Archive for the ‘Computer Gadgets’ Category
Friday, October 3rd, 2008 |
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I have never been able to explain myself the fascination I’ve always had for the two World Wars the humanity faced back in the twentieth century. I am so eager to find out what happened to everything people were supposed to believe in precisely because I just can’t understand the concept of war. It’s beyond my comprehension, that’s for sure.
Therefore, I couldn’t be very enthusiastic about the Hand Grenade Mouse. A cold shiver goes down my back when thinking about having such a device to click all day long to my favorite Web sites. There’s no sense in getting accustomed to something that started its life as a device designed to blow off limbs. So how could I put my hand on this mouse and feel comfortable?
On the other hand, it’s not like my computer setup should be intimidating and it sure doesn’t need a hand grenade to make it more intense. Probably for all the online gamers outside, the device is the perfect solution in order to feel like being in the middle of the action and to amplify the sensation of power.
The mouse is actually made out of an old grenade casing, so it gives a slightly more authentic feel. As far as ergonomics are concerned, the guys who designed the mouse didn’t take into consideration that the mouse might actually kill something: your wrist. But it looks cool and that’s enough, right? In addition, the modders didn’t finish their job before going through the trouble of wiring up the trigger to function as the left mouse button.
As I said before, the hand grenade mouse doesn’t look ergonomically friendly, but the last thing you should expect from a hand grenade is to provide comfort and peace, don’t you think?
(Source gadgets.boingboing.net)
Posted in Computer Gadgets | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 |
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Targus Inc., maker of the world’s top-selling laptop computer cases and accessories, announced on Tuesday the release of its first line of notebook accessories specifically designed to work with Apple MacBooks. The line includes a Wireless Mouse, Bluetooth-equipped Laser Mouse, Bluetooth Presenter, USB Hub, Chill Mat, File Share Cable and Privacy Screen and was created from ground up to deliver a suite of Mac-exclusive solutions.
The cutting-edge products are made of eco-friendly materials featuring up to 70% post consumer paper materials and highly recyclable PET, which is the natural continuation of Targus’ Eco-Smart™ campaign. In addition, they feature ergonomic attributes, technology innovations, functionality and aesthetics according Mac users’ needs.
Bob Shortt, sr. vice president of sales and marketing at Targus, said that “the new Targus for Mac line was created with Mac user input throughout the design and development process, and while it has a distinct Mac aesthetic in terms of look and feel, it offers much more than that”. Aiming at fulfilling the requirement of functionality (which is always expected by any Mac user, by the way), the result is as it follows: the presenter features an intuitive interface, while the mice are provided with smooth-moving touch scroll and the dual programmable buttons that let users personalize their experience.
The Wireless Mouse and the Bluetooth Laser Mouse are both equipped with the latest in touch technology and the 4-way scroll provides smooth, rapid scrolling, move up/down and left/right with just one tip of a finger. In addition, the Mac users have the chance to personalize their mouse functions through two programmable buttons, which instantly give access to the applications they use most. The mice have ergonomic size and shape, therefore the use allows the most comfortable experience to one’s hand. The Power Indicator Light give users information on low battery power.
The Wireless Mouse for Mac is provided with an incredibly small micro RF 2.4 GHz USB receiver which plugs into your Mac USB port or stores inside the mouse when it’s not being used. The 1200 dpi optical sensor allows a responsive and accurate cursor movement. Measuring 4.64 x 2.51 x 1.45 inch, the lunar grey mouse requires Windows 2000, XP, Windows Vista or Mac OS X (or higher) and an USB port and it’s available for $49.99.
The Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac is based on the top-of-the-line Bluetooth Technology and ensures the ultimate ease in wireless connectivity. You can say goodbye to the USB receiver, which will be free – from now on – to other devices. The Laser Technology provides a more accurate and higher precision than the optical mice and allows you to use the device on just about any surface. The Bluetooth Laser Mouse measures 2.51 x 1.45 x 4.64-inch and has a manufacturer suggested retail price of $69.99.
