Don't get this confused with a 64MB flash drive. CDW is actually selling a 64GB flash drive on their site called the Buslink Pro 2 Series. Unless you're one of the former owners of YouTube, the $5,740 price tag might be a bit of a turn off. The Buslink has read speeds of 20Mb/sec and write speeds of 15Mb/sec. It even comes with security software that password protects your drive.
Don't have $5700 at your disposal? Heck, you can finance it for a monthly fee of $180 Even more shocking is that there are no product reviews listed for the item. I usually like to hear what other consumers have to say.
One of the problems with portable media players has been deciding which movie you want to watch, so you can take it along with you. That's not going to be a problem if you travel with the RCA LYRA X3030 Personal Multimedia Recorder ($399 list). This pocket-size device features a massive 30GB hard drive that can store up to 120 hours of DVD-quality video, or several thousand of your absolute favorite songs. The 3.6-inch LCD screen is large enough for the daily commute or typical plane ride, but it really isn't large enough for multiple viewers – unless you're looking to get very close!
On the plus side, this device can store an incredible amount of content, and yet is small enough that it isn't even close to being a burden to bring along for the ride. It can record audio and video from a number of external sources, including analog TV, so you can catch up on your shows during the daily train or bus commute.
It also supports the DivX format to transfer movies from other sources, such as DVD (just don't let Hollywood know I told you). It's compatible with Audible.com, as well as Yahoo! Music Unlimited and emusic.com. Plus, if you're really hungry for new content it's also compatible with ZVUE.com, where you can find hundreds of eclectic music videos and cartoons to download. This new Lyra even has a microphone, so you can use it as a voice recorder. That's one way of convincing the boss you absolutely need one for your business travel.
Venturi (the company that brought us the autonomous solar/wind powered Eclectic) has now introduced the AstroLab, the world's first commercially available electric-solar hybrid. The vehicle is capable of working with very little energy; it can recharge while in motion and does not need permanent exposure to the sun in order to move.
The AstroLab performs surprisingly well for a non-petrol vehicle. It reaches a top speed of 120 kilometers per hour (about 74.5 mph) and has a range of 110 km (about 68 miles). Astrolab attains this level of performance thanks to its ultra-light carbon monocoque (single-shell) chassis, which serves as an oversize protection cel, in case of collisions, and the 3.6-square-meter (about 38.75 square feet) photovoltaic cells on its surface.
One of the tricks AstroLlab employs to make the best use of solar energy is the efficiency of the photovoltaic cells used in the solar cells. The cells are covered by a film of nanoprisms, which enable a denser concentration of solar energy with an exceptional yield of 21 percent. Like the Eclectic, the AstroLab uses liquid-cooled NiMH Venturi NIV-7 batteries; these enable it to be plugged into the electricity grid. Venturi will sell the Astrolab for 92,000 euros ($115,811), with the first vehicles off the production line due for delivery in January 2008.
Frogger is 25 years old, and he finally got enough sense to get out of that busy street. I'm guessing he got tired of tempting roadkill fate. Konami's new plug-and-play game Frogger: Ancient Shadow has our loveable friend hopping through different worlds to save his home in Firefly Swamp from the evil Dr. Wani. (Doesn't that name sound threatening?)
I had to borrow a pair of massive scissors to tear into the plastic packaging, but finally managed to wrestle the controller free. You just plug it into your computer's USB port, and you're automatically connected to Konami's Web site, where the game resides. Voilá: instant gaming.
Although the bright-blue controller felt a little small in my hands (probably because the game is intended for ages 8 and up), the buttons were large and easy to press. After a quick setup session, the game screen popped up and I was ready to go. But seeing as I had skipped over the controller menu, I had no clue which buttons did what. That's what I get for being impatient. A little trial and error ensued, and I managed to figure out which buttons made Frogger leap forward, unfurl his tongue, jump in the air, and turn. Soon enough I was snatching up coins and hopping across lily pads.
Even though this game features new moves and different worlds, the classic Frogger elements are still alive and well. Enemies walk in haphazard patterns across your path and you have to maneuver quickly to avoid them. I was entertained for the levels I played. Enjoy the Frogger fun!
Things that light up are good. Things that light up in color are better. Things that light up and can change color are best.
This bowl and vase (ThinkGeek, $39.99 apiece) each can hold at one color or change randomly. They run on a rechargeable nickel-metal-hydride double-A battery; a 3-hour charge with the included adapter gives you 8 to 10 hours of colorful goodness. And ThinkGeeks claims that these plastic lovelies are dishwasher-safe, so i guess you can serve moist or gooey food in the bowl and fill the vase with water without worrying that you'll short-circuit; that wouldn't be festive.
