Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

We genuinely hope you don't have a need for this thing, but after standing in one of the many iPhone lines for hours on end, only to hear Apple tell you to come back in the morning and try again, we can certainly see how it would come in handy. Best we can tell, the shouting vase is just a sophisticated (or not) muffling utensil, which enables tempestuous individuals to unleash incredible roars that no one will be forced to endure. Still, at €51 ($80), this thing better produce thoughtful alternatives to our maddening rants for it to be even close to worthwhile.

[Via Engadget Chinese]

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Filed under: Laptops

We're beginning to wonder if Panny's long-standing CF-52 and CF-74 will ever be replaced, but so long as folks keep biting, we suppose there's nothing wrong with perpetual makeovers. As with nearly every other laptop manufacturer, Panasonic has also decided it prudent to freshen up the aforesaid pair of Toughbooks with larger hard drives, 802.11n WiFi, expanded graphics capabilities and Intel's Centrino 2 platform. Aside from that, you can still expect the same rugged exterior, shock-mounted HDD and spill-resistant keyboard, but you'll pay dearly for those safeguards. Both the 15.4-inch CF-52 and 13.3-inch CF-74 will be available next month starting at $1,949 and $3,199, respectively.

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It looks like the Sony-Ericsson W350a is coming to AT&T later this year. One of the handsets has appeared mysteriously on eBay with AT&T branding. It's not a super-new phone, but the fact that it's got the AT&T logo is something interesting. Was this a demo phone? A loaner from SE? Will AT&T carry the phone in the near future? We don't know, but Sony-Ericsson fans have just perked up their ears. [PhoneNews]

TiVo's YouTube player that was announced back in March is finally going live today and will allow streaming, yes streaming, of all H.264 YouTube videos. It's a major part of the 9.4 Summer Update that is hitting all boxes by the end of this month. Even though all boxes are receiving this update only Series 3 and HD TiVos will be able to see the YouTube feature, sorry Series 2'ers. We haven't gotten a hands on yet but we've been briefed on how it will function and it actually sounds usable. Video and Press Release after the jump.

Hidden within the Download TV, Movies, & Web Video selection, in the Find Programs menu, there will now be a YouTube option. TiVo's YouTube menu page has a different layout than the usual TiVo menus. From this YouTube menu you'll be able to select from popular videos, recent videos or search for videos using the onscreen keyboard. Alongside each video there will be a thumbnail, title and a short description just like YouTube.com. Once a video is selected the player will automatically go full screen and start streaming within seconds. Since the video streams live there is no need to go the Now Playing List and there is no option to save the video there.

Right now there is no way to login into an YouTube account, but TiVo says there's a minor update coming in eight weeks that will incorporate this feature. Overall the YouTube integration sounds pretty legit. We hope now that TiVo has figured out streaming video it will open up options for other services like Netflix and Hulu.

[Video by ZatzNotFunny]

YOUTUBE™ ARRIVES TO THE BOOBTUBE THROUGH THE TIVO SERVICE

TiVo Offers Subscribers More Ways to Discover Relevant and Personalized Content Directly from the TiVo Remote

ALVISO, Calif. — July 17, 2008 — TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced the availability of YouTube videos on the TV via a TiVo® DVR. A partnership between the two companies allows broadband-connected subscribers with TiVo Series3™ and TiVo HD DVRs, to access hundreds of millions of user generated videos hosted on YouTube. Whether you like to watch the new up-n-comers, or classic YouTube favorites, TiVo subscribers are in control of the content they want to watch, whenever they want to watch it.

"With YouTube content now available on TiVo, on top of all the movies, music videos, songs and TV shows that are simply unavailable on cable and satellite, TiVo subscribers have more choice on their TV sets than any other TV viewers in the world,” said Tom Rogers, President and CEO of TiVo Inc.

YouTube on the Web attracts millions of viewers a day, and now TiVo offers consumers the opportunity to experience YouTube content where it is more comfortably consumed – in front of the TV set. TiVo users can now search, browse and watch their favorite YouTube videos through TiVo’s famously easy-to-use interface. Soon, users will also be able to log into their YouTube accounts directly through the TV to access their videos, channels and playlists, making the experience even richer.

“YouTube brings video where the audience is - across the Web and onto mobile devices, TVs and video games,” said Hunter Walk, YouTube’s director of product management. “The partnership with TiVo extends our ability to make YouTube accessible anywhere and lets people watch what they want, when they want it.”

Over the next few weeks TiVo will roll-out a software upgrade to Series3 and TiVo HD DVRs which will enable this feature. For more information on how to view YouTube videos on the TV via a TiVo DVR visit www.tivo.com/youtube.

Filed under: Transportation

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Filed under: Gaming

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Rock_Band_2_hands_on_live_shots_Ion_drum_kit_first_impres';If you're jonesing to get your Rock Band 2 on like we are, you'll be all over these new shots of the game's upcoming controllers that we got all grubby on today at E3.

First, the new guitars not only look better, but they will include some welcome hardware tweaks. The new axe includes an optical sensor that will make syncing the game to your display a breeze. Rather than go through that annoying tap..tap...tap synchronization scheme, all you'll need to do is hold up your controller to your display and it will figure things out with you based on your screen's refresh rate. In addition, the new guitars have been updated with slicker fret controls that make it easier to slide from one to the other. Meanwhile, the strum bar has been tightened up a bit. No clicking, though -- the guys at Harmonix say no one "dreams of playing a metronome" anyway. A dig at Guitar Hero? Perhaps, but if you're looking for some click feedback from your controller, look elsewhere.

Continue reading Rock Band 2 hands on, live shots, Ion drum kit, first impressions: woot!

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Exploit reveals the ugly side of keeping data in the cloud