HP Pavilion dv6

The newest 16-inch notebook from HP promises to deliver great performance at a low price and might be very popular in 2009. The HP Pavilion dv6z features the latest AMD dual-core processors, your choice of integrated or discrete graphics, and all the ports and features you need. At a starting price of just $599.99 it might just be the most competitive desktop replacement notebook on the market. Keep reading to find out if this notebook is as impressive as it sounds.

Our HP Pavilion dv6 (dv6z) has the following specifications:

* Processor: 2.1GHz AMD Athlon X2 QL-64 dual core processor
* Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 4530 512MB
* Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium with SP 1 (32-bit)
* Screen: 16.0" diagonal High Definition HP Brightview Display (1366x768)
* Memory: 3GB DDR2 (up to 8GB configurable)
* Storage: 250GB SATA HDD (5400rpm)
* Optical Drive: Lightscibe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
* Wireless and Communications: 802.11b/g WLAN with Bluetooth
* Battery: 6-cell Li-Ion (10.8V, 47Wh)
* Dimensions: 14.9" (W) x 10.2" (D) x 1.4" (min H)/1.7" (max H)
* Weight: 6.36lbs
* Warranty: 1-year
* Price as configured: $774.99

Connectland SATA HDD Dock

Gadget mavens Brando is back at it again with their latest offering for folks who are looking for a backup solution - the Connectland SATA HDD Dock with One Touch Backup (USB + eSATA). This unique SATA HDD Dock plays nice with virtually any 2.5″ or 3.5″ SATA hard drives, where you can rely on either USB or eSATA connectivity. With the inclusion of One Touch Backup function, you no longer have the excuse of forgetting to backup your essential data - how lazy can one get when it comes to making sure all the important and relevant data is safely tucked away somewhere else, anyway? The Connectland SATA HDD Dock with One Touch Backup (USB + eSATA) is compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac platforms, and will come in US, Europe, UK and Australia options, where all of them will retail for $49 a pop.

ASUS TV Stick

I have recently heard that 38 percent of people believe that a television set is no longer a necessary household appliance. I can see why, because most of my television watching is done from the Internet anyway.

It would appear that computer giant Asus is ready for a new era of television watching with the Asus Express TV Stick. All a user needs to do is plug the TV Stick into a spare USB port, and he or she will have access to its auto-installation software for high quality digital (DVBT) and analog TV signal reception.

Don’t know what to watch? No problem! Pop-up technology allows the user access to an instant display of television channels. It sounds like the TV Stick is also a TV guide.

In addition to these features, the TV stick has 4GB worth of memory. This allows the user to store the shows that he or she wants to watch for a later time. Then, if he or she wants to watch them from another place, only a USB port on another computer is required. Maybe the TV Stick should be called the TiVo stick.

Well, whatever the name, the Asus TV Stick certainly sounds like quite a deal! Now, if my sources only had a price and availability date for this product, both you and I would know just how good a deal it is.

Line 6 FloorPOD

Line 6 FloorPOD Details:

Rock ‘n’ Roll has never been about taking things in moderation. So why skimp on your guitar tone? Floor POD® offers 12 prescription-strength amp and cab models from the critically acclaimed POD® 2.0 plus amazing sounding, easy-to-use effects right at your feet. Now you can have your signature sound in any situation.

No hassles.

No headaches.

From jamming with headphones at home, plugging in front of any guitar amp or PA or jacking into anything with power and speakers, getting killer guitar sounds for studio or stage has never been easier.

Whether you’re looking for a syrupy vintage amp tone or something that can peel the paint off the walls, Floor POD® has you covered. You get 12 studio-grade amp models from the world-standard POD® 2.0, so you’re completely covered for any style of music.

Amp Models
• Modern Hi Gain - based on* Soldano X88R
• Line 6 Insane - Line 6 Original
• Treadplate - based on* Mesa/Boogie® Dual Rectifier® Tremoverb
• Treadplate #2 - based on* Mesa/Boogie® Dual Rectifier® Head
• Line 6 Crunch #2 - Line 6 Original
• Brit Hi Gain - based on* Marshall® JCM800
• Fuzz Box - based on* Arbiter® Fuzz Face through a poweramp
• Brit Classic - based on* Marshall® Plexi
• Boutique #3 - based on* Budda Twinmaster
• Brit Class A - based on* Vox® AC30
• Black Panel #2 - based on* Fender® Blackface Twin Reverb®
• Line 6 Clean - Line 6 Original
No more wasting precious recording time tweaking your effects settings to get just the right amount of sizzle. With the Floor POD® Smart Control FX, you get ridiculously easy operation of the most desired effects on the planet, from a subtle chorus to a warbling tremolo. You also have a built-in wah/volume pedal.

