The design of the HDMI dongle itself has stayed the same, but the controller underwent some changes based on feedback from the Kickstarter backers. The controller features a more curvy design, and the HDMI stick now sits at the back of the controller instead of sliding in on top. The GameStick also got an expendable microSD card slot on the stick itself, which was a huge request from the backers.

The new docking station charges up the controller wirelessly using electromagnetic coils, and it can also support peripheral hardware such as mice, keyboards, etc. for use with the GameStick. The docking station also has a memory card slot compatible with up to 64GB, boosting the GameStick’s total capacity to 104GB potentially.

At the time of this writing, the GameStick has received over $515,000 in funding, which surpasses the company’s initial goal of $100,000. The campaign has just under 70 hours remaining, so there’s still time to contribute and get on the list to receive a GameStick console if you’re still interested.

While the P910 might look like a typical speaker system, the company assures us that it’s not. SOUL claims that the PIAB P910 is the first speaker to sport different functions that’s rolled into one package — it’s an indoor/outdoor portable sound system with Bluetooth, auxiliary input, an Apple dock, and HDMI.

The box has eight omnidirectional speakers, including two 6.5-inch subwoofers, two 3-inch midrange speakers, and four 1-inch tweeters. Furthermore, the box has a built-in Tri-Band two-way transceiver that allows syncing between up to eight other speakers either through Bluetooth or the 3.5mm auxiliary input.

Essentially, the PIAB P910 can act as a boombox, a PA system, or even a Karaoke machine thanks to its microphone input. Of course, though, versatility and excellent sound quality will cost you big time — SOUL is selling the PIAB P910 for $999 on their website, but if you’ve been looking for a portable, multi-functional speaker system, it may very well be worth the cash.

TYLT had tons of products on display here, and we’ll be showing off more all week long. Their brand new TYLT TUNZ Bluetooth speaker had a few unique features up its sleeve like bass reflex, NFC tag capabilities, Bluetooth, USB 2.0, and even acts as an external charger for those moments in need.

All of TYLT’s new products are fun and full of color. Who needs the boring and old white anyways right? The TYLT TUNZ includes three adjustable and interchangeable silicon bands of different colors so you can personalize the look whenever you’d like. Connectivity is as usual via Bluetooth, but also offers the usual 3.5mm audio in, as well as audio out to export sound to a nearby device or TV. Then we mentioned NFC. The TUNZ comes with a free NFC app by Tagstand for easy NFC tagging to instantly play your favorite music and more.

With 30 hours of playback, the 2,500 mAh battery inside also doubles as a portable charger via USB 2.0 to your favorite smartphone. For more details and information you’ll want to start by heading here, and TYLT told SlashGear to expect their new speaker to hit the streets in early Q2 of 2013. The expected retail price will be $149, so should compete nicely with other options such as the JAMBOX. Even though the competition doesn’t offer the charging feature.

Perhaps its best feature, the Doxie One can be used with your iPad with Lightning or a 30-pin SD card reader, making it an excellent mobile scanning option. According to the press release, the unit is the about the size of an empty paper towel roll. Slipping the device into the laptop bag or tucking it away when not in use won’t be much of a challenge.

Setup is simple: the Doxie One plugs into a power outlet and saves scans to an SD card. It comes with an app for sorting and managing scans, including uploading them to backup services and sharing them with friends or colleagues. Scans can be sent to Evernote and Dropbox, for example, and to contacts via iMessage if you’re an Apple user.

Sharing scans via iMessage requires OS X 10.8 and iOS 6. If you decide to grab the Doxie Go model instead, you’ll get the added benefit of a rechargeable battery, giving the device an extra element of portability. The unit is available in multiple colors, including blue, red, purple, yellow, orange, green, black, and pink.

[via Get Doxie]

There are two modes for the microphone: Intelligent Speech Mode and Natural Recording Mode. The first outlines what’s described above, reducing background noise for voice calls or recordings, while Natural mode will act as a standard high quality USB mic that will record audio up to “CD-quality.” The size of the mic is pretty small too, plugging into your USB port directly and not requiring any additional cables.

Like Blue’s other mics, you don’t need any drivers for the mic, so you can just plug it in and start recording straight away. The Tiki will cost $59.99 and is available in Best Buy stores right now. Blue says you’ll be able to purchase one from Apple and other retailers worldwide starting from July 15th.

[via Engadget]

It appears that other markets are embracing the PS Vita with more love than its home country since Sony sold 578,812 units total in Japan since its launch last December, but has already sold more than 620,000 units abroad within the last two weeks. However, the recent February launch does include US, Europe, and Australia, so we would hope the figures would be positive in these large markets.

Now Sony will have to maintain the momentum, something it failed miserably at with the PS Vita in Japan. The company admits to having learned its lesson and has scheduled a staggered release of major game titles that should keep consumers interested in the months following the initial launch. Much anticipated titles in the coming months include those from major franchises, such as Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat, and Assassin’s Creed.

The PS Vita is available in either a WiFi-only or a WiFi plus 3G model, for which you’ll have to subscribe to a 3G data plan from AT&T. The units are priced at $249 and $$299, respectively. If you’re still on the fence about picking up the PS Vita, then make sure to check out our full review of this next-gen portable.

[via Forbes]

This design has been made a a prototype and brought on tour for quite some time now, only released to the general public very recently due to its availability coming this year. Back in 2009 the folks at the BBC had a peek at this design with Min-Kyu Choi and his business partner Matthew Judkins, and now they’ve been chosen to announce the availability of said plug as well. This plug has the wall male on one side and a USB port on the other side – and it only costs 25 pounds! Imaging that!

This device is made specifically for smartphone-sized devices, and no word yet has come down on different voltages for larger devices in the future. Now we’ve got to see how easy it is to make this idea fly here in the United States. When you’ve got something this simple, you’ve simply got to push it beyond the first iteration. At the moment this device is on Pre-Order and will be shipping on the 28th of February, 2012. It’s time to reduce your overall object size by 70% in style!

