New Linksys' duo stream multimedia further and faster

The CES 2008-announced Linksys Media Center Extenders have finally landed in Singapore. The S$399 (US$267.01) DMA2100 and S$499 (US$333.94) DMA2200 feature Wi-Fi 802.11N wireless technology, offering enhanced bandwidth and extended multimedia streaming range. The beefed-up networking performance aside, both models also support all major media formats and come standard with an HDMI output plus value-added learning remote control.

For S$100 (US$66.92) more, the DMA2200 has an inbuilt DVD player with 1080p video-upscaling capability and three instead of two radio antennas. It's also notably larger and heavier than the 2100 at 231 x 125 x 329mm and 2.2kg. Do check out these Windows Media Center PC-centric wireless streamers during the IT Show tomorrow. Pricing and availability for the rest of Asia were not available at press time.

Five new color-tuned InFocus Work Bigs

InFocus is revving up for the year with five new Work Big multimedia projectors featuring the latest Texas Instruments BrilliantColor technology. The X6, IN35, IN35W, IN37 and IN38 are new-generation DLP light cannons capable of delivering bright presentations, as well as richer vibrant hues. Fully compatible with its LiteShow II Wi-Fi adapter, these can be upgraded to wirelessly stream audio/video from your laptop, compatible up to the high-speed 802.11g standard.

A notable entry among the lot is the S$2,599 (US$1,739.28) IN35W. This offers a unique 1,280 x 800 resolution pixel-to-pixel optimized to leverage on the growing popularity of widescreen business notebooks. For heavy-duty applications, the S$3,499 (US$2,341.56) IN38 will fit in nicely with its powerful 3,500 ANSI lumens output. This is coupled with comprehensive connectivity options ranging from standard PC to component-video sockets, out-of-the-box HD compatibility and handy onboard diagnostic tools.

Click for larger images:

Redefining the meaning of all-in-one

In an ideal world, there should be a wonder box that does everything under the sun. Perhaps something like Doraemon; a Japanese anime robot cat and his magical pocket with its endless supply of gadgets and tools. Well, we may be light years away from such amazing technology, but SE2 Labs has this uber-cool super entertainment machine that looks like a mini computer server.

Dubbed ITC One, it packs an Xbox 360, HD personal video recorder, surround sound processor, digital audio amplifier, 4.3-inch touchscreen, iPod dock and remote control system all in a single box. Pricing-wise, you will need to fork out a good US$24,995 that will probably entitle you to a top-notch home theater system. But hey, if you want something retro and compact, this is definitely the one.

Via Chip Chick | Photo credit: SE2 Labs

Editors' note: Here is a quick update on what's inside one of these US$25,000 boxes, according to SE2 Labs' latest press release. DirecTV HD DVR, Dish Network DVR or national cable providers’ DVR, AMX NetLinx control system, Bryston pre-amplifier/processor, IcePower digital amplifiers, Vidikron video processor, Apple Video iPod dock, proprietary remote control, Microsoft Xbox 360, Blu-ray drive, media center, Nintendo Wii, Transparent Cable power conditioning, Transparent cabling and cable harness, and an anti-noise/vibration system. Where's the kitchen sink, man?

When will Toshiba put out a Blu-ray player?

Today's Wall Street Journal has an interview with Atsutoshi Nishida, Toshiba's chief executive, that's kind of interesting for what it doesn't say. The article's headline is "Toshiba's Plan for Life After HD-DVD" and the Q&A appears in the Boss Talk column, which seems to put executives in a warm seat rather than a hot seat. By that I mean there are a couple of hard-hitting questions ("Isn't the loss of the format war a blow to Toshiba's strategy?), but after you're through with the piece, you get the feeling that the interviewer, Yukari Iwatani Kane, really let Nishida off the hook.

Personally, I don't really care how Nishida spends his free time, but I am kind of curious what his thought process was when he decided to go to war with Sony. If you remember, over a year ago there was actually a moment when Toshiba and Sony were in negotiations to settle, but in the end they just couldn't come to an agreement on a unified format. I would have asked Nishida whether he regrets not making a deal earlier--and why he thought he could win in the first place. I also would have inquired what his plans were for a standalone Toshiba Blu-ray player. I mean, if you're going to ask him what Toshiba's plans are for life after HD-DVD, you've got to ask if a Blu-ray player is in the works--especially a BD-ROM drive for Toshiba's laptops. Make him answer the question, right?
Read more »

Solid Snake challenges Blu-ray's capacity

"640K ought to be enough for anybody." That's exactly what Bill Gates claimed about program memory way back in 1981, and now we have a game which has already exceeded Blu-ray's 50GB storage capacity. Japanese game designer Hideo Kojima, one of the prominent figures behind the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4, was lamenting on the storage bottleneck during a recent interview. This has resulted in certain in-game features being taken offline to fit onto a single Blu-ray.

Just think about it. If this is the future to come, we may just be heading toward eventual information overload or meltdown. On second thought, does that mean Blu-ray is already obsolete? Geez, it barely took off and now we're already running out of disc space!

Via Joystiq | Photo credit: Konami

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