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Rumor has it that TiVo will be accelerating the end of life process on the Series3 recorder to focus all of their energy on the newly released TiVo HD. Makes sense, whether true or not because the HD is nearly as powerful as the Series3 V1, just missing a few ports, that OLED screen and THX certification. At less than half the price, although at with less storage. UPDATE: TiVo has chimed in with an explanation.

Yes, we are nearing the end of production on this particular model of the Series3 hardware. However, we are not ‘End Of Lifing’ the product (EOL). Development continues on new features and capabilities for all Series3 platforms, including this specific model. There is no impact to current or future customers of this model, they can continue to expect and enjoy the TiVo Service on their DVR. Availability of the 250G model will vary from retailer to retailer throughout the year, and as a result we are currently recommending the TiVo HD model as an alternative solution for their customers.

[TivoLovers via TV Squad]

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Sigma will take advantage of the PMA ‘08 event by announcing the DP1 that will be out sometime this spring. The DP1 will offer a whopping 14-megapixel count, thanks to its Foveon sensor. It will also boast a new three-layer silicon technoloy that captures an RGB image in one pixel for individual portions instead of the normal three, resulting in a major lift to resolution and color response. Shutterbugs will be able to shooting in both X3F-formatted RAW and JPEG thanks to a nine-point autofocus system. It uses SD and SDHC as the storage medium of choice. Unfortunately, no pricing details has been released as at press time.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

Over a year after Leica rolled out its action plan to address those buggy M8s fresh off the factory floor, the digicam company is announcing yet another upgrade path, but this time it’s not on the house. Apparently, M8 owners that fall deeply in love with their shooter can get their name on a “waiting list,” and once their number is called, they get the privilege of shipping their device to Germany where a number of tweaks can be made. Reportedly, each M8 is suitable for upgrading, and aside from getting sent back with a fresh two-year warranty, it can also be fitted with a scratch-resistant LCD monitor cover (um, riveting?) and a new “electronically-controlled metal-blade slotted shutter that offers less noise and vibration.” Unfortunately, these changes will supposedly set one back €1,200 ($1,775), but alas, Leica suggests that said payment will make the M8 a “lifetime investment.” Right, just like that $9,000 desktop you procured in 1996.

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Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Mmm, nothing tastes quite like a fresh batch of homebrew hacks on day-old firmware. PSP owners yearning to get their Skype on need wait no more. The M33 team has released a custom version of Sony’s 3.90 firmware available via the new Network Update or directly over that interwoven web of glowing tubes. Really, what more could you ask for on a Friday?

[Via PSP Fanboy]

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Digital photo frames were the spammiest product spam at CES, lurking around every corner with their crappiness so I still have a biley taste in my mouth. SmartParts’ efforts to pile crappy function atop crappy function with a built-in photo printer, unsurprisingly just amounts to one big crapgasm. On the front, it looks like any other generic frame, but peer behind its faux-elegant bezel and you’ll see some serious junk in the trunk.

I will admit it’s kind of cool watching the printer add layers of dye sublimation to add build one full picture, but the novelty quickly wears off. It takes about a minute to print, and it’s instantly touchable. But the photos suck. This is a pre-production model, so it could get better, but the sample I printed removed all subtlety from the photo—shadow detail lost, whites blown out and noticeable bleed.

The paper stock is mediocre and you can’t even upgrade—you buy proprietary cartridges for $20 that have 36 sheets, with dye cartridge to match. Then you’ve gotta buy a new one. The printer, as you can imagine, adds a little lot of heft. This hunchbacked mess is not the digital photo frame you were looking for. [Giz @ PMA]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

Canon’s got a lot of product to fit under its umbrella, so the booth is quite the monster. Just about everything in the digital photo workflow is covered here, from the cameras (duh) right up to the final print. All interest/skill levels from amateur to pro are covered too. Check out all those lenses, only to be topped by what looked like a museum collection of Canon point-and-shoots. And yet, Canon found time and space to put in some really big, beautiful prints just to get you back to what photography is all about.

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Looks like cell phones of the future will become more and more modular, with RIM developing what could be the first consumer-oriented phone add-on. Dubbed the BlackBerry Remote Stereo Gateway, this is but a Bluetooth receiver which hooks up to an audio system, streaming tunes from a compatible BlackBerry within range. Technically speaking, this means it ought to work just fine with other Bluetooth devices, but there is no final word on that yet. No release date is available, let alone pricing so we’ll just have to wait for an official word from RIM on this one.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

What better way to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of the Mooninites’ invasion of Boston than to drop $80 on Evil Mad Scientist Labs’ new Peggy? It’s easy to fall in love with this 12 x 15-inch hackable pin grid for pluggable LEDs, which also features a programmable microcontroller capable of animating its 625 positions. Just be cautious when using it to spread your terrorist propaganda outdoors, some big city populaces apparently don’t like being toyed with via LED signage.

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Thanko has launched its first USB-powered shredder that gobbles up A4 size papers. This means all the confidential documents, incriminating notes against your colleagues and business cards that you don’t mind tossing away can be shredded to bits no matter where you are. You can choose to power it via batteries or USB, depending on the current circumstance. This Thanko offering retails for $28 a pop. Too bad Christmas is over - I would really have loved receiving one of these under the tree.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

See, this is how you bust out a hologram — unlike the mind-numbingly boring virtual Prince Charles we heard about the other day, Sony’s invaded Tokyo Bay with a water-and-laser sea monster. The apparition is part of the promotion for a movie called “Water Horse: Legend of the Deep,” but even with a title like that, we’ll definitely check it out on import DVD when it arrives Stateside just to provide more incentive for stunts like this. Check out a video after the break.

Continue reading Sony unleashes a holographic monster on Tokyo Bay

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