Catherine Zeta Jones might not be a T-Mobile pitchperson anymore, but the mobile phone service is standing by its tagline, “Get More.” This is evident with the new T-Mobile Nokia 6133, which comes loaded with plenty of battery-draining extras, including a video recorder and 1.3-megapixel camera with an 8X zoom. The quad-band phone (850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE) will also work throughout many parts of the world, so you can stay connected on your travels. Just be sure to bring that charger along.
The phone doubles as a music player, with support for MP3, AAC, AAC+, and eAAC+ formats and storage for up to 750 songs on an optional 1GB MicroSD card. It even features a built-in FM radio tuner. And you can listen to those tunes or the radio with a stereo Bluetooth headset, of course.
T-Mobile hasn't announced pricing yet, and the Nokia 6133 will available only in stores at launch. Just be sure to grab an extra battery, as all these features might mean you won’t have juice to make an actual call when you need to.
In late August, Fujitsu vaguely announced that the N Series would incorporate the Intel Core 2 Duo processor. The official announcement came last week, and in addition to the Intel Core 2 Duo T7200, the Fujitsu Lifebook N6420 will also integrate an HD DVD-ROM.
I can count up to seven laptop vendors that are incorporating HD DVD drives, and only one using Blu-ray. Is Toshiba's standard taking the lead? Then again, all you need is one Playstation 3 to rule them all.
Fujitsu will be using Cyberlink's PowerDVD HD for playback--not the greatest software out there. Both HP and Toshiba have their own proprietary software for HD playback, which is a lot better than third-party stuff. The N6420 will also have the largest storage capacity in the laptop market: well, Toshiba and the Sony VAIO AR190 Series. Both will have 400GB hard drive options using dual SATA hard drives. The N6420 is also one of the few Media Centers that has a built-in TV tuner and RCA ports. Now if only Toshiba can get the weight under 10 pounds.
What's the duck that sucks? Why, that would be the USB Duck-Shaped Vacuum Cleaner. We all know how dirty our desks can get, particularly our keyboards. With this handy gadget, you can suck those crumbs, dust, and other nasty dirt right out of your keyboard, or anywhere on your desk. It doesn't say on the site how long the USB cord is--if it's too short that could take away some of its usefulness. But it's so darn cute! I know I want one--it perfectly combines my love of cleanliness and duckiness.
Ever since the Apple Video iPod hit shelves, companies have been trying to find a way to maximize our viewing pleasure. Now, in the footsteps of the myvu, Australian company 22Moo has partnered with a number of manufacturers to bring you the first sub-$200 head-mounted display.
Dubbed the HMD800, the display couples 2.1-track Dolby surround sound stereo earphones with a virtual 30-inch screen that 22Moo hopes will make you think you're in a theater. And if you're one of those "my cranium is way too big for my body" people, 22Moo promises the HMD800 will be fully adjustable for any head shape and size.
The HMD800 offers an 800-by-225 aspect ratio and a viewing angle of 22 degrees. The picture's look can be adjusted with brightness and contrast controls, and will even support NTSC or PAL formats, in case you take a trip to well, pretty much any other country in the world.
22Moo claims the lithium battery will give you 8 consecutive hours of viewing time, just bear in mind that 8 hours straight with one of these things may mean 8 more hours of floating dots. Besides the HMD800, the package will ship with an AC adapter for charging and an eyepatch, in case you, um, want to be a pirate.
Cars need dashboards with F1 controls. Not F1 as in Formula One, but F1 as on your PC's keyboard: When you hover over a command or selection, a pop-up balloon appears, and if you're generally confused, you press the F1 key (Help).
Until you've owned your car for a couple months, you may not be sure what every switch does. (Your spouse or partner who seldom drives your car may never find out.) If automakers want to take some complexity out of using their cars, they also ought to provide context-sensitive help every time you press a button or turn a knob.
Car functions were not always so confusing and varied: At one time, you turned on the headlights by pulling a dashboard knob to the left of the steering wheel, halfway out for running lights and all the way for headlights. Later, cars had a dial you turned to the right (usually), and now, some cars have a steering column stalk that you twirl. And there may be one more position for the auto-on-at-dusk feature, but is it beyond Off or beyond On? Same goes for the wiper controls including intermittent-wipe, wash, rear window wipe, and rear wash; and the cruise control. Most drivers have no clue about the stability/traction control buttons marked ESC, ESP, or ASC.
How would automakers actually implement a Help function? Since every new car already has a display, ranging from an instrument display that's mostly text to a big LCD panel, the hardware is already in place. Every time you activate a switch, the display tells you what you've done, for positive feedback. Many do it now for simple tasks. Push back on the cruise control lever, and most cars display a message like "cruise control set, 70 mph."
