With the emergence of Tivo, Directv’s and Dish Network’s DVR service, it’s easy to see why companies such as Panasonic are really stepping up their game to compete with these them. Panasonic just unveiled their new crop of DVRs at CES in Las Vegas. The spec list speaks for itself: Dual Digital TV Tuners, a Blu-Ray Burner, and DLNA support that can be used to record content from a PC or PS3. With specs like these and storage space that ranges from 320 GB to 1TB, these new DVRs might just be what Doctor House ordered to put a dent into the dominance of Tivo and Directv.  [via akihabranews]

Most home-theater-in-a-box systems are all about style and not substance. Every so often there comes a system that changes that perception and this Oynko system is one of those. With true 7 channel surround sound, this HTIB has features that rival the high end systems. 1080p output, the latest and greatest V1.3 of HDMI connectivity, 4 HDMI ports and decoding of all loss less audio formats such as high-resolution Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio surround. It also has automatic sound calibration to help you get the right sounding acoustics for any room you might want to place it in. With features like these and a price of about $1000, it’s easy to see why this system is changing the perception of HTIBs.  [via cnet]

Ever wanted to be DJ Premier or maybe even Tiesto? Now is your chance. The Swedish-based Tonium will be releasing an updated version of their famous Pacemaker Djing system. Described as a full DJ system for your pocket, it can playback a bevy of music formats so that no matter how you get your music (legally or the Jack Sparrow way) You will always have the party jumpin’. This new version has a more user friendly and refined interface but the built-in hard drive has been shrinked from 120 gigs to 60. Want to be a DJ, you got the music covered, now all you’re missing is the Booze and the women.  [via crunchgear]

There are many things that make me remember my childhood. Transformers and GI Joe are two of them, but so is the old school Nintendo. The frustration of having to blow air into the cassette was endless but when you finally got it to work, it was crap load of fun. Duck Hunt was one of the games I enjoyed the most. In between the dog jumping in the bushes and the dead duck’s feathers filling the screen it was a blast. One ingenious Ebay seller, it’s not Sam Witwicky, has brought Duck Hunt into 2009. Stuffing a Wiimote into the front of the Desert Eagle bayonet style, the Wiimote is hardwired to the gun via a bent clothes hanger. Ingenuity, craftsmanship and business savvy all at once.  [via slipperybrick]

Usually, tech products do not resemble the name they are given. This is the exception to the rule. With these Psyko looking headphones, gamers can now enjoy 5.1 audio when they are munching on cheetos, drinking Mountain Dew and slaying a dragon in World of Warcraft (we’re not stereotyping– that’s how we spent our Monday night). Psyko Audio promises true 5.1 sound through their patented PsykoWave Technology which delivers sound to both ears with the correct direction, timing and volume difference between each ear. Each ear cup houses a built in sub-woofer and the headphones also have a built-in amplifier which lets gamers customize volume and bass levels.  So, not only can you have an awesome surround sound experience while sneaking through the bushes as Solid Snake, you can possibly go deaf while doing it.  [$299 at psykoaudio]

Americans always want bigger and better. Think Blu-Ray is the last frontier? Think again, Spock. Holographic discs may be the next breakthrough for storing information. Instead of being etched with patterns only on the surface, a holo-disc saves data throughout its interior. When the first holographic discs hit the market next year, users will need to buy expensive systems (the early adopter tax) to handle the 300GB discs. But scientists at GE Global Research are working on a laser system that can read CD, DVD and holo-discs. That system may hit the market in 2012. So be smart– don’t go out and upgrade your DVD collection to Blu-Ray just yet…  [ge]

Gravity is not the same everywhere on Earth. It is influenced by geological formations and varying density of materials beneath the surface. To map these gravitational differences, the ESA (European Space Agency), has built GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer). To be launched in early 2009, this craft will circle 155 miles above the planet to measure the differences in gravitational pull. The technical aspects can be quite mind boggling, but what it will do is determine what lie’s under the Earth’s crust, give an accurate measurement as to how high mountains really are, and more specifically, determine how Earth will react to the melting ice sheets. You might not think this will affect you, but it will.  [via esaint]

Even though most of us gadget lovers are thankful to have a true open source phone (G1), most of us can agree– it could have been given a more progressive design. Enter Lenovo and the OPhone– we couldn’t have thought of a better name. O as in, well, show us your “o” face.  The OPhone features a 5-megapixel camera (with Auto Focus and flash), a microSD card slot, English/Chinese input via virtual keyboard, a video recorder and Bluetooth 2.0. Not too shabby is you ask us. The drawback? You most likely won’t be able to get your hands on one of these, the OPhone is only available in China…  [via engadget]

While face shifting might be something from Total Recall, people changing their appearance to cause harm is nothing out of a science fiction movie. A German security firm is creating a 3D face-recognition tech that checks people for even the smallest change in the way a person looks. You have a mole, birthmark or otherwise– no dice my friend, your plan will be foiled. Once the facial details are recorded, the biometric information will be placed onto a chip card to be placed in their OLED-based passports which will be heat-resistant, extremely thin and will presumably include movies of 3D biometric info, along with other visual cues. Yes it sounds complicated, and to a certain extent expensive, but considering the potential of the product, it’s two drawbacks that aren’t too much of a hindrance.  [via wired]