Posts Tagged ‘gadgets’

Video Glasses are the Best Gadgets One Must Have

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Today’s modern world, people are changing their lifestyles with the use of different technological devices. From any corner of the world, you will see different types of gadgets. Be it from music to movies, games to education and so forth and so on. One of the items that have the biggest percentage of marketing demand as of these days is the video glasses.

Video glasses define another level of technology. This type of gadget comes like a regular pair of eye glasses. What makes this unique and advance is its ability to provide you entertainment whether it is a movie, music or games. To have an idea of what I am saying, take a look of this list of cool pairs of video glasses.

Vuzix iWear Glasses

Brookstone is one of the many manufacturers of widescreen video glasses. Vuzix iWear Glasses is one of their products that will totally rock your entire day. This pair of incredible widescreen video glasses features beautiful, crystal clear high-resolution 2D and 3D. It means your watching experience is a lot more fun. Imagine you can turn your portable DVD players with these video glasses as you watch your favorite movie or TV show in a more private setting. Yes, you can absolutely do that with only a matter of a pair of glasses.

If you are aboard a plane or a boat, you can still use this pair of glasses. Vuzix iWear Video Glasses works with iPod and iPhone. So, bring any of these two cool mini devices to turn your virtual or digital stuffs using these glasses. Simply connect the cable and voila! You can play games, watch shows and other things you may do.

Wired eDimensional 3D Gaming Glasses

Another 3D experience is with this eDimensional 3D Gaming Glasses which is use for wired PC viewing system. It lets you watch TV and movie shows, online games and other internet activities. You can also browse the largest library of 3D content on the internet which is the X3D World. This pair of glasses does not come alone with just virtual eye wear gadget. It also comes with a monitor pass-through cable and an X3D installation disk.

Samsung SSG-2100AB Battery 3D Glasses

Compatible with 2010 LCD C750 series, 2010 LED C7000, C8000 and C9000 series, 2010 PDP C7000 and C8000 series, 2010 Blu-ray disc player and Home Theater is this product of Samsung. A pair of 3D shutter glasses is available to provide you a 3D experience. There is a built-in 3D Emitter on the TV.

Those are the three brands or models of cool video glasses you can use for a unique fun of entertaining yourself. Imagine a movie watching and games are packed in only a portable pair of eye glasses. In short, you can travel anywhere with the same updates and connection with your favorite entertainment feeds. Enjoy watching as you make yourself look cool and feel comfortable wearing these video glasses.


Barnes and Noble Nook Vs Amazon Kindle — Which Comes Out on Top?

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

In a Nook vs Kindle comparison, only one ebook reader could come out on top. The big question is — which one? While Amazon’s Kindle is clearly the dominant ereader in the market today, some are saying that the Nook has what it takes to give the Kindle a run for its money. Is it a close call? Let’s put the two ereaders side by side.

Size, Weight and Design

With a measurement of 7.7 inches in length and 4.9 inches in width, Barnes and Noble’s Nook is somewhat smaller than the Amazon Kindle which is 8 inches long and 5.3 inches wide. But then again, at 0.3-inch in depth, the Kindle is thinner than the Nook which is 0.5-inch thick. The Barnes & Noble device also weighs a tad heavier at 11.2 ounces compared to the Kindle’s 10.2-oz mass.

Unlike the Kindle, the back cover of the Nook is designed to be removable, allowing quick access to its replaceable lithium ion battery pack. But what really puts the Nook on a wholly new level is the 3.5-inch color touch screen which replaces a standard keyboard for navigation. The distinction between the color LCD and the grayscale e-ink screen offers an interesting dynamics to the gadget that only a small number of other ereaders can boast of.

Other Features

The two ebook readers come with 2GB of internal memory, but while that’s the most storage the Kindle can manage, the Nook gives the user the choice of adding more storage space via its memory card expansion slot. And while the two ereaders both offer 3G wireless connection via the AT&T network, only B&N Nook is WiFi capable. Visit a Barnes & Noble store and you get direct free access to WiFi.

The Haves and Have-Nots

Now comes the more interesting Nook vs Kindle details. What does the Nook have that Kindle can’t match and vice versa? For one, the Barnes and Noble ereader has two novel services - book lending (being able to loan your ebook to another Nook owner) and in-store browsing (being able to look over full ebooks at no cost within Barnes and Noble shops).