This could extend to every control in the car. Press the Help button just after you tap the cruise control button, and if you have a LCD panel or even a graphics-capable instrument panel display, you'd get a pictogram of all cruise control choices; if your car has voice input, you'd see a list of the spoken commands. Press the help button first then tap the control once and you get the help for that control; press the control again and it carries out that function.
The info display already exists, since nearly every new car has a display, whether an 8-inch LCD panel in the console or a one- to four-line readout in the instrument cluster. And many car controls already pass indirectly through a microprocessor en route to the headlights or wipers; even some throttles and transmissions, so-called drive-by-wire.
(Okay, if you don't know that up on the turn signal means "right turn," you have no business in a car and probably should be disqualified from voting in public elections for two years, although it also probably qualifies you to run for any public office, especially Congress, since your participation would lower the IQ of the voting public while raising that of the House. But, wait: Have you ever pressed a turn signal on a BMW or the transmission on a Toyota Prius and find it returns to center. The help display would explain why.)
As the new owner grows more comfortable with the car, the amount of help could decrease; a smart car would recognize an incomplete mastery of some areas and keep help levels high there. How would a new driver for your car get lots of help in all areas? Easy: Individual ignition keys, which can already be coded for seat position and radio presets. If a key is lost, or if you don't have coded keys, the three seat-adjuster presets in many cars could extend to all car preferences. That beats what you have to do to personalize a multi-user PC. The PC metaphor can only extend so far.
Another product reviewed for Gearlog's security series is a security alarm and notification system in which I tested.
Chances are, you probably don't own a security system for your home or apartment. I know that I've always thought I never needed one, because I try to pick locations to live where I feel safe. Of course, even if your neighborhood is fairly quiet and crime-free, there's always the possiblity of a robbery or break-in. Heck, when I was living in Albany a couple of years ago, some jerk broke into our apartment through the window and stole the car keys to my roommate's car! We could have used a security system then.
Product: When I discovered Sentinel Vision's SafeScout security alarm and notification system ($199), I decided to test it out in my New Jersey apartment. The SafeScout system is small, measuring 3.9" (H) x 4.8" (W) x 5.3" (D) (so it won't take up a lot of room) and consists of a camera, motion detector, and keypad on the top of the unit in which you use to punch in your code for activating and deactivating the alarm. It requires a telephone line (landline or digital).
Dan Costa went to Maine last week for the PopTech! conference, the lucky devil. He's already posted here on Gearlog about his travel gear and about a demo of Spore, game designer Will Wright's impressive work in progress.
I'm sure a lot of you have heard of (or even own) a "Blink" card from Chase. Citibank has something similar with their PayPass cards. Suffice to say, Visa, Mastercard and American Express all offer some sort of built-in RFID chip that lets you pay for stuff by waving it across a special card reader.
Pretty neat--if you don't mind the security risks. The New York Times just published an article that reveals the security holes in these "no-swipe" cards. In a study performed by RSA labs on 20 credit cards, it found that the cardholder's name and other info was being transmitted without encryption. It wasn't transmitting the card numbers or expiration dates, thankfully, and card companies are in the process of deleting names from the transmission. These problems will be addressed over time, and I'm not about to put my Blink card in a metal container until I see Dan Costa get hacked.
If I was able to, I would so park a fog machine in my cube to get that ultimate Halloween feel! The Lighted Misting Bowl ($24.98) is a frosted blue glass bowl that "overflows with a gentle mist illuminated by colored lights shifting among red, yellow, and blue." The bowl uses ultrasonic vibration to get that cool-looking fog. It features six LED bulbs and is powered by an AC adapter. Stands 7-inches tall and 10-inches wide.
Always wanted eyes in the back of your head? Now you (and your shrubs) can this Halloween with the Peep n' Peepers Flashing Eyes. When they flash, it looks like the eyes are blinking! And they're weather-resistant, so they won't start crying if they see a scary-looking costume. They measure 4.75- (W) x 2.25- (H) x 2.0-inches (D), and each package comes with three pairs of eyes that rotate 360 degrees. Uses 7-watt green, purple, and white bulbs, which are included. This must be a popular item, because it's sold out just about everywhere online. I did manage to find one site that is selling them for $9.99.
Halloween Facts: Did you know that Halloween used to be celebrated as a way to let off steam in the early 1900's? That's because cities were so overcrowded, so people would play practical jokes on each other, such as turning over outhouses! However, the jokes got so out of control in the 1930's, that everyone decided to have children go door to door on Halloween instead and ask for candy.
Catherine Zeta Jones might not be a T-Mobile pitchperson anymore
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