The company behind the portable gaming device is said to be ready to ship 4,000 devices starting next month. It has taken four years for the company to get to the point of finally shipping the devices, which is a massive wait in the fast-moving technology world. I think the device would have fared better years back since many mobile gamers have moved on to tablets and smartphones as the platform of choice.

The Pandora has a 4.3-inch resistive touchscreen with 800 x 480 resolution. It packs in WiFi, Bluetooth, a host USB port, and dual SDHC memory card slots. The user can boot from those memory card slots, and the device was intended to run Linux. I bet more than a few will be hacked for Android. The pre-order page for the device lists the device at 375 euros. I don’t see this being as successful today as it could have been years back when first unveiled.

[via Pocketables]

The iConvert features a small footprint, but can scan documents ranging from 2- to 8.5-inches wide. Documents are scanned with 300 DPI resolution and saved to your iPad’s picture folder. The controls for the scanner show up on the iPad screen via the iConvert iOS app that you can download from the iTunes App Store.

The scanner dock is compatible with both the original iPad and the iPad 2. It’s priced at $150 and will go on sale in February, giving you enough time to scan and sort all your receipts in time for tax season. The iConvert will be available through Brookstone.

[via Cult of Mac]

As you can see it’s quite tiny, and has a 2.4″ LCD display with a resolution of 320×240. It has great battery life as well, with 40 days of standby time and three hours of play/record time you won’t have to work about power management as often. Oddly, you can’t charge the Play. Instead, it runs off of three AAA batteries.

The total record time is 180 seconds – and it fits into the 256mb internal memory. The idea is very good, but there are a few features I would have liked to see included. The first being a Li-ion battery; this day and age it would have been easy to fit one in there – and would help reduce battery cost. The second feature would have to be expandable memory via micro-SD card. It is great to have multiple short clips on the Play, but I foresee many will save messages for viewing long term – thus taking up too much space and time.

What sets the 3M MP220 apart from the rest isn’t that its fully portable and battery powered, or that it offers 2 hours of battery life. What’s important is they’ve managed to offer an impressive 50 lumens of brightness AND 2 hours of battery life in one compact and portable package. We recently reviewed the AAXA P4 that offered 80 lumens of brightness, and it was impressive but only lasts 70 minutes if you’re lucky.

The 3M MP220 has all the features we’ve come to expect from our pico projectors too. Offering 2GB of internal storage with option micro-SD for expanded storage, micro-USB, and plenty of AV and VGA inputs. Projecting all that across a 65″ screen and a WSVGA (1024 x 600) native resolution. The MP220 also comes equipped with stereo speakers, and a 50 lumen engine that lasts up to 20,000 hours all weighing under a pound.

Like we said above, it might not be the brightest or the smallest — but offering portability, quality, brightness, and that all important battery life all-in-one is the key difference here. The LED-lit navigation buttons were a nice edition as I’ve used a few in the past and trying to find the right button in the dark can be a challenge. The only con from my initial impressions is the lack of HDMI options — a feature many pico’s have been missing.

The 3M MP220 Mobile Pico Projector is slated for a late April launch and will come to market priced around the $479 mark. Expect a full SlashGear review soon!

The cheapest is the PT-LX26HU, which makes due with a 2600 lumen lamp and a maximum resolution of 1024×768. Its brother the PT-LX30HU bumps up the lumens to 3000 with a $1099 price tag, but everything else remains the same. If you’re up for a wider experience in your semi-portable projection lifestyle, the PT-LW25HU increases the resolution to 1280×800 with a 16:10 aspect ration, but the lumen rating is lowered to 2500. The more cinematic of the three newbies retails for $899.

Panasonic claims up to 4,000 hours of use before the lamp needs replacing, and you can use the company’s proprietary Multi Projector Monitoring and Control Software to operate the controls remotely. Real-Time Keystone correction allows the image to square itself automatically. The new models should be available immediately at Panasonic’s retail partners, and it looks like they’re showing up an a few online retailers as well, at a significant discount in some cases.

The eGo Mac Edition features secure 256-bit AES encryption and comes with Iomega’s Protection Suite to ensure your data stays safe. It has two FireWire 800 ports and one USB 2.0 port and even comes with three cables, one for each port, giving you fast and versatile connections. The device also doesn’t require an external power supply.

In addition to the eGo, Iomega will be offering the Helium Portable Hard Drive that will also come in 500GB and 1TB capacities, but features one USB 2.0 port and is housed in an aluminum case. A desktop hard drive alternative would be Iomega’s Mac Companion Hard Drive, which comes in 2TB and 3TB capacities and packs a fast 7200RPM 3.5-inch hard drive.

The Helium Portable Hard Drive and the Mac Companion Hard Drive are already available at Apple stores, but the eGo Mac Edition Portable Hard Drive will not be available until later this month. The 500GB model is priced at $179.99 and the 1TB model is $229.99.

[via Iomega]

Hardware

The ToughTech Duo QR model that we got to test sports dual 750GB hard drives for a total capacity of 1.5TB if configured as RAID 0. The hard drives are speedy at 7200RPM and compact at 2.5-inches in size. They are also easily swappable from the front-loading trays without the need for screws, although the drives can be screwed down to the trays for environments where extra stability is required. To remove a tray, you simply slide the black latch to unlock, which will reveal a red circle, and then you press in on the lid of the tray to pop it out.

The compact aluminum chassis measures only 6.3-inches by 3.5-inches by 1.3-inches and weighs roughly 1.75lbs. It’s built tough to withstand vibration and shock and also uses a passive thermal design for optimal heat dissipation without an internal fan. The large LCD display on the side of the device offers temperature status, monitors drive health, and allows you to configure RAID mode. On one side of the LCD is a black rubberized circular navigation control with four buttons, while the other side has three LED indicators for Power, System, and RAID.

