AGOG TECH-gadgets

Cellular Book paraded

2007-03-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

You're about to go on a long road trip, and have forgotten to pack that newly bought paperback along. Have no fear, the Cellular Book is here to save the day. This unique compact device comes with an E-Ink display that works well when displaying e-books and maps, doubling up as a cellphone in the process. The use of E-Ink technology ensures excellent battery life for the Cellular Book, requiring a recharge once every fortnight assuming you read stuff from it on an average of two hours a day. Underneath the hood lies 4GB of internal memory, a fold-up design when you're carrying it around, USB connectivity, and email synchronization. Stay tuned for pricing and availability details.

Nokia 330 coming Stateside

2007-03-30T10:55:00.002-07:00

Nokia's new 330 portable navigation system will be making its way into the U.S. sometime next month, and this baby will come with preloaded Navteq maps as well as a 3.5" touchscreen display, turn-by-turn voice-guided directions for the truly lost, and multimedia playback capabilities. This means you will be able to relax to your favorite tunes despite being lost, while keeping the crowd of happy campers smiling with a Simpsons cartoon or two. Basically, the Nokia 330 is pretty much similar to everything else out in the market, making the $499 price tag rather questionable.

iPods and PDAs work well with birds

2007-03-30T10:55:00.001-07:00

Avid bird watchers who are technologically inclined will definitely be interested in merging the use of a PDA and iPod to become a better bird watcher. As long as you load your Palm with a database containing nothing but bird species and fill your iPod with bird songs, the job gets easier when it comes to identifying your avian friend outside. I wonder when will software companies take up the challenge of creating a program that identifies bird sounds on a PDA or smartphone device? As for me, I'd rather head off to the local aviary and see all the birds I want to see without going through the pain of waiting, or turn on National Geographic instead.

Pico movie projector from TI

2007-03-30T10:54:00.001-07:00

Texas Instruments has finally allowed the public to capture photos of its Pico DLP projector which is so small, it can be fitted at the bottom of the cellphone. Measuring a mere 1.3", the Pico comes with a trio of lasers, a DLP chip that is capable of delivering widescreen TV images in DVD-quality images, and a power supply. I can imagine those business suits using this with their PowerPoint presentations on a Windows-powered smartphone, while the more laidback among us will probably organize impromptu movie sessions wherever there is a big enough space and little light. No word on when the Pico will be released, but it looks like those video recording functions on cellphone can finally be put to good use.

GlobalSat launches GV-380

2007-03-30T10:53:00.001-07:00

GlobalSat has released a brand new portable GPS navigation device at CeBIT recently, and it goes by the moniker GV-380. There is no word on pricing or availability, so we'll just have to make do with scant details regarding its specifications for the moment. The GlobalSat GV-380 comes with a fairly standard 4.3" touchscreen display as well as a DVB-T receiver inside for you to watch your favorite shows on the go. I suppose other multimedia capabilities are thrown into the mix as well, and there had better be a memory expansion slot of some kind!

Garmin readies 3 new GPS systems

2007-03-20T04:13:00.002-07:00

Hot off the press, Garmin announced three new GPS systems from its 200 series. Each of these new releases come with a 3.5" touchscreen display and turn-by-turn voice prompted directions, differentiated only by the amount of NAVTEQ map data installed within. The n�vi 200 comes with only maps of the contiguous U.S., while the n�vi 250 throws in Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, and Puerto Rico as well. Well-heeled travelers will have to pick up the n�vi 270 since it comes with the aforementioned maps in addition to mapping data for over 30 European countries. The n�vi 200, 250, and 270 will retail for $400, $500, and $600 respectively. There is no word on their release, but my deadpan crystal ball says it will be within this year.

Polk Audio MiDock10 for iPod owners

2007-03-20T04:13:00.001-07:00

Polk Audio decided that the iPod accessory market was too good to pass and decided to released the Polk MiDock10 that pumps out your favorite iPod tunes with much more bang when compared to your sissy pair of headphones. This $180 speaker dock features a couple of 3.25" full-range drivers and boasts an auxiliary port for all three of you who have not yet jumped onto the iPod bandwagon. Just in case you can't find a power outlet nearby, there is always the C battery to the rescue. We highly recommended powering the MiDock10 with the former, since purchasing eight C-cell batteries at a go can be quite expensive in the long run.

