iriver's Lplayer, which we just got done handling ourselves, made it over to the review crew at PC Magazine. As expected, both design and interface were smiled upon, and critics also felt the price was fair. Upon using the admittedly wee device, they seemed to have problems getting the click buttons to respond like they wanted, but aside from that, hardly anything negative was said. The broad codec support was praised, the built-in equalizer worked as advertised and the FM tuner / voice recorder were welcome extras. All in all, it was seen as a worthy rival to the iPod nano, and if you're the type that prefers something different in the pocket, this puppy just might be the ticket.

Not like Team Xtender hasn't been offering something similar to this for well over a year now, but hey, nothing wrong with a bit of delayed competition. XCM has just made clear that it will soon be selling the 1080p Mega-Cool VGA box, which takes any component input and shoots it back out via VGA. The box supports PC resolutions up to UXGA (1,600 x 1,200 at 75Hz) or HDTV (up to 1,920 x 1,080). Plug-and-play, NTSC / PAL support and USB power are all included -- you just provide the ins and outs. Mum's the current word on pricing / availability, but we're hearing that e-tailer Total Console will be offering it soon.

[Via IGN]

This CES: all about the HDTVs. On this CES 2008 episode of the podcast we're talking TV with Engadget HD editor Ben Drawbaugh -- as well as a bit about Lenovo's grand new consumer computing brand plan. We also caught up with our pal Charles over at Virgin America, who talked with us a bit about the airlines nascent plans to get you online during your next flight.

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[Zune]Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace

Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block
Guests: Ben Drawbaugh (Engadget HD), Charles Ogilvie (Virgin America)
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International)

05:04 - Mitsubishi laser TV unveiled
13:35 - Sony XEL-1 OLED slips into US stores
19:51 - OpenCable officially becomes tru2way
31:20 - Lenovo launches IdeaPad, IdeaStation laptop and desktop lines
39:24 - AirCell set to hook up Virgin America with in-flight broadband

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Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com

Get the podcast
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).
[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
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Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Guest: Larry Hryb, aka Major Nelson
Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International)

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Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com

Get the podcast
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).
[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
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Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International)

Program:
05:42 - Warner goes Blu-ray exclusive
09:39 - HD DVD group cancels CES press conference in wake of Warner announcement: daaamn
14:43 - Sony officially announces Skype on PSP
16:11 - Sony's new mylo (2) now official
22:25 - Sony's Rolly music player / robot coming to the US this spring
26:03 - Alienware curved display rocks Crysis at 2880 x 900
30:02 - Apple updates Mac Pro -- "the fastest Mac we've ever made"
33:17 - Apple updates Xserve -- "most powerful Apple server ever"



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Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com

Engadget podcast fans, good news! I'll be bringing back the podcast for the duration of CES, with our editorial team and a special guest or two sitting in on the show to discuss the big news in Vegas. So fire up your podcast aggregator / iTunes / Zune Marketplace, or keep an eye on the Engadget podcast feed, because the show will be back on the air for next week and next week only!

And on the video front, we're teaming up with CNET-expat and Engadget ladyfriend Veronica Belmont and her excellent team at Mahalo Daily, who will help round out Engadget's up to the minute video coverage. We're expecting great things, so be sure to check back for Engadget + Mahalo Daily (and all the rest of our video) out at the Engadget video tag.

-Ryan

Podcast fans,

I have some bummer news and some not-so-bummer news for you. I'll cut to the chase (warning: it gets a little personal): after more than a hundred shows and almost three years of podcasting Peter and I have decided to put the show on hiatus. Yeah, I know, it's seriously depressing to us too, but since the death of Pete's dad we just haven't been able to get the show back on track. So instead of dragging it out any further and keeping you all wondering, we figured it's best to be realistic about things.

The no-so-bummer news is the Engadget HD podcast lives on, with Ben and his new co-host Steve running the show with our pal Trent producing. So yeah, it wouldn't be infeasible for Pete or myself to guest over there every now and again. And hey, the Engadget Podcast is only on hiatus, there's no reason it might not return later, or during events like CES.