Smart Control FX
• Chorus
• Flanger
• Phaser
• Tremolo
• Delay
• Sweep Echo
• Reverb

Other Effects
• Noise Gate
• Compressor
• Distortion Boost
• Wah
• Volume Pedal

Whether you're jamming along to your favorite songs in your bedroom or giving your fans what they want from the stage, Floor POD® has the right ins and outs for any situation.

Homebrew Paul Gilbert Detox EQ Pedal

Mr. Big and X-Racer former member, Paul Gilbert, and Homebrew Electronics have joined forces to release the first signature pedal for Gilbert and the second artist series product for Homebrew. The Homebrew Paul Gilbert Detox EQ Pedal has been build under the personal requirements of Paul Gilbert to get a clean tone with its humbucker pickup guitar at low volumes without killing sound frequencies, and here it is the result in a compact stompbox way.

The Homebrew Paul Gilbert Detox EQ Pedal can clean or boost your tone with any kind of sound and it features true bypass, simple treble, mid, bass and level controls, noise-free operation and is powered by a 9V baterry or a DC adapter. Simple and effective pedal that could be a great addition to our gear.

The pedal is now finished, although Gilbert still uses a prototype, but there have been no news about a release date but we do know that it will come in yellow and signed by Gilbert. Probably the best thing about the Homebrew Paul Gilbert Detox EQ Pedal is that knowing how well it works the price is only $160.

The Detox EQ is a three band EQ built around the ultra quiet and warm Burr Brown IC. All three bands are very musical and useful with no harsh or missing frequencies. Master output Level control allows the user to set the Detox at unity, boost or cut. True bypass, 9 volt battery or DC adapter operation.

Korg GA 30 Guitar and Bass Tuner

High accuracy and superb functionality have made Korg tuners the worldwide favorite. And now, the new GA-30 joins the best-selling GA series of tuners. With even more features, like a pitch reference tone and quinta-flat tuning, the GA-30 tuner packs basic functionality and convenient tuning functions into ultra-compact bodies.

Features:

* Ultra-compact design.

* High-precision LCD needle-type meter for stable tuning.

* Quinta Flat Tuning mode lets you tune 1--5 semitones flat

* Supports 7-string guitar tunings.

* Sound Out can produce a reference tone from the internal speaker.

* Auto Power Off function conserves battery life.

* Approximately 100 hours of continuous use.

This dedicated guitar/bass tuner lets you select either Guitar mode or Bass mode for truly easy operation with automatically detected pitch. The wide detection range supports 7-string guitar (7B through 1E) in Guitar mode, and 6-string bass (Low-B, Hi-C) in Bass mode. A high-sensitivity mic is built-in, allowing easy and accurate tuning of acoustic guitars.

Although the GA-30 is small, thin, and light, don’t let its pocket-sized body fool you. The GA-30 can accurately tune any guitar or bass. From studio to stage, tuning is easy and convenient. The back of the unit includes a unique arc-shaped "tilt slit" that lets you insert a plastic card for use as a handy stand.

The meter section uses a LCD needle, combining the accuracy of an LCD with the easy visibility of a needle, and providing a stable display. Additional visual feedback is provided by LEDs that indicate pitch deviation.

In addition to visual tuning via meter, the GA-30 can play reference pitches from its internal speaker (Sound Out) for tuning by ear. Each press of the Sound switch will cycle the output sound through 7B->6E->5A->4D->3G->2B->1E in Guitar mode, or LB->4E->3A->2D->1G->HC in Bass mode.

The GA-30’s Quinta Flat Tuning mode supports the lowered tunings used in heavy metal styles to give more weight to the sound. Until now, dedicated guitar tuners have supported a maximum of only four semitones below standard pitch, but the GA-30 gives you five steps of flatted tuning, extending as far as five semitones below standard pitch, and supporting even super-long scale guitars that are five frets longer than conventional guitars.

