Marantz announces VP-11S2 1080p DLP projector

Marantz is jumping back into the display pool for 2008, announcing the new VP-11S2 model 1080p DLP projector. Compared to last year's VP-11S1H, this model adds a second HDMI 1.3 input, and Texas Instrument's DarkChip4 chipset, boosting it up to 800 lumens of brightness and a 12,000:1 contrast ratio. No price was released, but considering the previous models hover in the $15,000 price range, we expect no less quality -- or cost -- from this one either.

Tata Motors' $2,500 1-Lakh car gets detailed

Remember that uber-cheap, almost entirely plastic car that India's Tata Motors was working up? Turns out, the still codenamed 1-Lakh automobile is expected to launch in mid-2008 and get around 15 miles-per-liter, which should give the Maruti 800 some serious competition in the budget car arena. According to R. A. Mashelkar, a nonexecutive director on Tata Motors' board, it should provide ample room in "both the front and rear" for a six-foot individual, and he also noted that a "new kind of welding" would be used instead of bolts in a variety of locations on the motorcar. Still, there's just something about the idea of riding in a brand new $2,500 vehicle that doesn't sit well with us -- probably something to do with the dearth of safety features, but who knows.

Hands-on with BetaBlue, JetBlue's WiFi-equipped Airbus

Generally we're the type to pass out the second we've stowed our carry-on items safely in the overhead bin, but on a recent test flight for a gang of reporters, photographers, Fortune 500 execs, and the obligatory PR team, JetBlue managed to keep us awake by magically letting us communicate with our friends and colleagues on the ground over IM and email.

Actually, it takes a lot more than magic for the Airbus A320 named "BetaBlue" to bring limited WiFi connectivity to properly-equipped passengers throughout the single-class cabin: quite a bit of technical and administrative work went into getting this service off the ground, from snatching up and deploying a rare slice of 800MHz ground-to-air spectrum to effectively managing cell tower connections while traveling over 500mph to developing clients that would maximize the precious bandwidth being shared by so many mobile gadget lovers. Keep reading after the break for all of our impressions from this media preview voyage, and don't forget to hit up the gallery below for glimpses of the entire experience along with some of the screenshots you can expect to see in-flight...

Dell XPS M1730 review roundup

If you're down with your "laptop" weighing some 10.6-pounds, and you don't mind shelling out copious quantities of cash in order to see those frame rates hold steady in the triple digits, the XPS M1730 has your name written all over it. At least, that's what we've gathered from reading the first batch of reviews to hit the 'net. Generally speaking, the adoration for this so-called Beast was universal, as just about everyone came away thoroughly impressed with its gaming performance, mesmerizing LEDs and cutting edge hardware found all over. Truth be told, the only real digs revolved around its unwieldy size, ho hum port selection, paltry battery life and the humongous power supply. 'Course, anyone remotely interested in this thing is probably willing to deal with the aforementioned negatives in order to posses such an incredibly powerful mobile gaming rig, and if you've been holding that trigger finger waiting for the critics to give you the all clear, feel free to fire at will.

Snag Vista Ultimate for free, in exchange for your privacy

Microsoft's been keeping its record pretty clean of late, but we suppose it couldn't end the year without a parting shot meant to cheese off the ultra-private, Microsoft-eats-children types. The company's latest diabolical plan involves giving away free copies of Windows Vista Ultimate, Office Ultimate '07, Money Plus Premium, Encarta Premium or Streets and Trips -- scary, we know. All you need to do is fill out a few surveys now and then, and download a little app that lets Microsoft watch your every move for three months. If you can manage to be a good little pod person for that long, you get a free copy of whatever software title you selected in the mail. But really, can you put a price on dignity? Exactly, you can't, so sign us up!

Tomato rolls out Tomato Video PMP

It looks like Korea's Tomato has trotted out yet another decidedly un-tomato like PMP, with its new Tomato Video player offering many of the same features of the company's U24 model in a slightly more streamlined package. That includes the usual 2.4-inch display, along with an FM radio, an e-book reader, an integrated microphone and speaker, and an SD card slot -- plus all the PMP features you'd expect, of course. Also as with the U24, you can get this one in your choice of 2GB of 4GB models, with the latter setting you back €66 (or just under $100).

ROCCAT intros new line of gaming peripherals

ROCCAT may not be quite as well known as some gaming-centric peripheral makers, but it looks like its doing its best to make its mark with a new line of peripherals, including a gaming mouse and keyboard. Dubbed the ROCCAT Kone, the mouse looks to sport all the features an excessively-demanding gamer would expect, including no less than ten buttons, four removable weights, and a customizable light system with "thousands of colors." While you apparently won't get quite as many color options with the ROCCAT Valo keyboard (pictured after the break), you will still at least get illuminated keys (including 41 macro keys), along with 2MB of memory for storing up to five profiles, and even an integrated noise-canceling microphone. Look for it and the mouse to set you back €100 and €70 (or $147 and $103), respectively, when they hit Europe in February, with a matching mousepad also available for €20 (or about $30).

Toshiba unveils the Portege M700 tablet with touch capabilities

Toshiba joined the rugged, touch-capable laptop party this morning with the launch of the Portege M700, an LED-backlit 12.1 convertible tablet that intelligently switches between pen and finger input. Apart from that, the 4.4-pound machine also features a modular drive bay with dual-layer burner, spill-resistant keyboard, latchless lid, and a shock-absorbing magnesium frame. Nothing too exciting going on internally: the M700 is a pretty standard Santa Rosa-based machine, with processor choices ranging from a 1.8GHz T7100 Core 2 Duo to a 2.4GHz T7700, integrated X3100 graphics, memory expandable to 4GB, Bluetooth and WiFi. Available now in configurations priced from $1699 and going up from there.