LED hourglass now in 3D

2007-03-20T04:11:00.002-07:00

Dhananjay Gadre and Anurag Chugh have successfully developed a LED hourglass that brings a new twist to an old device. The LEDs were ingeniously arranged in a circular, conical fashion to play the part of an hourglass' glass parts, giving the entire setup a 3D appearance. The inclusion of the Z-axis accelerometer enables it to detech the orientation of the hourglass, lighting up the designated LEDs at the beginning of a measurement cycle. You just gotta hand these guys credit for geeking out something so ordinary.

NicStic the smokeless cigarette

2007-03-20T04:11:00.001-07:00

Healthy smoking sounds like a paradox, but the makers of NicStic are currently working on a smokeless cigarette that runs on battery power to bring the aforementiond paradox to live. The NicStic vaporizes tobacco via a rechargeable heating coil inside a cigarette-sized plastic tube instead of burning it, giving smokers a smoke-free solution that does away with all the tar, arsenic, cadmium, formaldehyde, and a billion other nasty substances associated with cigarette smoke. The NicStic kit will retail for approximately $100 and has been touted to be the next big thing when it comes to helping smokers quit. Will we see smoking return to public places if the NicStic takes off on a large scale?

Qrio G4 portable media player

2007-03-20T04:10:00.001-07:00

Qrio has recently launched the tiny G4 portable media player, offering audio and video goodness within a small aluminum body. What does this player offer? For starters, you get a 2.4" 260k color LCD display, 4GB of internal memory, and dedicated music controls on the side. Unfortunately, the G4 is pretty much last-gen when it comes to features since you don't even get an expansion slot of any kind, nor Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity to go. Files are transferred via USB 2.0. The Qrio G4 measures 80mm x 48mm x 12mm and weighs a mere 62g. If you're in Korea anytime soon, you can pick up the G4 for $115.

Ever cheerful tissue-dispensing robots

2007-03-20T04:06:00.000-07:00

I really don't see the need for a tissue-dispensing robot known as Mospeng-kun, but they definitely are handy to have around in a social function. What this robot does is offer a pack of tissue after greeting a nearby person (thanks to the built-in detector), thanking them once the tissue is taken. Another pack will automatically be reloaded for whoever comes by next. You can rent to Mospeng-kun for $835 for a total of five days, which is definitely much more than hiring one of those two-legged humans. What I like about the Mospeng-kun most is the ever smiling face and a range of emoticons. Will we see these robots at CES next year?

QuickCam Ultra Vision

2007-03-10T06:20:00.000-08:00

Logitech has unveiled its QuickCam Ultra Vision webcam featuring extra-large, precision-engineered glass lens with a low f-stop setting, increasing the amount of light entering the webcam and precisely focusing that light to create sharp, vivid images.

QuickCam Ultra Vision delivers a premium performance with the help of Logitech RightLight 2 Technology, which intelligently adapts the camera’s video settings based on the environment in which the camera is used. It also features a premium 1.3 mega pixel sensor and supports the High-Definition (HD) video format, allowing people to create video clips and watch them in a wide-screen format.

“With the Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision we’ve redefined performance at the high end by combining the most premium lens on any webcam with the new RightLight 2 Technology,” said Moninder Jain, director, South Asia, Logitech.

In addition to the glass lens, chrome details draw attention to the webcam’s built-in microphone, lens housing and the edges of the cylinder-shaped webcam. Each edge features a button — one that launches a mirror video window so that people can check their image before they engage in a video call, and the other to take quick snapshots. The webcam also features a soft-blue backlighted ring, surrounding a Logitech logo, which illuminates when the camera is active.

The Logitech Video Effects software that comes with Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision allows people to completely transform themselves into three-dimensional animated characters (avatars) that precisely mimic facial movements, or to add accessories to their on-screen image, such as glasses, a beard or a crown.

Price: The Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision is available at Rs 10,995/-

Bang and Olufsen ultimate home entertainment experience: BeoVision 9 with BeoLab 5

2007-03-04T05:23:00.000-08:00

CES 2007 - Today we met with the “haute couture” manufacturer of the audio and video industry: Kim Gravesen, President, and David Zapfel, product manager at Bang and Olufsen America gave us an extensive demo of the BeoVision 9. This state-of-the-art audio-video unit combined with the Beolab 5 loudspeakers delivers the ultimate surround sound experience one can dream of for a home theater. BeoVision 9’s digital sound processor is designed to drive the sound in up to 7.1 channels (the predominant format is still 5.1). You can connect up to 10 BeoLab speakers - our demo was done with 6 of them, but the results were breathtaking!