On the other hand, Kindle does come with text-to-speech option which lets the reader become just a hearer and listen to the book read to him. In addition, the Kindle permits web browsing, while the Nook doesn’t. Finally, the Nook’s battery life of 7 to 10 days (more like 4-5 days according to users) is way behind the Kindle’s about 14 days battery power (more like 10 days in actual use). These are battery life estimates with the Wifi turned off. 

The Decision

As expected, choosing a clear winner between the Nook vs Kindle is not that easy. But while both have great features, Amazon’s gadget takes the upper hand in overall use as it has virtually perfected the technology, having gone through several Kindle versions. On the other hand, the Nook’s various issues, like slow page turns and sluggish startup will likely be addressed in succeeding versions, and then it can really give the Kindle a good fight.


Barnes and Noble Nook Review: A Promising Newcomer in the Ereader Market

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

Introduced to the public last October 2009, Barnes and Noble’s Nook, one of the latest handheld ereaders in the market today, was seen as a probable contender to unseat the Amazon Kindle from its dominance in the ereader industry. What has it got that makes it a serious challenger This Nook review attemps to discover the many features of this ebook reader.

Size and Display

Let’s take a close look at its most basic features first. On the surface, the Nook appears to bear the standard ebook size. The device is 7.7 inches long, 4.9 inches wide, 0.5-inch deep, and has a weight of 11.2 ounces. It’s roughly the same size as the 2nd generation Kindle - only thicker and a bit heavier. The device also comes with a 6-inch e-ink monitor with 16 shades of gray, and some choices for font style and size.

But perhaps what gives it a wow factor that’s not found on most ebook readers today is the 3.5-inch LCD color touch screen. Positioned just under the e-ink screen, the LCD monitor replaces the conventional keyboard and buttons used for making ebook selections and navigating within the ereader and the text itself.

Other Value-Added Features

The Nook is pre-loaded with 2GB of internal memory and a micro-SD card slot so it’s easy to allocate more memory as the need arises. The ebook gadget also comes with a replaceable lithium ion battery pack, 3G connection using the AT&T network, wireless connectivity, MP3 player, speakers, and a dictionary so you can easily look up unfamiliar words.

Other Nook features which are completely distinctive from other ebook readers are its book lending and store browsing capabilities. As the term implies, book lending refers to being able to lend out an ebook in your library to another ereader user for a 14-day period. The in-store browsing feature, on the other hand, means having the chance to browse full ebooks free of charge in brick-and-mortar Barnes & Noble outlets.

Some Concerns

This Nook assessment won’t be thorough enough if we don’t bring up some of the concerns expressed by current Nook users. One is the absence of web browsing capacity despite its WiFi connectivity. Another important issue is the Nook’s seemingly insufficient battery life as compared to other ereaders. Barnes & Noble says it could be used for about 7 to 10 days with the WiFi turned off, but for actual users, 4 to 5 days is more like it.

Considering the Nook’s superior features and Barnes & Noble’s innovative services, the Nook could have a huge effect on the ereader market. Still, this Nook review points out that there still are a number of changes that have to be made, for the device to really take off with a big bang.


Car Gadgets: Do They Really Help?

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

We all know that in the UK we are not allowed to actually text, tweet, or tap away on any other social sites when we are driving which of course is very understandable indeed but if this is all true why are we allowed to be staring into our Sat Nav screens when we are driving? My personal opinion is that this is just as bad as some of the other things?


The Dangers

The danger of course comes when people are not knowing where they are going and are just glued to the Sat Nav rather than the road. This not only poses a risk to yourself and whoever else is in the car with you but other drivers and families around you. The best piece of advice is to pull over if you are lost and have a look at the screen or of course better yet if you are travelling with someone in the passenger seat get them to take a look!


Easier

Of course having a Sat Nav in the car is going to make your life easier and this is the same for other gadgets like the one that allows you to play your iPod in the car and things like this but this doesn’t mean that you should always rely on them. Your instincts will always be better than a gadget so make sure that you do not just rely on the gadgets in the car. If you do have a crash because you were not paying attention  you will be looking at your next car from the viewpoint of someone whtat has bad credit car finance and you will need bad credit car loans.

