Gadgets Blog News

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jul 3rd 2008 at 3:00PM Though the Sprint version is the most well-scooped CDMA variant thus far, Telus is actually becoming the first carrier ’round these parts to announce the Touch Diamond imbued with a little EV-DO for your data-consumption pleasure. The phone will run $149.99 CAD (which is just about a wash in US dollars) on a three-year contract, accompanied by data plans ranging from $15 for email and instant messaging to $30 for email, IM, and web browsing. (Read the full post about ‘Telus announces HTC Touch Diamond for a summer release’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Jul 3rd 2008 at 4:46PM Given that Gateway just pushed out a round of updates including the relatively ginormous P Series, we reckon it was only logical to expect a review shortly. To be frank, the P-6831FX critiqued over at HotHardware is far from being the most potent machine with a 17-inch panel, but unlike many of its luxurious competitors, this one is actually affordable. So, how much gaming joy can $1,349.99 bring you? Quite a bit when the 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS and 3GB of RAM are included. Reviewers found gaming performance to be downright remarkable, though the 1.67GHz CPU did hamper it a bit in other areas. It should be noted that the unit now arrives with a slightly faster CPU among other minor extras, so if it was good then, we’re guessing it’s a runaway winner now.Read PermalinkEmail this12 CommentsFiled under: LaptopsTags: wi-fi, electronic toys, audio, cool gear (Read the full post about ‘Gateway’s 17-inch P-6831FX gaming laptop gets reviewed’…)

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by Donald Melanson, posted Jul 3rd 2008 at 12:58PM While it’s not nearly exciting as their Space Cycle (but really, what is?), the National Space Biomedical Research Institute’s new brain scanner here looks to fill in a niche of its own nonetheless and, if the institute has its way, it could actually find its way into space. Described as a “brain breathalyzer,” the device promises to monitor astronauts for signs of brain injury, depression and mental fatigue, which could allow mission control to determine if they’re capable of carrying out a mission or not. That’s done with the use of an optical scanner that sends weak pulses of near-infrared light into the brain, which gets reflected back to determine the amount of oxygen in the blood. (Read the full post about ‘Research institute hopes to send “brain breathalyzer” into space’…)

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I don’t really eat out often, but I know business people who eat out constantly.  Of course, some of these restaurants require a reservation, and making the reservation over the phone can be pretty time-consuming, not to mention frustrating.  OpenTable has simplified this process by creating a real-time online reservation system for diners, as well as reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants.  The company has recently launched a Beta version of the OpenTable Mobile, which allows for consumers to find real-time availability and book restaurant reservations with mobile devices.  All a user needs to do is take out their mobile device, select a restaurant, the date, the time, and it will even tell you when the closest available reservation is available.  Now it is easier to create a reservation than ever before.  The 70 million diners have used the reservations for Open Table, and 8,500 restaurants have replaced their traditional pen-and-paper reservation books with the OpenTable System.  Via [Gizmodo] Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! (Read the full post about ‘OpenTable Restaurant Resevation System Goes Mobile’…)

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The first time my dad used a mouse, he held it like a remote control, waving it futilely at the screen. The folks at Kensington may have witnessed this, for they’ve created the Slimblade Presenter Media Mouse, a mouse that actually can be used as a remote—to control PowerPoint presentations and iTunes playlists. A navigation pad on the flip side of the mouse allows the user to click through slides while pointing out important details with a laser pointer. For leisure time, a switch puts the remote in media mode, allowing it to operate basic functions in iTunes: play/pause, next/previous track and volume. The shape of the navigation pad resembles the scroll wheel of an ipod, but unfortunately it lacks that degree of functionality. (Read the full post about ‘Gadgetell Quick Review: Kensington Slimblade Presenter Media Mouse’…)

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by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jul 3rd 2008 at 11:20AM It’s been a long, long time since we’ve heard from Germany’s “Future Store” — the ultra-futuristic German grocery store that might have sprung directly from the Sprawl trilogy — but they’ve got a new feature we thought you might be interested in. Shoppers in the store can now use camera-equipped cellphones (i.e., cellphones) to snap pictures of item barcodes, and then download the information at the checkout when they’re finished shopping. The system totals all of your purchases into one big, nasty barcode which you then scan and pony up cash (or cards, or fingerprints, or magical rainbow juice) for. (Read the full post about ‘German “Future Store” lets you grocery shop with your cellphone’…)

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If only the old pulp novelists had gadgets like this to work with. Can you imagine how much shorter mystery stories of the past would be with modern forensics? Forget the heavy thinking detective. Technology is the Sherlock Holmes of modern times. Japanese company Carrot Systems (apparently ran by bunny rabbits) has produced a flashlight with an integrated video camera and a sleek streamline design. The flashlight is touted as an awesome tool for crime scene investigators who want to capture a dynamic peek of any dark and seedy crime locations. The AD-1500 Video Flashlight records video with its mini CMOS camera and built-in microphone. (Read the full post about ‘Flashlight with integrated video’…)

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A few months ago, I got pulled over for speeding on the highway. The officer told me that the speed limit was 45 mph, but I could have sworn it was 55, maybe even 65. Of course, the officer was not about to let me go back and check, and as it turned out, I think I had just missed the 45 mph speed limit sign. Needless to say, I settled the ticket out of court, but it would have been nice to have some device on my dashboard that tells me what the speed limit is. Granted, that might condemn me on my next ticket. It would be hard to convince an officer that I didn’t know what the speed limit was when it’s glowing on my dashboard. However, if that number is less than what the officer says the speed limit is, I would be so vindicated! (Read the full post about ‘Vauxhall Motors Speed Limit Detector’…)

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Sure, normal backpacks are all well and good for students, but what about us sporadic world trekkers who only need to whip out a backpack when we go traveling? We certainly don’t need a big old sack sitting around, taking up even more of our home’s storage, which admittedly, we can’t sacrifice. We’re becoming decidedly cramped up in here. That’s why the Go Anywhere Backpack is so cool. When you’re not using it, it literally folds into a pocket sized bulge. While it might be a little too large to actually fit in your pocket without looking like you have some kind of abnormal growth, it’s certainly a whole ton more compact than a normal backpack. (Read the full post about ‘The Go Anywhere Backpack fits in your palm’…)

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Every year our block in the South Bay has a wild (but very well-organized ) July 4th Block party. We do it up right - get a permit to close down the street, rent a double slip n’ slide, run pop-ups and tables down the middle of the street, set up cooking in “BBQ alley” (Brad’s driveway), referee a volleyball and basketball tourney, and string up pinatas. In the evening, the neighborhood band plays and we all dance - munchkins and seniors alike. And all the while I’m serving up my “famous” margaritas. What’s so fabulous about them? It’s not the homemade mix, fresh limes, or margarita salt. It’s the Herradura tequila, a secret among tequila aficionados. (Read the full post about ‘Tequila Herradura - Best of the best for Fourth of July’…)

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