Best New Technology

For most, Alienware’s AlienNetwork debut was somewhat of a letdown. Nevertheless, at least one good thing did come out of the whole event, and that’s the availability of the m17x gaming monster. This 17-inch beast of a laptop finally has its own dedicated page, and yes, you can get your order in starting today. Packed within, you’ll find your choice of Intel Core 2 Duo processor, twin GPUs for that sweet SLI action, a WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) display, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, oodles of hard drive space, a dual-layer DVD writer (or optional Blu-ray burner), enough ports for you and your cousin and a 12-cell battery that’ll likely last an hour on a good day. Sadly, this Crysis destroyer starts at $2,949 (and breaks the $5k mark with ease), and it looks as if units won’t start arriving until late May at best.
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With energy costs rising all over the world, it makes perfect sense to get more power-friendly devices in your home, along with the Cost Controller Power Strip. After all, seeing the number steadily increase while you turn on that dual SLI gaming rig of yours will surely cut down on your gaming time as your brain goes into overdrive, wondering what you’re going to survive on in the coming month after a huge chunk of your salary ends up with the energy company. The Cost Controller Power Strip is also able to monitor the voltage, line frequency and power factor of your power. It retails for a shade under $100 and would make a pretty decent gift for virtually anyone.

Zurado Systems has released software which turns Bluetooth-enabled Windows Mobile phones or PDAs to send or receive proximity-based information. What’s the big deal about this, you ask? For starters, retail, exhibitions, and store displays will be able to push out marketing information (some people prefer to refer to it as spam) to folks who walk by, but only if they keep their Bluetooth connection on all the time (I don’t as I prefer to prolong my handset’s battery life instead). This software can also be used for personal use, where Please Explain That (PXT) sends text, images, and audio over a range of approximately 30 feet.

Unfortunately, PXT is not compatible with HTML or web browsers, but since it functions like an HTTP server, it will be able to host text, graphics (in both JPG and GIF formats), and audio (in WAV format). The server software known as PXT Portal will be able to run on any Bluetooth-equipped Windows mobile device, being ready at all times to send out information on request to client devices that come within range of its wireless connection. The compulsory client software, PXT Probe must also run on Windows Mobile-powered devices that have Bluetooth connectivity. This doesn’t limit a single device to being exclusively a server or client, but acts as both simultaneously - making it useful for testing purposes.

PXT Portal installations will be fixed in various public places such as in-store windows, museum diplays, or properties for sale, while PXT Probe users will be alerted to their presence by signs. The PXT Probe software is available as a free download, and can be used to “sniff” for PXT Portal servers whenever the user wishes. Hopefully the community of PXT Portal users will grow even more if this project were to take off successfully.

Source: Windows for Devices

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It looks like one of those inflatable pool loungers you use to soak up the sun. However, SolarStore panels are meant for a more practical use. Backpackers can use them to store up to 3 full tanks of water per day while heating the water at the same time. Easy to fold, easier to use, SolarStore panels are now being looked to provide not only heated water, but also solar energy to low income and third world housing.

IDC, the SolarStore Panels manufacturer, has announced plans to mass-produce an inflatable solar panel for less than $200 and can easily pay itself back over a short period of six months. Utilizing the heating power of the sun, the SolarStore’s three chamber panel construction can heat water coming into the PVC chambers, maintain the heat thanks to the air chamber insulation, and can process the equivalent of three hot water heaters full of water per day. And considering that hot water heaters are a primary waste of energy all around the world, the results could not only save energy, but also help make the planet more green. Cheap energy from the Sun that replaces hot water heaters in the process, and it’s portable. That’s not only thinking green, that’s thinking smart.

Hat tip: New Launches

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by Paul Miller, posted Apr 28th 2008 at 5:46PM

We’d explain this thing, but we’re really having trouble taking our eyes off of it long enough to string some full sentences together. Suffice it to say Festo’s AirJelly is powered by some magical jelly fish properties, a lithium-ion battery, an electric motor and a bit of helium. If that’s not floaty enough for you, there’s also a water version, AquaJelly. Videos of both are after the break.

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I don’t know why, but there are plenty of people that like to hear the sound of the rain falling. Maybe it is a good therapy to relax/calm down?

Anyway, the only problem is when it stops raining, the joyful listening experience disappears. For those special occasions, there is a musical instrument named Rain Maker, that as the name suggests, is capable of re-creating the rain sound.

