consumer electronics

Technology for Girls: Is It Different?

Belinda Parmar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:50:12 -0500

I am frustrated. I am bored. I feel patronised. PC World is telling me My World is Pink (it has not been pink since I was 7) and I need a new laptop to match my outfit (it would never even occur to me to match my outfit with my technology). Samsung is asking me “What Colour is my Life?” (hello?) and Dell is telling me that technology is like candy (do me a favour).

Lisa Strausfeld, Yves Behar, and Abbott Miller Form Supergroup, Design Litl Netbook

Cliff Kuang — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:06:17 -0500

It's baffling that no one's really overhauling laptop design. They're getting thinner and smaller, while capabilities and processing power swell, but the user interface stays exactly the same. Litl, a brand-new laptop, isn't going to change the world--but it's proof of what a set of excellent designers can do, if given a bit of breathing room.

Fashion & Technology: A Match Made in Heaven or Hell?

Belinda Parmar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:54:39 -0500

Last week Dell hosted an event intended to unite the worlds of fashion and technology bloggers. Their goal was to discuss how technology could be re-positioned as fashion in order to sell it to women.

Tech Retailers Add No Value

Belinda Parmar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:30:20 -0400

When was the last time you saw an actual mobile phone on display in a mobile phone store?

If you've had the misfortune to wander into one of these places recently you will notice that the walls and shelves of these places are usually covered with "dummy" phones, empty shells in which the screen has been replaced by a sticker. Who could possibly think that a dead lump of plastic riveted to the wall gives an impression of the real thing?

Philippe Starck Emblazons LaCie's New Drives With Egregious Logo

Cliff Kuang — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:24:20 -0400

Yesterday LaCie announced its latest hard-drive collab with a hotshot designer: Philippe Starck. At first blush, the results aren't bad:

Why Best Buy Is Roaring Into the Electric-Bike Market

Kate Rockwood — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0400

Kal Patel
Executive Vice President of Emerging Business
Rick Rommel
Senior Vice President of Emerging Business
Best Buy
read more

Examining Design Values: Warm, Cold, or Just Right

Erica Eden — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:21:49 -0400

Although our name may make you think otherwise, the interesting thing about the Femme Den is that, while we focus on women, we in no way exclude men. The problem, as we see it, is that design has missed the boat with women. In fact, according to www.she-concomy.com, 71% of women feel that brands only consider them for beauty and cleaning products. That’s pretty sad, right? We see opportunities to create meaningful solutions that are designed to include a female perspective, yet work for everyone.

How Companies Can Woo Women With Design

Agnete Enga — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:08:12 -0400

  As Gatherer Whitney pointed out yesterday, women ask for directions, men don’t. It’s one of many stereotypical gender differences from which we all have humorous (and not-so-humorous) stories to share. We can be as lost as ever, but stopping at the closest gas station to ask for directions is out of the question. We will get there...eventually.

Amazon Getting Into Own-Brand Accessories: The Start Of Something Bigger?

Kit Eaton — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:51:35 -0400

Soon you'll be able to buy Amazon own-branded basic electronics accessories, as well as the usual big-name electronics that you'll plug Amazon's gizmos into. It's a little surprising, but could well be seen as a sign for bigger Amazon ambitions.

Sony's Sleek New Portable Mouse

Cliff Kuang — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:19:04 -0400

LEGO's Block-Inspired Electronics Are Ready to Be Snapped Up This Fall

Clay Dillow — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:52:54 -0400

LEGO has teamed with electronics designer Digital Blue to create a line of LEGO-inspired consumer electronics for creative kids and nostalgic adults alike. Announced earlier this year, the final product will be available this fall, and the line includes digital cameras (1.5 megapixel), walkie talkies, MP3 players, boom boxes and alarm clocks, and USB drives constructed of iconic LEGO components--but not actual bricks that you can snap apart.

Freescale's Concept Designs Push Netbooks Further

Kit Eaton — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:47:00 -0400

Earlier this week, Freescale demonstrated a smartbook mash-up that's bound for shop shelves later this year. But Freescale isn't stopping there: The company has crafted several concepts for how these netbook-like devices might look in the future.

