Gadgets and just Gadgets

HTC Origami Shift

The HTC Shift integrates Microsoft’s new Origami Experience 2.0, finger-friendly Web browsing, push email and wireless broadband to deliver the go anywhere mobile computer.

The HTC Shift is the first device to feature HTC’s innovative new SnapVUE™ technology. SnapVUE provides instant access to emails, calendar, SMS messages and contacts, without the need to fully boot up the device helping conserve power and extend battery life. Weighing just 800g and equipped with a 7″ touch sensitive ’slide-n-tilt’ screen, the HTC Shift is similar in size to a couple of DVD cases and comes with the Windows Vista Business edition and a 40-gigabyte hard drive. Packed with advanced connectivity, the HTC Shift features high-speed global connectivity through with Tri-Band UMTS/HSDPA and, Quad-Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE as well as Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi. Also a multimedia powerhouse, the HTC Shift utilizes Windows Media Player 11 to provide easy access to music, videos and photos.

The Full product spec is as follows:

Product name HTC Advantage™ (X7510)
Size 133.5 x 98 x 16 mm (additional 4.75mm for keyboard)
Weight 290g + 85g for keyboard
Networks WCDMA/HSDPA: 850/1900/2100 MHz
GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Operating system Future Version of Windows Mobile®
Display 5-inch VGA with touch screen
Camera 3.1 megapixel with auto focus
VGA for video calling
Internal memory 256 MB + 16 GB flash; 128 MB RAM
Memory card miniSD™
WLAN 802.11b/g
Bluetooth® 2.0
GPS GPS
Interface HTC ExtUSB™ (mini-USB and audio jack in one; USB 2.0
High-Speed); HTC 16 pin port (USB 1.1 host, TV/VGA out); 3.5mm audio jack with microphone
Battery 2100 mAh
Talk time WCDMA: up to 300 minutes*
GSM: up to 360 minutes*
Standby time WCDMA: up to 300 hours*
GSM: up to 300 hours*
Special feature Detachable QWERTY Keyboard with Haptic feedback; document printing; G sensor
Chipset Marvell PXA270 624 MHz; Qualcomm® MSM6275

Tags: HTC, computer, origami, mobile, mobile computer, microsoft, windows vista

Game pad and mouse.2 in 1

All you gamers out there please pay attention. This “thing” I’m going to present, The Evergreen Navigator 365 really deserves a spot in your laptop bag.

However, as “all good things come to an end” the end is like here, at the description because the mouse is currently only available in Japan. It costs around $30 or so if you’re in the area and with a little luck, some hard work, and some perseverance, might just make it stateside some day so kids like me can buy it without the 14-hour plane ride.

Navigator 365 from Evergreen is a laser mouse cum game pad. You can use the mouse as a standard mouse and when playing games the mouse turns into a game pad. You can use either as a mouse or a game pad at a time. The mouse has the standard left, right and scroll button. The game pad has Turbo/clear and 6 buttons.

Evergreen Navigator 365 laser mouse with 1,600 dpi is compatible with OS Windows 2000/XP/Vista. The mouse measures 50 × 85 × 23mm, weigh 67 g and is available for approximately 3,499 yen ($32).

Tags: mouse, gamer, game, game pad, laptop, evergreen navigator

Motus presents Darwin motion-based gaming controller

All you game-maniacs keep your eyes open and your playful little hands available.

Here is the Motus Darwin remote. It can be used with non-Wii consoles, including PCs, as a motion based controller.With motion-based technology, it gives those who can’t manage to track down a Wii the chance to control games by waving it in the air just like a Wii-mote.

Originally designed to compliment a Motus game, iClub, it can analyse the user’s form and stance, thus helping them onto the way to becoming The Next Tiger Woods. You can chose from various ,already existing or upcoming games that use the features and versatility of the magical controller.

So, unlike the Wii-mote, which connects to the console via an infrared sensor, the Motus Darwin actually employs the use of gyroscopes and accelerometers to determine the position of the controller to the actual earth. Have I lost you yet…?

It’s going to launch at $99, but isn’t available for a couple of months.

Tags: Motus, Darwin, controller, Wii, remote, Wii-mote, game, console

Microsoft wants to bring Surface home sooner

When people get a chance to try out Microsoft’s Surface touch-screen tabletop computer, they often wish they could take one home.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said Monday that the company is trying to speed up that process after getting a lot of demand for a consumer version.

When the company first launched the concept, they warned that it could be five years before a version of the products would be on shelves.But the company got a lot of pushback on that timing, Ballmer said. “We’re going to follow our nose,” Ballmer said, indicating that Microsoft hopes to shorten the gap before a consumer version is available.

That said, at the moment, Microsoft still has its hands full trying to ship the first machines to its handful of early customers: folks in the hotel, casino and retail businesses. The tech giant had hoped to start having models up and running for those customers by the end of last year, but now is aiming to do so by spring.

I bet Microsoft really, really wants to make their clients’ dream a reality; they could charge like $15,000 for the privelege.

Tags: microsoft, CEO, Steve Ballmer, tabletop computer, microsoft surface

Eazo’s Luxury Show

Still drooling over the $760,000 pure platinum Zeus Jupiter luxury PC? Well, if you are looking for a good alternate to the same, but at a bit reasonable price tag, you need to check out the custom luxury desktops being offered by China’s custom PC luxury brand Eazo. They are combining traditional Chinese design and western technology to achieve the personal computing perfection. One of their machines dubbed X70, priced at a cool $45,500, features a 3GHz Q9550 Core 2 Quad processor, two NVIDIA 8800GTX graphics cards, 4GB of RAM, light-up liquid cooling, a 10,000rpm 150GB drive, 7,200rpm 500GB drive, 7.1-channel sound, and Windows Vista Ultimate. You also have the option to custom configure your dream system and that could cost you around $70,000.