Ports are located on the back side of the ToughTech Duo QR and include two FireWire 800 ports with FireWire 400 backwards compatibility, one eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port, and a power jack just below the power on/off switch. There’s also a small slot designed to work with a Kensington security cable lock.

The device pretty much comes with all the cables and power adapters that you’ll need. Included in the box are two FireWire 800 cables, one USB 2.0 cable, one eSATA cable, and an AC adapter with swappable prongs for outlet compatibility all around the world, accepting 100-240VAC. There’s also an aluminum stand with rubberized grips that you can use to hold the ToughTech Duo in an upright orientation. The device can also just lie flat on its side, if you opt not to use the stand.

Performance

The ToughTech Duo performed well with fast read speeds thanks to the 7200RPM hard drives and a fast Oxford 936 chipset. We first tested the device with a USB 2.0 connection and a RAID 1 configuration, meaning that the device would be writing the same information to both drives in real-time. With this setup we were able to transfer a file that was 2.28GB in 1 minute and 10 seconds, which translates to about 32MBps. Transfetring the same file back to our computer took slightly less time.

Performance results were very similar in a RAID 0 configuration. With the FireWire 800 connection, speeds for the same 2.28GB file transferred in about 43 seconds, which translates to about 53MBps. The nice thing about the FireWire 800 is that the device can be bus-powered by this connection, but not so via USB 2.0 or eSATA connections. Hence, for either of those two setups, you will need to also hook up the AC power adapter.

Wrap-Up

The ToughTech Duo QR is a great high capacity portable external hard drive that’s rugged, compact, and offers a simple to use RAID 1 solution along with easy-to-swap hard drive trays. Its tough chassis and small size makes it very convenient for traveling, while its small footprint and sleek design make it a welcome and unobtrusive addition to the studio as well. It also comes with a slew of connector cables, power adapter heads, and optional small screws for clamping down the drives to the trays when extra stability is needed.

The only complaints might be its lack of a USB 3.0 port and USB bus-power support. The device is also a bit costly with prices starting at $499, although a look around shows that our model with the two 750GB drives lists for about $763. Although costly, the device can be a good choice for a media professional that demands portability, ruggedness, large capacity, and easy-to-use reliable data protection and redundancy.

The compact My Passport for Macs no non-sense portable hard drives are available in 500GB, 750GB, and 1TB capacities and priced from $100 to $130. Each model comes with USB 2.0 connector ports, password protection, hardware encryption and Time Machine backup.

The My Passport Studio drives come in 750GB and 1TB capacities priced at $160 and $180, respectively. These are more advanced, featuring a more durable metal enclosure and two FireWire 800 connector ports in addition to USB 2.0.

[via Cult of Mac]

The 3D support for the projector is via Texas instruments DLP Link technology. The projector has touch sensitive buttons and a very sleek design with black or white version available. The native resolution is 1280 x 800 making it 720p capable. The brightness is up to 300 lumens and it has a 2500:1 contrast ratio.

The projector is 6.3″ W x 1.2″ H x 3.9″ D and the LED light source is good for 30,000 hours of operation estimated. Connectivity includes mini-HDMI, universal 24-pin connector for VGA or component, and a mini jack audio output. “With the Qumi, Vivitek has a complete line of projector models to fit just about any need and application,” said Christopher Yang, senior product manager at Vivitek. “We know that hours of operation, brightness and picture quality are key factors for consumers. The Qumi incorporates the latest LED and other leading-edge technologies and features, such as 3D, to ensure that it is versatile enough to match the range of portable products out in the market.”

Physical Form

This device is essentially the size of a big submarine sandwich, and not quite a whole footlong at that. It’s small and powerful, but not the smallest nor the most powerful you’re ever going to find. At an asking price of right around $100, is it worth your cash? What you’ll be weighing here is the fact that it works right out of the box with no special instructions, the fact that it comes with a lovely case that you’ll never have to replace, and the fact that its designed exquisitely. By that I mean it looks really awesome sitting on your shelf.

And you can bring it with you. One of the most excellent features on this device is the fact that it can be charged up and work wirelessly. Once charged I’ve been able to watch an entire 2 hour movie without a problem. After that though, you’ll be wanting to plug back in. Bring it to a picnic! Bring it to the streets and have a rapper battle with a microphone app on your smartphone! This device functions well with every single device we tried to connect to it via Bluetooth.

In Use

Currently I’ve got this speaker sitting below my mid-tier Polaroid HD TV that I use for testing HDMI and the like. What I’ve got it doing is both playing albums for me from my Android phone and playing audio for me from my iPad 2 as it’s connected to the TV via HDMI converter.

It works fabulously and sounds a whole heck of a lot better than the speakers that are built in to this television set. Bass especially blasts through this tiny apartment. The volume dial here adjusts monstrous amounts – be careful you don’t plug in TRON with the audio all the way up and expect not to have a full-fledged electro-dance party on your hands.

There are some features on this device that we just did not need to take the time to get to know very well – the fact that you can switch through tracks on your device’s playlist via the controls on the speaker, for example. What you’ll be using this device as is a simple amplifier for your digital sounds – if you’re looking for something so simple, you’ll be happy you purchased this lovely brick of audio goodness.

Wrap-Up

The classic and simple aesthetic here is something that not everyone will be able to be satisfied with at $100 a pop, most modern technophiles more than likely hoping for a more stark or wild industrial design. On the other hand, these same lovers of sound will appreciate the bang in audio you get for your buck. Sounds over Bluetooth do not experience the distortion you’ll often get over a 3.5mm headphone jack wire here, and you’ll be happy with your ability to connect any device at any time (just not at the SAME time, mind you.) And what about cost?

