Tech Gadgets Reviews

You would think the news of a Steve-less Macworld would take the wind out of the event’s sails. But that wasn’t enough to prevent a teenager from camping out in the rain since 6:30 a.m. Monday.

"I was a little angry when I heard Steve Jobs wasn’t going to be doing the keynote — since that’s the only reason to come," said 14-year-old Nicholas Lensander, a senior writer at The MacTips Podcast. "But I still think this is important, because this is the last time the public can see Apple at Macworld."

Lensander was the only person waiting outside San Francisco’s Moscone Center on Monday for Tuesday morning’s keynote. He said in July, he was also the first in line to buy the iphone 3G at an AT&T Store in Santa Barbara. That day, he waited 22 hours for the handset.

Macworld Expo, the annual Apple trade show, opened Monday for registration. The event kicks off Tuesday with Apple’s keynote, where the corporation will launch new products. That keynote is traditionally delivered by Steve Jobs, but the CEO admitted in a letter Monday he was sitting out this year because of health issues.

Before Jobs published his letter, many members of the Mac community were shocked to hear he wouldn’t appear for a keynote, igniting widespread speculation about the CEO’s health and position at Apple. In addition, Apple said 2009 will be the corporation’s final year appearing at the Macworld trade show. 

"Steve Jobs has done a good job … and he hasn’t taken a break from this for a long time," Lensander said.

Though his Apple fanaticism is peculiar, Lensander said this was his first time attending Macworld. Also, he said he’s been a Mac user for only one year and three days.

See Also:

• Jobs Won’t Appear at Macworld 2009 to Be Apple’s Last Show …
• Fans Plan Silent Protest for Steve-less Macworld
• Apple Says Farewell to Macworld, Hello to the Big Time
• Rumor: New mac mini Coming to Macworld 2009

Photo: Jonathan Snyder/Wired.com

Apple will announce new products during a Tuesday morning keynote at San Francisco’s Macworld Expo. Wired.com will be liveblogging the event on site.

Apple’s vice president of marketing Phil Schiller (no, not Steve Jobs) will be delivering the keynote starting 9 a.m. PDT Tuesday. Wired.com’s James Merithew, Mark McClusky and Leander Kahney will be there with yours truly, blogging up a storm. At that time, revisit this post to track our coverage and in-depth analysis.

In the mean time, read our pre-Macworld reports to get caught up on what’s expected at the show. 

See Also:

• Steve Jobs Cites Treatable Hormone Imbalance For Weight Loss …
• Jobs Won’t Appear at Macworld 2009 to Be Apple’s Last Show …
• Apple Says Farewell to Macworld, Hello to the Big Time
• Fans Plan Silent Protest for Steve-less Macworld
• Rumor Roundup: What to Expect at Macworld Expo 2009

Photo: Jonathan Snyder/Wired.com

The name Targus ought to be familiar with people who own notebooks - after all, most of the standard notebook carry case that comes with each notebook purchase aren’t exactly up to par with what consumers want. How else would you explain the many other notebook carry cases that are available at your local computer store which offer much, much more in a compelling design, to boot? Targus is back with a bang, this time with its Spruce EcoSmart line of MacBook Pro carrying cases. As you can tell by the name itself, these were specially designed for Mac users, and I must say that Targus has done a pretty good job in making sleek bags to match the equally stylish MacBook Pros - all this without causing additional harm to the environment (more on that later) at a pocket friendly price.

These new cases will not exact a heavy toll on Mother Nature as they are manufactured from 100% recycled nylon and are PVC-free. In addition, the metal used inside the Spruce EcoSmart case is nickel-free, and best of all is, the entire range of plastic components used are fully recyclable, giving you the opportunity to go green the next time you upgrade your MacBook Pro to the latest edition and get yet another notebook bag for it. According to Al Giazzon, vice president of marketing at Targus, “Targus continues its commitment to developing environmentally conscious laptop bags. With the growing popularity of MacBooks around the globe, Targus’ new line of Spruce bags provides a stylish and eco-friendly alternative for carrying and protecting the MacBook Pro.”

There are several Spruce products to choose from - the Spruce topload (TBT049US) measures 15.63″ x 4.25″ x 13.25″ and weighs 1.80 lbs., while the Spruce messenger (TBM015US) measures 16.63″ x 4.50″ x 13.75″ and weighs 2.06 lbs., and they will both retail for $79.99 a pop. As for the Spruce backpack (TBB013US), this puppy measures 13″ x 8.25″ x 18.75″ and weighs 2 lbs. with a recommended retail price of $89.99. They will be made available later this spring.

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With strict laws being enforced in many countries around the world concerning the ban of cell phone usage while driving (unless you use a hands-free kit or a Bluetooth headset, of course), many people have already picked up either one solution although there are some who decide to take their chances in getting a ticket by flouting the law while keeping a sharp eye out for the men in uniform. We say you’d best make the switch, after all, how are you going to explain to a heartbroken family in your moment of carelessness on the phone while you’re behind the wheel and knock somebody down? Folks who own an iphone have yet another option for a hands-free experience - this time round it is courtesy of Hearing Components’ new Comply NR-10i High Tech Noise Reduction Earphones.

The Comply NR-10i earphones were specially designed with iPhone owners in mind, and they will utilize the same patented technology used by U.S. Army helicopter crews and Special Forces - ensuring you get to benefit from amazing noise reduction, superior comfort and secure in-ear fit, and among the benefits derived are crystal clear conversations and music experiences despite wading along in noisy environments. These Comply Foam Tips that come packaged with the earphones offer superior noise reduction in both communications and music-listening situations. They are made from high-tech, viscoelastic polyurethane foam, and the tips themselves are able to conform to the individual shape of each ear canal without being an irritant when in place. The foam is able to create passive noise reduction by sending sound directly into the ear canal while sealing out unwanted noise.

