Gadgets Connect

Posted Feb 25th 2008 11:40AM by Donald MelansonFiled under: Digital Cameras, Storage We’ve already heard a little bit about about the new and improved CFast CompactFlash card standard developed by the CompactFlash Association, but it looks like things are now starting to firm up, including word as to when the cards might actually be available. As CNET’s Underexposed blog reports, a Lexar rep says he “predicts” that the cards should start showing up in “18 to 24 months,” and that companies will “want to start working on prototype samples as soon as the specification is finalized.” The big advantage to the cards, as we’ve mentioned, is their use of an SATA interface, which not only boosts the transfer rate to a speedy 375MB/sec but, of course, also makes them incompatible with current CompactFlash-based cameras. (Read the full post about ‘CFast CompactFlash cards now said to be coming in “18 to 24 months”’…)

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One of my favorite hobbies is to play pool. Unfortunately the town where I live doesn’t seem to care for pool halls, and the only tables to be found are in seedy bars. Needless to say, I haven’t played much lately. There have been many times over the years that I’ve wanted to purchase my very own table so I could play whenever I wanted. The main issue that always arises is space. I don’t generally have a lot of spare room, and my wife refuses to entertain the idea of getting rid of our dining room table. However, I just might be able to talk her into a FusionTable. The idea of a pool table that converts to a dinner table has crossed my mind on a number of occasions, only they are rather difficult to find. (Read the full post about ‘Dine on your pool table’…)

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Posted Feb 25th 2008 2:13PM by Joshua TopolskyFiled under: Displays Sometimes one display isn’t enough. Sometimes you need two. Sometimes you need eight. When you need eight, you’ll probably want to contact the folks over at Humanscale — an ironically named company that creates mounts that are decidedly inhuman. Take the Paramount Parabolic Multi-Monitor Display, for instance: a rack for your bank of eight monitors that’s a guaranteed must-have for your elaborate array of “stalking” screens in the basement of your creepy estate. (Read the full post about ‘Humanscale’s eight-monitor mount is huge. Seriously.’…)

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I spent several years of my life as a PC technician. I did many tasks which ranged from selling and building new computers to troubleshooting networks and general PC repair. One thing that you quickly learn is that the people that tend to have the most problems are also the ones running the oldest hardware. Needless to say, I worked on plenty of machines running Windows 95 and 98, which also meant I worked with a lot of floppy disks. I hated keeping a floppy drive in my computer, but sadly it was essential to my job. I don’t think I’d mind it quite as much if the drive served another purpose like reading multiple memory cards. (Read the full post about ‘A floppy drive that might actually be useful’…)

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Sony has recently upgraded their D3000 with the new Bravia D3500 series which includes a number of upgrades and enhancements over the previous models, brining the overall spec up to a higher end. The Sony KDL40D3500 is a middle range 40-inch LCD HDTV with a full HD 1080p screen for the highest HD format, offering some great features at a very reasonable price. The Sony KDL40D3500 might still cost more than some other manufacturers, but they might not be so well equipped as the KDL-40D3500. The KDL40D3500 provides a great high to middle range 40-inch full HD HDTV at around £750 ($1500), much cheaper than their KDL40W3000. (Read the full post about ‘Sony KDL40D3500 Review’…)

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Researchers at Princeton University have demonstrated a technique that can beat most current disk encryption software. The technique stems from the fact that the encryption key used to secure the data on a disk is stored in RAM while the computer is in use.

Many people believe that when a computer is shut down the contents of RAM is lost immediately. This is actually false with the information only disappearing slowly over time and dependent on what RAM chips are in the machine.

(Read the full post about ‘Most disk encryption can be beaten in minutes’…)

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Remember the Six Million Dollar Man TV series many years ago? That dude was fitted with all sorts of bionic stuff, and he really had it going on with bionic woman. I wonder whether they share oil instead of spit while engaged in some hot tongue action, but I digress. Six million bucks doesn’t really amount up to much these days no thanks to inflation and a rapidly falling dollar - and many people are already decked out in jewelry and other accessories that cost way more than that amount. Still, it would be nice to see humans being fitted with bionic body parts which feel just like the real thing, offering superior athletic performance minus the side effect of steroids. (Read the full post about ‘Prosthetic arm gets new fund injection’…)

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Adventure Kids - Make A Hat, Boat & Water Bomb Out Of Paper! Ever in need of a rain hat, boat or water bomb? Don’t use the conventional products, you can easily make your own using just paper, find out how with this product.Contents: 20 coloured A4 paper sheets, a pencil with eraser attached, a pair of safety scissors and an instruction booklet. Technorati Tags: gadgets For Them Tags: video games, camera, plasma, tech (Read the full post about ‘Adventure Kids - Make A Hat, Boat & Water Bomb Out Of Paper!’…)

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Posted Feb 24th 2008 11:24PM by Darren MurphFiled under: Gaming, GPS, Handhelds Well, well — what have we here? Apparently, this PSP (developer’s edition, we’re told) was spotted at the Game Developers Conference in California attempting to showcase how well the gaming handheld could handle navigation. Unfortunately, the underground nature of the booth resulted in a slightly inaccurate reading, but we’re sure it’ll do quite alright under normal circumstances when it’s (hopefully) loosed in the not-too-distant future.[Via NaviGadget]Tags: toys, consumer electronics, hdtv, gizmos (Read the full post about ‘Sony’s PSP navigates the floors of GDC 2008′…)

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The iStraw Emergency Water Filter just might save your butt on your next backpacking trip… literally. The iStraw is a polycarbonate straw fitted with special micro-filtration technology on a membrane that can clean your water and protect you against water borne bacteria and protozoa present in drinking water and ice in many countries. The iStraw is compact, lightweight and simple to use and if your a worldwide traveller… it’s a must! Unlike water purification tables, the gadget leaves no funky aftertaste while reducing 99.99999% of all water borne bacteria like Giardia and Cryptosporidium and can filter up to 500 liters of water. (Read the full post about ‘iStraw Emergency Water Filter’…)

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