Gadgets Connect

I just learned that the Napkin PC concept that we reported on six months ago has won a Next-Gen PC Design competition. On a related note, I found this Next-Gen PC concept, and I thought it was just as practical, especially for summer. The Pool PC, aka PC of the Swim-Rings, is a waterproof computer that has a small place so you can attach a swim ring. Then all you need to do is lay back in the ring, let your body float, and you are free to check email, surf the web, or anything else you want to do on your computer. It has many features including a GPRS receiver, Bluetooth wireless solutions, finger-touch input, a solar power driven processor, water-cooling system, as well as a magnetic charging interface. (Read the full post about ‘Pool Concept PC’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Jun 23rd 2008 at 7:58AM Shortly after the ASUS Eee PC 1000H was unboxed by the lucky folks at Tweaktown, these same cats have given the world at large a look within. A startlingly good look, at that. Unlike most dissections that come our way, this one includes a half dozen pages of tear down pictures and commentary to go with it, giving you more detail about this wee laptop than you could ever want to know. (Read the full post about ‘ASUS Eee PC 1000H torn down in exquisite detail’…)

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One of the new features that comes with the 4.6 OTA for the Sidekick LX is the “Quick Find”. Basically this is a super quick way to search your entire Sidekick for something.

(Read the full post about ‘Quick Find Feature (Sidekick LX OTA)’…)

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NewSky Factory has this visually interesting faux-sky called SkyCeiling that - they claim- could be a healing tool for dementia or Alzheimer patients. It is called “programmable” because one can change the “scene” and the lighting conditions. That’s interesting because we recently covered a study that concluded that artificial scenery (on Plasma TVs) does not provide the same benefits relaxing as real outdoors trips… However, I’m interested by this because it could look cool in my office. Price: probably uber-expensive. Cons: images might look flat-ish. Tags: ipod, Gadget, consumer technology, audio (Read the full post about ‘Would Programmable SkyCeiling Cheer Up Your Mood?’…)

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by Nilay Patel, posted Jun 23rd 2008 at 3:29PMWhile our homeboy Boy Genius may not be quite as well-known for his Moto scoopage as he is for his streak of RIM leaks, we’re totally intrigued by his report today that Moto is working on an 8 megapixel phone code named “Alexander” that’s being internally described as the company’s “last stand.” The unit is said to feature an NVIDIA-sourced chipset for video and 3G graphics (Tegra, perhaps?), an integrated GPS chip, and “probably” running “UIQ 4.0 or higher.” It’s not confirmed whether it’ll have a touchscreen or what the final form factor will be, but release is set for October, and BGR says that if it’s a flop the Moto brass will give up and sell the company off. (Read the full post about ‘Motorola prepping “last stand” 8 megapixel phone?’…)

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Dictionaries come in two formats these days - digital and in a traditional book form. Unichal of Korea has come up with a new concept known as ‘dixau’, featuring an integrated English dictionary within which displays its content on the computer monitor complete with an authentic native speaker voice to read out the word you click the dixau on. The dixau supposedly supports up to 17 dictionaries by hooking it up to the Internet. It will retail for less than a Benjamin, making it a great purchase for folks who are trying to pick up the English language without thumbing through dust-laden dictionaries. (Read the full post about ‘Unichal dixau concept dictionary’…)

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I know kids have a hard time eating their vegetables, but eggs? I personally love eggs, and the Egg Robot will definitely brighten up my day. The Egg Robot comes in a funky sort of peace from a planet that is millions of “egg years” away, offering a nutritious gift to all who can handle a healthy dose of cholesterol. The Egg Robot makes an interesting addition to any non-alien kitchen, or a great novelty gift for the alien that secretly lives within us all. Whether or not the Egg Robot is proof positive of life on other planets is a moot point that can be heartily discussed over a breakfast of…you guessed it, eggs! (Read the full post about ‘Egg Robot’…)

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Gadget makers in Japan are starting to change the focus of their new devices to the older generations as the population in their home territory continues to age. By 2055 over 40% of people in Japan are expected to be over the age of 65, meaning products need to appear and appeal to these older audiences to capture market share.

Sei Toyama, organizer of the Tokyo Toy Show commented:

Toy companies are increasingly focusing more on toys for adults due to health worries but also lonelier people as there are more single households as the population ages and fewer women marry

Examples of these new gadgets include a Taxi Walker from Bandai Namco Group, which monitors how far a person has walked and shows them the equivalent money saving by not using a taxi.

(Read the full post about ‘Japan’s aging population spurns new gadgets’…)

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The group over at Tweaktown recently got their hands on a shiny new Asus Eee PC 1000H and of course did the usually unboxing, however they were crazy enough to not stop there. Instead they disassembled the 1000H for all the rest of us to see. These tear downs are great to see, because I was always the little kid who was in trouble for taking something apart, now thanks to the internet, I can share in some of that cool feeling of seeing just what makes up the inside without having to shell out lots of money. The above picture is of course the before, so keep reading for a few more pics, and then hit the read link below to check out the full gutting. Read [tweaktown] Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! (Read the full post about ‘Asus Eee PC 1000H completely opened up’…)

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Now how many USB hubs just get their job done without much fanfare? Most of them, aye? This one does it with a little bit more aplomb, thanks to the built-in lights, a swivel connector and a retractable design. The built-in notebook light can swivel outwards 180 degrees, offering maximum keyboard illumination without burning your eyes by cranking up the monitor’s brightness level. I guess there is always a tradeoff for working in the dark or surfing some devious websites that you don’t want the missus to find out. There are four USB 2.0 ports available to further enhance your computer/notebook’s connectivity. This nifty little device will cost $29.90. Tags: wi-fi, gadgets, robots, gprs (Read the full post about ‘USB 4-Port Hub With Notebook Light’…)

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