The Bluetooth Presenter for Mac is the first Mac-specific presenter on the market and it’s provided with several features which are meant to improve the presentation experience. You can easily switch from Presentation Mode to cursor Mode, for use like a mouse, having the touch scroll technology which allows an easy navigation through lengthy spreadsheets, PDF documents and other projected applications. The easy-to-use button configuration helps prevent accidental button presses, with primary presentation controls such as: previous slide, next slide and laser pointer which can easily be identified from tactile cues. Its secondary functions like blank screen and slide show are recessed and out of the way. The Bluetooth Presenter was designed to work with both Keynote and PowerPoint presentation programs and it’s provided with remote control which allows you to switch between applications without being at your computer and to adjust the volume or other functions. The device includes a laser pointer which allows users to call attention to important within their information and features a Bluetooth technology which enables remote control of favorite applications, volume control and other functions. The manufacturer suggested a price of $79.99.
The USB Hub for Mac costs $29.99 and its main feature is the portability. The oval-shaped device features four USB 2.0 ports and a wrap-around cable design which protect the hub from damage.
The Chill Mat for Mac is designed to keep your Mac notebook cool and comfortable and it’s provided with two USB-powered fans placed in a way that ensures optimal laptop cooling. When you set your laptop at an angle, a soft mesh bottom provides air flow to help reduce the overheating. The Chill Mat is generously sized, accommodating up to 17-inch Mac notebooks, and can be bought for $49.99.
The $49.99 File Share Cable for Mac is actually a cable which has the integrated software, making it easier than ever to upgrade from PC to Mac or share files between two Macs. Forget about the capacity limitations of using a USB drive or burning CD/DVD and share as much as you want.
The Privacy Screen for Mac is provided with tiny vertical blinds which narrow the viewing angle and keep prying eyes at bay. In addition, viewing beyond 45-degrees is blocked from the center line of the screen. It comes with double-sided adhesive for semi-permanent mounting or transparent tubes that let it slide on and off. The Privacy Screen has an anti-glare filter and comes in three sizes, 13, 15 and 17-inch priced by the retailer at $49.99, $59.99 and $79.99.
(Source gizmodo.com)
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Saturday, September 27th, 2008 |
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When seeing such a setup, you start asking yourself some questions about the way your place looks like and how you would have liked it to be. As far as I’m concerned, I will always have in mind the image of a huge brown wall with a centered dirty pink square which has probably been the only dream about the place I’ll be living for the rest of my life. I’ve grown up and my taste of fashion has progressively changed during teenage years. Therefore, I’m not sure I still want my brown wall (‘cause it’s mine, even if it doesn’t still exist), particularly because there are millions of options today for a place to be designed.
But you come across something like this: a sic-PC render farm for your business (or a place, whatever that is) which looks actually great. The render farm is a computer cluster built to render computer-generated imagery (CGI) and it’s usually used to integrate visual effects in a movie or a television show, through off-line batch processing. When industrial designer Fredrik Perman moved his offices in Raleigh, North Carolina, he decided to trick up the company’s render farm which was used to churn through conceptual designs and to put his six Intel dual-core PCs up on the wall of the lobby in a custom plexiglass case. The device is being lighted by LED fans and ten 10-inch cold-cathode tubes hidden behind the aluminum frame. There are six fans meant to cool the render farm and they each blow upward. In order to increase the ventilation, the acrylic case isn’t provided with the top and sides. The server room is placed on the other side of the wall so that the 8-port KVM switch is embedded between the two spaces and the cabling goes straight behind the PCs.
To directly control the farm, there are a 15-inch monitor, a keyboard and a mouse, while the speakers entertain the atmosphere in the lobby, whenever the device doesn’t crunch conceptual designs.
There is no information yet about price and availability of the setup, but I guess we could easily get to an estimate ourselves. The only thing we should not forget is to take in consideration the manual labor of the designer and the feeling of pride towards his work, as he confessed that “the project was a ton of fun, and it proved not only to be very functional and convenient – it instantly sparked an interest by anyone walking through the design studio front entrance”. Keep that in mind, you guys, because when there’s demand, the cost of the manual labor I was earlier talking about could easily be overrated.