In this case, the sound comes from a transparent tower that measures 12-inches. Believe it or not, it has hundreds of metal balls located inside, which are “guilty” for the raining sound, also known as tropical rainfall. To achieve the perfect sound possible, the tower has 12 levels with holes.

The working mode couldn’t be much easier: just press a button and the fun begins. Now that I think about it, just imagine the number of scenarios in which this Rain Maker could be useful: putting babies asleep, good Christmas gift for kids, etc.

And now for the good part - it only costs £9 (approximately $18).

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Guest post by Tiago of Gadgetizer

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HANNSpree surprises everyone again with a new LCD TV known as Starlight Blue, and this model looks as though it was plucked out from the imagination of a wacky person who has had too much weed. Inspired by a starry night sky, a little bit of light on this 15″ LCD TV will let its diamond polycarbonate materials sparkle, and is described by HANNSpree “like stars on a clear, starry night”. I would say that this is an acquired taste, so unless you are willing to suffer the criticisms of some visitors to your home, get something else which is more…conventional.

• 1,024 x 768 XGA resolution
• 500cd/m2 brightness
• 500:1 contrast ratio
• 150 degrees viewing angle
• 2 x 2 Watt speakers

I’ve written in many of the past newsletters about mobile phones and staying connected. This past weekend I switched to a BlackJack II running Windows Mobile 6.1 and finally put my iPhone down, which has been my primary phone since June of last year, when it became available.

An unexpected thing happened when I made the switch: I found myself not wanting to constantly check the ‘Net. Don’t get me wrong, the BlackJack II running Windows Mobile 6.1 is a fantastic alternative to the iphone (I’ll have a full review of 6.1 coming soon), but the fact that it doesn’t browse the web as effortlessly actually turned out to be a good thing for me.

First, I had developed a habit of bringing the iPhone to bed and surfing the web into the wee hours. This was mindless surfing and while the BlackJack II affords that same ability, it’s not as big a screen or as fluid an experience, and therefore not as immersive as the iPhone. So, instead of bringing it to bed I actually started reading a book I hadn’t picked up in a while.

Second, I couldn’t find my phone today. This is the first time in a long time that I didn’t actually know where my phone was. Since I wasn’t surfing the ‘Net as often from my mobile device, the phone wasn’t the first thing I grabbed in the morning.

Third, by not having my phone with me at all times I was forced to use the computers in my house more for e-mail and surfing. Since they’re better designed for these tasks, I found myself being much more productive instead of trying to type paragraphs of text into a mobile device.

Fourth, since I was more productive, I found myself mentally disconnecting from work, too, and not constantly reaching to check my e-mail. This particular one is interesting since Windows Mobile 6.1, with its push e-mail via Exchange, is actually a better e-mail experience than the iPhone’s.

So, what have I learned? For starters, I still haven’t found the perfect substitute for taking my web-working mobile. Most important, though, sometimes it’s nice to not be connected. Apparently I’m not the only one coming to this realization, as this article recommends “unplugging” yourself from technology for a while. I think I’ll give it a shot, especially since my wife forwarded the aforementioned article to me after reading it on Geek.com.

Are you too connected? Comment below.

One more thing: with the new iPhone coming, Nokia’s Tube, Android, and whatever HTC is cooking up, my days of being disconnected may be over before they even begin.

Pilette is the smallest Bluetooth headset in the world.

Due to a high-performance microphone Pillete provides optimal talk quality combined with a very reduced and intuitive design.

Not long ago we looked at a concept device that was a solar umbrella that could be used to recharge your electronic gizmos on the go. Today, we see a similar device that harnesses the power of the sun for reenergizing gadgets but can also be used as a place to put your beverage. I give you the SOLo Lounge Table.

Created by Intelligent Forms Designs Inc., the SOLo Lounge Table is a table top recharge station equipped to harness the power of the sun and provide over 17 kilowatts of power on average each year. The energy is stored in a hidden battery array inside the table and can be tapped by the standard USB, lighter or 3-prong outlet to power all sorts of devices. The SOLo comes with a display monitor to let you know the battery level of the table and with the built-in Bluetooth connectivity, the table can also be used to collect and pass along exhibit data if the table is used in an outdoor convention setting, for example.

Intelligent Forms Designs sees the SOLo table used in settings like cruise ships, outdoor offices or even the backyard. No matter where you use it though, you’ll be able to keep on working without plugging into the grid to recharge - so long as it stays sunny of course.

Read more at DVICE.