Archive for the 'Gadget' Category
Easy & Convenient To Use
Using Voyager is so simple: just insert any standard 2.5″ or 3.5″ SATA I/II hard drive (up to 2.0TB) into Voyager’s compact docking base and select the fastest of the four interfaces supported by your computer for read/write data speeds of up to 3.0Gb/s. There’s nothing else to install or configure. Voyager saves users the time and inconvenience of installing a hard drive into a computer or using an external hard drive enclosure with limited interfaces and slower speeds.
Plug and Play Hot-Swap Ready
With the most interfaces available on the market, Voyager provides Plug and Play ease of use for a fast external hard drive solution that works with both Macs and PCs. In fact, Voyager is so easy to use, that combined with today’s low cost of hard drive storage, users can think of a bare SATA I/II drive as being as convenient to use as a flash memory card, with the same instant access benefits and the addition of huge storage capacity gains. In addition, Voyager is completely hot-swappable for consumers wanting to move multiple drives at will while their computer is on and running. Its unique design and drive eject button makes inserting, using, and removing SATA I/II hard drives a safe and effortless procedure.
Ideal Solution for Storage Archives
The ideal solution for storage archives, professional photographers, videographers, and other hard drive storage archivers will no longer need multiple drive enclosures and power supplies for every archived hard drive. “Whether consumers want to re-task an older swapped-out hard drive, need to access multiple drives, or want to add big capacity, low cost external storage capacity to their desktop, Voyager is able to travel any computer user’s data universe needs with ease,” said Grant Dahlke, NewerTech’s Product Manager. “Its design and ‘Quad Interface’ functionality offer high speed ‘slide and swap’ hard drive read/write performance and convenience never before available.”
NewerTech Voyager Features:
• Supports all 2.5″ and 3.5″ SATA I/II hard drives up to 2.0TB
• “Quad Interface” for maximum system compatibility and data transfer rates
• Data transfer rates up to 3.0Gb/s (300MB/s)
• Push button drive eject for safe hard drive removal
• Hot-Swap functionality for fast access of multiple hard drives
• Weighted base and non skid rubber feet for stable operation
• 2-Color Status LED: left side blue for power on, right side flashing red for disk activity
• Compact design: measures 5.28″ x 3.70″ x 2.68″ inches and weighs 1.35lbs without drive
• Whisper Quiet operation - no cooling fan needed
• Plug and Play with Macs and PCs
• All interface connection cables included
• RoHS Compliant
• One year warranty
NewerTech Voyager is priced at $99.95 MSRP and is available immediately from NewerTech’s exclusive distributor, Other World Computing (OWC®), at www.macsales.com, as well as through the retail channel. Voyager includes all its supported interface connector cables and an auto-switching power supply for worldwide compatibility. For more information, visit: http://www.newertech.com/products/voyager.php Additionally, OWC has created five Voyager/Hard Drive Bundles priced starting at $157.99 to offer consumers the ultimate in convenience and economy. For details, visit http://eshop.macsales.com/search/Voyager
Proporta have teamed up with Mixa to offer all Proporta customers the chance to win something rather special. Mixa is a pretty cool website which customises cassette tapes (remember them?) with bespoke designs and then sends them out ready to be recorded (and re-recorded) with all your favourite tunes.
Mixa have been kind enough to give Proporta three gift codes to supply their customers with free mix-tapes, which you will be able to design for yourselves online. All you need to do to be in with the chance of getting your mitts one is confess your deepest darkest secrets to Proporta…
Proporta believe that a problem shared is a problem halved and so are giving you the opportunity to own up and confess to your worst ever music purchase. Repent your sins and clear your conscience, by posting the name and artist of the song you’d rather forget about on their Confession Board. Proporta will then decide whose confession deserves a prize (so don’t be shy).
As not to leave anyone out (or if your secrets are going to remain as such) Mixa have also been kind enough to give Proporta an exclusive online discount which entitles Proporta customers to 15% off Mixa products. To use your discount simply enter ‘ProportaMIXA’ on the Mixa website.
Awarded Consumers Digest’s “Best Buys in Digital Photo Frames” in the “Premium Selection” category, Image Moments 6 is one of the most upscale and feature-rich digital photo frames available, built for those that demand only the highest quality. Perfect for corporate executives, Image Moments 6 features a stunning two-tone chrome finish; beautiful screen; compact footprint; and advanced operating system features for the highest quality digital frame on the market.
Image Moments 6 (model IMT-063), along with its larger sibling, Image Moments 8 (model IMT-083) with its larger 8-inch 800×600 resolution screen, are based on a unique operating system with advanced functions not found on other digital photo frames.
Highlighted Features of Image Moments 6 include:
It took a group of Stanford and Princeton music PhD’s (see, even these guys know the needs of Stoners every where) to come up with a safe way to show the rockers on stage that we can bring them a light show from the vast sea of die hard fans. Sonic Lighter is totally realistic and allows you to not just light the flame but also interact with it. Touch it and watch it dance around your finger. Tip the phone to the side and watch it burn the insides of your Cupertino-designed hardware. Blow at the flame (and blow long) and watch the flame extinguish! But if that wasn’t enough, worry not my pyro, you can find others with your same love around the country lighting up by glancing the global flame map.