(Source Dvice)
Posted in Computer Gadgets | No Comments »
Friday, September 26th, 2008 |
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The upright position is the most natural for the human being ever since the first forms of life on earth. But the most modern people prefer to sit. This is a widely spread tendency and it’s visible right about everywhere: in offices, colleges, schools and libraries, where over 95% of people slouch while sitting and often when standing also.
Surfing the web is one of the main reasons why modern people enjoy sitting so much these days and is as bad for the health as “insidious” smoking, for example. Professor Marc Hamilton of the University of Missouri says that those millions of workers who sit at desks for hours are increasing their chances of heart diseases, Type 2 diabetes and obesity. And guess what? People neglect the impact of sitting too much and they become “unaware potential victims”.
That is why we should consider more and more the value of the ergonomics, because the number of people suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, a medical condition in which the median nerve is compressed at the wrist and causes pain, paresthesias and muscle weakness in the hand. Don’t try to find the cause of the plague of repeated wrist syndrome beyond your computer, because the mouse is the source of all evil. The device contributes to carpel tunnel and precautionary measures must be immediately taken unless you long for some metal bands on your hands.
Humanscale, largely known for their cool looking office chairs, announced the release of a new product called Switch Mouse, an innovative ergonomic mousing solution that aims to reduce stress injuries. This groundbreaking peripheral device features a V-shaped base that puts the user’s wrist and forearm at an optimal 45-degree angle and a symmetric design ambidextrous use. This is great news for all of the left-handed out there, since most mice are designed for right-handed people.
In addition, the Switch Mouse features a size adjustability to provide a custom fit for any computer user, a built-in palm support for proper mousing posture, so that the stress on the wrist could be prevented. There is also a four-way scrolling dish which prevents injuries from constant scrolling and three programmable button for user-specified functions.
Designed to accommodate natural arm positions, reduce repetitive motion stress and provide customizable function and comfort for all computer users, the Switch Mouse picked up three noteworthy awards during 2007. The revolutionary ergonomic mousing device earned a Gold Award in the 2007 Best of NeoCon competition, the Grand Prize in the Product Innovations Awards presented by Buildings magazine and the top nod for Best Ergonomic Solution at Mixology07, an award program sponsored by U.K.-based mix interiors magazine.
The plug-and-play Switch Mouse is based on an optical scanning technology and a USB connector. In addition, it works with Windows Vista and Mac OS X, but it’s also compatible with Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP and Mac OS 9.
The Switch Mouse is available on ergodirect.com for an amount of $99.00.
(Source coolest-gadgets.com)
Posted in Computer Gadgets | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 |
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If what you’re looking for is a super small keyboard for your mobile device or your laptop, then a miniature device would be the perfect solution to your need. Maybe it’s easier for you to take it on the go wherever you travel, and it’s understandable. But show me the crazy man who’d like to torture himself to death by typing on a small keyboard, so small that the typing experience itself seems tinier than ever.
Ok, there’s nothing wrong with the keyboard. It’s a low keycap notebook keyboard with 56 keys including all the ones which are common to a standard keyboard like Caps Lock, Num Lock and function keys. Nothing unusual so far, isn’t it?
But let me tell you that this Super Tiny Keyboard measures 170 x 73 x 15mm and weighs 116 g. Pretty small, right? But it was you who wanted something small, lightweight and portable so that you wouldn’t have to worry about bringing the traditional, big and heavy keyboard when you are traveling.
In addition, the device comes in package with a USB retractable cable and has a mini-USB connector on the back. Therefore, you can plug it into whatever device you have, as long as it’s equipped with a working USB port.
I, for one, wouldn’t appreciate such a device for a day-to-day use, but I suppose it’s just reminiscence of the tiny laptops like the EEE from ASUS that had an impressive effect on the consumer.
The Super Tiny Keyboard is available on Brando’s website for an amount of $25.
(Source gadgets.boingboing.com)
Posted in Computer Gadgets, USB Gadgets | 3 Comments »