Storage specialists LaCie, is looking to get in on some of multimedia hard drive action with the release of its digital content box, the LaCinema.
Looking like a mini-PC, it comes with 500GB, 750GB or 1TB of storage for all those movies you download – legally, of course - off the Net, or have backed up from rented DVDs [not very legal at all].
Hook it up to your PC or Mac, drag and drop your content onto it and then connect it to your TV. It has it’s own remote control for simple operation and browsing content on-screen and there’s an optical out port for attaching this to your surround sound set-up. LaCie says:
“The LaCinema Premier has the capacity to store entire media libraries and is sophisticated to handle playback of most video formats. Also capable of 1080i video upscaling, the device can adapt video images to the most current LCD and Plasma TV for optimal viewing experiences via a component cable.”
“The LaCie LaCinema Premier is an easy to use multimedia hard drive for customers wanting to enjoy their large digital libraries on their television,” said Salem Tirane, LaCie Multimedia Product Manager. “Offering high capacity and simplicity, it is a vast improvement over standard DVD players as it directly plays digital music, movies and pictures, without having to first burn a CD or DVD for playback.”
It supports MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DVD-Video (ISO, IFO, VOB), and the main MP3 formats, although it doesn’t seem to list DivX support.
If not, that’s a shame and a big omission. Prices start at £160. -Martin Lynch
UPDATE: While the Web page I looked at didn't mention DivX support, keen-eyed Gizmodo readers (Colin & Anonymous x 2) found that DivX files are supported, which is a good thing. Thanks for that.-Martin Lynch
Last year, Yamaha was making a lot of noise about its super-powerful USB speaker, the NX-U10 and now it’s hoping to pull off something similar with its portable Bluetooth speaker, the NX-B02.
The in-built Bluetooth 2.0EDR technology allows you to listen to music from your phone or laptop without any of those pesky wires.
With support for A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile), it can also handle streaming of higher quality audio than earlier versions of Bluetooth. Perfect for those more expensive DRM-free downloads on iTunes. Inside are two 5W amps and Yamaha has lots of tech crammed in to boost the bass performance.
There’s a 3.5mm jack for hooking it up MP3 players and it can be run off the mains or four AA batteries. Not cheap though at £135 here. -Martin Lynch
Do you have a lounge area? Maybe a living room with lounge pretensions? Then you might want to brighten the place up with this illuminated Lounge Table.
The table boasts 60W of ambient glow from within and the intensity can be controlled with a dimmer switch. You can even change the colour by just swapping out the white bulb for something else.
Treading a fine line between stylishly chic and OTT house bling from the 1970s, the illuminated lounge table will nonetheless be a conversation piece. All you need is £399 and you can buy your very own glow-in-dark table here.
Be warned though, the price does not include the glass top so I’m not actually sure where you put your cocktail glass.-Martin Lynch
You might not be in the market for an OLED keyboard costing the best part of £800 – yes, £800 – but if you are you might want to check out the below video to see what you’ll be getting in the post.
This is the media-friendly Optimus Maximus keyboard from mad Russian designer Art Lebedev. Spotted at the recent CES Show he takes you through the basics of the keyboard which swaps out certain regular keys for programmable OLED keys.
The Optimus is certainly cute but the price tag is likely to end in divorce, putting it way out of the league of us mere mortals.
Still, you can snag a budget version from Lebedev for just £230, but you only get one OLED key.-Martin Lynch
There’s a widespread feeling that Apple’s UK iPhone figures are less than startling.
This feeling has been reinforced in recent weeks by reports that iPhone partners O2 and Carphone Warehouse have been gagged by Apple, preventing them from reporting sales figures. Now the FT is reporting that un-gagged sources in O2 have confirmed a UK sales shortfall.
O2 had claimed that it would flog 200,000 in the first two months but leaked sales figures put it at 190,000. To be fair, 10,000 short is not all that disappointing but then, 200,000 was a conservative estimate compared to Gartner’s lofty prediction for sales of 350,000-400,000 in the same period.
No doubt a price cut and a 3G model this year will generate more interest.-Martin Lynch
Hook it up to your PC or Mac, drag and drop your content onto it and then connect it to your TV. It has it’s own remote control for simple operation and browsing content on-screen and there’s an optical out port for attaching this to your surround sound set-up. LaCie says: 
Editor and Contributor | Martin Lynch
Contributor | Tamlin Magee
