JLab releases style-centric Diego and Bombora headphones

As cool as these new phones look, we're hoping JLab put as much effort into their interiors as it did with their exteriors.

 The perennial kickoff for holiday madness known as Black Friday is a little more than a week out, and things are beginning to heat up. JLab has been fanning those flames of late, as yesterday, it unveiled its new Crasher Bluetooth speaker, and two new pairs of headphones. The phones, dubbed Bombora and Diego, are on-ear and in-ear respectively and inject some funk into the traditional red & green holiday palette.

• Diego – Inspired by SoCal sound and style, the Diego earbuds are powered by a with a 10mm neodymium micro driver, and are outfitted with an in-line mic/remote, pretty standard given their $20 price point. We just hope that these phones, while clearly built around the culture of music, also reflect the power of music. In other words, let’s hope substance isn’t forgone for style. The Diego’s (pictured right) also feature a Double Molded Y Connector w/ 3.5mm Jack and a variety of tips. 

             Pricing: $20.  Availability: Purple/Mint available for pre-order at JLabAudio and Amazon 

• Bombora – These cushy surf-inspired on-ear headphones sport 40 mm full-range drivers, a push button mic, a detachable flat nylon cable, and fully-isolating ear-cups. Again, they seem a bit more style-centric than audio-obsessed. Named after the Aboriginal word for large, powerful ocean waves, Bomboras (pictured above) come in a variety of colors and designs, including the limited edition skin seen above, created by the San Diego-based TEKST artist. It seems comfort was also a concern here, as the Bomboras utilize memory foam ear cushions upholstered with micro-suede; sounds like a treat for the ears. 

             Pricing: $70.  Availability:  Midnight Black/Gunmetal and TEKST edition available for pre-order at JLabAudio and Amazon 

We’ve yet to review either of these offerings, but we’re anxious to see if their designs – which ooze cool – overshadow their audio.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Report: Not many Nintendo Wii U units to go around at launch

The Nintendo Wii U will be a hot commodity this holiday season, not just because it's the first new home console from the company in six years, but because there won't be very many of them to go around.

Nintendo’s Wii U will be out in November, but it’s not entirely clear how many of them will actually be sent out into the wild to be snatched up by rabid fans and parents who want the latest and greatest machine under the Christmas tree. Nintendo said during its quarterly earnings report earlier this week that it expects to sell 5.5 million Wii U consoles between November and the end of March. As that release day gets closer, its becoming clear that Nintendo may be basing those estimates on the low number of consoles that will actually be available.

Shortly after Nintendo announced the Wii U’s release date and price in September, a number of retailers including GameStop stopped taking pre-orders for the console. Nintendo of America president Reggis Fils-Aime said at the time that he thought supplies would be adequate. “We’ve learned a lot of lessons from the launch of the DS, the launch of the Wii, and the launch of the 3DS. And our supply chain is solid,” said Fils-Aime, “We want to satisfy all of the demand that’s out there.”

This week Nintendo confirmed that GameStop had sold 250,000 additional “wait list” pre-orders for the Wii U, guarantees for customers looking to get the system whenever they might become available. While that statistic certainly suggests demand for Nintendo’s new device, it also suggests that rumors about Nintendo’s Wii U manufacturing problems hold some truth. In August, word was that Nintendo might even have to detail the console’s European release due to problems manufacturing its signature tablet controller.

Further demonstrating Nintendo’s supply problems is a Thursday report from Computer and Video Games. An anonymous retailer told that outlet that Nintendo would be shipping a paltry 25,000 Wii U consoles in the UK on launch day. Another retailer confirmed that figure. While a third source said it was expecting “between 75,000 and 100,000 units during the launch period,” they also said that Nintendo hadn’t indicated when those systems might be made available.

Nintendo UK failed to quell concerns. “Wii U stock levels will be tight on day one,” said a representative, “However, we will be providing retailers with regular stock deliveries in the run up to Christmas in order to meet demand as quickly as possible.”

