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gadgets add ons to make your holiday

admin — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 12:00:44 +0000

The gifts are unwrapped but there is still lots of shopping to do to round out many of holiday gifts.
For any digital photographer, regardless of your level, one of the most critical pieces of software is an image recovery program such as Lexar’s Image Rescue 4.

The software has been out for a while and the newest version has a one-step interface to begin recovery of digital images or video.

This can be images deleted accidentally or images that show up as corrupt or damaged when you attempt to download them.

File types that can be recovered include JPEG, TIFF, RAW, MP4 and AVI from any type of media card with any reader.

Image Rescue 4 (Mac or Windows) also will automatically update itself to keep up with the never-ending file formats of newly released products.

Users can get the software free when purchasing high-end professional media such as Lexar Professional CompactFlash or Secure Digital High Capacity cards.

In also can be purchased as a stand-alone product for $33.99.

Details: www.Lexar.com

Think Tank Photo’s newly redesigned Urban Disguise V2.0 series of camera/computer shoulder bags allows photographers to carry gear disguised and protected in an attractive shoulder bag.

With the Urban Disguise 50 ($179), I easily was able to pack an SLR along with three lenses, several small accessories and a 15-inch laptop.

Once it was packed up and closed, the bag looked like a standard over the shoulder briefcase without giving the impression it was holding thousands of dollars of gear.

Like all Think Tank products, extra effort went into the design and craftsmanship to make the product incredibly functional and attractive.

It’s obvious these bags are made with the concept of packing a lot of gear into a small bag.

The Urban Disguise series has a very comfortable padded shoulder strap along with lockable zippers, a rain cover and what seems like a never-ending supply of pockets with adjustable dividers.

In addition to the zippered compartments, which hold a bulk of the gear, front expandable pockets allow the versatility to hold extra accessories.

For travel, if a rolling back is also with you, there are slots on the Urban Disguise to easily attach it to the handles of the roller for easy transportation.

The V2.0 series comes in five models, with each having the capacity to hold a different amount of equipment. Prices range from the Urban Disguise 35 for $155, up to the Urban Disguise 70 for $195.

Details: www.thinktankphoto.com

From cell phones to digital cameras to iPods to just about any portable electronic gadget, the one common element is they are power hungry.

The ZAGGsparq 2.0 is a portable solution for any of these needing a power boost at home or away from an AC outlet.

Built like a square hockey puck, it has a plug that unfolds to insert into any standard wall outlet.

Two USB ports are built into the side for charging almost any portable device whether it’s in the wall outlet or not.

What I like most about the ZAGGsparq 2.0 is that it’s a portable battery once charged up, enabling you to plug into a pair of USB devices needing a charge at any location.

Users can get up to four full recharges for most smart phones with a fully charged ZAGG.

The top USB charging port is optimized for charging smart phones or any device needing an optimized charge.

According to a company spokesperson, the optimized port (which is faster) uses the most updated USB charging format, which is ideal for Apple’s latest products – the iPhone, iPad, etc.

The second USB port is a universal port for devices not needing the optimized charge. This includes devices such as Flip camcorders and some handheld gaming devices.
Inserting a device into the wrong port will not damage the device, it just won’t charge.

Four lights in the unit indicate how much power is available before another charge is needed.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/29/3287367/gadgets-add-ons-to-make-your-holiday.html#ixzz19c5U0nZK

10 Gadgets & Tech we can look forward to in 2011

admin — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 09:00:41 +0000

The following gadgets aren’t on the market yet but if you’re attending CES 2011 next week, you’ll have a chance to get a peek at a few of them. In no specific order, here are some goodies expected to come out next year.

Oxygen O Series iPhone Dock Car Receiver

Oxygen Audio will be releasing a new car entertainment system that fully integrates with your iPhone. With this new product, the iPhone slips into a small dock and fits into the front, turning it into the system’s interactive faceplate. Oxygen Audio currently offers a few car stereo apps in the app store so we’re assuming the Oxygen O series will also be coupled with the same or newer user-interface app. The O series line provides access to the iPhone’s entire iTunes collection, hands free calling and access to apps such as GPS, Google maps and Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. Oxygen claims that while connected to the system, the device will charge the battery and allow users access to any app aside from the aforementioned titles.

