Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio, Portable Video
There are a few 3D devices that somehow manage to buck the "gimmick" stereotype and show a bit of promise, but Neovision Labs' iFusion is definitely not a peripheral that we can take seriously. Doing the 3D realm more harm than good, this PMP add-on appears to be nothing more than a clear, acrylic screen protector; however, a flurry of less-than-reputable claims state that the simple LCD covering allows for "lifelike 3D images" to pop out of your handheld without the need for 3D goggles. The catch (there's always a catch) is that the media you play must be anaglyphic in nature, meaning that it's pre-encoded with 3D goodness. The "autostereoscopic" apparatus supposedly brings that atypical content to life without the need for special glasses, and doesn't affect normal (read: 99.9+ percent of your files) media whatsoever. If you're still curious, and don't have a sneaking suspicion of being duped on this, the iFusion will be ...

It is really interesting to see how the ecosystem is growing on its own. Here's a company that I've not spoken to, but they have managed to create their own Zune cases.

http://www.cliczune.com/2006/10/zune_accessorie.html

Incipio, if you are listening, I'd like to talk to you about becoming a licensed partner! ;)

Filed under: Home Entertainment
With Zune and Vista hogging all the headlines these days, you may have forgotten that Microsoft is also hard at work pushing its IPTV Edition software platform into living rooms around the world, so the software giant decided to take the Broadband World Forum Europe in Paris as occasion to remind us just how committed it is to TV over the internet. The major announcement to come out of the conference was the immediate availability of system-on-a-chip set-top boxes powered by Redmond from several of the major STB hardware manufacturers, including Cisco, Motorola, Philips, and Tatung. All of these boxes will provide the end-user with HD and DVR support and on-demand viewing as well as more advanced capabilities like multiroom streaming and home media networking. Most of the new offerings -- such as Tatung's STB2000 series, Philips' BT-bound hybrid IPTV-DTT STB, and Cisco's unnamed models -- use an SoC based on Sigma Designs' 8634 chipset, with Cisco a...

The allure of watching TV in 3D will probably never go away until someone does it right and Neovision thinks it's got a hit on its hands with the iFusion. You apply the iFusion to a portable media player's screen much like one of those cheap screen protectors and somehow the video you're watching is then ushered into the third dimension. Exactly how this work is unclear and unexplained, which is always a good sign.
The iFusion is designed for the iUbi, a portable media player also designed by Neofusion. That said, Neofusion is also designing the iFusion for the Microsoft Zune and Creative Zen Vision W, among others. (No iPod support?)
No word on price, but expect to see it sometime in the first quarter of 2007. But yes, no explanation on the underlying technology really makes you wonder how, or if, this even works. Props to Fabio Cannavaro for heading the ball, however. – Nicholas Deleon
Product Page [Neovision via Ubergizmo]

Filed under: Announcements, Digital Cameras

Aight photophiles, we've got a winner for last week's S7c! Briant G, you're our man! Thanks to everyone for entering -- you still have chances to win a ton of gadgets, including another Nikon Coolpix S7c WiFi-enabled digital camera. We saw this 0.75-inch thick shooter announced at Photokina as one of their new flagship feature-point and shoots. What you might win today features:
3x optical zoom 7.1 megapixel sensor 3-inch LCD 802.11b/g WiFi with T-Mobile Hotspot support 1600 ISO and image stabilization 30fps VGA movie mode 14MB internal memory To be entered to win this fine piece of photographic equipment, all you have to do is join the Engadget Flickr group. What can we say, we do love Flickr! You must join up by this Sunday the 15th to be eligible for our random selection -- only members of our Flickr group will be eligible. As always, please mind the rules!
You may enter ...

Last week was a rough one.
One day I was at Microsoft fiddling with the Zune, the next I was at Nintendo playing the Wii. Both are the same price -- $250 -- which seems to be the entry point for a lot of today's cool gadgets.
In addition to the column on the Wii, we're running an online slideshow with more images of the device and game screen shots.
I've been playing video games for about 30 years, starting with my neighbor's Pong. It got serious when a friend introduced me to the Atari, which gave us arcade-quality games without having to pay 25 cents a turn.
That thrifty streak probably colored my views on the Wii; I think it's a little more fun to play video games when I know they're a good deal.
The Wii comes with a collection of sports games that are simple, a little silly and nowhere near the visual quality of Xbox 360 titles. But you can play them over and over, without having to shell out another $60 for your first game.
Eventually you'll ...

Filed under: Portable Audio
We got us one of those new Rhapsody editions of the Sansa e280, and ritual unboxing has commenced. The Sansa e280R "Rhapsody" hardly earns its namesake -- with the main noticeable improvement being a new menu item for Rhapsody Channels -- but the player is just as solid as ever, so we suppose we have little cause to complain.


That plastic might look unassuming, but it's an absolute bear to pry off.




Not quite as fancy the iPod packaging, or even the new pretender to the packaging throne, Microsoft's Zune -- but it gets the job done, without all that ego tripping along the way.














Nothing much to see here, but that "Version 1.0" CD is a bit of a let-down, since it still has to pull the "Best Buy Digital Music Store" (i.e. Rhapsody with a couple logos slapped here and there) down from the internets. Still, installation was...

Filed under: Portable Audio
In our line of work we hear a lot of noise from the talking heads day in and out, but we can't help biting down on this latest hook courtesy of Michael Robertson. The anti-tech-powerexec is known for founding MP3.com, Lindows / Linspire, Skype competitor SIPphone, and DRM-free online music sales biz MP3tunes, not to mention former employer of DRM freedom fighter Jon Johansen -- so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that after the ruckus being raised around the Zune's crippled WiFi and worthless DRM system that he stepped in to take a potshot. We're with him a hundred percent on railing against DRM and the somewhat absurd position Microsoft is taking by scrapping PlaysForSure in their own device efforts (what he calls "Screwed for Sure"), but things get a little bombastic: "At first glance the features seem compelling but my prediction is it will be the biggest flop of 2007 with less than 50,000 units sold worldwide." Also, says Robertson, "I've been...

We just mentioned the Creative Xmod earlier this week - a go-between for you speakers and digital audio source that supposedly enhances sound to "beyond original CD quality". While not planned for release until next month, some pictures have already hit the Internet.
Here is the Xmod next to a Vasoline coated Samsung YP-K5 (the poor man's iPod vs Zune shot). Hit the jump for more pictures of what looks to be a completely unnecessary complication to my already over-corded existence. And for those who actually believe in this product, please note that Creative labels their technology as "Xtreme". – Mark Wilson
Thanks Chanditha!
[generationmp3]

Filed under: Announcements, Portable Audio, Portable Video
Just a reminder, everybody; if you want to win a Zune for this week's relaunch contest, you have to get your designs in on the double! Deadline is tonight at midnight, so peep the contest details here and good luck! 
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