Scarcity can be a good thing for technology companies, driving demand to a fever pitch. Since Nintendo is selling its console at a loss, though, it needs to be selling software at a strong clip to make up for lost revenue. If people can’t buy the machine, they won’t be buying the games.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Christmas plans: Amazon to hire 50,000 extra workers for the holiday season

Online retail giant Amazon is set to take on 50,000 temporary workers this holiday season to cope with increased demand.

Amazon is already making plans for the holiday season, announcing its intention to hire 50,000 seasonal workers for its 40 fulfillment centers across the US.

With a year-round full-time staff count of 20,000 at its centers, the large number of extra workers indicate Amazon’s expectation of a bumper Christmas. Alongside orders for its large number of usual items, the e-commerce giant will also be looking forward to a flurry of requests for its new range of Kindle Fire HD tablets, as well as its e-readers, which include the new Paperwhite device.

Referring to the company’s hiring plans in a statement, Dave Clark, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment, said, “We’re hiring at our sites across the US for talented individuals to help us deliver a great experience for our customers this holiday season.”

Clark said the temporary workers play a “critical role” helping with increased customer demand, adding that thousands end up staying on in full-time positions.

The precise nature of the available work isn’t specified, though being located at the fulfillment centers where online orders are dealt with likely means physical tasks – such as taking purchased products from wharehouse shelves, packing and labeling – will form the bulk of the work.

In March, the Seattle-based company purchased warehouse automation solution firm Kiva Systems in a bid to make its centers more efficient.

On its dedicated Fulfillment website, one Amazon employee says intriguingly of her job, “Amazon’s peculiar ways is what keeps this career exciting and rejuvenating.” So if you enjoy a bit of peculiarity and are free this holiday season, you know exactly what you should do.

[Image: Amazon]

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Walmart starts testing same-day delivery with online orders

Definitely useful when holiday shopping at the last minute, Walmart's new same-day delivery service is being tested in select markets.

Covered by Techcrunch earlier today, Walmart has launched a trial same-day delivery service in select areas within the United States. Specifically, the service has already rolled out in northern Virginia around Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Minneapolis. In addition, Walmart plans to add the San Jose / San Francisco market by early November. Rather that attempting to fulfill online orders from a distribution center, all same-day orders will be routed through a customer’s local store. Assuming the test over the holidays is successful, Walmart could make same-day delivery service standard policy due to the significant amount of Walmart locations around the United States.

Detailed on Walmart’s same-day delivery landing page, customers can order a variety of products including computers, televisions, tablets, office equipment, children’s toys, video game consoles and sports equipment as well as home goods like appliances, bedding, furniture, kitchen tools, luggage and outdoor grills.

However, the items available to each customer are specifically limited to the items carried at their local store within the Walmart-To-Go program. Pricing of those items is also dependent on the prices listed at the local stores rather than corporate prices viewed through the main online portal. The launch of this new service was based off the results of a survey in which many customers stated they would use the service at least once a month.

In a partnership with UPS, Walmart is charging a flat rate of $10 to deliver an unlimited number of items per order. With the exception of a $45 minimum purchase within the San Jose / San Francisco market, all other test markets do not require a minimum purchase. Orders have to be placed by noon to qualify for same-day delivery. When an order is placed, the customer selects one of three delivery windows with the earliest between 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the latest being 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. If a customer changes their mind about the order after it’s been placed, they can simply refuse delivery of the item. 

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Kindle Paperwhite starts shipping today, the first reviews are in

Shopping for an e-book reader this holiday season is certainly an exciting task, from a geek’s point of view at least. There are interesting offers on all price points and manufacturers and bookstores are vying for your attention. Whatever your price range though, you can’t miss on checking out the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, which just launched today. Priced at $119 with Special Offers (which means lockscreen ads), this is probably the most sophisticated e-book reader your money can buy right now.

As the first reviews of the Kindle Paperwhite are now rolling in, we get to learn more about this, still US-only, gadget. Here’s a rundown of what’s hot and what not about this new e-reader.