ElectroHub

ElectroHub is a new charging station that will offer compatibility for a huge amount of devices including the TV remote, toys and smartphones. Similar to the Powermat chargers, ElectroHub requires additional add-on cases to make your smartphones compatible although it will charge tons of other gadgets with its use of AA and AAA batteries. It will charge up to six devices at one time (including smartphones) and works by replacing a gadget’s original AA & AAA batteries with ElectroHub branded batteries. By doing this all of your AA & AAA supported devices will become compatible. Overall, ElectroHub supports lots of gadgets, a handy tool if you’re juggling multiple gizmos that require AA/AAA batteries; remotes, digital cameras, toys etc.

LG Optimus 2X aka LG Star

The LG Optimus 2x will be the world’s first dual-core smartphone and will be running Gingerbread (Android 2.3) when it’s released. We’re expecting this phone to be crazy snappy with a 1GHz dual-core processor and Nvidia Tegra 2 chip. The display is 4 inches, will play full HD video and has HDMI mirroring for output to a bigger screen.

Under the hood, the Optimus has a 1500mAh battery, 8GB of memory with the option to expand up to 32GB. It also has accelerometer and gyro sensors with both a front (1.3MP) and back facing (8MP) camera and LED flash. And, we expect it to record in 1080p. All in all, this device looks pretty sexy on paper. Engadget released a short video of the device below.

Ultrasonic Touchless Input technology

Elliptic Labs is demo-ing their ultrasonic touchless input technology this year at CES and it looks super cool. It’s similar to the technology built-in to Microsoft Kinect that allows users to execute actions without physically touching the device or a controller. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen these type of concept-demo, however, we might be seeing the touchless technology actually integrated into a lot of devices in 2011. Elliptic Labs will be showing off their touchless gesture user interface on monitors, tablets, iPad docking stations and stand-alone USB devices.

Elliptic Labs is creating new and intuitive ways of interacting with computers. We want to bring the user closer to the device, focusing on the user experience when designing our solutions. By combining expert knowledge from multiple disciplines, such as signal processing, consumer research and interaction design, Elliptic Labs seeks to develop unique and human-centered interactions. -Elliptic Labs

PlayStation Phone

Sony Ericson’s new Android-PlayStation phone, code-named Zeus Z1 is said to offer five free games and a gorgeous AMOLED display.

From what we’ve seen of the design from the leaked videos, this device may be packing some serious fun for gamers although there hasn’t been much info released yet. Gamers will likely be able to download gaming apps from the PlayStation library and will possibly get some nifty integration with Sony consoles. As we mentioned in an earlier post, “It is thought that Sony Ericsson will be using its established Bravia brand name from its high-quality flatscreen TV’s” This will be a device to watch in 2011. The prototype has a PlayStation app and seems to be running Android Gingerbread OS.

iPad 2

The iPad rumour mill is now completely full, and from what we’ve heard, the new specs sound great. Based on the rumours, the newest iteration of the iPad will sport both a front & back facing camera, a lighter & smaller body, USB ports, a newer display technology and a new 3-axis gyroscope.

If that doesn’t sound sexy enough, versions may be getting CDMA support opening the options up for more carriers. The latest news released today, stated that Apple may be answering our prayers with a new anti-smudge treatment. It’s probably my biggest complaint with the iPad, the constant wiping of the screen is somewhat annoying and kinda gross. Along with the anti-smudge treatment, there may also be an anti-reflective coating that aims to reduce the glare in direct sunlight.

Samsung Galaxy Player

If your main method of communication is email and Twitter, you’d be better off with a data-only device like the new Samsung Galaxy Player. This device is a paired down version of the Samsung Galaxy S minus the phone and with more of an emphasis on the music player.

I’m one of those people who removed the phone icon from my dock and replaced it with email and Twitter so I’m personally a fan of devices exclusively for data nuts. The Samsung Galaxy Player has a Micro SD slot, 4inch Super AMOLED display, 1Ghz processor, front & back facing camera and runs on Android 2.2. It will also comes in 3 flavours; 8GB, 16GB or 32 GB.

