Best computer news

Whatever you need to digitalize analog video source to your computer, the recording is naturally in real-time, but the resulted file oftentimes end up in MPEG-2 that isn’t very web-friendly - another way of saying large file size. Most people usually just fire up another piece of software that again transcodes the content into H.264. Though, unless you have a Quad Core, that could be another hour of conversion time for every hour of video. SmartCapture wants to help out with its onboard H.264 AVC hardware accelerator; it accepts solely composite input so don’t expect stellar image quality.

The new $99 Lite version is particularly interesting as the original model priced at $250 isn’t exactly what we call consumer friendly. Comparing the two, the Lite remains largely unchanged except for a few video output settings, Linux/Mac support and Live Streaming; other than that, you won’t miss much.
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We’ve seen strange peripherals before like the FPSGun Mouse, but nothing quite like this. Novint has the next big thing in controllers, and it might just be a huge success, especially with the enthusiast crowd. The Falcon is probably the strangest controller that you will ever use, and it will probably be the most realistic that you can get your hands on for quite some time.

Looking like an odd robot, the Falcon gives you 3D control, allowing movement in ANY direction. It also provides force feedback for a realistic sense of touch, supposedly making it feels like you are playing with a real basketball, have actual gun recoil when firing, etc. The handle you hold on to is also interchangeable and they have a pistol grip attachment available. Speculatively speaking, this means that there could be a whole range of different grips available, making this extremely versatile. It may set you back about $300, but if it delivers as promises and has some true versatility it could be a well spent investment.
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Ergonomics these days aren’t just about making you slightly more comfortable, it is also about helping us prevent injuries, pain and suffering. With so many cases of RSI and carpal tunnel syndrome, it’s no wonder we see devices such as the Evoluent Vertical Mouse 3 and MS Natural Mouse 6000 popping up and helping those of us that suffer from repetitive computer usage.

Wow-Pen just unveiled its latest creation, the Wow-Pen Joy. Similar to the VerticalMouse 3, it has a 800dpi tracking engine and weighs 200g. It has the standard 5-button layout, which will be able to appease most people and with that 800dpi engine, you might even be able to game with it. Wow-Pen plans to launch the mouse simultaneously in Korea, North America, and Sweden in the middle of March and it will go for about $30.
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Not too long ago we reported that Buffalo had released some massive external SDD USB drives in Japan. We know that there were many of you looking to get your hands on one of these, but now it looks like you are going to have to import one.

Dubbed the UHRS SHD series (Japanese), these SDD drives are available in Japan in 32GB, 64GB, and 100GB models. Buffalo recently announced that it had no plans to make the drive available in the U.K. While this doesn’t rule out availability in the U.S., it does mean that it is a lot less likely to happen. While the drive is excellent for laptop users due to the low power consumption, the price almost definitely outweighs the benefits ($300-$800).
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If you’re a laptop user without a docking station, then chances are your desk is cluttered with a bunch of cables. It doesn’t matter how many times or how hard you try and tidy up with cable management because in a matter of weeks things will be right back to where they started. Even with the Belkin grommet hole USB hub, things are bound to get messy if you arne’t careful. BlueLounge has a cute little dock dubbed the SpaceStation that seeks to make things a little cleaner on your desk.

The SpaceStation features six coiling pins on the underside to wrap all your cables up and keep them from becoming tangled and mangled. They also included a 4-port hub so that you only have a single cable running to your laptop. Resting the backside of your laptop on top of it allows you to angle the keyboard, providing a more ergonomic position and allowing for better cooling.
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If you are tired of the everyday normal looking flash drive, then maybe it’s time for a designer flash drive. Mimoco might just have the answer for you with their Mimobots flash drives. Early last year they released a set of Star Wars designer flash drives and they sold like hot cakes. Well they’ve heard your cries for more and they are back with the second installment of the Star Wars series of Mimobots.

The four different drives come in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB sizes and cost $50. If you want one you better act fast as they are sure to run out quickly. They only made 5,000 Boba Fett drives, 3,500 of the Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia drives, and 2,500 of the Han Solo drives. These are a definite must if you have any hardcore Star Wars fans and if you act fast you can still get one of the few Chewbacca drives they have remaining.
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USB 2.0 is already the de facto standard on MP3 players, but it can only at most handle data sync and recharging. For anything wireless, Bluetooth is here to fill the void. Sony’s latest DAP - the NWZ-A820 - is the latest addition to the company’s Walkman lineup. The most notable addition to this particular model however is the inclusion of Bluetooth or AD2P profile to be more specific. Audio (read: stereo) now can be streamed from the NWZ-A820 to a Bluetooth-enabled headphones, HiFi, speaker system or even in-car audio. A ‘one-touch’ button on the player allows you to pair the DAP with other compatible wireless devices. This should be a big plus compared to iPod nano and other DAPs that require Bluetooth add-on.

The Sony NWZ-A820 now has double the capacity (max. at 16GB) than its predecessor. The dark sides unfortunately are the 2.4″ QVGA screen, boring button layout and interface, all of which have remained the largely unchanged since as far as we remember. The battery life is significantly improved as well, offering 10 hours of video or 36 hours of music playback. Ever you have Bluetooth turned on at all times, playback still stretches to 7 hours of video or 15 hours of music. Last but not least is the DAP being Certified for Windows Vista, meaning SonicStage is completely out of the picture now.
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It looks like Microsoft is geared up to release a new keyboard keeping in design with the just-announced Wireless Laser Mouse 7000. The “laser” keyboard was uncovered after doing some digging on the FCC’s website. So far little seems to be known about it other than a few things that can be discerned via pictures.

Those looked to extend the looks of Vista’s Aero Glass will be pleased to know that the keyboard has a transparent border. Mac users will hardly find this amusing or special as they have had it for years. Beside the right-alt key appears to be a key for Vista’s Flip 3D which seems nothing but an awkward place for users to access it conveniently. Other than appearances we can’t see any reason that someone would have a reason to choose it over the Kensington Ci70 or Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave. You can bet that they will be releasing this as a combo with the Wireless Laser Mouse 7000.
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After having nothing but a rough year at every turn in 2008, Toshiba has formally announced its withdraw from the format war that has been plaguing consumers for the past several years. Last week Toshiba was dealt a series of blows that it simply just couldn’t recover from and instead of creating more misery for the end user the decided to do the honorable thing and end production of HD DVD. This came in the form of NetFlix, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart all dropping support, all of which are big names to the average consumer.

In case you are wondering how it all played out, PC World has been gracious enough to throw a timeline together of the format war that goes all the way back to 2000 when Blu-ray first started being developed. We feel sorry for all the early adopters of HD-DVD, especially those that were snookered in by the low price and rebates that Toshiba offered during the 2007 holidays to boost sales. Toshiba has no plans to provide rebates to any of the early adopters, but they will continue service the devices as long as they are under warranty. Long live Blu-ray!
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Proving that online music downloads aren’t the only place that consumers are getting music and that retail sales aren’t quite dead, the band Mars Volta has released their latest album on a $30 flash drive. “The Bedlam in Goliath” comes completely DRM free so users can do use it as they please.

Other than a fancy Ouija board like drive, those that purchase the album in digital form will be treated to new content on the 29th of each month, ranging from extra music to pictures and wallpaper. This isn’t the first time that we have seen music on a flash drive as J. Lo did it a while back. It isn’t going to be the last either. Universal already has plans to do the same for Erykah Badu’s upcoming release as well.
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