Gap insurance will help you out on something like this but the best advice that I can personally give you is never take your eyes off of the road under any circumstances.


Is The Ebook Reader Really A Green Gadget?

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

If your weakness for hard cover books is still leading you to resist a handheld ebook reader like Amazon’s Kindle, you may reconsider when you think about the ereader as a green gadget. Books, newspapers and magazines use a lot of paper for production, and the paper and ink process can affect the environment in such a negative way. So taking a look at it this way, an ebook is an option to go green because this eliminates tree cutting.

Ebook reading devices use rechargeable lithium polymer batteries which are another advantage to consider. Compared to their counterparts, nickel-based batteries, they aren’t as destructive, and your wallet will thank you when you don’t have to spend every so often for batteries.

Unfortunately, it is the way it goes, and with these positive features, a different set of issues follows. Our society depends heavily on technology, and to satisfy the needs, manufacturers are frantically producing new devices to provide consumers their much-desired tech fix. We pay good money for the current “in” thing, but do not conscientiously get rid of our “old” electronic devices. Electronic waste isn’t going to go away, and honestly, it is piling up. Recycling isn’t hard, and you can even give away your old gadgets to a non-profit organization or a college that has suffered from budget cuts. Provided the device is still in decent working condition, you will be making a lot of other individuals happy.

As mentioned earlier, manufacturers are determined to boost the ebook reader’s performance. At this time, it’s a must to recharge an ebook using your personal computer or wall charger, depending on which one you own. This does produce greenhouse gases, and as we are aware of, these gases are also affecting the environment negatively. Perhaps soon, a manufacturer will produce an ebook that can get its charge from the sun. What a fantastic excuse to be able to lay out by the pool and read because you have to charge your ereader!

It would simply be ill-advised for a manufacturer to ignore society’s need for “green” products. With more attention to these important matters, improvements on gadgets should also focus on environmental concerns to safeguard our world and satisfy the market.

If you happen to be still unconvinced of the ebook reading device, do a little research. The mobility it offers and its user-friendliness  is simply amazing, and reading a novel electronically brings the story to life. In addition, you might wish to look at the simple fact that you are contributing to saving trees. Almost everyone will agree that if you want to go green, using the ebook reader green gadget is a great way of doing so.


The Kindle Vs iPad - A Comparison

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Putting together a side-by-side Kindle vs iPad review, which device will likely win hands down? No doubt about it, the Apple iPad, with its recent much hyped about launch, is the “in” thing today. True-blue Apple consumers can scarcely wait to get their hands on one as the WiFi versions are expected to ship in late March, and the 3G units are to be delivered starting April. When that time comes, we will no doubt see long lines in front of every Apple store as what transpired with the sale of the iPhone.

But what of the ebook reading devices like the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader?  The ereader has slowly become a mainstream consumer device, with the Kindle getting the bigger share of the market. Seeing the promise of such a device however, a lot of similar ebook readers have also been released of late, with most of them having practically the same attributes as that of the Kindle. Now with the entry of tablet PCs like the iPad which can also ably function as an ebook reader, the gadget need may swing  to multi-functional devices. So, is the iPad primed to take over the ereader market? Let’s weigh the significant elements.

Let’s start with the cons of the Apple device. The iPad will only be associated with Apple’s own ebook store. While getting an iPad is a smart move for those who are still considering buying an ebook reading gadget, if you already own plenty of ebooks, you won’t be able to dump them in the iPad. Actual ebook prices are still for confirmation, but there’s word that buying iBooks in the Apple ebook store is going to cost you around 12.99 dollars and 14.99 dollars. These rates can be a little steep for those who have to start from scratch. Plus, Amazon’s ebooks continue to retail at 9.99 dollars apiece.

Notwithstanding, getting an iPad has its own share of benefits, being a device that can perform a lot of functions. You will be able to use this oversized iPhone clone, sans the “phone”, to stream high-def movies, catch your favorite TV shows, do online browsing, and have fun with games on a 9.7 inch IPS touch screen. Sticking with Apple standards, the clarity and color is superb, and the package includes your choice of 16-GB, 32-GB or 64-GB internal storage. With such storage capability, the Library can hold a lot of books, which are cleverly displayed on a “book shelf” design. With one simple tap, you may choose your ebook, and read it on the high-resolution, LED back-lit display. Depending on your memory and connectivity preferences, prices start out at 499 dollars and end at 829 dollars. It does have special apps created specifically for the iPad, and you’ll have access to most of the 140,000 other apps at the App Store.

