Thursday, May 15, 2008

Panasonic reveals duo of HDD-based Strada in-dash navigators


Just two days shy of their one-year birthday, Panasonic is introducing a couple of successors in the Strada F-Class line. Announced in Japan, the June-bound CN-HX1000D and CN-HW1000D are both destined for gaping holes in dashes and possess a 7-inch 800 x 480 resolution display, built-in Bluetooth, iPod compatibility, AM / FM tuners, digital terrestrial TV tuner, DVD / CD player and an internal hard drive for storing map data and Sade jams. The only noticeable difference is the physical size; the former is a single-DIN unit while the latter touts a double-DIN frame. These two also allow for home control, so you can lock your doors, turn the heat down and flip off the porch light from the driver's seat. Sure sounds pleasant, if only they weren't ¥354,900 ($3,388) apiece.

Ubanana announces wearable, waterproof uCan MP3 player


There's certainly no shortage of waterproof gadgets out there for you to take along on your next swimming or diving adventure, but if you still haven't found an MP3 player that meets your needs, you may want to consider Ubanana's new uCan device, which is at least a tad better looking than some of the other wearable options currently available. You'll have to make do with a mere 1GB of memory, however, but you will get a decent 15 hours of battery life, and you can rest assured that it'll float to the surface for easy retrieval if it slips off while you're plundering the ocean's depths (up to ten feet deep, at least). Look for this one to set you back €99 (or $150), with it set to start shipping in July.