MacBook Pro

Apple fans are dying to get a peek at the newMacBook Pro likely slated to be showcased in April. As we mentioned, we’re expecting the new MacBook Pro to drop the standard hard-drives and move to SSD (solid state drives), possibly even giving users a bump up in storage. There’s also another juicy rumour that Apple will be adding a new high-speed connection type; Intel’s Light Peak. The new technology (Light Peak) will give users a super fast way to transfer data. Based on the information we have on Light Peak, transfers can get up to about 10 GB per second bi-directional. And, like we’ve seen in the new Macbook AIRs, going to the SSDs means more room for batteries and additional goodies.

3D mobile TV

LG has designed a tiny 3D TV that appears to be approximately the size of an iPhone, and is LG’s smallest 3D TV in the line up. While we don’t have much information on it now, we do know it will be powered by a LG2161R MDTV chip with NRT (non-real Time) technology, and its display will be in 3D. Based on the pic, LG’s mini 3D TV also sports an external retractable antenna.

LG has said the device will be able to receive 3D TV broadcasts — even while flying down the freeway in your Lamborghini. LG’s new device will receive a 3D broadcast while users are moving at speeds of up to 200/km per hour. This means your daily commute on the subway just got way cooler.

Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo brings gamers the 3D experience without the use of corny 3D glasses. This new 3DS will come with six augmented reality cards, a touch pen, 360 degree trackpad, 2GB SD card, WiFi and gyro & motion sensors along with a 0.3 MP camera. It looks similar to past versions of the Nintendo DS however the 3DS will reportedly stream 3D TV. Sweet!

Games will be downloaded from the 3DS Virtual Console but will also work with DS and DSi cartridges. I’ve never owned a DS but the idea of downloadable games and 3D TV makes this device really appealing. We should note that Nintendo recently warned consumers that children under the age of six should not be using its 3D technology, in fact they won’t even allow children under 6 to try their demos. Kids under six can however play the device in 2D.

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80+ Terrific Tech and Gadgets Resources From 2010

admin — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:27:01 +0000

Twelve months is a long time in the consumer technology arena, which explains why this roundup of the best of Mashable’s tech and gadgets posts from the past year is such a fantastically mammoth list.

From facts about big tech brands to unusual laptop sleeves and geeky tees for kids, we’ve written a lot for gadget-lovers in 2010, so take a look below for the ultimate catch-up resource on all things gadgets and tech.

We hope you enjoy the roundup of the results of our labors from the past year — please be sure to bookmark, subscribe, sign-up, follow or “like” to see much, much more of the same in 2011.

Gadget Resources

Our gadget-related lists have brought you stylish accessories, green gadgets and useful kits in 2010. Here’s a list of lists.

Tech Resources

From sci-fi predictions that came true to tips for eye health, 2010 has seen a varied and interesting mix of tech topics on Mashable.

Tech Company Resources

Whether you’re gaga about Google or mad keen on Microsoft, we’ve delivered fun facts and other insights into the tech companies you care about.

Geek Fun

We’ve had tons of fun in the past 12 months with some light-hearted articles looking at all things geek. Here’s a review for you…

Online Resources

Beyond the hardware side of things, we’ve been busy online in 2010, offering you a variety of how-to guides, websites to bookmark and entertainment options you’ll find waiting for you on the web.

Apple Resources

Whether you’re a full-fledged fanboy or just an Apple admirer, we’re sure you’ll see something click-worthy in our list of all things Cupertino.

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4 Apple products in Time’s Top 10 gadget listing

admin — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 09:11:27 +0000

Apple‘s domination of the gadget market continued this year, according to Time magazine. In a series titled “Top 10 Everything,” Apple Inc. has 4 of the top 10 gadgets.

Claiming first spot is the iPad, third spot goes to the new 11-inch MacBook Air, sixth place is the iPhone 4, and the Apple TV is in seventh place.

That’s a lot of Apple love for a top ten list, and it seems that the only device that’s missing from their list is an iPod (if you don’t classify the iPhone as an iPod).

