Tech Gadgets Reviews

Glove Box Kit
Salvation is here for those of us who insist on a touch of order in one’s car. And maybe even some natty leather driving gloves in one’s glove box

See price

When it’s not playing music or a video for you during sanctioned “breaks” at work, what is your ipod nano doing? Considering how brazen it became after slimming down, my guess would be that it’s just lounging on its back and falling asleep due to inactivity.

It’s time to teach that lazy player a lesson. I mean, if you have to work, why shouldn’t it? Snap it into one of these apple-shaped kickstand hard cases ($14) from USB Fever, set it up next to your computer, navigate to the Photo menu, and press play. Voila! Your nano is now serving as a digital photo frame instead of dozing off and contributing nothing to society. And by “society,” of course I mean your entertainment needs.

Available in pink, black, crystal clear, and apple green.

Via GeekAlerts.

by Paul Miller, posted Apr 22nd 2008 at 3:33PM

Alright peoples, how many Eee PC knockoffs do we really need? Is 10 enough? How about 100? There seems to be no end in sight, and here comes the relatively unknown 3K Computers to give it a whirl. We’d say the first mistake is the 7-inch screen, gotsa stay ahead of the curve. Pair that with the 400MHz processor and a $400 pricetag and we haven’t the slightest idea why we’d go in for this little Linux-based boringbook. Oh, wait… nope, we got nothing.

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Filed under: Laptops

by Chris Ziegler, posted Apr 22nd 2008 at 1:54PM

Marketing its wares straight to consumers is old hat for HTC in the Old World, but stateside? Not so much. That’s not to say the HTC name is a total unknown in North America; there’s been the odd Advantage here and Shift there, but by and large, we yanks know the Taiwanese firm better for its relatively anonymous efforts in the likes of the AT&T Tilt, Verizon XV6900, Sprint Touch, and countless other carrier-branded devices. That’s about to change, though, with a full-court press of TV, print, outdoor, and online advertising targeted squarely at the US market launching this week. The company’s first ad in the campaign is posted to YouTube — no new products here, sadly, but it’s an encouraging sign to see that one of the world’s most prolific ODMs and smartphone manufacturers now thinks that the American market is mature enough to be dealt with directly. The announcement of the US-spec Touch Dual was a good start, and now, we look forward to seeing a whole heck of a lot more where that came from. Check the first commercial after the break.

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Filed under: cellphones, Handhelds

Nokia’s new 5320 XpressMusic cell phone is yet another audio-centric handset from the Finnish manufacturer, but it has one very outstanding feature - the ‘Say and Play’ function that is actually voice-controlled music playback. All you need to do is speak (legibly) the name of the artist and track, and it will automatically skip to that particular track. Other features include :-

* 24 hours playback time
* Dedicated audio playback chip
* S60 Operating System
* microSD memory card slot
* HSDPA connectivity

The 5320 XpressMusic is tipped to ship in Q3 this year for 220 Euros prior to taxes and subsidies.
[Source]

This comic from Sheldon is EXACTLY why I’m not excited about the Amazon Kindle:

Sheldon: The Amazon Kindle

It reads:

Book-Lovers! Are you tired of printed books? Tired of using a battery-free data storage-and-retrieval system that works perfectly every time you pick it up?

No.

Wouldn’t you prefer to read books on a device that looks and feels like your first graphing calculator?

No.

And what if that same device could also surf the web? Wouldn’t that be awesome?

Wouldn’t I just use a laptop and surf faster and easier?

The “Amazon Kindle” …the answer to the question you weren’t asking!

And of course, there was a response strip from Jeff Bezos:

• Sheldon: Jeff Bezos Kindle Response Strip

Matt Strebe reviewed the Amazon Kindle and the Sony eReader here:

• gadgets Page » Amazon Kindle vs. Sony Reader SMACKDOWN

The ONLY advantage I can see for these gadgets is for university or high school students. Being able to carry ALL of your text books in one, slim gadget is really appealing when you’re your books for each one class weigh eight pounds apiece. Other than that, paper is really a better option.

by Ryan Block, posted Apr 22nd 2008 at 7:53PM

Last year Microsoft really carried on about fulfilling its commitment to all the power users that anted up to get untold future Vista Ultimate Extras — yet none really materialized besides the disappointing early stuff like DreamScene and Texas Hold ‘Em. Well, get ready to feel a whole new wave of Ultimate justification wash over you, because today Microsoft is releasing a trifecta of new Extras: sound schemes, DreamScape animations, and OS language packs. Oh yeah, there’s definitely some Vista “Wow” in here — but it’s mostly from being kind of appalled at these sorry post-apologetic excuses for “ultimate”-grade software additions. Someone wake us when Microsoft decides it cares about making good on its many unfulfilled promises to Vista users.

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Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

This strange looking device is actually quite neat. It’s called the Bedfan and it’s meant for those of you that are ‘hot’ sleepers and need a bit more airflow around you but perhaps without the noise and space requirements of a floor standing fan. Also, this can be geared specifically for 1 sleeper, particularly useful if you share the bed with your significant other and they don’t want this additional air.

The Bedfan runs on just 12V via an AC adapter and pulls in air from under your bed and pushes it where you direct it, perhaps in between your bedsheet and blanket. The speed is adjustable and it can pump out 100 CFM of airflow.

The picture below will give you a better idea of how this works.

It easily installs without tools. Just place the bracket in between your mattress and box spring.

Gimme!
More info from the manufacturer
Price: $99.95
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

via OhGizmo!

Posted in Gizmo of the Day, Home Automation

Some potential good news for any Zune user and Audible fan, a recent posting from Paul Thurrott has ‘confirmed’ the upcoming support for Audible playback on the Zune. Thanks to an email that he received, we are now learning that the deal has been completed and although a specific date has not been announced it will happen before the years end.

“I understand that you have contacted us today in regards to whether or not the Microsoft Zune is compatible with our service. We have great news! After much anticipation, Audible and Microsoft have completed negotiations on making the Zune AudibleReady!”

Paul has also claimed to have gotten this news confirmed by other sources as well, hopefully we will see an official announcement soon. Until then, while this may sound logical and believable its still unconfirmed.

Via [Zune Boards]

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