Gadgety News

If you’re fed up with buying specific keyboards with shortkeys for editing, gaming, recording and the like - here’s a possible solution.

The DX1 is about as customisable a keyboard as you can get.

Alright, you only get 25 keys but this isn’t about replacing a keyboard for another full keyboard. The point is that EVERY key can be placed ANYWHERE on the board, and moved as you feel appropriate.

You’re able to assign shortcuts and macros to each key without having to be worried about how it interacts with multiple programs as it will remember your preferences for each.

You’ll be looking to fork out in the region of £70 but then you’ll have a totallybespoke keyboard for Counter Strike Source, ProTools, etc.   :0)

Coolest Gadgets & UberReview

Slashdot has discovered that Sony BMG has been caught in a BSA raid with a ton of unauthorised software - potentially up to 47% of the software at the offices.

If  Sony BMG is using the naughty software, the company has some explaining to do as it’s one of the major labels that also happens to be a huge supporter of the RIAA’s “anti-piracy” campaign.

Pot / Kettle anybody?

Suzuki has decided to put its fabby looking Crosscage concept motorcycle into production and it’s hydrogen powered!

The bike, developed with with British Intelligent Energy, is powered by a lightweight air-cooled fuel-cell system and a high-performance secondary battery.

The rest of the details are still cloaked in mystery - but a hydrogen powered bike!?!  How cool is that!

Those wonderful people at Novatech have now added a Blu-ray and X9000 loaded lappy to their X80r range.

You know I love these machines - the top of the range is a very reasonable £1989 with XP pro already installed. 

You get a choice of no OS, XP or Vista in various flavours and prices.

If, being a monochrome minimalist, you shudder at the new range of colourful Rollies this will be more up your alley.

Porsche Design is releasing a white collection.

It contains some serious tech, including a pen and an inflatable jacket, my favourite being the P9521 mobile.  It’s carved from an aluminium block and has fingerprint identification amongst its list of functions.

The new white collection will be available in May.

T3

For all of you JMJ wannabes you get can one step closer by playing lasers just like the great man himself!

The Beamz Laser Music System uses a series of six lasers which you can break with your hands in order to ’play’ instruments such as guitars, violins and even a cowbell (!!??)

There’s 30 preloaded backing tracks and musical genres that can be played whilst you’re making music by throwing shapes.

Beamz goes on sale on April 15th.

The Sharper Image

Sony is going to release a black Rolly music player into the wild.

Their big surprise was usurped by the FCC just last week. 

You’ll also be able to customise your Rolly with a selection of colourful end-caps at a cost of ¥1,500 (about £8) per set.

If you’re still confused about the need for a roving speaker, then the Japanese release date of April 19th for the new ¥40,000 (about £200) dancing-speaker bot isn’t really going to do anything for you either.

Via Impress

Still counting down the days til the release of the delectable Nokia N96?

Mobile-review apparently knows the right wheels to grease in order to get their mits on a prototype unit scarily early!

There’s a HUGE review of the new N Series which will give you intimate knowledge of the N96’s strengths and points for improvement.

Strangely, the vibe I came away with from their tome was that they were a bit non-plussed.

Problems for them included a penchant for picking up dirt and fingerprints (the price you pay for a beautiful glossy face - get a snazzy cover then?), a cramped nav key layout with the tricky touch-sensitive Navi Wheel front and center, audio performance that wasn’t bad but was expected to be far better in light of the dedicated DSP, and a “shovel” like feel in the hand - but then the N95 wasn’t voted slimmer of the year now was it?

I for one am still eagerly awaiting the chance to bet my hands on a REAL N96 and give it a thorough testing.

After the finger-waggling from Mobile Review the final version of the N96 might get improved even more if Nokia are listening to them.

I still can’t wait!!

Via Tech Digest and NokNok

If, like me, you’re still waiting to see what the Eee PC Desktop will actually look like…….

Hot Hardware is claiming that these (very Wii looking) Asus branded things is it.

These are the clearest pics around at the moment - I’m still searching though!

With the sweet smell of victory still strong in its nostrils could the winning of the HD format war be short lived for Blu-Ray?

In an interview with Home Cinema Choice magazine a head-honcho at THX has said:

“Personally, I think it’s too late for Blu-ray. I think consumers will only become interested in replacing DVD when HD movies become available on flash memory. Do we really need another spinning format?”

“In the future I want to be able to carry four to five movies around with me in a wallet, or walk into a store and have someone copy me a movie to a USB device.”

This might not be as daft as it sounds as 20th Century Fox will be trialing movie vending machines later this year!

Honeywell is hoping that their new drones will soon be employed by the Miami-Dade police department.

The plan is to use them in ”urban areas with an eye toward full-fledged employment in crime fighting.”

Apparently the department is going to use it in “tactical situations as an extra set of eyes.”

So, next time you go for a stroll along South Beach and see hovering, flashing lights……….

This personal transport will take you to into space for around 25 minutes.

The Lynx, about the size of a small private plane, is expected to begin flying in 2010, according to developer Xcor Aerospace.

Xcor’s announcement comes two months after aerospace designer Burt Rutan and billionaire Richard Branson unveiled a model of SpaceShipTwo, which is being built for Branson’s Virgin Galactic space tourism company and may begin test flights this year.

Xcor intends to be a spaceship builder, with another company operating the Lynx and setting prices.

The Lynx is designed to take off from a runway like a normal plane, reach a top speed of Mach 2 and an altitude of 200,000 feet, then descend in a circling glide to a runway landing.

