The new MacBook includes many of the great features found on the innovative MacBook Pro, such as an LED-backlit display, glass Multi-Touch trackpad and built-in long-life battery,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With the only lineup of notebooks all featuring unibody enclosures, LED-backlit displays and long-life battery technology, there’s never been a better time to switch to a Mac.”

The new MacBook features a unibody, polycarbonate enclosure that makes it lighter and more durable. The new design includes a unique non-skid bottom surface and at just 4.7 pounds, the sleek MacBook slides easily into a backpack or briefcase. MacBook comes standard with a bright, LED-backlit display with the same wide-angle viewing technology used in the MacBook Pro line. The new MacBook has a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics.

The new MacBook includes Apple’s innovative built-in notebook battery for up to seven hours of wireless productivity on a single charge, and up to 1,000 recharges.* At nearly three times the lifespan of conventional notebook batteries, Apple’s built-in battery results in fewer depleted batteries and less waste. Depleted batteries can be replaced for $129, which includes installation and environmentally responsible disposal of your old battery.

The energy-efficient MacBook joins the industry’s greenest lineup of notebooks, with every Mac notebook achieving EPEAT Gold** status and meeting Energy Star 5.0 requirements. The entire Mac notebook line now comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. Mac notebooks contain no brominated flame retardants, use internal cables and components that are PVC-free and are constructed of recyclable materials.

Every Mac comes with Mac OS® X Snow Leopard®, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife®, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto®, to easily organize and manage photos; iMovie® with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand® which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar.

Pricing & Availability
The new MacBook is available immediately through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The new MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $999 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
250 GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive® with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight® video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one audio line in/out port, supporting optical digital out and analog in/out;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad;
built-in, 60WHr lithium polymer battery; and
60 Watt MagSafe® Power Adapter.

Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, or 320GB 5400 rpm, 500GB 5400 rpm hard drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

Apple Introduces Magic Mouse—The World’s First Multi-Touch Mouse

2009-10-23T16:27:00.003-04:00

CUPERTINO, California—October 20, 2009—Apple® today introduced the new wireless Magic Mouse, the first mouse to use Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ technology. Pioneered on iPhone®, iPod touch® and Mac® notebook trackpads, Multi-Touch allows customers to navigate using intuitive finger gestures. Instead of mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls, the entire top of the Magic Mouse is a seamless Multi-Touch surface. Magic Mouse comes standard with the new iMac® and will be available as a Mac accessory at just $69.

“Apple is the Multi-Touch leader, pioneering the use of this innovative technology in iPhone, iPod touch and Mac notebook trackpads,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Apple's Multi-Touch technology allows us to offer an easy to use mouse in a simple and elegant design.”

Magic Mouse features a seamless touch-sensitive enclosure that allows it to be a single or multi-button mouse with advanced gesture support. Using intuitive gestures, users can easily scroll through long documents, pan across large images or swipe to move forward or backward through a collection of web pages or photos. Magic Mouse works for left or right handed users and multi-button or gesture commands can be easily configured from within System Preferences.

The Magic Mouse laser tracking engine provides a smooth, consistent experience across more surfaces than a traditional optical tracking system. Magic Mouse uses Bluetooth wireless capabilities to create a clean, cable-free desk top and its secure wireless connection works from up to 10 meters away. To extend battery performance, Magic Mouse includes an advanced power management system that works with Mac OS® X to automatically switch to low power modes during periods of inactivity. The wireless Magic Mouse is powered by two AA batteries which are included.

Pricing & Availability
Magic Mouse comes standard with the new iMac and is available at the end of October through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), at Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $69 (US). Magic Mouse requires Mac OS X Leopard® version 10.5.8 or later.