Personally, I’d have Microsoft’s Kinect in the first or second spot. That thing has exploded this holiday season and has quickly become the fastest selling consumer electronic device of all time. It’s a pretty accurate list, despite opinions about positioning. Most of these items have dominated the tech news this year.

The Top Ten Gadgets according to Time.

Article Via TUAW

Gadget of the Year, plus other new gadgets on the block

admin — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 18:09:56 +0000

It’s the end of the year so it’s time for my unofficial “Gadget of the Year.”

The rules and criteria are simple: I vote on what I like, with no tiebreakers necessary.
This year’s winner is the iHome Studio Series iA100.
What I like best about it is how it combines seemingly every feature possible into one unit. More importantly, it’s simple to use.
Competitors have similar devices, with some of the features, but none seems to have it all like the iHome.
The iA100 has four speakers for great sound and continues the iHome tradition of producing great looking devices, along with their functionality for any iPhone or iPad.
Beside the basics you expect from a desktop clock radio (FM stereo and alarm) and a docking system for the portable media players, it’s equipped with Bluetooth to give you many other uses
Any Bluetooth-enabled phone can be paired with the system, instantly turning it into a speakerphone.
With an iPhone or iPad, it can broadcast the audio from music or video stored on the portable devices.
Also available is iHome’s free apps – iHome + Radio and iHome + Sleep – enabling users to enjoy app-enhanced functionality with ease.
The radio app gives users more than 30,000 radio stations; the sleep app provides custom alarms, wake and sleep music profiles, sleep stats and the all-important social updates.
Details: ihomeaudio.com, $199
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Unless you live in a cave and have no access to technology, you need extra hard drive space.
The Memorex Mirror for Photos is a solid performing hard drive designed for easy backup of digital photos but can be used for anything digital.
Software comes pre-loaded on the drive (Mac and Windows) and after installation automatically backs up photos instantly via a USB connection.
The pocket-sized drive (3-by-5-by-{ inches) requires no external power since it is USB-bus powered and comes in capacities of 320GB – $79.99, 500GB $99.99 and 640GB for $119.99.
Ads by Google
Cool Gadgets at Firebox™ – Buy Brilliant Gadgets and Games Great Gift ideas. Free UK Delivery – www.Firebox.com/Gadgets

Details: memorex.com
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The Verbatim Clip-it USB Drive is one of the smallest and coolest storage solutions I’ve seen.
Uniquely designed as a paper clip, the drive slips into any USB port and, without requiring any cover or protection, it’s water, dust and dirt resistant.
When not in use, simply attach it to a bunch of papers or even use it as a tie clip.
The stocking stuffer-friendly Clip-it is part of Verbatim’s Store ‘n’ Go line and comes in a choice of five bright colors in 4GB for $19.99.
The thin and portable Wallet drive ($119 for 640GB) from Verbatim is executive inspired to look like a billfold and is surrounded by a leather enclosure.
Connection is also made with a USB cable and it comes with Turbo USB software and Nero BackItUp & Burn software to give users a full system backup along with restore functions in the event of a crash.
Details: verbatim.com
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Iomega launched the new Iomega 1TB eGo BlackBelt Mac Edition Portable Hard Drive ($229.99) earlier this year.
A unique feature Mac users like me will enjoy is a set of dual FireWire 800 ports and a single USB 2.0 port.
For Mac laptop owners without FireWire 800, the drives ship with a backward compatible FireWire 800 to 400 cable.
The drive comes with the Iomega Power Grip band. This will help protect the drive in the event of an accidental drop of up to seven feet, according to Iomega, but I would try and avoid testing the accuracy of that fact.
Details: Iomega.com
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Buying a stereo system for your home can still make your head spin with all the choices available; plus, it can cost a small fortune.
A cost-efficient sound system from Orb gives you great sound from any TV, computer, iPod or other source without the hassle or complications of setting up a system with an endless amount of wires.
The compact system includes a pair of high-quality Orb speakers and a compact amplifier. A subwoofer can also be added.
In addition to the simple set up, the size makes this attractive considering the powerful sound they provide.
The 40W amplifier measures about 7.5-by-5.5-by-2.75 inches and connects everything with 3 stereo RCA inputs.
Each speaker is about 4.25-inches rounded and is like have sound pump out of a baseball, which can be mounted on stands or sit on any tabletop.
Music can stream wirelessly when you combine the Orb system with the Apple Airport system to control the music with an iPhone or iPod.
Details: orbaudio.com, $299.00
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I have to admit it, until I was emailed a recent press release I never heard of “Toasted Skin Syndrome.”
After a quick search, I found it’s a reddish-brown rash, which is the result of extended exposure to heat without getting an actual burn
Laptop users are prone to this, but to the rescue comes the ThermaPak cooling pads with HeatShift technology.
With no power or refrigeration, the Pak can lower the heat from a laptop by an average of 11 degrees, according to ThermaPak tests.
Aside from blocking the heat, one can instantly see how much more comfortable you’ll be compared to when the laptop sits directly on you.
Get them your choice of black, pink or white for laptops 10 inches to 17 inches ranging in price from $24.99 to $34.99.
Details: thermapak.com

