DIY Glowing Video Tape USB Hub: Put an Old VHS Tape to Good Use [DIY]

Have any old VHS tapes lying around? Really? What the hell is wrong with you? That stuff should have been tossed ages ago. Anyway, since you have one, it might be a good idea to repurpose it into something useful—like a USB hub. As far as DIY projects go, this one should be simple enough—even for a novice. All you need outside of the tape is a USB hub, some LEDs, a small switch (optional) and some cables. It looks cool, and when all is said and done you can act all high and mighty about your herculean recycling effort. Additional image after the break.

For the full instructions, hit the following link. [Instructables via Hacked Gadgets]

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Foxconn wins 3G iPhone contract, 3 million units shipping in June?

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Need more unsubstantiated evidence that the 3G iPhone is near. Good, the Chinese language Commercial Times is quoting sources claiming that Foxconn (aka, Hon Hai) — the maker of the 1st gen iPhone — is ramping up 3G iPhone assembly by “the end of May” to ship 3 million units in June. It’s expected to produce some 24-25 million units before the product reaches end of life. If those numbers are true then Apple had better be prepared for a proper global launch without those pesky revenue sharing schemes seen holding back world-wide uptake.

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The Alphagrip Handheld PC is Ergonomically Insane [Portable Media]

You may recognize Alphagrip from their bizarre line of handheld keyboard/trackball mouse hybrid controllers—but by the looks of their entry into Microsoft’s Next Gen PC design competition, it appears that they are planning on taking things a step further by integrating a computer screen. The controller itself is basically a beefed-up version of their previous product—a design intended to maximize typing speed, conveniences and comfort.

However, it seems that the guys at Alphagrip have such a boner for ergonomic design that the screen itself seems like an afterthought. Seriously, the whole screen area irritates me—from the heart-shaped frame to the poorly placed controls flanking the display. For these reasons alone, I doubt highly that it will win the competition much less become an actual commercial product in this form. [Alphagrip via Next Gen PC via Techpin via Gearfuse]

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Asus Subsidiary Making Blu-ray Xbox 360 [Rumor]

Despite repeated bashing and smashings, the Xbox 360 Blu-ray rumor is eternal like the sun god. Taiwanese rag Economic Times is reporting that Pegatron Technology—an Asus subsidiary, not a Decepticon as McWhertor points out—has received an order from Microsoft for a Blu-ray-equipped Xbox 360, due to be manufactured soon and shipped in time for the holidays. Weeks ago, Digitimes said Lite-On was going to make ‘em. Let’s assess.

Okay, first, Ballmer has said Microsoft will “support Blu-ray in ways that make sense,” and even the hardest blow wasn’t a straight-up denial it would never happen. It’s still pretty unlikely, but let’s say there’s a small window of chance. Would it make sense?

If they could do it for cheap enough, it might help extend the life of the Xbox 360 and negate one of the major advantages the PS3 has now—it’s one of the cheapest (and best) delivery vehicles for the HD format victor, and that could be a crucial edge going into the holidays, since it’s the first holiday season people can feel safe in picking up Blu-ray. HDTVs will be cheaper than ever to boot, so people will want pretty pictures plastered on them. So it does make a certain kind of sense (also why they wouldn’t bother with a new attachment but go with a whole new box). But, we’re not holding our breath for a Blu 360, by any means. If you are, please buy a salt lick to keep you company, ’cause it might get lonely. [Economic Daily News via Kotaku]

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GTA IV’s iPhone Parody Cuts to the Heart of Apple’s Mystique, Then Stabs it Repeatedly [Apple Parody]

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.Just when we thought we couldn’t love GTA IV more, they go and make this Apple parody. You can see it when you go into an internet cafe. We think it reflects quite truthfully on the Apple audience, don’t you? Now excuse me while I call up my publisher to line up a How to Do Everything with Your iFruit Phone. [TUAW]

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.

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Next-gen iPhone spotted in the wild?

Filed under: Cellphones

Well here’s an interesting one. French iPhone blog iPhon.fr got these pics from an anonymous and unverified source, and while there’s no way of telling if the shots are legit, they certainly have a truthy ring to them. They follow what we know so far about the shape, size and color of the upcoming 3G iPhone, and while there’s always the possibility of knockoff, a Photoshop job, or some other evil plot to mislead us, we’re certainly not going to discount these shots entirely in the runup to iPhone’s second coming.

Update: Some commenters have pointed out that the size and shape of this phone bares a striking resemblance to LG’s Vu. As we said up above, we’re not ruling out some handy editing work here.

[Thanks, Janvier]

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Canadian bank hands out free Eee PCs

Filed under: Laptops

It used to be if you signed up for a new checking account, a bank might throw off a toaster, alarm clock, or in extreme modern cases, a 1GB iPod shuffle. Well times, they are a’changing, and boy do we wish we lived in Canada right now. Up north, RBC Royal Bank is offering a free ASUS Eee PC when you switch to their checking account service. That’s right, you get an actual computer after completing the move (and dealing with a lot of red tape). Sure, it’s only the 7-inch, 2GB version, but it still runs Xandros way better than this solar calculator we got from our bank.

