Gadgets Blog News

IronKey has just announced the availability of its 8GB secure USB device to the masses. Just how secure it is, you ask? For starters, this is a rugged, waterproof and tamper-resistant USB flash drive that boasts always-on hardware encryption, strong authentication, portable applications and a zippy memory to make those file transfers but a snap. With cross platform capability and remote policy enforcement, it makes it easy to deploy rapidly in heterogeneous environments while retaining complete control. The 8GB model will see it join the 1GB, 2GB and 4GB counterparts that are already in the market, providing double the storage capacity of its previous high flier. (Read the full post about ‘IronKey makes available 8GB drive’…)

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Two legendary movie producers, Samuel Goldwyn and Jack Warner, are both credited with telling some studio underling, “If you want to send a message, call Western Union.” It now appears that the men (and yes, it’s still mostly men) who now sit in the corner offices at the studios that Goldwyn and Warner built are sending a clear message to consumers: we’re willing to roll with the digital tide. Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes told those listening on his company’s earnings conference call that Warner Brothers will release movies to video on demand (VOD) on the same day they become available on DVD. (Read the full post about ‘Movie studios say yes to same-day DVD, VOD releases’…)

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ZeeVee has announced the launch of its ZvBox today, bringing yet another consumer electronics product that is used for watching Internet TV, online video or computer content on that spanking new HDTV in your living room. This sounds like a timely device considering the explosion of Internet TV and movie downloads that have so far been confined to the (relatively) small display on your computer - unless you’re one of those folks who prefer working with your PC hooked up to your HDTV. Some other solutions to date haven’t exactly been working out too well in solving this problem as drawbacks include limited content, added subscription fees and the need for a box at each TV. (Read the full post about ‘ZeeVee rolls out ZvBox’…)

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by Donald Melanson, posted May 1st 2008 at 1:11PM Detecting emotional cues is hardly a new endeavor, but this so-called Robometer concept device takes a slightly different (but not entirely unique) approach to things, with it actually promising to help you feel happy by prompting you when you stray too far into tediousness. To do that, the rig makes use of a GSR lead to detect your galvanic skin response, along with accelerometers that detect repetitive movement, and a voice sensor that promises to detect repetitive phrases. Those then get translated into various warning levels, with the device ultimately letting out a voice prompt when you’re perilously close to becoming too tense or unhappy. (Read the full post about ‘Robometer concept device promises to help you feel happy’…)

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AOL is no longer carrying feeds from satellite radio provider XM now that contract the two companies had has expired. Presumably this also means that subscribers to XM’s online streaming service will no longer have access to AOL Radio. The announcement has been particularly upsetting to listeners from outside the U.S. and Canada, where XM service is unavailable. AOL radio was the only way for them to enjoy the over 80 commercial free music channels XM provides. XM does offer online streaming of their channels, but the service is once again, available to U.S. residents only. In an effort to make up for the loss, XM is offering a special deal to AOL subscribers in which they can sign up for the online service for just $2.99 a month. (Read the full post about ‘AOL Radio to drop XM feed’…)

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by Nilay Patel, posted May 1st 2008 at 6:34AM Just hold on a little while longer, Canadian Zune-lovers — it seems that your wait is almost over. A job listing just popped up on the Vancouver Craigslist, looking for a “Microsoft Zune Program Coordinator” who will “represent our client Microsoft on their launch of Zune in the Canadian marketplace.” The job calls for applicants to be available between May 12 and June 20, so if it’s legit — and we hope it is, just because we prefer to believe no one is sad enough to fake this — it looks like the Zune will finally roll into Canada in just a few weeks. (Read the full post about ‘Zune to hit Canada in May with a smaller lineup?’…)

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Office pranks can be fun… remember the Annoy-a-tron? Welcome to the next generation of office pranks… the Phantom Keystroker. The Phantom Keystroker may look like a harmless circuit board, but it’s actually a devious contraption of unlimited office-based torture. Simply discreetly attach the Phantom Keystroker to any extra USB port on your victim’s computer, no drivers needed. The Keystroker emulates a keyboard and mouse and periodically makes random mouse movements and types out odd garbage text and phrases. A simple jumper setting allows you to choose between either keyboard garbage typing, annoying mouse movements or both. An adjustment pot sets the duration between “events”. (Read the full post about ‘Phantom Keystroker’…)

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by Joshua Topolsky, posted May 1st 2008 at 8:24AM
Apparently, not only is CompUSA rising from the dead like a horrific, zombified corpse, but now its guts are getting bought up and replaced by another retail behemoth. According to reports, Best Buy has just paid $13.5 million for 17 CompUSA store leases, ranging in time from three to 14 years and totaling 453,000 square feet. If the nightmare of CompUSA wasn’t enough to haunt you in your sleep, the news that its now-defunct locations will be replaced with essentially more of the same should shake you to your very core. (Read the full post about ‘Best Buy snaps up 17 CompUSA leases’…)

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by Paul Miller, posted May 1st 2008 at 5:01AM It’s the stuff of sci-fi and really crappy awesome horror films, but now it looks like regrowing damaged skin and limbs isn’t so far-fetched — in fact, it’s already happening. A certain 69 year old Lee Spievak lost half an inch of finger to an aggressive model plane blade, and doctors had little hope for the appendage. Lucky for Lee, his brother Alan works in the field of regenerative medicine, and sent him some powder (which lee calls “pixie dust”) to apply to the finger. Four weeks later Lee had grown back the entire finger, as good as new. The pixie dust is actually modified cells scraped from the lining of a pig’s bladder cleaned into a general-purpose tissue generator — the cells basically tell the body to grow instead of scar. (Read the full post about ‘Biomagic “pixie dust” regrows man’s lopped-off finger’…)

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by Thomas Ricker, posted May 1st 2008 at 5:30AM
With a sample group of one, it’s a bit too early to call the Dell Vostro 1310 keyboard a problem. Nevertheless, reader Jake is livid about Dell’s chosen keyboard configuration for his UK-shipped 1310. Especially as it looks nothing like the layout pictured on Dell’s UK site. As tethered keyboard jockeys we’d have to agree. Any other UK readers seeing the same massive left-shift key and offset-zed (and thus, the entire row scooted to the right) layout on their new Vostro? Bigger images after the break.

Update: Jake’s been on the horn with Dell who confirms the issue exists on all 1310s (and possibly others) in the UK. (Read the full post about ‘Dell’s Vostro 1310 keyboard putting the hurt on UK touch typists?’…)

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