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The PhotoShop photo frame is like digital-art imitating digital-life if you get what I mean. No? Well the photo frame is actually wooden with true-to-life image of a Mac OSX PhotoShop window printed on the frame to make it look like, well, a PhotoShop window that you would see on your MAC (get it now?).
If you have just taken some flashy shots on your Canon G9 (or Canon E1 if you are a bit girly) then this would be the perfect accompaniment to show-off your pictures.
Only 50 of these PhotoShop photo frames will be made costing $50 each so if the glut of digital photo frames hitting the market is not your kind of thing, why not buck the trend (in an ironic way) and get yourself one of these wooden PhotoShop photo frames (the geek inside of you really wants one….).
They are available from I love Blocks now (that’s if they haven’t sold out….)
Personally i have no time for digital photo frames. Don’t ask me why but they are just one gadget that I just don’t get the point of (and that’s saying something). The LG DP889 portable DVD Digital Photo Frame however, is on the verge of changing my mind. Given LG’s recent DVD Player the LG DVS450H, I have high hopes for this one…
The DP889 is not only your run of the mill 8″ digital photo frame, it also doubles up as a portable DVD player and triples up as a CD player. Pretty diverse functions, just the way I like it. The LG DP889 also comes with USB connectivity and a 3 in 1 memory card slot so you can see that LG wants to make this as usable as possible.
Currently the LG DP889 portable DVD Player Digital Photo is costing around $200 at circuit city even though the list price is $279.95 so if you’re quick you can grab yourself a bargain and have an handy place to play all your DVD’s made on a HD camcorder or store the pictures from your digital camera all in one. Handy.
The Kodak Zi6 HD pocket video camera looks like it will be a YouTube addict and video pod-casters dream. This hand-held digital camcorder is cheap (as hand-held camcorders go) and cheerful but comes packed with a range of features. We have a quick look at it in this min-review od what is looking like one of the hottest gadgets of the year.
Powered by AA batteries and capable of having its memory capacity expanded by run-of-the-mill memory cards, the $179 asking price gets more attractive the more you find out about all the Kodak Zi6 HD pocket video camera’s features. It’s HD video capable, has built in USB connectors and is YouTube compatible, mini-hand-held digital camcorders don’t get much better.
The killer feature of the Kodak Zi6 HD pocket video camera is its ability to record in 720p HD at 60 frames per second. Okay, 1080i or 1080p HD would have been more future-proof but any mini-hand-held digital camcorder which can record directly into HD is pretty sweet, especially at this price.
You can get your hands on one of these right now and judging by the success of the Flip Video camera, GadgetHeat thinks that the Kodak Zi6 HD pocket video camera looks like a sure-fire hit.
Star Wars is always a winner and for the hard-core aficionado all things Star Wars and gadgets, R2D2 clones a must. You may remember a few weeks ago we revealed the R2D2 wireless webcam, well today we take a look at it’s bigger brother, the R2 D2 Digital DVD Projector and its amazing number of functions from DVD to PS3 to iPod. Could this be the gadget of the year?
This R2D2 stands at 80 inches and looks to be one of the ultimate gadgets of the year. It has a host of functions apart from being able to project images up to 260 inches (yes that 6.6 meters baby) onto any surface, wall or ceiling, it also acts as an iPod dock and you can even hook it up to your PS3, xBox 360 or Wii to it and have the R2D2 Digital DVD Projector enable you to play games in HD. We’re not going to list all the 101 functions, instead just watch this video and you’ll get why we’re drooling over this hot little gadget.
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You can pick up the R2D2 Digital DVD Projector for between £1850 and £2100 from the suppliers below - did we mention that it is fully motorized and can zoom around your pad like the real R2D2 and comes with a Millennium Falcon remote control? Enough said.
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The R2D2 Digital DVD Projector looks to be available in limited stock so it’s a first come first serve basis. If it’s out of stock try one of the other suppliers on the list.
Well 19 inches isn’t exactly mini but in the world of HD Televisions it definitely has a size complex. The Samsung LE19R86 is a decent enough little number with ‘little’ being the operative word. We have nothing against small televisions but in order to really benefit from HD technology (in our humble opinion) you need to be looking at a 32inch television at least.