Now, others have offered far much less than this wonderful flaming piece of software so at a penny under a dollar, it’s a steal. A fire sale, almost! So after watching the video demo of it on YouTube, purchase it on the App Store and impress all your rocking friends tonight!
So you’ve got to go somewhere this Labor Day weekend, huh? Looking for the right GPS to take you there? But you want one with some sweet swag? Easy to use? Maybe even something the “other guys” don’t have? But, its got to be a good brand. Well, the TomTom GO 930 may be your catch. With address voice input, Bluetooth speakerphone, Advanced Lane Guidance, traffic updates, and Mr. T to tell you where to turn, we couldn’t think of another GPS to suggest (until our next review, maybe.)
Before you shove off to your long weekend, we suggest reading the long and full-of-meat review of the TomTom GO 930. If you don’t have too much time, like all of our reviews, you can read The Bottom Line and the Overview for the quickie. But do at least print it out and read it sometime this weekend. It took us a long time to write. 
Effective immediately, DBL will begin marketing SPOT-1 to customers nationwide. This state-of-the-art personal messenger with GPS tracking, once activated by a satellite subscription, will send the exact coordinates of your location to International Emergency Response Center or 9-1-1. If your exact coordinates cannot be obtained, the device will send a distress signal instead. Other excellent features include personal messaging capabilities that reaches out to friends and family to request for help or to let them know you are okay. In addition, SPOTcastingSM sends a message to your account every 10 minutes, allowing your friends and family to view your entire route through GoogleMapsTM. Designed for maximum reliability, Spot performs a self diagnostic test every time it is powered on. It works worldwide and even in the most remote areas where cell phone service is scarce.
“This new and innovative product and technology introduced by Spot has revolutionized the navigational market,” stated Tim Coakley, Senior Vice President of Merchandising for DBL Distributing. “Its tremendous versatility coupled with its unique functionality greatly appeals to customers within our navigational product segment.”
SPOT-1 was included in DBL’s new Spring/Summer catalog featuring nearly 520 product lines, 5,200 new items and over 20,600 products. To order SPOT-1, please call DBL’s dedicated sales staff at 800.733.6766 or order online at www.dbldistributing.com.
The new FreeLoader 8.0 Portable Solar Charger by Solar Technology is a smart looking, versatile device that charges a multitude of the latest mobile gadgets for free using Solar Energy. The FreeLoader 8.0 can charge devices such as; digital cameras, iPods, PDAs, PSPs and mobile phones, and even supports a direct connection to two of the most recent mobile gadgets available on the market, the iPhone and the iTouch.
Designed to sit comfortably alongside the latest fashionable gadgets with its futuristic looks and design, the Freeloader 8.0 is gadgetry eye candy. It is also conveniently mobile, boasting a durable casing for hard-core mobility and the ability to fold into a stylish minimal device that can easily be slipped into a pocket or handbag.
Extremely reliable and easy to use, the FreeLoader 8.0 Portable Solar Charger uses the latest in cutting edge solar technology to convert solar energy into electricity, making power readily available for a wealth of popular mobile devices. For example, the FreeLoader 8.0 boasts the ability to power an iPod for 18 hours, a mobile phone for 44 hours, a PSP for 2.5 hours and a PDA for 22 hours. And because the FreeLoader 8.0 can partner with such a wide variety of gadgets it also eliminates the need to carry country specific adaptors when travelling abroad, making it the ideal travel partner.
To ensure batteries never run flat, the Freeloader 8.0 can simultaneously charge its own internal battery which holds its charge for up to three months and features extra sensitive solar panels which are more much efficient at absorbing light in cloudy and dim conditions that the UK in particular is prone to.
The Freeloader 8.0 is available in both Hot Pink and Cool Aluminium Silver from www.solartechnology.co.uk and popular retail outlets. At only £29.99 everyone can afford an environmentally friendly way to charge their favourite hand-held gadgets and help to offset the carbon emissions that would otherwise have been created. Because working towards saving the planet, needn’t cost the earth.
Additional Info: Read the rest of this entry »
Universal Remote Control, Inc., the leader in control system design and manufacturing for home and professional entertainment systems, will introduce the next big step in the intelligent evolution of A/V control, the MX-980 Remote Control, at CEDIA EXPO ’07, beginning Sept. 6 in Denver, Colorado.
The MX-980 is a powerful wand-style custom control designed to advance the state of the art of Home Theater programming and integration. Achieving an apex of power, style and versatility, it enables professional installers to more quickly and efficiently customize and automate sophisticated Home Theaters and whole house A/V systems — while empowering their owners to handle them as naturally as a race car driver hugs the road.
Ideal for homes with one or more A/V systems, the MX-980 is as intuitive for installers to program as it is for users to operate. Its unique synergies automate and simplify operation of even the most complex home systems. Its many highlights include a big, bright color LCD display, an open programming architecture, Narrow Band RF capability, and seamless integration with other control devices.