Apple Unveils New iMac With 21.5 and 27-inch Displays

2009-10-23T16:25:00.002-04:00

Features LED-Backlit Displays, Available Quad-Core Processors & the New Wireless Magic Mouse

CUPERTINO, California—October 20, 2009—Apple® today unveiled an all new iMac® line featuring brilliant LED-backlit 21.5 and 27-inch widescreen displays in a new edge-to-edge glass design and seamless all aluminum enclosure. The new iMac line, starting at $1,199, is the fastest ever with Intel Core 2 Duo processors starting at 3.06 GHz, and Core i5 and i7 quad-core processors for up to twice the performance.* Every new iMac ships with a wireless keyboard and the all new wireless Magic Mouse, the world’s first mouse with Multi-Touch™ technology pioneered by Apple on the iPhone®, iPod touch® and Mac® notebook trackpad.

“The iMac is widely praised as the best desktop computer in the world and today we are making it even better,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With brilliant LED displays and the revolutionary Magic Mouse, the new iMac delivers an amazing desktop experience that we think customers will love.”

The new iMac features stunning LED-backlit displays with a 16:9 aspect ratio, ideal for watching high definition movies and TV shows from iTunes®, or editing and watching your own videos or photos using iLife®. The new 21.5-inch iMac features a high resolution 1920-by-1080 pixel display. The 27-inch iMac features a beautiful 2560-by-1440 pixel display that offers 60 percent more pixels than the previous 24-inch model. Both 21.5 and 27-inch displays use IPS technology to deliver consistent color across an ultra wide 178 degree viewing angle.

The iMac comes standard with a wireless keyboard and the new Magic Mouse featuring Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch technology. Instead of needing mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls, the entire top of the Magic Mouse is a seamless Multi-Touch surface. Using intuitive gestures, a user can easily scroll through long documents, pan across large images or swipe to move forward or backward through a collection of web pages or photos. The Magic Mouse can be configured as either a single button or two button mouse, according to the user’s preference. The wireless keyboard and Magic Mouse work seamlessly with the iMac’s built-in Bluetooth capabilities to provide a clean, cable-free desk top.

The iMac features improved graphics across the line with NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics or ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics in the 21.5-inch model, and ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics or ATI Radeon HD 4850 discrete graphics in the 27-inch model. The new iMac line now also features 4GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 memory and capacity up to 16GB across four SO-DIMM slots. Every iMac features a built-in iSight® video camera, mic and stereo speakers integrated into the thin aluminum and glass design. iMac includes built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, a total of four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire® 800 port and a new built-in SD card slot.

Apple today also announced that the Mac mini, the world’s most energy efficient desktop,** is now faster, offers more storage and comes standard with double the memory. Starting at $599, the entry level Mac mini features a faster 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of DDR3 1066 MHz memory, a 160GB hard drive, five USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics and a SuperDrive®. The $799 Mac mini features a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of memory and a larger 320GB hard drive. Apple now offers a $999 Mac mini that is specially configured with Mac OS® X Snow Leopard® Server. Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server features two 500GB hard drives for a total of 1TB of server storage in the tiny 6.5-inch square by 2-inch tall Mac mini enclosure.

Continuing Apple’s commitment to the environment, both iMac and Mac mini extend their leadership in green design. iMac and Mac mini meet the new, more stringent Energy Star 5.0 requirements and achieve EPEAT Gold status.*** The new iMac now features LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. Both iMac and Mac mini use PVC-free internal components and cables, contain no brominated flame retardants, use highly recyclable materials, and feature material-efficient system and packaging designs.

Every Mac comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto®, to easily organize and manage photos; iMovie® with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand® which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar.

Pricing & Availability
The new 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo iMac and Mac mini lines are now shipping and available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The Intel Core i5 and i7 quad-core iMacs are available for order and will begin shipping this November. Mac mini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server is available from the Apple Store and Apple’s retail stores.

The new 21.5-inch 3.06 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,199 (US), includes:

21.5-inch 1920 x 1080 LED-backlit display;
3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 16GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
500GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
built-in iSight video camera;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
four USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port;
SD card slot;
built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
Wireless Apple Keyboard, Magic Mouse.

The new 21.5-inch 3.06 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes:

21.5-inch 1920 x 1080 LED-backlit display;
3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 16GB;
ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics; with 256MB GDDR3;
1TB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
built-in iSight video camera;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
four USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port;
SD card slot;
built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
Wireless Apple Keyboard, Magic Mouse.

