Category — Computer Accessories

Looks like digital voice recorders, right along with HD camcorders, are moving to hybrid storage systems for file handling.  This Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo voice recorder gives you the option to store files on a built in 32MB flash memory, or Duo media cards.

The voice recorder also includes voice to print software, and is compatible with Dragon Naturally Speaking.  Built-in microphones, and voice-operated recording for eliminating memory-guzzling pauses, are also included on this unit. The Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo voice recorder is available at Abt for $249. [Read more →]

Wireless Internet security is probably in for a makeover, because according to Yahoo! Tech, the WPA encryption commonly utilized on wireless routers has been cracked.  Although it is still much safer than WEP encryption, researchers claim to be able to crack pass codes in 15 minutes, thanks to a recently discovered mathematical technique.

Not hip on the neighbors swiping your online banking passwords off your laptop computer? If you want to upgrade to the next level of WiFi security, you can still set your wireless router to WPA2 encryption.  This setting is safe (for now), but there is one thing you need to know…a lot of WiFi gadgets such as phones, and Nintendo DS don’t work with this setting.  I’ve tried WPA2 encryption a couple of times, but always end up switching back to WPA due to technical difficulties.

Here’s the original WPA encryption story as it appeared in PC World.

According to Yahoo! Tech, IMOVIO’s iKit computer is being called a “pocket mobile companion” by the company, but really it has opened up a whole new line of verbage to describe smaller than small gadgets-  it’s a sub-sub-notebook computer.   Count them- 2 “subs”.

With a 2.8 inch screen, the iKit features a full QWERTY keyboard, a webcam, Linux OS, and a mini USB port.  A full size SD card slot supports cards up to 8GB, and there are 64 MB of RAM. You can surf the Internet with this mini notebook computer via WiFi, or hook up via Bluetooth technology, but don’t confuse it with a cell phone or you’re in for a disconnect.

Reportedly, IMOVIO’s iKits will be sold as optional add-ons ($161) for laptop computers and as a high-end cell phone accessories…so no purchasing this one separately for now. And that’s just too,too bad.

Here’s an assortment of geek-worthy toys for gadget gurus everywhere. First up, and my favorite of the three, is this remote control Multi-Color LED light, which would be a perfect addition to your Halloween props. The color-changing LED light plugs into a standard light bulb socket, and can produce dozens of colors.  You can even adjust the brightness and adjust transitions from color to color.  I found it at ThinkGeek.

Ooh, and here’s a kinda spooky, kinda goofy, computer accessory, just in case you’ve ever wanted to wear your USB drive on your finger.  The skull rings above are made by Solid Alliance and they open up to reveal a USB gadget with 2 GB of storage space. The skull rings are available at Geek Stuff 4 U for $145.  May the force be with you.

And, if you’re into robotic toys, you should check out this guinea pig robot named Gupi.  The virtual pet makes more than 30 noises and responds to your voice.  He charges via the carrot, and comes with a cardboard house.  You can find Gupi the guinea pig at I Want One of Those.Com.

Apparently, gaming chairs have come a long way since the glorified beanbags of a few years back. Although they used to be just an ergonomically convenient place play video games and sit close to the TV, now some gaming chairs are no-holds-barred wireless playgrounds for gadget lovers. And, they’re not just for video games…many of them will work with MP3 players and DVD players in addition to video game consoles.

The gaming chair above, the Pyramat PM450WR, is a wireless and rechargeable sound rocking chair. With a 50-Watt, 5-inch subwoofer, the Pyramat chair is equipped with enough sound capabilities to send the vibrations of your game or movie right through you. There’s also a headphone jack, RCA multi-player audio outputs, RCA inputs, and bass control. The wireless sound is transmitted from up to 20 feet away.

The Pyramat gaming chair is compatible with Playstation, X-Box, GameCube, PSP, all iPods, most DVD players, computers, TVs, and stereo systems. I found it at Boy’s Stuff, a British e-store, for the equivalent of $389.

Remember way back when….before digital cameras and before pocket camcorders, when people actually used film and  35mm cameras to capture their memories?  If you remember those days, then chances are you’ve got stacks of old photos laying around, or in albums.  I’ve always talked about using a photo scanner to convert my old paper pictures to digital files for preservation purposes, but the whole idea seemed slow and cumbersome.

The gadget above looks like a fix for the problem.  The photograph to digital picture converter instantly captures the image of a paper picture and stores it as a digital image.  Slide the paper photo into a tray, and hit the copy button, and that’s it.  Rather than scanning the image, the photo converter works like a digital camera, and shoots an image of your entire photo with a 5MP CMOS.  There’s a USB attachment for moving the digital files to your computer.  The Photograph to Digital Picture Converter is available at Hammacher Schlemmer for $149.

If you’re limited by memory space constraints of your notebook computer, or if you are just plain embarrassed of a tiny little thumb drive that seemed pretty cool at the time you bought it, take a look at this new USB drive by Kingston. According to Gizmodo, the new gadget measures 3.06 inches X .9 inches X .47 inches.

I’m not sure how I feel about having to mess with a removable, “lose-able” cap- wouldn’t a retractible design, or connected cap have been better? Maybe the blaze orange color on this thing will be enough to keep you from losing it. Newegg.Com has the 32 GB Kingston Data Traveler USB drive listed at 79.99. The new gadget comes with a 5 year limited warranty on parts and labor.

Seems like prices on these storage gadgets are coming down a bit. I wonder how long before somebody’s tossing 1GB Barbie USB drives into Happy Meals?

Hey Star Wars fans- here’s something to add to your collection.  This R2-D2 USB hub has four slots for plugging in all your favorite gadgets like a cordless mouse, your MP3 player, or your Blackberry.  The USB hub even makes those famous sounds that make R2 as endearing as any little robot can be (includes an on/off switch).  This new gadget comes with a USB cable, and it works with Windows XP or later, and Mac OSX or later. The R2-D2 USB hub is set to be available in October, and it’s available for preorder at Play-Asia.

If you want a hub that’s a little more sinister than R2-D2, you can always go with this Darth Vader USB hub.  It also has 4 USB slots, sound effects, and comes with a USB cord.  The Darth Vader USB hub is also available for preorder at Play-Asia.

Camping gear and flash drives have finally merged and here’s solid proof: the LaCie 320 GB external hard drive. Housed in a scratch proof aluminum case, and protected by a rubber bumper, the external hard drive hooks up to your USB port for backing up or transferring your files.

The all terrain portable hard drive is compatible with both PC and Mac, has a maximum rotation speed of 5400 rpm, and tops out at 480 Mbps for file transfers. Looks like you could even take this back up hard drive on your next Everest ascent. I like that there’s no AC adapter to mess with- this gadget is completely powered by USB. The LaCie Rugged All Terrain external hard drive retails for around $130.

Umm…no it’s not Wall-E’s long lost cousin, but this web cam from Logitech looks like a fun gadget anyway. The Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 captures 30 frames per second, and comes equipped with Carl Zeiss optics.

The QuickCam webcam has a built in microphone, and RightLight 2 technology which automatically adjusts the lighting in your web videos to optimum quality. It comes with a universal clip for attaching to a PC or notebook computer. If you’re into video calling or making funny web videos, you might enjoy the included video filters like 50’s movie, fish eye, and neon. The QuickCam Pro 9000 also comes with customizable avatars that will even mirror your movements. I found this web cam priced between $70 and $110.