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Now come on, this is some seriously sweet stuff. The multi-function Archos 5 (now with updated firmware which the company says addresses a handful of issues we had) is a choice deal unto itself, but toss in that DVR Station, and we think it’s clear just how serious we are about holiday cheer. If you don’t throw your hat in the ring for this one, you may just be faking a love of gadgets. Want to make this happen? Here’s how it works.

We’ll put up a gadget on the site, and you can only enter it until the next gadget lands (usually within a couple of hours). If you miss your shot, sorry, we’re moving on to the next gadget. Good luck! Oh, and don’t forget the rules. (Yeah, there are always rules.)

• Leave a comment below. That’s it! Who loves you, baby.
• You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you’ll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) You can enter different giveaways in today’s Black Friday giveaways, but you can only enter this one once.
• If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you’ll be fine.
  
• Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers or US contest laws if you have to be mad.
• Winners will be chosen randomly.
• Entries can be submitted until the next contest goes up. After that we’re all done. Good luck!
• Full rules can be found here.

Last round’s winner: Curt! (Remember, winners are selected at random.)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Black Friday Giveaways (part 4): Archos 5 and DVR Station originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember when we heard that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 was just one of many boxes that would support HD Netflix streaming over the next few months? Yeah, well we get the impression that the first week in December will be the go-live date for a smattering of new units. Just hours after hearing that Samsung’s BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 Blu-ray decks would be receiving a free update to enable high-def Netflix support, along comes a strikingly similar release from LG tipping us off on a strikingly similar update for its BD300. Said BD player, which has supported Watch Instantly from day one, will also support HD streaming after a gratis firmware upgrade in “early December.” Mmm, we definitely like where this is headed.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

LG’s BD300 next in line for HD Netflix streaming originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deny it all you please, but the 3D revolution is here. LG is just the next brand in the growing line of consumer companies that are caving to the three-dee pressure, and according to Choon Lee, Vice President Director at the Digital TV Research Lab, LG will be launching at least one 3D TV next year. To quote: “3D TVs are the next big step for [LG]; we will try with one or two markets in 2009.” Regrettably, that’s about all the details he would give up, stopping short of confessing to which markets would first see the devices and when exactly during the course of next year they would launch. It’s cool, though — gives us ample time to get used to wearing those hideous glasses around the house without tripping over foreign objects.

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

LG to launch “one or two” 3D TVs in 2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’re thinking about it. Your spouse is thinking about it. Your kids are thinking about it. And yes, your NXE Avatar is thinking about it, too. Black Friday is but hours away, and you still haven’t conjured up the courage to get up at 3:00AM and venture out to save a grand total of $14.97 (pre-tax). Never fear, as the world’s most spectacular e-tailer is here with a slew of deals to keep you firmly planted. Amazon’s going all out on the day after Thanksgiving, but it’s also giving early birds the opportunity to snag a few specials on the run-up to the big day. We won’t spoil anything here, but be sure and give the read link a look if you’re all about saving some dough and staying home.

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Displays, Misc. Gadgets, Home Entertainment

Amazon gets Black Friday started early, shows off a few deals originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While the Wiimote opened the door to motion-sensitive gaming, it’s obvious limitations even have Nintendo pushing the tech forward with add-ons like the MotionPlus — but a company called Sixense might have leapfrogged the field with a system called TrueMotion 3D. Rather than relying solely on an accelerometer, this controller uses a magnetic field to track both your hands’ positions in 3D space. With a refresh rate of ten milliseconds and accuracy up to a millimeter, and interest from developers including Activision and EA, this guy could someday relegate your Sixaxis to the back of your junk drawer — right next to your old Atari’s paddle controller. Not convinced? Scope the tell-all demo after the break.

READ - video at Engineering TV
READ - Sixense website

Continue reading TrueMotion 3D enables true motion control

Filed under: Gaming

TrueMotion 3D enables true motion control originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We never got a satisfactory answer for why they disappeared in the first place, but it seems the majority of the Columbia Pictures’ movies on Netflix Instant Watch lists suddenly switched to “not available on Xbox 360″ are once again open for streaming to all devices. The Karate Kid series, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day and others now stream to Microsoft’s box, however Columbia Pictures movies tagged with the “available through Starz Play” logo — including Bad Boys and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story — are still out. Hopefully the remaining relevant parties are contacted soon, as Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett have work to do, but this is a great start.

[Thanks, Hunter!]

Filed under: Gaming, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Columbia Pictures flicks — mostly — back on for Xbox 360 Netflix streaming originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitachi’s latest trifecta wasn’t designed for your surely swank abode per se, but we suppose those with enough cash and willpower can do anything they darn well please. That said, the CP-X10000 (1,024 x 768), CP-WX11000 (1,280 x 800) and CP-SX12000 (1,400 x 1,050) can all handle professional (read: lit) settings with ease, featuring 7,500 / 6,500 / 7,000 lumens, respectively. The whole lot also boasts a 2,500:1 contrast ratio, 10-bit signal processor, HDMI / BNC connectors, Ethernet, an RS-232 control port and a lamp good for 10,000 maintenance-free hours. Mum’s the word on price, but don’t worry, these are going on the corporate card anyway.

[Via I4U News]

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

Hitachi introduces trio of ultra-bright projectors originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’ve ever thought about building a guitar for one second, you know that it’s so insanely complicated that it’s almost not worth the effort. The Zoybar kits aim to reduce a lot of those complexities — the components are all open-source, extremely customizable, and modular. They boast seemingly endless options for the guitar (or whatever you choose to build), not to mention the possibilities of the special effects displays. It looks like it’s going to be pretty simple to get creative with the kits, but it’s a little hard to tell. There’s no word on what the components or kits are going to cost, but they claim to be launching in December. Looks like we know what we’re getting cousin Yngwie for his birthday! Hit the read link for several insane videos of the extremely wild, ingenious results.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Zoybar open-source DIY guitars for Steve Vai-types only originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’ve been keeping an eye on the i MiEV, the word from the street (or, in this case, Wired) is that four of the cartoonish vehicles are on their way to SoCal Edison, where their Electric Vehicle Technical Center will put ‘em through their paces, testing not only the vehicles themselves but how they interact with the grid. Not that the car will be selling Stateside any time soon — until it bulks up enough to pass federal side-impact tests and its range is extended beyond the current 70 miles, it looks like the vehicle will be a no-show at the dealerships. Apparently the vehicle sports a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery and optional regenerative braking mode, and the 47 kW (roughly 64 horsepower) motor shouldn’t have any trouble keeping up with city traffic. But on the other hand, the car doesn’t fly through the air, play VCDs or impress the ladies — so what’s the big deal, then?

Filed under: Transportation

Mitsubishi’s i MiEV electric car makes it to the States, but not to you originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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