| SlashGear Review: O2’s minimalist Cocoon cellphone Posted: 31 Oct 2007 04:21 AM CDT Cocoon, if you remember, was a film about a bunch of cantankerous elderly people who discovered the alien key to prolonging their life; with that horrible thought in mind, I grudgingly agreed to review O2 UK’s Cocoon cellphone, fearing that at any moment a trio of elderly men might leap out and deliver a touching message about not marginalising the old. Thankfully, O2 have been a little more up-to-date with their latest own-brand handset, and while it’s nowhere near perfect have still managed to inject it with a bit more life than some rivals. 
It’s not a small phone. The white casing doesn’t help, to be frank - any fashionista will tell you that white will make you look wider - but the amply curved profile and sharp edged sides conspire to make the Cocoon feel bulky in the hand. Where some manufacturers would use that as an excuse to squash in screens galore, Pantech (who build the handset) have instead gone for a band of hidden LEDs that spell out incoming numbers, the time, the first part of SMS messages and MP3 track names as a scrolling marquee. Five discretely engraved icons - for alarm, message, missed call, battery and silent mode - are illuminated as appropriate. Clever, yes, but frustrating in equal measure: the at-a-glance purpose of an external display is hijacked in favour of style, and the whole thing, undoubtedly attractive, is simply not as convenient as a normal screen. 
Inside, though, things take a huge leap into practicality. Number keys are almost a centimetre-square and indecently easy to use, while a large, simple platter of end/dial and softkeys surrounds the distinctly thumbable D-pad and centre-select. The whole thing is surmounted by a gorgeous, 2.1-inch QVGA display capable of 262k colours, and a discrete internal VGA-quality camera for video calls. Special mention has to go to the retro-simple volume wheel, embedded into the clamshell’s hinge, which also does duty as a zoom control for the 2-megapixel main camera. 
O2 are positioning the Cocoon as a their flagship music handset, and so there are obviously external controls (track skip and play/pause, as well as a hold switch and toggle between FM radio and MP3) and memory expansion above its inbuilt 2GB thanks to a MicroSD slot. More unusual are onboard stereo speakers, which sound full-bodied and are easily capable of annoying fellow travellers on public transport, and - disappointingly - no 3.5mm headphone socket. Instead you have to use either the headphones O2 supply (which are, admittedly, pretty good) or the included double-adaptor. Stereo A2DP Bluetooth is supported, too, if you’re allergic to wires. 
The music software will sync happily with Windows Media Player, and supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA and WAV formats as well as album cover art, while the FM radio comes with RDS for station recognition. O2 quote 15 hours of music playback, which is several hours less than an iPod nano but reasonable for a musicphone. If you’re listening at home when you can always drop the Cocoon into the supplied “nest”, which is what O2 are camply calling the compact docking station. This is seemingly doubly-designed to sit both on your bedside table - with the Cocoon performing alarm clock duties - and by your computer, for easy USB syncronisation of music. It’s handy, but it does mean that while the phone is docked you won’t be able to take calls (unless using a Bluetooth headset) since the phone sits horizontally on the charger. Alternatively, you can fly the nest and plug the AC adaptor directly in to the handset. 
There’s no denying that the Cocoon is different; eye-catching, too, with the broad, solid body and monochrome colour scheme. The main camera - complete with autofocus and an LED flash - takes par-for-the-course photos and YouTube-friendly video, while HSDPA cellular broadband and quad-band GSM mean the internet browser (which, as ever, pales a little in comparison to the S60 browser Nokia’s handsets are blessed with) does a decent job making the most of that gorgeous internal screen. The heavily-O2-customised UI is thankfully more classic than garish (helped by the carrier’s dark blue colour scheme), and borrows a lot of imagery from the recent sponsorship of the O2 arena in London (formerly the much-maligned Millenium Dome). Indeed, if you step into the arena with your Cocoon, it’ll automatically start a venue guide and offer further music information. 