“We have designed this vehicle to operate much like a commercial aircraft,” Xcor Chief Executive Officer Jeff Greason said in a statement.

Greason said the Lynx will provide affordable access to space for individuals and researchers, and future versions will offer improved capabilities for research and commercial uses.

This certainly beats having a Lear Jet - although as it’s a ’sports car’ for space there’s only room for 2 people, or 1 person and luggage?

Loewe’s latest gogglebox is the Connect 37.  It’s a 37-inch LCD TV with built-in media streaming capabilities.  It’s a ‘Full HD’ 1080p TV, with support for 24p playback from HD media. 

Having Wi-Fi and wired Ethernet options means it can connect to a PC running Windows Media Player for lovely file sharing. 

Socket-wise there’s the specially sorted SCART so it can display component video, two HDMI sockets, and RCA digital audio inputs and outputs for connecting a home-cinema system.

You also get two USB sockets for photo and music playback.

The even-higher-end DR+ model comes with a built-in 160GB hard drive, for recording TV without the need for an external set-top-box style PVR.

The Connect 37 is available direct from Loewe for around £2,150 but adding extra options means stacking on the £’s.

Crave

If you’re in the market for a gadget learning help-bot then Toshiba in Japan may have the very thing for you.

They’re in the process of putting together a talking bot that can be used as a voice-activated universal remote.

The android, called ApriPoko, stands at just under a foot tall and is capable of learning how to control electronics by watching you and asking questions about your behavior.

~Here comes the scary bit~

When you use an infrared device, the robot will sense the signal and ask you “What did you just do?” If you say something like “I turned on the TV,” it will remember this and next time round you’ll be able operate that function by asking the friendly mite; he will then raise an arm and carry out your request via its IR mittens!!

The little fella is still in the R&D stages bless him, but there are plans to turn this technology into a real thing to buy, teach and nurture………………..

Pink Tentacle

Ah.  I remember the glory days……….ZX80s and 81s, Spectrums, Vic 20, Atari ST…..none of these needed a tower (ok, some needed a cassette player) but now home puters do.

Not if this design gets the nod.

The PC is all squished into the keyboard!

This is the Cybernet ZPC-GX31.  Under the QWERTY hood lies an Intel Core 2 Quad CPU, 4MB RAM, packs dual display capabilities and even a DVD drive.

Not sure if this would hook up to your tele but whack a slim monitor and you’ll have the compact computer that Mac users tend to taunt us PC’ers with.

Smartphones are becoming little handheld puters in their own right.

Meet the HDPC from MIU.  This little gadget has features that would shock some budget laptops. 

Let’s start with the touchscreen display (okay it’s a 4 incher at 800×400) which is revealed when opened, as well as a QWERTY thumbpad and mouse.  There’s also stereo speakers, a docking port, as well as two USBs.

As for internal capability, it has up to a 1GHz VIA C7M ULV processor and 4GB of DDR2 memory. It also has a maximum 1.3 inch 60 GB hard disk, or 4GB SSD.  You even get the option for using a miniSD/microSD expansion memory card.

Connectivity comes via 802.11b/g WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0.  It works on Dual Windows XP or Linux Qplus embedded OS. 

You also get DMB mobile television as well as an external GPS add-on.

Think you’re being spoilt?  They’re just the features that MIU have confirmed!  I’m still waiting to hear about the camera (which looks like it could be a 5mp jobby) and the rumoured radio. 

It should be released this July and cost in the region of $500US - yup, around £250 for us Brits - but that’s before all the taxes get slapped on it in this fair isle.

Engadget

Whilst most mini speakers are no better than the speakers on the average mobile phone (and sound just as irritating) the X-mini from the XM-I boffins in Singapore are another matter.

Weighing in at a puny 52g it connects and charges via USB and gives you 8 hours of 2.4 wattage aural pleasure from a single charge.

Give the 52mm in diameter device a sideways twist and the X-mini pops upwards in an accordion-styleee.

Apparently it’s this extendable vacuum that acts like a loudspeaker, allowing the mini device to boom out in a surprisingly loud, full-bodied volume. This patented technology mimics the resonance of a sub-woofer.

This makes it a must have to keep in your luggage.

If you’re not entirely convinced by Apple TV you might want to wander over and check out Archos’s TV+.

Kinda like a cross between a PVR and the Apple TV it can record shows from Freeview and such but will also stream your choonz and flicks from your puter.

You can also feed its hard-drive via the supplied USB cable if you so desire.

In addition to all that film/music mullarkey you can also surf the interweb on your telebox whilst ultilising the nifty QWERTY keyboard/thumb mouse gizmo.

There’s no HD support as yet but you do get the choice of 80gb or 250gb versions (£165 and £235 respectively).  Apple TV - we empty our noses in your general direction and call you Sharon!

If you fancy looking like you’ve skinned a mythical beast that has its own light-source; or if you are a pimp that wants to wear the clothing equivalent of a neon sign look no further.

Imagine cyclists and roadworkers having to wear these by law - how cool would that be?

These rather natty fluffy glowing coats cost £150 from Glow Fur.

Writing as someone that owns a 3/4 length black fake-fur I think that this jacket is pretty cool - but then I’m not known for my fashion sense.

Here’s another one of those fabulously futuristic concepts that may never make reality.

This one is the Tancher Transforming Phone designed by Shkinder Maxim.

The device can be configured in countless ways to act as a multimedia player and projector with support for holographic image projection and 3-D scanning.

Other additions could include a lie detector and a “present emotions” function that reads your brain activity in order to record what you are feeling.

I reckon the many folding ‘multi-axis’ is actually a realistic design concept.