Sony's Alpha DSLRs: New Outside, Old Inside

Kit Eaton — Wed, 20 May 2009 06:29:24 -0400

Sony's entry into the DLSR market with the Alpha camera range has been pretty well accepted. So the tech maker went back to the lab to tweak its lineup with new units--though, perhaps, this should be called an along-grade instead of an upgrade.

The Strange Design Philosophy Behind Plantronics's New Voyager Pro Headset

Cliff Kuang — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:05:19 -0400

Inside the Design Reinvention of Linksys

Cliff Kuang — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:49:55 -0400

Worried About the Economy? Samsung says Buy a TV

Abha Bhattarai — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:07:42 -0400

The president of Samsung’s consumer electronics division has a curious recipe for getting through the recession: buy a TV.

It costs less than a beach vacation, he says, and with Samsung’s new line of LCD HDTVs that use 40% less energy than conventional sets, you can feel good about splurging on eco-friendly entertainment.

Samsung's $300 Papyrus Confirms E-Books as the Next Lifestyle Gadget

Kit Eaton — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:43:14 -0400

When Samsung joins the e-book fray, where Amazon, Sony and Fujtisu are already playing, it confirms one thing: the e-reader is becoming the next "must-have" lifestyle gadget. The Papyrus, a touchscreen e-reader that Samsung introduced at CES earlier this year, is on its way to European and Korean markets, and a U.S. launch may be next.

Could Palm Survive a Failed Pre Smartphone?

Kit Eaton — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:20:57 -0400

Palm's upcoming Pre wonderphone has been the focus of attention here and elsewhere in the media for two reasons: First, because it appears to be a serious contender; second, because it looks like Palm is betting the bank on the device's success. So what happens to Palm if the Pre isn't a screaming market success?

Cisco Buys Flip Video Cam Maker for $590 Million

Kit Eaton — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 09:00:09 -0400

Cisco Systems, most commonly associated with business technology infrastructure and networking hardware, is using a chunk of its massive cash reserves to buy Pure Digital Technologies--creators of the highly popular Flip range of cheap digital video camcorders.

Garmin-Asus Outs Its M20 Smartphone, Doesn't Herald GPSphone Revolution

Kit Eaton — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:02:03 -0500

News that Garmin and Asus were teaming up to produce the other type of convergence smartphone--marrying serious navigation power with a cellphone--only hit the other week, but the alliance has just stumped up with news on its first proper product. And the Nuvifone M20 looks to be a sweet deal indeed.

Modu Modular Phone To Show its Tricks At MWC Tradeshow

Kit Eaton — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:29:35 -0500

The Modu, with its extremely lateral-thinking approach to cellphone design, created something of an Internet sensation when its maker revealed plans for a modular cellphone last year. And now, 12 months later, it looks like the device will finally get a big unveiling at the upcoming Mobile World Congress tradeshow.

FinePix F200 Camera Goes For Quality Not Quantity of Megapixels

Kit Eaton — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:59:48 -0500

Though the megapixel war in consumer digital cameras has calmed down since its hectic early days, it still rolls on with each new device sporting yet more sensing pixels. But Fujifilm has finally done the right thing: Its new Finepix F200EXR is actually being touted as having a better sensor, rather than merely a bigger one.

The Megapixel War's New Frontier: Cameraphones

Kit Eaton — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:03:53 -0500

There's a rumor going around about an upcoming cellphone from Samsung, due to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress, that possesses a 12-megapixel camera. Let's all give Samsung a round of applause for opening the megapixel war's newest battlefront: cameraphones.

The Sidekick Gets More Smartphone-Like, Because It Has To

Kit Eaton — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:49:14 -0500

Lots of interest has been stirred up by rumors of a new version of the Sidekick that'll be smarter, better, and more 3G than previous incarnations. It's dubbed the Sidekick LX 2009, and details about it surfaced while a reader at Hiptop3.com was taking an online survey about smartphones.

Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic Launch Brings Out Crowds

Kit Eaton — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:46:33 -0500

When we warned Apple to look out for Nokia's XpressMusic cellphones, it seems we were pretty near the mark: At the launch event in London yesterday for the 5800 XpressMusic cell phone some 150 people turned up -- with a line going around the block -- just to get hold of one. This was in the dingy, rainy, cold British weather even.