Nonetheless, aspects of the Cocoon do seem to be change for the sake of changing. Clamshells first acquired external displays so that users could quickly check Caller ID and the like; the scrolling display, while eye-catching, can be tricky to follow and as such proves less functional than even a one-line black & white LCD. Similarly, the icons for missed calls and new messages are straightforward but maybe too much so: there’s no telling whether you’ve received one SMS or a dozen of them. You may think having a single screen would pay dividends on battery life, but I consistently failed to reach the quoted 5hrs talktime or 350hrs standby. Call quality was decent, though, both in calls made on the Cocoon itself and through a connected Bluetooth headset. 
Consider, then, the O2 Cocoon as a fashion-phone, with the usual compromises that title predicts. It looks good and performs reasonably as a phone, and there are flashes of brilliance such as the ample onboard memory and straightforward music and volume controls. However battery life and a sense of style over function prevent me from recommending it wholeheartedly. If the external display tickles you, then you’ll be far more likely to appreciate the handset as a whole so, just like most fashion, it’s a particularly subjective thing. The Cocoon is available now from O2 UK, priced from free with a new contract.
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| Super Smash Brothers Brawl - Now to ship with a custom level editor Posted: 30 Oct 2007 03:24 PM CDT One thing you don’t find on most console games is a custom level editor. Sure, many PC games give you the option of creating entire maps for first person shooters and the like, but generally console games get left in the dark. However, Super Smash Brothers Brawl promises to give you exactly that. 
The level editor seems to be pretty straightforward. First you will select the size of your arena, followed by the background and music. You’ll then be able to set your platforms ladders and items exactly where you want them on a 2D grid. What’s even better is that you can save your level on an SD card, or send it over the internet. What’s better is that you can even submit your level to Nintendo. I’m sure that last part my have made you scratch your head just a bit. If you’re wondering why you’d want to send it off to Nintendo, here’s an explanation from Masahiro Sakurai. “A stage selected from the entire daily collection will be sent from Nintendo to your Wii. A stage made by someone else will come to you over the Internet once per day.” I don’t know about you, but I really need to get my hands on a Wii. However, I’ve got plenty of time, as the game was delayed until early 2008.
Smash Brothers gets level creator [via ars]
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| Dolby Volume - Consistent sound during commercials will finally be a reality Posted: 30 Oct 2007 03:15 PM CDT Recently I’ve noticed a few TV stations that have unusually loud commercials. I’ve been without my DVR for a little while, so I’ve been forced into watching more commercials, so I’m really quite annoyed by this. There’s nothing like grabbing the remote and adjusting the volume just so you can hear yourself think. Thankfully Dolby has a solution for this issue. 
Dolby Volume promises to measure, analyze and control the volume based on how we perceive and organize sound. The system works by combining a Volume Leveler with a Volume Modeler which will not only keep the volume consistant, but also as clear and crisp as possible. This technology will need to be built-in to your TV or AV receiver, and there’s no word yet on when we will being seeing this or how much of a premium we will have to pay for it. Dolby offers new TV volume-leveling solution [via gizmag]
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| AT&T releases the SGH-a737 from Samsung Posted: 30 Oct 2007 03:06 PM CDT If you’re looking for a new phone on AT&T’s network, you’ll be happy to know that they have just released the SGH-a737 from Samsung. 
The SGH-a737 is a multimedia slider phone that has a variety of niceties such as stereo Bluetooth 2.0, a 1.3MP camera and a microSD card slot that takes up to 4GB cards. It works with a variety of AT&T services such as Video Share and Mobile Music in addition to instant messaging via AOL, Yahoo and Windows Live and over-the-air music downloads via eMusic Mobile, and XM Radio. The 3G capabilities will ensure that you’ll make the most of these services. 
This phone isn’t going to break the bank, as it will set you back only $99.99 with a two-year contract. You do get a $50 mail-in rebate which makes it look even better. 
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| Lex uses your bike to deliver your message to everyone around you Posted: 30 Oct 2007 02:48 PM CDT One of my favorite past times is riding my bike. I don’t do it nearly as much as I once did, and I’m actually a bit sorry for that. There’s just something relaxing about taking off down a country road that just can’t be duplicated. I can honestly say at no time did I ever consider using my bike wheels to display some type of message to passerbys. 
