Gadgetstronics

Word on the street (or rather, an FCC filing) has it that AT&T will soon carry Motorola’s budget 3G-capable handset - the W760r in particular. This is but the spiritual successor to the older V-series phones, and I don’t see anything about this handset which will engineer a reversal in Motorola’s current dismal fortunes. This dual-band clamshell handset will come with the following features :-

• 3G/HSDPA connectivity
• 2 megapixel camera
• microSD memory card slot (max. 4GB)
• Bluetooth connectivity

No word on pricing is currently available, but I can almost guarantee you that it won’t break the bank to pick one up with a 2-year contract.

Although they were announced a couple of weeks back, those looking for them may not have immediately been able to find chips from Intel using their latest 45nm build process.

TechReport noted that Intel’s chips are now starting to show up at online retailers. Intel’s 8400E has more L3 cache (6MB vs. 4MB) and is selling for about US$55 cheaper than the E6850 that it will surely replace.

There is more on this in the TechReport Forums. These chips offer a very nice alternative to higher priced quad-core chips that don’t give the average user much benefit. This looks like the low-priced chip to have at this time.

The Otto may look like one of those suction cup gadgets that turns any surface into a sound generating speaker, but it’s actually more like a stethoscope than a speaker. If you latch it onto a window, a wall, or a glass of ice water, you can hear “subtle tremors and vibrations”. Because if you have to listen to your upstairs neighbors going at it every night, you might as well hear it clearly. [Duncan Wilson via Random Good Stuff]

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The new Vaio TZ has a beautiful, subtly etched case offered in flocked champagne or charcoal finishes. One example has classic Victorian geometric swirls. Another looks like wallpaper from the 1960s. A third looks like an insane laser-wielding spirograph machine has gone awry on it, and a fourth offers a profusion of leafy designs spiraling toward the logo.

Some people understand the MacBook Air. If your analysis of it spends more than a few moments noodling on features like cellular modems, processor speed and the cross platform compatibility of its external optical drive, you’re not one of them. Sony, by quickly putting fashion design at the forefront of its TZ subnotebooks, knows exactly what Apple is up to.

Sony, however, is also an institution of inaction in the face of necessity. These are out soon in Japan: wither the West?

CPU Upgrade and New skin available for the Vaio T [Akibahara News]

If you’re the type who loves reading gadget blogs like this one, then you probably loved playing with Legos as a child. Or maybe you still play with Legos, because I know I do. There is no shame in that, and Lego maniacs of the world should unite in celebration today.

Today, Lego celebrates its 50th birthday. You might not think that Lego is that old, but the product itself is actually over 50 years old. It was actually developed in 1949, but it wasn’t perfected until 1958. I guess Lego wants to mark 1958 as its birthday because the bricks from that time still fit bricks of today.

Even Google, the world’s biggest search engine, joined in the celebration as they displayed their logo in Legos yesterday. Their normal logo is displayed today, but if you missed it yesterday, I have provided an artist’s representation on the left.

Legos have come a long way from the simple blocky bricks from back then. Now the bricks are curved, long, riveted, and some even contain programmable microprocessors.

To be honest, I don’t know where Legos can even go from here. I’m just glad that they have advanced to the point where they are now. So celebrate today and make a Lego cake. Just don’t try and eat it.

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Is it possible for Motorola to be #1 in non-touchscreen Windows Mobile smartphones and still be considering selling off its handset business?  Sure.  But it is awful odd that both stories are popping today.

According to DigitTimes, Motorola is just edging out Samsung and HTC for the lead in non-touchscreen smartphone sales.  Add in the touchscreen units and HTC has 50% of the market (#1 with Palm coming in at #2).  Motorola is listed as one of the companies eroding HTC marketshare.  But is that enough for Motorola?

No, according to DailyTech, who says Motorola is/should be considering selling off it’s handset division.  After ending 2007 with a $1.2 billion loss, it must be hard for them to hope for better days.  DailyTech also notes there is another rumor that Moto will sell to a Chinese company but discounts it due to the fact no one can figure out the convoluted menu tree.

So what will 2008 bring to the once-mighty Moto?  All they need is a product that is fun to use, sounds easy right?  They’ve got a running start with the Rokr E9 that I’ve been excited about is a good start.  I expect they will build on that with the Q10, a haptic keyboard on a touchscreen; this info is now loosely confirmed by sources in Taiwan’s handset industry.  Woohoo!  That is exciting stuff.  Is it enough?  Will it trickle to mass-adoption phones like the Razr?  Is it too late?

Read [DailyTech] and [DigiTimes]

I love snoozing my alarm in the mornings and getting extra minutes of slumber before I have to get up for the day. My clock is right by the bed and I don’t even have to open my eyes to snooze it or turn it off. But some sadist came up with the Clocky alarm clock.

Clocky is an alarm clock that runs away and hides when you don’t wake up! Clocky gives you one chance to get up like a normal person. But if you try to cheat and stay in bed, Clocky will jump off of your nightstand, alarm sounding, and wheel around your room looking for a place to hide. Luckily, you can turn the feature of Clocky running away off - but then what would be the point of it?

Sure we’ve seen this gadget before - but now there’s more colors to choose from - even a raspberry color for Valentine’s Day (other colors are available)! Although I can think of nothing less romantic than an alarm clock for V. Day. But, if you’re a sadist, pick one up for $50 over at Nanda Home for your snooze-loving sweetheart.

[Nanda Home via Techie Diva]

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Nikon has released a wide range of new digital cameras for PMA ‘08, and here’s one of the many. The Nikon Coolpix S520 will come with the following features, and I particularly like SDHC memory card support which paves the way to carry more images on a single card. The Coolpix S520 will retail for $229.95 when available in Q1 2008.

Product Page

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Scientists from the University of Adelaide, Australia, have designed a “sperm tap”. The silicone-polymer tap is in effect a reversible vasectomy. Instead of cutting the tubes that run from the testicles to the penis (called vas deferens), the valves are inserted. This is done with a hypodermic needle.

The valves can then be switched on or off using a radio pulse. Derek Abbott, the team’s founder, puts it best:

It will be like turning a TV on and off with a remote control, except that the remote will probably be locked away in your local doctor’s office to safeguard against accidental pregnancy or potential misuse of the device.

Not all the wrinkles have been ironed out, though. The designers recommend this device only for men already considering sterilization. Long term use could lead to clogging and permanent infertility.

Sperm ‘tap’ planned for reversible vasectomy [New Scientist]

From the bestselling cellphone in history to the most ignominious departure of a CEO not related to any criminal behavior, Motorola’s had a hell of a slide, but still, the latest speculation comes as a punch to the chin. Richard Windsor, an analyst with a firm called Nomura International, says that Moto may exit the handset business. On one hand, it could sell the division to Chinese investors, but on the other hand, not even the Chinese really know how to solve Moto’s problems. What happened, Motorola? Seriously, what in hell happened? [MarketWatch]