Gadgets Base

Pretty much all of us have heard that we should really unplug our electronics when they aren’t in use.  Several issues arise with that, one of them being later you have to search around for the plug and pray your cat didn’t use it as a toy.  Well this design by Paulo Oh addresses that specific issue.  They have designed the Hang On outlet to keep your plug up against the outlet even when it’s  unplugged.  Which means less hassle for you.

Granted this does nothing for the fact that the plug-in is located in the hardest to reach spot.  The one where you end up practically throwing out your back to actually get to it.  Those are the ones that we end up deciding maybe it’ll just kill off the bad parts of the environment.  Like maybe it will end up heating the world up so that all the poison ivy dies off.  Whether or not it’s true is besides the point.  As of now, this outlet is still a design, so no word on pricing or availability.

Source: yanko

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Korean PC manufacturer Ripple has released a new mini desktop PC, dubbed the Mini Chocolate PC. Ripple’s new mini computing machine is powered by a 1.6GHz Atom processor and is loaded with 2GB of RAM, four USB ports, two SATA sockets and an IDE socket. You can also plug-in additional optical drive in its extra slot.

Measuring only 15 x 210 x 80mm and looking a lot like the mac mini, Ripple’s Mini Chocolate PC is now available in Korea market for 209,000 Korean won (around $200 US). It may a good alternative to the Eee Box if you’re not an Asus fan, but over all nothing special considering the optical drive is an extra add-on and it is limited to just a wired Ethernet connection.

As of now, Ripple has not announced whether the Chocolate Mini will be available outside the Korean market.

Via [Engadget]

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Alright, those of you that actually saw the Mystery Science 3000 reference, you get a sticker.  Granted, you have to go buy it yourself as well as pay for it.  This clock may appear to be just a perfectly innocent clock, one that seems to just sit there and tell the time.  Just like every other clock on the universe.  However, plug it in to your USB port and after flipping a fancy little switch it will come to life and show its true colors.  This sneaky little clock actually doubles as a fan.  This way you can hide the fact that you think your boss is just a big sissy who needs to crank up the AC a bit more rather than cooking their employees.

Although, it is quite brightly colored, so no streamlined chic electronics for you.  It comes in red, white and green.  On all of them the brightly colored clock looks like they could have been easily slipped into the movie Toys.  If you are interested in picking one up to toss on your desk it will only cost you $10 from USB Brando.  If you’re worried about little ones, if you intend to use this at home, the blades are made of soft plastic so it won’t hurt them.

Source: pocketlint

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In spite of the fact that I do tend to favor modern technology, I also do miss those times when I used to write notes in class to pass around or send letters to friends in other countries. The Zpen can provide some sort of a hybrid between personalization and technology.

Zpen has the capability to record your pen strokes right down to the dot in the letter “i.” All you have to do is clip the received on top of a pad of paper where you will write on and everything gets recorded. By everything, I meant even doodles and drawings, not just words or letters. You just plug the device onto a free USB port in your computer ans transfer your heartfelt letter onto the computer to be emailed or shared with the world. If you just use Zpen to scrawl ideas or parts of your novel while away from your computer, and your handwriting sucks, you can transform it into ordinary computer text once transferred. Great isn’t it? Too bad you have to pony up 99.99 for it, but hey, if you really have a need for it, it might be worth the hole in your pocket.

Zpen @ I Want One of Those

So we’ve all been there. That rush of panic when we’ve lost (or at least momentarily think we’ve lost) our cell phone.  When our phone contains lots of confidential data like bank info and emails, the panic level tends to rise even more quickly. Now we don’t have to just worry about Joe Finder using up our minutes, but now Joe Finder could access our bank accounts and read all those spicy emails we sent to Suzy at the office, uh-oh. This not even counting in the fact that the money spent on the phone is now down the drain.

Enter your possible savior, the cell phone Superhero! Nope, it’s not some guy sporting a cape and a mask (regardless of their logo), but a new service just launched yesterday in the US and Canada from YouGetItBack.com. Claiming to be able to protect your confidential data and aid in safely returning your gadget, YouGetItBack.com may just be a lost cell phone users new best friend.  The way it works is that once a phone is lost or stolen, subscribers of the downloadable software simply go online and remotely lock their mobile phone. This will prevent anyone else from being able to make calls or access information on the device. Subscribers are also able to retrieve contacts from the phone via the internet.

The only call that is able to be made from a found phone is to the YouGetItBack service, which then works with the finder to get the device back to the owner. A finder is also able to log onto the company website to return the lost gadget.  In the instance of the finder being Internet-illiterate (or so honest as to not even open the phone), the company sells adhesive security tags with unique device numbers and a toll-free return number. The tags, which start at under $10 for three years of use, can be used on any mobile gadget or even luggage. 

YouGetItBack CEO Frank Hannigan believes that most people don’t have nefarious purposes upon finding a lost phone.

“Industry research indicates that most people want to do the right thing, And if you make it easy and risk free for them…they are more than happy to see that a found item is reunited with its owner.”

The YouGetItBack service costs $20 annually and works with many phones, though not all at this point. It should be noted that compatibility with the popular iphone is still in the works. They also run a laptop service, but that one currently only works with Windows XP.

