Best computer news

Pure Digital Flip has become the household name for cheap camcorders, but everyone is apparently lining up to dethrone Flip with new high-def contenders. In face of increased competition from Kodak Zi6, RCA HD-EZ300HD and alike, Pure Digital finally steps up with a new HD-capable camcorder called Mino HD.

Weighing at 3.3 oz., the Flip MinoHD sports the exact same seven-button layout and an identical 1.5 LCD preview screen as its standard-def cousin, but it bumps on-board storage to 4GB, enough to store 60 minutes of H.264 video footage in HD (720p 9Mbps VBR). Other aspects are mostly the same as well, including a 2x digital zoom and swiveling USB plug to recharge the camcorder’s internal battery. New to the Flip Mino HD includes customizable case, and cross-platform compatible FlipShare software for preparing video to be shared via email, or on YouTube, AOL Video, MySpace or physical media like DVD. Whether or not HD recording, the additional 2GB, and customization are worth the extra $50 will depend on how you like the Flip Mino.
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Thanko’s USB Heating Mousepad does look like another offbeat gadget at first sight, but it does seem like it can keep our hand cozy during the coldest days in the Winter. Presumably, the mousepad works the same way to heat up the surface as the USB beverage warmer, and can reportedly reach temperatures ranging from 40 to 45 degrees Celsius It also sports a second USB power connector like the USB Heater Cooler Keyboard from the same company to provide enough juice for heating and the hub operations. We may end up seeing one of these ending up in one of the many Japanese gadget importer websites for twice the MSRP (1980 yen or $20 USD).
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It would seem Ecosol has upgraded its PowerStick, at least cosmetically. The new slim down version has a more plastic feel to it, while holding the same amount of electric charge. We suppose this helps to lower the MSRP to $59.99, $10 less than before. For those who haven’t heard of the PowerStick, it’s essentially an all-in-one universal USB charger bundled with no less than 9 connectors to hook up to your iPhone, Palm Treo, BlackBerry or any portable electronics that feed power through a micro-USB or mini-USB connection. Most of us in reality would need to bring about 2 to 3 jacks on the go.

The PowerStick can fully recharge its 750mA Li-ion battery through a standard USB port in 90 minutes. Once it is charged up, the dongle still stop draining power from the computer, unlike traditional chargers. There’s about a billion charges sold every year, and when we leave them plugged in our phones over night, the chargers will consume standby power. The company claims the general idea behind the PowerStick is to reduce the need for multiple proprietary chargers, and to efficiently manage our mobile power need, hence saving our planet resource for other purposes.
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Showcasing Microsoft’s new-for-2008 BlueTrack technology, the Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse boasts a unique laser tracking system that claims to make the mouse usable on practically any surface. Designed to be both portable and fully-featured, the Explorer Mini employs a 2.4GHz wireless connection and ergonomically styled body in an attempt to be the ultimate mouse for desktop users who have the occasional need to work on the road, and who appreciate the latest technology. For full review, read on.
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Almost 14 months after Intel announced USB 3.0, the final protocol specification will be formally announced next Monday at the first SuperSpeed USB Developer Conference in San Jose, CA. The specs will then be handed over to early adopters that plan to design products around USB 3.0. The third generation of Universal Serial Bus has been hit by delay after delay, and it’s been a very long, difficult and challenging three-year effort. Only several months ago, nVidia, AMD and a few others threatened to create its own USB 3.0 if Intel doesn’t share the controller specs with them on time. This fortunately didn’t sidetrack the effort to deliver USB 3.0 on time as both sides quickly reached an agreement.

