Computer Gadgets New

Energy efficient, thin, bright. These three qualities perfectly describe a woman I know, and no, I’m not trying to get any brownie points here. But it’s not a mistake that makers of television sets are also eager to embody such a description for their improved designs. Simply, a set that is well-put together rises above the crowd.

But thinness only? That usually matters only to the eye of the beholder.

At CES this week, we’ll see plenty of manufacturers trying to reach ever thinner levels, while daring discriminating techies like us to find a loss in visual quality.

JVC will preview, in a private event outside the show floor, what it is calling the ‘world’s lightest 32-inch LCD TV’ at only .28 inches (or about 7mm).

(Read the full post about ‘JVC and Samsung Expected to Unveil ‘Thinnest Ever’ LCD TVs’…)

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The speculation that Steve Jobs skipped the last Apple keynote may actually be due to the fact that it was so uninteresting that it wasn’t worthy of his dramatic presentation skills. In the end, the final Apple keynote at MacWorld was about as uninteresting as the next step products Phil Schiller was tasked to “schill.” From the next iLife `09 update to yet another $2700 17” MacBook, there really wasn’t anything introduced that made live blog comments go beyond “this is disappointing,” “boring,” and “what a let down.” No dual port mac mini, no iPhone Nano, no Cloud, not even the Beatles catalog on iTunes.

(Read the full post about ‘With final keynote, Apple’s era at MacWorld ends with a whimper …’…)

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For Google, the timing couldn’t be worse to announce Picasa for MAC. Not that the software isn’t great or, more importantly FREE, but because iPhoto 09’s awesome list of features (including both facial recognition search and map search based on Google Maps) will surely Mac every machead reach for their Visa’s as they rush to Amazon to buy it. But so what? Did I mention that Picasa is FREE? That means it’s sure to attract some who will want play with it. And Picasa is a great photo management application that would’ve rivaled iPhoto last year to be sure. (Read the full post about ‘Google finally announces Picasa for Mac, and the timing couldn’t be worse.’…)

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Shure, known for making pro-quality mics that seem to work just fine after being subjected to the rigors of stage and studio, have turned their attention to bedroom musicians, podcasters and others who record direct-to-computer with a new line of high-quality USB microphones that will work with any computer made in the past decade. (Everything after Windows 98 First Edition has the requisite USB Audio profile.)

These cardioid microphones, announced Tuesday at Macworld and to be displayed later this week at CES, can be directed to pick up sound from a specific source to provide some natural sound isolation — unlike omnidirectional mics, which pick up sound from all directions.

(Read the full post about ‘Shure Busts Out USB Microphones for Musicians, Podcasters’…)

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Guess what else Steve Wozniak is doing besides playing Segway polo? He’s endorsing a new product called the ModBook Pro. As its name implies, the device is a MacBook Pro modified into a tablet. At Macworld Expo, Wozniak said he joined the advisory board to weigh in on development of the device. He said he felt compelled to join the mod company Axiotron because the CEO was so "friendly with approaching" him. Wired.com asked Wozniak if there were any other Apple products he would modify. "I have a million ideas for Apple products I would change, but I can’t tell you what specifically, because you guys will make it sound like I’m putting Apple down," Wozniak said. (Read the full post about ‘Macworld 2009: Wozniak Demos MacBook Mod’…)

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The biggest names usually take the headlines at CES, but finding an up-and-coming gadget maker with interesting new products is what makes the show worthwhile. By unveiling their own version of the Pico projector this week, Nextar is trying to be one those companies that catch our attention. With most of the Picos not fully living up to the hype thus far, we’re hoping they’ve come up with something good.  Nextar’s Z10 LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) micro projector is pocketable like the other minis and has a resolution going up to 640 x 480 pixels. It’s supposed to be much brighter than the other minis and all images come out in a 4:3 aspect ratio. (Read the full post about ‘Nextar To Unveil Micro Projector and Car Bluetooth Speakers at CES’…)

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Share USB peripheral devices between four computers with this gizmo by using a “hot key” from the keyboard to switch between computers. The USB 2.0 Manual Share 4 Port Switch is a great computer system adapter that allows up to four computers in the same home access to the same peripheral device such as a printer, scanner or mass storage hard drive. It can be used to create a network printer that is shared by everyone or even as a way to share multimedia such as music and videos. Simply connect a USB peripheral device of your choice to the input of the switch, then connect up to four PC computers to the output of the switch via USB. For long runs of USB cable from a computer to the switch, a USB balun is sold separately. (Read the full post about ‘USB Switch Enables Multiple Computers to Access and Share USB Devices’…)

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HP’s competitor to the macbook air isn’t lighter, thinner or more attractive than Apple’s subnotebook. But it’s significantly cheaper.

Dubbed the Pavilion DV2, HP’s 12.1-inch subnotebook weighs 3.8 pounds and measures 1.3 inches thick. It’s powered by a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo processor. Though pricing hasn’t been finalized, HP said the DV2 will cost around $500.

That’s a lot cheaper than the MacBook Air, which starts at $1,800. Granted, Apple’s subnotebook has the DV2 beat in every way. It’s powered by a dual-core (Core 2 Duo) 1.6GHz processor, and the screen is 13.3 inches. Plus, the notebook measures 0.76 inches at its thickest point and weighs 3 pounds.

(Read the full post about ‘HP’s Subnotebook Is Uglier, Fatter — But Cheaper Than Air’…)

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LAS VEGAS, N.V., January 5, 2009 – Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today extended its family of full-HD digital camcorders with four new models - the HMX-H106, HMX-H105, HMX-H104, and HMX-H100. Samsung’s new H-Series offer users high-performance, full-HD video, a renowned Schneider Kreuznach Varioplan HD lens with Optical Image Stabilization, and industry leading design; however, most notable is the use of internal Solid State Drives to provide onboard memory. The HMX-H106, Samsung’s new flagship full-HD digital camcorder, is the world’s first to feature an internal 64GB Solid State Drive (SSD)*. (Read the full post about ‘Samsung intros the world’s first 64GB SSD full HD camcorder.’…)

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The name Targus ought to be familiar with people who own notebooks - after all, most of the standard notebook carry case that comes with each notebook purchase aren’t exactly up to par with what consumers want. How else would you explain the many other notebook carry cases that are available at your local computer store which offer much, much more in a compelling design, to boot? Targus is back with a bang, this time with its Spruce EcoSmart line of MacBook Pro carrying cases. As you can tell by the name itself, these were specially designed for Mac users, and I must say that Targus has done a pretty good job in making sleek bags to match the equally stylish MacBook Pros - all this without causing additional harm to the environment (more on that later) at a pocket friendly price. (Read the full post about ‘Targus prepares Spruce EcoSmart MacBook Pro cases’…)

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