Bluetooth Gadgets

Saturday, September 5th, 2009 |

For the last seven years the popularity of Bluetooth technology migrated from unknown to everyday use. Though Bluetooth specification was developed in 1994, its growing popularity began in 2002 when Apple released Mac OS X v10.2 and Microsoft, Windows XP Service Pack 2. Both platforms allowed Bluetooth connections without unnecessary install of drivers.
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Bluetooth protocol was created as a substitute for IrDA, a standard for communication between devices. The major disadvantage of communication over IrDA was that the devices needed to be in short distance of each other and facing the infrared ports. Bluetooth is a protocol for short-range wireless communications.

Nowadays modern notebooks have Bluetooth protocol implemented, but midline personal computers don’t have these technology. Therefore a personal computer must have a Bluetooth adapter. Bluetooth establishes a good connection between devices for information exchange. Mobile phones, PDA’s, telephones, notebooks, handsfree, personal computers, some printers, keyboards, mouse, digital cameras, have Bluetooth protocol. Most of them have 2.0 Version, but the most recent specification is 2.1.

Bluetooth gadgets make our lives easier. Take for example a wireless keyboard and mouse for your computer. Basically the sky is the limit. If you have an LCD display you can easily connect it to your computer and surf the Internet, play computer games, watch a movie, work from the comfort of your bed, without giving up the PC(personal ‘powerful’ computer) in advantage of a notebook.

The handsfree for our mobile phone is now a must if we are daily drivers. The new handsfree generation don’t arouse all sorts of questions when you buy them, because there are no cables or 2.5 or 3.5 jack, the connection being made through Bluetooth. Even more efficient , since the 2.0 upgrade of Bluetooth, are the stereo handset, which allows you to listen to music, or a TV show from your computer or TV while you’re strolling through your house.

In 2007 Apple introduced the first iPhone as the ultimate mobile device. The only problem? It couldn’t be considered a Bluetooth gadget. Even do it boosted a 2.0 Bluetooth only a few gadgets and accessories on the market were compatible with the first iPhone. The tech community debated on forums about the necessity of a real Bluetooth connectivity within the iPhone. Bluetooth protocol once again benefited from this debates. By the middle of 2009, Apple released the new iPhone generation with 3.0 software, which allows the phone to connect over Bluetooth with more then a few devices.

For the time being the key word that summarizes modern gadgets is mobility. Bluetooth for devices connection, WIFI for wireless Internet, mobility is mandatory. Either you stay at home, on your terrace surfing the web and listening to music using a Bluetooth stereo handset, or taking pictures on a trip and printing them on your portable printer, Bluetooth gadgets are all around us and this is just the beginning.

Posted in Computer Gadgets, Other | 1 Comment »

Unusual Gadgets

Monday, August 31st, 2009 |

If you feel like stepping out from the crowd,  using some electronic eccentric devices will take you there. These gadgets are not only different but also very useful- all you need is the courage to try them.  Sadly, not many of these devices are available on the market and maybe some of them will never be available. However they will make you curious about them as they are the product of ingenuity. Even if you are not an electronic gadget passionate, you will be attracted by their design and their functions. You may not find them useful now but at some time in the future maybe you will find their utility.
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In 2008 it was realized a ranking of the most unusual gadgets- there were 8 such gadgets that won the contest.  The first gadget was the B-membrane Laptop/Desktop Hybrid which is a mother ship-like laptop/desktop hybrid. B-membrane is different because it doesn’t have a monitor but rather a cone-shaped design that sits on top of a circular disk, which makes the computer look like a mother ship. The cone part works just a like a projector- it beams your images onto the surfaces it is pointed to. When you want to see the images on the surface, you just bend the cone part, which then becomes a projector. The choice of the surface is yours you just have to point the projector towards the area you want to view the images.

The B-membrane also includes an optical drive and keyboard which will appear only when you need to use them. The keyboard is placed on the disk, blended in with it, round, and works just like a touch pad- all you need is to touch the disk and the keyboard will appear. The B-membrane has another function besides being a computer, it can be used as an ambient light. This gadget is still in design mode and it will probably take some time until it will be released on the market.

The syringe USB Drive is another unique gadget as it weighs a pint, 72×25x18mm, and like a syringe, it has a transparent shell. It uses a 2.0 technology and the information storage ranges from 128MB to 1GB memory.

Unlike the B-membrane, the syringe USB Drive can be purchased online.

When you need more USB ports, the next unusual gadget can be very useful although it is a little bit scary-the USB Hub Monster. The monster has flexible arms so you can connect more USB devices without using cables and cords. The monster can be created by everyone who wants as its inventor- Ed Lewis shows it step by step on the Instructables web site. For this, you will need: a 7 port D-link hub, seven one-foot USB extension cables, a 10 foot roll of armature wire, and black material to wrap up the monster.

