Computer Gadgets New

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 9th 2008 at 6:42PM

Remember those battery-operated vibrating ladybugs that people used to pass around (multiple times) as office gifts? Yeah, that critter ain’t got nothing on this stable of patently awful gizmos. We’ve seen a remarkable amount of garbage pass under our noses in the past few weeks, and we’ve rounded up the worst of the worst for your consideration. So, is a USB shell speaker really more embarrassing than a V-Sports console for folks tired of searching for a Wii? Is the i-Knock personal IM notifier more unnecessary than the Encore Rockin’ Music Lamp? Or does the OMG-inducing Limbo String walk away with the gold here? We know, each and every item is a festering turd in one way or another, but which of the ones below just exemplify the word “crap?” Choose carefully.

Read - USB shell speaker
Read - USB back massager
Read - V-Sports console
Read - i-Knock IM doohickey
Read - Encore Rockin’ Music Lamp
Read - Limbo String

Crapgadget Crapdown: Too Many, Too Fast Edition

Speakers in a half-shell, dude!USB back massager, with a hint of BrookstoneV-Sports console — lamer than the Viii-Knock IM notifier: for the person who gets no IMsDock-infused music lampLimbo String: converting good guys into morons one stoop at a timeVote

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Filed under: Misc. gadgets, Household, Peripherals

Perhaps not quite content with just slaughtering the Eee name with endless netbook models with almost identical features, Asus has just announced the latest addition to the Eee lineup, the in-the-cloud storage service appropriately named Eee Storage.

The newly launched service offers Eee users 20GB of online storage along with the Eee Download which currently features about 3,000 free software and game titles that users can download. Of course offering more items for download that need to be stored locally sounds a bit confusing for a cloud-based storage service, but I suppose now that all of your personal docs are in-the-cloud you may have a little room for more downloads. The Eee Storage service offers users a drag and drop interface, and can also be set up with a password and shared with friends or colleagues.

Initially the service will be available only to those in the Chinese market, however Asus has plans to eventually roll it out to the entire Eee user base. No mention yet on just how much the Eee Storage service will set you back each month.

Via [DigiTimes]

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by Darren Murph, posted Aug 9th 2008 at 2:23PM

Kuchofuku is on the loose again, this time creating an air conditioned seat cushion to keep your fundament breezy. Reportedly, the unit can be powered via an AC adapter, car adapter or rechargeable batteries, and the built-in fan can move over 170 liters of air per minute in order to “dissipate heat and moisture around the buttocks that causes discomfort and sweating.” Well, when you put it like that, $89 seems like a real bargain.

[Via Gearlog]

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Filed under: Wearables

It looks like nothing but good news for BlackBerry loving T-Mobile users as there are a few new options coming available shortly.

First up we will see an expansion of the current Pearl 8120 lineup. Not the most exciting of additions, but lets get them out of the way before we move on to the real goodies. The Pearl 8120’s features will remain the same, but it will also be available in Tahitian Green, Indigo and Light Blue in addition to the currently available Ruby, Gold and Titanium.

Now that the 8120’s are out of the way, we can also tell you that the Kickstart (or possibly the Pearl 8220) will be available sometime in late September or early October and although the pricing has yet to be officially confirmed, the rumored $49.99 is still holding.

Finally we have what seems to be the most exciting, the Javelin, which is expected to arrive in late November or early December. Still nothing as far as pricing for the Javelin, but rest assured when we find out, we will keep you up to date. The Javelin is a competitor to the Curve, and the little brother of sorts to the upcoming Bold. I say little brother because the Javelin will be lacking any 3G coverage, but otherwise a solid looking model.

Via [blackberry News]

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We posted before about InvisibleSHIELDs and how great they are. After chatting with the guys over at , they’ve agreed to give 15% off to the Sidekick community so you guys can protect your devices for cheaper. Just head over to our sister site (aka the one that pays our bills), Sidekick Shopper, to get the discount code. Here are quick links:
Sidekick 3 Screen Protectors
Sidekick LX Screen Protectors
Sidekick Slide Screen Protectors
Sidekick II Screen Protectors
Sidekick iD Screen Protectors
(No Sidekick 2008 shields yet, but we’ll let you know when they’re in)

Oh, and this discount applies to any of their shields, so you can still get 15% off ipod, PSP, DS, whatever shields as well.

When Apple released their App Store for the iPhone most Sidekick users laughed and talked about how the Sidekick has had the Catalog (aka Download Fun) for years. We’ve been buying, downloading, and installing apps before the iphone was even around. But as it stands now, there aren’t many phones out there that you can do this with. T-Mobile is looking to change that. They’re basically going to take the Catalog model and make it easy for developers to write applications and get them deployed to multiple devices. And when you buy an application, part of what you paid for it will go back to the developer with a revenue-sharing arrangement.

