Filed under: Digital Cameras, Gaming

AgfaPhoto — you know, the company that used to just make really high-end gear, but now lends its name to lame sauce stuff built by plawa — has a new camera on display at PMA, the DV-5000G. In addition to the regular 5 megapixel camera duties, this thing works overtime as a 720 x 480 video camera — there’s 64MB of built-in memory, but we’re guessing you’ll want to hop to SD or SDHC in a hurry. Of course, most cameras do full-res video, but AgfaPhoto is also pulling a page out of DXG’s book and packing in video games, playable on the 3-inch “960 x 240″ screen (we’re guessing that’s a typo, and this thing is standard 320 x 240 QVGA). Unfortunately, the games are super weak, and there are no emulators in sight. We don’t think PMP or webcam functionality is going to save this one either, and the $260 pricetag seems a bit silly for what you’re getting. Let’s catch up at next year’s PMA, huh Agfa?

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Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Usually we spot console modders adding a few LEDs to their boxen, squeezing in some extra memory or perhaps even changing a form factor altogether, but it’s rare to see these hackers actually hack in some original functionality. Cyberpyrot over at Acid Mods is taking this whole modding business to a whole new level with his voice recognition controller for the Xbox 360, which involves some heavy hacking and a bit of hardware kit wizardry to let you control teh Halos with merely the silky smooth sound of your voice. The mod is ostensibly designed to help out the mobility impaired, but we all know it’s going to be primarily used by slothful nerds (you know, those “purists” that didn’t pick up a Wii) who have decided that even repetitive finger motions are too much of an effort. The current mod can handle 10 different voice commands, check out a video of it in action after the break.

[Thanks, GrandpaSmurf]

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Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Here’s one that needs little explanation: one pedal activates Star Power, the other one fiddles with the whammy bar. That keeps your arms and fingers free to Guitar Hero, and since the React Standalone Pedal is wireless and works with any PS2 guitar, you shouldn’t have too much hassle tossing this on to your garishly patterned carpet and proceeding to rock. It’s available now for $25.

[Via Joystiq]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

As is the custom in these matters, Dell has flatly denied the existence of any product to announce at 3GSM, and went further on to state that the company doesn’t even plan on attending the show. Rumors of a “Gphone” were probably greatly exaggerated to begin with, and now at least the venue has been firmly shot down. That said, there was no explicit denial of an Android-related product (there never is), so the optimistic ones out there can go on hoping for a Dell phone to solve all their problems. Hey, if Garmin can do it, what’s stopping them?

[Via Electronista]

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Filed under: Cellphones

We’re getting reports from all over that AT&T customers are having trouble with 3G and EDGE data. A majority of the complaints are coming from the Midwest / Chicago areas, where things seem to be down entirely, but we’ve also heard from folks as far away as Florida. Team Engadget hasn’t hit any snags in New York or Vegas where we’re currently situated, but let us know if you’re having troubles wherever you might be — and what color crayon to use for this fancy “threat level” printout we’ve got pinned to the wall.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Wireless

The FCC is on a roll this morning. It appears RIM has a Bluetooth music streaming device in the works, the BlackBerry Remote Stereo Gateway, and the device just got the A-OK from the FCC. The unit works pretty much exactly like you’d expect: you just pair your BlackBerry device with the Gateway, plug some speakers into the 3.5mm jack, and you’re off to the races. Music is in stereo, and while we’re guessing that means A2DP, there’s nothing in the user manual that indicates this is compatible with other types of phones. While RIM has been leaning this way for a while, it’s still odd to see the company produce something so overtly media-oriented, but we guess we’re just old fogies like that. No word on price or a release date.

[Via BlackBerry Cool]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Stick this one firmly in the rumor category, since all the verbiage that’s been thrown around about this story still traces back to one single source: a slightly ill-informed article done up in MarketingWeek in the UK. The article cites unspecified “senior industry sources,” and goes on about how this is Dell and Google working closely together on what is more or less the “Gphone.” Since we have no reason to believe Google is going to jeopardize its Android OS by getting extra-friendly with one specific manufacturer, the primary weight we can give to this rumor is that fact that Dell picked up a former Motorola executive, Ron Garriques, to run its Global Consumer Group early last year. Other rumors have cropped up over the years about Dell moving in this direction, so it certainly wouldn’t signal the apocalypse if a Dell-branded Android phone does show up at this rumored unveiling at 3GSM, but giving how early on Android is at the moment, we’ll believe it when we see it.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation

We knew full well that a contactless payment trial would soon be underway in the city by the Bay, and now it’s finally ready for use by 230 guinea pigs. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of details on the Samsung handsets and the technology itself, but we do know that the program is being closely watched in hopes of it operating quite smoothly. If indeed that happens, it could be “expanded,” presumably allowing others in the area to have their bank account dinged with the swipe of a cell each time they need a lift. Furthermore, a video clip at CBS5 shows the pilot phone being used to snag some totally nourishing grub from Jack in the Box. Hungry for more? Hit up the read link to take a peek yourself.

[Thanks, Hans]

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HTC’s TouchFLO UI was great because it was one of the first “skin Windows Mobile to make it usable” applications—even if it isn’t quite as good as PointUI. This supposed TouchFlo 2.0 upgrade looks much improved, even if it is still early in the development stage. If you’re feeling brave you can actually try and install it on your own phone and give it a shot. We hope this new version covers up more of the Windows Mobile UI than the original, which was basically just a shortcut launcher system to get you into the ugly, bloody guts of the phone. [HTCInsider via The Unwired]

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We predicted that Nikon would have first dibs on the 24.8-megapixel sensor Sony introduced the other day, but in truth, Sony itself looks like it’s making a grab, allegedly planning to put it into the unnamed Alpha flagship model you see in the pics above. We’ll drop more details as they come, but all we know for now is that it’s got the full-size 35mm CMOS and it uses SuperSteady Shot anti-shake technology inside. [DigitalCameraInfo.com]

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