Posted Mar 1st 2008 3:41PM by Ryan Block
Filed under: GPSReuters is reporting that the European Commission, apparently having completed is inquiry into the $4.2b acquisition offer TomTom made Tele Atlas last year, is apparently issuing a “statement of objections.” Apparently it’s not a flat-out rejection / do not pass go / do not collect $200, but now TomTom has until May 5th to work on resolving the issues the EU’s presented before it can get the thumbs up to make its big buy.

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U&I are currently waiting patiently for CeBIT 2008 to arrive as they can’t wait to lift up the veil of its new necklace-type Bluetooth stereo headset known as Capella UIBS-700. This Bluetooth headset features auto switching function as well as hands-free support, allowing you to concentrate on the traffic ahead without leaving the steering wheel unattended. Other features include speakerphone function, an LCD display, USB charging, 8 hours of playback time and 200 hours of standby time. No idea on how much it costs though.

Source: AVing

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Shockball
There's nothing quite as nerve-wracking as playing pass the parcel with a time-bomb, or quite as much fun.

You can have this for ?14.95

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Posted Mar 1st 2008 1:04PM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Transportation
There’s a decent chance your average hybrid owner wouldn’t know the difference between a lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride battery if their life depended on it, but we know you — dear reader — are not one of those “average” joes / janes. That being the case, you may be interested to know that the 2009-bound S400 BlueHybrid is in prime position to be the world’s first production Li-ion hybrid, which will offer up “compact dimensions and far superior performance” compared to existing rivals. M-B goes on to trumpet the technology’s “high ampere-hour efficiency, long service life, and great reliability, even at very low temperatures.” No word on just how astronomically high this thing will be priced at, but you can expect just shy of 30 miles-per-gallon in mixed driving conditions, for what it’s worth.

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Imagine peering into a photo frame only to find out afterwards that there’s someone watching you through it.

This is what the Digital Photo Frame Webcam does. It has all the trappings of the spy gadget — if only that camera wasn’t so obvious. The webcam can take photos too, when connected to a PC. The picture viewer itself is detachable from the base. Aside from its basic photo viewer and slideshow function, it also has a built-in calendar and thermometer. A bit more tweak into making the webcam a bit more imperceptible would be ideal, but as of now, I like what I see.

via

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Microsoft XBox 360 Pro Evo Bundle

Microsoft XBox 360 Pro Evo Bundle Premium Xbox 360 includes Xbox 360?, wireless controller, hard drive  (20GB), headset, component HD AV cable with SCART adapter , ethernet cableThe Xbox 360 is Microsoft’s successor to the Xbox console, and is the first “next generation” games console to hit the market. It has three powerful core processors which pump out 720p/1080i output (translation: graphics look great), 16×9 cinematic aspect ratio (translation: it’s sort of like the cinema), anti-aliasing for smooth textures (translation: characters look less like chimps and more like people), full surround sound and DVD playback right out of the box. A multi media experience In comparison to the Darth Vader inspired design of the original Xbox, the Xbox 360 a thing of (near) wondrous beauty.In addition to playing games and movies, the Xbox 360 can stream music and video from a wide variety of electronic devices, including iPods and the Sony PSP.Get LiveThe Xbox 360 offers an online gaming experience via Xbox Live. This allows you to play multi-player Xbox 360 games on the internet via your broadband connection. The service also lets you download–and save on the console’s hard drive–new missions, characters and vehicles for your favourite games. You can also shout real-time abuse at your opponents using the Xbox 360 headsetFeatures:  Includes a hard drive to save games, download new content and play key original Xbox games Xbox Live ready  Includes a Wireless Controller Includes a Component HD AV Cable which is optimized for high-definition as well as standard TVs  Enjoy your movies with progressive scan DVD playback Stream your music and digital photos from a wide range of portable music players and digital cameras Connect to your Windows XP or Windows Media Center PC.

Technorati Tags: Xbox & Accessories

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The TandemZ-1 Micro Chopper is not meant for novices as getting the hang of it comes with a rather steep learning curve to it.

For starters the Tandem utilises 3 channels (for up, down, forward and backward movement) and a dual trim system (for pitch and yaw), so novice pilots need not apply. It also boasts a sophisticated gyroscopic mechanism plus unique tilting rotors for additional control. Piloting this baby makes patting your head and rubbing your tummy whilst playing the xylophone with your feet seem about as difficult as pulling down your pants. And that’s what makes it so addictive.

The Tandem might come with a pair of powerful rotors, but they ought to be able to fly for approximately 10 minutes from a normal charge of up to 25 minutes. Sounds like diminishing returns if you ask me. This rescue helicopter retails for £39.95 and comes in red, blue or orange colors.

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USB Desktop Missile Launcher

The USB missile launcher is the perfect defence system operated from your computer. Plug it in, take aim with the mouse, fire.

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Another day marks the release of another wireless media streamer. Today, I present to you the Mvix MX-780HD wireless streamer, which promises to transform any home into an HD media database. The box supports file types such as DivX, XviD, AVI, MPEG, WMV, ASF, AAC, OGG, AC3, MP3, WMA and JPEG, not to mention all the others.

In terms of operation, the MX-780 takes your hard-drive, and connects via ethernet or Wi-Fi 802.11g/b/n. It wires up to your TV with its 1080p HDMI sockets or coaxial if you are not using an HD screen. The LCD screen on the front is a nice touch, and its use as a control panel should make like a little easier. Its price-tag of $299 means it’s perfect for people on a budget.

Via [Engadget] Via [Unplgged]

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Trivial Pursuit DVD Let Loose
there are 1,000 amazing questions, challenges, facts and more, as well as film clips, daredevil stunts and hilarious spoofs, not to mention a whole new set of question categories with titles including ‘Gross’ and ‘Adrenalin’.

See price

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