The HOTs

Design-wise, the new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite e-reader is a lot different than the previous gen and that’s good. Gone is the shiny plastic, and the matte, soft touch black material is more than welcome. The Kindle Paperwhite is faster than the Kindle Touch and now about as responsive as the Nook with Glowlight.

The 6-inch screen is of higher resolution. This has led to a higher pixel density, making fonts more legible even at lower sizes. The new capacitive touch technology certainly makes life easier when you are going through the interface and settings. The screen surface has an added texture to make swiping and touching it feel even more tactile. The display certainly lives up to its name and at full brightness of the frontlight, it really looks as white as paper.

To add to the novelty, this year’s Kindle comes with built-in magnet switch, so when you are using it with the original case, the e-book reader would actually wake up as soon as you flip open the cover case.

And, of course, the pièce de résistance – the new system for front lighting is without a doubt the Paperwhite’s key selling feature. You are free to guess how many times I mistakenly called it Paperlight, while drafting this article. It just rolls off the tongue so much easier.

All reviewers agree that the light looks amazingly even and it feels almost as if the light comes from all sides. The new front light is reportedly useful for much more than late night reading. There are some 24 levels of brightness so you will always be able to fine tune it to match the ambient lighting (or the lack of it thereof). And having it on, has a benefit almost everywhere, except perhaps on a bright-lit beach, I guess.

The Kindle Paperwhite (right) compared to the Nook Glowlight (left)

Software-wise, the Kindle Paperwhite features novel perks such as an estimate of the time needed to finish the current chapter or the whole book. X-Ray, another feature, will show you all the major characters or terms throughout the book, though its usefulness is somewhat questionable.

X-ray shows the most frequently featured characters and terms

Twitter and Facebook integration allow you to share the name and link to the book you are reading directly to the social networks.

The NOTs

Modern day gadgets rarely escape reviewers’ scrutiny without warranting a scorning word or two. In this case, tech reviewers found that the relatively thin bezel on the Kindle Paperwhite makes it harder to hold than say, the Nook Simple Touch.

The Paperwhite also could have used some page turn buttons or at least, a single menu button. The storage is also not expandable, unlike the Nook Simple Touch, but honestly, I’ve never had to use a memory card inside my Nook, e-books take up so little space.

The Kindle case prices still seem like a rip-off and I can’t help the feeling that the maker is actually trying to offset the cheap introductory price of the e-book reader with overpriced accessories.

Making your mind

Summing it all up, all reviewers agree the Kindle Paperwhite is a must buy if you are after a new e-book reader. Perhaps, it may not be enough to make you upgrade if you already own the last year’s Kindle Touch or the Nook Simple Touch, but it’s definitely a top pick this holiday season. You just can’t beat the new front-lighting system and Amazon has some of the best prices on e-books these days.

All Kindle Paperwhite e-readers are already available, starting at $119 for the Wi-Fi only version with Special Offers. Unfortunately, there is still no word on when this thing is coming to our side of the ocean.

So what about you, are you getting one?

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Tagg the Fitbit for dogs, mountable action live-cams, Evernote meets Moleskine and more from Pepcom Holiday Spectacular

From toys for your dogs to the new Moleskin with Evernote integration, here's our roundup of the gadgets coming up this holiday season.

Tons of exhibitors, so many gadgets to sift through. We were present at the Pepcom Holiday Spectacular tradeshow which gave us previews of what’s coming up this season in consumer tech, and here are the products we think you should keep an eye out for. At least we will.

Tagg: GPS and Fitbit for your pups

If your dog has a habit of running away, the Tagg pet tracker system will do Fido some good by helping you keep track of his whereabouts. Tagg collar runs on a GPS system to let you know exactly where your dog is at all times, and you can set the parameters of where you think it’s okay for your pet to be. If Fido steps outside this boundary, you’ll get a text alerting you of the situation, and use the accompanying app to locate your pet. 

