By Shane McGlaun

The mobile phone market is down like most other electronics categories thanks to the global economic recession. However, the smartphone segment is still booming and thanks to the success of smartphones, more and more devices are being introduced.

Verizon Wireless is getting three new handsets from LG this summer including the LG Glance, LG enV Touch, and the LG enV 3. The handsets share some of the same features including support for text, picture, and voice messaging along with Bluetooth support. The handsets work with VZ Navigator, email, IM and chat as well.

Both enV handsets have full QWERTY keyboards and can surf the net with HTML browsers and support up to 16GB microSDHC cards. The enV Touch has a 3-inch external touch screen and a 3-inch internal touch screen along with a 3.2-megapixel camera. The enV 3 has a 2.6-inch internal screen and a 1.56-inch external screen along with a 3-megapixel camera. The Glance offers a 1.3-megapixel camera. The enV 3 will sell for $129.99 after $50 rebate, the Touch will sell for $149.99 after $70 rebate, and the Glance will sell for $49.99 after rebate.

[ Verizon Wireless ]

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By Andrew Liszewski

Sharp has announced that they’ve developed a five-primary-color display that’s capable of reproducing more than 99% of real surface colors that the human eye can discern. The new display features something the company calls “Multi-Primary-Color Technology” which is a combination of special image processing circuitry, as well as the addition of cyan and yellow to the standard red, green and blue pixel structure. Unfortunately there’s no photos of the new display just yet, but a prototype will be shown at the Society for Information Display (SID) symposium being held in San Antonio from Might 31 to June 5, so hopefully a few shots will turn up.

[ Akihabara News - Sharp Develops Five-Primary-Color LCD That Faithfully Reproduces Real Surface Colors ]

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By Andrew Liszewski

Created by Kevin Stone, an orthopedic surgeon and inventor, the Rescue Reel provides a superior way for upper-floor residents or workers to escape a high-rise building in an emergency. The device is based on a fishing reel of all things, though the Rescue Reel improves on that design with an automatic centrifugal braking system that controls the rate of descent. And in the event that fails, there’s also a manual braking lever as a backup.

Now the most important feature on any emergency escape system is how easy it is to use, and the Rescue Reel only requires the user to hook a Kevlar cord onto a secure object and then climb into a one-size-fits-all harness before they begin to rappel through an open window. No mountain climbing training is needed, and descending from 100 stories takes less than 4 minutes. The first working prototypes of the Rescue Reel were tested back in 2007, and a commercial ready version should be available next year for about $1,500, with that price dropping once it becomes mass-produced.

[ Rescue Reel ] VIA [ Popular Science ]

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By Andrew Liszewski

I don’t remember the last time I’ve had a mosquito bite, but I do remember them being extremely annoying, though somewhat satisfying to scratch. But it turns out scratching could lead to infections, so the only options are to grin and bear it, or carry around this Heated Itch Relief device whenever you head outside.

You’re supposed to press the head of the device onto the bite and hold it for a few seconds, during which a heating element “helps neutralize the insect-injected proteins that cause itching and swelling.” The Heated itch Relief is also described as pocket-sized, though looking at that photo it seems a bit on the huge side for something you’d actually want sitting in your pocket all day. But for just $16.99 if you live in a swamp, bayou, bog or near a big pool of standing water, it might just replace sliced bread as being the greatest thing.

[ Heated Itch Relief ] VIA [ 7Gadgets ]

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By Evan Ackerman

If there’s one thing that scares me more than sharks, it’s this: sharks with guns. I’m relieved to report that Armor of America has seen this problem coming leagues away and has developed a bulletproof vest that also, somehow, floats. The ArmourFloat vest uses lightweight hard plate armor that can stop most assault rifle rounds, and includes shotgun shell holders and plenty of pockets for ammo clips. It’s available now in all kinds of colors including, for some reason that I can’t fathom, desert camo.

And in answer to your question, yes, the only reason I’m posting about this is so that I had an excuse to photochop a picture of a shark with a gun.

[ ArmourFloat ] VIA [ Crave ]

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It’s just been a few short months since a proposed bill called for the creation of a National Cybersecurity Advisor, but it looks like there’s now not one but two new positions in the offing, with both the Pentagon and President Obama himself announcing plans for some newly elevated offices charged with keeping the nation’s networks secure. While a specific “Cybersecurity Czar” hasn’t yet been named, the White House position will apparently be a member of both the National Security Council and National Economic Council and, in addition to coordinating U.S. response in the event of a major attack, the office will also be tasked with protecting privacy and civil liberties. Details on the new Pentagon office, on the other hand, are expectedly even less specific even though, according to The New York Times, it’ll be a military command that’ll work to coordinate efforts now scattered across the four armed services, and will apparently serve as complement to the civilian office in the White Home.

