Microsoft have some cool concept ideas if you dig deep in to their website. One of these has been found which is named the DigiDesk. It is a desk which is made of 2 screens which allow you to browse and flick through documents, movies and what ever else you want to display on it. The controls on the desk change according to what you are doing so that you get a very customised feel for the device. As the world changes more towards media and the computer you could start seeing more devices like this built in to regular desks.
Microsofts DigiDesk
May 6, 2007 by Leave a Comment
Gadgets in 2012
May 1, 2007 by 8 Comments
Have you ever wondered what gadgets will be like in 5 years time? HP recently did and came up with a number of drawings and ideas as to what we might be using in 2012. The first is this HP laptop which can be seen above. It has virtual keys, is razor thin and is featherweight. Hopefully virtual keyboards will be easier to use in 5 years time as currently they suck.
Continue reading on for more cool gadgets from 2012.
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Motion Sensing Devices
April 29, 2007 by Leave a Comment
Motion sensors or accelerometers are little devices that fit inside electronic devices which allow the device to know when it is moved and which way it is tilted and at what speed it moved. With these sensors a computer or similar device can get a whole new dimension in the way it is controlled. One of the more popular devices to use this technology is the Nintendo Wii. The Wii has a controller which has accelerometers inside and this allows your actions to be converted in to movement on the screen. Take the bowling game for example, you hold down a button, pull your arm back and move your arm forwards as though you were bowling the ball. Twisting your wrist allows for spin to be added to the ball. Accelerometers are cool and becoming more popular in devices.
As well as being in gaming controllers you can find accelerometers in cameras, phones and laptop computers. The iPhone from Apple which is due out soon features a sensor which when the phone is turned on its side the image follows rotating it in to landscape mode. As well as being able to follow the movement there, the phone can also sense when it is lifted up to your ear when on a call and it then switches the screen off to save battery power.
The Apple PowerBook is also another device to feature sensors in allowing for all sorts of different applications to make use of them. Some of the more simple ideas are controls for your music. You tap the laptop to the left to skip back, tap it to the right to jump forwards and tilt it to play.
For such a tiny device the accelerometer is a great device which is appearing more in mobile phones and gaming devices. Although in some cases they do not do much they are still cool little devices which can add a new dimension to your device and well worth looking out for.
EPOS Digital Pen
April 23, 2007 by 2 Comments
I am not one for using pen and paper too much any more, but a mixture of pen, paper and an electronics does catch my attention. The EPOS is a pen which is capable of writing on any type of paper and it does not require anything special to work except a USB flash drive to clip on to the top of your notebook. Once connected you can start writing as normal, and the device at the top of the paper records every movement of the pen creating it digitally in its flash memory. Once you have finished writing you can then plug in the flash drive to your laptop or PC and view the text as handwriting. Once on the computer you have the option to use OCR on the text to change it in to editable text or keep it as it is.
Overall it appears to be a great little device which is ideal for those who like the simple use of pen and paper, but do not like the task of typing up notes in to the computer. With this, you get the best of both worlds. To add to the great little idea, the pen and USB drive should cost only $80 later on this year.
As soon as more details come I will be sure to post them hear.
Via: OhGizmo
Quad Core Laptops for when Dual Core is not enough
April 18, 2007 by Leave a Comment
Core 2 Duo processors are quite quick in laptops, but Intel are still pressing forwards and hopefully early next year introducing the Penryn quad-core processor. Although no official benchmarks have been shown it has been described as a Core 2 Duo on steroids. Great 🙂 I like the sound of this processor. Along with a crazy type of speed this processor can run at, it will also generate a lot of heat which of course is a computers worst enemy. Although not much has been said, we can assume that it will need some kind of head reducing unit in there or to run more efficient. With the small space of a laptop, what ever it is will need to quickly get rid of the heat to keep it running at optimal performance.
Via: SlashGear
Very Cool Collapsible Webcam
April 17, 2007 by Leave a Comment
This Webcam is an excellent idea that has been created. As can be seen in the picture above, the camera is collapsible and folds up to make it easier for transporting. The camera will fit on a laptop or work as a stand alone camera. It has 4 bright LEDs built in and the camera works at 300k pixels. Resolution runs at 640 x 480 and video can be captured at 30 frames per second.
When folded up the camera is just a fraction of the size. As well as being used as a webcam this camera can be used as a security camera too catching motion and recording to your computer.
