Best Gadgets World

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 30th 2008 at 2:03PMHere’s your afternoon dose of cuteness, ready or not. David McGoran’s Heart Robot has made its way into London’s Science Museum, and for good reason. This intelligent robot not only possesses a face with moving eyes and an external heart that blinks depending on what’s happening, but it actually encourages people to hug and cuddle it like a real human. Seen as being “among the first robots to signify a new era of emotional machines used for medical treatment and enjoyment,” this creature could one day become a mainstay in nursing homes where the elderly could interact with it and hopefully benefit in some metaphysical manner. Check out the read link for a video oozing with adorableness.

[Via TimesOnline]

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Filed under: Robots

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jul 30th 2008 at 9:14AM
CNET Asia has apparently received word that not only will ASUS’ Lamborghini-branded ZX1 smartphone be canceled (as we mentioned earlier this month), but the company will also be putting the brakes on its forthcoming P560 and M536 phones as well. In a statement issued presumably to CNET, the company claims that the project has been postponed due to the “technical immaturity of a key component from one of our suppliers,” though they seem to have left the door open for a reboot. We know one thing for sure — it’s clear that the P560 and M536 weren’t those “more important devices” the company made reference to previously. They probably need the resources for another 25 versions of the Eee PC.

[Thanks, chauco]

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Filed under: cellphones

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 30th 2008 at 9:35AM
Break out the tissues — the rumors were true. Or, at least it sure looks that way. As of right now, the only two TiVo units available on the outfit’s webstore are the TiVo HD and the Series2, and even if you do a bit of digging and find the still-active Series3 page, you’ll notice a glaring Out of Stock notification. Of course, you can still find leftover inventory hanging around at various resellers, but all signs are pointing to this being the final hurrah for the S3. Any touching moments you’d like to share in comments as we all bid the device a fond farewell?

[Thanks, Tim]

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 30th 2008 at 11:21AMWe’ll admit, ASUS has us scratching our noggins on this one. Just last month, the outfit coaxed us into believing that EZLink was simply its way of saying DisplayLink. Now, however, it seems that it’s a blanket term being used anytime ASUS “simplifies” something. Whatever the case may be, the outfit has introduced its newest Wireless N USB adapter, the USB-N11. Sporting integrated support for Mac, Windows and Linux-based computers, this draft-N compliant device also features a WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) button — this is where the EZLink comes in — that “allows users to setup a protected networking environment with ease.” Per usual, there’s no mention of a price or release date, so it’s on you to keep an eye out for it to land anytime, anywhere.

[Via I4U News]

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Filed under: Displays, Peripherals, Wireless

These days, digital cameras are a dime a dozen. Okay, they aren’t that cheap just yet, but they are a lot less expensive than they were a few years ago.

Pentax announced the release of the Optio E60 digital camera, which could be the cheapest digital camera for a 10.1 Megapixel model with 3x optical zoom lens. Of course, just because it is cheap, doesn’t mean that it is “cheap”. In other words, the Optio E60 has a lot of cool features for something of its price.

The Optio E60 has a 2.4 inch LCD, and 6.3 MB of internal memory (with the option of SD/SDHC memory cards). It also has a shutter speeds of 1/2000 to 1/4 of a second. As for sensitivity, it is at 100 to 6400, which can be fixed at specific or auto mode settings. There is also a digital shake reduction option in photo and video modes, as well as Face Detection.

You should be able to purchase the Pentax Optio E60 for about $140 after its initial release in October. I have no doubt that it is targeted toward the typical consumer, and that it will be easy and should take quality pictures.

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Okay, time for something that everybody wants to read about, the jet pack! Back when I was a kid, I longed for the day when everyone would have one of these. Considering that this is the new millennium, I am really disappointed that someone has not mass-marketed these by now.

I believe that we are well on our way to jet pack proliferation with designer Glenn Martin’s model. It isn’t really a jet pack, per se, because there are no jets involved. Martin uses two gasoline-fueled 200 horsepower fans, which make the jet pack louder than a jet plane.

I suppose the lack of flaming afterburners is why Martin says that his jetpack is the safest. Another reason is that it comes with a built-in parachute, which will hopefully be a standard safety feature for every jetpack.

