Best Gadgets World

by Thomas Ricker, posted Apr 18th 2008 at 7:16AMEveryone loves the Eee PC, especially now that Asus has increased the display from 7- to 8.9-inches, bumped the webcam to 1.3 megapixels, and widened the track-pad while adding in some nifty multi-touch capabilities. Unfortunately, we’re still looking at a rated 1.5-hours of battery life since the new 900 uses the same power hungy CPU found in the original Eee PC. So where’s Atom and its promise of “significant power savings?” Well, according to Techradar, they’ve been in touch with Taiwan-based ASUS’ UK reps who believe that the Atom-based Eee PC will debut at Computex in early June and then launch globally shortly thereafter. Makes sense as June is the confirmed time frame for the Atom CPU launch. If true — and we believe it is as it syncs up precisely with DigiTimes’ sources — then the only remaining mystery is whether the June model will also feature an 8.9-inch touchscreen (and possibly GPS) as promised by Asus. Let’s hope so.

[Thanks, Robert James P.]

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It seems like forever since we last had some news regarding the Zune, and while we cannot say anything bad about The Joy Division we had hoped that when the Zune came back into the news it would have been for something a little more exciting.

The Joy Division are currently preparing for their upcoming DVD release which will hit the retails shelves on June 10, and Microsoft will be releasing the limited edition Zune to match. The Zune is reported to feature the design from the bands 1979 album called Unknown Pleasures, which was originally created by Peter Saville.

As of now, Microsoft has not released any images of just what the Zune will look like, instead we only have an image of the original album art, so we need to use some imagination here. I cannot help to wonder though, is there even a market for a Joy Division limited edition Zune?

Read [Wired]

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Sanyo has upgraded their Xacti CA-65 waterproof camcorder with the new Xacti DMX-CA8. The DMX-CA8 retains much of the same features as its predecessor except for the addition of an 8-megapixel CMOS sensor and a “Face Chaser” function.

The DMX-CA8 is JIS IPX5 and IPX8 certified, which means that it can withstand one hour of being submerged into water up to 1.5 meters (just under 5-foot) deep. The DMX-CA8 can record video at 60fps with MPEG-4 AVCH/H.264 compression. Like its predecessor, the DMX-CA8 also sports a 5x optical zoom lens. To make the camcorder special, Sanyo threw in a “Face Chaser” function which can track six faces when filming a video or twelve faces when the camcorder is used for still images.

Otherwise, the DMX-CA8 also offers a digital image stabilizer, wind noise reduction, talking navigation, support for SDHC cards up to 32GB and a 2.5-inch color LCD display. The DMX-CA8 will be released in the Japanese market sometime in May 2008.

Sanyo Xacti DMX-CA8
by AkihabaraNews

Via [Akihabara News]

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Iomega Corporation isn’t just about office devices only, as the company has recently rolled out the Iomega Media Xporter Drive which targets console gamers. This game-oriented portable hard drive offers cross-platform media storage for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles, making it a snap to use both popular game consoles of today, along with the capability of hooking up to high definition televisions and other large screen TVs to share photos, videos, and music collections with family and friends.

The wallet-sized USB-powered 160GB Media Xporter Drive utilizes the USB 2.0 ports on the Xbox 360 or the playstation 3 to give gaming enthusiasts a convenient new way to enjoy music, digital movies, and photos through the family game console, without the need of a PC or digital media adapter. The new Iomega Media Xporter Drive has been tested for compatibility with the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 and like other Iomega products is a complete storage solution that includes value-added software for converting file formats not natively supported by the game consoles.

Since both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles feature HDMI support as well as HDTV resolutions of up to 1080p, one can be assured that the photos and videos stored on the Iomega Media Xporter Drive will look stunning on today’s more advanced HDTVs, featuring unprecedented sharpness as well as clarity. Of course, it needs not be said that having a photographer with a keen eye for detail helps a whole lot either. According to Ralf San Jose, global product manager for HDD Products, Iomega Corporation”The new Iomega Media Xporter Drive extends the value of today’s most popular game consoles that are already evolving into home entertainment centers. For the home-gamer enthusiast, the Media Xporter Drive provides an easy-to-use portal for 160GB of family photos, music files and videos to move beyond the computer room and into the family room for the enjoyment of everyone.”

The 160GB Iomega Media Xporter Drive USB 2.0 will retail for $119.95 in the US and 99 Euros in, well, Europe.

Press Release

A German company has recently released a new style of DVD, one that will delete all of the data after (up to) 48 hours has passed. While this technology is not entirely new, we have seen Flexplay in the past that saw limited use as ez-D under Disney’s Buena Vista, this is a new format with a few new options.

To begin with the new DVD’s are more appropriately named and are being called the DVD-D. Where the “D” could easily lend itself to a variety of names that fit to include delete, destruct or even destroy.

