Wifi Finder from Linksys

March 22, 2007 by Leave a Comment

WUSBF54G
The WUSBF54G is a USB network adapter and also includes a built in wi-fi finder. It is capable of finding Wireless G and Wireless B signals and allows full connectivity and 128 bit WEP or WPA encryption. The USB network adapter has a built in LCD screen which shows network name, channel, signal strength and the security of the network. What sets this device out from the crowd is that it works while not connected to your laptop. You switch it on and it immediately shows networks in the area and if they are able to be connected to. If you find one then you can switch on your laptop, plug it in and then surf away. If multiple networks are found then a list is displayed ordered by signal strength. As free public hotspots are becoming more freely available, this device can help find those hotspots far quicker and get you working quicker.

The device costs $79 and could be well worth the investment for the frequent traveler.

Via: Coolest-Gadgets

Filed Under: Cool Gadgets, Displays, Laptops

FlyBook VM – V33i Video Preview

March 19, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Flybook VM
The video below shows a couple of laptops at CeBIT which caught my attention today. The Flybook VM is a laptop with an interesting screen attached. Instead of having just the regular hinge that allows you to flip it open, it has a second hinge which allows the screen to be taken away from the main hinge bringing it more to eye level and still allowing access to the keyboard below it This brings it more in to line with a regular flat panel in the office. The VM has built in Bluetooth 2.0, Wifi 802.11 a / b / g, an Intel Core Duo low voltage 1.66Ghz processor, 1Gb of DDR2 memory (upgradable to 2Gb), a 12.1 inch wideview LTPS TFT LCD which runs at 1280 x 768 and a 1.8 inch 30Gb drive which is upgradable to 60Gb and 80Gb. These are the basic features of the VM. It also supports fingerprint scanning, higher resolution output on an external monitor, DVD-CD-R, PCI Express and more. Full specs can be found at FlyBook.

The V33i is a table PC with the regular rotating type screen. It has impressive features and is small measuring at 235 x 155 x 31 (mm). Connectivity on this tablet is provided by EDGE / GPRS and GSM as well as Bluetooth 1.2 and Wifi. The processor is a 1.1Ghz Intel Pentium M. Memory is 512Mb DDR1 standard and can be upgraded up to 2Gb. This is DDR1 memory and not DDR2 like the flybook above. The screen is an 8.9 inch wide view LTPS TFT LCD which runs at a resolution of 1024 x 600 and it powered by an ATI Radeon Xpress 200M card with 64Mb memory.

Looking at the specs above and video below it appears that both devices show potential due to a very small form factor VS power.

Via: TechEBlog

Filed Under: Cool Gadgets, Displays, Laptops

GooPs – Track yourself on Google Earth

March 14, 2007 by 1 Comment

Google GPS
Since the launch of Google Earth, we have been able to see satellite images of the earth, quite often in high detail and zoom in and out of a 3D environment. A few years back this would have cost a lot of money to have access to something like this. Mixing Google Earth with a GPS receiver, laptop and some free software you can get a very powerful in car/portable mapping system in seriously cool detail. The software you can use is called GooPs which allows you to interface the GPS device with Google Earth. Once connected and paired via Bluetooth you can fire up Google Earth and track where you visit. Another excellent feature is the caching feature of Google Earth which allows you to put it up to 2Gb. You can then zoom in to the city or place you want to visit and then use the cache to have access to the software while on the road.

The tracking software can be colour coded to show speed increases and other things. Overall it’s a very nice and very affordable solution.

Via: KK

Filed Under: Cool Gadgets, Laptops

SanDisk 2.5 Inch SSD

March 14, 2007 by Leave a Comment

SanDisk SSD
Solid State Drives are a good way forwards for a number of reasons. First off is their durability and personally I would rather drop one of these then a harddisk any day. No moving parts make them tougher to the surrounding environment. As well as being stronger, the power usage is about half of what a harddrive uses. SanDisk have launched a 2.5 inch SSD which runs at just 0.9W when active and lower when not. This is a bonus for laptop users who are on the road regularly as ever bit of power saving keeps the battery running longer.

Speed wise, the SanDisk 2.5 inch SSD runs at a near 70mbps sustained which is quick and so quick in fact, that it can boot Windows Vista Enterprise version in around 30 seconds.

The SanDisk is capable of holding 32Gb of storage which is not bad at all. The drive is not available yet to consumbers, but is available to distributers for around $350.

Via: OhGizmo

Filed Under: Cool Gadgets, Laptops

ViewSonic PJ258D – Projector and iPod Dock

March 13, 2007 by Leave a Comment

ViewSonic PJ258D
ViewSonic are known for creating some excellent displays in the computer market. The quality and design is top notch. ViewSonic have now launched an iPod dock which when I first heard about I was suprised. However, this is no ordinary iPod dock as it is actually an LCD projector. The ViewSonic PJ258D costs $999 and is a powerfull device rated at 2000 ANSI lumens. This portable projector is not aimed at the business user, but more at those who want to watch movies on the go or at home.

The iPod dock allows you to connect your iPod directly to the projector and play movies from your iPod allowing for an ultimate portable system. The screen size limit is only restricted to the size of the wall in your home and Laptopmag tested the projector fully finding that at 10 feet away you could get an 88 inch display on your wall. If you have a 20ft living room then the screen is more then 8ft high. Of course if you want to start going for that larger size of display on the wall then lighting does become an issue, so this is best when it’s night, or with the curtains shut.