If the software and tags are unsuccessful, the lost device will be replaced. The company said that about 75% of it’s tagged and registered gadgets are returned to their rightful owners. At 20 bucks a year, especially depending on what you carry in your phone, this may just be a superhero you want on your side.

Read [CNet]

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If your AT&T smartphone has a built-in GPS chip, then you’ll be pleased to know that AT&T has extended it’s Navigator to global coverage.

What this means is that AT&T Navigator Global Edition comes with voice turn-by-turn directions, or text turn-by-turn directions. Both of these come in different language settings including English, German, Italian, or Spanish.

In addition, coverage is now in 20 countries, which includes many in western Europe, North American, U.S. Caribbean, and six Chinese cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Shenyang, Tianjin and Qinhuangdao. The amazing thing about this service, when you think about it, is that you can get directions to so many places, all on your cell phone, many standalone GPS units support only a few more maps than this service.

Also, the Navigator Global Edition sports a business finder, basically, that searches business matches in the US and overseas countries in it’s 19 million plus business and service database. Phones that are capable of this service include AT&T Tilt, blackberry 8800, BlackBerry 8820, BlackBerry Curve 8310, BlackBerry Pearl 8110, BlackJack II and MOTO Q9h.

The service costs $19.98, but it’s probably something worth getting if you travel a lot and don’t already have a stand-alone GPS.

Via [IntoMobile]

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Kingston Technology has further expanded its old standby product line, the DataTraveler range by offering a few decent arrivals to the popular DataTraveler 400 with MigoSync software and DataTraveler 100 lines with 16GB models. In addition the recently introduced DT101 drive also comes pre-loaded with security software and is available in bold, fashionable colors to offer something for everyone. More detailed specifications are available after the jump if you want the nitty gritty on these new USB flash drives.

According to Jean Wong, Flash memory product manager, Kingston,”The DT400 with MigoSync has been recognized by business travelers as the perfect solution for keeping files and documents up-to-date while on the road. The DT100 now available up to 16GB is an affordable, portable storage solution allowing users to save large amounts of data while our new DT101 is an attention getter with its bright colors.”

DataTraveler 400
The DT400 with MigoSync gives users the freedom to work on multiple PCs. Data such as emails and Internet browser settings are stored on the drive, thus allowing users to recreate their desktop on virtually any PC. When the drive is connected to the “host” machine, MigoSync software automatically synchronizes to keep data up-to-date.

DataTraveler 100
Built with simplicity in mind, the DT100 can hold large amounts of data in a small form factor with capacities between 2- and 16GB. There is no cap to lose as the thumb-action slider controls the retractable USB connector for safe housing and ease of use.

DataTraveler 101
As the latest addition to Kingston’s family of USB Flash drives, the DT101 sports vibrant colors (cyan, pink and yellow), a swivel design and capacities up to 8GB. For added peace of mind, SecureTraveler software allows the user to create and access a password-protected, secure area of the drive.

All of the above mentioned drives will come with a five-year warranty and 24/7 live technical support for added peace of mind. For the 16GB DT400 and DT100 models, those will retail for $196 and $85, respectively. Prices for 2GB models for all three ranges start from $14 to $24.

Press Release

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If your AT&T smartphone has a built-in GPS chip, then you’ll be pleased to know that AT&T has extended it’s Navigator to global coverage.

What this means is that AT&T Navigator Global Edition comes with voice turn-by-turn directions, or text turn-by-turn directions. Both of these come in different language settings including English, German, Italian, or Spanish.

In addition, coverage is now in 20 countries, which includes many in western Europe, North American, U.S. Caribbean, and six Chinese cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Shenyang, Tianjin and Qinhuangdao. The amazing thing about this service, when you think about it, is that you can get directions to so many places, all on your cell phone, many standalone GPS units support only a few more maps than this service.

Also, the Navigator Global Edition sports a business finder, basically, that searches business matches in the US and overseas countries in it’s 19 million plus business and service database. Phones that are capable of this service include AT&T Tilt, BlackBerry 8800, BlackBerry 8820, blackberry Curve 8310, BlackBerry Pearl 8110, BlackJack II and MOTO Q9h.

The service costs $19.98, but it’s probably something worth getting if you travel a lot and don’t already have a stand-alone GPS.

Via [IntoMobile]

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FROM APPLETELL - If you want to play your own music while you game on your iphone, or just find that Super Monkey Ball music annoying, there is an answer.
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by Nilay Patel, posted Jul 24th 2008 at 6:39AMJust weeks after “reinventing” Voodoo with the Envy 133 laptop and Omen gaming desktop, it looks like HP’s had enough — it’s decided to straight-up merge the specialty PC shop with its core consumer business, and sell its products alongside the Compaq Presario and HP Pavilion lines. Yeah, that’ll make Voodoo seem totally hardcore. For it’s part, HP says it’s always been planning on this kind of merger, and that the move will make Voodoo product easier to buy worldwide and faster to get with no change in service for existing customers, but it’s also oddly ambiguous on whether the Voodoo name will live on — saying only that it’s “likely,” but that a decision hasn’t been reached. All this means that it’s even weirder that HP has both the Voodoo and Blackbird gaming lines, of course — any bets on which one gets axed first?

Read - PC World article
Read - HP CTO Raul Sood’s blog entry on the merger

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Filed under: Desktops, Laptops