Now we know what you’re thinking: What if this thing runs out of battery? Tagg has a “sleep” integration that will put the collar to energy conservation mode to keep the battery from draining when the GPS isn’t quite necessary. This means that if the Tagg collar is located near the charging base, the collar will be in sleep. When the collar is detected to be too far from that range or goes off your set parameters, only then will the device begin using the charge. In standby mode, the collar can last up to 30 days while constant use can extend up to a week — so unless your dog runs away constantly, you’ll probably only need to charge the Tagg collar twice a month.

Newly updated is an upcoming fitness tracking integration to see how much activity your dog is getting a day. You’ll get an overview of the level of activeness your pet receives per day to keep him healthy and fit. For $100 plus an $8-per-month subscription, Tagg is essentially a smartphone and a Fitbit for your dog. Not a bad time and money investment for man’s best friend.

Looxcie action live-cam

We’ve seen GoPro cameras that promise to deliver quality photos while you’re on your most extreme adventures. We’ve also seen livestream webcams that are mediocre at best. Looxcie wants to be the best of both worlds by providing you full 1080p capacity streaming while allowing you to mount the lightweight camera anywhere you go.

The camera connects either via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and optionally via your data plan to run your live stream. You can also access the video streams in your history if you want to revisit old clips (say, a web show you host weekly) and share them either publicly or with those you carefully select.

What’s also integrated into Looxcie is camera sensors and Bluetooth capacity, meaning the device can double as a Bluetooth headset and a point-and-shoot. You can also leave Looxcie recording a video without saving, but press a special button to retrace the last 30 seconds of what you just saw. “For example, I can leave the camera running while I’m watching my son play soccer,” Looxcie CEO Romulus Pereira tells me. “And I can press this button to record just the part where he makes the goal.” Makes perfect sense for those who witness strange things all the time, wishing they had a camera to capture what just happened. Looxcie HD Explore launched this past week at $330 a set.

Duracell Powermat and smartphone cases

For those who want to combine extra battery power with a protective smartphone case, Duracell Powermat 24-Hour System is definitely one hot item making a buzz in the consumer tech market. The $100 set comes with a charging station, a portable backup battery pack, and a chargeable smartphone case. All you have to do is leave the battery pack and case (with or without your phone already inside) on top of the power mat overnight for charge. When you’re ready to go for the day, just pick the gadgets up and go.

The set comes in a variety of candy-coated colors and is currently available for the Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 4/4S. The iPhone 5 edition is in development, with plans of a release sometime by Q1 of 2013.

Evernote and Moleskine

Launching October 1st, the Evernote integration with Moleskine notebooks may just change the way we incorporate physical note-taking into our digital lives. From what Evernote demonstrated to us at Pepcom, the app is able to recognize the moleskin pages by reading the hues of the paper and the dotted lines so that when you snap a picture to load into your phone, Evernote can make your notes brighter, clearer, and easier to store. The smart stickers can also programmable to set as tags for particular types of notes, such as Recipes, To-Do’s, Receipts, Deadlines, and more.

Alternatively, you can also take your own picture with your phone’s camera app and upload it within the Evernote app. You can group photos and edit them as you please when they’re all ready in your Evernote list, and of course, shareable to your friends and family. Not to mention the elephant logo embedded in the leather cover looks exclusive, beautiful, and just plain cool. The app integration will be available for both iOS and Android. Our Molly McHugh is excited… aren’t you?

Keep an eye out for one or more of the above items as we hope to get review units shortly.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Sony: There will be no PlayStation 3 price drop for any model in 2012

Sony explains why neither there's no PlayStation 3 price drop for the new or old slim models this year.

No PlayStation 3 model is getting a price cut this holiday season. Not the new ultra slim models. Not the old slim models.

Speaking with Engadget, Sony VP of marketing John Koller, said that the lack of a price drop at the suggested retail price level is because retailers are already running promotions that lower the price of the console significantly.

