Dealzmodo: Save up to $822 on Sony Vaio Notebooks

You're used to seeing the Dell laptops around the Dealzmodo neighborhood, but today we have some Sony Vaio refurbished notebook up for grabs. Here they are in convenient bullet-list form, courtesy of Dealhack.

• Vaio VGN-SZ440 for $2146 - $751 instant savings = $1395. Includes 2GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB RAM, 120GB hard drive, DVD burner, 13.3-inch Wide LCD, and Windows Vista Business & Office 2007.
• Vaio VGN-SZ480 for $2255 - $789 instant savings = $1466. Includes 2GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, DVD burner, 13.3-inch Wide LCD, and Windows Vista Business & MS Works.
• Vaio VGN-SZ480 for $2350 - $822 instant savings = $1528. Includes 2GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, DVD burner, 13.3-inch Wide LCD, and Windows Vista Business & MS Works.
• Vaio VGN-SZ440 for $1846 - $517 instant savings = $1328. Includes 2GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB RAM, 80GB hard drive, DVD burner, 13.3-inch Wide LCD, and Windows Home Premium & MS Works.

These are some pretty good deals and that VGN-SZ480 beast is especially appealing at just more than $1,500. –Travis Hudson

Product Page [Via Dealhack]

Looking for CHEAP notebooks? Look here.

Xbox 360 HD DVD Gets a Software Update Today

The next time you boot up your Xbox 360 to watch an HD DVD movie, the machine will ask whether you want to update your HD DVD playback software or not. You'll want to answer yes, since, you know, improvements are great.

The complete list is after the jump, but the important bits are 1080p over HDMI, improved networking and improved title compatibility. There were a handful of titles that had problems being played back on the 360's HD DVD drive, which should hopefully be fixed now.

Added option for user to select from the following audio output formats via TOSLINK or HDMI:
o Digital Stereo (2 channel PCM)
o Dolby Digital 5.1
o DTS 5.1
o WMA Pro
Added "Dynamic Range Control" toggle for digital audio output
Improved HD DVD networking support
Improved HD DVD title compatibility
Improved performance with MPEG-4 AVC / H.264
1080p via HDMI is supported on the Xbox 360 Elite with HDCP compliant displays
Improved parental controls

– Jason Chen

Looking for CHEAP xBOX 360? Look here.

Mobile ESPN Rises From The Crypt (and Chooses Verizon Wireless)

Mobile ESPN was killed off, some might say before its time. The new and improved ESPN Mobile is officially alive with the Verizon Wireless V Cast service for $15 per month.

Off the bat (ha, get it?) the service will work on the LG Chocolate, the LG VX8300, LG VX8600, the Motorola RAZR V3c, V3m or MOTOKRZR K1m (with other handsets supported in the future). It still has the same goods as before (news, stats, editorial content, fantasy, etc), but this time supported by a real carrier. Real carrier or not, ESPN Mobile has never really been the bee's knees. –Wilson Rothman

Looking for CHEAP Cellphones? Look here.

PQI Chinese New Year Inspired Credit Card Drive

Good news pigs! PQI is releasing a limited edition Fortune Pig Edition flash card drive. It's a 2GB flash drive in the shape of a credit card adorned with dragony-ish Chinese-y designs on the front to make you believe that storing your Firefox bookmarks is some kind of ancient Chinese secret.

They're only making 500 units of the 2GB model and 1000 units of the 1GB model, so if you're a pig (2007 is the year of the pig), then you may want one for yourself. – Jason Chen

PQI Limited Fortune Pig Edition Card Drive U510 [Far East Gizmos]

Continue Plug Design Promises Infinite Outlet and Electric Fire

Continue is not only a plug designed for any electrical equipment, but also a socket. In the many situation, one socket cannot cope with the large number of digital equipment, so we must increase another one or more socket to meet this need. It gives the user a mess that large wires and sockets come together. So a design together with a plug and a socket function can reduce this mess and make all the cable connect simple. The concept of Continue comes from Chinese traditional luck pattern, Eight Trigrams, that means: negative and positive can be interconverted to make life continue, it is also the origin of the name and function of this design.

Designer: Jing Zheng

Wenge TV Stand Makes Your Plasma Look Money

We're very picky about where we hang our plasma (which is why ours is sitting on a nice A/V table instead), but if we lived in some swank penthouse bachelor pad, we'd definitely want this front and center. The Wenge is a swiveling A/V stand that lets you hang your flat panel TV and store DVDs/music in its hidden side compartments. At $2,439 it's a little too pricey for our budget (we'd rather spend that money on another HDTV), but if you've got the dough, it'll no doubt give your place some class. – Louis Ramirez

Wenge TV Hi-Fi Stand [via OhGizmo!]