The Samsung LE19R86 needs quite a bit of tweaking in order to get the best out of it. The three settings (akin to most Samsung TV’s) are Standard, Dynamic and Movie with an extra ‘Game Mode’ for all us Playstation 3 and xBox 260 heads. Read the full story
Everybody likes a list so we at HDTV Reviews came up with one. A few years ago if I told you HDTV’s would be under £500 you would have laughed in my face and asked me what I was smoking (ahem) but these days you can get some pretty nifty deals without blowing a hole in your pocket. If you’re looking for a second television or a HDTV dedicated to your games console, spending more than £500 is a bit excessive unless you really have money to spare.
We’ve put together a list of the top 5 HDTV’s for around the £400 - £500 that are definitely worth checking out.
No surprises as to our number 1 the Sony KDL32S3000. This is a decent sized 32 incher and the SONY quality runs through this like a river. You get 3 HDMI ports plus the Bravia engine technology, what more could you want?
This could have easily been a SONY dominated list but we couldn’t over look the Samsung LE32R87BD. The winning feature of this set is the ‘game mode’ which makes all us Ps3 and Xbox 360 addicts extremely grateful
This was the amongst the first Toshiba we reviewed and so far it has proved to be the best. Easy setup straight out the box, great picture and it also has a slick design that makes it stand out from the normal HDTV crowd.
This is the bigger brother of the S series. More ounce to the bounce but slightly more expensive. If you’re not happy with the S series for any reason (and you got to be one tough customer not to be) the Sony KDL32D3000 would be a step up in the right direction.
We haven’t yet reviewed a Phillips at HDTV Reviews but this is definitely on our list. At 26 inches it is smaller than the other televisions on this list but it’s great value for money and looks fantastic both picture wise and aesthetically. It could do with a few more settings and options in terms of getting the picture just right so it won’t be making it any further up this list.
We have a few bees in our bonnet here at GadgetHeat, one of them being the motion blurring on many HDTV’s on the market and the attitude of many manufactures seems to be one of ‘put up and shut up’ (unlike the near flawless Samsung LN46A650).
This is evident from the start in the Toshiba 37X3030. Although Toshiba claim that it has a 24fps (Frames Per Second) capability (which would effectively eliminate motion blurring) the Toshiba 37X3030 cannot actually do anything much with it as it is not fully 24fps compatible. Confused? We know we are….
What is the point of having a feature that is not fully implemented? What this means in effect is that in action sequences or in any panning shots we get the dreaded HDTV blur that makes you yearn for your old CRT monitor. Watching sports in standard definition on the Toshiba 37X3030 is a struggle because of the speed of motion so you will have to sit a reasonable distance away from the set to be able to tolerate it.
Another gripe is the fact that you cannot input 1080i/p through VGA on the Toshiba 37X3030. You have to use HDMI or component. You may see this as a small problem as all Blu-Ray and HD DVD players these days have HDMI connectors / slots but if you have a Xbox 360 (non-Elite) be warned that you will have to use component to get the HD experience on some games.
On the plus side (yes there are some pluses) watching up-scaled DVD’s or HD DVD / Blu-Ray on the Toshiba 37X3030 is amazing. You will have to adjust the settings to suit your room and viewing distance but once that is done you should get the full 1080p benefit from this HDTV.
The Toshiba 37X3030 is a classy looking television set and the piano black finish makes it stand out somewhat from the usual HDTV crowd. It’s not a dust magnet either in particular.
For the price (around £600 - 700) the Toshiba 37X3030 is pretty good for a Full HD (1080p) television and if you have Sky HD and the such you won’t be disappointed - just make allowances for some pixilation when it comes to fast moving images.
This is a big TV. I know some of you will be saying ‘it’s only 40 inches’ but when it’s in an average sized living room the Sony KDL-40W3000 stands out as the big boy. As far as the KDL series goes, the 40W3000 can’t claim to be it’s stand out offering but nevertheless it’s a decent number in it’s own right and a definite contender for the title.
Some of you may have been looking at the Samsung LN46A650 or the Sony 40W2000 but if I were you I would save my money as the 3000 is effectively it’s replacement (hence why we declined to review it on HDTV Reviews).
On the downside, setting up the Sony KDL-40W3000 television can be a nightmare (or a joy depending on how you look at it). You can specify different settings for each of your inputs (SKY HD, Freeview, PS3 etc.) to get the picture you want. Why a nightmare? Because the average user will want just one quick generic setting for all inputs and to be done with it (no quick start help either).
