Best computer news

Have you ever wished that you could find out just how many words per minute you are capable of typing? Yeah, we have too. Now while most of us would just download some freeware that does the calculation for us, there are some USB gadgets out there like the Speedometer Mouse and USB Think Light that give you feedback on a slightly different level and now we have a USB WPM Speedometer.

The gauge in the center displays how many words per minute you are cranking out, but we aren’t quite sure what the gauge on the right is for. On the left appears to be a fan, which we are sure you are going to need when you red line it and are doing 200+ WPM.
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So what are you supposed to do when you like to spin clay, have too much time on your hands, and a dead hard drive laying around? Why turn the hard drive into a pottery wheel of course! And that’s just what this guy did.

Using just a few simple spare parts that most of the enthusiasts are sure to have laying around, and a very simple knowledge of electronics, the video shows you how you can make your own too. While it may not be good on a practical level, you have to admit that it is in fact pretty original. It’s good to see some ingenuity, especially with USB. Video after the jump.
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Now that consumers can finally start purchasing next generation high definition movies without wondering if they were wasting their money. It would appear though that consumers weren’t the only ones holding back. Phillips & Lite-on is now geared up to release its first external Blu-ray BD-ROM to the market, and we’ve already seen Buffalo announced theirs as well except it’s a burner.

The DX-4O1S drive will be able to handle BD-R/RE/ROM discs at 4X and connects via USB. It will also handle reading DVD’s at up to 12X and CD’s to 32X. While these might not be impressive numbers for what we currently have on the market for CD’s and DVD’s, you have to keep in mind that this technology is sure to evolve quickly and things will get much faster over time. The drive is expected to be available in March at a price of just $300.
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Seems like everyone just wants a taste: Sony entered the high-stakes world of USB turntables earlier this week with their own entry, the PS-LX300USB. The consumer-focused belt-driven turntable doesn’t have the extras to compete with DJ products like the Stanton T.90, but does offer the same features as the competing ION TTUSB10 - for $50 less at retail.

Sony has another leg up on ION, too: their recording bundle includes Sound Forge Audio Studio, a lighter version of the Sound Forge 9 recording program that has far longer (and more impressive) pedigree than Audacity, ION’s recording program of choice. Better software, lower price; we get the feeling Sony will be grabbing a nice slice of market share.
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The Cell Phone Spy Data Extractor is pretty self explanatory. Its manufacturer didn’t even bother giving an excuse this maybe intended for a legitimate reason. Though, there could be when you are suspicious that your wife’s cheating on you; you naturally want to recover ALL SMS messages and dialed/received numbers she may already have deleted to remove traces. Since 35-pass erase isn’t what an average handset user would use to protect their deleted data from being recovered, the Spy Data Extractor should be pretty effective in finding content that suggests cheating activity. The package also contains full SIM card backup software, but the file recovery software is likely why BrickHouseSecurity wants $149 from us as plenty of SIM readers retail for under $30.
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USB ports are something that we will never have enough. So, we wouldn’t mind adding a more few ports with the USB Runner Hub. The coolest thing with this hub is that all the ports are brilliantly concealed so it’s hard to tell this gadget from other desk accessories if you look at it from the front. Though, it becomes very obvious after you start connecting USB wire to the runner. The 4 ports are located in the runner’s base, arm, leg and briefcase, the last of which port can be rotated in 180 degrees to add some flexibility. The USB Runner Hub can be yours for just $12. Do you think this hub is weird? Take a look at this instead.
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Here’s another USB ambient light that reminds me of Philips LivingColors except the latter gives a total of 16 million different color combinations and casts colorful glows on your wall. The USB version however is different in that the supplied marker allows you write memos on contour base while its ambient lighting changes color constantly to remind you of the message written on the surface. The other end of the pen allows you wipe the message off when needed. Practically speaking, this is still pretty pointless even if you consider this as an offbeat gadget and the $20 price tag.
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For iPod shuffle, it’s about time for Apple to slash the price and to come up with a new model. The 1GB has been going for $79 for nearly 6 months, and it’s no brainer demand has been slowing down. Last week, Apple had cut price by $30 to $49 for the original shuffle, and also introduced a 2GB version, which is now shipping for $69 - a full $10 cheaper than the 1GB’s old price point. The new model - still screen-less - will hold 500 songs encoded at 128kbps AAC and can continuously playback for 12 hours straight. Both capacities will come in all five colors, including the Product RED.
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This A-Data 2GB flash drive that resembles the Mickey Mouse’s head is somewhat usual to us at first sight since we aren’t exactly used to seeing iconic character in 3D, much less separated from his body. A-data adopted an ingenious design that doesn’t use retractable USB connector but rather a detachable ear that pulls out to reveal the mini thumbdrive. This helps to keep the cost down by making things less complicated. The left ear has one piercing that doubles as a keychain loop hole, and for personalization, you can put a photo behind the front plastic window.

What really surprised us was that the whitish Mickey Mouse drive is a really speed demon (no irony intended), coming out better than most themed drives with read speed averaging at 30MB/s. For the rest of us, OCZ and Corsair make some less childish thumbdrives.
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The megapixel race will never end, especially for consumer snapshot cameras. Sony has just bumped its point and shoot DSC to its highest resolution ever with the launch of the 13.6MP CyberShot W300 - essentially an upgrade to last year’s 12MP W200. The $350 W300 as the top-of-the-line model in the W-series now includes a larger LCD screen at 2.7″ and a new Smile Shutter that Sony claims can automatically take pictures when the subjects smile. Though it could be difficult if a child keeps making faces, inadvertently fooling the system.

The W300 also sports a Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom as well as “extra high sensitivity” mode (up to ISO 6400) to help shooting in challenging lighting conditions, even without a flash. To reduce noise at such high ISO, the W300 lets you choose between “low”, “standard” and “high” noise reduction. Last but not least is the 16:9 res support at 2MP so you can feed your pics at 1920×1080 to a HDTV via a custom HDMI cable without having the display rescaling the image.
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