The thing about the $100 price tag here is that it’s relative to how much you’d like to spend to amplify your everyday audio life. While it makes a whole lot of sense to compare the prices of $2500 computers, once you’re down to $100 for a speaker, you’re at a place where if you really need to think about the extra $50 here or there for a better or worse device, you should probably just skip the whole thing altogether and buy yourself a nice button-up shirt so you can earn some more “spending cash.” That said, I’d certainly spend $100 of this little device because it’s awesome and every other device I’ve got connects to it super easily. A winner!

This kit also charges phones via their micro and mini USB ports. The “energi to go” battery pack will give around 14 hours of extra talk time on your device and should give you enough time to find a power outlet to charge up your device. Another useful feature is a LED indicator built-in to let its user know when the external pack is almost out of juice.

The Oqtopus multitouch table is perfectly capable of detecting up to four independent touches at a time, all on a 42-inch screen. Displax says that the robust black and white table is able to recognize up to four people writing on the table at the same time, so it isn’t just individual touch-points that the technology can recognize (which would have limited it severely). The table is also a plug-and-play solution, which Displax points out should let users enjoy the full touch functionality of Windows 7, including movies, games, and photos.

What’s more, is that the optical technology that Displax employs in the Oqtopus lets users use all types of input devices, including stylus and gloved hands. Users can use the screen as a capacitive screen, though, as it doesn’t take any pressure to activate a response from the Oqtopus. The table will come with all of the necessary technology out of the box to use, and a tempered glass 42-inch top. Options are said to include a 42-inch LCD HD screen, or a PC. Price wise, it actually starts out at less than Surface, but for the basic model, which doesn’t include the 42-inch LCD HD screen or the PC, which is 4,500 Euros. But, if you want everything, then the price will run you 6,500 Euros.

Press Release

Displax Expands Interactive Offering With All-In-One Multitouch Table Oqtopus
BRAGA, PORTUGAL–(Marketwire – Oct. 6, 2010) -

Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this Press Release.

Displax Interactive Solutions, leading manufacturer of interactive technologies for commercial use, expands its portfolio of touch-enabled products with Oqtopus, a portable all-in-one multitouch table based on Microsoft Windows 7 that can detect up to four independent touches on a 42-inch screen. In addition, Displax introduces the Displax Overlay Multitouch, a customizable overlay that turns LCD, Plasma or rear projection screens, in sizes ranging from 32 inches to 103 inches, into a multitouch surface.

The demand for commercial multitouch solutions has been increasing constantly over the past year. By building on strong partnerships to offer Oqtopus and Overlay Multitouch, Displax is able to meet this demand with simple yet effective solutions to present content in an innovative and intuitive way. “As an expert on interactive technologies, customers have approached us in search for a product that is portable, easy to install, inexpensive, and can handle a limited amount of touches,” explains Miguel Fonseca, Chief Business Officer of Displax. “While we are finalizing our powerful Displax Multitouch Technology to be available to the market soon, we have decided to cooperate with strong Research & Development partners to be able to immediately offer our customers compelling products that meet their requirements.”

Displax Oqtopus, an elegant yet robust black and white table, is able to individually process four input signals, for example, to simultaneously recognize the handwriting of four users. The plug-and-play solution also allows users to take full advantage of the touch capabilities of Windows 7 when interacting with multimedia applications and content like videos, games and images. The optical technology lets users use various pointing devices like a stylus or their fingers – even a gloved hand works well – to operate the table. No pressure is needed to create an input signal, providing fast and accurate touch inputs.

Displax Oqtopus comes complete with integrated optical multitouch technology and a tempered glass top. Options include a PC or a 42-inch HD LCD screen. The multitouch table is portable and can be easily moved and installed anywhere – making it an ideal choice for museums, retail and educational purposes or even for use in boardrooms.
Displax Oqtopus is available for prices ranging from 4,500 Euros for the basic edition to 6,500 Euros for the complete solution including an LCD and a PC. The Displax Overlay Multitouch comes at prices ranging from 1,300 Euros to 6,000 Euros.
About DISPLAX

DISPLAX Interactive Systems is a leading innovator and manufacturer of interactive technologies with expertise in single- and multitouch as well as gesture interactivity. Based in Braga, the Portuguese Silicon-Valley, DISPLAX employs some of the best minds in Europe and works closely with universities in the area on R & D. The company’s aim is to establish itself as a global research driven leader on interactive technologies. DISPLAX is a company of the EDIGMA GROUP.

The Portege R705′s reasonably sober aesthetics are quickly forgotten when you first pick the notebook up: at around 3.2lbs it’s an incredibly light machine. Screen open, you can hold it upright in one hand by the corner with little in the way of straining; it’s also sturdy, with no flex or twisting. The shiny metal hinges and discrete metallic blue finish to the plastics make it feel more in line with the higher-spec $1,300+ configurations than the $800 the R705-P25 actually commands. Toshiba has used a new, honeycomb internal palmrest configuration and a custom cooling system in collaboration with Intel, and the end result is a sturdy and easily totable ultraportable that’s a mere 16.8mm at its thinnest point.

Inside is an Intel Core i3-350M processor running at 2.27GHz, paired with 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB hard-drive and a DVD burner. There’s also integrated Intel HD graphics, WiFi a/g/n – with support for Intel’s Wireless Display “WiDi” technology – and gigabit ethernet, while ports include two USB 2.0, a combo eSATA/USB, HDMI and a memory card reader. OS is Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit). Unlike Toshiba’s Portege R700 models, the R705-P25 is a fixed configuration; that means you can’t add Bluetooth or pick from the faster Core i5 or Core i7 CPUs, nor swap the 5,400rpm HDD for an SSD.

