Best Gadgets News

by Darren Murph, posted May 28th 2008 at 2:39PMWe should probably preface this by reiterating that when Sharp says “professional,” it means precisely that. The firm’s latest beamer — the June-bound XG-P560W (or XG-P560WN sans lens) — features a modest WXGA (1,280 x 800) resolution, but includes Texas Instruments’ .65-inch 3-chip DLP technology along with Sharp’s own CV-IC II System for smoothing jaggies and minimizing image noise. Additionally, it features a 1,800:1 contrast ratio, seven interchangeable lenses, a dual-lamp lighting system, DVI / HDMI inputs and a built-in Ethernet port for remote access and control. Remember that whole spill we made at the onset? Yeah, here’s proof: $16,995 for the XG-P560W, $1 (Read the full post about ‘Sharp launches XG-P560W .65-inch 3-chip DLP professional projector’…)

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There they are again, Bill, Steve and the rest of the Microsoft group have just wowed the audience at the opening of the All Things Digital D6 Conference with a demonstration of what could possibly be the coolest version of Microsoft’s proprietary OS - the multi-touch enabled Microsoft 7. Could we just say that if this new technology goes mainstream it could also possibly be the coolest thing to happen to our Windows powered PCs? Borrowing the multi-touch capability of the Surface which incidentally was previewed during last year’s All Things Digital event, Microsoft’s Corporate VP Julie Larson-Green showed Mr. Gates and Mr. Balmer how the multi-touch functionality works on a machine running on Windows 7. (Read the full post about ‘From the surface to the wall, now Microsoft brings the multi-touch to the PC’…)

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With touch screen displays being all the rage these days, it is no surprise that Microsoft will be including multi-touch features on its next operating system as an alternative to the tried and tested mouse. Needless to say, Microsoft executives secretly hope that Windows Vista’s successor will receive a much warmer reception when it rolls out sometime in 2010, bringing touch-based features that are currently available on the iphone (some of them, at least). Windows 7, as the new operating system is nicknamed, is tipped to change the way people interact with PCs in the future, but I think when it comes to everyday work the mouse is still more important and efficient.

(Read the full post about ‘Microsoft Touch Windows Demoed’…)

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As much fun as constant sneezing and itchy eyes can be, most of us who suffer from hay fever dream of spending an entire summer symptom-free. British company Health Innovations claims they can now make that dream a reality, thanks to a new gadget called Medinose. Medinose works by using to photo therapy to inhibit the release of histamine. Insert the prongs of the device into your nose for 4-5 minutes, two or three times a day, and you could apparently see a reduction or even elimination of your symptoms. This has to be worth a try: it’s drug-free, simple, and at £79.95 ($158) is a lot less expensive than weekly prescriptions… Via Shiny Shiny. (Read the full post about ‘Hayfever? Try at-home photo therapy thanks to Health Innovations’…)

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When we brought news of the Stage Rack, a dock for raw SATA hard drives, you were pleased. But where the Stage Rack only offered only a lone USB connection and compatibility with 2.5″ and 3.5″ SATA drives, Brando’s take on the same concept is a lot more accommodating, and costs only a few bucks more.

As well as being able to slot a bare hard drive straight in, the Multi-Function Dock is also a four slot card reader (for just about any format going) and a two-port USB hub. It even has an eSATA-out port, so you could wire this directly into the nervous system of your computer, or maybe the back of your own brain.

In common with the Stage Rack, the dock requires you to pay a ridiculous $25 shipping charge, bring the price up to $80.

(Read the full post about ‘USB Dock Accepts Hard Drives, Memory Cards, Everything’…)

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Facebook has confirmed that it is opening up its platform to any other social network that wants to become “compatible” with Facebook. This basically means that developers will be able to roll the hugely successful Facebook Applications into other social networks, as desired. It’s supposed that they’re trying to counter the upcoming Open Social program, which has the mighty Google backing it (and their little buddy, MySpace).

(Read the full post about ‘Hoping to Gain Ground on Open Social, Facebook’s Opening Up’…)

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The garden gnomes at London’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have built a walkway through the trees nearly 60 feet off the ground. Dang. The exchange rate is probably going to prevent me from treetop walking this summer at least, but it’s got to be an extraordinary experience. The walkway is also structurally extraordinary. The walkway design, carried out in steel, is said to be based on the Fibonacci number sequence. (Starting with 1, each new number in the sequence is the sum of the two before it: 2, 3, 5,8,13….. No prize if you can figure out the next one.) Here’s what the Kew says about it: The ratio provides a perfectly proportioned growth pattern. (Read the full post about ‘Green tech: Plant yourself in London and walk in the treetops’…)

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The buzz and hype over Sony Ericsson’s upcoming XPERIA X1 smartphone continues to build up as Sony Ericsson’s developer site posted an updated white paper about the mobile phone. The white paper is still a long read and might bore you to death so if you don’t have the time to check it out, the paper contained two bits of new and welcomed information.

So now, aside from the details that we already know as well as some pre-order pricing from some wireless carriers, we were also able to learn that the XPERIA would have 256MB of SDRAM and a 1500mAh lithium polymer battery which can give out a good 10 hours of talk time via GSM or 6.5 hours via UMTS.  If you would insist on checking out the white paper, just follow the read link below.

(Read the full post about ‘Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X1 gets more details’…)

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This is an odd one. The photograph to the right is purported to depict the mold for an iPhone 2.0 silicone case (all of the photos are posted below at full size, for your Photoshop-inspecting pleasure). It clearly shows the expected curved back of the new iPhone and some shifting in size and position of the camera and earpiece. If real, it also supports the rumor of a second camera on the front for video calls.

What seems strange, though, is that Apple would risk just such a leak by supplying specifications to a case manufacturer (in this case, Griffin). Is it really so important to have a phone condom on sale on launch day?

(Read the full post about ‘Leaked iPhone 2.0 Case Photos Could Confirm New Design’…)

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$12 Moleskines not expensive enough for you? How about adding some custom, laser-etched artwork? One picture alone will bring the price up to a satisfyingly elitist $40. Add extra text to both the front cover and spine and you could spend $50, probably more than Hemingway spent on Daiquiris in a week. How on Earth can a custom etching company drill you for half a c-note for a notebook? Especially when a one man outfit can offer exactly the same thing for just $5 on the price of the book. We don’t know, but we guess it might have something to do with the spendthrift reputation of the floppy haired, frilly shirted dandies who entrust their sensitive, innermost thoughts to the “heir of the legendary notebook used for the past two centuries by great artists and thinkers”. (Read the full post about ‘Laser Etched Moleskine Are Reassuringly Expensive’…)

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