Western Digital Passport portable drive hits 320GB

Face it, that 80GB HDD your laptop entered the world with isn't cutting it anymore, and just any add-on won't do. No, you've gotta do it up right with a newfangled 320GB 2.5-inch portable drive, and Western Digital's got just the thing with the newest member of its Passport lineup. The drive weighs less than 5 ounces, runs on the latest and greatest platters, and will set you back $230.

SmartPal V robot, now with additional lumbar units!

Straight out of Japan comes the latest mobile robot to ease our daily lives while threatening our jobs, Yasukawa Electric Corporation's SmartPal V. The 1.3-meter tall rolling bot is loaded with all the proximity, speech recognition, and object-detecting sensors we've come to expect from today's modern mech, along with improved dexterity thanks to additional joints and lumbar units as compared to previous models. This latest SmartPal, which was introduced at the 2007 International Robot Exhibition, also rocks its own accessories, such as a head-mounted projector to push the world's last remaining tour guides into early retirement.

Toshiba's new Tekbright 7-inch photo frame

We can't help getting distracted by fond memories of Lite-Brites with a name like this, but that toy of yore really has nothing on Toshiba Tekbright's 7-inch 720 x 480 photo frame -- as long as you discount love, rainbows and happiness. The Tekbright photo frame includes 64MB of built-in storage, USB 2.0, plenty of memory card slots, and simultaneous MP3 playback. The 129 Euro pricetag ($190 US) isn't exactly free, and the looks aren't anything special, but we're sure this Europe-only frame will find a home or three for the holidays.

XM / Sirius merger decision coming today?

Over nine months after the two satellite radio companies announced their intentions to merge, XM and Sirius may finally find out the fate of their plans today, if the Justice Department issues a ruling as is being rumored. Orbitcast reports that the general consensus among industry watchers is that the DOJ will hand down a decision before the closing bell on Wall Street -- a prediction further buoyed by Bear Stearns analyst Robert Peck, whose contacts in DC claim that a ruling is "imminent." As you're probably well aware, this proposed marriage is no ordinary merger, with strong opposition coming from terrestrial broadcasters who cite anti-trust concerns, but who are really just fearful of the market power such an entity would yield. Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops...

NVousPC outdoes itself with Romero Britto special edition laptop

NvousPC has never been one to shy away from unorthodox paint-jobs for its laptops, but it now looks to have outdone even itself with its latest eye-catching model, which it created with a little help from pop artist Romero Britto. As with the company's other laptops, however, the specs are decidedly less stand-out than the exterior, with this particular model boasting a 15.4-inch display, a T7600 Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and a lowly CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo drive. No word on pricing or availability, but you'll apparently be able to get a closer look at it at Britto's Miami Beach gallery through February of next year.

Yet more 32GB and 2GB Creative Zen confirmation

As if the last two reports about a 32GB Zen from Creative weren't enough for you, here's another for a lazy Saturday. This time, Crave claims to have an unspecified confirmation that a 2GB and 32GB Zen is coming, and it's coming in flash form. Would that make this the highest capacity flash PMP out there? It'd certainly be pipping Sansa to the post.

Ricavision kicks out VAVE100 universal MCE / SideShow remote

Following up on the RICA 100 that Ricavision unveiled in May is the VAVE100, which doesn't deviate too far from its past siblings in the design department, but does offer up a 2.4-inch QVGA LCD, a shiny green MCE button and SideShow functionality. As we'd expect, this thing is a Class 1 (~50 meters promised) Bluetooth device with A2DP support, and it comes with its own docking station, a BT transceiver and a power charger. The remote enables users to control over 20 different components from up to 50-feet away via IR, and the buttons are backlit to keep you from fumbling around in the dark while trying to switch tracks. Unfortunately, you won't be using one of these to control your new gear (you are asking for new gear this year, right?) until next February, but you will save $25 by pre-ordering now for $274.

RCA's S2501 Jet Stream gets reviewed

Although we already had a chance to briefly try out RCA's Jet Stream DAP / wireless earbud setup at CES, the folks over at PCMag were able to get ahold of a finalized product and put it through paces of their own. Interestingly, they found a lot less to love when using 'em for more than a few moments on a crowded show floor, and while they did admit that gym rats could possibly fall in love, the average joe / jane probably won't. On the upside, the DAP proved durable and the wireless headphones exhibited strong reception, but reviewers found that they didn't fit well enough to really show off their talents. Additionally, the menu navigation was deemed "terrible," and they weren't exactly keen on plopping down over $130 for just 1GB of storage. 'Course, we're sure those who spend the bulk of their listening time on the track (listening to just a few CDs on repeat) could find room to argue, but for the rest of us, it was suggested that we wait for "a better implementation of Kleer's wireless technology to come along" before buying in.

Brick is back with the Mini MOB retro mobile

Is the mobile phone really mature enough for brick phones to make a retro comeback? According to the makers of the ironically named Mini MOB, the answer to that is yes. The Mini MOB is definitely designed in the retro brick phone style, but at only 3.5 cm wide, it could probably be considered a scale model. It includes some pretty standard specs -- camera, MP3 player, 128 MB card for the SD slot -- but also happens to have an amazing battery life of 30 days standby, and a full 72 hours of continuous talk time! That's almost enough to get us interested in picking one up, but at £160 ($320+) it ain't an easy decision.