Optimus Prime speaketh

2007-03-04T05:20:00.002-08:00

Hasbro will be fulfilling the fantasies of many a Transformers fan when they release the Optimus Prime Voice Changer Helmet later this year to coincide with the summer release of the movie. This is a long time in coming, and probably ranks just behind the Darth Vader Voice Changer Helmet in terms of desirability. No matter how you sound like, you can voice out your opinions in the powerful tones of Optimus himself, although there is still a lot of work to be done when trying to transform your physique into that of a trailer truck. Other than Optimus' voice, you can also choose to spew out Battle Phrases and Conversion sounds as you let your imagination run wild. Stay tuned for pricing details.

Star Trek Phaser a remote

2007-03-04T05:20:00.001-08:00

Trekkies will go absolutely nuts over the Star Trek Phaser Universal Remote Control, giving you total control over most of the common electronic entertainment systems found across homes in America. Subject your TVs, VCRs (if you still own one), DVD players, cable, or satellite to the Phaser remote with ease. Paramount Pictures has also kindly included a range of distinctive Star Trek sound effects that accompany each zap, making the entire experience all the more authentic. If only this was capable of zapping your mother-in-law into submission, it would definitely rank as a must-have item for any self-respecting man of the house. The Star Trek Phaser Universal Remote Control is powered by a quartet of AAA batteries and retails for $69.95. Unfortunately, it is currently not in stock.

Shiro to debut new DAPs

2007-03-04T05:19:00.001-08:00

Shiro will be unveiling a trio of digital audio players at the upcoming CeBIT event that will be held in a fortnight's time. The three musketeers comprises of the Shiro ME, VE, and MK. The MK will be the lowest end of the trio, featuring a mere 1.8" display and 2GB of internal memory. The ME and VE has double the amount of storage space, while the VE features a much larger 2.4" display. All three models support the MP3, WMA, and WAV audio formats and AVI, SMV, and WMV video formats. The VE's internal memory can be expanded upon by inserting a microSD card, while the ME takes in miniSD cards and the MK takes in SD/MMC memory cards. Since all three are pretty similar in specifications, it really depends on your personal taste on which one suits you best.

Grobag Egg tells temperature via color

2007-03-04T05:18:00.000-08:00

For those who still haven't figured out how to decipher the current temperature on a thermometer, the Grobag Egg ought to do the trick. Doubling up as a night light and a thermometer, this device is capable of displaying up to four colors - blue, red, orange, and yellow. Blue denotes it is too cold, while red would require you to turn the heater off almost immediately. Orange is slightly above the comfort level, while yellow is practically heaven on earth. Of course, the Grobag Egg is meant to be placed in a baby's room to ensure the little one gets a good night's sleep. We all know when baby sleeps well, the parents do too, so it would be wise to invest £18.95 in the Grobag Egg.

Gizmac Titan Clear for nano

2007-03-04T05:10:00.000-08:00

The Titan Clear from Gizmac is actually an evolution of the Titan Gear, and this time it is geared toward the second generation iPod nano. What do you get for $25? For starters, there is a two-piece, snap on transparent protective case that provides the bulk of protection while a quartet of add-on accessories keep your precious nano as safe as possible. The four are an armband, a rotating belt clip, a carabiner hook, and a gray fabric lanyard. Even the Click Wheel is well looked after, thanks to a clear film protector that comes with every purchase of the Titan Clear. If you haven't yet gotten any form of protection for your nano, the Titan Clear looks like a good bet.

Absinthe spoon goes USB

2007-03-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

Absinthe is the stuff of legend, an alcohol that is green in color after being distilled from wormwood, anise, and fennel. It is widely rumored that artists in 19th century French cafes consumed such stuff for its hallucinogenic properties in order to create their masterpieces. Across the pond, absinthe is considered to be an illegal substance, but somehow Europe has seen a resurgence, making this absinthe spoon a unique device by virtue of its USB connectivity. We're not sure if it comes with some form of flash memory inside at the moment though. Check out the product page for more details.