[Thanks, Matt]

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Samsung Uses Indy to Market its Rose Crystal HDTVs in Korea [Indiana Jones And The Korean Electronics Giant]

With just three weeks to go before Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hits theaters, Samsung is using the bullwhip-cracking adventurer for a little bit of promotion. Both the 50-inch and 58-inch models of its Rose Crystal HDTV come with an Indy DVD, as well as movie theater tickets. Personally, I’m looking forward to the scene in the film when Indy and Mutt are tied up to a pagan statue and, as a glacial Cate Blanchett advances on our heroes with an ice pick, Mutt’s Samsung Soul cellphone rings in his pocket. It’s Mom Marion, asking if he’s going to be home for supper, and if he is, not to be late, because she’s made him a soufflé and she doesn’t want it to collapse. [i4U ]

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Demand for Intel’s Atom already outstripping supply?

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

There’s a ton of upcoming laptops and devices based around Intel’s Atom processor, and it looks like all the early interest is causing that best of all possible problems for the chipmaker: it’s gotten too many orders. Intel told the WSJ that it’s planning on producing “millions” of Atom chips this year, but that it’s “seeing better-than-expected demand” as production begins and that it’s “we are working quickly to address it.” Still, it looks like manufacturers are expecting a shortage to last for a while — ASUS predicted that supply would be constrained until the third quarter during its quarterly conference call, for example — and various Chinese trade publications have reported the same. That’s definitely not encouraging news, and with AMD’s Puma and VIA’s Isaiah nipping at Atom’s heels, Intel might want to kick things into a higher gear.

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The Mvix MV-2500U: An Ultra Portable, HDD-Based High-Def Media Center [Home Entertainment]

Mvix has announced their new, mini MV-2500U media player, which supports a 2.5-inch hard drive but can still cram in most of the features of its big brothers (the MX-780HD and MX-760) in a package about the size of a PDA. It can also support drives as big as 250GB, which should be enough to store about 100 DVD-quality movie titles. Other features include: 480p, 720p, 1080i compatibility and support for MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4, DVD (VOB, IFO), DivX (3/4/5/6), Xvid, BivX, VCD (DAT) formats. The MV-2500U is available now for $149. Press release after the break.

MvixUSA Launches Ultra Portable HDD-based Hi-Def Media Player

Mvix (USA), Inc., a leader in HDD-based, portable media playback solutions, announces the launch of yet another hi-def media decoder now in ultra small size. The new Mvix MV-2500U supports the small 2.5-inchhard drive, but boasts of most of the key features of its predecessors like MX-780HD or MX-760. It can support HDDs as large as250GB hard disk, enough to carry 100 DVD quality movie titles.

Fairfax, VA (PRWEB) May 1, 2008 — Mvix (USA), Inc., a leader in HDD-based, portable media playback solutions, announces the launch of yet another hi-def media decoder now in ultra small size. The new Mvix MV-2500U supports the small 2.5-inch hard drive, but boasts of most of the key features of its predecessors like MX-780HD or MX-760. It can support HDDs as large as250GB hard disk, enough to carry 100 DVD- quality movie titles.

Introducing this next generation portable gadget in MvixUSA’s corporate office in Fairfax, VA, Mike Mallon, the Business Development Manager of MvixUSA commented, “MvixMV-2500U is the perfect companion for the people on the move. People, who enjoy traveling on RVs or boats, can virtually carry their entire home theater collection in this tiny marvel, and enjoy the same hi-def video quality. What differentiates our product from other portable video devices are the quality of video output and versatility in terms of video and audio formats support.”

Extremely competitively priced, this black beauty fits everyone’s pocket, both in terms of size and dollars
MV-2500U comes in a stunning black look and just measures under 5×3x0.5 inches in dimension, almost the size of a PDA. “Extremely competitively priced, this black beauty fits everyone’s pocket, both in terms of size and dollars,” commented Mike.

Mvix MV-2500U uses a 2.5″ PATA / IDE HDD and supports large-sized hard drives (250GB). When connected to the PC, it works just like an external USB 2.0 hard drive. It comes with a highly functional and ergonomically-designed IR remote control. It is capable of storing and decoding hours of standard or high definition digital video (480p, 720p, 1080i) in over a dozen file formats. Video file formats supported include files encoded in MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4, DVD (VOB, IFO), DivX ® (3/4/5/6), Xvid, BivX ®, VCD (DAT) for both PAL and NTSC systems.

The news of Mvix MV-2500U comes within three months of launch of MvixUSA’s flagship model MX-780HD (introduced during CES in January). MvixUSA foresees a very positive response for MV-2500U from the market, particularly in mobile entertainment segment. “MV-2500U is our exclusive product for the mobile community, who wants to maintain the quality of their digital lifestyle, even when they are on the move. We continue to innovate in products and features, catering to different markets and supporting our customers with our unmatched technical support platform,” Mike added.

[Mvix]

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