Friday, December 28, 2007

Water-powered calculator

Water-powered calculator While most calculators these days are dual-powered (that is, they rely on either the batteries within or on natural sunlight), who would have thought of a water-powered calculator? Well here you have one in the flesh, where electrolytes within water will enable you to ensure that your tax returns are all properly balanced. While this is a rather interesting device to own (at $8.99 a pop it is worth checking out if you have the loose change to spare), one does wonder whether you would use a calculator anywhere else without light. Perhaps a water-powered wireless mouse would be a much better idea.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

LLuon Crystal mini PC

LLuon Crystal mini PC


These days, people tend to prefer getting a laptop rather than a mini-PC because the laptop is clean looking, small, mostly cable-free and most importantly, good enough. This LLuon computer makes me at least want to look at one of these again, and I could use it as a Media Center PC… if it had a TV tuner. In the end, good design works.

Some people that I know would say: “if you can’t make it good, make it shiny”.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Optimus Tactus Keyboard Based On a Touch Display

Optimus Tactus Keyboard Based On a Touch Display


Art Lebedev, widely known for their OLED keyboard (coming soon) has devised a new concept called Maximus Tactus that takes the display keyboard concept to the next level, and might (surprisingly) be easier to build, program and produce. This would initially come at a price, given that the whole keyboard is now a touch-dipslay, making it possible for developers to create any layout – from a traditional keyboard to a custom made interface, which would be great for specialized tasks. Now, even with some tactile feedback, the mechanical feel of a keyboard would be mostly gone. Would you want one? It looks so cool – I hope that it becomes a reality.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Apricron DriveWire Quick HDD cloning via USB

Apricron DriveWire – Quick HDD cloning via USB


The DriveWire is a box that converts any bare hard drive (SATA, PATA) to a USB drive. It’s quick: you just need to plug your drive in the connector and voila.

It ships with “EZ Gig II”, a (HDD) backup software that can clone a drive (practical for an upgrade) or clone only a partition. If you are using an exotic operating system, you can also boot from a CD and clone your drive from there. I have not tested it, but I assume that it is possible to restore a drive on a larger (and newer) HDD. There are alternatives out there, like the excellent Acronis True Image. Product page, $51 on Amazon

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Netflix Unlimited Online Viewing

Netflix Unlimited Online Viewing

Netflix has decided to offer unlimited online viewing to “select, existing customers”. I don’t know if you have, but I did try the feature a couple of months ago, and it was working quite decently. The video quality is sub-DVD, but above standard TV (SDTV). The streaming worked well, and there was no waiting time to watch the movie.

Now it is all good, but the weak point is the streaming movie library. The videos available for streaming are mostly old movies/TV shows. The screenshot on the right was taken today in the “Watch Instantly=>Recent Addition” section. You can see Columbo and Knight Rider… Yay!

Many users would rather save a buck by opting out, but that’s not an option for now.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Shocker: LCD TV prices to fall (even more) in 2008

Shocker: LCD TV prices to fall (even more) in 2008


It is probably not a surprise to you that flat TV prices, whether using LCD or Plasma, are going to fall further, probably at an accelerated pace. It is mostly the way things are: as improvements in manufacturing costs and yields (number of defective devices out of the assembly line), competition forces manufacturers to lower prices to maintain market share.

But most people do not mention the second reason why prices are going to (free) fall next year. I call it “fixed function”. Let me explain to you what I mean by “fixed function”:

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Intel Skultrail 8 cores, 4 GPUs

Intel Skultrail – 8 cores, 4 GPUs


If you didn’t know Gaming (or “Enthusiast”) computers is where all the margins are in the PC industry. Even though Intel has a dominant position on the industry in general, the company thinks that it needs to work on its “Enthusiast” image.

Skulltrail is Intel’s platform for demanding entertainment. Users can put up to two quad-core processors, to get a total of 8 processing cores working in parallel. Whatever these eight cores compute must be displayed at some point, and Intel has made it possible to build a quad-gpu system. My favorite part is all the heat sinks

Keep in mind that applications do not scale linearly with the number of cores. Check Hothardware for a closer look.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Dell Inspiron 1525 ships on 1/9/08... in Australia

Dell Inspiron 1525 ships on 1/9/08 in Australia

A good ratio between performance and price is the name of the game when it comes to laptops. Those who want a portable computer with a large display should be aware that a new Dell Inspiron 1525 has popped on Dell’s Australian website and should ship on 1/9/2008. The computer will cost around $1200 (USD). Keep an eye on Dell USA. [Via Crave]

