By now, everyone that would be interested in a device like this has probably heard of the Xbox 360 Elite, due out April 29. It’ll cost about $80 more, and for that, you get a 120GB drive and HDMI outputs. I’d imagine the new changes are to support the high definition push that manufacturers seem to be making lately. The problem is that while most people listed the price of the PS3 as the prohibitive factor in getting one, it’s now starting to look more and more like Sony got it right the first time, considering they included WIFI, HD movie/game playback and an easily upgradeable drive that won’t void your warranty. So let’s do a little math, shall we?

• PS3 Deluxe Version = $600

• Xbox 360 Elite + HD DVD Addon + Wireless Adapter = $480 + $190 + 90 = $760

Does $160 make up for the fact that the PS3 comes with an 80GB drive rather than the Elite’s 120GB? I don’t think so. So maybe after all this, it turns out the PS3 is the better deal after-all. And if you’re the type that doesn’t need all these extras, you’re probably better off with a Nintendo Wii anyway, which is much cheaper at 250… assuming you can actually get your hands on one.

Engadget Mobile managed to gets their hands on Samsung’s F700, which I had blogged about earlier as being a worthy alternative to Apple’s “Jesus Phone”. They’ve got some great pictures as well as some stats on the device.

Word on the street is that the AppleTV is finally shipping out to customers who ordered theirs early, which is good for them, but due to the fact that Apple seems to have made locking out user generated content standard practice (at least, without a whole lot of leg work), I’m not in the market.

In steps the Netgear EVA8000, which seems capable of streaming every format under the sun (Including streaming your Bitorrent files) for only $100 more than the AppleTV, and all in HD as well. It’s for Windows users only, which should be great news for those that have made the switch to Vista.

So I’ve had my Harmony 1000 for almost a week now, and so far it’s been pretty good. I mean it’s a fun toy, but is it essential… probably not. I could have got along just fine with my older Harmony 676, but there is something to be said for having a graphic interface on a remote that eliminates the need for 40+ buttons like the 676.

I’m still getting used to it, so I’ll hold my final thoughts for a more in-depth review at another time, but you can find a few more pictures of the packaging after the jump. Continue reading »

So it’s been a little while since I made a large, stupid, purchase. The last lapse of santiy I had came last spring, when I bought an obnoxious Traxxas Revo, a remote control truck that runs on actual fuel. I suppose with that setting the bar riduclously low, there was no way to go but up. So I ponied up $350 for a remote control… well now that I’m saying it out loud, it seems even more idiotic.

To feebly try and defend why I would spend such a ridiculous amount on a remote control, let me explain that I’ve sort of an amateur home theater fan. The crowning jewel of my otherwise mediocre setup is an Infocus Screenplay 61md10, a 61″ HDTV DLP. The one thing you start to realize as you get into this stuff, is that being able to simplify the control of your setup is crucial if you actually want to have friends. While I might have no problem fiddling with three remotes to watch a movie, the average person will find it maddening to do so.

That’s where the Logitech Harmony 1000 comes in. It normally retails for near $500 but I was able to get a “deal” (If you’re dense enough to call it that) that brought the price down to $350. I figure if it’s not perfect, I can always return it, and for that amount of money, it had better be perfect.

In my quest not to get rail-roaded into buying an iPhone simply due to the juggernaut that is the Apple advertising machine, I will be occasionally posting information about alternate smart phones that will soon be coming to market. I have recently been seeing a lot of gadget sites, including Gizmodo and Engadget (two of my favorite sites for tech news) comparing every upcoming phone with a large (touch)screen to the iPhone. Somehow, a few people have managed to convince themselves that touchscreens and media-centric phones did not exist until Apple announced the iPhone, which is rather idiotic if you ask me.

So with that, I present the Samsung F700 which is due out in the near future. I’ve provided a few links below where you can do some research on the phone, enjoy:

• Gizmodo: Apple iPhone vs. Samsung F700: Which is Touchscreenier?
• Engadget: Samsung outdoes itself with Ultra Smart F700
• Samsung: SAMSUNG Unveils Revolutionary Ultra Smart F700

It’s tiny, but it works… barely. This miniscule swiss made gun has less power than the average air/BB gun, and the ammo is almost $10 PER ROUND, so I’m not so sure about the utility of the thing as far as protecting you from say, a robber armed with a REAL gun, unless your plan was to have him laugh to death. That being said, the product site (linked above) has some pretty nice images of the toy gun, including a nice exploded-diagram which reveals its inner workings. It’s worth a look if you’re into that kind of stuff. (via digg)