Gadgets Base

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 15th 2008 at 9:03PMThough we originally expected (read: hoped) that Microsoft would dish out Service Pack 3 for Windows XP late last month, it seems the deed may actually get done before May dawns. According to an “internal schedule” fetched over at Neowin, OEMs, volume license, Connect, MSDN and TechNet subscribers will have access to the update on April 21st, while most average joes / janes won’t notice it until April 29th when it hits the Microsoft / Windows Update download center. For folks too busy carrying on to worry over which SP their XP is running, they could very well overlook the automatic update scheduled to land on June 10th. (Re)mark your calendars, won’t you?

[Via InformationWeek]

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 93 Comments

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 15th 2008 at 8:03PM
Epson and E Ink, two mainstays in the electronic paper realm, have pooled their resources in order to develop an all new display controller IC set to enable “faster navigation, multitasking and real-time pen / keyboard input.” The S1D13521 chip is slated to be used in E Ink’s Vizplex-enabled electronic paper displays (EPDs), and it’ll also be making an appearance in said company’s forthcoming AM300 Broadsheet prototype kit (pictured). In layman’s terms, this device should speed up the user interface considerably, as it will enable the display to “perform up to 16 tasks in parallel and support smooth and responsive pen input devices for annotations and sketches.” As for availability, we’re seeing that samples ($18 apiece) should make their way out next month, while production quantities won’t be able to scamper free until August.

[Thanks, Jack]

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 12 Comments

Filed under: Misc. gadgets

I was surprised to see that Coolest gadgets hasn’t covered the Nintendo WiiFit yet, so I feel obligated to spread the good news of the WiiFit release date to all of our readers. Nintendo has officially announced that the WiiFit will be released on May 19th.

For those of you who are not familiar with the WiiFit, it is a pressure sensitive balance board that allows users to exercise with aerobic, toning, and balance activities, all “supervised” by a virtual trainer.

Not only will the WiiFit do exercise-based games like push-ups, but there are other games that are fun for all ages. For example, a user can wiggle to a virtual hula hoop or play a soccer goalie who is blocking shots with his or her head. Click on the jump to see a video of its features.

In short, the WiiFit is the best way to get video game players off of the couch since the invention of WiiSports. No doubt Jane Fonda would have sponsored the WiiFit if it had been invented during the time of the Atari 2600.

If you liked what you saw on the video, and can’t wait a few more weeks to lay down the $89.99 for the WiiFit, you can preorder it from Amazon now. You might also enjoy this parody video of the WiiFit. Just watch it and have a few WiiLaughs.

Source

Inflatable movie screens - who would’ve thought that those would actually sell? Blimpscreen has a plethora of different sizes to suit just about any budget, whether you are interested in a backyard home theater or to wow Joe Public with a full blown al fresco theatre in the park. Just make sure you have a pretty powerful projector to go along with the Blimpscreen and hope that the airblower used won’t drown out your sound system. Oh yeah, do engage some security guards as well in order prevent any cases of vandalism where the Blimpscreen will be unable to rise to the occassion (literally).

Product Page via TRFJ

As a child my favorite toys were easily my Legos. There were few other toys that could capture my imagination as those tiny bricks so often did. Then again, it was rare to find something that let you express your creativity as well, either. These days there just isn’t time to sit down and play with them like I used to, however, thanks to this new chess set, I might just have a good excuse to have Legos sitting in my living room.

Each chess set is made up from 2,481 pieces, which is surely enough to keep you entertained for a little while. Then once you’ve finished, you can go on playing with your toys and claim that you’re just playing chess.

This special Lego Castl Giant Chess Set will go on sale July 1st for a whopping $300. It’s a bit more than you’d ordinarily shell out for a similarly-sized set, however, I think it would be well worth it, if only for reasons of nostalgia.

Source: NewLaunches

It seems that Asus has added a unique storage option on the Eee PC 900. It turns out that users will get a total of either 12GB or 20GB of storage depending on their operating system of choice. The Windows models will have an 8GB SSD and the Linux based models will have a 16GB SSD, both models will also have a 4GB SSD that is soldered to the motherboard. The systems are set up where the 4GB drive is the master and used for the operating system by itself, with the secondary (and larger) drives being used for personal storage.

While this sounds like a unique option I can only imagine the confusion that it could potentially cause anyone that is less than technical. But on the upside, anyone who is willing to open the case up and do some tinkering should be able to upgrade their storage with ease. By having an SSD dedicated to the operating system and system files, users can upgrade their storage and not even have to re-install the operating system.

Via [jkkmobile]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

by Nilay Patel, posted Apr 15th 2008 at 7:34PM
Starbucks said it would transition to AT&T-provided WiFi sometime this spring, and it looks like T-Mobile’s getting the boot right on schedule. The first Starbucks to switch over is just 4.2 miles away from AT&T corporate headquarters in San Antonio, at 5321 South Broadway Road, and the rest of the country should come on market-by-market. Anyone else seen any activity? T-Mobile customers still getting access, as promised? Let us know in comments!

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 67 Comments

Filed under: Wireless