Yet more news outta IFA today, with Samsung taking the occasion to announce a new compact digital camera for anyone looking for a little widescreen action. The SDC-MS61 is a six megapixel cam with a 3x optical zoom that’ll take pics at up to ISO 1600, as well as 30fps MPEG-4 video in 16:9 aspect ratio (which should give your home movies that much-needed cinematic edge). You’ll also be able to view those vids properly thanks to the camera’s 3.0-inch widescreen LCD on the rear. The MS61 will also double as a webcam and an MP3 player/recorder, although little details like price and availability have yet to be made readily available.

More info
from engadget

Those pranksters at Samsung are always mixing up the display sizes on us, and now they’ve thrown down a 16:9 widescreen 10-incher for your DMB viewing pleasure. The R7 features MP3 and photo playback, and can even handle an external drive for viewing video, but it seems mostly suited to lounging around the home with some up-close and personal DMB broadcasts. Samsung wants to move the TV from a “fixed, family-oriented device to a more mobile, personal gadget.” We’re not so sure that ethic would go over so hot if verbalized in the States, but it’s not like they’ll be shipping it over here anyways, so the point is moot.

[Thanks, Dan]
more info
from engadget

Now we’re talking. Or, well, continuing an ongoing conversation. Samsung seems to have a little spec bump for the Q1 every week or so: a flash drive here, a new processor there, but this time they’re doing it up right and sticking HSDPA into their UMPC. The new “Q1P” also packs that new Via processor from the Q1B, which extends the battery to a purported five hours. The Q1 really does take on a whole new level of hotness with a respectable battery life and 3G internet access, and supposedly the Q1P will include “several additional interfaces” as well — whatever that means. We sure wouldn’t complain to have an easier time interfacing with the thing when it’s released Q4 this year, but we’re not going to get our hopes up too high.

[Via jkOnTheRun]
from engadget
more info

Those Euros sure love their GPS units, and so do we. LaptopLogic reports that today at IFA, Sony said it will update its Nav-U navigation system by November, calling it the NV-U80 and NV-U81T. Sony is touting its newest innovation, called “Position Plus”, a set of backup sensors that will provide additional data when the GPS cuts out, for example, when you’re driving under a bridge. The NV-U80 also has Bluetooth support and 512MB of storage and what appears to be a Memory Stick slot on the side. The NV-U81T has a 4GB drive, a full European map and it supports Traffic Message Channel information. Sony says both units will be available in November 2006, but the company hasn’t released prices yet. The 4.3-inch units will also have gesture control — we’re not quite sure how that works yet, but we wonder if you can give it the finger.

More info
from engadget

Question: how do you make a ginormous 100-inch LCD display even better (aside from actually releasing it to the public at a very reasonable price)? Well if you’re Royal Philips Electronics, you endow that bad boy with some of your sweet, immersive Ambilight technology — we’ve known since CES that Philips had both three-sided Ambilight Surround and four-sided Ambilight Full Surround in the pipeline, but we had no idea that the company possessed the strength, the courage, the sheer willpower to roll out ambient lighting on such a massive scale. Unfortunately for us consumers (and by “us,” we actually only mean Mark Cuban), this monster display is only a prototype being shown off at IFA as a way for Philips to flex its technological muscle, so don’t expect to see it at your local Costco anytime soon. Plus, even if you could buy one of these retail, it would probably cost approximately one million dollars; so for now, at least, you’ll have to settle for plasma if you want a 100-inch set, or a relatively tiny 70-inch screen if you absolutely need to go LCD.

[Via HDBeat]
more info
from engadget

So today’s the first day of IFA, and that means that tons of companies are converging on the German capital to rain down gagdets onto the European populus. And not to be outdone by rival Garmin, Daewoo has announced three new navigation system: the DPN-3500, the DPN-5600 and the ANK-6160. We’ve got the most info on the DPN-3500, which according to Daewoo’s Italian site, sports a 320 x 240 3.5-inch screen, 32MB of internal flash storage, and has 64MB of SDRAM and connects to the outside world with an SD / MMC card slot. You’ll have to forgive us though, our Italian is a bit rusty, so when we read “SD Memory interna da 512 Mb,” we’re assuming that means it comes bundled with a 512MB SD card. But our Italian skills are good enough to tell you that it has a rechargeable battery, an optional remote control, and comes with standard Italian maps along with other maps, we’re guessing for additional purchase. There’s no mention in any language of how much the DPN-3500 will cost, nor of when it will be released. TechDigest also reports the announcement of the DPN-3500′s two big cousins, the DPN-5600 and the ANK-6160, but we’ve been unable to find any more details on either of these in any language — ma li terremo informati.

[Via TechDigest]
more info
from engadget

Just two days ago we teased you with pictures, and so to celebrate September we’ve got the full info on the nouveau nüvi 660. It’s got a 4.3-inch screen, an FM transmitter, and Bluetooth support. The 660 also includes an “integrated traffic receiver” to avoid congestion and road construction, give the driver advance voice notification of upcoming hazards, and appropriately route around it. In the US, this Total Traffic Network is included free for three months, and then will cost $60 for 15 months of service. The FM transmitter will play MP3s and phone calls over the car speakers connected via Bluetooth. In Europe, where the FM transmitter is not available, nüviheads can purchase the nüvi 610 (one of nine regional maps), or buy full European mapping with the 660. The North American version of the 660 comes with complete maps of the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, and, as always, one can load up updated maps and other media via the USB port or SD card slot. Expect it to hit U.S. retailers later this month with an MSRP of $1076.91 — but we have no idea how Garmin came up with such a precise figure.

[Via GPSLodge]
More info
from engadget