Read - Reuters, “Obama to name White House cybersecurity czar”
Read - The New York Times, “Pentagon Plans New Arm to Wage Cyberspace Wars”

[Thanks, Ryan]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Networking

White Home, Pentagon announce plans for new cybersecurity positions originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Might 2009 15:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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C’mon, admit it. Seeing Ask Engadget is your favorite thing of the week, as it definitely marks the unofficial begin of the weekend. Before you break out the Dos Equis and engage in copious amounts of “chilaxing,” why not give this question a serious look (and an even more serious answer)?

“I recently came across the article of “How-to: set up dual-band WiFi.” I’ve been thinking about upgrading my wireless network in order to wirelessly stream video and data from my desktop to my media extenders around the home. What would be a good simultaneous dual-band router? I’ve Windows Vista on a Dell Inspiron 530 and other laptops running Windows XP, Vista, etc. I also have media extenders like the Linksys DMA 2200 and PS3. If possible, I would like to stay under $150.”

We’re certain Pradeep’s not the only one looking to do the dual-band thing, and we know quite a few of your are already rocking such a setup. If so, what kind of kit are you using to make it all happen? Don’t stay quiet, ya heard?

Filed under: Networking

Ask Engadget: What’s the ideal dual-band router? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Might 2009 23:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

For 10 to 12 hours a day during the week I work in a small office with wooden floors and a low ceiling and each noise is amplified, not the least of which being my pc with it’s 6 fans (not including the fan on my graphics card which beats them all). It’s not until a power outage, or re-arranging the office when everything is shut off do you realize just how much racket a PC can make and that it’s time for a change. Enter NZXT’s WHISPER Classic Series chassis, engineered from top to bottom to provide a quieter computing experience.

Assembling an ultimate gaming rig or digital audio workstation based on the WHISPER chassis is an enjoyable task thanks to its smart layout and a pre-drilled wire management system that makes routing cables a snap. One thing to keep in mind when putting a system together is the length of the cables coming from the power supply and the positioning of the power connections on the motherboard, some motherboards have their power connections placed towards the top which can for an impossible reach for some power supplies.

Today’s games and digital media take up a lot of space and with the price-per-gigabyte of storage space falling all the time, it’s not unusual to have several hard drives in a pc. The WHISPER provides plenty of room for stuffing terabytes worth of storage space with its nine hard drive bays, even including brackets to support newer 3.5″ SSD drives for those that can’t be bothered with balancing their sensitive data on spinning plates. It also provides six 5.25″ bays with front facing panels for media drives and expansion cards.

So how does NZXT’s WHISPER keep quiet? It uses 10mm noise-dampening foam pads on the side and top panels to deaden noise before it exits the case. Rubber grommets on the hard drives and a padded PSU holder reduce the amount of vibration within the case.

Does all that effort really make a difference? Speaking as someone who’s been cooped up in this small office for long periods of time I was amazed when I turned on the machine, half-expecting just to hear a dulled version of the “BEEP whhooooooOOOOOOOOOOSSSSHHH” of my motherboard and video card on bootup all that came from the box was a mulled “beep.”

In all, after two weeks of working in much quieter environment I would have to state that on a day to day basis it’s made my workspace a much more peaceful and enjoyable place to get things accomplished.  The NZXT WHISPER manages to deliver on it’s goal of a quiet Personal computer and manages to do it with a simple and no-frills design that (silently) screams elegance. The WHISPER carries an MSRP of $139.99.

[ NZXT Whisper ] VIA [ GamerFront ]

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By Chris Scott Barr

Trash can technology really hasn’t evolved much over the years. I think the greatest advancement was when they put on a pedal that opened the lid when you stepped on it. I’ll admit, I love that about my trash can, but surely there are other areas in which we can improve this household item. I suppose there is that smell that comes from stinky garbage. But aside from air fresheners and actually taking out the smelly trash, how else can you combat the smell? Apparently the answer is extremely cold temperatures and an antibacterial UV light.

This awesome Minus concept garbage can uses a combination of those two things to keep odors at bay. I’m sure that it would work, and it would definitely look awesome doing it, but I doubt this would ever see the light of day. Honestly, how many people are going to want to run a mini freezer that just keeps their trash cold. Plus it would just get re-purposed as an impromptu beer cooler. On second thought, put me down for two.

VIA [ Tuvie ]

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By Chris Scott Barr

There’s no denying that iTunes is one of the more popular music players out there. This of course makes things easy for iPhone users such as myself, since there’s no real hassle when importing your tracks. Unfortunately the iPhone is really the only phone that plays nice with Apple’s music player. (Yes, I’m choosing to ignore the very existence of the motoROKR, and for good reason)

Well we know that Palm is trying to edge into some of Apple’s market share with the Pre, and it seems that they’ve found one place to hit them. It seems that the Pre will in fact sync iTunes straight out of the box. For those on the fence, this could be something to push them towards Palm’s flagship phone. The only downside is that you won’t have access to music bought through the Apple Music that’s still infested with DRM (which shouldn’t be an issue for music bought now, as it is DRM-free).

VIA [ Fortune ]

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