To everyone who's stuck by the show thus far, your loyalty and listenership means a LOT to us. It's hard to express just how much we've appreciated the constant flow of support and input you guys have given us. Doing the podcast has always been one of the highlights of our week, and we're looking forward to kickstarting the show again at some point down the road. Until then, you know where to find us!

Your pals,
Ryan and Pete

P.S. -It just didn't seem right to post this without an audio note to the same effect!

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Update: By popular request, you can still download the Engadget Podcast back catalogue. Just enter in the following URL, they've all got the same file format: http://www.engadget.com/podcasts/Engadget_Podcast_NNN.mp3 (i.e. http://www.engadget.com/podcasts/Engadget_Podcast_001.mp3). We're working on updating all the old back links on our show notes, which go all the way back to 2004.

We're back! No, seriously! We know it's been a few weeks since our past show, but so much interesting stuff was going on we just couldn't stay away any longer. Plenty to talk about between the latest on the iPhone, Amp'd's perilous situation, Palm's lapto -- er, Foleo, Dell's freshly leaked XPS m1330, and some new gadgets we've gotten our hands on, so tune in and get caught up with your friendly neighborhood Engadget editors.

Get the podcast
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Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International)

Program:
01:56 - iPhone release date confirmed: yours on June 29th
10:57 - HTC Touch hands-on at Engadget Mobile
17:12 - Amp'd files for chapter 11 bankruptcy
22:51 - Palm Foleo announced
32:18 - VIA intros NanoBook Ultra Mobile Device - $600 ultraportable laptop
34:03 - Dell XPS m1330 performance ultraportable revealed
38:17 - MacBook Pro backlight comparison: LED vs CCFL
40:25 - Drobo review

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Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com

Sure, our Podcast is a little late going up from this weekend, but where else are you gonna hear Engadget editors ramble on about the latest developments in gaming with the Xbox Elite, and Sony's loss of Kutaragi? Also up this week: AT&T misfires on the N75 launch, and find out more about how you can win a Wii.

Get the podcast
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).
[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.
[RSS OGG] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in OGG) to your RSS aggregator.

Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International)

Program:
01:07 - Xbox 360 Elite coverage roundup -- are you getting one?
10:42 - Sony's Ken Kutaragi leaving SCE chairman and CEO spots in June
19:58 - Sony, Immersion in talks to get SIXAXIS rumbling
22:32 - Fuh Yuan retracts $299 Wal-Mart HD DVD statement
28:27 - AT&T botches Nokia N75 launch, pulls from site
30:25 - The debacle continues: AT&T pulls LG CU500v, too
35:49 - The Engadget mascot contest: win a Wii!

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Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com

Sorry we're a little late for 107, but we're capping off the weekend with a short and sweet podcast for an otherwise pretty slow news week. Check it out, and we'll be back in a few more days to cover the coming week's news!

Get the podcast
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Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International)

Program:
01:10 - RIM chalks up blackout to "insufficient" testing
07:31 - Google Phone launching end of 2007?
14:28 - Intel's MID UMPCs: So long XP/Vista, hello Linux
20:14 - Amazon's Kindle: $400 for spring?
24:35 - Xbox 360 Laptop mk2
26:58 - Final round of 2006 Engadget Awards polls closing

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Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com

Finally, some answers! Yes, Sony is killing the 20GB PS3. Yes, Xbox 360 will get a QWERTY keyboard device. Yes, Leopard is actually delayed. Yes, Palm is developing its own mobile Linux OS. And yes, we're definitely still holding the 2006 Engadget Awards. All this and more on Engadget Podcast 106, enjoy!

Get the podcast
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[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
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Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International)

Program:
01:26 - 20GB PlayStation 3, RIP: 2006 - 2007
06:28 - Xbox 360 Spring 2007 Dashboard update
13:07 - How-To: play DivX and Xvid on your Apple TV
17:14 - Apple's Leopard delayed to October, iPhone blamed
24:16 - Apple sells 100 millionth iPod, deems experiment a success
27:45 - Palm prepping its own Linux-based OS
35:46 - Dell Axim, RIP: 2002 - 2007
40:12 - Hands-on with the SanDisk Sansa Connect
46:33 - The Engadget Mobile Interview: Sky Dayton, CEO of Helio
47:55 - The 2006 Engadget Awards - vote!