Specifications
  • Intel Core 2, 2.0Ghz
  • Windows Vista Home Premium
  • 2GB RAM (4GB max)
  • 160GB HDD
  • 15” display (1280x800 or 1440x900)
  • Intel X3100 integrated (low-end) graphics
  • Dual-Layer DVD burner
  • WiFi G (upgradeable to N)

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Everun WiBro S60H UMPC

Everun WiBro S60H UMPC


This ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) by Korean company Raon has a WiBro wireless internet module. It runs on an AMD LX900 processor and has 60GB of storage (hard disk). It costs around $850 in Korea, but we don’t know if/when it will be exported and at what price.

If you don’t know what WiBro is, it stands for Wireless Broadband: think of it as WiFi on steroids with a range of one mile. More on WiBro.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Airswitch 1 Lamp

Airswitch 1 Lamp The Airswitch 1 Lamp will definitely add a touch of elegance to your home, coming in the form of a laboratory flash. The lamp itself allows users to move their hand over the top to turn the light on or off, while raising or lowering your hand enables you to adjust the brightness levels (from very dim to extremely bright). I love touches like this which make home appliances all the more user friendly. You can pick up the Airswitch 1 Lamp for $85 a pop. Just in case your memory fails you, there are printed instructions on one side in iconographic form to help you jog those ailing neurons.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Becker Traffic Assist 7827

Becker Traffic Assist 7827


During the San Francisco CTIA, I took a close look at Becker’s GPS devices and I like how they were built with small details that made life a little better. I hope that this 7827 is built with the same principles. The picture above is not a photo, but the Becker 7827 will be shown at CES 2008.

  • Maps of the U.S and Canada on a 2GB SD Card
  • Points of interest
  • 4.3” display
  • Pseudo 3D view
  • Media Player functions
  • 250 Euros in European countries

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Safety device from NTT DoCoMo

Safety device from NTT DoCoMo NTT DoCoMo has revealed a new safety device which is capable of obtaining high-precision location information courtesy of its GPS function. This device enables location tracking whenever the slide switch is pulled, allowing family members and authorities to get a better idea of just where the user is at the moment. In addition, the slide switch also functions as a crime prevention buzzer switch on the device itself just in case you get into a rather sticky situation. Dubbed the CTG-001G, this device was developed by Giant Electronics on behalf of DoCoMo. Would be nice to see more of such devices here in the West.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Amosu does it again with Motorola RAZR2

Amosu does it again with Motorola RAZR2 The folks at Amosu have taken the Motorola RAZR 2 and added an extra layer of bling for those with way too much cash to spare. This luxury version of Motorola's svelte clamshell has been christened the RAZR2 V8 Luxury Diamond Edition, and from its name alone, you can tell that it costs a bomb. It will be available in extremely limited quantities - 5 to be exact, so if you're aren't in the millionaire's club, you can forget about wrapping your mittens around this baby.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Asus M930W smartphone

Asus M930W smartphone Looks like there is a new Asus M930W smartphone in the works, and this Windows Mobile 6-powered device features a Marvel PXA270M 520MHz processor. Other features include triband GSM/GPRS/EDGE at 900/1800/1900 MHz, singleband UMTS/HSDPA at 2100 MHz up 3.6 Mbps, WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity. There is no word on pricing or availability as at press time.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Robot can draw portraits now

Robot can draw portraits now



You know those streetside artists who seem to have way more talent than folks at the local art gallery? Well, you can now get your portrait done by a robot instead of relying on human talent thanks to this robotic effort by researcher Sylvain Calinon. The robot developed is capable of recognizing a face in its field of vision, snapping a digital photo and extracting the major characteristics of their face. Once its algorithms get to work, the robot will automatically function as an X/Y plotter, fleshing out your details slowly but surely. Does this mean that street artists will be out of a job anytime soon? Nah, but this is certainly an interesting development. Check out a video of it in action here.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

USB Punch Head

USB Punch Head If your workload's piling up at the office, it makes sense to have the USB Punch Head around for some comic relief. Powered via USB, you can smack it on its head whenever the pressure gets too much for you, or if your boss has just given you an earful and all you want to do is vent your frustrations without hurting anyone in the process. Punching the USB Punch Head will result in it emitting "Owww" and "Aaah" sounds. The USB Punch Head is tipped to be released sometime in March next year. Till then, make sure you have a stress ball somewhere in your cubicle and watch that blood pressure of yours.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Doraemon RC Helicopter

