MSI BK100 Foldable Universal Bluetooth Keyboard

If you’re one who travels a whole lot and do not want to tote around a large notebook, chances are the netbook’s keyboard will take some getting used to. Brando is more than eager to help you out here with the MSI BK100 Foldable Universal Bluetooth Keyboard. This low keycap notebook keyboard comes with just 65 keys which doesn’t sound like much, but it’ll do the job pretty well. It operates on the 2.40GHz and 2.4835GHz frequencies across 79 channels, ensuring you’ll be able to use it no matter how many people there are in the room who’re Bluetoothing at the same time. Powered by a couple of AAA batteries, the MSI BK100 Foldable Universal Bluetooth Keyboard’s greatest strength is its ability to fold up into something that’s super compact. Not too sure if some people are willing to pay 10% of a netbook’s price to bring this one home though at $54 a pop.

Digital Camera Guide before buy

So, it's time for a digital camera huh? Well, buying one can be more than a little difficult. What types of features should you look for? Well, this guide will tell you that plus get you a little more familiar with what these cameras are capable of.

Megapixels
When it comes to megapixels, the more the better. I recommend a minimum of 2, but 3 or 4 is great. We did a test to see if a camera with 2.3 megapixels (actually 1.92 - 1600 x 1200) could produce a good quality 8x10.

Turns out it can, if you have the right paper and printer. We used HP Premium Plus photo paper with an HP 970 series printer and made a fantastic 8 x 10. Remember, I was a professional photographer before I got into computing, so I know a good print when I see it :-)

The resolution at 8x10 (we had to crop in to make the picture proportional to 8x10) was only 150 DPI. Most printers would not make a real good 8x10 at that resolution, but this one did. So, if you want to be sure you can get good 8 x 10s, you may want to go with a 3 megapixel camera or better (that gives you around 200 DPI at 8x10 size, still not quite the optimum 300 DPI, but it looks good with the right printer).

Optical vs Digital Zoom
You've probably noticed that most digital cameras have both a specification for digital and optical zoom. Pay the most attention to the optical zoom.

The optical zoom magnifies (zooms in) using glass. The digital zoom basically crops out the edge of the picture to make the subject appear closer, causing you to lose resolution or to get an interpolated resolution (i.e. the camera adds pixels). Neither of which help image quality.

Finally, make sure you get enough (optical) zoom. A 2x zoom isn't going to do much for you. A 3x is the average you'll find in most digital cameras will probably be good for most uses. More on lenses later.

Connection
How does the camera connect to your computer? If you have a USB port in your computer, you'll want a camera that can connect via USB as opposed to a slow serial connection.

On the other hand, if your computer doesn't have a USB port, is there a serial connector available for the camera you're looking at? If so, is it a special order and how long does it take to get it?

Storage
What does the camera use to store images with? If it uses a memory stick, make sure you consider buying additional sticks when you get your camera. A typical 8 meg memory stick that comes with a 2 megapixel camera only holds 5 or 6 images at the camera's best quality.

Some cameras use a 3.5 inch disk for storage. Be careful of these!
Although it may sound like a good idea, a 3 megapixel camera at high resolution produces a 1 meg file (compressed!). That's only 1 picture per disk.

Here's a few more things to look out for when trying to make your digital camera purchase.

Picture Formats
When you're trying to decide on which digital camera to get, check and see how many different picture formats it supports.

You want something that can produce both uncompressed (usually TIFF) and compressed (usually JPEG) images. I personally use the high quality JPEG setting on my camera for most of my shooting. TIFFs are just too big and the difference in quality is not ascertainable by mere mortals.

You also want to be able to shoot at a lower resolution than the camera's maximum. That way, If you're running short on memory, you can squeeze a few more shots on your memory stick.

Auxiliary Lens / Flash
This was a biggie for me. While a 3x zoom may work for the "average" user, I needed something that allowed me to do some wide angle work as well as have a good telephoto lens.

So, the camera I purchased a few months back was a Nikon Coolpix 990 (note that this isn't the only camera that can accept lenses). It has auxiliary lenses that screw into the filter ring on the front of the lens. I now have an ultra-wide fisheye lens plus a nice telephoto.

In addition to lenses, I wanted a good flash. The flash that is built into most of these cameras gives you a top range of 15-20 feet - at best. I wanted a camera that could take a powerful auxiliary flash (again, the Nikon isn't the only camera that fits this requirement, but I liked it better than the rest). If you need more reach than the small built in flash can deliver, then make sure you can attach an external flash to any camera you consider.

As an added bonus, if you get a camera that can take an external flash, you can place that flash on a bracket and eliminate red-eye.

Flash Distance
Speaking of flashes, make sure you check the distance the built in flash is good for. You don't want a camera with a wimpy flash that only travels a few feet (well, unless you can get an external flash for it as described above).

Battery Type
This may not sound important, but it is. Anyone who owns a digital camera can tell you they eat batteries the way a sumo wrestler eats at a buffet.

Make sure the camera can run on regular (or rechargeable) "AA" type batteries. You don't want a camera that eats through expensive lithium batteries every 10 shots or so.

One thing to remember about digital cameras, they do eat through batteries. I recommend getting some Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable for it. I have some for mine and they have saved me a fortune.

Final Notes
Choosing a digital camera isn't easy. There's a huge selection out there and only you can determine which features you need.

For instance, if you shoot wildlife photos, a small 3x zoom probably isn't going to cut it (unless you can attach auxiliary lenses to it). If you shoot lots of close-ups, make sure the camera has some sort of macro capability. If you shoot big group photos indoors, an external flash may be necessary.

My advice is to make a list of things you want to be able to do with the camera then go to somewhere that can help you make a good purchase decision.

Finally, buy the BEST camera you can possibly afford. Or wait until the price drops on one with the type of features you want.

Secret USB Flash Drive Watch

Today must be Advanced Watch Day, because I just finished reporting on a new Cellular Phone Watch from LG. This next watch feels just as advanced, as it comes with a 4GB USB Flash Drive.

This USB drive fits snugly into the case, where no one will look for it. In fact, that is one thing I like about this watch: it doesn’t look like heavily advanced spy watch. No, this watch looks completely innocuous with its fancy exterior.