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Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com

Sure, the Xbox 360 Elite was finally announced, but we've got a fair bit of interesting cellphone news this week, too. Check out Samsung's UpStage, finally launched; or the long-awaited Helio Ocean dual-slider QWERTY featurephone -- not bad eh? And then HTC had a whole slew of gear, too, from their first UMPC to the Advantage's US launch. We won't only be talking about cellphones this week, but if you're not down with mobile gadgets then you might want to snag our enhanced RSS and skip some chapters, because we've got some CTIA stuff to catch up on.

Get the podcast
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).
[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
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[RSS OGG] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in OGG) to your RSS aggregator.

Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International)

Program:
00:50 - Xbox 360 Elite and 120GB drive now official
07:22 - The Helio Ocean
12:31 - Sprint announces Samsung UpStage, 99 cent songs over the air
17:15 - HTC Shift -- the cellphone company finally goes UMPC
19:46 - HTC Advantage coming to US... under the HTC brand
23:29 - HTC 6800 / Titan hands-on
25:36 - HTC S720 vs Vox and TyTn hands-on
26:02 - Hands-on with the Samsung Ubicell
34:15 - How-to: Upgrade the drive in your Apple TV

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Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com

Unfortunately this last week didn't exactly bring a tidal wave of interesting new gadget news, but the launch of the Apple TV and the news of the next Xbox 360 will just have to suffice. Peter also recounts his experience getting a BlackBerry massage in New York -- not to be missed!

Get the podcast
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).
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Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International)

Program:
00:35 - Apple TV coverage roundup
12:42 - Xbox 360 Elite: new, black limited edition Xbox with HDMI and 120GB drive
17:39 - Folding@home PS3 hands-on
22:52 - Engadget gets a BlackBerry massage

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Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com

Lots of new gadgets these past couple of weeks, between PMA and CeBIT, but we're here to try and make some sense of it for you. Granted, we're still trying to make some more sense of Slacker, the new WiFi / satellite / internet radio device and service, but there were some other things that feel right at home here: namely some UMPCs like Sammy's Q1 Ultra, and Vulcan's Flipstart, as well as Dell's forthcoming CableCARD-equipped XPS desktop. Step right up, Engadget Podcast coming at you.

Get the podcast
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).
[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
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Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International)

Program:
00:57 - Slacker: music device and service via web, WiFi, and satellite
11:31 - Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC, how nice to meet you
18:49 - Hands-on with Vulcan's Flipstart handheld PC
23:20 - Dell XPS 410 with CableCARD and Blu-ray (p)reviewed
28:14 - Americans to get DTV coupons before analog gets the kibosh
31:42 - Google exec confirms phone in the labs
35:41 - Hands-on with Canon's EOS 1D Mark III DSLR
39:06 - Archos 704-WiFi unboxing and hands-on
41:42 - CeBIT '07 so far
44:07 - Engadget's 3rd Birthday Giveaway - Day 2 - Win a Wii!

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Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com

Kind of a slowish week for gdget news, but there's always something to talk about. This week we're taking on the BitTorrent Entertainment Network, Steven Johnson -- Apple rumor-starter (of all people), Sony's big launches, and Verizon's big launch of V CAST Mobile TV. Did we mention it's also our third birthday this weekend? Because it is, and we know you want to pick up some of our prizes. Thanks for three years supporting what we're doing up in this piece, and thanks for listening to Engadget Podcast 102!

Get the podcast
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Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International)

Program:
00:56 - BitTorrent Entertainment Network disappoints, frustrates
08:13 - Apple's next big move: Multitouch displays?
15:53 - Sony officially announces $600 BDP-S300 Blu-ray player
20:40 - Sony's NW-A800 launches
27:05 - Verizon's V CAST Mobile TV going live March 1st
33:31 - All hail Gupp Technologies' Linux-powered Phreedom
36:12 - Engadget's 3rd Birthday Giveaway - Day 1

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Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com