If you are bored of the classic mp3 player, then the Rubik Cube MP3 player can bring some originality in your life. Besides being an MP3 player, it will also put your brain to work as you have to solve the cube in order to start listening to your favorite music. The cube was designed so that for each layer you solve, you will be allowed to perform a function such as pause, back, forward, volume. When you want to shut down the mp3 player you have one little problem- you must solve the puzzle.

When you want to listen to music with your friends, the creator of the Cube has taken care of it- you have 3 jacks available for 3 pairs of headphones. The Cube mp3 is also equipped with speakers- all you need is to use the switch at the top. You can also renew your music by using the USB port that pops up ready to be connected to your computer. This mp3 player can be very stressful if you don’t like Rubik Cube-like games- it will take you a lot of time to use its main function. Although it is has an innovative concept, the MP3 player is not available yet.

If you are really passionate about music, then you will surely love the TuneStudio. It will turn your iPod into a portable recording studio.TuneStudio has a four-channel audio mixer and also a recorder from Apple’s fifth generation iPod. You can record your music directly to the iPod at CD- level 16-bit quantization as well as at 44KHz sampling rate. TuneStudio can keep recording levels within iPod’s sound spectrum by processing the stereo signal. Each of these four channels can be set up to use a three-band equalizer, as well as level and pan controls. TuneStudio works also on Windows and has an USB port to connect it to your system.

There are a lot of Star Wars fans all around the world and they will surely love the new computer equipment inspired by the movie- the Star Wars USB Hubs. The hubs come in the form of the movie’s  most famous characters Darth Vader and R2-D2. Both characters have four frontal full speed USB ports. Besides that, there are sound effects coming from the characters and R2-D2 moves his head and lights up every three minutes. The products are available only in Japan.

The Mousecaster is not only a mouse but also it allows you to listen to your favorite radio on your computer. All you have to do is connect it to your computer as it has a built in FM radio and the cord behaves like an antenna. You can listen now to your favorite radio station without internet access. This device is available in the United States.

If you have a desktop computer and you want to type in the dark it can be very difficult. That’s why someone thought of you and invented the illuminated keyboard- Eluminix. Eluminix gets its power from the computer and uses electro-luminescence technology. This product is available for purchasing.

All these unusual gadgets can help making our lives more easy, pleasant and more fun. Although not all of the devices have an utility now, they are progresses of the technology and will lead the way in discovering more and more ways to easy our existence.

Posted in Computer Gadgets, Strange Gadgets | No Comments »

Inspector Gadget 2

Thursday, August 27th, 2009 |

Originally started as a cartoon, Inspector Gadget became a very popular cartoon among kids and not only. Inspector gadget is a pretty silly police inspector very naive but trusty police detective.  He remarks himself by self-helping him with different gadget that he uses to elucidate police cases.
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Started as an animated television series, Inspector gadget, in 1986, there have been many spin-offs based on the show. The list of animated movies with the inspector is long starting with  Inspector gadget saves Christmas. Doctor Claw, Inspector’s gadget main enemy, has locked up Santa Claus at the North Pole and hypnotized his elves. Christmas will be finished unless Dr. Claw is stopped. Inspector Gadget, Penny, and Brain travel to the North Pole in an attempt to stop Dr. Claw and save Christmas. This special edition was nominated for an Emmy.

The series that followed were very diverse, posing inspector gadget as a child, gadget boy. The series debuted in 1995 and only a single season was produced, besides the historical spinoff, Gadget Boy’s Adventures in History, which aired on The History Channel. The main title song was written and performed by Mike Piccirillo. The musical underscore composers were Mike Piccirillo and Jean-Michel Guirao.

The list is very long and ends with 2 movies: Inspector Gadget is a 1999 live-action film based on the popular animated cartoon series of the same name. It starred Matthew Broderick as the title character, along with Rupert Everett as Dr. Claw, and Michelle Trachtenberg as Penny. Two new characters were introduced, Brenda Bradford (played by Joely Fisher) and the Gadgetmobile (voiced by D.L. Hughley).

The latest of all  is Inspector Gadget 2 (also known as IG2) is a Walt Disney Pictures film released in March 2003. It was based upon the cartoon series created by DiC Entertainment and is a direct-to-video sequel to the 1999 Disney film Inspector Gadgt. However, the two films have a tenuous link at best since the canon of the first film was poorly referenced (Inspector Gadget and Dr. Claw are never referenced as John Brown and Sanford Scolex – their respective civilian names from the first movie – and Claw’s former status as a wealthy man is only mentioned when one of his henchmen, wondering why are they hiding in an abandoned bowling alley, asks what happened to Claw’s money and Claw explains that his accounts are blocked) and none of the 1999 film’s actors return to reprise their roles, with the exception of D. L. Hughley, who voices the Gadgetmobile. The Inspector Gadget 2 is one of the best movies of the year 2003 and have set huge sells.