The USB Hidden Flash Drive Watch has “a plastic case covered by a stainless steel mask with brushed silver finish and convex mineral glass with a shiny raised index”. It may not be a Rolex, but it is fancy enough for James Bond to sport.

I can just see it being used in the next James Bond film. Here’s the scene: Daniel Craig sneaks into an enemy base, and then whips out the flash drive from his wrist and downloads the head bad guy’s plan. Knowing movies like I do, they’ll probably make it more suspenseful by showing a little bar that has to be 100% complete before a guard shows up to stop Bond.

So before Bond goes out on his next mission, he doesn’t need Q anymore. He can just order from the ThinkGeek site. That’s probably good, because the latest James Bond films don’t have Q in them anyway.

Cibox C107 Digital Picture Frame Review

Does it feel like we never get round to downloading our newly snapped photos onto the computer or when we do, its months later and they always just stay there in a file never to be fully enjoyed? Cibox answers this problem with its easy to use 7” Digital Photo Frame C107 from Red Save, applying its many functions such as the changeable frame colours, remote control and slideshow options, to make sure we get the best out of our photos.

The frame is simple to use with practically no set-up required- just insert a compatible memory card from your camera into the slot at the back of the frame, click photo on the remote setting and watch it scroll through your pictures. As well as the memory card reader, there is also a USB hub, however if you haven’t cropped your photos before hand the pictures may not fit the screen which could be really tedious once you have sat down to watch them through.

Putting the 7” screen to the test, the size for viewing is good and generally the photos come up clear. It goes without saying that, for the price, its not going to be of the best quality but the resolution is not as bad. I did find that bright photos were brightened on the frame and sometimes not viewable but this didn’t effect my overall perception of the frame, as there are settings to control brightness and contrast on the main menu.

I often find that particular memories come with particular songs that remind you of these good times. So it’s helpful to know that when you’re watching your favourite photos, you can also play a list of your favourite tracks, adding a nice personal touch to any photo album viewing. The sound quality is good considering its coming from a photo frame. The frame supports JPEG and AVI so you can run video clips too.

Added little extras include options to create slide shows with adjustable time schedules between each photo and multiple transition effects. Even with these options, there are no functions to play the pictures in a random order or a mix so unless you have a lot of photos, this could get a bit predictable and repetitive. The remote control is a handy extra so that you can sit back and change settings rather than having to go to the frame and use its buttons. To add to the endless features, the frame acts as an alarm clockso this would be perfect if you placed the frame next to your bed (although I couldn’t figure out how to change the month of the calendar so I was operating in the month of June). If you ever get bored of the appearance of the frame or simply want to take it into another room and want it to match, it comes with 3 interchangeable fascias (black, white and silver).

For around £70, this is not the cheapest digital photo frame and neither is it the most expensive but it is certainly worth the price with all of the features and the overall quality of the photos on screen which are nothing to be grumbled at. This would make a perfect gift for anyone who cherishes their photos, people wanting to view their snaps but have little time to download their photos onto the computer straight away or even for those who have perhaps ran out of space to display their photos.

Kodak ESP 5 Review

For those with tight desk space in the office, often times an all in one printer solution is a practical answer to the problem. All in ones have been around for over a decade and usually the bad wrap was that if one of the features failed, you couldn’t use the entire unit. So, if the scanner failed, for instance, then the printer was useless to you as well. Luckily, as the all in one printer design matured, much of that main problem has been engineered away. The results are that all in one printers are good solutions that are very affordable, offer nominal performance, and save a ton of space. They’re not perfect, mind you, but for the price it’s hard to argue a demand for perfection. Just performance. This is could have been true with the Kodak ESP 5 All in One printer, if it had been built a little more robustly.

The ESP 5 is Kodak’s entry level all in one printer. And unfortunately, even entry level users will find that it’s design features are fairly flimsy and deficient. The problem is that although the design looks sleek and clean, the construction is made from cheaper plastic which gives the ESP5 a delicate feel that makes users worry that giving the ESP5 any real heavy duty work will cause failure.

The 3” LCD screen is rather bright and easy to read and an excellent improvement over previous models that simply didn’t have one. The buttons are easy to use and navigate through making the printing, scanning and copying process easy to accomplish.

In addition, the scanner/copier portion of the ESP5 is meant solely for single pages. Great for scanning or copying single documents, but if the user wants to copy portions of a thick book or magazine, the user will have to break the back and remove each page to scan – not a valid option for the library or after borrowing a book. Also, the quality of the scans are acceptable, but could be better. The white balance is off – yielding a scan which is gray in the white areas, meaning a calibration may be in order from the very beginning.

One nice thing is the sheet feeder takes up to 100 sheets of paper but has very little room for anything other than 8 ½ x* paper. And we found that the catch ramp which the printed paper is caught isn’t long enough and after one or two prints, they fall to the ground.

Printing wise, the ESP5 allows for direct printing from XD/SD and compact flash cards, as well as direct connecting to digital cameras. I found the ESP5 to be of pretty good quality and for draft copies of photos, its okay. But I’d be looking to invest in a quality photo printer for images you want to frame as the colors simply aren’t as bold as the dedicated photo printers like Epson or Canon makes.

One thing that we hoped Kodak would have done is have dedicated ink cartridges for simple replacement as each color depletes itself. Unfortunately, the design calls for one black cartridge and a 5 in one all color cartridge. This means that if you run out of one ink, you can just swap it out for a replacement unless you want to simply waste the rest of the ink in the cartridge. And frankly, inkjet printing ink is expensive enough without tossing it for little reason other than design convenience.

What we’d like to see is an accessory page feeder which would allow for multiple page scans or a retractable top to address the book scan issue. Other than that, the Kodak is an affordable all in one which will get the every day job done. But for presentations and for copies that count, there are plenty of other options that there which offer far better performance for a little more money.

Canon 5d Mk II an expensive camera that puts it all on the screen

Up front, you need to know that the Canon 5D Mk II is expensive. VERY expensive. Professional expensive. At nearly $3,000 for just the body, it’s not even an early adapter camera and is more for the wedding photographer or professional who’s looking to push the boundaries of their artistic skills. But for the money, photographers will find that the 5D Mk. II puts “every dime on the screen” and then some.