Then again Lex wasn’t around back then either. Lex is a small device that attaches to the spokes of your bike and uses the rotation of your wheels to display a message of your choosing. I suppose this would be an interesting way to display your number in a race, or perhaps advertise your services as a bike messenger. Lex comes with software to generate whatever message you wish via your computer and can run up to 96 hours on a single AA battery. Lex Blings Out Your Bike Wheels with Custom Message [via EverythingUSB]
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| Tin Can Speakers covered in graffiti Posted: 30 Oct 2007 02:35 PM CDT Remember when you were a kid and you’d run a piece of string between two cans and use them like a pair of walkie-talkies? Yes, my parents may have been too cheap to buy us real walkie-talkies, but it still blew my mind as a kid that it actually worked. Well, here’s a pair of speakers that will bring back fond memories to anyone that used those as a child. 
Not only will the Tin Can speaker set from Boost Mobile bring back fond memories, but it will add a bit of personality to your desk. The "tin cans" designed by Dean Bradley and covered in graffiti by artists Mint and Serf. Aside from their cool appearance, there’s not much else to these. They’re your average pair of 5-inch speakers, with several adapters included so they can be used with a variety of gadgets. No word yet on pricing or availability.
Graffiti-covered Tin Can speaker set [via techdigest]
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| Chicken Foot USB drive - (insert fowl pun here) Posted: 30 Oct 2007 02:25 PM CDT There are thousands of USB flash drives on the market, and it would be insane to try to cover each and every one of them. Usually, they are just a standard flash drive with a fancy (or funny) outer casing. This one is exactly that. No fancy features whatsoever, but damn it is funny-looking. 
I’ve never lived on a farm, though I did have a pet chicken once. No joke, it just wandered up one day and shacked up with our barn cats. I swear it thought it actually was a cat. Anywho, this Chicken Foot Flash Drive does look quite similar to the foot of my chicken Spot. Though I think the color might be off a bit. The company that created this flash drive is called Whazatt, which seems to be most appropriate. The flash drive is a bit overpriced at $44.95, but is still funny nonetheless. Need more storage? Try a chicken foot [via crave]
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| Rates released for German iPhone customers Posted: 30 Oct 2007 02:02 PM CDT I don’t live anywhere near Germany, but since our readers are from all over the globe, I thought that I would let you know that Apple and T-Mobile have announced their rate plans for the iPhone in Germany. 
As you can see the plans will range from €49 to €89 per month. You’ll range from 100 to 1000 minutes and between 40 and 300 text messages. All plans include Unlimited data, (you’ll need it) Visual Voicemail and access to over 8,000 WiFi hotspots. As with any other country, you’ll need internet access to activate your shiny new iPhone. You’ll also need to be running either OSX 10.4.10 or later, or Windows XP SP2 or any version of Windows Vista except Home Basic.
Apple and T-Mobile unveil iPhone rate plans for Germany [via appleinsider]
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| GameStop quits offering product replacement plan for the Xbox 360 Posted: 30 Oct 2007 01:32 PM CDT I would sound very much like a broken record if I mentioned the fact that the Xbox 360 has a reputation of dying on people (surely not!). Unfortunately, it’s a very real fact, one which keeps fellow 360 owners up at night. At least when you go to purchase a new console you have the option of getting a replacement plan which will net you a new console if it should ever die right? Not at GameStop. 
That’s right, after all the trouble that the Xbox 360 has been known to have, GameStop has grown weary of replacing the consoles. Normally, retailers stand to gain a considerable amount by selling these, as the products generally don’t flake out within a year. Unfortunately the 360 isn’t necessarily that reliable. Effective immediately, you will no longer be able to purchase GameStop’s Product Replacement Plan for the 360. PS3 and Wii consoles are still eligible for coverage. I can feel their pain, but seriously I’m a little upset that they have decided to take this route. GameStop no longer offering Xbox 360 replacement plan [via crunchgear]
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| Walgreens to install movie burning kiosks Posted: 30 Oct 2007 01:06 PM CDT Next year when you mosey into your local Walgreens you may be greeted by something quite interesting. In addition to their fancy photo editing kiosks, you’ll see another large box that dispenses movies. 
