When you spend 8-10 hours a day in front of a computer, it's important that you're as comfortable as possible. The right chair, correct posture, glare guard it all works in tandem to get you through the day with as little detriment to your productivity as possible. Belkin, stylish yet functional peripheral maker has just upped the comfort ante with its latest releases, the Wireless Comfort Mouse, the Retractable Mouse, and the Bluetooth Comfort Mouse.
The footwear and apparel company UNDRCRWN has teamed up with watchmaker Nooka to create this stunning Nooka UNDRCRWN watch which is now available on pre-order.
The limited edition watch (only 200 to be manufactured) has a smart, black ZenV display that depicts the time, date, and alarm functionalities in a unique graphic-like format. It is water-resistant, and sports a colorfully striped polyurethane band that is sure to get you abundant attention. If you have $275 to spare and a love for style, book one now and hold your breath until June 29th when it is going to be shipped out.
Via Likecool.
Falling into the category of a smartphone-that-doesn't-look-like-a-smartphone, the Nokia N79 very nicely fills a niche in the vast array of mobile communication devices by packing robust PDA features into a sleek, fashionable candybar style phone.
The N79 is perfect for the busy executive, socialite, or about-towner that wants powerful calendar, contact, e-mail, and multimedia features without the bulkiness and utilitarian qualities of a Palm or BlackBerry… or the ubiquity!
Essentially an update to the Nokia N73, the N79 feature list is long. Standouts include: Symbian S60 3rd Edition FP2; 2.4" QVGA display with accelerometer and excellent readability / light sensor control; XpressOn covers - box includes several different shells that allow you to easily switch the color of your phone – switching the shell automatically switches the screen's color scheme to match; 5MP still / video camera with flash that is protected by a slide cover (which also activates the camera); secondary front-facing camera for video calling; Navi-wheel - lets you scroll through menus or lists iPod style; FM radio with integrated FM transmitter lets you listen to your music on your car stereo without additional hardware; handles up to 8GB microSD cards giving you lots of storage capacity for music, photos, and video; also includes Wi-Fi, voice-guided GPS, Quickoffice for working on-the-go, built-in stereo speakers, and, of course, HSDPA and Java-enabled browser to make internet surfing zippy.
The N79 is power in a small package and gets the thumbs up. The only real drawback is the keys. They are, indeed, a vast improvement over the N73 and one must take into account that there needs to be a balance between the relatively large screen and the keyboard size (and that I have large fingers), but it's definitely something to make sure you check out when considering this little beauty.
Currently on sale at the Nokia online store, so take advantage of the price drop now!
They are cute, have an astute sense of melody and can be your faithful dancing partners for the weekends, given that you - the geek - haven't been particularly successful in building many meaningful relationships since you got outta college. They are - Tengu - and these hugely popular USB devices which were earlier quite plain-jane, now make a comeback in their funky, All Stars avatar.
These three brand new characters - Rotten, Stardust, and Woodstock - are all decked up versions of the modest Tengu underneath, done-up with abundant stickers to produce the rock-star effect. Which means, lovers of the original Tengu can retain the original threadbare looks by just removing the stickers. All yours, if not sold out yet, for a well-spent $40.
Via Chip Chick.
Apparently nothing sells a gadget like bright colors. Samsung has just announced the release of a pink and blue version of the S2 Mini Portable Hard Disk Drive, the S Series Pop edition. The colors, labeled Ocean Blue and Sweet Pink are an obvious attempt to attract more female buyers. The Sweet Pink version is even lined with tiny heart to make it even more irresistible, because nothing makes a women swoon like a pink gadget decorated in hearts (eye roll).
Obvious and patronizing marketing ploy aside, there are no spec differences which mean the HDDs still have the same solid tech. The lightweight 2.5 inch drive is still convenient to carry and easy to use. Available with a storage capacity range between 160GB to 500GB, the S2 is great for backing up and using important files on the fly. The Auto Backup program allows users to back up files in real time or on a schedule while the SecretZone program creates a virtual drive for data encryption.
Via Engadget
With summer in full swing, the pollen count is sure to be high as is dander from shedding pets.Keep your air fresh and breathable with the stylish Coway AP-1008 Air Purifiers. Slim and sleek, the Conway is a showpiece and useful gadget combined.