Let’s look at the specs first and you’ll see what we mean. 21 Megapixels from a 14 bit CMOS sensor. ISO from 50-26000. Yes, I said 26,000 (stellar photographers will dig on that option). Continuous unlimited shooting of 3.9 frames per second in photo mode with over 98% coverage from its full frame shutter. Live view shutter capability. 15-pt AF 6 center AF assist points; 3 center f2.8 and wider. A 3 inch LCD .

But here’s the kicker. You can make movies with it thanks to its video mode. That’s right, Canon has dove into the deep and provided a full frame, High definition movie recording in 1080 p resolution. And the results are cinematic. A big screen feel with bold, rich colors, and deep blacks.

I know, you’re skeptical. But before you make a judgment, do yourself a favor and watch REVERIE by Professional Photographer Vincent LaForet. Canon gave him a pre-release model to play with for two days and the film he came back with is simply exquisite. And to compare the quality, check out the behind the scenes video that LaForet cut to compare it with a professional grade Canon XL2. You will simply be stunned at the differences. One is video footage with some low light issues and the other looks like a film you’d watch at the Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd. It’s really amazing the night and day difference that’ll make professional wedding photographers believe they can do double duty and offer both high quality stills and stunning videos (wedding photographers can check out this video – A Three Act Play - to see the results at a wedding.

And with the ability to use a wide range of 35mm DSLR lenses at a beck and call, that means for the low budget filmmaker, the Canon 5D Mk. II is a game changer. It will add another 25% of production value easily to the look of your videos/films. And when I say game changer, I mean a serious game changer. Recently, the company that makes the RED ONE 4K video camera announced plans to scrap their Red One Scarlet low budge 3K camera in favor of a new design. This baby was ready to go and Red up and cancelled it. Now they’re talking about coming out with a new DSLR which will also shoot 3K video using their Mysterium chip. Is this due largely because of the performance benefits of cameras like the 5D Mk. II which can put out not only amazing professional quality stills but also movie quality 1080p videos? We think so. And that’s good news, not only for Canon fans, but for photographers and videographers alike who are constantly trying to up their game to compete with the pros without the million dollar budgets.

Pogo Sketch

The digital pen market hasn’t really peaked as yet, as the translation from writing with the pen to digital text has never really been smooth. Ten One Design has created the Pogo Sketch stylus, which isn’t really a digital pen per se, but is designed to be used with touch screen devices.

The Pogo Sketch seems to favor the Mac products, and the company claims that it is compatible with the iPhone and iPod Touch. It also works well on the big trackpads that are on MacBooks.

Another use for the Pogo Sketch is a little help when it comes to touch-sensitivity. Think about situations when you take out your touch-sensitive device in cold weather, and you have to use it with gloves on. Rather than removing your gloves to expose your hands to the cold, the Pogo Sketch will give you an extra edge for touch-sensitive work, and will also keep the screen free and clear of smudge-prints.

Apple and AT&T working on 3G MacBook

Apple is one company that is never far away from rumors, in fact, it would be quite unusual for Cupertino to be rumor-free for a few months. After all, this is the company that has brought about plenty of innovation in the world of personal computers, and majority of their new releases in recent years have been preceded by rumors. This time round, the latest word depends on how someone interprets generic comments from an AT&T department president - could AT&T and Apple actually forge a partnership to release a 3G-enabled MacBook? For greater context, check out part of their conversation right after the jump.

Fortune had some words with Glenn Lurie, AT&T’s President of Emerging Devices Division, talking about netbooks as well as the emerging business model of subsidizing devices in exchange for one of the more popular two-year data subscription contracts. According to Lurie, AT&T’s holiday experiment with a $99 Acer Aspire One netbook that comes bundled with a contract for data service went “extremely well,” and this has prodded AT&T to look into other areas where they can expand their role in supplying data services to other devices. It sounds like a natural partnership where a 3G-enabled MacBook is concerned, especially when both parties are pretty happy with the iPhone arrangement to date.

Putting two and two together isn’t too difficult especially when you consider what was said alongside Apple’s statement from its Q1 2009 earnings call that claims the company is currently keeping a keen eye on the netbook space. It would be interesting to see where Apple prices a 3G-enabled MacBook if this rumor is true, but then again I’m prety sure people won’t really mind a $1,299 MacBook with always-on Internet connection, seeing how some were more than willing to fork out nearly half that price for a first generation iPhone when it was first released. How will iPhone owners feel with such a data plan tethered to a MacBook?

GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr CD111

I’ve spent a few weeks with the GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Pro – a GPS datalogger that’s aimed at the digital photographer. The idea is to use a GPS receiver to embed location information in photographs which can then be displayed on a map showing where they were taken. It’s not a new concept but it usually involves a certain amount of effort to match the pieces of the puzzle together and things only get trickier when you are using the RAW files produced by modern digital SLRs.

The PhotoTrackr claims to solve both of these problems by being easy to use and supporting a wide range of cameras – follow the jump to see how I got on.

Hardware

The PhotoTrackr is a relatively compact GPS datalogger – it’s a true “fire and forget” device. Turn it on, put it in your pocket, rucksack etc and forget about it. It will happily sit there all day recording locations to its internal memory until either the battery runs out or you turn it off.

The GPS tracker itself is about the size of a tin of mints – it sits comfortably in the hand and comes with a lanyard / wrist strap. The chipset is the popular 51 channel MTK receiver – it proved quite sensitive, getting a reliable signal even while being in my jacket pocket on the back seat of the car!

The user interface is quite unique – instead of a random assortment of blinking lights the unit talks to you to tell you it’s acquired a satellite lock! I found this a mixed blessing – outdoors it was useful feedback but when it started bleeping at me in the office while I had it connected to the computer I found it quite annoying. You can “stealth” the unit, but then all the lights go out too so you don’t even know if it’s turned on – not very useful.

Battery life is hard to assess – it’s quoted as 32 hours in continuous mode but you also have the option of engaging a power saving mode so you may be able to stretch that. Suffice to say I used it all day without a problem so as long as you have access to an overnight charge, power shouldn’t be an issue.

In the box

The package contains everything you’ll need to get started – you get a quick start guide, software CD + manual, wrist strap and (unusually) both mains and car chargers for the GPS.