The new movie kiosks will burn and dispense flicks right as you wait. Apparently the laws regarding copy-protection have been eased ever so slightly, which allows for companies to sell DVDs that are created while you wait. There’s no discussion about exactly what movies you’ll find at these kiosks, however, some smaller studios are excited about being able to release niche titles and outdated movies that they can’t sell on regular store shelves. Walgreens hopes to begin rolling these out in just a few months. No word on how much you’ll expect to pay for movies created in this fashion.
Walgreens to Offer Movie Burning Kiosks Next Year [via dailytech]
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| Apple gift cards can’t be used to purchase iPhones either Posted: 30 Oct 2007 12:21 PM CDT The other day I informed you that Apple was no longer accepting cash for their iPhones. I wish this were one of those time where I was retracting that statement, however, I only have worse news to bring. 
In addition to not accepting cash, they will also not accept gift cards. I guess it would only make sense, as you could use cash to buy the gift cards. It’s really a bit disturbing when a company won’t even take their own gift cards in exchange for a product. I really hope that Apple reconsiders their stance on this. I know several people that don’t have any credit or debit cards. There’s nothing wrong with just wanting to use cash, so is it really worth alienating those customers?
Apple not just refusing cash, also refusing Apple Gift Cards for iPhones [via engadget]
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| Firebox Designer Binary Clock Posted: 30 Oct 2007 10:42 AM CDT Well you see, it's a clock, and the time, its displayed in binary with lights. There is a row for each hours, minutes, and seconds. 
The columns are in binary starting at the left with 32 and then decreasing by half all the way down to 1. I have no clue what the top most row is for, as the bottom three are the rows that actually tell time. You can switch between 12 and 24 hour formats and when you buy one of these, you get your choice of red or blue LEDs. Should you still want one, it will cost you $123 which is kind of expensive for a clock even someone with no skills whatsoever could probably make with a basic how to guide, and I am sure there are a few. Designer Binary Clock [via geekalerts]
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| Roberts Radio Robi Posted: 30 Oct 2007 10:33 AM CDT Those probably aren't the three R's your parents told you to learn in school, but they are the three R's that bring you digital radio for your iPod. It also acts as a remote for the iPod, allowing you to control the iPod using this in-line device. 
And, like I said, you can listen to DAB radio with it. One of these days we might see something like DAB stateside, but somehow I doubt it. Anyways, for those that have it, you know how great it is, those that don't, keep guessing. If you don't have an iPod already, then buy a different MP3 player that already has a DAB radio tuner built in, but if you do and just want to add DAB to it, this will do in a pinch. The biggest downside is that this thing will cost you a little more than $100. 'Robi' brings digital radio to the iPod [via crave]
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| iShoes version 2 already Posted: 30 Oct 2007 10:26 AM CDT So not too long ago I wrote an article about a pair of odd looking skates that were powered by an electric motor and allowed you to be propelled up to about 15mph, now there is already a new version. Same idea, different design. 
Personally I like the new design better, but there is no way you are safely taking version two off the paved path because those huge wheels from the last model are gone. On top of that, all the goodies, as in the motor, batteries, all that stuff is now tucked away under a metal cover, so they look better. The electric powered skates have also adopted a new 3-wheel design, 2 in front, and one in back. The wheels, as I already said, are smaller, and seem less giving, more like a skateboard wheel, the chassis for the shoes resembles a car frame, sort of. There are now 2 models, one for sizes 4-7 and one for sizes 8-14. Version 2.0 is $399 for the smaller set, or $499 for the larger set, hopefully they go faster too. iShoes v2 Announced, Redesigned and Priced [via Gizmodo]
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| Razer Mako 2.1 PC Speakers Posted: 30 Oct 2007 10:17 AM CDT This 2.1 PC speaker system is absolutely amazing. Would you believe this thing will crank out 300 watts? 
Furthermore its THX certified, and have a Class HD amplifier to power everything. On top of that there are THX Slot Speaker technology integrated into the system with its downward firing mids and highs. The whole system is bi-amplified too, what does that mean, it means that there are 3 speakers, more or less (1 sub, 2 satellites), and there are six channels of output, 2 per speaker at 50 watts per channel. That means the Sub is hitting with 100 watts, and so are both of the satellites. 