There was one predominant feeling as soon as I saw this chocolate-y brown watch (first in the image above) that I just couldn't ignore - hunger (physical), and given the fact that I had just had a satisfying lunch, accompanying fear (mental) that my carefully thought-out diet plan for the week was about to be tossed out into the wind pretty soon.
Well seriously, this series of digital watches from ODM are inspired by the sinful delicacy called chocolate, and though only one of them truly looks close to being one, all of them have been designed to give the effect of a bar of (foldable?) chocolate being wrapped around your wrist. Looks cool, is water resistant and is pretty reasonably priced too, at around $20. I only think that its funkiness can be carried off only by teenagers, though. Atleast, you can relax knowing that your kids are buying the healthiest chocolate that they can.
Via Design Milk.
We've highlighted some great laptop bags and we've written recently about the trend to take another look at those old photographic slides from the attic and convert them into JPEGs or trendy-looking lighting.
What we've never seen before is slides incorporated into a laptop bag, but that's what RedCamper's Maura Gramzinski has done with this unique design, The LTD, which also incorporates 1970s car upholstery.
Handmade to order, the bag costs a hefty $225 from RedCamper's website but at least unlike many designer bags with a similar (or bigger) price tag, it will fit a 15-inch laptop (plus smart phone, iPod, wallet etc).
Via Crave.
Soon those roadside billboards will be able to tell if they should be promoting those brand new radial tires or a relaxing trip just by looking at you. Thanks to A *Star, Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, there will soon be a gender recognition program that will change the way advertising is done.
Using a complex batch of formulas and algorithms, the program can tell the difference between men and women and respond in kind, displaying the appropriate ad. The current version of the program can only scan faces that are facing the camera but the agency is hoping to release a more fleshed out version later in the year.
Via Crave CNet
If you're one of the many people who've decided to wait to buy the iPhone 3G S until they are eligible for the best upgrade price, you may be in luck. Due to complaints from early adopters who bought their iPhone 3G when it first arrived last July, AT&T has slightly revised their upgrade pricing. Now if you're one of the people who would qualify for the upgrade pricing later this June, or sometime in July, August, or September of 2009, you can get your iPhone 3G S at the highest discounted price of $199/$299 for 16 GB/32 GB now instead of waiting a couple of months or paying more and fuming about it.
If you've already pre-ordered your iPhone 3G S, you don't have to do anything. If you're picking up your phone at an AT&T store, the price will be adjusted there. If you're getting your phone delivered from AT&T, you'll be issued a credit. If you pre-ordered from Apple, it's not yet clear if the price will be slashed at the store at the time of pick-up, but if you're eligible, you will get the credit.
This is great news, and kind of a hahaha to all the people (probably eligible for the upgrade already themselves) who have said the complainers were whining unreasonably. My view is that Apple/AT&T breeds the early adoption longing, and for re-upping your contract, complete with hefty data and texting fees, you should get the partially subsidized price. After all, at some next year, you may be able to get an iPhone that's not tied to AT&T.
My complaint? I have a three iPhone family plan, bought the iPhone 3Gs (that's plural, not the new model) last July when they came out, have a HUGE bill that's well over $300 a month, have never been late on a payment and yet somehow I am not eligible for the early upgrade, and won't be eligible for the full upgrade price until December. Why? My cynical side says that my billing profile screams someone who will impatiently buy the iPhone 3G S anyway, without financial incentive. This seemingly arbitrary system of awarding upgrades at different times, with vague explanations of a "formula" is definitely incentive enough for me to consider going elsewhere with my iPhone, as soon as I can. Also, stupid AT&T- I and I would think most people who pay their bills on time, can't afford a $700 phone.
The online eligibility tool to determine your highly individualized, seemingly random date of obtaining your iPhone 3G S at the upgrade price will be updated at some point tomorrow to reflect the new, less harsh upgrade policy.
2 Days to go! And I will be reviewing the iPhone 3G S (harshly, haha), just not buying one on Friday.
Agreed this 4-port USB hub isn't much of a looker compared to the cute ones floating around currently, but you could give it a try based on that one thing that really matters to all of us these days - more juice for our cellphones.