Capacity

The unit has 4MB internal memory which according to the specification sheet can hold 250,000 position entries. Some scribbles on the back of an envelope work that out to be enough memory for 57 continuous days of logging at 20 second intervals!

Logging parameters are quite flexible. As well as straightforward “breadcrumb” logging at set time periods you can also set the GPS up to log after a certain distance has been travelled or speed achieved (the picture on the right shows the settings dialog with all the available options)

Software

Good software is the key to any GPS photo-tagging package. The theory is simple – take the GPS track log, match the dates and times with those in your photograph and record the nearest location in the photo.

Things get a little trickier when you have a more sophisticated camera and you’re shooting in RAW mode. Unlike JPEG files, camera RAW files are proprietary and unique to each camera manufacturer, creating a headache for anybody wanting to use the files. Displaying the photos is usually possible but stamping the GPS information back into them without corrupting the picture is often not supported. The usual way to tackle the problem is to write the GPS (and any other metadata) into a “sidecar” or “xmp” file which lives alongside the original photo and contains the extra information. The GiSTEQ software takes this approach and had no problems with the CR2 files from my Canon 40D. Most modern photo management packages can handle these XMP files – if yours doesn’t, now is a good time to upgrade!

So, functionality is all there – how does the package perform in day to day use? It’s pretty easy. First, use the wizard to download the track log from the GPS device. Next, add a batch of photos. Give the batch a name (called a “photo group” in GiSTEQ terminology) and the software will automatically search the track logs it knows about, match the photos with the locations and embed the coordinates.

A nice touch is something called “reverse geocoding”. This is where the software goes online to look up the address from the GPS coordinates. It’s quite useful as you get at least town and country information pulled in automatically. The sample photos also show a street address, but that never came back for me.

Room for improvement…

I found the software interface a little confused in places – for example, exporting the GPS track log to a Google Earth file is done by selecting the trip in the “photo management” section, rather than the more logical “trip records”.

The “slideshow” feature didn’t seem to like the RAW files from my Canon 40D, and I also had the software crash a couple of times when I was using it.

I also noticed an issue with the reverse geocoding function: While it worked when using the supplied software to view photos, the extra address information wasn’t included in the XMP files. What this means is that the address information only seems to be displayed when you’re using the supplied software. If you manage your photos in a separate application (and most serious photographers will) you don’t get the extra information.

Using Geotagged RAW files

The last step in the process is doing something with the images! Often that will involve a jpeg export or upload to a photo sharing website. The supplied software will handle uploading the photos to common photo websites for you, but if you want to do something else with them you’ll need RAW processing software that is GPS aware. I use Photoshop Lightroom, although others work just as well. Assuming your software can handle GPS tags in XMP files you don’t need to do anything else – when you process the RAW file to a JPEG you should find the location has been transferred over. Flickr, Smugmug etc will read this information and display the photograph on a map automatically.

The workflow becomes:

- Download GPS track log
- Download photos
- Use GiSTEQ software to sync photos with tracklog
- Use your normal software after this

Conclusion

GiSTEQ have done a great job on making a solid GPS Datalogger – the capacity, battery life and sensitivity are all first rate. I think the software could use a bit of polish but in terms of it’s main function (geocoding photos) it works well. The whole package makes geocoding photos pretty painless so I’d say they’ve achieved what they set out to do.

Latest MacBook Tablet rumor blazing up the internet

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Apple LED Cinema Display unveiled

Apple is on a roll today with a brand new LED Cinema Display to tempt your wallets even in these harsh economic times. This stunning 24″ LED backlit widescreen display comes with an integrated iSight video camera, microphone and speakers - and Apple engineers and designers managed to cram all of the above into an elegant, thin aluminum and glass enclosure. Nice to see Apple continue to place product design a class above the rest, even if that means the ordinary consumer has to fork out much more money. Targeting the newly released MacBook family, this Apple LED Cinema Display comes with a built-in MagSafe charger, three USB 2.0 ports and the new Mini DisplayPort that makes it a snap for MacBook users to hook up in an instant, powering not only their notebooks but favorite peripherals as well.

This 24″ glossy, widescreen display as a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels, making it suitable for you to view all your videos in full High Definition. Thanks to LED backlit technology, you will be able to enjoy instant full screen brightness without having to cough up a bundle at the end of the month for your power bill. Power efficiency is definitely a positive point here, compared to older displays that depend on LCD technology. The LED Cinema Display is suspended by an aluminum stand with an adjustable hinge for almost effortless tilting. Thanks to the integrated iSight video camera, microphone and speakers, one is able to kick off video conferencing via iChat in an instant. I also like the idea of the built-in universal MagSafe charger that makes it much more convenient for users to leave their notebook’s MagSafe power adapter in the travel bag.

You will be able to pick up the new LED Cinema Display this November via the usual channels, including the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. So far the LED Cinema Display comes with a recommended retail price of $899 - granted, there are many other 24″ LCD monitors out there which do not cost that much, but none of them are able to compare to the sheer beauty of the LED Cinema Display. Just make sure you have a spanking new MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with the new Mini DisplayPort or else it would be pretty much useless.

Cupertino announces a rainbow of new Nanos

Well, it looks like Kevin Rose got it pretty much right when he leaked details of the new iPod Nano which is being released today. Based on a more curved design, the new Nano design comes with a widescreen for watching new HD content available from the iTunes Store. The new Nano designs also have a curved design to them, as Rose predicted, come in a rainbow of colors, and an ever so slight price reduction. In addition, the Nano takes advantage of the accelerometer which changes the screen size, by allowing a “shake shuffle” mode that enables users to shake it to move to the next song on the shuffle. Users also have new earbuds which have navigation controls right on the bud cord and a microphone for the built in memo recording feature (sold separate for about $79 – UGH!). The new iPod nanos come in 8GB for about $150, or 16GB for $199 ($200 in disguise). Steve also announced a new iPod Classic 120GB model, portending the discontinuing of the 160GB variation. But that isn’t all.

Steve Jobs also announced an update to the iTunes Store to version 8, which has a “genius” mode to suggest similar music tracks based upon what a listener has on their playlist. Again, Kevin Rose hits the nail on the head. And also, NBC returns with shows in HD for $2.99. That means that NBC, Sci-Fi (just in time for the last half of BSG) and other NBC stations return to iTunes in glory with a $1.00 price increase.