In the last quarter of 2007, Eazo introduced three new designs dubbed M20 and X20, Fiji XCS70. The Eazo PCs tout magnesium alloy chassis, which is further painted with natural Chinese lacquer with no chemical additives. This lacquer has been long valued for its inimitable color, texture, and anti-corrosive properties. Each and every PC model is unique is its own way and comes packed with state-of-the-art hardware components.

Tags: Eazo PC, Eazo, PC, chinese, X70, Zeus PC

Fujitsu P1620, A Smaller and Cheaper Version for MacBook Air

Users who are searching an ultra-mobile laptop will want to look at the Fujitsu P1620. Following the steps of the P1610, some people would compare this laptop to the MacBook Air. Here are the highlights:

Quite frankly I think that they are in different category. Simply because of the screen size, they offer such a different experience, I don’t think that customers will really consider these two when purchasing. The Sony Vaio TZ would be a better match to the Macbook.

Steve Job’s comparison with the Vaio TZ is not really fair because that one includes an optical drive. I like the better display on the Vaio, but the display size is a little detrimental to the keyboard ergonomics. It is pointless to argue on the details, both laptops will offer a similar experience, but I think that Apple wins on the cool factor and on the price. Honestly, at somewhat equal configuration, the Vaio TZ is just too expensive, by a large margin. The Macbook Air wins.

Tags: macbook air, apple, fujitsu P1620, P1610, Fusjitsu, laptop, notebook, Sony Vaio

The Jelly Click Blow-up MouseSource

Do you ever have issues fitting all of your gear into your gadget bag? If you’ve ever attended a trade show or, indeed, gone on holiday, you’ll know it sometimes something of a challenge to cram all your geek gear into one bag. It can be done but usually means sore shoulders and unusual bulges.I tend to carry more than I probably should, so I’m constantly searching for smaller gadgets to take with me. This inflatable mouse has to be one of the most bizarre devices made to keep your travel bag light.

The idea is that you can still have a full sized mouse when you need it, but have it only take up minimal space. When it’s deflated, you can just stick it under the lid of your laptop and you’re good to go. Of course on the flip side, you’ll be the butt of jokes everywhere as you blow up your mouse. This Jelly Click takes mouse portability to the extreme. All the electronic circuity lives on a small flexible board. The body itself is just soft plastic. Whenever you need a mouse, blow up the Jelly Click, attach the USB cable and you’re good to go. As a bonus, it’s a total floaty for you swimming challenged people.

I’m sure there are some people out there that would find this interesting to use, but I’d certainly pass.

Tags: blow up mouse, mouse, inflatable mouse, yanko design

Hanging Printer Saves Your Desk SpaceSource

Our current complaint with our printer is that it takes up too much space around the office, both in the horizontal and the vertical, that we need one individual shelf just to accommodate the thing. Enter the fabulous team from Yanko Design with their innovative concepts.

AS, desk space is a premium the designers try to cater that by creating objects with smaller footprints. Take for example this Hanging Printer. The bulk of its components are actually underneath the desk. The paper feed and print head are the only parts sitting on the desk. The casing has an embedded LCD to indicate status. As you can see it doesn’t have many complicated functions and it’s not multifunctional, but it’s more useful than a huge machine occupying space on your tiny desk.

It makes for a simple clean modern aesthetic that’s actually quite a solve for today’s cluttered desktops. Not to mention quite sexy also.

Tags: hanging printer, yanko design, printer

Is Sony’s PS3 getting a slimmer?

According to T3 magazine and a “particularly well-informed insider,” the PS3 is due not just for hard drive updates, but a total design revamp down to a slimmer and smaller package sometime in the Fall. If you believe what you read, the refreshed console will sport all the same specs, but will receive a fresh coat of paint, a trip through the shrinking machine, and probably a lightened load. Of course, this is all just wild speculation coupled with salacious, magazine-selling 3D render of the phantom device, as Sony denies the existence of an update and we don’t really know who this source is. While everyone knows that Sony will eventually shrink its very obese console, such news would come as a surprise given that Sony took many more years to shrink their PSOne and PS2 (though Sony has recently successfully shrunken their Blu-ray laser to fit in laptops). Still, Sony’s biggest goal at the moment is building consoles cheaper.

On the other hand, the company pulls this kind of “who me?” stuff whenever it’s got a new product up its sleeve — though we’re not feeling the timing on this shocker.Either way, T3’s mock-up looks sexy as hell, and they also think a new rumored 160GB model could appear in the new slinky, skinny-as-Kate-Moss form.

Tags: console, playstation 3, ps3, redesign, refresh, resize, rumor, slim, sony, speculation, update

The Moldable Mouse for playful PC usersSource

It’s made of “non-toxic lightweight modeling clay, covered with nylon and polyurethane blend fabric”, and can be shaped, Play-Doh style, to fit any hand. Once molded, it keeps its shape until you’re ready to play again. The Moldable Mouse is still in the concept stage, but it has already won a Red Dot design award.

The click buttons and touch-sensitive scroll pad of the mouse are stick-on parts with built-in RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device), which can be repositioned for maximum comfort.
The nylon and polyurethane blend fabric covering comes in a variety of colours. The texture of the material feels similar to silk, but is much more flexible.

Now we just sit and wait, hoping that this innovation will hit the shelves in a materialized form…There are big chances for not passing the concept step, but there is hope.

Tags: lite on, moldable mouse, red dot design award, mouse