Entries from May 2008 ↓

Typing out long messages on my Samsung i600’s thumboard is hard enough - I can’t imagine going back to the traditional candy bar form factor or even the on-screen keyboards of iPhones and PDAs.  If you suffer from Blackberry-thumb too, check out this bluetooth mini-keyboard from I-O Data.  It looks like a mini version of an aluminium iMac keyboard, and is slightly larger than an iPhone, and connects to your phone via bluetooth.

Here’s the hush-hush scoop from Gizmodo on a mini-laptop from Dell:

I bumped into Michael Dell at All Things D after his interview, and he was nice enough to show me this laptop that he was carrying that he said no one’s seen before. It’s a small form factor notebook, just like the Asus Eee and the HP 2133.

No word on specs or pricing, but love the colour!

You can never go far wrong with having a projector handy, especially one that fits in your pocket.  With the Earth Trek Handy Projector, presentations and home cinema are a cinch when you can bring them with you.  The unit measures 105 x 58 x 25 mm and is equipped with a 2-hour lithium battery, SD/Transflash card slot and integrated speaker.  All in a 160 gram package!  No note regarding brightness though.

My mobile phone already wakes me up every morning, tells me to get a haircut via a reminder - I wouldn’t be surprised if it nagged me at each mealtime if I didn’t eat enough greens.  One step closer to this vision, gadgets are now trying to be an integral part of your workout and fitness regimen.  Here are some of the latest:

1.  Samsung Adidas F110 miCoach

This slider phone looks innocuously like a mobile phone, but with the Adidas logo prominently located under the display, you know something special is afoot.  The miCoach F110 has a heart-rate monitor and stride sensor which connects wirelessly, and the phone software creates custom workouts and prompts you via audio instructions.  Once you’ve finished your workout, you can sync the training data with the miCoach website which allows you to track your fitness goals.  Finally, you can listen to your favourite tunes while toning up.

2.  Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS watch

The GPS manufacturer has usability to a new level by incorporating a unit into a watch - the Garmin Forerunner 405 measures and records your speed, distance, elevation and even your heart rate, while looking like an everyday sports timepiece.  With touch controls, wireless connectivity and fitness tracking software on the PC, the Forerunner 405 is certainly an impressive addition to the workout arsenal.

3.  Vital Jacket - wearable heart / ECG monitor

The Vital Jacket, apart from looking like a prop from the movie Tron, continuously monitors electrocardiogram (ECG) and heart rate for use in high performance sports and fitness applications.  It comes in two models - the HWM100 stores data in a SD card for post-analysis on a PC, while the HWM200 sends data to devices via bluetooth.

Finally, we leave you with some tips to track your fitness progress with some free tools, courtesy of LH.  Enjoy!

One of the things the convergence of technology, mass production and economies of scale leads to is disposable technology.  We’ve seen it for a while now with cheap, disposable cameras and now, mobile phones are next.  The Hop-On Hop 1800 is a USD $10.00 prepaid mobile phone with no screen, and is ideal for a cheap backup phone or for travellers.

The cute phone weighs less than 3 ounces and will be sold through retail outlets such as convenience stores.  Greenies need not fear - the company offers a $5.00 rebate for returning the phone for recycling.

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Shuttertalk takes a look at the ASUS Eee PC - the nifty Linux ultraportable that takes mobility to new heights - from a photographer’s perspective.

Every photographer dreams about having a portable computer on a shoot.  We take a look at the ASUS Eee PC – an ultra-portable from the that boasts a 7 inch screen, compact form factor and reasonable battery life.

The major gadget e-tailer, Newegg.com’s goal is to be able to ship via UPS ground to its customers within 1 - 2 days, hence the creation of these warehouses across the US. The New Jersey warehouse is able to reach customers in NY within a day and most other places on the East Coast within two via UPS ground.

AnandTech takes us on an awesome tour of their New Jersey facility.  If you’ve ever wondered how one of these high tech routing and shipping centres operate - here’s your chance!