Finally, iPhone and iPod Touch users can upgrade to OSX2.1 for free, if they have already updated from 2.0. Those below that will have to pay the additional $10 fee. It fixes a lot of bugs including call drops, battery life, and app crashes.

The 8GB Nanos are available now with the 16GB models.

Apple MultiTouch Laptop patent once again heralding a MacTab?

Apple Insider is reporting that Apple has applied for a patent for a multi touch screen interface for laptop computers. This move makes the long awaited, and bi-annually rumored, MacTablet computer one step closer. And it’s all thanks to the iPhone, isn’t it?

The iPhone brought the multi touch interface to the world and it has taken that world by storm. Is Cupertino now looking to expand it (Literarlly) into a MacTablet?

Most of the 52 page patent request cites multi-touch interfaces as the key to “accurately detecting and deciphering a plurality of simultaneous contacts on a touch screen, thereby setting the foundation for future tablet-based products. Illustrations and design descriptions speak of enlarging portions of windows to enable easy access and navigation of buttons that might otherwise be too small and crowded together for accurate and efficient use. Once buttons have been engaged, the interface would automatically go back to it’s original configuration until needed once again.

Additionally, vertical scrolling on files would take place much in the way that music is navigated in the iPhone under iTunes, with a simple swipe of a finger. And a full size keyboard would be completely virtual on the screen, enabling multiple touch and high speed typing. There will also be a virtual scroll wheel which could be of some advantage to film editors out in the field, seeking to put together a rough cut of a scene in real time while the film is being shot. Although in reality the scroll wheel will more likely be used in an ITunes style manner.

iPod-to-iPod Transfer Device

Never mind if you don’t have a computer or notebook at the moment and yet want to share tunes on your iPod with a friend. The iPod, not being a Zune and hence does not have wireless capability to transfer tunes to another iPod, has this tool to help it out.

It automatically recognizes when you plug in iPods (either Mac or PC formatting) on either end, and it can transfer a three-minute song in five seconds and a 30-minute video in three minutes. The device can also transfer any files when the iPods are set to “disk drive” mode. Its rechargeable battery provides up to 1 1/2 hours of operation during transfers, and includes an AC adapter that recharges the device in four hours; iPods are recharged while connected. Songs transferred with digital rights management (DRM) formatting require appropriate iTunes password and authorization.

Here we go again … another Mac Tablet rumor

The Cupertino rumor mill is a buzz again. Like a voice crying in the wilderness, and fresh off the heels of a Steve Jobs promise that more interesting products are coming in the fall, The Giz is reporting a rumor that the long speculated MacBook Tablet will be shipping this October.

The rumor comes from the same MacDailyNews source who leaked new iTunes wireless features a few months back. It talks about a MacTab which will use the same multi-touch technology as the iPhone, but on a grander scale. Could it be true leak and not mere disinformation that Steve Jobs uses to ferret out loose lips and sink them? Well, there is the Apple Patent filing of a multi-touch LCD screen for tablets and laptops reported a few weeks back. Couple that with Steve’s carrot on a stick and you may just have something.

But meantime, the devil is in the details:
The MacTab will have an iPhone style multi-touch screen that’s full featured and learns gestures to store them in a library. It’ll have Mac OS X, slot-loading SuperDrive, accelerometer, GPS, and compatible with Apple App Store. The speculation also talks about how it will follow the iPhone’s marketing plan of initially costing a lot, followed by a price drop once the product line is established.

Undiscovered Apple TV keyboard

iPhone/iPod touch fans take note - there is a new dimension to the Remote application that seemed to have been overlooked by many. Apple themselves have done virtually nothing to promote such a feature either, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t useful or interesting to look at. The iPhone or iPod touch will be able to be used as a keyboard in lieu of the hard-to-use on-screen non-QWERTY keyboard as your Apple TV keyboard. Best of all is, the typing is reflected on the TV screen itself so that you know exactly where you’ve gone wrong with a wayward finger or thumb.

Singapore Airlines offer iPod and iPhone connectivity

With the deluge of budget airlines making their presence felt all over the world, no thanks to rising fuel and operating costs, it is nice to see a major airline continue to make profit without compromising on the quality of service. Singapore Airlines has just announced that it will be offering flights featuring iPod and iPhone connectivity on KrisWorld starting from yesterday. This privilege can be found on all newly reconfigured Business Class Airbus A340-500 flights between New York and Singapore, as well as routes between Los Angeles and Singapore from this August onwards. I suppose after forking out enough cash to buy a kidney (and then some) to fly halfway across the world, it makes perfect sense to have this added touch of technology available to travelers who prefer to watch movies of their own choice on the iPod/iPhone instead of subjecting their senses to the mercies of in-flight entertainment.

Each seat in Singapore Airlines’ KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system will be accompanied by a 15.4″ widescreen LCD display that makes it just nice to watch your desired TV shows and movies, while active noise-cancellation headphones further enhance the in-flight entertainment experience by doing away with external distractions. According to Yap Kim Wah, Senior Vice-President Product & Services, for Singapore Airlines, “Customers on our all-business class Airbus A340-500 flights now have an incredible way to enjoy their own iPod and iPhone music and video on the KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system. This is yet another example of our philosophy of creating customer satisfaction by providing an enhanced sense of choice and control.”

Listening to your iPod and iPhone won’t cancel out announcements and instructions made by Singapore Airlines cabin crew and pilots, so you know exactly when meals will be served as well as the weather conditions on the ground while going through the Transformers movie for the umpteenth time.

Get your movies from iTunes the same day as the DVD release

Earlier this year the epic battle for the next-gen disc technology was finally ended with Blu-ray becoming the victor. However, I’m still not convinced that a new disc technology is what the industry really needs. With high-speed internet more widely available than ever before and hard drive sizes reaching over 1TB, it only seems logical that we’ll turn to digital distribution with movies, just as we’ve done with music. Once again, Apple is making strides that will no doubt help us along that path.

Apple has announced that they have worked with a number of studios (both big and small) too make sure that many movies will be available on iTunes the same day they are released on DVD. Prices for new releases will set you back $14.99, while most others will only run $9.99. I’m still not ready to dump my DVD catalog and go all digital, but I really do think that this is the future.