Depending on how thoroughly you want to read the accompanying manual (which isn’t much good BTW), you may find yourself feeling deflated after an hour of tweaking and fidgeting to get the contrast just so and still not being pleased with the result.
As with all HDTV’s that I come across recently, displaying standard definition on this set may look worse (yes worse) than on a non HD television. This really grates on me as I think if they have the tech to produce a great high definition picture, why does that mean SD output has to suffer? Inevitably you will want to view HD DVD’s and Blu-Ray but you may also feel like you need to purchase a HD broadcasting subscription in order to get full pleasure from the Sony KDL-40W3000 and on average that’s another £250 - £350 a year.
Once you get past the near Mensa challenge of setting the best up your viewing pleasure will probably go through the roof. The contrasts (once you’ve set it up properly) and blacks are superb and the picture detail and colour is intense. The Sony KDL-40W3000 is a definite step up from the Sony KDL-40W2000 so much so that I would discourage anyone form getting the 2000 until they’ve seen it side by side with the Sony KDL-40W3000.
As opposed to lots of HDTV’s I come across the sound on the Sony KDL-40W3000 is also pretty good and not tinny as has been found in some other models.
The television comes with a glut of connectors, the most important being the 3 HDMI ports so you can plug in all your HD sources at once. It also has the standard, component, s-video, scart etc. so whatever peripherals you have, it should slot in nicely.
The Sony KDL-40W3000 has great picture and is a top end build quality (that’s one thing you can depend on with a SONY - build quality) and after the initial adjustments you won’t be disappointed with this television, in fact you’ll probably be quite impressed…..
When HDTV Review got to review the Panasonic TX-26LXD70HDTV we were somewhat excited as this is our first Panasonic review (I know, I know, it’s the small things that makes us happy). We’ve done a few SONY’s and even a review of the Samsung LN46A650 so a Panasonic was a novelty. On first impression everything is sweet and we were all set to give the set a thumbs up … the funny thing is, when the Panasonic TX-26LXD70 is switched on everything is rosy but as soon as you switch it on, your going to hear a sound that should be reserved for dogs.
An annoying whistling sound occurs whenever the set is switched off, so much so that you are going to think its a fault and curse the fact that the only way you can fully switch of the Panasonic TX-26LXD70 is to pull the plug out.
But enough about how shoddy this HDTV is when it’s switched off lol, switched on it’s pretty tasty. The LXD version outputs at 100HZ (as opposed to the LMD version) and this gives a fantastic picture. True, you will still get blurring when it comes to fast moving images and sport but that’s standard for nearly all LCD televisions (CRT sets still have some things in their favour). However with the ‘Motion Picture Pro’ feature this is greatly reduced to be almost unnoticeable in most cases.
Out the box the Panasonic TX-26LXD70 contrast settings are all out of wack leaving images looking weird to say the least but with some tweaking you’ll be enjoying the benefits of the 100HZ technology in no time which includes making SD inputs to great levels, not quite HD but not too far off either.
Another neat feature is the auto update of freeview channels whenever they become available. A message will appear on screen informing you that a new channel has become available and prompting you to update. What’s not so neat about the Panasonic TX-26LXD70 is the stingy 1 HDMI slots it comes with, what’s that about? If a HDTV doesn’t have at least 3 HDMI slots it loses points in my book. You at least want some future proofing.
The Panasonic TX-26LXD70 is simple to use and easy to set-up. The picture is great for a LCD outputting at 100HZ and this boosts SD inputs significantly. The minor gripes are with the whistling sound that can be heard for a few minutes when the set is on standby and the fact that being a LCD you never fully eliminate picture blurring, however slight, in fast moving scenes.
. Although Toshiba claim that it has a 24fps (Frames Per Second) capability (which would effectively eliminate motion blurring) the Toshiba 37X3030 cannot actually do anything much with it as it is not fully 24fps compatible. Confused? We know we are….
television can be a nightmare (or a joy depending on how you look at it). You can specify different settings for each of your inputs (SKY HD, Freeview, PS3 etc.) to get the picture you want. Why a nightmare? Because the average user will want just one quick generic setting for all inputs and to be done with it (no quick start help either).
is to pull the plug out.
