It looks like HP is doing its part for the environment and, possibly, thieves with its new Pavilion dv6929wm laptop, which does away with the usual excessive packaging and will instead be sold simply in a specially designed “HP Protect” messenger bag. That idea actually came about through a Walmart initiative that asked companies to produce a product that would reduce environmental impact, which HP won, and has now resulted in the laptop being sold exclusively at Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations. Unfortunately, there’s not much word on the specs for the laptop itself just yet but, at $798, we wouldn’t exactly expect a powerhouse.

From Engadget

Panasonic is using this week’s CEDIA show to debut its new AV receiver, the SA-BX500, and even though we doubt the nameplate will get much attention from the audiophile crowd, this unit does have a bit of audio-geekery with its bi-amplification/bi-wiring feature. Other stuff that will appeal to a wider audience includes 7×130-Watt amplification, HDMI connectivity (3 inputs, 1 output) that’s ready for your 1080p content, HDMI-CEC in VIERA Link form, support for Dobly TrueHD and DTS-HD MA, and the ability to simulate 7.1-channels of surround in 5.1-channel systems, so you can hear what you’re not missing. Available in October for $799, but you can grab a peek at the front and back right now.

From engadget

Digital photography software developer outlines roadmap to bring award-winning plug-ins to users of Apple Aperture 2.1

Las Vegas, NV – September 4, 2008 – onOne Software, Inc., a leading developer of innovative software tools for photographers, has outlined their plans to deliver support for Apple Aperture 2.1. Development will center around select products in the onOne Software line of Photoshop plug-ins.

onOne Software plans to make versions of PhotoFrame 4 Professional Edition, Genuine Fractals Print Pro, PhotoTools Professional Edition and FocalPoint compatible with Aperture 2.1 by the end of 2008. Each of these plug-ins will provide users with seamless integration between the respective plug-in and Apple Aperture 2.1 allowing the user to get the functionality of the plug-in while working exclusively in Aperture 2.1.

“We’re excited to bring the functionality of our award-winning Photoshop plug-ins to the Aperture 2.1 platform,” said Craig Keudell, president of onOne Software. “Now Aperture 2.1 users can resize their photos and add a selective focus or edge effect to their photos without ever having to leave Aperture.”

Registered users of onOne Software’s PhotoFrame 4 Professional Edition, Genuine Fractals Print Pro, PhotoTools Professional Edition and FocalPoint will be alerted to the availability of Aperture support and how to update their product as each plug-in is updated and released.

For more information visit imaging-resource

Sherwood isn’t the only little-known company bringing the Blu to CEDIA — now we’ve got a boutique manufacturer joining the crowd. Announced today in Denver, Cambridge Audio has revealed that it too will be producing a BD deck in early 2009. The 640BD will be designed to complement the Azur range of AV receivers, and it will boast full HDMI 1.3 output (including bitstream output of all the latest Dolby / DTS tracks), a full set of analog video outputs, Ethernet, S/PDIF, Toslink and a set of separate, dedicated 7.1 / stereo analog outputs. Unfortunately, that’s all the details the company has prepared for this year’s Expo, but we’ll certainly be hearing more as CES time draws near.

For more information visit engadget

Sony announced the new Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX aimed at HD cameras.
The new Sony Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX comes with a choice of 4GB and 8GB capacity and a read speed of 20MB/second and 15MB/second write.
When used with the supplied USB adaptor for maximum speed, the PRO-HG Duo HX can shorten data transfer time by one-third compared to a Memory Stick PRO Duo (Mark 2).
Sony also offers a free, downloadable Memory Stick Data Rescue Service which can quickly recover deleted photographs and files.
The Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX uses an 8-bit parallel interface to achieve this level of performance.
Sony also offers a 10 year warranty on these new sticks.
The new Sony Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX will be available from Oct. 2008.

 

From i4u.com

LG has a new network Blu-ray player called the BD300 that will be on store shelves this fall across the country. The player claims to be the world’s first Blu-ray player that can stream movies and TV programs from Netflix instantly.

