Gadgets Blog News

Posted Mar 17th 2008 3:07PM by Darren MurphFiled under: cellphones It’s fairly commonplace for Chinese manufacturers to crank out clones of other popular wares, but apparently, things aren’t brushed off as easily when the cloning gets done by a mega-corp like Toshiba. Granted, quite a bit is lost in translation here, but the long and short of it is that NTT DoCoMo and Fujitsu are suing Tosh for creating and selling its 821T — which, as you can see above, looks an awful lot like Fujitsu’s RakuRaku handset. (Read the full post about ‘Toshiba sued for cloning Fujitsu’s RakuRaku handset’…)

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With the amount of industrialization happening all over the world, getting clean, fresh air is but a dream of yesteryears. Smog and haze is the order of the day, but Sharp aims to do their bit in providing you with cleaner and fresher air by releasing the KC-C100U and KC-C150U air purifiers. Both of them feature a triple filtration system, Sharp’s Plasmacluster technology and a humidification function that helps trap dust and pollen, decrease odors, and freshen and humidify the air. Meant to be used in small rooms, the KC-C100U is good for up to 254 square feet and retails for $399.99. As for the KC-C150U, thihs powerful unit caters for rooms up to 347 square feet in size and goes for $499.99. (Read the full post about ‘Sharp unveils new air purifiers’…)

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AT&T is following the footsteps of Google and Apple, opening a new segment for the market of those with disabilities. AT&T is trying to open up their information to developers and allow them to create applications and systems for users who have disabilities. This method is called Universal Design, and a small range of applications has already been created based on this method to assist those users who are disabled or handicapped. These Universal Design based application includes Mobile speak or voice command, a screen reader with Braille to help those who are blind, and Mobile Magnifier, a magnification application that supports low and high-resolution screens for those who have difficulties in reading. (Read the full post about ‘AT&T makes commitment to users with disabilites’…)

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Canon has a spanking new digital camera in town - the IXUS 970 IS. This 10 megapixel digital camera will boast the longest ever zoom lens in the range at 5x optical zoom, and is accompanied by an enhanced version of Canon’s lens-shift type optical Image Stabilizer (IS). Check out the exhaustive list of features right after the jump - while the camera might look pretty normal from outside, it is actually a heavyweight on the inside that makes it sound like a bridge between folks who want to make the jump from point and shoot cameras to something a little bit more serious. (Read the full post about ‘Canon IXUS 970 IS hits the market’…)

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This NET-2000 device here may look like a flashlight, but if you turn it on, a net will shoot out. That’s right, someone actually took an idea from a comic book and made it into a publicly-available net-shooter that you can use to take out bad guys. This net-gun uses compressed gas through a pneumatic system, which I’m told is a better alternative to “traditional gunpowder activated net guns”. Yes, I had no idea that there were any traditional gunpowder activated net guns before today. You learn something new everyday. I’m guessing the ones that use gunpowder are for official or private use, and I’m guessing you might not need a license for a net gun. (Read the full post about ‘NET-2000 Traps You in My Web’…)

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A couple of weeks after getting rejected by Apple’s Steve Jobs saying that Adobe Flash Lite is no good for Apple’s iphone, Adobe may have found a new ally in Microsoft. Windows powered mobile phone users will soon be treated with interactive content running on Adobe Flash Player as Microsoft has licensed the Adobe Flash Lite. The Flash Lite is Adobe’s mobile version of the widely used Adobe Flash player. Microsoft has also licensed the Adobe Reader LE. The Flash Lite 3.x browser which is issued as a plug-in for Internet Explorer mobile on Windows mobile will give users access to rich and interactive Adobe Flash powered web content. (Read the full post about ‘Microsoft to bring Adobe Flash Lite, Reader into Windows Mobile’…)

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This is amusing, and there are even some real practical tips in there too, but here you have it: 69 techie ways to use duct tape. My favorites - Laptop security: duct tape your laptop shut; and prevent carpal tunnel syndrome by wrapping your wrists in duct tape splints. Heh.

Tags: sat-nav, lcd, hdtv, consumer technology

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In an ultra-mobile that mimics both the Cloudbook and the Tango X, the new device that will be hitting the Japanese market offers a nice ‘upgrade’ of specs over the US released Cloudbook. The Japanese Cloudbook features the same sized 7-inch display but offers it as a touchscreen and also includes Bluetooth and 802.11a right out of the box. In addition it retains the Via C7-M ULV processor, 30GB hard drive, 512MB RAM, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, and the 0.3-megpixel webcam. The Japanese Cloudbook is set to be released on March 22 and retail for ¥59,800 (about $600 US). [Update] The Japanese version will take on the model number of CE1200J as opposed to the US model number CE1200V, it will also come pre-installed with Windows XP as opposed to gOS. (Read the full post about ‘Japan receives the Cloudbook, touchscreen, bluetooth, 802.11a included’…)

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Posted Mar 17th 2008 8:59AM by Darren MurphFiled under: Desktops, Laptops Merely months after IBM first inserted silicon nanophotonics into our memory bank, and just weeks after we drooled all over ourselves reading about its green optical link, the mega-corp has chosen St. Patrick’s Day to trumpet the development of the “world’s tiniest nanophotonic switch.” The device, which boasts a footprint “about 100 times smaller than the cross section of a human hair,” is said to be a vital part of creating an on-chip optical network. More specifically, it’s bringing the gurus behind it one step closer to conjuring up multi-core CPUs that transmit data with light pulses rather than relying on electrical signals on copper wires. (Read the full post about ‘IBM’s light pulse love affair continues with tiniest nanophotonic switch’…)

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Gone are the days when $1000 could not even get you a desktop PC, let alone laptops. Having a budget of $1000 today can easily get you a more-than-decent laptop from well known players in the laptop market. In any case, if you haven’t taken the plunge yet and are considering one, this latest round-up of recommended laptops under $1000 from PC World could be a good starting point. Topping the list with an exceptional battery life is the budget HP Pavilion dv2660se at $900, which can play a CD/DVD without booting into Windows. If you are looking for the lowest pricing, there is the $699 Toshiba Satellite Pro A210-EZ2201, which means you will have to contend with a low battery life as well. (Read the full post about ‘The best laptops under $1000′…)

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