The DVD-D’s are packaged in a sealed cardboard sleeve and the countdown will begin once you open up the package, which means left un-opened and un-touched the DVD could retain the data for years. The DVD-D comes in three varieties; a single view, 8 hour or 48 hour disc. The DVD-D’s can be used for just about anything a regular DVD could to include movies, games and also burning data.

While this sounds like a great idea, and could potentially be a huge money saver in terms of shipping charges for by-mail game and movie rental companies like Netflix and Blockbuster, we can only imagine the extra waste that would occur from the expired “D” discs.

Via [I4U News]

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The In-Steering Wheel Navigation takes in-dash navigation to the next level, doing away with the need for a large display for obvious reasons but featuring a list of functions that might actually be crazy enough to be the next big thing. The In-Steering Wheel Navigation uses a computer that is connected to a central unit in your car, warming the driver of various potential hazards such as an opened door or low-tire pressure through the steering wheel. It is also compatible with the Navigon 7100 GPS navigation system, relaying important information to the 12 o’clock position on the steering wheel. In addition, the on-board sensors will enable the Navigon 7100 to gauge speed accurately, direction and the attitude of the vehicle. Which do you think is safer - glancing at the steering wheel or the dashboard?

Source: American Inventor Spot

Every once in a while, someone invents something that he or she can only hope will catch on. This is the case of the Chill Stick, a cooler that thinks it’s a pool-cue holder.

The Chill Stick allows the user to store an entire six-pack of beer in its roll-shaped package. I’m sure the Chill Stick can store 12 ounce cans of other liquids, but I’m guessing beer will be the transported beverage of choice amongst Chill Stick owners. I mean, this product just screams: “if you could put all the beer that I’m going to drink tonight into one glass, it would be this tall”.

I’m also guessing that the primary use of the Chill Stick will be a method to smuggle booze into certain places, even though it is against the rules. Security officials will probably get wise to this form of beer transport.

Somehow this product can keep your canned goods cool, but I’m not certain how. After all, it doesn’t look like there’s Blue Ice in the neoprene skin. All I know is that you stack up the cans on top of each other in the Chill Stick, and zip them up to make it cool.

If this Chill Stick is something that floats your boat, you can get it at the appropriately named Things You Never Knew site for about $11.98.

Source

The Guardian is reporting that according to a study by the industry group British Music Rights, 95% of 18-24 years old engaged in what it calls “home copying” which refers to things such as making copies of CD’s and MP3 files. The study reported that 2/3rds of that group copied five CD’s a month for their friends.

Is this something new? Not really. Anyone who grew up in the 80’s probably has fond memories of making mix tapes with their double deck boom boxes, or by using their stereo systems to copy LP tracks onto cassette, and when the VCR came out, people eagerly copied and traded tapes of their favorite shows and music videos.  Is sharing bad for the music industry? The RIAA would have us all believe so, but others argue that it’s actually beneficial because it exposes people to music they otherwise may never have heard. The debate rages on.

This recent study was made as the UK government ponders the introduction of an exception to British copyright law that would allow citizens to legally copy music they have bought for private home use. However that turns out, it’s a sure bet that home copying is here to stay.

Read [The Guardian]

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I have seen the future, and contrary to what Al Gore thinks, it is actually a convenient truth. One day, we all will drive vehicles that will run on air, and will actually produce healthy emissions instead of pollutants like carbon monoxide gases.

I had my brief glimpse into this Earth-friendly future when I heard about Jem Stansfield, a former shepherd now turned inventor who has designed an air powered bike. All Stansfield did was connect a few air canisters that are normally used by firefighters to a normal Puch moped. I suppose that sounds like an easy DIY operation, but Stansfield is a true innovator in creating one of the most environmentally sound vehicles today.

Of course, this moped can only reach a top speed of 18 mph, and can only travel for about seven minutes per canister. The canisters for this mode of transportation are quite expensive at $6 a tank at the most.

Of course, considering how much gas prices are rising, this air-powered moped might eventually be a less expensive way to travel. At least the emissions would be cleaner, and you definitely have to admit that this invention, crude as it may be, is a step in the right direction for a greener Earth. Perhaps someone will perfect this technology, and we’ll all have fresh air-powered vehicles with more cost-efficient fuel.

Source

With the numerous social networks and online storage options so widely available storing gigabytes of files on the internet is no longer a challenge. I for one, use social networks to upload my photos and videos to save computer space, after all, I could retrieve them in the future. That is, if those websites don’t shut down and delete my files.

Recently, another start-up website was launched that is meant for accessing and sharing music, photos, and videos on your Windows Mobile based phone. Cloudtrade’s mission is to build a consumer community for free. Simply install the software on the mobile phone, and you’re off, CloudTrade offers 1GB of free uploading to your “Cloud” as personal profiles are called. Users can upload and download files both from their mobile phone or home computer.

So maybe this is like any other social network, allowing users to share files. I don’t see anything really new except that it’s an innovative platform, being the fact that it is designed to be mobile, which means it allows free access anytime, anywhere using your phone. Anyway, here’s a Cloudtrade video, which for me is waaaay to corny:

Via [CrunchGear]

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