Best Gadgets World

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 25th 2008 at 5:28AM
Who knew closely investigating expo floor layouts could be so fun and rewarding? Sure enough, the 2008 DemoFest Booth Map hosted up for Microsoft’s upcoming (July 27th - 29th) Research Faculty Summit shows allotted space for one “Multi-Touch Spherical Display.” Of course, Redmond-based exhibitors may end up dedicating slot 110 to carbonated beverages and unhealthy snacks, but whether those sly cats are ready to admit it or not, we know this thing is real.

[Via ZDNet]

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Filed under: Displays

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 25th 2008 at 2:51PM
Mizanur Rahman is clearly sick and tired of traditional mousing devices. So sick and tired, in fact, that he’s kicked out a rendering of the Project: Alien Mouse. In short, this decidedly gigantic mouse shoots for ergonomics by providing a place for your wrist, lower arm and maybe your elbow if you’re a small enough person. We’ll be honest, all those gel cushions sure look comfy from here, but the amount of brain energy that would be required to use it kind of puts a damper on the whole deal.

[Via Wired]

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Filed under: Peripherals

I’m sure all of you who work on computers run the terrible risk of carpel tunnel syndrome, or repetitive stress injury, also known as RSI. 

I know there have been times I have been working late, and I shake my wrists after feeling the pain.  However, maybe I can get the Alien mouse. 

The Alien mouse is inspired by great ergonomics, and designed by Mizanur Rahman.  The mouse is designed to support the wrist, and can even be adjusted for a customized fit. 

Believe it or not, there is a vibrator underneath the mouse’s main unit for some extra comfort and relief, and there is a little finger joystick included as well.  There is also some weird mood lighting included, for nothing more than the alien effect. 

I’m not certain why it is called the Alien Mouse.  With all its great features, it sounds like it would be a bitter fit for humans.  I can’t see E.T. using this one. 

Via [DVICE]

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by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jul 25th 2008 at 2:16PM
All work and no play makes Robosapien a dull bot. All work and no play makes Robosapien a dull bot. All work and n0 play makes R0b0sapien a dull bot. All w0rk and no play makes R0101ap1en a dull b0t. A11 w0rk a1d n0 play m01es R0101ap1en a dull b0t. A11 101k 11d n0 p10y m01es R010101e0 a d011 b0t. 011 1011 11d n0 p10y m011s 0010101e0 a d011 b0t. 011 1011 110 10 p10y 1011s 0010101e0 1 d011 b0t. 011 1011 110 10 1100 10110 001010110 1 1011 001.

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Filed under: Robots

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jul 25th 2008 at 9:44AMTaiwanese industry and rumor site DigiTimes is reporting (without citing a source) that ASUS expects to deliver “whole-day” battery options to its Eee PC range of netbooks. In addition, ASUS also plans to offer some level of Internet storage, apparently beyond the 20GB they already offer to new Eee PC 901 and 1000 owners — a move that we hope will become a trend amongst netbook providers in order to offset the miniscule flash drives found inside the lowest of the low-cost, mini laptops. Both changes are expected before the year is up. Incredibly, ASUS also plans to push out new software and hardware upgrades every month to “fill gaps in the netbook market.” Funny, we didn’t think any gaps remained in this over-saturated niche.

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Filed under: Laptops

I have noticed that portable media players are getting more advanced, and that many of them have some great features.  They have to do more than just play tunes and video, but have an FM transmitter, photo-viewer, and e-book functions.

One of the latest PMP’s to hit the market is the ABigs player from Sarotech.  Not only does it have that aforementioned FM transmitter, photo viewer, and e-book viewer, but it has a 2.5-inch display, H.264 and MKV support, as well as 1080p over HDMI and 5.1 channel out. 

Yes, there are a lot of great features here, but what really makes this ABigs player is the memory.  It has about 160GB that is available for about $278, and a 320GB for $328. I believe that this is a whole lot more memory than your typical ipod. 

Too bad that the ABigs player is only available in the Korean market.  I don’t know if they ever intend to make it available over to the States, but I would say it is a sign of the times.  I guess customers are demanding more from their PMPs. 

Via [Gizmodo]

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by Darren Murph, posted Jul 25th 2008 at 5:18PM
Not that you haven’t seen ZeeVee’s ZvBox in the flesh before, but Dave Zatz got some hands-on time with the finalized unit. According to him, the box showed an impressive build quality though it ran “quite hot” — likely a result of foregoing a built-in fan for a giant heatsink. He also noted that image quality was “good,” though he did mention that he longed to see the ability to “selectively isolate a video window and present that content fullscreen.” Anywho, feel free to read up on his initial impressions and peep the hands-on pics in the read link below.

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 25th 2008 at 3:39PM
There was a time when the world was more innocent and Lincoln Logs in elementary classrooms were a given, but now that teachers are looking to squash every ounce of fun between 8AM and 3PM (okay, so maybe we just had a rough experience or two), LEGO’s taking the back door in. The WeDo robotics kit is marketed toward elementary schools and the younger kids within them, with each package containing 158 blocks, gears, levers, etc., a USB hub for connecting to your Mac / PC, OLPC XO or Intel Classmate, a motor, one motion sensor, one tilt sensor and a CD with a smattering of sure-to-be-riveting activities. Mum’s the word on pricing for now, but considering your tax dollars will be paying for ‘em, it’s not like you’ll really benefit from knowing.

[Via BoingBoing]

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Filed under: Misc. gadgets