I can imagine that machine-assisted flight is probably one of the greatest thrills technology has to offer. It does cost about $250,000, though.

I hope we will soon come to an era when everybody is flying around on jet packs that are not so expensive. Maybe the skies will be filled with jet packers, and I wonder how long it will take for us to cease to be impressed by it.

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If you enjoy toying with certain effects to add to the sound of your music you have stored away on your ipod, you might give these speakers a try.  They are SoundPads that stick to any surface, which means the wall, a poster, box, bookshelf, etc.  Each item you attach it to will give a slightly different sound.  It would also make for an easy solution to put music in places that would otherwise be difficult.

This is being sold through ThinkGeek and they warn that once stuck it’s not going anywhere.  Which means you might want to test it out before you go pealing off the sticky backing.  Luckily, these are also cheaper than usual too.  They were being sold for $24.99 but are now set at $17.99.  Which is cheap enough that you’d be able to buy a few for different spots throughout your home.  You can never have too many rooms with the option of music.

Source: Technabob

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iSkin has released several different cases to keep iPods of all different sizes well protected.  Well now they have created a sporty armband to keep your Nano safe.  This is quite obviously for the newer Nano, as you can see from the picture.  I always like the armbands for the Nano a bit better than the Touch.  It just seems like the ipod Touch would move around too much and get obnoxious when trying to do any physical activities.

With the Nano it’s a bit more compact and less likely to be in the way.  This armband features a moisture-resistant band, which it pretty much has to have in order for it to be used.  The band is also breathable, so it will be a bit more comfortable while you’re at the gym.  It also has a soft silicone layer along with a harder layer in a metallic finish to protect the Nano itself.  It comes in two different body colors, which you can see above.  To get the iSkin DuoBand for the iPod Nano it will cost you $40.

Source: SlipperyBrick

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It didn’t take Nokia too long to release its latest E-series phone, the E71 in the US market after announcing it last month. Being touted as the world’s slimmest QWERTY smartphone, the Nokia E71 is now available in various US retailers and at Nokia’s Flagship store in Chicago and New York. Retailing at an unsubsidized price of around $500, the E71 boasts features that make it worthy of the Nokia E-series branding.

A quick review of the specs and features of the E71 which we mentioned after the official announcement would give us a smartphone with high-speed data, Wi-Fi, A-GPS with optional turn-by-turn navigation, a 3.2-megapixel camera, full QWERTY keyboard, 3G connectivity, OVI support including Share on Ovi and Nokia Maps, easy-to-configure email features, built-in encryption technology for the device memory and an optional microSD memory card.

Throw in an integrated mobile VPN for accessing a company intranet and a lock and wipe technology for protecting corporate information and you have a Nokia phone which worthy of being an alternative to a blackberry handset.

Read [Nokia Press Release]

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The US version of the Nokia E71 is one highly anticipated handset, although it won’t command as strong a following as the recent iphone 3G release. Still, this business centric cell phone is touted to be the slimmest QWERTY device on the market, measuring a mere 0.39″ in thickness. It is currently available to the general public via a range of consumer electronics, wireless and online retailers, and at the Nokia Flagship Stores in Chicago and New York. More of the E71 can be garnered if you read past the jump.

The Nokia E71 also includes a number of entertainment features and supports many of the latest Ovi services including Nokia Maps and Share on Ovi. With integrated A-GPS and Nokia Maps 2.0, the Nokia E71 can easily pinpoint locations and provide optional turn-by-turn navigation information. The device also captures high-quality images and videos with its 3.2 megapixel camera, which can be quickly uploaded and shared with friends and family around the world using the fun and easy Share on Ovi service.

Easy-to-configure email, including support for both enterprise-grade email including Mail for Exchange and Intellisync as well as the most popular consumer email services like Gmail, Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail, combined with real-time access to calendar information, contacts and to-do lists make the Nokia E71 a perfect productivity tool. Built-in encryption technology for both the device memory and an optional microSD memory card is also included with the Nokia E71.

I would go on a limb and speculate that most Nokia E71 customers would have owned the E61i prior to this, since that cell phone was one multi-functional unit although this one improves on the predecessor’s strong points even further. You can pick up an unlocked Nokia E71 for approximately half a grand.

Press Release

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