Gadgets Mobile

Posted Mar 19th 2008 10:52AM by Paul Miller
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals
We know, it’s easy to get caught in all the magic that is Mario Kart Wii — “it’s like Smash Bros. but with karts and more banana throwing!” — but let’s not fool ourselves here: that Wii Wheel is potentially the least functional piece of plastic Nintendo has shipped since the Virtual Boy. It apparently took the fine folks at MTV two whole videos to figure this out under the patient tutelage of a Nintendo rep, but while the Wii Wheel can potentially serve as a helpful reminder to hold the Wiimote with the buttons facing you, it adds zero functionality to the equation, and it’s only therefore “necessary” for the first 30 seconds of play — after which it can be tossed to your dog or teething child as a chew toy. Some might appreciate the ratio of turning a full wheel instead of a Wiimote, but we all know the truly hardcore are going to be kicking your ass with their Wavebirds anyways, to the point really is moot. Video is after the break.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Posted Mar 19th 2008 2:17PM by Donald Melanson
Filed under: Misc. gadgets, LaptopsWhile solid-state hard drives are still only just beginning to catch on, if a group of researchers from Thorrn Micro Technologies have their way, there could soon be another solid-state laptop component headed your way. That component in question is a microchip-sized fan, which boasts no moving parts but is apparently capable of keeping a laptop or other electronic devices cool. To do that, the fan reportedly makes use of the same technology found in household air purifiers, which results in a flow rate three times greater than typical small mechanical fan, not to mention lower power consumption and completely silent operation. Of course, the fan is still in the early testing stages, but the researchers see virtually no end to its potential, with them boasting that it’s “one of the most significant advancements in electronics cooling since heat pipes,” and adding that it could “change the cooling paradigm for mobile electronics.”

If you’re a Bejeweled puzzle game fan, then you’ll want to hear about a major update being released by Astraware. The update, for Palm OS and Windows Mobile, will allow players some flexibility in how their Bejeweled 2 game is displayed by enabling support for a 240×240 square screen for Windows Mobile and Palm OS devices in addition to 320×320 support for Windows Mobile Professional and other classic devices. This latest update is especially big news for Windows Mobile Standard devices, since this update introduces the very first release for that platform.

The new Windows Mobile Standard version will support 240×320 and 320×240 non-touchscreen devices. Devices supported include the HTC S710, HTC StrTrk, Samsung Blackjack & Blackjack II, and Motorola Q and Q9. The good news for registered users is that this latest update for Bejeweled 2, version 1.3, is free. If you haven’t purchased the game, then you can do so through the Bejeweled 2 website. All versions of the game retail for US$19.95 and support Palm OS, Windows Mobile Pocket PC, and smartphone platforms. A deluxe version for Windows PC is also available.

If you’ve never played Bejeweled, then the good news is that you can also download a trial version. It can be a pretty addictive game. That the game has been around for quite awhile now is a testament to that. Expanding the availability of the mobile version of this game ensures even more people will be able to enjoy it for years to come.

Read more from the Astraware press release and the Bejewled 2 website.

It’s colorful, coils automatically around your wrist, and looks vaguely edible, as if made out of hardened cake topping. It is, in fact, one of those inscrutable LED watches, and so marks the wedding of two distinct and uniquely pointless gimmicks.

Named "Time-It," this modern take on the slap bracelet won’t be found in cereal boxes — it’s a startling $190 — but is waterproof, rechargeable, and available in four shades.

Prodict Page [LEDwatchstop via Technabob and Gizmodo]

VGA producers proudly announce the fastest graphics available: NVIDIA 9800GX2 implementations…

Following in the footsteps if id Software and Rockstar, Epic has decided to make its rich history of Unreal games available on Valve’s Steam service.

Right now you can download Unreal Gold, Unreal II: The Awakening, Unreal Tournament: Game of the Year Edition and Unreal Tournament 2004: Editor’s Choice Edition. Their latest game, Unreal Tournament 3, is also available on the service.

If that wasn’t enough good news, all the games are currently being offered with a 10% discount as long as you buy before March 24. You also save yourself some money by buying the Unreal Deal Pack containing all the games in the series for just US$53.95. That price also includes the current 10% discount.

It’s certainly not as good a value as the id Super Pack (US$69.95 for 22 games), but Epic just doesn’t have the same number of games going back as far as id does. With the way in which Steam works it’s a great opportunity to get access to Epic’s back catalog and not have to worry about whether your original discs still work or even where they are.

Read more at 1UP.com

Ever wondered what a ziplock bag-seal looks like close-up? Nope, me neither, but Rob Cockerham did, and he has the photos to prove it. And when you see his gallery of 200x magnified pictures, they’re curiously fascinating, a kind of ultimate study in how things work. The hilarious commentary doesn’t hurt, either:

Only a strong pull, (such as jealousy or drug addiction) can pull them apart when they are locked together like this.

Rob used the Eyeclops camera, a toy microscope and camera combination which outputs its images to a TV. But like the legendary Pixelvision before it, this kids’ toy has a lot of fun adult uses (no, not that kind of adult). Rob has worked his way somewhat haphazardly through the tail-end of the alphabet, and also has galleries for yarn and Velcro.

A Fascinating Gallery of Ziplock Seals [Cockeyed.com via Make]

Remember the Foleo? When Palm was looking to put out a a game-changer and they ended up with this Linux-based smartphone extender that never made it to market. The device had some high points (not many), but ended up being a total faceplant for Palm.

What does any of this have to do with Celio’s Redfly? The Redfly is another smartphone companion, basically a subnotebook that is little more than an extension of your Windows mobile device. Think of it as a larger screen and keyboard for your phone with a battery than can charge your phone when using a wired connection (instead of Bluetooth). Right now it can work with just a few phones, namely the HTC Mogul, XV6800, and Tilt, Palm’s 700w/wx, and Samsung’s SCH-i760.

The Redfly’s two main selling points are it’s keyboard (said to be about the size of the Eee PC’s) and the 8-inch 800×480 display. Using these two it should be bearable to sit down and pound out a considerable amount of email from your phone. The device measures in at 1×6×9 inches and weighs two pounds so it’s not very heavy, but most people will release that they could carry a full notebook in its place.

The expected price is being reported at $499, which is going to immediately turn off most buyers as heavy mobile phone users will probably see it as useful, but not $500 useful. Plus few people are looking to lug around another device when it can’t do anything more than their phone.

Like it or not it’s worth checking out, though it would be a lot more interesting at half the price and with twice the functionality. First impressions have been posted at JKontherun and ZDnet.

Posted Mar 18th 2008 9:33PM by Joshua Topolsky
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
Samsung fans, your wildest dreams have come to fruition. Word on the street is that the company’s do-it-all PMP, the YP-P2, will be getting an update in the form of a new 16GB model. The new player — which boasts features like a 3-inch WQVGA screen, Bluetooth 2.0 support, and H.264, OGG, and WMV playback — will cost somewhere in the vicinity of $347. There’s no word on a street date or price for US or European markets, but when we know something, you’ll know something.

[Via PMP Today]

Sleep is always sweet especially after you’re trying to recover from a long, hard day at the office. The Music Pillow helps add music to your rest, as it can be hooked up to a music player. Unfortunately, it doesn’t draw power from your device so you’ll have to make sure that there is a quartet of AAA batteries ready at all times for 10 hours of non-stop audio playback. The Music Pillow retails for $19.90 a pop and is inflatable, so you can blow it up to a certain comfortable size no matter how large/small your head is.