In addition, the Comply NR-10i earphones comes with an integrated microphone/function switch on the earphone cord that enables users the option to receive and end calls as well as skip songs to one that they like at the touch of a button. You can pick up the Comply NR-10i earphones for $99.95 a pop.

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The most exciting time in the HDTV / home theater industry each year is the start of the year, at CES. Now just a few short days away, from Thursday 7th January 2009 to the 11th, CES 2009, also known as the Consumer Electronics Show will run.

During CES 2009 all the major electronics companies such as Sony, Samsung, Philips, Pioneer etc will announce all their new HDTVs for the 2009 year. I can’t wait to see all the new models, and see all of the new improvements they have made.

As usual all the companies will be trying to out do each other. I predict, much like last year, everyone will be fighting for the world’s slimmest HDTV. Also, I think me might see, more 240Hz/ 480Hz HDTVs, maybe a larger (>11-inch) OLED HDTV, “Eco” HDTV, Internet connected HDTV, and 3D HDTV features.

I will keep this post updated with all the CES HDTV announcements as they come in.

2009 CES HDTV Announcements

• Samsung 2009 HDTV Lineup
• LG LH95 / LG LH9500| LG 55LH95, LG 55LH9500

Schwinn makes its first appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show this year to show off its Tailwind bicycle, which uses new battery technology from Toshiba to enable faster charging and extended battery longevity.

The Schwinn Tailwind can be recharged in 30 minutes as opposed to the four hours required by other so-called eBikes, which use an electric motor to assist the peddler when the going gets tough. In addition, Schwinn says, the Tailwind’s battery’s overall lifetime is twice that of the competition, with 2,000 recharge cycles.

"With the system turned off, the bike functions exactly like a traditional bike," reads a note on the Tailwind site. "Flip the switch to on and it is an entirely different experience. The powerful front hub motor provides just the amount of extra help you desire, while the long-life lithium ion battery gives you the power to go where you need."

With a light aluminum frame and a front suspension fork, the Schwinn Tailwind goes on sale at independent bike shops at the end of January for $3,200 — a steep price, especially considering that carbon-spewing cars will continue to ignore your existence while hardier bikers might even find cause to make fun of you. But for those with difficult commutes or low muscle-to-fat ratios, the aptly-named Tailwind could make fun, environmentally-friendly commuting much more attractive.

See Also:

• Jet-Powered Bicycle Makes 50 MPH Feel Waaaaay Too Fast
• Hands-On With the Topeak Bicycle Multitool
• Terrifying Robot Bicycle Shed Can Eat Over 9000 Bikes
• Where Are the Most Bicycle-Friendly Cities in the World?

If these are comfortable, they are by far the greatest invention ever created.  No one likes their toes to be frozen and once they get that way, it’s hard for them to thaw.  Then you’re stuck with cold feet most of the day.  That is unless you manage to sneak a space heater into your workplace.  That won’t really help you while you’re outside either though.  If you are spending the day in the snow with your kids, you could enjoy warm toes, even if the rest of you is frozen.

The insoles have embedded rechargeable batteries and keep the insoles at 98.6 degrees (Fahrenheit).  It will run for up to eight hours with a full charge.  Which is plenty of time for you to freeze in the snow.  The lithium-ion cells are said to be undetectable and could be recharged plenty (up to 500 times).  To charge these up you’ll need an AC adapter.  The insoles come in both men and women’s sizes and they are sadly just a bit pricey.  For a pair of these it will cost you $99.95 from Hammacher and Schlemmer.

Source: BookofJoe

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Just before Macworld kicks off tomorrow, there are still some last minute rumors going around including a 7″ unibody MacBook Pro that will be introduced tomorrow. The latest rumor concerning this 17″ monster include an extremely slim battery which cannot be removed, although the battery is touted to last much longer compared to the five hours offered on the current model. There is no word on whether silver-zinc batteries will be used, but as with all other rumors, we’ll just need to wait for the actual event to unfold before official news makes the headlines. Are you looking forward to the Macworld Expo? Do you think the releases at CES will overshadow what is available at Macworld by a large margin?

PCPerspective believes that Apple is preparing a 28″ iMac that would be powered by a Corei7, the latest processor from Intel (read our Corei7 review). That’s kind of new and somewhat exciting (for the sheer size of the display). To be clear, it seems that three iMac will have a NVIDIA chipset with integrated graphics, but the Corei7 version will run use Intel’s X58 chipset as NVIDIA doesn’t have a product to cover that segment yet.

We already said many times that upcoming Apple computers will be powered by NVIDIA from top to bottom. We know that Snow Leopard, the next Mac OS, will use GPUs heavily and we suspect that this is the long term reasoning for that move. Finally, a new mac mini should appear and it is widely expected to be the smallest Mac ever.

If you’re part of the working class who grind out a living each day, do you ever stop and wonder whether the super rich celebrities and personalities of the world live on a totally different planet, economic recession or not? Soccer supperstar David Beckham’s love for collecting exotic cars is no secret, and it seems as though his son Brooklyn is a chip off the old block. After all, how many kids in this world are able to boast that they have a £50,000 Porsche to drive around? This handcrafted toy is powered by a diesel engine (wonder what the mileage is like) and has been customized to fit just a single person - guess Brooklyn can’t go picking up a Spice Girl anytime soon as she won’t have a place to sit (other than on his lap).