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Are gadgets ruining our kids’ brains?

admin — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 13:09:42 +0000

There are good reasons why I should not buy my nine-year-old an iPod Touch this Christmas: the cost, the high chance of it being dropped/squashed/forgotten. Much as Apple would love to sell me that educational app on iTunes, my son’s not going to use it to boost his multiplication tables. He wants to fling “angry birds” into towers of blocks, download the latest Sean Kingston song, and play pranks with the completely useless app that pretends to break the screen when you poke it. His brain, some scientists say, would be better off with a board game. But Santa, I hear, is leaning in my son’s favour.

The gadget wish-list gets more expensive and skews younger every year; in a recent survey, the iPad topped the list of electronics most desired by kids between the ages of 6 and 12. So the struggle that parents have over technology, and how much is too much, merits a pre-Christmas reflection.

Andrew Butterworth, who owns an industrial parts company outside Toronto, learned about one pitfall when his five-year-old son inadvertently racked up a $140 charge buying Smurf berries in Smurf Village on Dad’s iPod Touch “with a couple clicks of his finger.” Mr. Butterworth is now more careful to turn off the Internet connection, but he’s not taking away the gadget. “Our whole future is all about technology,” he says firmly. “The kids who can navigate it best will be the most successful adults.”

Sandra Gerber, owner of Next Marketing in Vancouver, allows her eight-year-old son to use tech gadgets but sets firm limits. When Jack, bought an iPod touch with his own money this year, she banned an app in which bears run around cutting each other’s heads off, and she scrutinizes his Facebook page. “I love it when I see them get bored and turn the computer off,” she sighs. “But it’s part of life for them.”

There’s no putting the iPad back in the (nicely gift-wrapped) box, though you might wonder how navigating a touch screen in 2010 at the age of five will help that same kid, at the age of 25, with some yet-to-be-invented technology.

Google the search query “Should I buy my son an iPod Touch?” and – in addition to turning up a lively yahoo.ca chat about spoiled kids – you might find the study from Duke University that looked at home computer use among a half-million kids from Grade 5 to Grade 8, and found that math scores actually fell with Internet access (a finding, incidentally, that pre-dated Facebook or Twitter.) And from there, it’s just a click or two to Neil Postman, that tech-hating grump of yesteryear, warning that kids staring at screens are dumbing down their brains with too much amusement.

It’s been 25 years since Mr. Postman, the American educator and author, wrote Amusing Ourselves to Death, his seminal criticism of technology, which raised the spectre of a society that exists only to entertain its unwitting citizens with vapid, little bits of life. It came out in 1985, when Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg was barely old enough to be parked in front of Sesame Street, and the commercial cellphone, then celebrating its second anniversary, was the size of a handbag (and certainly unable to turn its screen into a light-sabre with the very useful Star Wars: The Force Unleashed app.)

