New ThinkPad keyboard features crowdsourced design, lower price

Hey, remember last year when Lenovo's UltraNav keyboard made a (re)appearance on Flickr because the company was soliciting feedback on how to make it better? Well check it -- there's a new version in town, and it incorporates all those user suggestions. Lenovo says people mostly wanted the exact same feel as their ThinkPad laptop keyboards in the desktop unit (no surprise there), but almost no one wanted wireless, a number pad or a trackpad -- so the new model pictured above is more or less a faithful wired replica of the T400s board, right down to those liquid drainage holes. What's more, cutting the numeric keypad and trackpad allowed the company to reduce the price by $40, so this little slice of hotness is not just $60. Not bad, but we'll be honest -- we'd still throw down for a wireless version of the old UltraNav in a heartbeart.

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New study finds close to one quarter of Xbox 360s fail within two years

Sure, it's not exactly news to hear that the Xbox 360 is the most unreliable console of the big three, but just how unreliable is it? Now there's a point of contention. The good news for Microsoft, of sorts, is that a new study from SquareTrade found that just 23.7% of Xbox 360 consoles failed within the first two years of ownership, which is actually a fair bit better than some of the previous numbers that topped 50%. The study also found that 10% of PlayStation 3 users reported a system failure, compared to a mere 2.7% of Wii owners. The Wii actually fared the worst when it came to power and remote control issues, however, while the most common problems with the Xbox 360 and PS3 were disc read errors and output issues. For its part, while Microsoft hasn't responded to this particular study, it has previously pointed to its "best warranty in the industry" to reassure its users and, of course, to its more recently-produced consoles, which are less likely to buckle under the pressure of a marathon Call of Duty session.

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New study finds close to one quarter of Xbox 360s fail within two years

Sure, it's not exactly news to hear that the Xbox 360 is the most unreliable console of the big three, but just how unreliable is it? Now there's a point of contention. The good news for Microsoft, of sorts, is that a new study from SquareTrade found that just 23.7% of Xbox 360 consoles failed within the first two years of ownership, which is actually a fair bit better than some of the previous numbers that topped 50%. The study also found that 10% of PlayStation 3 users reported a system failure, compared to a mere 2.7% of Wii owners. The Wii actually fared the worst when it came to power and remote control issues, however, while the most common problems with the Xbox 360 and PS3 were disc read errors and output issues. For its part, while Microsoft hasn't responded to this particular study, it has previously pointed to its "best warranty in the industry" to reassure its users and, of course, to its more recently-produced consoles, which are less likely to buckle under the pressure of a marathon Call of Duty session.

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Chic Meets Sporty with New Designer Headphone Series from chicBuds

Fashion forward electronic company, chicBuds, pronounced "sheek" meaning style and elegance, launches a new line of designer ear electronics with their DJ Sport Headphones. Combining fashion and functionality is a familiar task for the woman-owned company based out of San Diego, California, that has already taken the electronic world by storm with their lines of classic chicBuds earphones with Swarovski Crystals, RockBuds Retractable Inner Earbuds and PinkTooth Wireless Headsets as seen on their newly designed website - www.chicbuds.com.

The chicBuds DJ Sport Headphones emulates the ever-present company philosophy that electronics can be stylish while serving its primary purpose of functionality. The headphones are available in Hot Pink or Multi Color, have an adjustable headband for ultimate comfort, fold up for easy carrying, travel and storage and generate incredible insulating sound.

The two women behind chicBuds are pioneers for the fashion shift in the electronic business, creating fully functional electronic products that allow users to express their hip, fashion forward styles while listening to music.

“We have introduced a fashionable and elegant side to electronics,” said chicBuds co-founder Nikki Gutshall. “It is not about being girly -- electronics have become accessories and like other accessories they should demonstrate a certain style with its functionality.”

Since the launch of their product line in 2006, chicBuds electronics - www.chicbuds.com - has seen a wide array of success. Their products have garnered interest from over 60 magazine/press features, received celebrity endorsements and the company has recently partnered with popular retailers such as Nordstrom, Dillards, Fred Meyer, Regis, online BestBuy.com, Radioshack.com for purchase of their products. chicBuds are also distributed in Japan and Australia and can are sold in 10 different countries.

Please contact media (at) chicexecs.com for additional information.

About ChicBlvd Inc:
ChicBlvd Inc, a women-owned multi-media company located in San Diego , CA which began in 2004, includes three divisions -- an online magazine (ChicBlvd.com), product development division (chicBuds.com) and a Public Relations firm (ChicExecs.com) servicing over 80 Clients (sign up for Client updates at www.ChicExecsMedia.com).

The division of chicBuds was launched in 2006 with the product chicBuds retractable earphones with Swarovski Crystals—a sweet treat for your ears. All chicBud products are compatible with the iPod, iPhone, MP3 player, CD player, airplane connectors, DVD players… basically any listening device. For more information about chicBuds and their products visit www.chicbuds.com

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Is The PS3 Firmware Update Breaking Knock-Off Controllers?