Mini USB MicroSD/T-Flash + M2 Card Reader

Brando knows just how many of us out there have a myriad of memory cards to fiddle with, which is why there is always room for one more memory card reader. This time round, Brando has taken the shrinking gun and fired a good dose of its miniaturizing ray which resulted in the Mini USB MicroSD/T-Flash + M2 Card Reader. Almost as small as those wireless Bluetooth dongles that fit into your USB port, this diminutive memory card reader does microSD and M2 memory cards for those who tend to do a whole lot of file transfer. We’re guessing cell phone users will be the main target market, although a small segment of you out there who play with ROMs on the DS Lite and PSP will pick up this $12 device as well. The newer microSDHC format is supported as well, and you can choose from black or white colors.

XLink BT - Use your cell phone like a landline

The XLink BT allows you to make and receive calls from your usual land-line phone over your mobile network. Once set-up you simply need to leave your cell phone within Bluetooth range of the XLink box and then any calls to your cell will ring and be answerable around the house and calls made from your regular phone will be redirected over your cell.

One of the advantages of the XLink is it allows you to ditch your land-line and make the most of the free calls that you get with most cellphone contracts. It can be used with 3 cellphones simultaneously, with each cell generating a different ring tone on the other phones (when calling out you specify which cell to use by a numeric prefix).

XLink retails for $80 and is available from My XLink though you may want to wait for the next version as that willinclude Skype functionality.

Jabra rolls out two more Bluetooth headsets for the masses

Mention Bluetooth headsets and chances are you will hear the name Jabra pop up among your conversations, never mind the likes of Aliph and the rest. Jabra was there almost right from the start, and it was that name that got me introduced to the world of Bluetooth headsets where wearing a Borg-like contraption used to be all the rage a few years ago. I still find it funny whenever I see someone wearing one of these headsets, but it is nice to see time and technology advance to a point where Bluetooth headsets are not only stylish, they offer a greater deal of functionality without sacrificing on battery life. Would be interesting to see an in-ear Bluetooth headset one of these days so that there won’t be any more dangling bits that can be quite an eyesore. This time round, we have a couple of Bluetooth headsets from Jabra known as the M5390 and the BT530. More specific details on both will be available right after the jump.

Jabra M5390 US

• Up to 200 foot range
• Up to 6 hours talk time, 60 hours standby time
• Plug-and-play Bluetooth connectivity to PC or VoIP
• Comes with Jabra PC Suite with e-hook functionality for Microsoft Office Communicator, Skype and Cisco IP Communicator
• Wideband audio and noise cancelling microphone
• True wideband sound quality
• Two wearing styles (earhook and headband)

Jabra BT530 USB

• Pairs with 8 devices
• Plug-and-play Bluetooth adapter for PC applications and soft-phones
• Includes Jabra PC Suite with VoIP functionality for Skype, Cisco and Microsoft Office Communicator
• Third generation ear gel design available in three sizes and can be worn with or without the earhook for maximum individualized comfort
• The 0.35 ounce headset allows for up to 5.5 hours of talk time, up to 250 hours of standby time, and has a maximum range of 33 feet

Text message to lock down your Laptop

Like many of you, I own a laptop that means a lot to me. Since I am a writer, I make my living by it. However, even those that don’t live by the laptop still have a lot of personal information on it.

Especially in the age where no one really wants to use passwords, and they come up automatically as soon as you go to your favorite site, which is usually bookmarked! Yes, getting your laptop stolen is an open door to identity theft.

Fortunately, new Lenovo ThinkPads have a little security system built in. Once the user has discovered that his or her laptop is stolen, he or she can enter a text message that will lock down the laptop.

How does this work? You use a special text message that only the laptop can hear. No, seriously, it is an ordinary text message that works with the broadband connection. So when the thief goes on line to try and steal your account information, he or she will be in total lockdown, baby!

So, laptop thieves, be warned. Just because you have taken my laptop does not mean you have me! Now your only hope is to take it to the pawn shop, where I will be looking for it.

New LCD Panels can Scan Fingerprints

I believe I discussed the Window Pane display from Samsung at FPD International 2008, and it appears this Tech show has brought another interesting piece of technology: a 2.8 inch LCD panel with the ability to scan fingerprints.

This device could be used on cellular phones, as a way of guarding the information within. This way, if a cellular phone is stolen, the thief won’t be able to access any of the information within.

This new technology was created by AU Optronics Corporation of Taiwan, and it also has another application: measuring ultraviolet light. What you can do is hold it up to the light, and it will express it as a number from 1 to 11. This will come in handy for those people who don’t want to go out in the sun.

Okay, while we are on the subject of biometric fingerprint scanners, I would like to bring up the subject of getting past them. Is it true that you can spray them with something, or breathe on them, and the last fingerprint will appear? This apparently can open anything fingerprint protected, but I have no idea if that is true. I have seen this technique work in two movies, including last summer’s Get Smart.

Let’s go back to the subject of the fingerprint/ultraviolet light scanner. It is still under development, with no word of when it will be out on the market.

Pocket projectors go big screen

Firebox’s Pocket Cinema is rather tiny, but it packs a big punch (not to mention a hefty price tag). But for about $523 USD, business people can not only enjoy a pocket sized projector to use for business meetings, it can project an image from it’s high powered LED screen up to 50 inches wide.

But that isn’t all …

Playing information from SD cards up to 1 gigabyte in size, the Pocket Cinema can also play stereo audio either through its A/V out headphone jack or the built in stereo speakers. Playback controls include a powerbutton, focus wheel, fast forward or rewind (forwards/backwards), menu and entry/OK.

Pocket Cinema is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery, can play back MPEG4 ASF or MJPEG AVI (recommended) file formats, and can convert just about any other video format using the included ArcSoft media software. It can connect through its A/V in/out plug to everything from VCRs to game consoles to DVD players. It’ll even play back video from an iPod with an optional dedicated iPod A/V cable.

The Pocket Cinema is not only great for business meetings, but also parties, and even impromptu outdoor movie nights. But for movies, you’ll want to bring along a few extra batteries due to its really short battery life.

Includes tripod and remote control.