Usability is high, with a bright 13.3-inch 1,366 x 768 16:9 LED-backlit display over a chiclet-style non-backlit keyboard and a multitouch trackpad. Unlike the R700 we saw at launch there’s no biometric fingerprint scanner in-between the two trackpad buttons. Still, the keyboard is tactile and comfortable, with a pleasantly springy feel, while the trackpad is smooth, easy to control and has well-placed keys. Horizontal viewing angles on the screen are decent, but vertical angles are narrower; happily the screen angles back to a reasonable extent – though not entirely flat – so we could usually find a usable balance.

We benchmarked the Portege R705 using Geekbench, a synthetic test of processor and memory performance. It scored 4,150 overall, with a strong CPU showing held back by memory bandwidth performance; that’s almost 450 points more than the 13-inch MacBook Pro, with its 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo CPU and the same amount of RAM.

In terms of real-world performance, as you might expect the Portege R705 is certainly sufficient for everyday multitasking, though it falls short of gaming prowess. We were able to browse with several windows and tabs open, playing music in the background and occasionally writing emails without seeing any slowdown. The Intel HD graphics are comfortable with HD video playback – the 1,366 x 768 display supports 720p, while the HDMI output can handle 1080p – but games will have to be lightweight if they’re to avoid dropped frames.

As for battery life, Toshiba reckon the R705 is good for up to eight hours from its standard 6-cell 66Wh pack. Unsurprisingly that’s on the ambitious side, and with average use as described above the Portege lasted just over five hours at medium brightness. Playing a DVD on repeat saw that knocked down to a under four hours, however, which is something to bear in mind if the integrated optical drive is a key draw to the ultraportable.

That media content can be enjoyed either on the R705 itself or wirelessly using Intel’s WiDi system; there’s a dedicated button to turn it on, just above the keyboard on the top right, though you’ll need to pick up a WiDi adapter like Netgear’s Push2TV to take care of the TV side. Budget around $100 for that. With everything hooked up, you can either use your HDTV rather than the Portege’s own display, or extend your desktop across, and the connection is quick enough to handle a 1080p Full HD video.

Toshiba made a big deal of their new cooling system, which, rather than pushing out hot air, pulls in cool air over the repositioned hotter components. In reality we didn’t notice much of a difference: during regular use the R705 was as cool running as any other 13.3-inch ultraportable, while during intensive tasks the hot part of the chassis was simply moved from where the CPU is to along the edge near the outlet vent. It’s a quiet running notebook, though, which is certainly welcome. We’d be interested to see how the more potent Core i5 and Core i7 systems handle heat, since they’ll likely be pushed harder than the Core i3 of the R705-P25.

That’s not to say this Best Buy special falls short. Toshiba took a risk putting their Portege brand to a (relatively) budget machine, and happily the risk paid off. While we might like to have seen Bluetooth instead of WiDi, the R705-P25 neatly balances everyday performance with impressive portability and strong build quality. Mobile professionals looking for heavy crunching abilities should look to Toshiba’s more expensive models, and we wish there had been space and budget for a dedicated graphics card rather than the Intel HD chipset, but it’s a relatively minor complaint when you consider the target audience. At under $800 it’s hard to argue with the Toshiba Portege R705-P25.

Physically the iMo Mini-Monster looks a little like a basic tablet, with minimal screen bezel surrounding the 10-inch, 1024 x 600 touchscreen display. On the back there’s a hinged stand that flaps out to prop the screen up, while the ports are recessed at the side. Nanovision quote a 400:1 contrast ratio and 350cd/m2 brightness, and the whole thing measures 9.7 x 6.3 x 1 inches and weigh 1.77lbs.

As with the other MIMO displays we’ve tested, the iMo Mini-Monster relies on DisplayLink’s virtual graphics driver technology. Rather than plugging into a true video output – such as a VGA port or HDMI – the DisplayLink drivers create a virtual monitor connection and the Mini-Monster gets both power and signal over the same USB 2.0 connection. The plus side is that you don’t need another graphics card (or to use your spare video output on a sub-display); the negative is the CPU impact of doing the necessary graphics crunching.

On a desktop PC or a decent notebook, running a single MIMO display isn’t going to bring your system to a halt. However, because you can have several such displays going at the same time, each with their own virtual graphics driver, it’s possible to bring general performance noticeably down. If you’re on a low powered machine to start with, such as a netbook, the impact of the DisplayLink drivers will be even more considerable.

You’ll also need a USB port with sufficient power to drive the display. A double-headed USB cable (two full sized USB plugs on one end, a mini-USB plug on the other) is supplied just in case a single port isn’t enough. There are also two USB ports on the iMo Mini-Monster itself, to use it as a simple hub; Nanovision throw an AC adapter into the box to power these extra sockets. Otherwise the only feature of note is the pull-out stylus for more precise use of the touchscreen.

That touchscreen, meanwhile, is a resistive panel rather than a capacitive one, supporting a single point of contact rather than multitouch. Unlike some of Nanovision’s smaller MIMO displays, the OS X touchscreen driver (for Intel based Macs only) is freely available alongside its Windows counterpart; previous displays from the company used a proprietary OS X touchscreen driver that added a further $30 to the bill. Accuracy is reasonable but of course lacks pressure sensitivity; this isn’t the display for an artist, unless you’re content sketching out the most basic of lines.

The Mini-Monster is billed as suitable for both desktop or handheld tablet-style use, though since there’s no accelerometer or physical rotation button you’ll need to dig into the DisplayLink settings in order to flip the screen orientation around. As with other MIMO screens, it comes into its own with Photoshop toolbars, IM windows, Twitter apps and music playback controls: the things you’d like to have constant access to, but don’t want to pin on top of your regular work area. Unlike other models there’s no integrated webcam, speakers or microphone.

