Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Oddly enough, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a product proudly designed in Cupertino erupt, but it’s pretty safe to say this story could have had a much more tragic ending. Reportedly, an iPod nano owner recently awoke to a blaring fire alarm around 2:00AM, only to find his beloved PMP wrapped in flames on the bedroom floor. Thankfully, the fire was tiny enough to be extinguished without any major trouble, and no substantial damage of property or human flesh was tallied. As of now, we’ve no idea if the unit simply exploded or if surrounding circumstances are at least partly to blame, but you can bet your bottom dollar that be sleeping with one eye open (and on our media players) tonight.

[Thanks, Sandy]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

As we’re certain you know by now, there are fails, and then there are epic fails. This case most definitely falls into the latter category, as Sea Change’s shark-deterrent system (affectionately dubbed Shark Shield) was actually bit into by a great white when tested off the coast of South Africa. Reportedly, the device sends out electronic fields that are meant to deter sharks from coming near surfers, but according to the company’s CEO, the botched trial was “due to a problem with the electrode’s configuration.” Furthermore, he noted that the thing is only “guaranteed to work when it’s stationary, not when it’s surfing in the wave or paddling.” Needless to say, the effectiveness of these type devices have now been called into question, and regardless of whether this thing actually works as advertised, the lack of total protection — you know, while actually surfing — is enough to make us steer clear.

[Via UberReview]

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Filed under: Laptops

Merely days after LG put the brakes on sales of its Z1-AE007 laptop due to suspicions of a faulty battery within, yet another lappie in South Korea is making headlines for its overheating, er, abilities. Reportedly, the battery in a P10 computer, produced in 2002, “melted” after inexplicably emitting smoke during use. The device managed to burn a bed and a certain part of the floor, but thankfully, no “big fire” was started. According to company spokesman James Chung, Samsung is now “checking details of the incident,” but the actual manufacturer of said battery has yet to be revealed.

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Filed under: GPS, Transportation

At first glance, we seriously assumed that we had mentioned this exact same story before. Turns out, one particular Maxi Haulage driver doesn’t tune into Engadget, as he pulled the exact same trick in (almost) the same circumstances. Reportedly, this timber haul was cut short as the driver followed his personal GPS system down a “farm lane” suitable only for (presumably small) tractors, and needless to say, the 45-foot vehicle has been wedged ever since. Additionally, the owner of the property is quite irate, as the mishap is forcing her to drive an extra two miles until rescue arrives. Still, the motorist did cruise right by a sign noting that the upcoming road was unfit for heavy goods vehicles, so at least the sat nav can’t take all of the blame this go ’round.

[Thanks, Carl H.]

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Filed under: Gaming

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/xbox/Microsoft_gets_RRoD_at_GDC’; Just days ago, we heard that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 failure rate was at a staggering 16-percent. Not helping Redmond’s cause in making you believe otherwise, one of the hand-picked machines used at the 2008 Game Developers Conference was actually suffering from the infamous Red Ring of Death. Comedic gold? Yes, indeed. Check the video after the jump!

Continue reading Microsoft gets RRoD at GDC

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Filed under: Gaming

Select owners of Guitar Hero III for Wii have been moshing uncontrollably as best they can in mono for months on end, but it seems as if Activision has finally got its interconnects sorted and will start issuing replacement discs. According to direct end-user reports and the (admittedly blurry) shots in the gallery below, the firm is now dishing out pre-paid envelopes in which customers have to ship back their faulty GH III disc and wait “3 to 4 weeks” before getting a new, stereo-enabled one free of charge. Live sans your favorite game for a month, or keep rockin’ in the monaural world? Tough call, indeed.

[Thanks, Sam K.]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

Unfortunately, details are extraordinarily scant at the moment, but it appears that Canon is readying one more fix for the EOS-1D Mark III, which has been plagued with an autofocus issue for what seems like ages. Apparently, the forthcoming fix — which could involve hardware and / or firmware alterations — will make improvements even over last year’s tweak. Reportedly, the firm’s AF engineers are confident that they have now realized the “root cause” of the problem, hinting that this solution may in fact be the last. Per usual, there’s been no clues handed out as to when users will actually be notified that a fix is available, but we’re sure official word will stream out soon enough if there’s anything to this.

