Product Page [via Gadgets Town]

Hot on the tail of Slacker comes another social music service, MyStrands Mobile. This S60 application offers music discovery as well as music sharing and builds on a library of 6 million tracks. You and your friends can share your current playlists and collects your playback history on your own MyStrands page.
Read the rest on MobileCrunch…

If you missed seeing JVC at CES you probably weren’t alone. That’s because the company typically does their own thing off the show floor. So every year they invite the press out to see their offerings during the company’s annual dealer showcase. Among the products that might have been lost in the mix in Vegas were their new sleek home audio products, which now feature connectivity for the iPod, as well as XM Satellite Radio readiness.

The line up includes the soon to be released UX-EP100 ($149.95), an ultra compact two-channel desktop music system with CD/MP3/WMA playback and the MX-KC58 ($199.95), a 400-watt mini system that is XM-ready. Both systems include an iPod connection for control and charger of the player, and both will be out in April. But the showcase at the event was the UX-EP300 (pictured), which will debut this fall for $249.95. This 2.1 channel DVD theater system features 3D phonic front sound technology to convincingly simulate surround sound. It features a USB host, allowing playback of files directly from a flash audio player or flash memory drive, with WMA, MP3 and WAV files. Finally a feature that people might actually use.

Samsung just showed off three new HDTV models in London on the eve of CeBIT. The Tulip line of LCDs comes in 37-, 40-, 46- and 52-inch sizes and fully supports 1080p. They’ll be the successor to the Bordeaux line that tore up the LCD charts last year. The Tulips all have three HDMI ports (two in the back, one on the side), while the three largest ones also feature a 15,000:1 contrast ratio and what Samsung calls MoviePlus technology. Hooray for the complete lack of explanation of what that does! There’s also a 9-in-1 memory card reader.

On the plasma front, Samsung’s got the Q, available in 46- and 50-inch sizes. Same deal here: three HDMIs, MoviePlus, memory card reader and 15,000:1 contrast ratio.

Hopefully we’ll get better shots and U.S. release date and pricing info in the days to come.

Samsung M87, R87, Q97 televisions announced [Pocket-lint.co.uk]

MobiTV Press Release [via Reuters]

ECS Showing ‘Smart Neck’ Laptops [Mobile Whack]

Oh boy. It was only a matter of time before every gadget on earth got blingified. The latest casualty is MediaReady’s new Blingplayer (normally spelled with all caps), a “fashion” music player that comes with a 1.8-inch display, video playback, MP3 and WAV playback, voice recording capabilities, and an FM tuner. But what about the bling? I’m glad you asked.

Each device features studded crystals (probably not Swarovski) in a unique design and it hangs from your neck from a chain with “dogtags”. Needless to say, you’re either all for this player or it makes you want to gag on your own vomit. However you feel, a 2GB version will set you back $199 in April if you should desire to pick one up. Let us know how it works on the ladies, pimps.

MediaREADY’s BLINGPLAYER brings swagger to music [Electronista]

According to Wayde at Gizmo Cafe it is and I’m inclined to agree at this point. Had the merger produced a more unified service, it would have been something of note, but since they’ve decided to still play it separate, the combination has no real effect at all.

Anyway, you should check Gizmo Cafe for a pretty amusing video about the situation. Wayde wisecracks through his explanation and there are even tinfoil hats — and lets be honest, who doesn’t love tinfoil hats?

Why an XM / Sirius Merger Doesn’t Even Matter [Gizmo Cafe Blog]

Samsung now makes guns and butter. The company will produce sentry robot guns that will be stationed along the Korean Demilitarized Zone. The SGR-A1, which was funded by the South Korean government, will make its debut along the most exciting border in the world sometime this year. The sentry gun uses a system of cameras and special software to differentiate between actual, evil North Koreans and harmless visitors and local fauna. It’s mainly going to be used as a first line of defense — a warning, if you will — rather than as a full-on death weapon.

See, something like this would have made CES a little more exciting.

Product Page [Samsung via The Register]

Fresh off the wire is the announcement of Newertech’s Nupower Video+ iPod battery pack. At the ridiculously low price of $49.99, it’s one of the cheapest iPod battery packs on the market today. But just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it sucks. The Nupower Video+ can provide up to 80 frickin’ hours of extra music listening or an additional 16 hours of video viewing.

Talk about a godsend for long flights! This is the perfect accessory for an iPod Video. It’s cheap, portable, rechargeable, and really gives your iPod a boost of energy. If you’re looking to pick one up, they’re available now online at Newertech.com.