“There’s no price drop formally, but the thing that’s been happening in the market over the last year or so is that there’s been so many retail price promotions, and so many different gift card offers, and all those things, being done by all of us (Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony), that we’ve heard from our consumer, ‘Enough with all these weird price moves. What we really want is content and games and value,’” said Koller.

That’s right: Having two models of PlayStation 3 on shelves, in more than 5 distinct hardware and game bundles, priced everywhere between $250 and over $300, is exactly the sort of clear pricing and value that customers so badly want.

If you squint real hard, you can see a layer of logic in Sony’s decision to release the brand new PlayStation 3 models at higher prices than what’s already on shelves. The company is reeling from two years of profound financial losses, the mediocre launch of a new handheld gaming system, and the cost of purchasing Ericsson’s half of its mobile phone business and trying to relaunch the line in an Apple-dominated market. Kaz Hirai, former head of SCEA and new Sony CEO, needs the PlayStation division to make some cash. Releasing a new system designed to save on production costs at a lower price won’t earn Sony that paper.

Sony desperately needs to expand the PlayStation 3’s audience, though, before the market ceases to exist. If Sony thinks that it can keep people interested in its console for another two years, no matter how full its release schedule is with games like The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls, it’s in for a rude awakening. The only thing that can revitalize the PlayStation 3 at his juncture is a price point below $200. If Sony doesn’t want to lower the price of the new models, why not clear out old stock at a $199 price point? Why not release the 12GB flash memory PlayStation 3 in the United States at $199? “The smaller flash drive isn’t coming to North America, and a lot of that reason is the digital consumer. We really want to make sure, out of the box, that there is an option for them to be able to download that content,” said Koller. Then release a branded hard drive expansion along with it, Sony!

This is the face of holiday sales suicide.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Previewing Mozilla Firefox OS, an HTML5-based interface

The upcoming Mozilla Firefox OS is slated for a Q1 of 2013 release, but how is the development coming along? Here's our hands-on preview.

In attendance at the Pepcom Holiday Spectacular in New York City last night was Mozilla Firefox, and we got some hands-on time with the operating system the open-source web browser is currently developing. The Firefox OS (working name, as far as we know) is still in a heavy beta mode, and is built entirely on HTML5. The rep we spoke to demoed the OS using an unbranded ZTE phone, noting that Firefox has stripped the Android out of the phone and created its own operating system from the ground up.

What what we can see, the OS is fully web-based in that every app and functionality runs off the web browser. Making phone calls is equivalent to calling on Skype, taking pictures is akin to snapping flicks with Apple’s Photo Booth, searching straight from the homepage is like having a shortcut to the Firefox search tool bar. There’s also a cartoony game built into the phone that uses a tap to perform actions interface, and it’s clear that the OS still has a bit of a way to go before its scheduled release date early next year.

Mozilla even tried to build a glasses-less 3D rendering that you can see, touch, and move… but this feature was still a bit buggy and did not respond too well to touchscreen interface just yet. We’ll cut it some slack considering it has several months to go, but web developers should definitely gear up for some fun programming time once the open source OS becomes available for your modding pleasures.

The Firefox OS is all part of a collaboration between ZTE and Mozilla to roll out its own system that doesn’t rely on Windows or Android. The finished OS is slated to arrive overseas first, with mobile network operators Deutsche Telekom, Sprint, Smart, Telecom Italia, Telenor, and Etisalat backing the experimental platform, reports Reuters. We hope to catch up with the development team in a few months and see how their work comes along, and whether it’s got something entirely different to offer that truly distinguishes it from the rest.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

The Ridiculously Early Holiday Gift Guide!

The holiday shopping season will be here before you know it. The Giz Wiz, Dick DeBartolo (@TheGizWiz), stopped by to show off what will be the big holiday gifts of 2012.

Party Animals, about $25. Enjoy your favorite tunes with these soft plush Party Animals. Each one has a built-in speaker and will swivel, twist and gyrate to the beat of your favorite music. Just plug them into the headphone jack of your MP3, smart phone, radio, etc. and let them dance.