Via: Coolest-Gadgets
USB Battery Charger – The Energizer USB Duo
April 12, 2007 by Leave a Comment
Energizer are well known in the battery market and have been creating batteries for as long as I can remember. They have created a new type of rechargeable battery which is named the USB Duo. The duo indicated 2 different options and with having USB in the name it probably isnt that hard to work out what it does. The USB Duo charger is capable of charging batteries via USB or a regular wall socket. To move in to the more technical world they also have created some software which allows you to watch the batteries charge on the screen of your computer. Now I can think of a million more interesting things to do, but I guess they are catering for all types of users 🙂
The charger comes in 3 colours which are red, yellow and blue and it costs $14. It is capable of charging both AA and AAA type batteries. 2 AAA batteries are included with the charger.
This device reminds me a little of the USB Cell although I think this version is far more flexible.
Via: Gizmodo
Ezex Navzen GPS
April 6, 2007 by Leave a Comment
The Navzen N700 is a GPS navigation device that was shown over at CeBIT 2007. The screen is fairly large at 7 inches allowing for easier reading while driving. The screen is also touch screen which allows you to input your destination. Memory can be increased on the device through an SD memory card slot. As well as having the navigation software, the GPS device is also tucked inside. USB 2.0 allows for high speed connectivity between the device and computer so that files, maps, music etc… can be transferred quickly. Bluetooth connectivity is also included which we assume allows you to send files via your cell phone and possibly use the device as a hands free kit for your mobile phone while on the road.
The system runs Windows CE and has a 500MHz processor to help things run smoothly. Just looking at the huge screen and glowing buttons to the side makes this one stand out from the crowd. No pricing or availability dates are known yet, but we will keep you informed as we hear more information.
Via: UberGizmo
USB Heated Gloves
April 6, 2007 by Leave a Comment
If you ar like me, then your hands often get freezing while working on a computer this time of the year. Along comes USB Heating gloves. This is one of the more useful USB devices I have seen in a while and is an excellent idea. To get it to work, you put them on your hands and then plug them in to an available USB port. Around 5 minutes later your hands will start to feel the warmth and productivity at that point begins to increase as you can now type again. If you are far away from the base unit of your PC then then each glove has a 46 inch cable attached providing enough room to move your hands and not feel fastened to the desk.
Geardiary got their hands on a pair of these gloves and did a full review.
Via: GearDiary
OCZ Reaper HPC Edition
April 5, 2007 by 2 Comments
Computer systems these days suffer with heat problems and need all sorts of fans, vents and heat sinks to keep them running cool so that the performance is kept at best and the system stays stable. For the type who love to overclock their PC (make it faster then it was designed for) the problem of heat increases. OCZ Technology specialises in reducing heat for processors and memory and has now created the Reaper HPC Edition. This is DDR2 memory PC2-9200 running at 1150Mhz and has a thermo-conductive copper heat pipe that acts as a conduit to help move the heat away from the RAM.
Having heat pipe technology, it quickly rids the heat and allows the memory to run at lower temperatures, thus allowing overclocking. With OCZ specializing in overclocking they allow this type of activity without voiding the warranty.
Via: OCZ
Seagate FreeAgent Go 160GB
April 4, 2007 by Leave a Comment
The Seagate FreeAgent is more then just a portable USB hard drive in which I thought it actually was at first. It is actually your whole computer environment that can be stored in your pocket. It is aimed at those who travel a lot on either business or pleasure and allows you to keep everything with you, including your computer settings. You can go to any PC with Windows USB 2.0 and connect it and you have your own PC right there to use. It is compatible with Windows XP and 2000 and just needs 2 USB ports to function.
Some of you might ask about using a laptop, and why would you need this. Not all of us have laptops and want to carry them around with us. Having this device will weigh you down by just 6oz and stow away in a pocket or your bag, but yet allow you to still fully use your computer while you are on the go. This is an excellent idea and suited to many people.
Via: CrunchGear
Belkin Flip – Share your Monitor
April 2, 2007 by 1 Comment
Belkin has launched the Flip which allows easier access to sharing a monitor. The device sits on your desktop and has a remote control. When you push the button you instantly flip your monitor from one PC to another. As well as sharing the monitor you also share your keyboard, mouse and speakers. This is ideal for those who have 2 computers set up but space for only 1 monitor on the desk.
The device features a 2 colour LED which shows the status of the flip and which computer it is currently displaying. Prices for the device run from $49 – $79 depending on if you go for the wireless remote version.
Via: PopGadget