Doraemon RC Helicopter Doraemon lovers, rejoice! There is a new remote controlled Doraemon in town which is sure to please fans of Japan's famous robotic cat. Known as the Doraemon RC helicopter, he is easy to navigate with the dummy proof remote controls. The Doraemon RC helicopter measures a mere 7cm in height, tipping the scales at 21.3 grams. I suppose anyone (regardless of whether adult or kid) with a soft spot for Doraemon will find this $64 toy a purchase worth every penny.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Bluedot BDP-1725 DVD player

Bluedot BDP-1725 DVD player



Bluedot has a new portable DVD player in town known as the BDP-1725. This comes with an LED backlight, providing users with lower power consumption and supports formats such as DVD±R/RW, CD-R/RW. It has a maximum playback time of 5 hours before a recharge is required. The Bluedot BDP-1725 retails for $205 after conversion.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Intel Classmate PC ships in Vietnam

Intel Classmate PC ships in Vietnam


The Intel Classmate PC found its way to the stores in Vietnam. It will ship with Hacao Linux 2.16. At $340 a pop for people like you and me, I would rather get an Asus Eee. Wouldn’t you?

Specifications
  • 7” 800x480 display
  • Intel Celeron 900Mhz processor
  • 256MB of RAM
  • 1GB of flash storage
  • WiFi-G
  • 2.9Lbs
More details and analysis at LinuxDevices

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

inMotion SoundBlade speakers

inMotion SoundBlade speakers The inMotion SoundBlade speakers is one slim and svelte pair of speakers that feature a couple of custom-built 2.5" full range speakers within, capable of playing tunes off your A2DP supported cellphone. In addition to giving more punch to your handset's musical tracks, it can also function as a speakerphone, boasting special GSM/CDMA shielding that prevents speaker buzz. The microphone is also sensitive enough to pick up your voice from several feet away, and has support for voice-activated dialing. The inMotion SoundBlade retails for $129.95.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

PQI Traveling Disk i201 USB flash drive

PQI Traveling Disk i201 USB flash drive



PQI has released a new line a USB flash drives known as the Traveling Disk i201, coming in a range of colors and drive capacities. You can choose from strawberry pink, banana yellow and blueberry blue, with sizes that vary from 1GB up to 4GB. They're extremely portable, measuring just 2.7mm thin while weighing 1.35 grams, making them all the more easy to misplace. Features include file security management, PC-Lock and My Favorites synchronization. Each purchase will come with a lifetime warranty, but there is no word on pricing or availability as at press time. They will be paraded at CES 2008 though, so look out for more information then.

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Wal-Mart cans video download service

Wal-Mart cans video download service Looks like Wal-Mart won't be offering its online video download service anymore, and this news comes as a shock since the service has been live for less than a year. This came about after HP discontinued the technology that powered it, and Wal-Mart won't be looking for a different technology partner as well, hence the closure of the video download-only merchant store service. At the end of the day, it is profit that matters, and since this organ failed to translate to a surplus of dollar signs, it is but wise to can the entire service. Have you downloaded movies before, and do you think Wal-Mart has no faith in the long term advantage of movie downloading?

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Reigncom W7 GPS

Reigncom W7 GPS


This W7 GPS from Reigncom is not as big as it might seem: it has a 3” display and can have up to 8GB of storage. All of it is not for the maps: it is also a portable multimedia player (as many GPS these days), a dictionary. It can be extended with a car kit that contains: power supply, dock, miniSD card, miniSD adapter (for the computer).

  • W7 4GB - $250
  • W7 8GB - $305
  • Car kit - $105

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[Source: Ubergizmo]

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Weave syncs Firefox between multiple computers

Weave syncs Firefox between multiple computers


Mozilla is introducing Weave, a service that synchronizes your Firefox data (Bookmarks, preferences, customizations and passwords) between multiple devices (desktop, laptop, mobile). Weave is currently in its 0.1 version, so you can expect a few kinks here and there. It should look a little like Google Sync, but I hope that it will end up being better. Google's sync is nor perfect, some deleted links come back and so on. It is mostly OK however.

At the moment, Weave runs only on Firefox 3.0beta2 or higher (Windows/Mac/Linux). Install from here, Mozilla forums

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[Source: Ubergizmo]