Gadgets Blog News

Posted Mar 31st 2008 5:14PM by Paul MillerFiled under: Misc. gadgets Bug Labs announced in January that it’d be busting out a BUG+EDU program for getting units into the hands of impressionable youngsters, and now that they’ve sold out of the first crop of units they’re getting those educational discounts off the ground. Students (with relevant ID) can now purchase modules at a 10% discount, while K-12 schools and secondary education institutions can buy Bug for 25% off. (Read the full post about ‘BUG+EDU educational discounts unveiled for little hackers’…)

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Posted Mar 31st 2008 12:29PM by Darren MurphFiled under: Displays, Peripherals Folks hanging on the Mac side of life have surely been waiting in tense anticipation for DisplayLink to become OS X friendly, for like, ever. As promised, the first drivers have emerged in order to give Intel-based Macs (yes, macbook air and mac mini are included) the ability to connect with up to four monitors over USB. Granted, the beta software has no 2D acceleration and no OpenGL 3D acceleration, but both limitations are known and will hopefully be ironed out in the final release. So, what are you waiting for? Tap the read link below to get your download on — but be sure to read up on the documentation before forging ahead (Read the full post about ‘DisplayLink releases beta drivers for OS X’…)

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In keeping with today’s apparent theme of customizing, hp has just announced three customizable computers in their lineup. The first is the m9200t, which is designed “for the ultimate entertainment experience”. This particular model features an HP Easy Backup button to back up all those files, plus many options including one terabyte (TB) of hard drive space and a Blu-ray DVD writer. There are also some extra storage options including two built-in drive bays for backing up photos, music, and videos. In other words, this model will live up to its tagline. Another big-ticket item is the HP Pavilion a6400z, which has a very low configuration price as low as $299. (Read the full post about ‘Three new customizable computers now available at hp’…)

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Posted Mar 31st 2008 9:59AM by Darren MurphFiled under: Misc. gadgets We’ll be honest — there are quite a few things about the Cyber MC brainwave management solution that remain unclear to us, but it’s probably for the best. Korean startup Orange Dreams has apparently concocted some sort of eyewear / software combo that can control your brainwaves and calm your nerves, convince you that you really aren’t craving nicotine or make you believe that fruits and vegetables really are more delicious than a Cadbury Cream Egg. (Read the full post about ‘Orange Dream’s brainwave management software gets you closer to the Matrix’…)

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At first glance, you wouldn’t think that HP’s new Elite Autofocus Webcam is actually a webcam. It looks more like desk lamp minus the fluorescent lighting. But yes, the product spec sheet does say that the odd-looking device is really a webcam, and a powerful one at that. In fact, the HP Autofocus Webcam touts of a 12-megapixel still image capturing feature using software interpolation. It’s got a 3-megapixel sensor with autofocus and will let users get high-definition video quality which are sharp and focused. The Elite Autofocus Webcam is compatible with AIM, Windows Live Messenger, Skype and Yahoo Messenger. (Read the full post about ‘HP releases odd-looking, yet powerful Elite Autofocus Webcam’…)

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Posted Mar 31st 2008 11:34AM by Donald MelansonFiled under: GPS, Transportation Installs gone wrong certainly aren’t all that uncommon, but the tale told by one VTECnical of the 8thcivic.com forum is undoubtedly a cut above the rest, and could well have you reconsidering that suction cup option. As VTECnical tells it, he bought a Pioneer AVIC Z2 GPS unit and some other components from Circuit City last July for more $3,000 and decided to let their installers do the installation work for him — apparently after he was told that it’d slide into his Honda Civic without any modifications.The problems then allegedly began when the installer whipped out a heat gun, which was purportedly intended to be used to mold a mounting guide for the GPS unit but instead wound up melting one of the Civic’s heating ducts. (Read the full post about ‘Man left with $12k in damages after Circuit City GPS install gone wrong’…)

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Now here’s a torch that does more than light up your path whenever the power fails (which isn’t too often these days) - the Multi-Screwdriver Torch. Not only will you be able to find your way through a blanket of darkness, it features a whole host of interchangeable screwdriver heads that will be able to cater for most DIY projects without the need for a whole bunch of different screwdrivers. Just make sure you don’t lose these heads though, as there won’t be any individual replacements. Instead, you’ll have to fork out $17 for a whole new Multi-Screwdriver Torch instead. (Read the full post about ‘Multi-Screwdriver Torch’…)

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Legendary British nature documentary maker David Attenborough (you may be familiar with his work if you saw the groundbreaking and epic Planet Earth has developed an oddly effective new way to film his favourite subjects - reclusive wild animals - in their natural habitat. For his new program, Tiger - Spy in the Jungle, currently showing on BBC1 in the UK (and no doubt in America and the rest of the world soon), he got exclusive footage of tiger cubs, and was able to follow them from newborns to adulthood thanks to an inventive new filming technique. Trunk cams. Yes, somehow Attenborough and his team got elephants to film the action in India’s Pench National Park, using cameras made to camouflage with their trunks. (Read the full post about ‘“Trunk cam” captures nature closer than ever before’…)

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I’m the kind of guy that loves customizing his computer. No boring beige box and single monitor for me. I’ve got a nice window in the side of the case to show off my awesome hardware and liquid cooling system. The two wall-mounted LCDs help me stand out a bit too. However, one thing I haven’t really thought about is customizing my keyboard. Sure, I can program a few function keys to my liking, but nothing like this DX1 keyboard. The DX1 is about as customizable as you can get. While it has only 25 keys, it’s not really meant for typing, but rather as a tool to aid you in whatever line of work (or play) you’re doing. Each key can be placed anywhere on the board, and moved on a whim. (Read the full post about ‘DX1 Input System is the ultimate customizable keyboard’…)

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Just yesterday, we mentioned that the Nokia N96 will have a Xenon flash. Unfortunately at the time is was based mostly on rumor, so what better way for us to be able to follow that up, with nothing less than a leaked picture of a Nokia N96 with a Xenon flash. While this is far from official confirmation, it certainly seems this rumor has been proven true. Looks like the Nokia N96 excites as it features a generous 2.8-inch QVGA display, impressive stereo speakers, Wi-Fi, HSDPA, and the much awaited Xenon flash, similar to what Nokia N82 currently has.  Now, I’m pretty much convinced that N96 will be worth the wait. So Nokia, when can we finally get our hands on your new baby? (Read the full post about ‘Nokia N96 with Xenon flash leaked image’…)

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