On the other hand, the Amazon Kindle is a device designed for the user’s most relaxing and convenient reading experience in mind. Unlike the LCD monitor of the iPad, the Kindle, like the current batch of ebook readers, is equipped with e-ink display, which many say, is unarguably best for reading for longer periods of time. The Kindle’s battery can last up to two weeks without recharging, so it could also make the perfect traveling companion. The 6-inch model is priced at 259 dollars, while the 9.7-inch Kindle DX costs 489 dollars.

So which gadget gets our nod in this Kindle vs iPad matchup? Certainly for the gadget geek, the iPad will go perfectly alongside his MacBook Pro, AirPort Express, Magic Mouse and its smaller counterpart in looks, the iPhone. Jobs and his staff have come up with yet another brilliant product for the hardcore Apple user. But for the bookworm just looking to read in the most conjucive “environment” and don’t require all of the other extra features, the Kindle ebook reader is still your best option on the market today.


Could Technology Be More Important Than The Athletes Using It?

Monday, March 29th, 2010

Sports have a greater prominence world wide than they have ever had before, and for many people, the only acceptable outcome is victory…no matter what the cost. Many teams and individuals have broken moral boundaries in the pursuit for victory, including drug use, opposition sabotage and even faking handicaps. As sporting bodies crack down on this type of rule-abuse however, many are turning to technology to improve their chances. Lets take a look a few ways in which technology can help sporting performance.

Training Facilities. Back in the day you would train anywhere you possibly could. This might be down the local park or even in your garage in some cases. Modern sporting stars have it a little better however as they can now utilise special variable-environment chambers when training. In these rooms the trainers can vary temperature, air pressure, humidity, oxygen levels and whole host of other things using special equipment. This means you can replicate the exact conditions that the athlete will be competing in, allowing the body to adapt to them and giving a better chance of winning.

Advanced Equipment. Sporting equipment has been the focus of much development over the years and has come on a long way. In a great many sports, performers are heavily reliant on the quality of their accessories.Consider how space-age running shoes look these days compared to the simple plimsolls people used to wear, or the super-light golf clubs that the professionals now use. Advances in technology and materials are arguable as important as the athlete training, and provide us with such amazing things as carbon fibre mountain bikes and hydrogen filled running shoes.

Monitoring Tech. Coaches and trainers have always strived for better performance analysis, and now they have a whole arsenal of top gadgets and techniques to choose from. This might be the study of ones metabolic rate during performance for example, or the videoing and replaying of performances at incredibly high frame rate and definition. A company in Australia have even developed pressure pads in surfboards that can relay information about a surfer’s board positions and balance. If you can isolate even the smallest problems in performance and correct them, you get an edge over your competition.


How Modern Technology Can Help Us All

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

We all take for granted the modern conveniences that have been cleverly invented to make our lives easier. This means that we are able to have more time on out hands to do the things we wish to as well as not having to go to other people for specialist jobs as we now have the technology at our fingertips to be who ever we want to be.

It is a growing problem that people are becoming obese because they no longer have to walk to their place of work, schools or even to the shops. Even those without cars are able to benefit from public transport. A way that many are overcoming this is to use fitness equipment in their home.

Even when the gyms are closed you are still able to get the workout you need to keep fit in your own home, and rather than the simplistic machines that were not hardwearing you are now able to get many different kinds of equipment so that you can give your body a full work out without even needing to go outside.

Many people now have laptops so that they are able to take technology with them, whether it is for work or pleasure. These are delicate pieces of equipment that should be taken care of, but unfortunately when you have to commute whether you are travelling by car, train or walking you could find it hard to take your laptop from place to place without it being damaged. One way to avoid this is by keeping your precious piece of equipment in a laptop bag.

There are different designs to choose from, but you can also get them in black which seems to be the most popular colour. Those who do not want people to be aware of what they are carrying can get a bag that is able to disguise this and they now have many different compartments so that not only can they keep their laptop out of sight and harms way, they can also keep their documents, any discs or dongle with them and keep them separately for ease of location.