Mr. Postman’s target was television. But it’s safe to assume he’d have nothing good to say about a land in which teenagers send, on average, 3,000 texts a month, and parents make YouTube videos of their two-year-old meeting the iPad like a first play date. After all, with a nod to Aldous Huxley, he was fretting about humans as Great Abbreviators when the world was still tweet-free. And while he later turned his scorn on the Internet, the device he initially believed would ruin kids forever – or at least make them stupid – couldn’t be carried around in their pockets. In a prescient description, offered during a speech in 1998, he compared technology to a red drop of dye spreading through a beaker of clear water. It’s more ecological than addictive. Parents, after all, aren’t buying iPads because they’re junkies; they buy them because, as Mr. Butterworth says, they believe their kids need them to thrive in the environment.

Mr. Postman would have us examine that belief – he worried about technology sneaking in without a proper debate about its role and impact, especially on children.

“The best way to view technology is as a strange intruder,” he told the Denver audience in his 1998 speech, “and that it’s capacity for good or evil rests entirely on human awareness of what it does for us and to us.”

Mobile media, for one thing, create another path to a world branded and owned by corporations, points out Daniel Thomas Cook, a sociologist at Duke University, and the author of The Commodification of Childhood. For instance, nine-year-old Richard Profit in Yellowknife describes using his iPad for homework (of course) but also to peruse YouTube for movie trailers. Sometimes, he says, his game apps prompt him to post his results on Facebook. “I think it’s pretty cool that my friends can see my score,” he says. (And Apple thinks it’s pretty cool that his friends might also want to buy the same game.) The problem for parents, Mr. Cook points out, is that early immersion in technology is hard to control. “How do you think outside the iPad, once you have it?”

The line between child-friendly and adults-only was already blurred by television, but it’s gone completely out of focus with smart phones and the rise of the “pass-back.” This term, used by researchers studying how to make educational apps that children actually want to play, refers to the act of handing a grown-up’s device to a kid in a restaurant or car, usually for a few minutes of peace and quiet. Following through on Mr. Postman’s apocalyptic vision, it’s that kind of carelessness that might eventually get you a 34-year-old son living in the basement.

Michael Rich, the director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston, is more gentle: “It’s not like it’s toxic,” he says. It’s more like little kids could be doing better things, and at a certain point, with too much technology too soon, they might lose the ability to choose – spending an important window of development staring at a screen. And the brains of kids under 13 just aren’t ready for the social complications of Facebook, Dr. Rich warns. “We’re denying them a childhood,” he says, echoing Mr. Postman. “How many kids are going to remember that great angry bird game? But if they climb a tree with their friend, they’ll remember that. That’s what we’re trading off.”

Mr. Postman warned that culture would always pay a price for technology. He believed that a computer-saturated world would elevate information over wisdom, or as his former student Paul Levinson, the author of last year’s New New Media, explained this week, transform childhood into “one big game show,” creating minds distracted by bells and whistles and unable to master complex thought. And while he thinks that’s a worthy debate, Dr. Levinson, a communications professor at Fordham University in New York, doesn’t agree with his old teacher, pointing out, for example, how kids devoured the Harry Potter books. “Human beings are inherently rational,” he says. “We can separate truth from falsity. We understand the difference between illusions and reality, between games and fun, and more serious things. And this is true of little kids.” He argues it’s a good thing that youth today have access to more information than any other generation before them, and if they don’t spend their iPad time catching up on world news, well, it’s not like they avidly read newspapers before.

But maybe it’s a case of too much information now streaming in fragments from too many directions, suggests Nicholas Carr, the author of The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. Today’s technology is “consuming your attention without actually allowing you to pay attention,” he says. “If you are a teenager, you want to be in that steam of messages.”

Unplugging has become an endurance test: This week, students at a school in Washington State gave up social networking and cellphones for seven days – an experiment now so bold it attracted national media attention. “The kids are holding up better than we thought,” said teacher Trent Mitchell on day three. Though not without side effects: “One of my students says that he’s not carrying his cellphone this week and he keeps thinking that it’s ringing or vibrating and there’s no cellphone there – like phantom text messages.”

And what’s all that technology doing to our kids brains? The experiment is ongoing, says Mr. Carr, but he counters the argument that multitasking exercises the mind, arguing – as Mr. Postman did – that our brains are being wired away from focus and creativity. And in the spirit of Mr. Postman, he writes in his book that our screen-flitting habits make us see “only twigs and leaves,” not the forest.