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Filed under: Cellphones

We’re not planning on seeing any sort of confirmation from Sprint on this, but word on the street has it that the carrier has actually halted shipments of the LG Rumor to its retail outlets. Apparently, the handset has a “known issue where certain sets of key presses during startup can trigger a complete erasure of the phone’s firmware.” Purportedly, the device cannot be restored once triggered save for at the factory, but LG is hard at work creating an updated firmware that “removes the code from being accessible.” Once that’s completed and approved, existing users can expect an over-the-air download to be made available, and users to-be can expect the mobiles to start showing back up with the update already loaded on.

[Via PhoneScoop]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

As the unfortunate trend continues, yet another kiddo has found their Christmas PMP replaced with something that’s, well, not a PMP. In today’s episode, we find a Washington, D.C. girl that unwrapped an iPod earlier this week and discovered that the only Apple product tucked within was the inner packaging. Instead, a clever note was stashed inside (presumably with a paperweight of some sort) that read: “Reclaim your mind from the media shackles. Read a book and resurrect yourself. To claim your capitalistic garbage go to your nearest Apple store.” Oh, and just in case you really needed more than one guess as to where this thing came from, here’s a hint: it was sold by the same retailer who passed on Wii demo units due to “safety” concerns.

[Via TUAW]

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Filed under: Robots

After waiting for what seems like ages, we can imagine just how excited one would be to finally receive that beautiful brown shipping container with their very own Pleo tucked within. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on perspective) for one particular German, an unspecified retailer sent out what appears to be a prototype dino, complete with a pieced together box that once held a fax machine. Interestingly, it seems the lucky recipient is rather perturbed by the incident, but being the optimistic crew that we are, we’d actually hang on to this thing for bragging rights or discover its true value courtesy of eBay. Hit the read link for a few more shots.

[Thanks, Jared C.]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

We’ve seen returned / resold DAPs (among other things) ruin celebrations before, but we’re inclined to say that this episode is a tad more disheartening than receiving a couple of rock-filled iPod boxes. Reportedly, an unspecified MP3 player purchased in a Tennessee Wal-Mart was wrapped and given as a Christmas present to a 10-year old daughter, but upon connecting said player to a computer, heaps of pornographic material and explicit songs were discovered. According to a Wally World spokesperson, stores aren’t supposed to “return opened packages to the sales floor,” but given that it already happened, the matter will purportedly be “investigated.”

[Via TGDaily]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

Remember that autofocus fix that Canon was supposedly working up? Turns out, the company isn’t quite ready to start accepting faulty EOS-1D Mark IIIs just yet, but it is shipping out upgraded versions to new buyers. Rob Galbraith managed to wrap his hands around not one, but three of the new DSLRs in order to substantiate his findings, and what he found was noticeable improvement. In summary, the sub-mirror fix was said to boost the performance of the AF, as it enabled the camera to deliver “about the same number of in-focus frames whether it was warm or cold.” Unfortunately, it seems that the solution still left a lot to be desired; Mr. Galbraith noted that it still couldn’t match the EOS-1D Mark II N, and implied that there was still room for betterment. ‘Course, we’re really just scratching the surface on his thorough (and we mean thorough) look at the sub-mirror fix and v1.1.3 firmware, so if this issue has been hounding you, do yourself a favor and check out the read link.

[Thanks, Anand]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Peripherals, Wearables

Word on the street — or on the Apple discussion boards, rather — is that quite a few 3G iPod nanos aren’t exactly acting as they should when interfacing with the Nike+iPod Sport Kit. Users are reporting that after updating to software v1.0.2, mileage is being displayed in kilometers instead of miles, even though the internal voice still quotes the latter. Additionally, recorded information uploaded to the Nike+ website is correctly shown (in miles), while the “Your Last Workout” section in iTunes makes you wonder if you’re still living in America. Apple is apparently aware of the issue and is working towards a fix, but for now, it looks like you can turn lemons into lemonade by practicing your distance conversions on-the-run.