It all works as you’d expect, then, and while we’d prefer a more flexible stand (or, indeed, a VESA mount) it’s a relatively straightforward way to get extra display real-estate. Our concern, then, regards the price. At $259.99, you could certainly get a regular LCD display that’s considerably larger than the iMo Mini-Monster, or indeed a netbook with the same screen size and resolution. Now, neither of those would have the touchscreen layer, but you could easily use the netbook as a secondary display with an app like MaxiVista ($39.95).

If the touchscreen is a dealbreaker, though, and the compact dimensions of the iMo Mini-Monster a boon rather than a drawback – admittedly we’d rather not carry a full-sized LCD in our laptop bag, whereas the MIMO slots in nicely – then adding another 10-inches of screen has never been so easy. Most users will be satisfied with the regular 7-inch MIMOs – kicking off at $179.99 for a touchscreen model – but if you demand the biggest of the small screens then the MIMO iMo Mini-Monster fits the bill.

The Wavebox portable microwave oven can be used pretty much anywhere, and be powered by pretty much any electrical source. Cars DC systems, Euro DC or even AC. I’m not really sure if the market called for a portable microwave or not, it kind of fits in between the RV crowd and gimmicky car accessories.

At 250 bucks its not exactly a bargain either. Just look at it this way, if your car gets  stuck in the woods and you have nothing to eat at least you wont have to eat that Muskrat you snared with your shoelaces cold.

[via gizmag]

With no wireless to consider, the spec list for the EZ Reader is pretty straightforward. The 6 x 4.1 x 0.4 inch device is smaller than the average paperback novel, and just leaves room for a 5-inch 600 x 800 E Ink display and a few rows of shortcut buttons. Onboard storage is 512MB but there’s an SD card slot content with up to 16GB cards (and a USB 2.0 connection to make transferring files straightforward). The underlying OS is Linux, running on a Samsung ARM 9 400MHz processor; it’s certainly nippy enough that any page navigation delay is a side-effect of the e-paper rather than the system itself. Battery on the unit is user replaceable and provides roughly two weeks of reading time.

As you’d hope, there’s a broad range of format support for ebooks (and other files). The EZ Reader will display ADE, PDF, TXT, PDB, DOC, HTML, FB2, LIT, EPUB and PRC ebook files, together with BMP, JPG, TIF, PNG and GIF images, while there’s also a mediaplayer that will load MP3 files and play them in the background as you read. Astak have also built in some fancy text reflowing technology which handles PDF text reasonably well, even when the original document wasn’t really intended for ebook reader use, and there’s text-to-speech which is as clunky as you’d expect (but no doubt interesting to some users).

There’s no QWERTY keyboard or touchscreen, but given you’ll only be using the hardware controls to navigate files already on the EZ Reader, rather than accessing some sort of wireless ebook store, that’s less of an issue. Both right- and left-handed use is accommodated, using either page back/forward keys (on the left) or a scroll-wheel (on the right). At 6oz it’s easy to hold in one hand, and to do so for reasonably extended periods.

What sets the EZ Reader apart from some rivals is in its reading flexibility. Not only does it come with multiple language support – including English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and more – you can install your own fonts to use rather than the default set. At least three zoom levels are available, and the E Ink panel seemed to boast better contrast than Amazon’s second-gen Kindle, with text looking blacker and more defined.

Amazon have spent big money on their Kindle UI, and the shortcomings of the EZ Reader are obvious after even a brief play. Lists are navigated via the numbered keys under the display (you bizarrely can’t use the jog-wheel on the side to scroll through them) and there’s more digging through menus than we’d like. Still, we’re guessing the sort of audience who’ll buy something like this Astak will be slightly more tech-savvy than, say, a Kindle buyer; they’ll need to understand how to side-load content, after all.

It’s easy to knock ebook readers that don’t include wireless connectivity; after all, an integrated 3G hook-up means you’re more than halfway to an eye-catching headline. Still, what it actually means is that there’s no one-click way to wireless spend money at a specific ebook store, and for many users that’s not something they actually want or need. In fact, there are plenty of reasons – cost being just one of them – where relying on the flexibility of side-loading content makes perfect sense.

The Astak EZ Reader doesn’t exactly grab the eye like a Kindle or Barnes and Noble Nook, but it’s reasonably flexible. The display may be compact at 5-inches, but that allows the device as a whole to be particularly portable; after all, just as the best camera is the one you have with you, the best ebook reader is the one you always drop into your bag as you leave the house. Our biggest disappointment is that Astak haven’t done some extra work to bring the price down: at $199 it’s close to Amazon and Barnes and Noble’s ebook reader offerings, and we reckon if the company undercut those by $100 or so then they’d have a decent competitor on their hands.

This portable storage system actually has a keypad with which you can enter a PIN number you set. This way, no one else can access your information without that specific PIN you designate.

Other features include a USB 2.0 cable, AES-128 or 256 bit encryption, ten user IDs and a single administrator to assign permissions, and an omnidirectional shock mounting system, allowing the device to stand up to unexpected bumps. You can get the Aegis Padlock Secure Hard Drive now in 250GB, 320GB and 500GB capacities in either 128-bit or 256-bit versions. Pricing is $100, $110 and $140 for the 128-bit models and $120, $130 and $160 for the 256-bit ones.

The new hard drive has two USB ports, a FireWire 800 port and powers itself on bus power alone. It’s the perfect complement to the MacBook Pro in particular. They come in aluminum that’s impervious to scratches.

These drives spin at 5,400 RPM, have 8MB of cache and will be available in 250GB, 320GB and 500GB models. These drives come with HFS+ formatting and is compatible with TIme Machine. You can get the Verbatim SureFire hard drives today for $109.99, $139.99 and $179.99, respectively.

The new charger lets you charge many devices all at once. But what makes this gizmo cool is that it’s really just a huge dock. You can position up to four devices on the charger at once, which means you don’t need wires for each gadget.