The power is cleaner and more constant which means the audio sounds better too, there is a better Signal to Noise ratio, less EMI, and the whole system, due in part to the Class HD amp, has power scaling meaning the system is only drawing as much power as it needs. The frequency response isn't anything major at 30-20,000Hz. There are one each 3.5mm input and output and an RCA audio input. There is also a digital signal processor inside and a touch sensitive LED dial to control it all. Suffice it to say I want a set of these, too bad they aren't dropping until December, online, January if you want to wait till they hit store shelves, and there isn't yet a listed price. Razer Mako 2.1 THX Certified Multimedia bi-amplified speaker [via newlaunches]
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| Logic3 JiveBox iPod sound system Posted: 30 Oct 2007 10:00 AM CDT Logic3 has launched the JiveBox, an apparently cubed iPod speaker system. If it is a perfect cube, then its 15cm cubed in size, not bad for all its packing. 
Inside you will find a 90 watt RMS power source, a sub, 2 mids, 2 highs, an iPod dock, and a Digital Signal Processor. The sub is a 5.25-inch Hi-X woofer, the 2 mids are 3-inches a piece, and the pair of tweeters is 1-inch each. There is also an LED light bar on the outside as well as a remote, and yes, it does recharge your iPod while connected. If all of this power in such a small package interests you, feel free to cough up the £149.99 any time now. Logic3 launches JiveBox – compact iPod sound system with a hefty output [via techdigest]
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| Samsung i780 being released in Europe in January Posted: 30 Oct 2007 09:31 AM CDT Now is it just me or does this thing look remarkably like the BlackJack? I had to double check, and they are two different devices, but the impending BlackJack II and this device have more than some of their appearance's in common. 
This smartphone has 3G HSDPA, GPS, and Wi-Fi, that's pretty good for a device like this. Oh yeah, you know that one area where the BlackJack models are lacking, the whole lack of a touchscreen thing? Not on this handset, it has a 2.6-inch touchscreen. It has Windows Mobile 6 Pro, a QWERTY keypad, 2MP cam, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, and a MicroSD card slot. On top of all that there is even GPS technology integrated into all this, granted its only assisted GPS, but hey, it's a step in the right direction, all that for 500 Euro, why can't we get phones like this over here? Samsung i780 details [via navigadget]
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| Apple OS X moves 2 million copies over the weekend Posted: 30 Oct 2007 09:00 AM CDT Since when did Apple's OS start doing MS numbers? Apparently since the 26th when they released Leopard. 
I reckon that's what you get when you make a quality OS from the beginning and then just continue to improve upon it. 2 million copies is amazing, I can't wait till Friday to see what their entire first week sales are. Well, congratulations Apple on selling your first couple million copies of your new OS, hopefully you can continue to release great, new updates to your OS. Personally I can't wait to see the new hardware you are going to release to coincide with the new OS X, but that's just me. Apple Sells Two Million Copies of Mac OS X Leopard in First Weekend [via Apple]
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The guys over at CrunchGear got their hands on a T-Mobile Shadow to review, so what did they think? Overall they seemed to think it was a rather mediocre handset.
So many names, so few actual orders, as I understand it, the actual machine is called the XO, the OLPC is that name of the initiative behind it, and stands for One Laptop Per Child. The $100 laptop was a thing of the past back when they thought they could get it done for that price, now it's a lot closer to $188.
For a long time coaches and trainers have longed to be able to wirelessly track their athletes' location and vitals while playing their sport, the only problem has been figuring out how to do so without impending the players performance or getting in the way. GPS Sports, a company from Australia has now brought you one step closer.
Are you getting ready to leave Sprint behind and move to another carrier such as T-Mobile? They’re both run on CDMA networks, so wouldn’t it be great if you could just use your old Sprint phone? Don’t worry, now you can.
If you decide to wander into your local Apple Store with the intention of buying a few iPhones, you’ll be pretty disappointed, as you are now limited to purchasing only two iPhones. That’s not really going to affect a ton of people that are buying them for personal use. However, if you try to pay cash for your iPhone, you’ll get quite a shock.