[Iimage courtesy of jfab, thanks Gerry]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: GPS, Transportation

We tend to shed a tear or two for humanity each time one of these stories crosses our radar, and unfortunately, this one had us bawling. Apparently, residents in Llangadog have been frustrated time and time again as drivers of large trucks came rumbling through blindly following directions spat out by navigation systems. Wide vehicles have now failed to successfully traverse a very narrow road and not destroy any property in the process not once, not even twice, but three times, leaving a previously restored building in the community damaged (thrice) by recklessness. Reportedly, around £1.5 million ($3.12 million) is being spent to beautify landmark properties in Llangadog and Llandovery, but there’s mounting concern that GPS-reliant motorists could reverse any progress by striking buildings as they attempt to squeeze through. It sounds as if signs are being erected to inform drivers of their navigator’s cluelessness, but who knows if folks will actually take their eyes off of the LCD long enough to notice.

[Thanks, Josh]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Laptops

Apparently, Asus’ Eee PC is so small, even NewEgg’s atypically quick fulfillment crew couldn’t believe that five of these things could fit into a single cardboard shipping box, so they just decided to slap labels on entire cases and let ‘em rip. Truth be told, there’s no telling how nor why a number of users on the EeeUser.com forums were initially sent five machines for the price of one, but judging by a list of reports and even an accompanying picture, ’tis true. Supposedly, NewEgg caught on to what was happening and began turning shipments around before they were delivered, but rather than getting an apologetic call, credit towards a future purchase and a single overnighted laptop, some customers actually received all five. Granted, we’re hearing that those in the latter camp were kind enough to let honesty prevail, but who knows how many lurkers are quietly slipping their newfound Eee PCs onto eBay as we speak. So, the question beckons: did any of you receive a whole lot of unexpected Eee PCs? Do tell.

[Via DailyTech]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: GPS, Transportation

Every few months, we happen upon yet another story involving a motorist who simply believes that their GPS system would never, ever lead them astray. This go ’round, a Czech lorry driver continued down an incredibly narrow lane at the request of his sat nav, and even though his ginormous camion was clearly too large to make it around the 90-degree turn, he threw common sense to the wind and continued onward. Needless to say, his ride ended up wedged so tightly he couldn’t reverse his way out, so he decided to set up shop for three whole days rather than calling for “an expensive weekend rescue.” Interestingly enough, the fellow managed to acquire food after befriending a couple that lived nearby, and while we’re sure he uttered Michael Scott’s words in a different tongue, we’ve little doubt that “the machine knows!” was heard by nearby wildlife shortly before this situation turned sour.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Transportation

We’ve definitely heard of cellphones causing certain keys to not work properly, but this story just takes the proverbial cake. For reasons unknown, a small family car left in a UK car park was found to be intermittently sending out signals which blocked over a dozen other key fobs from functioning. Reportedly, the vehicle’s owner was “unaware of the problems his car had been causing,” but the malicious whip had been setting off alarms and leaving motorists without a way to unlock and / or crank up their own rides. Interestingly, there’s no mention as to what exactly was wreaking all that havoc, but the owner of the ill-willed motorcar has reportedly promised to fix the issue (or call off the prank).

[Via TheRegister]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Digital Cameras

If you’re one of those folks who just refused to fork out thousands of dollars for an EOS-1D Mark III after hearing reports of a seemingly widespread autofocus issue, take heart. Apparently, Canon is fessing up to the problem and is planning a remedy, although a simple firmware update doesn’t seem to be it. According to an interview with Chuck Westfall, Canon USA’s Director of Media and Customer Relationship, the firm is looking to issue a hardware fix that “adjusts the sub-mirror within the body.” The company doesn’t seem to think that every one of these beasts are afflicted, and its supposedly gearing up to provide a “simple way for owners to identify if their camera is among those affected.” As for dates, US-based owners should be hearing more details about how the process will work by “the end of this month,” while buyers that reside elsewhere will likely be informed shortly thereafter. If you’re thirsty for more, be sure and hit the read link for the full chat.

[Via CNET]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!