Sony brings 1080p BRAVIA VPL-VW80 SXRD projector to Europe

While we were just able to take a look at Sony's BRAVIA VPL-VW70 SXRD at CEDIA, it appears that the company is showing Europe a little love with the awfully similar VPL-VW80. The Full HD beamer includes High Frame Rate SXRD panels, a 100Hz Motionflow Dark Frame Insertion system, the BRAVIA ENGINE 2 processing tech and a 2.5-millisecond response time. You'll also find a 60,000:1 contrast ratio, Advanced Iris 2, electronic panel alignment, two HDMI connectors and a 1.6x motorized zoom lens. Unfortunately, there's no mention of a price and / or release date, but we'll go way out on a limb here and suggest you start saving up immediately.

Scan Toaster puts the power of 'miracle toast' into the hands of mere mortals

Industrial designer Sung Bae Chang has finally given us mortals the ability to do that which was once considered a bona-fide miracle. Using the "Scan Toaster," anyone with a PC and a USB cable can burn the likeness of the Blessed Virgin Mary (or any image or text that you wish) onto a slice of bread. The toaster utilizes a network of toasting "modules" -- hot wires that rotate within a 30 degree radius -- that burn the image or text you have selected onto the delicious slice of your choice. The peripheral is a finalist in a design competition run by the appliance manufacturer Electrolux, so as-of-yet there aren't any plans to manufacture it on a mass scale. We're guessing that Mr. Sun Bae Chang probably wants to keep the awesome power of the Scan Toaster for himself anyway.

Sony DCR-SR55E | best Camcorder Review

Handycam Station

Sony’s Handycam Station (included) makes it easy to quickly view your images on a connected TV or PC via the analogue and Hi-Speed USB connectors. The station also charges the SR55E whilst you are enjoying your footage. The handy One-Touch Disc Burn function can record an hour’s worth of video onto DVD via a connected PC in around 20 minutes, so you can swiftly share and save your videos.

The High Capacity 40GB Sony SR55E HDD Handycam

Shoot and store up to 27 hours of high quality video and still images directly onto the 40GB high capacity hard disk drive, without worrying about carrying tapes or discs.

Limited time only: Random HD DVD player for sale.

Just got my Buy.com "Weekly Deals" email blast and noticed that there's a promotion for a $59.99 HD DVD player with two free movies. The DVD player is some no-name job--the Venturer SHD7000--that I've never heard of, and no specs are available. Not sure who would buy this (HD DVD is dead, in case you've just emerged from a coma), but I suppose if you had a large HD DVD collection and are in need of back-up player you might be tempted.

Anybody still buying HD DVD players or movies out there? No surprise, discs are running pretty cheap--both used and new--on Amazon and EBay.

Pet's Eye View Digital Camera

Sometimes we come across gadgets that really get us excited! However after we read the specs of said gadgets more closely our little gadget balloons get deflated. Case in point, the Pet's Eye View Digital Camera. This compact digital camera attaches to your your pet's collar and is made of ultra durable water-resistant ABS plastic. Photos are shot at 640x480 resolution at intervals of either 1, 5, or 15 minutes. Sounds great, so what's the catch? According to the product description there's only enough internal memory to hold roughly 35 photos, which means at best you're only going to capture a little over eight hours in the life of your pet before you'll run out of space. (No mention of a memory card slot to add extra memory either, bummer.)

Cedia 2008 - Microsoft Windows Media Center

Infinity Classia home theater speaker system

The C336s have a neutral sound, with outstanding transparency in the mid to high frequencies. This yields the kind of treble that doesn’t sound at all bright, yet is all there: clear, quick, and extended, and not in the least bit forward or sparkly. Voices were unfailingly even, balanced, and, well, neutral. Most speakers, even high-end ones, “romance” the vocal range with a subtle extra helping of warmth in the 100- to 200-Hz octave, but not the Classias. This occasionally made them sound a little “cool,” but it also encouraged close, high-resolution listening — the kind of sound you hear in a good recording-studio control room.