Sanyo has announced the release of a weatherproof 32" LCD television. The television has a high contrast, high brightness flat panel screen with a wide 176 degree viewing angle. I think this is a good start, and it will look very nice on the wall near the average jacuzzi. Not mentioned was the release date for a gold-plated LCD television targeted at the more discriminating television watchers who own solid gold jacuzzis and solid gold... cats. Like that old cat lady who spends her time screaming at you from her window. Except she's rich. And sexy.
Sony has revealed another network-enabled stereo system, this time with an 80GB hard drive and CD, MiniDisc, and Memory Stick support. This set will also allow you to download music through Sony and JVC's ANYMUSIC service or stream it off PCs on the network. 80GB is a lot of storage, a lot of storage that is far away from the prying eyes of your girlfriend. No one would know if you used it to hide some of your more personal files for a while. That's right. I'm talking about all of your recipes and crochet patterns.
Samsung has just announced a their new SGH-i310 Smartphone with 8GB of storage. The SGH-i310 runs Windows Mobile 5.0 for Smartphones, features a 2MP camera with flash, dual speakers, stereo bluetooth, USB 2.0 support, microSD memory card storage, TV-out... the list goes on and on. Sure, this seems like a great phone, but what happens when people start using it inappropriately? What happens when people use it to show you their hybrid and/or SUV photo albums, or when they use the stereo bluetooth support to somehow have a bluetooth headset on each ear, or when they use the dual speakers to pump their vast collection of Hootie and the Blowfish? What then?!
The Olympus Japanese website now has descriptions of the Stylus camera series that will be released here in April. One of the most notable cameras in this line is the 720SW, which is waterproof to ten feet and shock-proof to five. There is a series of photos on the website that feature the 720SW in rugged conditions like sand, mud, water, and basketball courts. Overall it looks like a pretty solid camera that would be a worthy choice for people who take pictures in harsh conditions. Yes, people just like that old guy in your neighborhood who hangs around in the brush outside the window of the Jazzercise gym.
Fido Luggage is a new suitcase concept from designer Peter Yeadon that follows its owner throughout an airport or train station. Using four individually controlled wheels, electronic sensors, and voice commands, Fido Luggage will hopefully avoid trampling children while keeping up with your brisk pace. This idea is totally feasible because no one in an airport would find an autonomous electric box suspicious, and the hidden electronics will only help ease us through airport security. It's still a concept, though, so they won't be able to tell you how much damage it will take when your drunken roommate decides to ride it down your steps.
With all the cool rabbit-like things that you can pull from your hat to impress the ladies, why would you choose a discontinued mp3 player? Well, it appears that Pakatun assumed that the iPod Shuffle's low-end reign would never end, and now we have to pay the price with an onslaught of Shuffle Beanies. The beanies come in multiple colors, keep your ears reasonably warm and music-filled, and cost $22.00. That's a small price to pay to let the world know that you just can't seem to let go of the mediocre things in your life. Speaking of which: Sheila, if you're out there, can you call me?