NTT Docomo unleashes the power of shoes

Fact: Most of us have cellular phones. Fact: We all need to charge these phones every once in a while. Opinion: We should not use any more energy than we really need to.

So, what does one do with this collection of facts and opinions? Make a cell phone charger that is more energy efficient. Enter NTT Docomo, IT giant from Japan, with their latest prototype of a cell phone charger for your shoe.

Yes, it does sound like something that Maxwell Smart would have had on his other shoe, but this device is very unique. Apparently, the shoe has a small generator that is capable of creating about 1.2 watts worth of power just by walking. The company hopes that they will hope to generate 3 watts of power necessary to charge up a cellular phone.

I believe there is some sort of kinetic energy generator that can charge just by walking around. I think the current design looks a little crude, but I do admire the concept. All a user has to do is walk around, and he or she can charge a phone with the all the energy made from walking around all day.

The company hopes they will have a working model to market to everyone by the year 2010. Let’s hope it looks better than what we see here.

SouthWing teams up with AT&T for SH241 Bluetooth headset

Telecommunications giant AT&T and SouthWing have come together to offer the new SouthWing SH241 Bluetooth headset which is bundled with AT&T’s service, offering users the opportunity to access the latest news updates that are streamed directly to the Bluetooth headset itself, letting you know the latest happenings around the world before your friends do. These news updates are also augmented by travel, finance, weather and sports information, but make sure your handset has Bluetooth connectivity beforehand (absent-minded moments do happen you know). What makes the SH241 more interesting is the Instant Alibi feature that lets users call themselves out from a meeting - neat!

3M MPro110 projector

3M’s MPro110 projector is clearly something worth looking into, as this model is small enough to be used in conjunction with a cell phone. It also boasts the distinction of being the first projector from 3M that will be marketed for cell phone usage on an exclusive basis, using an LED lamp to throw a 640 x 480 image on a wall with a maximum picture size of 50″. The sharpness of the image can be adjusted using a thumb wheel, and you can also use this to watch video with your mates when the boss is not looking. Since the lamp is LED-based, things won’t heat up quickly, hence the lack of a fan that also makes it operate quietly. The 3M MPro110 is tipped to retail for $349 when it is available in a couple of weeks’ time.

CSI Stick takes the info out of your cell phone

I’m not certain whether this latest spy gadget should really be branded with the “CSI” initials, as it is more like something the NSA would use. However, I’ll humor Paraben, the company that makes the CSI Stick, with an episode of CSI where the CSI Stick comes into play.

Let’s say that Grissom has a suspect, and in order to find out more information about him, they attach the CSI Stick into the suspect’s cellular phone. They will soon have access to the incriminating data on that cell phone.

This is premise of the CSI Stick, and now Grissom will be able to see any calls placed or text messages sent or received. The CSI Stick can also make a logical copy of this data for further investigation, if needed.

The CSI Stick has settings for just copying text messages, call logs, or phone books. It can also do photos and movies, if need be. Of course, there is that whole privacy thing, and at this point, it doesn’t look like you need a license to carry a CSI Stick.

The CSI stick costs about $199, and comes with the CSI Stick base unit, two Motorola tips, one Samsung tip, a remote charger, and a carrying case.

INFINXX AP23 Bluetooth stereo audio transmitter

The INFINXX AP23 holds the distinction of being the smallest iPhone/iPod Bluetooth A2DP Stereo Audio Transmitter in the world, and until somebody else steps forward to dispute that claim, I’ll take Brando’s word for it. Weighing in at a mere 5 grams, this device allows you to groove to your favorite tunes from the iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPod without being bogged down by wires thanks to Bluetooth technology. Of course, that would mean investing in a quality pair of Bluetooth headphones, but that’s not what we’re focusing on today.

Swinging USB microSD memory card reader

No, this swinging USB microSD memory card reader doesn’t go around fornicating with just about any other memory cards in the market, but is faithful to just the microSD format throughout it’s lifetime. Dubbed the Magic Swing Alpha, it is available in the Korea market and is marketed primarily as a 3G cell phone charm. I have absolutely no idea how much this will cost, but judging by just how cheap memory card readers are in the market these days, this shouldn’t even cause a noticeable dent in your finances.

BTM-118 FM Radio Bluetooth Headset

The BTM-118 FM Radio Bluetooth Headset definitely goes one up on all other generic Bluetooth headsets as it does way more than just handle all your conversations so that you can make available both hands to attend to other matters at the immediate moment. It comes with an integrated FM radio, allowing you to tune in to your favorite FM station whenever you’re bored at the office and having run out of MP3s to listen to. In addition to auto-search, the BTM-118 can also store up to eight different stations for future convenience. Available in black or white colors.

Bluetooth 2.0 Portable Handsfree Car Kit

I guess most states have long outlawed the use of cell phone use while driving, and one risks a hefty fine from the authorities if they decide to throw caution to the wind by not picking up some sort of handsfree solution. Why toy with the chance of losing money to the traffic authorities through fines when you can put that money to better use elsewhere? The Bluetooth 2.0 Portable Handsfree Car Kit would be a pretty good investment at $99.90 as it features a Caller ID display as well so that you know whether to take up that call or not, in addition to a phonebook functionality that makes it a snap to scroll through who you want to talk to next on a long road trip. Other features include an integrated DSP circuit for echo and background noise cancellation, offering you the clearest conversations possible.

Luminous Stylus Handy Strap

I know that most touch-screen based devices come with a stylus of sorts (NDS Lite, PDAs, smartphones), but there is a very good reason why all those devices come with spares - it is all too easy to lose a stylus. The Luminous Stylus Handy Strap hopes to avoid that fate, as it can be attached to your cell phone or PDA as a decorative fixture, doubling up as a stylus as and when you need it. In addition, it glows in the dark, making it easier for you to look for that pesky gadget of yours once the lights are turned off in the cinema. At $5 each, there isn’t much grounds as to why you shouldn’t pick one up just for kicks. Anything that glows in the dark is always fun, so says the inner child in me.

Bluetooth Microphone fits inside your tooth

Since Bluetooth became a standard feature on most phones, people have been coming up with all sorts of new headsets. The ones that fascinate me the most are the ones that use the vibrations from the bone in your jaw to detect what you are saying. To me it’s cool and creepy at the same time. Less creepy though, than this new Bluetooth Dental Insert Microphone.