The BD300 will be available next month at Best Buy, Circuit City and other retailers for $399.95. The player will upscale standard DVDs to 1080p and supports BD Live and more. USB media plus is supported along with LG SimpLink.

“At LG we considered what, when and how consumers want to watch movies and television episodes. The result is the ultimate convergence of home theater entertainment and functionality,” said Allan Jason, vice president of sales and marketing for Digital Media/New Products Division at LG Electronics USA. “With intelligent features and access to an ever-growing library of movie and television titles, the BD300 is the next step in a truly personalized entertainment experience.”

 

From i4u.com

Earlier today in the UK, Motorola unveiled its new MOTOJEWEL clamshell handset. Designed specifically with the female fashionista in mind, the MOTOJEWEL comes with its own mini clutch handbag that has just enough room the cellphone, a credit card, and a lipstick - everything a girl would need for a night out on the town, Motorola believes.

The MOTOJEWEL is equipped with a 2 megapixel digital camera and a music player application that will synch easily with Microsoft’s Windows Media Player application on a personal computer. Bluetooth stereo headphone support is also built into this faceted PEBL-like cellphone, for those that prefer their music sans wires.

Best we can tell, the MOTOJEWEL shares much with last year’s U9 handset, including its use of a hidden external display.

The MOTOJEWEL comes with a “midnight quartz” exterior color scheme and has a purple keypad inside. The MOTOJEWEL will be available only for a limited time starting in November, and can be found only at the UK’s Carphone Warehouse retail chain.

From mobileburn

Someone at Telus probably realized that the LG KEYBO’s QWERTY keyboard was a great tool for messaging, and that girls didn’t always like black. In light of that realization, the Canadian CDMA carrier has decided to launch a new color for the KEYBO, namely pomegranate, which looks aimed at the ladies. The specs and price of the pomegranate colored model are the same as the standard black one, with the usual QVGA screen, Bluetooth, music player, GPS, microSD card slot, and will be going for CA$49.99 on a 3-year contract.

From mobilecatcher

 

Sharp today announced two new AQUOS Blu-Ray players, the BD-HP21U and BD-HP50U. Both offer full 1080p HD at 24fps with HDMI 1.3 outputs, x.v.Color, and a new “Quick Start” feature claimed to get going in under ten seconds. The devices can play anything from audio CDs to Blu-Ray discs. Other sharp devices can be linked for control by using AQOUS-LINK.

Full 7.1 channel surround sound is supported, including Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD, and Dolby Digital Plus. HDMI digital audio output can be sent to compatible receivers. In addition, Profile 1.1 Blu-Ray discs are supported, allowing viewers to access the special features picture-in-picture while viewing a movie; however, it does not support Profile 2.0 like many new models, such as href=”http://macnn.com/rd/109947==http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/09/03/bd300.price.eta/” rel=’nofollow’>LG’s BD300 Blu-Ray 2.0 player with Netflix support.

The BD-HP50U offers additional features for custom installation, including an RS-232C port and an IR input if the player needs to be tucked away. A powered front door has been added to this model also, for aesthetic appeal. The BD-HP50U uses “Lip Sync” technology that compensate for any audio/video timing errors that normally result in voices not matching up with the actors’ mouths, according to Sharp.
Both models are available now: the BD-HP21U for $350 and the BD-HP50U for $450. With the decisive win of Blu-Ray in the format wars, many companies have been dedicating significant resources to producing Blu-Ray players with the latest and greatest technology or at a lower cost.

From electronista

The way Dell introduced the Inspiron Mini 9 was pretty inspired, so it’s almost been depressing watching the steady stream of leaks deflate it into a now familiar device, even though it’s only being released today. As leaked, inside is an Intel Atom Diamondville processor and it has a 1024×600 LED-backlit screen with 4, 8 and 16GB SSD options (plus you get 2GB free online storage at Box.Net) and about three hours of battery life. Only the Windows XP version is available now for $399, in black or white—the $349 Ubuntu flavor, along with the rest of the six-color rainbow are a few weeks away.

For more information visit gizmodo