Posted in Computer Gadgets, Funny Gadgets | 1 Comment »

Laptop Gadgets

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009 |

Literally, there are thousands of gadgets for your laptop. Some of them are serious, and have a real utility, like enhancing your work productivity, and on the other hand there are funny gadgets, which just bring some fun in your work on the laptop. The serious gadgets help you a lot in your work, by offering you a better framework for your computer activities, and the fun ones just offer some entertainment, to make you feel more relaxed while you work. It’s good to think about the balance of these computer gadgets, and use them in such way to make you work easier and more efficient. It might be difficult to decide which laptop gadget is best for you, and which you should purchase and which not, but this sort of the decision depends only on your needs and preferences.
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When you choose a productivity gadget, you have to make sure that it will be suitable for the work habits you have. If you know that you take down notes very often on the scratch pad, a PC Scribble Digital Note Maker would be the best for you. This note maker is a digital pen in stylus clothes. It captures the handwritten notes and transfers them on the laptop. You don’t have to retype again the notes on the computer, because this Digital Note Maker converts handwriting in digital text. This is a great laptop gadget for researchers, writers, engineers or journalists, which write a lot when they work. This can be simplified so that thei efficiency can grow. The perfect laptop gadget doesn’t mean only the slickest peripheral possible. The gadget should be taken into consideration if it helps you to boost work productivity.

There are a lot of speakers with original designs on the market, and due to the growing number of producers, a wider variety can be estimated for the future. New ideas are transformed into products every day, and given the impressive number of speaker manufacturers, there should be a very special product to be called “gadget”. Chinese designers have invented these apple speakers, and it is likely to believe that they wanted the customers to think that the speakers are Apple licensed. It actually doesn’t matter if they are Apple products or not, because they are stylish and they do their job great. The price of this concept is a middle-class one, and I think that the majority of the potential customers will make up their mind and choose these speakers. There “Apple” USB speakers won’t be, for sure, a replacement for the iPod Hi-Fi, but they are pretty useful as travel accessories, and they have modern design. The compact size of this gadget speakers is a real advantage, and they are great for travelling, as I said, because they fit easily in your baggage or backpack.

Laptop keyboards, due to the limited sizes they have, don’t have num-pads like common desktop keyboards do. For people who work a lot in accounting and often need the numeric pad in Excel, for example, it is absolutely necessary. To solve this problem, they can purchase a wireless num pad. It is connected to the computer through a wireless USB adapter, and it is pretty easy to use. It is very similar to a mini mouse, or any other wireless gadget which helps you transform the given circumstances and features into a comfortable workspace.

I find the Wireless Presenter as one of the coolest gadgets I’ve seen until now, because it is a very useful device for people who often have to show PowerPoint presentations. I remember college days, when we were working in teams, and one of us was resposible with the “clicks”. Who clicks for the presentation to advance at the next slide was a real problem. This device works like a remote control, and it allows you to change slides. It’s like changing the TV channels, just that it works on the laptop. It is very useful, because now you just have to focus on presenting the presentation, and not on the technical problems.

One of the most actual and important issues concerning laptops is overheating. It happens, and it affects a lot our work, because it can cause damages and slowdowns on laptop’s activity. The main cause of overheating is placing the laptop on the wrong surface, where the quantity of air is not enough to supply the cooling fan. A very useful gadget is the cooling pad, which also holds the laptop and offers plenty of air for the cooling fan.

Plenty of laptop gadgets are available online, but when you choose one, take into account the utility aspect, and also check if the gadget really fits your needs, your preferences, and if it will boost your productivity somehow, or it will make your work more interesting or entertaining. Price is also an important decisional factor, and this means that you should check if the gadget’s price fits into your budget planning.

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Coolest Backgrounds

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009 |

The background of our computer is like a mirror which reflects part of our personality, and it often reflects our mood, our preferences and our hobbies. A lot of people like to have on the background of their computer an image which shows what they like best, and all the time, in all the cases, it is chosen according to the person who owns the laptop. There are millions of images on the Internet available, and many people create wallpapers and make them available for download on websites like deviant ART or Interfacelift . Another interesting wallpaper is the site with the same name, Wallpaper.com, and on all these three websites there are a lot of art works which you can use as wallpapers for your computer. Be aware of the copyright regulations, and when you use them, respect creator’s rights.
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A lot of wallpapers are represented either by digital creations or processed images, or by simple pictures taken by talented photographers. There are thousands of wallpapers categories, from celebrities, abstract and brands to flowers and pets, and many, many others. Some are funny, some are relaxing and they are very useful for people who work a lot, and want to immerse for few minutes in a virtual relaxing reality, some represent emotions, feelings and others just depict what we like: cars, clothes, people, animals, etc.

Here are some cool backgrounds I’ve selected from the mentioned websites, and I hope you will enjoy them too.I would like to mention that you can find them in more download sizes on the original websites, and I will post here only the classic 1024×768 resolution images.

I hope you enjoyed this bunch of nice wallpapers, and hope they will look good on your desktop!

Posted in Computer Gadgets | 1 Comment »