New Home Gadgets

Personal Area Networks (PAN) have been, up until now, not much more than a geek dream, a way to network all your carried gadgets together without the worrisome wiring. Now, though, NTT is actually selling the Firmo, a Human Area Network (HAN) device which transmits data across the skin. Using a weak AC field it currently transmits data at just 230kbps, but a faster 10Mbps version is promised. Sadly, it’s not quite the PAN-acea we first thought. Instead of forming a network which could, say, connect headphones to mp3 player to controller, all wirelessly, the Firmo box (which sits in a pocket) connects to a Firmo reader embedded in other devices. (Read the full post about ‘NTT Firmo Turns Your Skin Into A Data Network’…)

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Word on the street has it that a new motion control device for the Xbox 360 is in the works, codenamed Newton. Apparently, developer Rare has a hand in this but as with other rumors, it would be best to adopt a skeptical approach and wait until an official announcement comes out. I personally don’t think the Xbox 360 will receive any sort of motion control device in this lifetime - perhaps the future Xbox will, but that’s another topic for a different day. After all, the market that the Xbox 360 currently occupies is radically different from the Wii, but it would be great to see Wii-style games in full HD glory though. (Read the full post about ‘Motion Control Device for the Xbox 360?’…)

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by Donald Melanson, posted Apr 23rd 2008 at 7:04PM Nyko’s already let loose a wireless nunchuck and a cord-free adapter for your standard issue nunchuck, but if those options are a little too subdued for your taste, you may want to consider one of the company’s new “limited edition” Kama models, which are also wireless and available in your choice of four colors of varying degrees of garishness. That includes gray, black, pink and gold (or gold details, it seems), each of which are limited to between 150 and 300 units and cost $35 each. (Read the full post about ‘Nyko intros “limited edition” Kama Wii nunchucks’…)

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Most people would have built up a pretty respectable collection of USB flash drives by now, and the Jt Baby USB flash drive would make a fine addition to any collection. This stylish mass storage device can function as a cell phone charm, making it a snap to tote around your data wherever you go. It doubles up as a boot device as long as your motherboard supports USB-ZIP or USB-HDD as the first boot device through the BIOS. The 2GB version will come in black, green or purple colors, while the 4GB model is slightly more cheery with blue, orange and red colors. You can pick up the 2GB and 4GB Jt Baby USB flash drive for $22 and $37, respectively. (Read the full post about ‘Jt Baby USB flash drive’…)

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If you don’t want to use the officially sanctioned Wii nunchuk, there is always the wireless Kama model from Nyko. It is already available for sale online despite having an official retail launch date that lies somewhere in May. Choose to pick one up today and you will be in the running to pick up a limited edition grey, black, pink or gold unit that sync wirelessly to your Wiimote adapter. This limited edition cannot be found in stores, but you can bet your bottom dollar that it will surface on eBay sooner or later at an exorbitant price. (Read the full post about ‘Nyko Kama Wireless Wii Nunchuk’…)

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Sony has announced they have purchased digital media information powerhouse, Gracenote. For those unfamiliar with Gracenote, they are behind the CDDB, which makes it simple and easy to get track listings when ripping your CD collection. The deal involves some $260 million being changed hands, along with some other contingencies being sent Gracenote’s way. Sony plans to operate Gracenote as a separate business unit, and both companies seem to be happy with the deal. According to Tim Schaaf, Vice President of Sony Computer America; “Gracenote is a global leader in technology and services for digital media identification, enrichment, and recommendation, and these capabilities will be essential to the next wave of innovation in content, services, and consumer electronics,” Barring any legal difficulties, the deal will close by the end of May. (Read the full post about ‘Sony snaps up Gracenote for $260 million’…)

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According to Microsoft’s latest Security Intelligence Report for July through December 2007, web attacks are on the rise. With more users becoming cautious about downloading and opening email attachments, hackers are now looking for new ways to “trick” users into downloading malware.  The most popular attack is the embedding of malware into websites, especially through banner advertisements. In fact, adware has increased by 66 percent. The most common type of malware removed by Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) are Trojan horses, which disguise themselves as innocent software but contain hidden malicious code within—which can be used to create a back door or collect personal information, for example. (Read the full post about ‘Microsoft reports an increase in Trojan horses’…)

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Robot Guinea Pig Gupi, the furball with attitude. The perfect virtual pet that reacts to you, talks to you, and doesn't mess up the house. You can have this for ?39.95 (Read the full post about ‘Robot Guinea Pig’…)

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A new HP iPAQ smartphone has just received the FCC kiss of approval, and we find that might actually be a member of the HP iPAQ 900 smartphone series, to be called HP iPAQ 910 for the AT&T network. Now while this new smartphone has a slightly intimidating facade, not to mention that it’s colored in an aggressive black, it’s interesting to note that this phone is not just about business. It’s also about the other, equally important things in your life that make you happier, like a built-in GPS system, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Quadband GSM connectivity and support for expandable micro SDHC cards. And take a look at that screen. (Read the full post about ‘An HP iPAQ 900 Series smartphone for AT&T?’…)

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We just got our hands on the 2100 Max GPS from Navigon, and while we are planning to bring you a full review, we wanted to take a few minutes and show off some pics. Just by looking at the 2100 Max, you can already see just how nice the unit looks, thanks in part to the shiny black exterior and the large 4.3-inch display. However, the 2100 Max offers so much more than just good looks, the unit is feature packed and comes with the very nice option to have your maps and points-of-interest upgraded every three-months with NAVIGON FreshMaps. Aside from the updates, the 2100 Max also offers reality view, turn-by-turn spoken directions, route planning, predictive text, speed assistant as well as branded-icons for your POI’s and much, much more that will will cover in the full review. (Read the full post about ‘Gadgetell Peep Show: Navigon 2100 Max GPS’…)

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