Though this 4-port USB hub functions like any other when connected to your computer, there is an additional port to which you can jack up your cellphone through the connecting cable provided (connectors specific to the cellphone models supported) and receive those few drops of nectar to bring it back to life. The charging itself works in dual mode. When connected to the computer, the USB hub charges your cellphone by taking power from the PC's USB port. But you can even let the hub's own internal battery charge itself through its solar panel and then connect your cellphone to the hub to transfer the stored charge.
This nifty combination of (solar) cellphone charging and USB hubbing, plus a pocket-sized form factor makes this device a wise addition to your travel bag. Available for $22 from USBFever.
Via TechChee.
Another summer, a new iPhone model. The highlights:
- Much faster phone in general, so apps will load faster, run better, less crashing.
- Way better battery life: Up to 12 hours of talk time on the 2G network (still 5 on 3G), 9hours of wifi Internet surfing, 10 hours of video playback.
-Voice dialing and Voice Control of iPod functions.
-3.0 Megapixel camera with video, at last, and in-phone video editing. MMS (multimedia messages with photos and video) will be supported but won't be available until the end of the summer.
-Built in compass (in addition to the GPS, of course) to further help the directionally challenged.
-Spotlight search: search across the entire iPhone for any search term- you don't have to look separately in your calendar, contacts, etc...
Bottom Line- Do you need it if you have an iPhone 3G?
I think yes. But I'm crazy and I also have an Android G1 phone, the Palm Pre, and, um, a few others. The improved battery life of the iPhone 3G-S is reason enough for me to upgrade. The added processor speed (makes the phone about twice as fast) helps too, if you're a power user or use a lot of apps. The compass is good if you can't find your way out of your own house, like me.
But... other than the battery, processor, compass, and voice controller, most of the upgraded features will be included in the iPhone 3.0 firmware upgrade, which will be available for free on June 17th. This uncommonly gracious move allows iPhone owners to play around with the new features before deciding if they need the upgrade to the new hardware.
I'm obviously a tad over-excited about the whole iPhone 3G-S news, but here's a new tidbit that will make eager beavers like me a bit calmer: you can pre-order your new iPhone 3G-S, and be assured that you will have your phone in your hand on June 19th! Starting at about 5 PM EST this evening, you can go into any AT&T store and pre-order your phone. AT&T stores will open early, at 7 AM, on June 19th, just for those pre-order-ers, so you can pick up your phone before everyone else. Later tonight, online pre-ordering will also begin, and the online pre-orders will be received in the mail, rather than in-store pick-up. I am getting confirmation now about whether online pre-orders will be delivered by June 19th. This is a first-come, first-serve sale so availability may be quite limited.
You can also pre-order your iPhone 3GS at Apple retail stores.
The AT&T pre-order site will be open for orders later tonight.
Full press release:
AT&T Pre-orders for iPhone 3G-S
Update:
I've confirmed with AT&T that if you do your pre-order of the iPhone 3G-S online, your phone will be delivered on June 19th. At the mercy of FedEx, perhaps, but you won't spend hours in line.
Update #2:
Oddly, I've gotten emails/calls from people telling me their AT&T stores are not only not yet doing the pre-sale, but have no idea what they're talking about. I called a local store and was told to call the nearest Apple store. Wondering if the online pre-sale will go live, as promised, at "some point tonight".
I'm confused, but looks like the online site is taking orders:
Buy your iPhone early
I know I'm rah-rah about the iPhone 3GS, but my ridiculous geek parade is being rained on, it seems. If you have an iPhone 3G, then the earliest you could have started your phone plan is July 11th, 2008, so you will not be eligible for the upgrade pricing of $199/$299 for the iPhone 3GS. At best, you may be able to get "early upgrade pricing" which is $399/$499 for 16 GB/32 GB, respectively. At worst, you'll have to pay full price: $599/$699.
It seems very odd, as most of the features of the new phone will be available in the free software upgrade, and only the most eager/geeky would care that much about the differences in the 3G/3GS. How many super-geeks don't have an iPhone 3G already?
Weird. I think June 19th just freed up for a whole lot of people.
Here's a disclosure that's going to make you drop off your chair - Eforcity (via Amazon) is offering 6-foot HDMI cables at just $3.19, including shipping! We aren't kidding - just helping to spread the word that Rick Broida over at CNET's Cheapskate blog has uncovered.
