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Canon EOS 50D briefly appears on Canon's Chinese site

We'd take all these rumors with a huge grain of salt given how much chatter there is ahead of Photokina, but Canon's Chinese site briefly posted an official page for an EOS 50D this afternoon. It's down now, but the listed specs are pretty solid: 15.1 megapixel sensor with a 1.6x crop and ISO 128000 sensitivity through a DIGIC 4 processor, dust reduction, VGA-res 3-inch LCD, and built-in image stabilization -- which is a little odd given Canon's great line of IS lenses. Google still has the page cached if you want to take a look -- it's thrilling, trust us.

PS.- As usual, this image has been floating around forever, so it's probably a mockup.

[Via FredMiranda, thanks Gerald]

Read - Google translate page
Read - Photography Bay spec listing
Read - Screenshot of spec listing

Sony expands Muteki family with DJ-style LBT-DJ2i XROSS FADE music system


Man, we didn't even know the Muteki moniker was still in existence. Nevertheless, Sony has just added a big, bad member to said congregation with the LBT-DJ2i XROSS FADE. This rather beastly music system packs 450 total watts of power, a CD player, AM / FM tuners, a line-in jack, a pair of 2-way shelf speakers, a dual 7-inch subwoofer enclosure and the ability to convert CDs / radio to MP3 files. And that's just the beginning. Aspiring DJs will also find a bundled cross-fader with monitor cue and a built-in two-channel mixer, and the iPod-lovin' interface ensures that you'll never have to touch your PMPs once they're mounted. There's also a USB recording function to save mix sessions to a USB device in ATRAC MP3 format. Too bad this setup will cost you half a grand when it ships next month. Check the full release after the cut.

Sony intros iPod-friendly S-AIRPLAY multi-room audio system


You know how it goes with Sony -- proprietary just seems to rule the roost. Thankfully, the outfit is at least recognizing a trend in the market by trotting out an iPod-friendly version of its S-AIR wireless audio technology. The new S-AIRPLAY system (formally known as AIR-SA20PK) comes with one iPod docking station and a pair of S-AIR wireless speakers, though there is an AM / FM tuner built in should your stored jams get stale. Sony suggests that music can be beamed some 164-feet away from the dock sans cabling, and so long as your S-AIR speaker is plugged into a power outlet (and within the aforementioned range), it'll pick up the signal and start talkin'. Look for the kit to land next month for around $400, while additional S-AIR wireless speakers will set you back $130 apiece. Full release after the break.

Ask Engadget: Best portable internet device?

Face it, folks -- internet browsing shouldn't be confined to your desktop / laptop. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of options out there when looking to get the intarwebz (and we mean the whole intarwebz) in your pocket. For those out there who've found the perfect one from the smattering of choices, throw Adam (and countless others) a bone here.

"I have a BlackBerry Pearl and the web browsing on it sucks like a tornado. What I want is a web browsing device that rocks me like a hurricane. I'd rather not have something large, even as large as a netbook like the Eee PC. There are the Nokia tablets. There's the Archos 605 / 705 WiFi. There are UMPCs like the Q1 Ultra. Then there's the iPhone / iPod touch. I'm looking for something that I can access the internet on from the couch or the john with a full HTML browser. And I need something that won't break the bank."

So, whatcha got? After you're done posting your answer from the lavatory, send over a question of your own to ask at engadget dawt com.

Atom processors still in short supply?

Intel AtomIt's been mostly hugs and cupcakes for Intel's Atom processors lately -- they're apparently selling like hotcakes, and they're the stars of the Intel Developer Conference this week. But although Intel was confidently predicting that supply would meet demand by next month, it sounds like Atoms might still be hard to come by -- PC World quotes an unnamed ASUS exec as saying there's a "serious shortage" of the chips, leading the PC manufacturer to turn to Celeron chips to meet demand. Intel reps are sticking to the party line and saying that the supply issue will be resolved by the end of the third quarter, but we'll see how it goes -- something tells us ASUS isn't helping itself out too much by cranking out an endless string of Atom-based Eee PCs, either.

Another Guitar Hero World Tour peripheral in the works?


The folks at G4 have a juicy tidbit on the upcoming Guitar Hero World Tour cacophony of simulated instruments: there might be another one in the works. G4 cites Neversoft's Brian Bright, who let slip that a new peripheral is coming, and will be designed specifically for the music-creating Studio mode (pictured above). The logical choice is a keyboard, since it's the preferred method for entering melodies and other mundane tasks by boring people, but we're secretly gunning for Guitar Hero Bassoon -- check out the video after the break to see why.

[Via Joystiq]

Intel demos a wireless power broadcasting system, villagers terrified


We've seen a number of wireless power systems come and go, but for all the hype-filled bombast and occasional working demo, the tech just hasn't gone anywhere -- but even with that background, Intel's demo of a wireless power system that can broadcast 60 watts of power up to three feet at IDF with 75 percent efficiency has us giddy with excitement. The system works using essentially the same magnetic induction principle as all the others, but Intel's seems the furthest along, and the company hopes to one day be able to charge laptops with it. Yeah, we'll take three.