That’s what makes this charger “messless.” It’s simple and offers a clean look to a not-so exciting function. It comes with numerous adapters including iPod/iPhone, Nokia handset ports, Sony Ericsson and mini USB. You can get the Messless Charger in the UK now for the equivalent of $113.

These drives now have NTI BackupNow EZ software, which makes it easy to automatically backup your computer and restore it if need be. It also makes suggestions regarding the security of particular folders and files.

These drives are password-protected and also sport a Drive Space Alert that keeps you informed of your current storage capacity. The Portable Hard Drives are available in 320GB and 500GB sizes in red, green, white and blue color options for $119.99 and $149.99, respectively.

The only real problem here is if you want to use the keyboard and the touchpad at the same time. I could see that presenting a serious problem. Even so, it’s small and lightweight, measuring in at 9″ x 3.5″ x 0.4″.

Likewise, it’s compatible with Linux and Windows operating systems, has USB connectivity and is resistant to water and dust. It’s washable as well. You can get the Econo-Keys EK-76-TP mobile keyboard now for $131.40.

The new program will be based on when you purchased the games or when you bought the PSP Go unit itself. This way, people who have owned a PSP in the past can feel free to trade up without doing away with their previous game library.

We don’t know if the new program will cost anything, but the way Sony is talking about it, it seems like it might be free or only cost a trivial amount. But, we’ll just have to wait until the company announces the program in more detail.

This game emulator makes it possible to play games from numerous older systems including NES, SNES, Neo Geo, GBA and Sega Genesis. Just load up some ROMs and you’re on your way to fun gameplay.

The device comes with 4GB of storage, a mini-SD slot and the ability to play audio and movie files and view JPEGs and e-books. A FM radio is built-in as well. Four control buttons line the right side and there’s two shoulder buttons. You can transfer ROMs over USB from your computer. The Pocket Retro Game Emulator is available now for $99.99.

[via Coolest Gadgets]

Both projectors have a 1,280 x 768 resolution and feature a standby mode that uses only 0.4W of power. This is actually an 80% improvement since the last Sanyo projector line. It should also be noted that the packaging is thoroughly green as well, with recyclable pulp molds being used over styrofoam.

To get down to the specifics, both projectors have a 500:1 contrast ratio, a 200W lamp, minimum and maximum screen sizes of 40- and 300-inches and a 4:3 aspect ratio. Also included are several inputs include S-video, composite, VGA and an Ethernet jack. The only difference between the two models is the brightness. The PLC-XW-200 has a brightness rating of 2,200 lumens, while the PLC-XW250 has 2,600 lumens. Both will be available this month for $795 and $895, respectively.

Since the onboard screen isn’t really much use for Full HD content, the DMP-B15′s HDMI port can be used to output 1080p to a nearby display or projector.  The internal rechargeable battery is good for 2.5hrs use, and there’s also HD Audio output for surround sound with an appropriate AV system.

Finally, an SD card slot allows photos to be viewed and HD video played back.  The Panasonic DMP-B15 portable Blu-ray player will hit US shelves this month, with an MRSP of $799.95.  There’ll also be an optional headrest mounting bracket, for in-car use.

Press Release:

PANASONIC ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY AND PRICING FOR DMP-B15, THE WORLD’S FIRST AND ONLY PORTABLE BLU-RAY DISC PLAYER

BD Live and VIERA CAST™ Internet Accessibility Featured On Innovative Blu-ray Player

SECAUCUS, NJ (June 1, 2009) – Panasonic, a major developer and contributor to the success of the Blu-ray Disc format, announced the availability and pricing for the world’s first portable Blu-ray player, the Panasonic DMP-B15. Designed to provide the ultimate High Definition Blu-ray experience for those on the go, the B15 features a high quality 8.9-inch WSVGA LCD screen and includes Panasonic’s VIERA CAST™ Internet accessibility and BD Live functionality, as well as a SD Memory Card slot. The B15 will be available in June and will have an SRP of $799.95.

The DMP-B15 includes all the technology found in its stand-alone counterparts, the DMP-BD60, DMP-BD80 and the VHS-Blu-ray dual player DMP-BD70V. Image quality is of the highest level, thanks to PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus technology, developed in collaboration with Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory.

The PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus is a high quality image-processing technology that precisely processes each pixel of the Blu-ray Disc™ video signal in the vertical direction. It reproduces color data with twice the accuracy of conventional systems, resulting in faithful and sharp colors.

“As a pioneer in the development of DVD and Blu-ray expertise, Panasonic has always been at the forefront in developing cutting-edge, consumer friendly technology. Panasonic was the first company to bring to market a portable DVD player and stand- alone Blu-ray players to feature Bonus View and BD Live; and with the B15 we continue that tradition of being first to market with unique technology,” said Richard Simone, Director, Entertainment Group, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “The B15 is a unique and versatile High Definition player that gives the consumer the ultimate entertainment experience, whether traveling or in the home as either an additional Blu-ray player or the primary source for 1080p viewing. Because it also features the VIERA CAST functionality, the B15 can transform any TV into an IPTV with the capability to access select web sites. At a time when many families own multiple TVs, the B15 provides a number of entertainment options, giving them the ability to enjoy HD video in any room where there is an HDTV.”

Like Panasonic’s three stand-alone Blu-ray players, the DMP-B15 includes VIERA CAST functionality. This distinctive application gives the consumer access to select Web sites, including Amazon Video-on-Demand, a streaming video service that gives the consumer access to more than 40,000 titles; YouTube™; Google Picasa Web Album™; Bloomberg and a weather channel. The Amazon VOD will be available in late June. VIERA CAST does not require an external set-top box, nor is there a fee for the service. And, as additional web sites are added to the service, they will automatically appear. Viera CAST and BD-Live features require an Internet connection via the LAN port.