For those who take interest in this extremely useful length of wire that carries non-processed digital data between the TV and set-top boxes, blu-ray players, PCs and gaming consoles, this piece of news comes as a huge money saver considering that even a 1-metre length of basic HDMI cable costs as much as $40. Also, it is pretty sensational to discover that of the $3.19 that Amazon quotes on the product, the cable itself costs just 21 cents with the rest being the cost of shipping. And no, you don't need to get skeptical on the performance as the product has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 and performs just as well as the highly overpriced HDMI cables in the market.
Isn't that an absolute steal or what?
Via CNET News.
Just in time for summer, Philips, consumer electronics company, has unveiled their latest mp3 player, the Philips GoGear SA018. Compact, sleek and cute to boot, the GoGear is also wearable. Simply clip it onto your outfit and you're good to go.
GoGear has 4GB and can hold up to 450 songs for 12 hours of playback. It also has an integrated FM tuner. The mp3 player employs a drag and drop system eliminating the need for software and allowing for quick and easy operation.
To enhance the sound Philips has included FullSound, a new technology that has been patented by Philips. FullSound restores compressed mp3 files, enhancing it so the music is heard without any distortion.
Set to retail at $39.99 and $49.99 for the 2GB and 4GB versions, the SA018 might be the coolest clip-on accessory ever.
We've seen quite a few fashion houses work with automakers to create designer vehicles. Usually the fashion house designs the interior while the car company designs the exterior. But if South Korean car design student Jinyoung Jo has her way, high end fashion vehicle will soon be taking their turn on the catwalk.
Amid all the iPhone madness, equal time for the Palm Pre, please.
The Palm Pre Smartphone--released last weekend and running a brand-new fast and versatile operating system, WebOS--has been received most enthusiastically in nearly all quarters. BBC News has thoughtfully rounded up several reviews so you can see for yourself.
Reviewers particularly liked the Pre's real keyboard, which that other phone still lacks. The cool QUERTY keyboard slides out gracefully so as not to interfere with the Pre's attractive and ergonomically sound curve design. Another feature unique to the Pre is its ability to multitask--you don't have to close one app to open another.
But. A big disadvantage of the Palm Pre is those apps. The you-know-what phone has a giant online store with thousands of them. The Pre's online app store has only a few for now, %^(. But let's be optimistic, %^). Surely developers will rush in to fill the gap, and software updates are expected to add spiffy features in the next few months.
However--and for me this is a huge however--there are thousands and thousands and thousands of apps that run happily on previous Palms. When the Pre was announced earlier this year, long-time Palm-lovers like me were devastated to be told that existing Palm apps would not run on the new WebOS.
Happily, Palm saw the wisdom of making a place for those of us who kept the Palm faith through the lean years. It's appropriately called Classic and makes it possible for most existing Palm OS apps run on the Pre, only faster. Even PIM databases like Contacts, Tasks, and Calendar. $29.99 and available through the Pre Apps Catalog too.
I can't share my Pre experiences with you because I haven't had any. I use the nifty Palm Centro and my current contract won't run out until next fall. Plenty of time for Palm to shake the bugs out of the Pre and issue some software updates--and for the App Catalog to fatten up.
Worried that your computer might not be as secure as you'd like? Then check out the latest gadget on Chinavasion Wholesale Electronics. Compact and simple to use, comes the 16GB USB Fingerprint Security Lock Flash Disk. This little gizmo puts all your security concerns to rest. Encrypt important files and ensure that you're the only person accessing your computer, all with the touch of a finger.
Love chocolate but want to lose weight? Or just like the idea of inhalable food? Then the Le Whif (no, really) chocolate inhaler could be the answer to your prayers.
Described as "akin to sucking a tiny bit of cocoa powder through a straw" (and who doesn't want to do that?) the Le Whif gives flavor with next to no calories, and comes in four different chocolate flavors, including plain and chocolate-mint.
It's around $2 for three puffs from the Le Whif shop.
Women may take on a variety of roles these days, from mother to CEO to computer programmer... but it sometimes seems like commercials designed to sell us stuff have remained stuck in the 1950s. We're expected to be obsessed with the cleanliness of our homes, our clothes and our kids - and looking after all those things is never portrayed as a man's responsibility. (I guess single men or gay guys have to live in hovels. Shame.)