DJ Rock Dock, under $20.  This SmartLab Kit lets kids eight and up build a mini working speaker dock for an iPod, iTouch, or MP3 player. Pre-printed foldable paper housing and circuit board. No tools required. A unique kit to teach kids basic electronics while creating a usable gadget!

ClipSYNC, under $20. Great stocking stuffer. It comes with a full-sized charge and Sync Cable small enough to clip onto your belt or keychain. Available in both iPod/iPhone and Micro & Mini USB models. This new models are made from rugged aluminum to withstand wear and tear on the run better.

Log Pillow Price, under $19. Now anyone can sleep like a log – on a log! This micro bead cushion – looks exactly like a chunk of log! The pillow is super light weight so you can even pop it into the car for traveling.

Belkin @TV Plus, under $170. Watch video from your home DVR/cable box on your tablet, smart phone, or laptop over Wi-Fi or via a 3G/4G cellular connection. (Yep, like the old Slingbox, but at a much lower price). It can also record directly to a mobile device. Watch @ABC anywhere you go!

Pivothead, under $350. Expensive but maybe the whole family can chip in and give someone Pivothead. They look like ordinary eyeglasses, but they shoot 1080p HD video! They’re also available as trendy sunglasses.

Boost, under $40. Lay your smart phone on Boost and it magically amplifies the sound. No wires. No Bluetooth. No synching. No problem. An auxiliary line-in jack is provided for devices without external speakers.

RC Heated Insoles, under $100. Sure the country is suffering from a heat wave right now, but come the holidays, anyone who goes outside will suffer from cold feet. These insoles are wireless and rechargeable, and operate via remote control! They off up to five hours of warm comfort!

More info:  www.gizwiz.biz

Source : abcnews[dot]go[dot]com

Google planning to roll out gift cards, wishlists for Google Play

Ideal for the upcoming holiday shopping season, friends and family will soon be able to purchase Google Play gift cards for Android users.

Noted by the enthusiast blog Android Police yesterday, a new version of the Google Play store application for Android phones contains options that will allow users to purchase gift cards for the store as well as place apps on a wish list. The gift card function could be particular helpful for Google assuming it launches prior to the holiday shopping season. Friends and family will be able to purchase and send gift cards electronically to be used on new Android smartphones or tablets like the Nexus 7. This feature could also be helpful for Android-themed sites that like to run giveaways to generate a larger readership. Apple has offered this feature within the App Store for several years and physical iTunes gift cards can be found at many large retailers around the United States.

Google did offer $25 Google Play gift cards with the purchase of a new Nexus 7 tablet, but the physical gift cards aren’t as widely available as an iTunes card. Similar to iTunes, the amount of the Google Play credit is tied to a user’s account and the credit can be redeemed by purchasing applications on the Google Play store.

According to the blog post, an Android user will eventually be able to go to play.google.com/redeem in order to enter a gift card code and add a specific credit to their account. However, Google hasn’t officially announced this new feature and hasn’t indicated a timeline when gift cards will be active.

Beyond gift cards, the wish list feature allows the user to add applications in addition to media like books, magazines, music, movies and television shows to a specific list. While this feature could allow users to bookmark items on the Google Play store to purchase at a later time, it could also be tied into a publishing function that publicly displays a wish list.

A link to that list could be sent to friends or family members prior to the holidays, however Google would also need to include a function that allows people to gift specific applications. Apple added that feature to the App Store during 2010, but never created a wish list function for users.

In addition to these two new features, Android Police also noted that Google has enabled a new technical feature called Smart App updates. Prior to this change, Android users had to re-download an entire app each time that they wanted to upgrade to the latest version. This process consumes a significant amount of battery power when the app is extremely large or the download speed is slow.

However, Smart App updates allow the user to only download the difference between the two versions. For example, the blog post noted that a recent update to the popular photo sharing application Instagram required a 3MB download rather than 13MB for the entire application. This feature was originally announced at the Google I/O conference during June 2012 and the development team in charge of the new feature estimated that download times would be cut down to a third for all app updates.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com