First PS3 TV Ad Debuts, Is Really Weird

The first TV ad for the PS3—"The Wait"—is now floating around that damnable Internet and we've really got to hand it to Sony: not only does the ad not tell us a single thing about their upcoming system, but they've somehow managed to create an ad that evokes the same type of feeling you get when you watch the "Daisy" ad and a "say no to drugs" commercial. Bravo. At least there's no melting clocks this time around. – Nicholas Deleon

First North American PlayStation 3 Commercial: "The Wait" [Kotaku]

Happy Birthday VHS!

It was only 30 years ago this week that JVC received a IEEE milestone for development of the VHS Video along with releasing the first VHS player. You kicked that Betamax's ass right to the curb and you can celebrate three decaded later by watching HD DVD kick another Sony proprietary media to the curb, Blu-Ray.

I wasn't even alive at the time of your birth, but you still managed to kick-start my life of stealing video media with the help of recordable formats, like VHS. Some companies may still make VHS players, or combo players, but it is inevitable that you have died. Rest in peace VHS, rest in peace.

To celebrate the life of the VHS, I ask you, the readers, to share your favorite VHS memories. My favorite memories were when I was a kid—I turned the VHS player into a secret cave/hideout for my Ninja Turtles. My mom got pissed that I was cramming Ninja Turtles in the VHS player, but she got over it. – Travis Hudson

Happy Thirtieth Birthday to the VHS Video Format [Gizmag]

Trust PW-1100P Notebook Surge Guard

Built with two and three-pin adapters, this Trust PW-1100P notebook surge protector works great with most notebook AC adapters, sitting in-between the power and your laptop. The devices makes sure wherever you are, you're always safe from dirty spikes or other hazardous electrical failures that will fry your laptop faster than you canthrow away that Sony battery.

There are also two landline analog ports to protect your modem from surges as well, but most of the time you're going to be using ethernet or WiFi unless you're visiting some third world country, like Ventura, CA. – Jason Chen

Laptop Surge Protector [Bios Magazine via uber gizmo]

Limited Edition Star Wars USB Flashdrives

An Imperial spy informs us that Mimoco's going to drop a Darth Vadar USB flash drive tomorrow. A limited run of 3500, too, so you'd better queue up now if you want one. They're officially sanctioned by his royal Lucas-ness, and will go for $80 bucks for a 1GB version, all the way to $170 bucks for a 4GB version. That's a whole lotta space bucks for 4GB isn't it?

You know what would be cool? If this Darth Vadar USB drive's cap didn't have little bear ears, and if the helmet was in the shape of the dark lord's helmet. And if the USB plug looked like James Earl Jones. For the record, I'd consider rocking a Han Solo model, for sure.–Brian Lam

Kingston's Waterproof USB Drives For Aquaman's Home Business

If you're worried about losing your data to theft or water damage—Hurricane Katrina victims?—Kingston's DataTraveler Secure should be right up your alley. Not only does it have 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) hardware encryption, it's protected by a titanium waterproof coating that protects your drive from agua for up to four feet.

The drives are available in up to 4GB sizes (£147 or $273), and have a read and write speed of 24MB/s and 10MB/s respectively. Definitely useful if you're using your flash drives out in the field like Jack Bauer where you can get wet at a moment's notice. – Jason Chen

Kingston Launches Waterproof USB Drive [Bios Magazine]

Waleli's GSM Doorbell Links Your Door to Your Phone

If you're tired of forgetting your keys—or your roommates forgetting their keys—get the GSM doorbell and you'll never have to worry again. It mounts onto your door, and when rung, calls a pre-programmed number. Punch in a key-code in your phone and the door unlocks automatically. Never get up from your chair again.

Also, this new version lets you call the device to unlock it directly without having to ring the bell. You can phone your door as you approach your home so it's unlocked when you get there. This sounds pretty damn convenient if we don't have to spring for a calling plan for the doorbell. – Jason Chen

Product Page [GSM Doorbell via Textually]

One Click Butter Cutter for Calorie Counters, Obsessives, Lazy Bums

Too tired or lazy to cut your butter in the morning? Here's a machine that'll do it for you, precisely measuring a 35-calorie portion at a time. Keep in mind, butter is 100% fat.

This could actually be useful. If you're a fanatic about calorie counting, dole out a controlled portion, count it accurately, slim down. While you're at it, don't forget to count those crows on the clothesline. – Charlie White

Product Page [whatever works, via über review]