Read - NYT article
Read - Pictures from the presentation

Nintendo adds a little color to the Wii, just when we thought it didn't care


Remember a million years ago when Nintendo first introduced the "Revolution," later to be known as the Wii? It wasn't white, and it seemed multiple colors were a shoe-in for the shiny plastic console. Since then, Nintendo has sung a very white, supply-limited song with the Wii, and we're ready for some change. This is not that change. But at least Nintendo is acknowledging that, indeed, other colors do exist, and look just smashing when waved around in the air, in the form of fancy new pastel-colored Wiimote straps for Japan. They cost a few bucks each, or you can get the whole pack for $10. No word if they'll be heading Stateside.

[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

Orange paying actors to line up for the iPhone 3G in Poland


The iPhone 3G hits 20 more countries tomorrow, and while we doubt the hype will match the craziness of launch day, that's not stopping Orange from trying to re-create the madness in Poland -- it's hiring "dozens" of actors to line up at 20 stores around the country to "drum up interest." Yeah, that's just sad -- especially since there aren't any real customers in line at Polish T-Mobile stores, which is also carrying the phone. Good luck selling phones to your own actors, fools -- when will these companies ever learn?

PS.- That's a pic from launch day in Chicago -- any Polish readers have a shot of the actors for us? Send 'em in!

Update: Yep, there they are, from appleblog.pl -- and check a video after the break from Gazeta.

[Thanks to GreenToad and Yorick_Rise]

Maria Sharapova and Canon to give away diamond-clad SD1100 ISs


Maria Sharapova has already had her greatness spread over a number of Motorola handsets, but now the tennis queen is partnering up with long-time associate Canon in order to make five lucky individuals extraordinarily happy. As part of an elaborate marketing scheme, Canon and Maria (but mostly Canon) are cranking up a contest in which five Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS's are given away. But these aren't just any SD1100 ISs -- these are diamond-encrusted editions worth around $12,000 apiece. No word on whether Maria will actually touch the cameras before they're shipped out, but a boy can dream.

[Via Luxist]

Sprint drops Phone-as-Modem plan to $15 per month, adds stipulations

So there's good news and bad news, and we're not even giving you the option of choosing which you'd prefer to hear first (hint: it's the good). Sprint has dropped the price of its Phone-as-Modem plan (capped at 5GB monthly) to just $15 per month. Now, the rest of the story. First off, you must own a Power Vision phone with connection capabilities to a laptop. Next -- unlike the old PAM plan which ran $49.99 / month all by itself -- this "attachable plan" requires you to have another data plan already on your account. For instance, the BlackBerry Personal Pack ($30 / month) or the Worldwide Data Plan ($70 / month). In the end, it looks as if tethering in and of itself got cheaper, but those newfound strings that are reportedly attached will likely cause some frustration.

[Via phonescoop]

Apple taps MTS to bring iPhone 3G to Russia


Reuters reports that a "market source" has confirmed that Apple has finally sealed a deal to bring the iPhone 3G to Russia in an official capacity, launching on Mobile TeleSystems "likely" in Октябрь (October, that is). Neither MTS nor Apple would agree to comment on the situation -- no surprise there -- but seeing how Russia is one of the remaining gargantuan markets where the iPhone has yet to materialize, it seems like a no-brainer deal for all parties involved.

[Via mocoNews]

DIY Rock Band drum kit ditches everything but the bare necessities


While there's certainly plenty of off-the-shelf options out there for folks dissatisfied by the stock Rock Band drum kit, those looking to really dial things up to eleven may want to follow the lead of this modder from EDrums.info, who created a mesh head drum set with some wood, some new components, and plenty of skill. As you can see in the multi-page how-to linked below, however, this isn't exactly a one-day project (for mere mortals, at least), and there's no shortage of opportunities for complete disaster once you start tearing the original drum kit apart. If you persevere though, you'll not only be able to impress you friends with your Rock Band skills, but your actual drumming skills as well, as it can also be turned into a real drum kit with the addition of a drum module. And, yes, there is a video -- head on past the break to check it out.

[Thanks, Jonathan A]

Bose SoundDock Series II heading to a den near you this September


Say what you will about Bose's price to performance ratio, that company knows how to move iPod docks. The Bose SoundDock and SoundDock Portable have an astounding hold on the premium end of the iPod accessory market, and the SoundDock Series II followup likely won't be breaking that streak. The new Series II dock has a slightly refined look, more akin to the SoundDock Portable than the original, includes an aux-in jack (at last), and can charge the iPhone 3G -- a sore point for folks who've been charging their iPods and iPhones just fine on the original SoundDock for years, only to have the legacy-free iPhone 3G do them in. The Series II dock also includes the Portable's more advance remote for browsing playlists and such. Price is $299, it should ship starting in September.

European Xbox Live Starter Pack said to be landing in November


While there's unfortunately no word on a release 'round these parts, it looks like Xbox 360 users in Europe can look forward to a relatively inexpensive means of upgrading their console, with this Xbox Live Starter Pack apparently set to land in November for €79 (or roughly $117). As you can see above, that'll get you a 60GB hard drive, a wired headset, and a gold Xbox Live membership good for three months. Not exactly everyone, but it'll no doubt be an attractive option to those that bought a Core or Arcade and suddenly found themselves having second thoughts about going sans hard drive.

[Via Slash Gear]



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