Cool Gadgets

Asus Eee Keyboard to Support HD Media Streaming (Launcing in August)

The launch of one of its kind Asus Eee keyboard has now been pushed back to august 2009, Asus also revealed some more info on its netbook-keyboard-touchscreen device which states the availability of two models, one with wireless HDMI for wireless HD media streaming and other with normal wired configuration. It is also said to come with inbuilt 32 GB SSD.

Notable Features of Asus Eee Keyboard

• 5 Inch Touchscreen Panel
• Moblin Linux based OS
• Intel Atom 1.6 Ghz processor
• 1GB RAM
• 32 GB SSD
• Wi-Fi b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.0
• Wireless HDMI

Still there is no word on the final pricing but it is expected to be in the price range of $400-$600.

Microsoft Announces OLED Based Touch Screen Zune HD

Microsoft Zune family goes HD with all new Zune HD with features like OLED Multi-touchscreen, FM, Wi-Fi, HD Output and several more, The device has been named Zune HD as it can output HD Movies via HDMI docking station(sold separately) to a HDTV, the new Zune HD also sports a widescreen display with 16:9 aspect ratio at 480 x 272 resolution. Additionally the HD PMP is expected to have a 3.3 inch screen size and will integrate full screen web browser with multi-touch capabilities and built-in HD Radio receiver. Nothing enticing, as it seems to be just another PMP, lets see how it stands up to compete against Apple iPod Touch when full details gets revealed at E3.

Zune HD Features:

• OLED Display (480×272 resolution) 16:9 format
• Multi-Touch support
• Wi-Fi, stream movies directly to your ZuneHD
• FM- HD Radio Receiver
• HD output to your HDTV via HDMI docking station
• Web browser with multi-touch support

Price of the new ZuneHD is not available as of yet, more details are expected at the E3 next week.

Availability: Q4 2009.

Next Generation UMD Less PSP Go! to launch at E3: rumour check

There’s been a lot of speculation and rumors lately for the Sony’s Playstation Portable next generation model which is expected to ditch the Sony’s proprietary battery sucking UMD format, instead the new PSP Go will feature inbuilt 8GB or 16GB memory and games can be downloaded via PlayStation Network . The latest rumor for the media distribution is that the retail games will be available on high speed Memory Stick HG-Micro cards. They are all rumors for now and you have to wait for E3 where Sony will announce exact details about PSP Go.

Current Rumors for next gen PSP:

Name: PSP Go or PSP Flip or PSP Slide

• Storage: 8Gb or 16 GB
• Camera: 1.3 or 2 Megapixel
• Another Analog Hub
• Games: Digital Distribution via PlayStation Network and Games on HG Micro Cards
• UMD Will be gone forever for good, more battery life
• Design: There is a artistic impression of PSP Go doing rounds on the Internet, you can see the image above.

Our Take:

The new PSP is inevitable as iPod Touch/iPhone are also marketed as gaming devices and are much better in terms of hardware and software and pose serious threat to Sony’s PSP . What I believe is, the new PSP Go will be a similar to current model but without UMD means it will be slimmer. The current design and button placement of Sony is everyone’s favorite and plausibility of the PSP with slide out pad is very low. Also Sony cannot change the hardware and screen much as there will compatibility issues with previously released games on UMD(these will be made available as digital downloads). But they can for sure add inbuilt storage and Camera to the bundle and fans will love it

Apple Unveils Smaller 4GB iPod Shuffle for $79

Small has just got Smaller! Yes, Apple has just launched new mini iPOD shuffle for $79 only. It’s a third generation iPOD shuffle that is without any buttons on its body. Strange, but this is true.

This 4-gigabyte iPOD shuffle can store up to 1000 songs and is just 2 inches long rectangular in shape. It’s body is devoid of any buttons instead its built into the headphone cord. Really, innovation at its very best. This third-generation iPOD shuffle have got more to offer. Its comes with a unique feature called VoiceOver which can speak the song and artist name by just the click of a button. It recognizes 14 different languages.

Its available in silver and black aluminum body with a shiny stainless steel clip.

Sony Launches MDR-NC7 Noise Canceling Headphones

Sony has launched the MDR-NC7 headphones which has a foldable design and are also equipped with noise canceling technology. The headphones can reduce the unwanted ambient noise by upto 90 percent. The stylish design and features makes it an ideal accessory to have while traveling.

The Sony noise canceling headphones have a battery life of approximately 50 hours and also comes with dual use capability. You get the option to listen music with or without the noise cancellation feature. There is an on/off switch for noise canceling and the headphone can still be used even if the battery runs dry. The MDR-NC7 headphones weighs 134g (Including AAA battery) and work on a 30 - 20,000Hz range. A plug adapter is also provided to connect to stereo and dual jack of in-flight services.

The headphones are priced at Rs. 4,490 and will be available at all the Sony owned stores and authorized stores.

Sony Ericsson Idou 12.1 MP Camera Mobile

For Sony Ericsson, it seems that a 8MP camera phone is not enough. At the Mobile World

Congress which started today, Sony Ericsson launched a 12.1 MP camera mobile phone codenamed Idou which is a smartphone having high end camera features and is based on Symbian OS.