Via: Laptopmag

Filed Under: Computer Gadgets, Cool Gadgets, Displays, Laptops

Wifi Liberator

February 6, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Wifi Liberator
The Wifi Liverator is a USB dongle that makes your wireless internet service usable by the public. If you are using a paying type service in a hotel for example, then you can plug the liberator in to your laptop and this creates a private network for others to share the wireless connection if they do not have an account with the provider. No doubt this will be classed as bad by the ISP’s. I am not sure I could ever use this though. Wifi is not too secure and even less secure in public hotspots. I personally wouldnt want to add even more risk to the equation by allowing others to share with me direct an internet connection. I will be passing on this but still thought I would share to let you share your comments on if you think sharing wifi should be or should not be allowed. There is no doubt that companies need to lower their wifi access costs, but I am not sure this is the best way yet to fight that cause 🙂

Via: UberGizmo

Filed Under: Cool Gadgets, Laptops, Tech News

LED Based Notebook from Fujitsu

February 6, 2007 by Leave a Comment

LED Fujitsu Notebook
The P7230 is a new LED based notebook launched by Fujitsu. It falls in to the catagory of ultra portable and comes in 2 colours which are black or white. It weighs just 2.9 pounds and had a small 10.6″ LCD display which is in a widescreen format. For the traveller this looks to be an excellent choice with it’s light weight and small size. The unit is powered by an Intel Core Solo U1400 processor allowing longer battery life which is much needed amongst travellers. A memory card slot replaces the floppy drive, and the harddrive is also shock protected to help keep your data more safe. The price is quite high, but this is what can be expected from the ultra portable range of laptops. Prices start at $1699 and go up higher depending on what options you choose. The Fujitsu is well worth looking out for if you are about to look for a new ultra portable laptop.

Via: Gizmodo

Filed Under: Cool Gadgets, Displays, Laptops

Kensington Vo200 IP Phone

February 1, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Kensington Vo200 IP Phone
Technology has revolutionised in many areas. VoIP phones have become more and more in demand as wireless technology has spread and become more accessible. A question asked by many is how VoIP can help those on the move while we have mobile phones that in essence do the same job. VoIP offers consumers what they are demanding from mobile phone networks, and that is cheap calls to and from anywhere across the globe and reliable networks. Although VoIP is not as fully accessible as a mobile network, this gap is quite quickly closing as more and more wireless hotspots appear. So in principle, the structure is already there and will soon provide complete coverage around the globe.
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Filed Under: Cell Phones, Cool Gadgets, Laptops, Tech News

D.A.V.E Seagate Wireless Storage Drive

January 30, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Seagate have created D.A.V.E which interpreted means Digital Audio Video Experience. D.A.V.E is a small pocket sized hard drive which has 3 connectivity options built in which are USB, Wifi and Bluetooth. What this drive does allow that other drives do not, is carry much more data around with you and leave it in your pocket while you access it. It will allow you to carry an entire music collection, many photo albums, a number of movies and countless documents. When connected to the drive you can simply browse it like you would a memory card inside a portable device. Security is obviously a basic demand of any consumer therefore for those of you conscious of ensuring personal data is secure, the bluetooth function requires that you pair the device before it will allow any data transfers to occur. We can assume the wireless features also feature encryption keys, but this has not been confirmed yet. More details after the jump.

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Filed Under: Cool Gadgets, Laptops

Sony VAIO G1

January 26, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Sony VAIO G1
Sony have introduced the VAIO G1 in Japan recently. This laptop from the screen shots looks very impressive. It weighs just 2.1 pounds and has a 12.1 inch display. This laptop is truly for those who seek after a real portable solution. Unfortunatly the screen is not an XBRITE display, but putting that asside we still see some very impressive specs. The hard drive can hold 80Gb of data, the small 2.1 lbs VAIO also holds an integrated DVD burner. The processor is a Core Solo which is low powered to help save on battery life. Standard memory in the VAIO is 512 Mb but can be upgraded. For 2.1 lbs of VAIO the price tag is no doubt going to be high… well, it is at $2599.

Via: Engadget

Filed Under: Cool Gadgets, Laptops

Samsung Ultra Edition 10.9 – Thin Slider

January 22, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Samsung 10_9
In a world where thin screens, laptops, tv’s and phones are the rage it makes you wonder how thin they are going to get before they either roll up in your pocket, or break in to a hundred peices in your pocket. The Samsung Ultra Edition 10.9 is the latest slider phone which is very slim. It’s currently 10.9mm thin and knocks the D900 off the world thinnest slider top spot. What we do like about this is the 3.2 megapixel camera, MP3 and video playback, bluetooth, video output and quite a generous 80Mb or memory. The memory can be increased via a microSD card slot.

Via: Engadget

Filed Under: Cell Phones, Cool Gadgets, Laptops

Buffalo Wifi Booster

January 22, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Wifi Booster
For those who often find themselves with out a wifi signal, the Buffalo wifi booster is just for you. Connect the wifi booster to your laptop and get an extra range of up to 170 meters on top of the 100 – 150 meters you already get with your wifi signal. This is great for those who suffer loss of connection on a regular basis. The WLI U2 SGH54HP connects in to your USB port. Install the software and off you go. Features such as Wi-fi b/g, WEP 64/128bits, WPA-PSK and IPv6 are all built in and ready to be used so that you can keep your browsing secure.

The Buffalo WLI U2 SGH54HP will cost around 30 euros.

Via: OhGizmo

Filed Under: Cool Gadgets, Laptops