If you leave the unit powered-on for 20 minutes without performing any operation, the Auto Power Off function will turn the power off automatically, avoiding unnecessary battery consumption.

Low-power consumption design allows an amazing 100 hours (approximate) of continuous battery life (A4 continuous input, Meter mode, zinc-carbon batteries).

* Even if the pitch is within the detection range, detection may not be possible for instrumental sounds that contain a large number of overtones or have a rapid decay.

Samsung P400 Portable Projector

Samsung, one of the world’s largest electronic companies, has recently released the ultra-small and ultra-lightweight P400 projector that features mobile technology and multimedia functions.

Despite its small size exterior (2.5×5.8×5.7 inches), and lightweight features—only 2 lbs, the gadget can fit comfortably the palm of the hand. The size and weight combination makes the P400 a highly portable device.

One of the most amazing features of the P400 is its LED light projector that can last for more than 20, 000 hours. And because the device uses a LED light source, the projector uses to least amount of energy while preventing over-heating.

Meanwhile, one of the most notable feature of this projector is its brightness that can reach up to 115 lumens or about 77 percent of its 150-lumen maximum output. It also has a very good contrast ration considering its small size.

Setting up the P400 is not a problem since it’s a plug and play device. Users will only have to setup the projector in a presentation screen or even a blank wall. The maximum image projection is about two meters wide, which is more or less 98 inches (13 feet away). However, the device has no zoom features so users may have to move the gadget back and forth in order to achieve the desired image size.

Other adjustments in the video quality and audio clarity may be done by “credit card-sized” remote control or the touch-sensitive control panels, which is built-in on top of the P400. However, the touch-screen control is a little let-down for the device since it is really difficult to come up with the desired specification. (This may be attributed to the lack of tactile feedback.)

Inside the box includes, VGA cable, a remote control, audio connector, and pretty much anything that is needed in a video presentation. An additional composite video connector and RCA phono jacks for high-quality stereo audio input is also included to the gadget.

Samsung announces N110 and N120 netbooks

The world of netbooks sure have grown by leaps and bounds ever since the Asus Eee PC 701 made its appearance a couple of years back, and just about every major notebook manufacturer have jumped aboard the bandwagon and come up with their own version to compete against one another. Samsung is not exactly one of the more mainstream names when it comes to notebooks, but their netbooks have made an impact in the industry so far. This time round, Samsung has announced a couple of new models in the form of the N110 and N120 for those who are interested in picking up a new netbook. They are readily available online as well as in retail stores, going for $469 and $459, respectively.

Let’s take a look at the Samsung N110 netbook first, where you will find its 10.27″ x 1.19″ x 7.3″ measurements to be extremely portable. In addition, you won’t find your shoulders strained when carrying this around with you on your travels as the N110 tips the scales at just 2.78 lbs, making it a snap to be stowed in a briefcase or travel bag. Touch typists will also find the ergonomic-friendly 93% full-size keyboard a joy to use, while the 10” LED SuperBright Glossy Backlit Display ought to do its part in keeping your eyes fresh even after working on it for a few hours at a stretch. Other features include a 6-cell (5900mAh) lithium battery that theoretically provides up to 9 hours of battery life, and we suppose that is only possible with all, if not most of the options turned off. Other features include a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB RAM, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, a 160GB hard drive, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, three USB 2.0 ports and a 3-in-1 memory card reader.

As for the Samsung N120 netbook, this is more multimedia centric although it weighs a tad more at 2.8 lbs. The keyboard is also larger, being a 97% full-size keyboard with trackpad. In addition, you will also benefit from a SRS 2.1 channel system that is powered by two 1.5 watt stereo speakers and a dedicated subwoofer, in addition to a 1.3 megapixel digital motion camera for video-conferencing capabilities.

Gibson Robot SG Special

The Robot Guitar invasion continues! Gibson’s 12-7-07 launch of the Limited Edition Robot Guitar redefined the power and possibility of a guitar to capture the imagination of players all around the world. Gibson is now proud to answer the demands of thousands who wanted another chance at owning the ground-breaking technology with the introduction of the Robot SG, which combines with classic styling, performance, and power of the legendary SG with the revolutionary Robot Tuning System.

True to the spirit of innovation that inspired Gibson to invent the legendary Tune-o-matic bridge, the powerful humbucker, and the revolutionary Digital Les Paul, Gibson proudly presents the Gibson Robot Guitar—the world's first guitar with robotic technology.