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The PlayStation 3's Firmware 3.00 improves the XMB interface, and seems to help the Slim model load games and Blu-ray discs faster, but some users are reporting that their third-party controllers have stopped working since they installed the update.

The complaints are coming in via a big thread over at the official PlayStation 3 forum. Regardless of PS3 model: Some claim the issue affects their authentic DualShock 3, though it now looks like any problems may be specific to knock-off controllers.

Kotaku also mentions that a handful of users are reporting mid-game freezes in Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, but points out that it's not uncommon for this sort of thing to happen with PS3 or 360 system updates.

They've contacted Sony for comment, and we'll let you know what they have to say. In the meantime, have you run into any problems yourself?

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Novothink unveils first licensed solar chargers for iPhone, iPod

We've seen plenty of solar chargers in our day -- and we're somewhat fond of them as a concept. Novothink's just unveiled the first chargers for iPods and iPhones that's officially licensed by Apple. These attractive little guys have integrated solar panels on the back with LEDs to let you know the state of your charge. If the sun fails you, there's also a USB cable for standard, non eco-friendly charging. These chargers only work with the 2nd generation iPod touch -- which will be available this month, while versions for the iPhone 3G and 3GS will be outed in November. They'll run you $70. Hit the read link for more photos.

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3-in-1 External Battery packs a second SIM for your iPhone's calling pleasure

If you're a high-flying type rocking two contracts and, ultimately, two SIM cards, the new 3-in-1 External Battery over at USBFever could save you a lot of hot-swapping -- assuming at least one of those SIM cards is currently in an iPhone 3G or 3GS. It looks like an ordinary, bulky external battery, but inside packs room for a second SIM. Swapping is handled via an on-phone application and, according to the online instructions, it'll take about two minutes for your handset to figure out exactly what the heck is going on and reconnect to the different network. Sadly the phone can't monitor both cards simultaneously, so if you frequently receive calls on both you're stuck with that second device, but if by day you're a mild-mannered corporate user and by night you switch over to your secret personal account, this could be for you. $60 gets you in to the card-swapping party -- just leave your keys in the bowl on the way in.

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Adesso's AKB-440 keyboard gets integrated trackpad

Look, we're not going to say that the famed keyboard-mouse tandem is going anywhere soon, but we will say that there are certainly occasions where having to use a separate critter is a real pain. For those times when having mousing abilities right on the keyboard just seem more "right," there's the Adesso AKB-440. Aimed directly at HTPC users and the like, this rather vanilla looking keyboard spruces things up with a GlidePoint-enabled pad that puts your standalone mouse out of work. If your imagination is running wild with how this thing could revolutionize your life (or at least improve the feasibility of a living room PC), feel free to snag one now for $59.99.

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USB 3.0 logos now being handed out to certified wares

Aww suki suki now. With CES 2010 leaning around the corner and refusing to leave our periphery, we're getting more and more evidence that the January trade show will be a launching pad for a new suite of USB products. Several months after the first USB 3.0 cables curiously went on sale, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has announced the availability of the USB 3.0 Compliance and Certification Program. What's that mean? It means that a program is now firmly in place to provide compatible wares with a SuperSpeed USB logo, which in turn means that USB 3.0 gear is that much closer to retail shelves. So, who's anxious to slap a USB 3.0 PCI expansion card into their shiny new PC?

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Netgear ships ultra-speedy WNDR3700 dual-band router

If you've grown increasingly incensed by those annoying dropouts caused by your 80s-era wireless router, it looks like Netgear has your cure. Though, we must say, there's at least a decent chance you don't have the coinage to procure said medicine. At $190, the RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WNDR3700) is one of the pricier WLAN routers on the market, though the amenities list is pretty impressive. The ReadyShare feature enables any USB hard drive to be viewed on the network, while the DLNA support and "real-world" throughput of 350Mbps shines up an already glistening device. There's even a broadband usage meter for those unfortunately dealing with Comcast caps, and if you actually use this as a remote media server, you'll definitely want to keep an eye on that.

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Black Wii remote bundle coming to North America, no matching console in sight

Oh Nintendo, you tease. You still won't give us that jet black Wii console bound for Japan, but you've got no problem giving us in North America a taste of the dark side with a black Wiimote and Motion Plus bundle, coming this holiday along with a black nunchuk sold separately. With any luck this is just the sign of things to come, and should the Wii's sales momentum drop, we're sure quite a few new colors will start shipping their way over here (light blue, anyone?). On the more portable side of things, the DSi will be adding pink and white to its repertoire on September 13th. Unless the House that Mario Built is feeling particularly nasty, prices should be the same as their pre-existing color counterparts -- you wouldn't put a premium on a palette swap, right Nintendo?

Gallery: Black Wii remote bundle coming to North America, no matching console in sight

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