Ease of use is an important element in Panasonic’s products and the DMP-B15, with a 2.5 hour rechargeable battery, is designed with that in mind. In addition to its use as a portable player, the consumer can connect it to an HDTV via HDMI cable, and use it as a stand-alone Blu-ray Disc player. The player can also be connected to an HD-Audio compatible AV receiver with a home theater speaker system, enabling the consumer to enjoy movies with outstanding surround sound. To accommodate the traveler, the DMP-B15 offers an optional headrest mounting bracket for in-car use. Like all Panasonic Blu-ray players, the B15 features an SD Memory Card slot that allows the consumer to view and share digital photos, as well as HD video recorded on a SD card.

The Chill Pill consists of two separate speakers that can connect together by means of a magnet. They use a rechargeable battery that can last up to eight hours and feature a retractable cord.

You can open up the top of the speakers to make for more bass and a louder sound, if you’d like or keep it close if you aren’t in a place where you can blast it. Charging just requires a USB cord and you’re good to go. You can get the Chill Pill now for $39.95.

[via iPodNN]

The Tonium Pacemaker is possibly the coolest $500 you can spend if you’re a DJ. The device is a 60GB mp3 player/portable mixer/sound effects generator/turntables/pure awesome. You can store and mix tracks right on the device, or do it on the included software (which makes it really easy by he way) and this makes it possible for professional or amateur DJs to take their beats on the road with them. If needed, the device could essentially act as a makeshift DJ booth just in case a rave breaks out and you have your Pacemaker handy.

Using the device was much easier than I anticipated. The quick start guide showed you the simple gestures required to do whatever you wanted to the track, whether it was fade to the cued track, add in reverb, or beat-match. Soon enough, I had the gestures memorized, and was making poor attempts at mixing some really awesome songs. I decided to let DJ T.A.I have his go with the Pacemaker, and needless to say, he handled that thing like an artist, as if he had always owned the device.

The controls on the Pacemaker include a few buttons to select between the two tracks, a touch pad for doing the bulk of your controls and selections, a touch slider to control the fade, and a switch on the side that acts as sort of an alt-choice selector. The display is beautiful and gives you BPM readouts, EQ, track names, and with the right gesture, can show all the different sound effects you can add in.

The Pacemaker will make many DJs extremely happy, whether they want to simply mix and save tracks on the go, listen to their own mixes and re-mix them, or put on a make-shift rave. The headphone out and audio-out allow for two tracks to be played and cued respectively so the DJ can beat-match and control volumes as well. Syncing your own tracks to the device is as easy as it can be. Drag and drop them onto the device through the included software. You can even import your entire 1980′s techno collection from iTunes the first time you start the software.

The Pacemaker is potentially one of the coolest devices I’ve ever played with, and I hope you enjoy the short video demo by DJ T.A.I. (The music in the video is his own stuff).

The Pacemaker is a compact, sleek device that features a beautiful display and easy to learn controls. I’m a music lover and musician myself, but I called in my DJ buddy to come and play with the device and show me some tricks. In just a few minutes, he was mixing and playing tracks off of the Pacemaker. The device is basically a very powerful, very portable DJ station. The audio out allows you to share your creation with others at a performance venue, or you can even publish your mixes online through the included Pacemaker song editor software. The functionality of this device so far is astounding. Tone modification, treble reducing, beat matching, and any other song-mixing function you can think of are all features of the Pacemaker.

Set up was a breeze, and in no time, I was being assaulted by trance beats and heavy bass. The Pacemaker is $499.00 out in the US now, and it includes all the fixings you’ll need to get started: cables, chargers and quick start guides. All you need to bring to the table is something better than the 30-second previews of techno songs you got off of iTunes and a pair of cans to hear your creations. I’ll be playing with the Pacemaker more in the coming days, and will have a full review for you soon.

Now, this isn’t to say that Compal will quit shipping MIDs, because they still plan to, but the volumes will be decreased, as their attention has been shifted quite a bit to the netbook market as of late.

This doesn’t really seem to indicate the end of the MID altogether. Instead, it just seems to point to a tough economy where companies that normally do very well are struggling to find ways to cut back. Looks like this time around, research into MIDs got the axe.

The iLuv iSP100 Mini Portable Stereo Speaker works with MP3 players, the iPod, iPhone and more and can now be purchased in tantalizing color options including black, silver, pink and purple. Just as always, these speakers produce a whopping amount of sound for their size.

In fact, they use jAuraAcoustic Speaker tech that has 720-degree surround sound 4W speakers. Other features include a 3.5mm jack and a carrying case. Just pop in three AAA batteries and you’re good to go. You can get the iLuv iSP100 Mini Porable Stereo Speaker now for $34.99.

The X120 is now set to hit stores in Japan by the end of March. That means it should be available in the next few days or so! But Japan is not the only place that will get this LG netbook. Rather, Europe will have access to it soon as well.

In fact, it will be available for shipping to Europe sometime in April. Supposedly, 20 other countries will gain access to the device at that time as well, though no one knows just what those countries are and if the U.S. is on the list. Time will tell. Expected pricing is expected to be around the equivalent of $610. 

[via Netbook Choice]

The USB and memory card slots on the front allow you to use the PDMC as a digital mediaplayer too; alternatively plug in your iPod and use the whole thing as a speaker system.  Still bored?  How about a DVB-T digital TV tuner.

If your arms are weak like mine then you can use it desk-bound, with an AC adapter, but there’s also a rechargeable 3,600mAh Li-Ion internal battery.  No word on how long you can expect it to last, however.  It’s available now for £127.58 ($175).

[via OhGizmo!]

With the announcement of DSi, Nintendo also roll out DSi Shop, a commerce system that allows gamers to buy and download games or demos using DSi points. I’ve been playing with DSi for quite sometimes now and these features upgrades are worth paying for.The DSi will be priced at $170 when it hits the shelf.