by Ross Miller,
We know what you're thinking: you've decked out your gaming rig with a translucent case and a string of LEDs inside, and gave similar treatment to the wall just behind your display ... so why not add that special glow to your connection, too? Enter these HDMI 1.3 cables from Donya, available in only the finest of patriotic colors -- red, white, and blue. It'll set you back 999 yen (about US $10) plus an unknown amount for shipping, but if you're impatient, we're sure there's a little DIY weekend project to take from this.

[Via Akihabara News]

engadget.com

by Darren Murph,
When Samsung's 2009 Blu-ray player lineup was outed at CES this year, all pricing and release date information was conveniently omitted. At long last, Sammy has pushed out the details we've been waiting for at its Spring Fever event in New York City. Granted, the BD-P3600 and BD-P1600 are already on store shelves for $399.99 and $299.99, respectively, but we figured it prudent to pass along those official numbers straight from the source. Of note, we're also told that the ultrathin BD-P4600 will indeed be coming in April for $499.99, and if Best Buy's website is to be believed, it'll be April 19th if we're talking specifics.

engadget.com

by Richard Lawler,
After the BD-P1600 broke cover, it was just a matter of time until we got an in the wild look at Samsung's BD-3600 Blu-ray player, seen here hanging out at a Best Buy as some commenters had indicated. That $399 price is enough to pick up the BD-Live storage, 7.1 analog outs and 802.11b/g/n WiFi dongle missing from the BD-P1600, while super slim wall mounting bliss remains the exclusive domain of the BD-P4600. Deciding between this and the DMP-BD80 without some real hands on time may be tough, but at least until Amazon has some HD on top of their VOD, Netflix streaming is probably enough to sway our decision.

[Thanks, Eric]

engadget.com

by Darren Murph,

You know, that's totally a recreation of Oikake up there holding that iPod, wouldn't you agree? In the spirit of Pac-man, Speakal has delivered the iBoo sound station, an iPod-friendly device that's cute enough for your kids and retro enough for you. For the low, low price of just $89.99, you too can join in the fun by grabbing one in red, blue or white. Specs wise, the device features an obligatory iPod dock, a 3.5 millimeter auxiliary input, touch volume control and music navigation, 15 watts of total power and a mini remote for controlling things from afar. Don't deny it, you're in love.

engadget.com

by Darren Murph,
Wow, this isn't confusing. At all. The on-again / off-again digital TV transition date -- which is now formally set for June 12th -- may or may not be honored by the hundreds upon hundreds of local broadcasters across America. You see, when Congress postponed the mandatory cutover date from its original place on the calender (February 17th), it also gave stations the option of sticking to that original date. Thus, what could end up happening is that half a city's local OTA stations would go all-digital in under two weeks, while the others delayed things until June. The good news is that most of the major US television networks (that's CBS, ABC, FOX and NBC) have reportedly decided to hold off until the new June date in order to prevent a chaotic series of events, but it's hard to say if each individual station will indeed abide. The bottom line? Get your converter box now if you need one, and if you're waiting around for one of those $40 vouchers, hats off to you and your patience.

engadget.com

by Ross Miller,
While not high definition like the company's most recent projectors, Sanyo's PLC-XF71 manages to compensate with 10,000 lumens for some serious brightness. By comparison, the recently-unveiled PDG-DHT100JL sports 6,500 lumens and its sub-$2000 PLV-1080HD just 1,200. Beyond that, it's got a 1024 x 768 picture and a 3000:1 contrast ratio. If you don't mind trading resolution for intense luminance, look for it to show up this month for a papered Abe Lincoln under $17,000.

engadget.com

by Thomas Ricker,
We love RC helicopters. What self-respecting nerd doesn't? Add voice control and our dorktalic sensorloin careens into the red. Taiyo Co. plans to release a 7.2-inch radio controlled helicopter with 10-foot range sometime in 2009. At launch, the Voice-Heli will respond to commands such as "start engine," "up," "hold," "down," and "stop." Presumably, it'll recognize "quit spinning out of control you piece of Walmart shiznit!" in future versions. Taiyo says that it is targeting middle-aged men who would play with the toy rather than their children. Stop Taiyo, please, for your own sake, stop... you had us at voice controlled. Check the video after the break.

[Thanks, Vincent]

engadget.com

by Darren Murph,
Arcam may not be at the top of your list of must-have brands, but it's about to join the flourishing Blu-ray player market in the near future, regardless. Sadly, the only details about the deck you see above -- which was seen sporting a high-end-signifying FMJ-xxx logo at CES -- are that it's likely to be staggeringly expensive and it should ship next month. 'Til then, it looks like you'll be testing your patience.

engadget.com