The MX-980’s display shares the vibrant color capabilities of URC’s popular MX-3000 Remote Control with an active matrix LCD that offers a 320×240 pixel window to any graphic an installer would like to provide, including BMP, JPEG, PNG, GIF and animated GIF files, all of which can be assigned to any of eight adjacent activity buttons.
The MX-980 also integrates more strongly than other remotes with URC’s breakthrough MSC-400 Master System Controller. The MSC-400 flawlessly harnesses the power of sophisticated home entertainment systems to provide installers with options and advantages not otherwise available. It offers triggered macros, RS-232 and relay control, video and voltage sensors, and many more features — taming system complexity, while delivering unmatched flexibility, automation power, installation speed, and diagnostic capabilities.
With or without the MSC-400, the MX-980 is an exceptionally versatile remote that delivers automation solutions for every purpose as well as superior entertainment. Like the MX-3000, the MX-980 is programmable by any Windows-compatible laptop or desktop PC with a USB port. The port provides access to a vast array of custom solutions, available free of charge using URC’s proprietary Complete Control Suite programming software, available online at the URC Control Room.
WATCH and LISTEN buttons on the MX-980 display activities users can control. When a user wants to watch something else (a DVD, a videotape or an HDTV broadcast), he or she simply presses the WATCH button and selects the new activity. When a user wants to listen to the radio or a CD, he or she touches LISTEN. Then, with the press of the button, the MX-980 automates the entire routine of turning on components, selecting inputs and favorites, even resetting the lights to the optimum scene for the selected activity.
The MX-980’s unique OpenArchitecture PC Editor provides professional installers with new solutions to the age-old problem of automating a central system as well as local TVs, cable or satellite receivers, and even local surround systems in secondary rooms like bedrooms and offices. Using the MX-980, installers can simply select an appropriate solution for each equipment location.
In the central system, for example, the MX-980 can trigger sophisticated smart macros, RS232 and relay controls via a centrally installed MSC-400 Master Controller. At each local system location, the MX-980 addresses an RF Base Station, like URC’s new MRF-260, which extends the remote’s range to 50 to 100 feet, and eliminates the line-of-sight requirement. In any room with a projector, lighting switch or other IR-controlled device not connected to a central MSC-400 or local MRF, the MX-980’s built-in IR signal is effective at a range of 30 to 50 feet.
The MX-980 is packed with practical features for users as well as installers. These include a motion sensor that automatically turns on the display when the remote is picked up and refreshes when it’s moved, and automatic blue backlighting for all the buttons to ensure the remote can be used easily in dim or darkened rooms. A small integrated speaker optionally beeps in response to button pushes, indicating the MX-980 understands an instruction. A built-in time/date display, a low-battery alert, a rechargeable lithium ion battery, and a supplied USB programming cable further enhance its ease of use.
The MX-980 Remote Control will be available in September from authorized Universal Remote Control dealers at a suggested retail price of $599. It can be seen with URC’s other outstanding products in Booth 918, Colorado Convention Center, during CEDIA EXPO.
In Bill Gates last hurray project, Microsoft announced it’s $10,000 piece of furniture. Yup, ten big — huge — ones for a table! But this isn’t like any table you’ve seen before and it’s one you probably won’t want Uncle Fred putting his feet up on or Grammy’s tea set placed on the top of this table. What makes this table special is that it’s touch sensitive and much like the iPhone, it allows you to control everything on-screen with just your fingers and gestures…and even objects! The 30-inch display called Surface is a technical breakthrough without a doubt and is that very digital hub Steve Jobs keeps talking about! Irony on who has brought it to the world though, huh? 
Microsoft describes Surface likes this:
Microsoft Surface puts people in control of their experiences with technology, making everyday tasks entertaining, enjoyable and efficient. Imagine ordering a beverage during a meal with just the tap of a finger. Imagine quickly browsing through music and dragging favorite songs onto a personal playlist by moving a finger across the screen. Imagine creating and sending a personal postcard of vacation pictures instantly to friends and family, while still wearing flip-flops.
Surface also features the ability to recognize physical objects that have identification tags similar to bar codes. This means that when a customer simply sets a wine glass on the surface of a table, a restaurant could provide them with information about the wine they’re ordering, pictures of the vineyard it came from and suggested food pairings tailored to that evening’s menu. The experience could become completely immersive, letting users access information on the wine-growing region and even look at recommended hotels and plan a trip without leaving the table.
Due to the high price tag, you’ll first see Surface in retail stores and entertainment venues. T-Mobile will use it to allow customers to place a phone on it and Surface will give instant details on the device, its available plans, and cost. Harrah’s Entertainment’s Las Vegas properties, such as Caesars Palace, will allow guests to order tickets to an Elton John concert, browse a menu, and check out the various stores within the Palace.
Bill Gates may have closed the chapter, and book, at Microsoft with an amazing story that might be told for many years to come. The question is, will it be a happy ending?