That’s also Dr. Rich’s worry – that the best way to build a young brain is by face-to-face interactions, physical manipulation and complex problem-solving – things not best provided in an iPad app. Starting from birth, Dr. Rich says, “the things you use will be reinforced and strengthened and the things you don’t use will drop away.” The brain is shaped by experience – neuroplasticity – which means that if you don’t use it, you lose it. The problem is that other research has made an equally compelling case that using technology fires up the brain in positive ways, that even video games may improve certain cognitive facilities, such as visual motor skills and attention. (The skills you’d need, say, to be surgeon.) As a group, neuroscientists and child development experts such as Dr. Rich don’t agree, at least not yet.

Which makes this new generation the experiment, and leaves parents worrying that, as Mr. Postman said, their lives are being fitted (and their brains mapped) to suit technology, rather than the other way around. Either way, you’ll probably be slipping at least one gadget under the tree this year. Don’t beat yourself up. There’s always the chance that the Angry Birds app might turn your nine-year-old into a neurosurgeon.

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The 2010 Gizmodo Gadget Awards: Best Overall Gadget

admin — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 12:00:28 +0000

Now that Gizmodians have spoken and decided on their favourite gadgets of 2010 across five major categories, it’s time to put the winners in a steel cage, lock the door and let them battle it out for your love.

We want you to tell us now, out of the five category winners, which was the best overall gadget in 2010? Was it the Angry Birds phenomenon? The almighty Panasonic VT20 plasma? Canon’s superb 60D? The miraculous iPad? Or the glorious iPhone 4?

Voting is happening all this week, with the winner to be crowned as supreme ruler of nerd heaven for 2010 next Monday, while the losers will receive our pity (and maybe a certificate of participation to be mounted on their wall at home).

So… Who will win?

Gadgets to gift this season!

admin — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:00:24 +0000

CAMERA
If you are looking to splurge, Sony DSC-TX9, touted as the world’s smallest 3D camera could be the one for you. The camera uses a 25 mm-equivalent wide angle lens and has a 3.5 inch touch screen display. The 12.2 megapixel camera has two 3-D shooting modes. One of the complains with the model is said to be the low battery life. All these features come at a price however — Sony lists the price at `21,990.
If you are looking for high-resolution pictures at a lower price, Kodak Easyshare Z950 could be an option. The Z950 also offers 12 megapixel pictures and can take video pictures at 30 frames/second. The device also comes with a 3 inch LCD screen.
CELLPHONES
No wishlist of cellphones these days is complete without Apple’s latest offering, the iphone 4. The device comes with a sharp LCD display, 2 cameras – facing front and back, and zillions of apps. The top of the line models however, can cost close to `40,000. If you aren’t comfortable with the price, there are other ranges to choose from. The Qwerty smartphones from Samsung offer a strong product at a lower price.
MUSIC PLAYERS
The top end of music players is defined again, by Apple. The new product, the iPod Touch, looks almost similar to an iPhone. In fact, it has been termed as the iPhone without the phone, with two video cameras, a touchscreen and multiple apps. Starting from `15,400 however, the higher storage model with 32 GB of space can cost up to `25,900. A little lower on the price scale is Sony E-Series Walkman. With a two inch display and an 8 GB memory, the device will cost you less than `7,000.
GAMING CONSOLES
One big item on wishlists of the young (and the not ‘so’ young) these days is a gaming console. Sony PlayStation 3 Slim is smaller and lighter than any of its predecessors. All the games on it are in high definition and it can also double up as a Blu Ray and DVD player. However, with the PlayStation 4 available in markets such as the US, it may be a matter of time before a more advance product is available. The cover price in India is `19,990.
A smaller device is the PlayStation Portable — the PSP. It’s a portable device with a wide-screen display. A built in microphone makes Skype communications possible. Some annoyances with display seen in earlier models of the PSP still persist. The price in India is `9,490.

Go-go Christmas gadgets! Maine’s Gadget Concierge recommends getting that Xbox, but wait for the tablet

admin — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 18:00:24 +0000

If you’ve been eyeing that new tablet computer or the latest e-reader, it’s probably best just to keep looking — until after Christmas anyway.