We don’t foresee anything major happening to the Sidekick platform, as it basically has the capabilities that T-Mobile is looking to implement on other phones. What we do think will change is the quality and quantity of applications and games available in the Catalog. With developers programming apps for multiple devices they will be motivated to make them Sidekick compatible as they wil make more money the more devices their application can be purchased on. T-Mobile is also opening things up for anyone to get in on the action. So you won’t have to be some big software firm that’s partnered with T-Mobile. You can be just some guy sitting on your couch writing programs.

Another interesting thing is that T-Mobile will be doing a revenue-sharing model with the developer that’s based on the amount of bandwidth used. With T-Mobile launching their 3G network, we should start seeing more streaming audio and video in the future. Chances are we won’t see any of this streaming (except perhaps low quality audio) on the current Sidekick models as the EDGE network can’t handle it, but we would be very surprised if the next generation Sidekicks don’t have support for it along with 3G capabilities. And no, we haven’t heard any details worth reporting about a Sidekick 3G is coming yet. If you’re debating on whether you should wait for it or buy a Sidekick 2008, Hiptop3.com recommends buying the Sidekick 2008.

T-Mobile hasn’t dropped an official announcement on any of this yet, but as soon as we hear more, we’ll let you know.

T-Mobile’s Developer Site
via

by Chris Ziegler, posted Aug 9th 2008 at 12:18PM

Still committed to iDEN, eh? After another relatively brutal quarter of lost cash, lost subscribers, and lost opportunities, word on the street is that Sprint might be rethinking its approach to its legacy push-to-talk network — the obsolescence-bound spectrum it acquired via its purchase of Nextel a few years back for the questionable price of $35 billion. Given Sprint’s current financial state, a liquidity crunch means that the carrier is looking to offload any salable piece; Nextel’s not exactly the most attractive piece of that puzzle with a declining subscriber base, limited bandwidth, and a limited range of Moto hardware to back it up, but even at its current estimated value of $5 billion, analysts are suggesting that Sprint could be willing to bite at a deal. NII Holdings, which operates iDEN networks under the Nextel brand in Brazil, Mexico, and a handful of other Latin American countries, is being tossed around as a potential suitor, as are private equity firms looking to make a quick buck. How one goes about making a quick buck on a network as old and quirky as iDEN in the year 2008, though, remains to be seen.

[Via Phone Scoop]

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Filed under: cellphones

We first began to see details of the upcoming BlackBerry Javelin coming out about a month ago, but since then most of the blackberry related coverage has focused heavily on either the Bold or Kickstart.

However, after seeing the latest information that has come available, it seems that the Javelin is going to be a welcomed edition to RIM’s current lineup. The new details are calling for the Javelin to feature a 480 x 360 high-res HVGA+ display, 512MHz processor, 256MB onboard flash memory, microSD card slot, 3.2-megapixel camera with auto-focus and a microUSB port for both charging and syncing.

The one big drawback that we can see with the Javelin is the lack of 3G coverage, but it does have both Wi-Fi and GPS which should take some of the sting away.

Via [CrackBerry]

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A New Zealand company known as Aceeca has produced an excellent mobile PC with a rugged handheld computer known as the Meazura MEZ1500.  It appears that the land Down Under (or at least the country next to it) has produced an excellent successor to the MEZ1000. 

The features of this yellow, seven-buttoned marvel include a Marvell PXA270 processor that has 64MB RAM, as well as 32MB of flash memory.  It also has a 2.8-inch screen with a resolution of 320 x 240. 

As far as ports are concerned, it has a Compact Flash memory slot, as well as a MZIO, or Meazura I/O slot.  It also has USB 1.1 connectivity, but I’m not certain if that is good for operation these days.  The operating system is variable, and ranges from Windows CE 5.0, Windows CE 6.0, or even Linux. 

As you may have guessed, the Meazura MEZ1500 is designed for outdoor usage, and will operate at temperatures ranging from 14 degrees Fahrenheit up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  You should be able to purchase this little device soon for a price of about $549. 

Read [WindowsForDevices] Via [Ubergizmo]

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by Darren Murph, posted Aug 9th 2008 at 4:26PM

You don’t even need to dig into the machine translated read link to understand that the gaming mouse you see pictured above looks a lot like a Razer, but NZXT’s Avatar is a beast in its own right. Best known for lavish (and stylish) PC cases, the outfit has evidently seen fit to dip its toes into the wide, wide world of gamer-centric input peripherals. Boasting a 2,600DPI sensitivity rating and a rather unadventurous design, the Avatar should fare fine in heated deathmatches or WoW raids, though it’s probably overkill for the Excel maven. Nevertheless, the currently unpriced unit has been previewed quite thoroughly by the folks over at TweakPC, so give the link below a look if you could ever see yourself wanting this in your arsenal.

[Via I4U News]

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Filed under: Peripherals