The new 27-inch 3.06 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,699 (US), includes:

27-inch 2560 x 1440 LED-backlit display;
3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 16GB;
ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics; with 256MB GDDR3;
1TB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
Mini DisplayPort for video input and output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
built-in iSight video camera;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
four USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port;
SD card slot;
built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
Wireless Apple Keyboard, Magic Mouse.

The new 27-inch 2.66 GHz Core i5 iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:

27-inch 2560 x 1440 LED-backlit display;
2.66 GHz Intel Core i5 quad-core processor with 8MB shared L3 cache;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 16GB;
ATI Radeon HD 4850 discrete graphics; with 512MB GDDR3;
1TB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
Mini DisplayPort for video input and output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
built-in iSight video camera;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
four USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port;
SD card slot;
built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
Wireless Apple Keyboard, Magic Mouse.

Build-to-order options for the 27-inch Core i5 quad-core iMac include a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 quad-core processor.

Welcome to the future of Technizmo.

2009-09-24T17:19:00.006-04:00

As many of you know, I've been working on a redesigned version of Technizmo for quite some time now. And it's actually been done for a week or so now, waiting for that October release date. Today, I decided I would work out the last of the bugs, and finish polishing the design so that I could publish it. So that's what I did.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Technizmo 2.0

This new version of the site actually doesn't have that many new features. It's basically a visual redesign, as you can see. We've actually eliminated a lot of the unnecessary clutter from the original template to make the site look and feel much simpler and cleaner. Let me go over a few of the main updates:

blog
The blog features a new simpler, cleaner, and sleeker design. It's much easier to comment or retweet your favourite posts, and we can keep the front page looking nicer by utilizing "read more". The new site logo follows the same contemporary look of the redesign and represents a new aesthetic look for Technizmo.

video
Our video page has also been updated. It features the same contemporary design and logo of the new blog, as well as a lighter video player. Our Video page will soon be host to some exciting new content as well, so check back soon.

community
The Community hasn't changed much. We are currently working on a '2.0' forum redesign of sorts that should launch within the next few weeks. The forums do feature a new, contemporary logo, though.

Other new features include Read More, a new Features Carousel, a new (contemporary-styled) logo, and a new Video page. We will be adding new features (such as profile pictures for commenting) as time goes on, but we really wanted to get the redesign up and running first for all of you to enjoy.

So enjoy. And remember to submit any bugs to us by clicking 'Support' at the top. Thanks everyone, and enjoy Technizmo 2.0!

UPDATE | September 25 2009
- TweetMeme boxes removed
- AddThis button added below every post
- Post Title font changed

Gizmodo unveils Microsoft Courier tablet device

2009-09-23T13:41:00.002-04:00

This thing looks sweet! Gizmodo has just revealed a prototype tablet device from Microsoft, called Courier. Gizmodo assures us that the device is real, and is currently in late-prototype stages of development. The device featured duel 7-inch screens, both multitouch capable for writing, flicking, and drawing with a stylus or a finger. The hinge of the device features a single home button, and device statuses such as battery power, WiFi strength, etc. are displayed on the edge of one of the screens. The back cover has a built-in camera, and the device is reportedly capable of charging on a charging pad, similar to the Palm Touchstone dock.

Until recently, Courier was an extremely top-secret project deep inside Microsoft, only known to those few working on it. J. Allard, previously of the Xbox division, is spearheading the project, and it is rumoured that Courier isn’t the only tablet they’re developing. It appears, as of now, that Courier is currently at a stage where Microsoft is working on the user experience for the device, and showing it off to outside agencies.

The video below is branded Pioneer Studios, a division of Microsoft E&D that specializes in this type of work. The user experience presented in the Pioneer video seems to be aimed at business people and possibly students. It appears that it will be a great device for taking notes, and keeping track of dates, photos, and other work you may be doing.

Gizmodo promises more information on Courier in the next few weeks. For now, watch that video over and over again, and check out the gallery at Gizmodo.