“Dozens of tablets are going to be coming out in the first part of the year,” according to Scott Tharler, a.k.a. The Gadget Concierge and Maine native who has a national reputation for his gadget savvy. “And they’re coming from big companies — HP, Dell, RIM, Samsung. Everyone you can think of is coming out with something.”

Instead, Tharler is bullish on game systems, particularly the new Sony PlayStation and Xbox. Both have released versions that eschew wired controllers for motion capture.

“Both are at the top of their game right now, and they’re going to be that way for a while,” Tharler said. “It’s a good time to get them.”

Tharler, a Biddeford resident, is a national columnist and travel writer who has carved a niche for himself by helping pair people with the tech gadgets that fit best with their needs. His regular tech-gear column appears monthly in Poker-themed “All In.”

From laptops to digital cameras to portable sound systems, Tharler’s philosophy is that simpler is better.

“People think gadgets are these wacky, intimidating things that have short shelf life,” he said. “That’s not really true. It all depends on what you need. Sometimes, all you need is a cell phone and a laptop. You don’t need the latest Android phone or the craziest, tricked out laptop. You need what works.”

Tharler specializes in lists: The five best gadgets for travel, or the best camera for less than $200. He tweets his insights on micro-blogging service Twitter asGadgetconcierge and said he’s working on creating a blog of his own.

“Mainly, I think in terms of solutions — the things that are going to work best for your situation,” he said. “You want something that supports or enhances your lifestyle. Getting a gadget just for the sake having the latest thing is just wasteful, and unnecessary. You find yourself getting more frustrated and spending more time, not less.”

With that in mind, Tharler has some suggestions for holiday shopping — like waiting to buy that tablet computer. Apple was the first with its popular iPad. Samsung released its Galaxy Tab this month.

Similar but more limited e-readers — with grayscale screens optimized for reading books — from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Sony are being advertised like crazy this shopping season.

But that’s nothing compared to what’s coming. Tharler attended the Consumer Electronics Show preview in New York Nov. 8 and said that tablets were big on everyone’s list. He even expects a new version of the iPad itself in 2011.

He’s been testing a version that combines an full color, 7-inch Android-powered tablet with a gray-scale e-reader, the Pocket Edge by Entourage Edge, which retails for $549.

“One way or another, this segment is going to change a lot in 2011,” he said. “Don’t rush to buy one until then.”

But digital video and still cameras are a good buy. The newest versions feature built-in projectors that shine images on the wall of a dark room. He’s especially fond of the Nikon Coolpix, s110pj, which retails for $349.95, and the 3M Shoot n Share CP40, $299.99.

Tharler’s other hot holiday buying suggestions:

— VIOLight UV Cell Phone Sanitizer, $49.99: Uses ultraviolet light to kill 99 percent of germs and bacteria on handheld electronic devices like cell phones, Bluetooth headsets and MP3 players.

— Joby Gorillatorch Blade, $59.95: A ridiculously bright, hands-free flashlight that recharges through a USB plug. The best feature is a bendable tripod that allows it attach to just about anything.

— AViiQ Portable Laptop Stand, $79.99: A thin piece of aluminum origami that unfolds from pocket-size to keep a laptop up off your legs or desk. That’s key to keeping the laptop fans turning and inner workings cool.

— Moixa Energy USBCell, $19.95/2 pack: Looks just like a standard AA battery, but the top flips to reveal a USB plug for recharging.

— Inspired Instruments YouRock Guitar, $199: A real electric guitar with a built-in amplifier that comes apart and reassembles quickly for travel. It can also be used as a video game controller for Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

Source

Gadgets and outdoors top gift list

admin — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Technology and outdoor equipment are the most sought after items on TradeMe this Christmas, according to its top 10 list.

Apple iPhones and iPods are in front, followed by puppies, and New Zealand designer clothing.

TradeMe spokesman Paul Ford said there is also a trend towards outdoor items, with trampolines, BBQ’s, tents, kayaks and outdoor furniture all featuring in the top 10. Lego is also popular.

Mr Ford says last year’s favourites – horses, bikes and Pandora jewellery – have fallen away.