Essentially what you do is stick this tiny transmitter (powered by an even smaller solar panel) into a small crevice in your tooth (exactly like a filling) and it picks up the vibrations in your teeth. While that would make things really simple sometimes, that is just way too creepy.

Honestly, I’m completely disappointed with this product. They missed out on a golden opportunity by painting it black. Wouldn’t it have been more amusing if it were blue. Get it, Blue….Tooth. Oh nevermind. I’d be more than willing to chalk this one up as an April Fool’s joke because this one just seems a bit far-fetched. Then again, do they pull wacky pranks like this in China?

Yahoo! relies on voice commands for search

We have all become too comfortable with the idea of performing searches by entering a query in our favorite search engine, but Yahoo! is about to introduce a paradigm shift to the world by enabling users to use voice commands to search the web instead. Boerries, executive vice president of Yahoo’s Connected Life unit mentioned that “This is really a sea change. This is not about simple Web links any more.” Guess with more and more people surfing on their cell phones, it makes perfect sense to increase accessibility to web links on these handsets. Yahoo!’s latest oneSearch service will be the latest thrust from the Microsoft target in order to further gain market share that have eroded sharply since the emergence of Google. The idea of using voice commands to perform search is certainly novel, as it enables publishers to provide highly categorized information which enables them to have a greater say in what they want users to see, including greater control on its presentation.

In addition, Yahoo! also will enable oneSearch consumers to use voice commands for search services which currently are beyond existing mobile voice recognition systems or 411-based services. OneSearch aims to bring about a revolution, featuring “wide open” searches that encompass flight listings, locations, Web site names, restaurants, news or game times among others. Users will also be able to revert to type searches any time they like, and vice versa for greater flexibility. Not only that, the OneSeach service also offers alternative suggestions for similar sounding words.

Voice searches take around five seconds to process, where one to two seconds are used to recognize the search while the remaining seconds will return the relevant search results to the handset. The speed greatly depends on your network, so some slower networks might take up to 20 seconds for a search result to appear.

Plasma displays coming to cell phones

Panasonic will be bringing together its two divisions in new product initiatives, with plasma video displays for cell phones being one of them while AT&T’s recently unveiled Mobile TV service being the other. Today, we shall look at the former, as the very word ‘plasma’ evokes a sense of wonder among buyers as they know this technology is superior to LCD displays in many aspects, albeit taxing the pockets a whole lot more. With Pioneer and Fujitsu already bowing out of the plasma business, it makes perfect sense for Panasonic to strive even harder to capture customers from those companies. It seems that Panasonic’s latest plan would be to include miniature plasma displays in future cell phones - something I look forward to with great anticipation.

It seems that Panasonic engineers have long been working on this new thin, lightweight low-voltage compact plasma display in secret for nearly a decade, and the time is almost ripe to introduce this technology to the masses. Panasonic’s plan is to incorporate miniature plasma displays into both consumer and business telephone products from this fall onwards, going one up against rival OLED displays where brightness, contrast, thinness and cost are concerned. According to Mark Balsama, “Many of our new phones will have vibrant color plasma screens that can run on just 1.5 volts and won’t require any additional wiring or special power supplies. We’ll be able to put plasma in cell phones, business phones, consumer phones, corded phones, cordless phones, and even door intercom monitors and fax machines. We will revolutionize the consumer electronics business, as Panasonic has done many times before.”

I guess mobile TV services had better buck up is plasma display cell phones become the norm in the near future. How much are you willing to fork out for one of these handsets anyways?

Van Der Led WM2 Watchphone

Remember how Dick Tracy used his watch as a communicator? Considering the last incarnation of Dick Tracy came out in 1990, I’m not surprised if you don’t. Let’s try this one: Remember when Michael Knight used his watch to talk to KITT? I’m sure anyone eighteen years of age or younger has no idea what I’m talking about.

Well, here’s a wrist communicator that anyone from any generation can understand: the Van Der Led WM2 Watchphone. I have only three words to say about this: “Yeah, baby, yeah!”

After all, science fiction writers have envisioned communication devices on our watches for years. Isn’t it about time that someone made it into reality by putting a cellular phone on a watch?

This Van Der Led WM2 watchphone is a quad band GSM, and it has some very interesting features including a 1.3 inch 260K TFT touchscreen, an FM tuner, 1 GB worth of storage, stereo Bluetooth, and USB data transmission. It has a stand-by time of 240 hours, and a talk time of up to 300 hours. I was surprised to hear that it even has a 1.3 Megapixel camera.

Sharp announces tiny Intel Atom-based device

Since Intel announced their new Atom CPU, it’s been only a matter of time before someone actually released a tiny PC powered by the chip. We’ve already seen a concept gadget from Asus, however, Sharp is the first company to announce the release of one to the public.

This tiny computer/phone has been dubbed the D4 and features a 1.33GHz Atom CPU, 40GB hard drive, 1GH memory and will run Windows Vista. You’ll also get a 5-inch 1024×600 screen, WiFi, Bluetooth and more.

There are a few setbacks, one of which is that it is currently only slated for release in Japan.

WiFi adapter makes you scream “I have got to get me one of these!”

Remember the scene in INDEPENDENCE DAY when Jeff Goldblum places a satellite like dish on the roof of his dad’s car and triangulates the signal of his wife’s cellphone to determine where she was in the White House? His dad asks him how he can do that and he replies “all cable repair men know how to do this, pop.” Well, the Hi-Gain USB Wireless-300N Dish Adapter from Hawking Technologies won’t triangulate a signal in the White House, but it will boost weak WiFi signals in areas where a signal isn’t very strong to begin with.

With a supports range of nearly 4,000 feet, this 802.11n capable antenna can extend a wireless network up to six times its range and claims a data throughput 12 times the average for transfer speeds in excess of 300Mbps. IN addition, the 300-N is purely plug and play by USB and is portable. Simply plug the 300N into your laptop, install the included software, and direct the HWDN1 towards a wireless source. The result will be blazing speeds when the only open chair at Starbucks is wrapped around rebar yielding a paltry 1 bar signal.

Just don’t tell those invading aliens we can do that. Otherwise they’ll use our wi-fi signal to cripple our defenses.