The only good thing about the often woeful standard of advertising on TV is that now we have Sarah Haskins to make fun of the worst offenders. Taking a funny feminist look at advertising aimed at women, her show Target: Women is a must-see.
Take a look here (but be careful, it's not entirely safe for work).
I know that some women need to keep an eye on their cycles because they are trying to conceive, or for health reasons, or just because they want to... but did we really need an iPhone app to remind us we're about to menstruate? Someone thought we did.
For $2 you can download the Period Tracker application from the iTunes store, which allows you to add into your phone all kinds of info such as how much your cramps are bothering you (mine's going to involve some cursing I'm afraid) and in return you get a reminder of when you're ovulating and when your period's due, in the form of what Geeksugar rightly identifies as "twee 'lil hearts and flowers".
If you don't have an iPhone, you could use PMS Buddy, Mon.thly... or you know. a diary.
There's no movie-related trauma worse than watching a film you've been waiting months for (and splashed out your hard-earned bucks on going to see) and not being able to enjoy it because that 64oz soda you chugged during the previews has left you desperate to pee.
When that happens, you have a couple of options: uncomfortably ride out your discomfort and dash to the bathroom as soon as the opening credits roll... or dash to the bathroom mid-movie and hope you don't miss anything essential to the plot.
Now there's a third option: check Runpee.com before you get to the theater. This site lists the best time to go to the bathroom in a number of movies, including summer blockbusters Angels and Demons and Terminator: Salvation. It may not be the most glamourous of websites, but your urinary tract will thank you later. (Or something).
Follow Runpee on Twitter for the latest news and keep your eyes peeled for the iPhone app, which is coming soon.
With increasing numbers of households incorporating their PCs and Macs into their living room entertainment center, you'll need a reliable tool to help you navigate the depths of cyberspace and beyond. Lucky for us, Hillcrest Labs recently released the Loop Pointer to satisfy our lust for sexy and useful peripherals.
Billed as a "mouse for your TV," the Loop combines cool motion control with the familiar tangibility of a mouse packaged in to an ergonomically friendly circular design, hence the name. Users control the Loop pointer via the four buttons and scroll wheel located on front of the device. But lets not forget the motion control, the patented Freespace motion control technology provides for tight responsive control for "in-air pointing", moving the cursor on the screen via your natural hand movements. No matter how you hold it or how far you are from the TV, the pointer will work. As long as you can see the cursor, you're in business. It even compensates for hand tremors for those of you with nervous dispositions.
Ask a nerd about his/her wealth and you are most likely to get an answer that points to the amount of storage capacity that he/she has accumulated over the years. And it is more than likely that the answer is also going to include the word "Terra-Byte" (TB) when it comes to the really (read virtually) wealthy nerds. No surprise then that Western Digital has decided to cater to this ever-growing hunger for computer memory, and has brought out an external HDD with a whopping 4TB memory as part of its MyBook Studio Edition II dual-drive storage systems.
The 4TB drive is specifically formatted for Macs and offers four interfaces for connectivity : eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0. The performance of the drive, the company claims, is "extra-fast" on account of the eSATA and FireWire interfaces, though no standard performance figures are on the specs sheet. Expect some silent data transfer as well since this hard drive comes without a fan and cools itself through an "efficient convection cooling architecture". The drive, however, has to be re-formatted to work on Windows Vista and Windows 7 (with the included s/w).
To acquire this virtual wealth, you will have to part with $649.99 of hard currency. And get included into the "trillionaire" community.
Via DVICE.
Reason 1. It's a really cool site set up by two friends, Melissa Walker (who is also a YA author) and Anne Ichikawa, who used to work together at ELLEgirl.
Reason 2. The site highlights gorgeous must-haves every day, from funky new music to the best nail polish color for the season.
Reason 3. It's primarily aimed at teens but written by adults so grown women don't have to feel bashful about loving it.
Reason 4. They're often having competitions and giving cool stuff away, like a Fred Flare gift certificate every Friday.
Reason 5. It's like a more fun verison of Daily Candy and a less self-flagellating version of Goop.
What more could you want, and what more do you need to know?
The web address perhaps? Access I Heart Daily's daily brilliance here, or follow them on Twitter to stay one step ahead.