We take for granted the fact that we can now keep every moment of our lives and look back at it in the form of a photograph. The Canon slr camera allows you to take pictures in digital form so that you are able to quickly and efficiently store many pictures and print them off if you wish to, or keep them until you are ready without worrying about film being damaged.

This camera boasts lots of functions as well as allowing you to upload the pictures to an online album or so that you can e mail them to people who may be on the other side of the world.


Keep Your Man Happy In 2010 With These Great Gifts

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

Every year it seems that people want the latest and greatest gadgets. 10 years ago everyone wanted a home PC or DVD player. Even though these are common place now in most households, a more advanced wave of gadgets is upon us that do things in better quality and are even more compact. If you’re looking for the best gifts for men then you’ll need to get with the times and find out what is really in vogue right now.Lets take a look at some promising presents for this year.

Micro RC Helicopter. They are not that technologically advanced, but they are a huge step forwards for personal flying devices. You used to have to save up for years to afford an RC chopper, and you practically needed a full pilots licence to keep them in the air. The only thing more difficult and risky to fly were RC planes. You can fly micro choppers however in pretty much any room of the house and the good ones can be controlled by even the most malcoordinated of users. These choppers do not mix well with pets however, and cats especially will like opportunity to test their bird hunting skills.

New Generation Cell Phones. 10 years ago a phone was just that, something to make calls with…but now they do pretty much everything we desire. We can now browse the internet on phones, send and receive email, play games and even find our way via GPS.  However, technology does not stand still and men especially want the most up-to-date gadgets to play with. Look out for more phones incorporating mini digital projectors, night vision recorders and even telescoping lenses attachments.

Netbooks. As with all gadgets, computers are getting smaller all the time. The laptop started to get so small that people decided to call it something new, and so the netbook was born. Admittedly they do slightly different jobs, but netbooks are becoming as powerful as laptops these days and so more and more people are choosing them as their primary computer. Expect netbooks to get even smaller and more powerful in future.


Plastic Logic Show Off The Que Reader In Las Vegas

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

UK based company Plastic Logic has announced its Que e-book reader which will now compete with the Amazon Kindle reader. The device, which incorporates touch screen controls was put on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The Que is the result of over ten years of research and development at the UK’s Cambridge University. It’s estimated that the R&D program cost in excess of $ 200m.

The devices features 3G wireless connectivity and has a large format black and white display. It is targeted at “mobile professionals” and has a significanly higher price tag than the Kindle.

There are two models. The 4GB model sells for $ 649 and the 8 GB has a ticket price of $ 799. Amazon’s Kindle 2.0 and the bigger Kindle DX (which is probably more closely comparable with the Que) sell for $ 259 and $ 489 respectively. The 4GB model has sufficient memory capacity for approximately 35,000 documents. The 8GB model can store 75,000 documents – the equivalent of 75 filing cabinets.

Plastic Logic say that the Que is “more than an eReader”. It features an enormous 10.7 inch shatterproof display – the world’s largest at this time. Other than the sheer size of the thing, the display is remarkable due to the fact that it is manufactured from plastic instead of glass. It is therefore more durable, surprisingly flexible and lighter.

The overall dimensions of the device are 8.5 X 11 X 0.33″ and it weighs less than the average periodical – approximately one pound. It is not dissimilar to carrying a pad of letter sized paper around with you.

Although they maintain that it is more than an e-book reader, Plastic Logic have forged a partnership with Barnes and Noble who will supply books for the device. Partnerships with newspapers, for example USA Today, have also been negotiated.

Barnes and Noble will make 700,000 books available for Que users. Amazon currently have around 400,000 Kindle books available for their Kindle reader – but this selection is increasing at a rate of over 500 titles daily.

The Que will begin shipping in mid-April 2010. Customers will be able to purchase it from either the Que website or from Barnes and Noble’s website. It’s hard to guess whether or not Amazon will be genuinely concerned. It could be that the Que really is more than an e-book reader - in which case the two devices will be competing in different markets. On the other hand, if they do wind up competing for the same customer base then, even without the price advantage that the Kindle enjoys, Amazon probably have good reason to feel quietly confident that their Kindle family will be able to see off this latest “Kindle Killer”.