Almost every office has that annoying idiot who will go on and on about something totally inappropriate. I'm lucky, because there's no one like that where I work, but here's a little something for everyone else out there in Cubicle Land.
Behold the USB Missile Launcher. For a cool $55, you can pick one up from kleargear.com and let that irritating colleague know how you really feel.
The missile-command software installs on your PC (Windows XP or 2000). Just plug the launcher into your USB port and load up the three foam missiles. Adjust the direction and angle of the launch and in no time you'll be sneering, Say hello to my little friend…"
One adventure I have yet to embark on this year is camping. With all of my weekends booked for the next month or so, I may have to keep putting it off!
But, thanks to the company Lifetime Brands, I can bring the joys of camping to me, without the bugs and cold weather (oh those memories of Camp Wendy). The Casa Moda Smores Maker sits on a stainless-steel Lazy Susan and features a 5-1/4-by-5-1/2-inch roasting grill, burner holder with handle, four marshmellow roasting forks, and white ceramic containers for the graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows. Its meant for both indoor and outdoor use.
Factoid: "The origin of this popular campfire dessert is unclear, but the first recorded version of the recipe can be found in the Girl Scout Handbook of 1927, or by someone in Camp Fire Girls, since the Hershey company, based in Pennsylvania, was surrounded by Camp Fire Girl groups" [via Wikipedia].
PCMag.com's Product Manager Gina Suk has been studying hard for her exams. So I decided to give her the IRISPen Express, a pen scanner, to try out during her study sessions. Here is her review.
Cheat sheets, copying other people's notes, learning through osmosis by sleeping on your book—these are all some of the great shortcut tactics many of us have resorted to when cramming for examinations. But having a pen take notes for you? How much easier can it get than that?
Product: The IRISPen Express promises to work "just like a highlighter." By "simply" sliding the scanning head over text or numbers, the pen reads information into any compatible application.
Performance: Unfortunately, I found that if you don't have a perfectly steady hand, almost mechanically straight and going at a very even and slow pace when scanning, the text is read oddly and prints incorrect characters, or goes on to the adjacent lines and creates nonsense, or stops scanning completely because the pressure on the head has changed. Hmm, so much for saving time!
The sheer size of this "highlighter" puts my Sharpie Accent to shame. The wheels that guide the scanning head are quite annoying to deal with since they seem to constantly veer you off into the wrong direction. Perhaps I'm not the most careful pen scanner user, but shouldn't the product be tested on non-robotic people, like me, who are generally not going to be that diligent about making perfectly straight lines while keeping their hand perfectly straight and steady? The only part of the IRISPen Express that really seemed to work without fail were the two buttons that allow you to assign keyboard commands to them (such as carriage returns or tabs). Installation of the supporting software and setting up the scanner was fairly straightforward and easy to follow. But, that's where the ease of use ended and the headache began.
Overall: Although this product is almost completely useless, I think there is potential for it to become a useful tool if the design is streamlined and technology is refined a bit. The very retro design of the pen is reminiscent of technology style of the 1980's--with its odd, boxy and bulky shape, and unimpressive gray and off-white casing. And while I do love the idea of a pen scanner to take care of my note-taking, I think for now I'll pass and pick up my real pen and do it the old fashioned way.
Don't want to affect bandwidth to your USB 2.0 devices while watching high-quality video on your laptop? Belkin has the simple solution: the Notebook Expansion Dock. It connects at 2.0Gbps through your laptop's ExpressCard port, and offers 1600x1200 resolution in 32-bit color.
The Dock also comes with 5 USB 2.0 ports and 5.1 surround-sound support through optical or 3.5mm outputs.
"It's also an ideal solution for homes that have multiple laptops," explains Jamie Elgie, Sr. Product Manager. "You can use just one Notebook Expansion Dock for multiple laptops."
Compatible with Windows Vista and XP, the Notebook Expansion Dock will ship in North America in late November and will sell for $199.99.
This USB gadget made me laugh at first... then cry, just a little bit. It's a hamster, but he sure isn't dancing... he's running, and running, and getting nowhere fast. (And that's nothing like my life at all!) Just plug the wheel into a USB port, and the faster you type, the faster he'll scamper. Run, poor, deluded little hamster! Run!
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