While not formally unveiled, the SuperSpeed USB logo was shown at WinHEC 2008 last week where Redmond engineers held discussions on which OS will support the new USB. Windows 7 RTM unfortunately won’t ship with native USB 3.0 support; that is, if the next Windows doesn’t encounter delays. Hopefully, USB 3.0 is worth the wait with speed boost to 4.8Gbps, the use of optical cabling, and new power management. WinHEC 2008 has a a brief performance comparison sample for data transfer of 25GB HD movie:

• USB 1.0: 9.3 hours
• USB 2.0: 13.9 minutes
• USB 3.0: 70 seconds

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Sometimes it makes you wonder whether all these special edition Zunes that coincide launch of their respective game titles are part of MS’ desperate effort to boost sales numbers for the DAP. Just like last year’s Halo 3, Redmond has shipped a Gear of Wars 2 edition Zune in celebration of the game release. The first thing that you will notice is the Crimson Omen etched on the back of the 120GB Zune. As soon as you fire up the player, you will discover full GoW soundtrack including 28 from the game sequel; 9 game videos (i.e. gameplay, trailers, behind the scenes); and lastly, 244 images of all kinds from custom Zune backgrounds to concept arts. Given the GoW2 Zune only costs you $30 than the regular one, we suppose hardcore fans wouldn’t mind paying the extra.
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It’s been a tough week for Wireless USB with WiQuest folding and Intel pulling out of UWB research. Wisair, however, sees more opportunities for itself as the fabless company’s single-chip WSR601 WUSB silicon finds its way into Cables Unlimited’s next product. Unlike other WUSB hubs, the Cables Unlimited Wireless USB Adapter set consists just a pair of dongles – one for the notebook or PC and another for the device. This helps to get the price down to below $100 – the magic mark for mass consumer adoption.

Wisair says the device-side adapter is compatible with wired USB peripherals such as external hard drive, printer, digital camera, camcorders, optical burners as well as USB hubs. Unfortunately, Cables Unlimited’s adapter as of this writing has’t included isochronous support as required by USB speakers and TV tuners. Perhaps Wisair could fix it via a driver update which the new defunct WiQuest had done earlier. The company also told us they are very much alive with enough cash to last until 2010 at which time we should be crawling out of the recession.
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There’s no doubt bigger is better for LCD monitors, unless you live in Korea where Nanovision and DisplayLink are encouraging people to think small. These companies have jointly announced MIMO USB monitors, which are what they called dedicating visual workspace to applications that are used at a glance, such as IM clients, calendars and stock quote monitoring. The technology behind the MIMO is none other than DisplayLink, so these tiny monitors should handle most multimedia tasks with ease.

NanoVision initially will offer MIMO UM-710 with just a barebone USB-powered display. The 7″ LCD’s resolution tops at 800×480, and will automatically adjust its orientation accordingly as you rotate the screen. The UM-730 adds a 1.3MP webcam, a microphone as well as a headphone jack. The highest end model – UM-750 – comes all all the aforementioned features plus a touch-screen and a built-in DMB tuner. The price isn’t pretty, at 130,000 Won ($129 USD) for the starter kit. Similar application is seen on Samsung’s 22″ wide-screen except the mini-monitor sidekick is always tethered to the main unit.
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Saving the planet with new gadgetry is so 2008. TrickleStar, a relatively unknown Hong Kong company, claims to have the “world’s first” power-saving device that can slash as much as 12% from your utility bills by cutting standby power and that presumably can reduce the same amount on your electricity use. (We hate to break this news to you, but CheckTap has beaten you to the world’s first title.)

Here’s how energy saver works. The TrickleStar PC Standby Power Saver connects to a PC via a USB cable and continuously checks the power status of the computer. There’s another power extension cable that daisy-chains to your regular power strip with all your peripherals plugged in. When the PC is switched off, the TrickleStar’s current sensing circuitry will cut power to the peripherals. Conversely, when a PC is powered on, the accessory devices will be switched back on. The power saver is due in January 2009.

According to International Energy Agency (IEA), standby power costs U.S. $4 billion annually.
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Here’s a USB microscope for inquisitive youngsters who is interested in microbiology. Even though it might be designed for a 8-year old, it doesn’t skimp on features. Plug this thing into a USB port, and you get up to 200x magnification of the object on your monitor in full color. Stills can be taken at up to 1600×1200 via its 1.3MP lens. Video will probably be capped at 640×480.

The retailer recommends you start with a UK five pound note or equivalent, and you should be looking at everything underneath it. Then you can proceed to exploring your scars, wounds and perhaps acne (if you have them) in alarming microscopic details. When you’re ready to share the horrid close-ups, the company has provided 2GB of online space just for this purpose. While the gadget is priced at $150, we vouch the USB microscope is going to be a lot of fun.
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