Since the dawn of the instrument, musicians have come to accept the guitar's imperfections and lack of tonal precision as necessary evils. Onstage and off, guitarists have fought to stay in tune. Every music lover and performer has had to suffer through the show—halting, mood-killing atonal droning of a loudly amped guitar being brought into tune. And in the studio, or at home, imprecise intonation throws the guitar in and out of tune, up and down the neck, as the instrument requires tweaking with each season and at times with each string change.

For as long as the guitar has existed, guitar lovers have had two choices—live with a temperamental and out-of-tune instrument or make frequent trips to the shop for setups. Not anymore.

Introducing the Gibson Robot Guitar. All you have to do is play it. $3,599.

Sigma releases hilariously oversized zoom lens

Sigma has spent the last twenty years as a third tier lens manufacturer, but suddenly, the photography world is going nuts over them. But even if your interest in cameras stops at point-and-shoot digicams, Sigma’s new Zoom lens is eye-boggling: it’s larger than a human torso.

Sigma’s new zoom lens is a 200-500mm f2.8 lens monster, but if you’re unfamiliar with the technical jargon, look at the size. A photographer with the bicep of an adamantium sinewed lumberjack lifts up the Sigma zoom lens to descry some far-off sight… perhaps an attractive teenage girl taking a shower in front of an open window in China. Never the less, the lens causes his spine to insanely bend backwards, while the tendons of his forearm appear ready to pop out of his skin.

The image is utterly comical, like an absurdist’s PhotoShop but this is a real lens. It weighs nearly fifty pounds, and in addition to covering the 200 to 500mm range at f2.8, it can double the focal length to work at f5.6 Additional features include a multi-layer coating that reduces glare and ghosting, a specially designed lens hood to block out natural ambient light, .and a built-in LCD panel for live view when you just can’t quite manage to lift the camera up to check out the SLR viewfinder.

Practical uses aren’t simply limited to the perverted long-distance voyeur: this is a lens aimed at photographers with a penchant for astrophotography, sports and wildlife shots. And needless to say, this much zoom doesn’t come cheap: the cost comes in at $29,000. But what else would you expect for a zoom capable of intimately inspecting Q-ball particles?

Canon DSLR 50D

Canon has introduced their new EOS-50D digital SLR, which has been the subject of rumors for the last several days. Since we’re under a non-disclosure agreement, we’ve been unable to publish anything until now.

Since Canon (as usual) didn’t provide any specs, press releases, or product photos in advance, I’ll be updating these news items frequently tonight, so check back often. It’s pretty frustrating that those of us who sign and honor non-disclosure agreements are not given information ahead of time, only to watch Canon leak the information themself, and allow it to proliferate across the Internet.

Here are the details on the new EOS-50D. By the way, the 40D isn’t going anywhere — it’ll slot in-between the Rebel XSi and the 50D.

EOS-50D

* 15.1 effective Megapixel CMOS sensor
* Supports EF and EF-S lenses with a 1.6X focal length conversion
* New DIGIC 4 image processor
* 3-inch LCD display, with 920,000 pixels; screen has multiple coatings for dirt, reflection, and scratch resistance
* Live view with three AF modes (including contrast detect), plus face detection
* Full manual controls; ISO can go to 12,800
* Can take up to 16 RAW or 90 JPEGs at 6.3 frames/second when using a UDMA CF card (there will be fewer JPEGs if you are not)
* Has three different RAW sizes: full resolution, 7.1MP, and 3.8MP
* Adjustable noise reduction (apparently only in continuous shooting mode)
* New Creative Auto Mode gives point-and-shoot users a little more manual control
* Quick Control screen lets you quickly adjust camera settings (like Olympus SLRs)
* Automatic vignetting correction + auto lighting optimizer (brightens shadows)
* Dust reduction system (same as the 40D)
* CompactFlash Type II slot; compatible with UDMA high speed cards
* HDMI output
* Optional battery grip and wireless file transmitter
* Uses BP-511A battery; 640 shots per charge
* Priced at $1399 body only, $1599 with the 28 - 135 mm EF lens

There’s also a new F3.5-5.6, 18 - 200 mm EF-S IS lens to mention. This lens is equivalent to 28.8 - 320 mm on the 50D, and it’s priced at $699.