The SE Idou comes with a 12.1 MP camera having features like Xenon Flash, Geo Tagging, Auto Focus, Smile Detection, Face Detection and advanced camera touch features. It has a 3.5 inch TFT Touchscreen with 360 x 640 pixels supporting 16 million colors amd 16:9 widescreen format support. Connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, DLNA, GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0. FM Radio along with GPS with A-GPS support are also present. The Media Menu is now fully optimized to support the 16:9 format and will enable you to play your favorite movies, music etc. The phone’s memory can be extended by using microSD cards.

The phone is expected to be launched in the second half of 2009

Heart Necklace Shaped USB Drive [Valentine Gift Idea]

Valentines Day is coming and many tech products are making their way to the market for that special occasion. Earlier, we talked about the Rose Blossom mobile phone from Motorola and this time we have another geeky gift for your valentine. The Heart Necklace seems to be the best option to give to your girlfriend if you are looking for something that is trendy, unique, low budget and also useful but make sure that your girlfriend is a techy type of person.

The cool flash drive has a heart shaped design and is pink in color. It can be worn around the neck and its nice looks/design will particularly please the girl geeks. The heart shaped design also ensures that it can be worn around the neck like a fashion jewelery. It also has a nice capacity of 4 GB to store enough data like songs, pictures etc.

This USB drive will make a very nice and unique gift for your valentine. It is quite affordable too as it costs only $14.99.

Toshiba Roll out TG01 - Could Become a iPhone Killer

Ever since the iPhone was launched, many similar handsets have been released claiming to be the iKiller. Toshiba has also announced their smartphone, the TG01 which is set to compete with the iPhone 3G and HTC Touch HD. The TG01 has a 4.1 inch screen with WVGA 800 X 480 pixel resolution. The screen also uses Toshiba’s HDTV technology for gamma correction and backlight control.

The device is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 OS and has a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset and it is also the first one to run on that chipset. It has a slim 9.9mm thick body and is slimmer than both the iPhone and HTC Touch. It uses Toshiba’s own 3D user interface and is intended for one hand use and it also responds to gestures and shaking. A virtual trackpad is also present to help in browsing websites.

It has the Snapdragon 1GHz CPU and thanks to the dynamic speed control, it can throttle back during low usage. Toshiba claims that it can run for a whole day without requiring a recharge even if its multimedia features are used to full extent. Other features include Internal GPS with A-GPS, a 3.2 MP camera, EDGE/GPRS, 3G with HSDPA support. It also has Bluetooth 2.0, Wifi and supports Divx video playback. The IE mobile 6 browser that comes with it also supports flash. It has an inbuilt memory of 512 MB which can be extended to 32GB with microSD card .

The smartphone will be available in Europe after a few months. No pricing details has yet been announced and it seems that it will be available in colors of black and white.

Asus Eee Top Touchscreen PC ET 1602 Launched in India

Asus has launched the Eee Top ET1602 all in one touch screen computer in India. The new computer is aimed towards kids and beginners but it comes with almost all the features of a regular desktop Computer. Looking at it, you will notice that it has a close resemblance to Apple’s iMac. You can keep it anywhere without the hassle of any wires.

It is equipped with 15.6′ five-wired resistive touch panels and almost all the things can be done by the press of a finger. The widescreen LCD is powered by Eee Splendid Video Intelligence technology which ensures that the display will not be effected by other lighting in the room. It is powered by Intel N270 1.6 GHz processor and comes with 1GB RAM , 160 GB HDD, integrated Hi-Fi speakers, Windows XP, Wi-Fi , USB ports, LAN port.

It is also made for entertainment and comes with a lot of touch optimized applications which will make browsing pictures, music, videos more fun. It is also stylish and wont occupy much space. Simply connect it to a power cord and it will start working. It will come with a lot of applications like Opera Touch which enables you to surf the web by the touch of a fingers and without the need for the keyboard.

It is really a very innovative thing and got a very slick look and feel too. It is priced at Rs 44,000 and will come with a two year warranty.

Tri-Specs Reveal Bluetooth Enabled Style Glasses

Now here is a cool gadget that combines high end fashion with high end technology. Tri-Specs have revealed the Bluetooth enabled sun glasses that combines best acoustic technology for noise cancellation during mobile communication and acoustically enhanced premium stereo sound for better music listening experience. The sun glasses can work with any Bluetooth enabled mobile phones and music players.

The glasses use STEP labs noise elimination acoustic technology and combine dual microphone, dual speakers and bluetooth connectivity to produce the best voice quality. The STEP labs technology uses the physics of sound propagation to define the shape and arrival time of sound waves so that they can be separated from unwanted noise. It can also tell the difference between the wearer’s voice and other voices or sounds. The glasses also support voice prompt and voice dialing for hands free use. It has retractable ear buds and also has mp3 controls and voice controls on the arms of the glasses. The battery life is also good promising 7 hours of talk time, 5 hours of music time and 70 hours of standby time.

It is a pretty cool and funky gadget. The pricing and availability has not yet been announced but it is expected to be of around $200.