Gadget round up
- 9 Jan 07, 07:50 PM
The Consumer Electronics Show may encompass almost every piece of technology on the planet - but it's the gadgets and devices that steal the show.
Here's a round up of some of the cool and decidedly pointless pieces of tech that I've encountered on my travels.
MOBIBLU CUBE 2 and BOXON
Video on the go has been around for a while - in mobile phones, iPod, MP3 players etc - but now they have become fashion accessories.
The Cube 2 and Boxon are two video players that are so small you could easily use them as jewellery.
Korean firm Mobiblu claim the Cube 2 is the world's smallest video player - it is a mere 25mm by 25mm and weighs 18 grammes.
The Boxon is a little bigger - at 49mm by 12 mm - but it does come with internet telephony software built-in, an FM tuner, radio and voice recording.
Who would watch video on a player so small? The makers believe teenagers will want to use the devices as fashion accessories.
The screen is suprisingly clear and uses OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology.
Both models have up to 2GB of storage - enough for some TV programmes, a film or two and plenty of music videos - and costs around $129 for the most souped-up model.
At the moment it is Korea and US only but the company is in Las Vegas looking for partners in Europe.
SANSA CONNECT
When the Zune from Microsoft was released there were complaints that its wi-fi capability didn't mean you could download songs on the go.
The Connect is perhaps the device the Zune should have been.
With its built in wi-fi you can stream internet radio stations, recommend and swap songs with friends, download songs wirelessly.
The device is released in the US in March and will cost $249.
If you can't wait for Apple's iPhone perhaps this is the device for you....
Also spotted at CES...
SLINGCATCHER
The makers of Slingbox - which can transmit your live TV pictures anywhere in the world to your PC, mobile phone or laptop via the net - have been busy.
The SlingCatcher can transmit anything displayed on your PC screen to your TV - whether itis video or still photos.
Devices to hook up PCs and TVs have been around for some time but SlingCatcher's solution looks more successful.
The aim is to solve the last 10 feet problem - how to get content from the PC to TV. Many of the other solutions rely on being able to cope with the video format your PC is currently running but SlingCatcher can deal with any format - even web-based formats like flash.
The machine also has a hard drive and there are plans for downloadable content in the future.
HP TOUCHSMART PC IQ770
Touch screen PCs have been around for some time - and the most recent iteration in the form of tablet PCs have a loyal following.
HP have taken the touch screen capabilities of Windows Vista and integrated it into an all-in-one solution that works elegantly.
The company has been showing off the machine in different scenarious - from home office to kitchen.
You can use a stylus to write on the screen or even your finger. The interface is really smart and sensible.
It also includes wireless and a TV tuner, giving it real versatility and ensuring it's no white elephant.
There are scores of PC designs on show at CES and this was one of the few where form and factor combined successfully.
Comments Post your comment
I understand that HP itself said of the new PC that it is the first it has had with a touch screen...
Shame it didn't check its own website:
The HP 150 was a "workhorse" according to colleagues and was a highly efficient data entry machine when used with custom cardboard screen overlays!
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I think the Sling shot is a major con and probably a rip off!!
I use a NVIDIA Mx440 Graphics card that costs around £40 second hand, thus card has a composite TV output. I then send the signal through a radio tv sender to my tv...
The whole set up costs less than £60....
Anyone can link their pc to their tv...
This method means you can watch ANY and I do mean ANY format through any type of TV.
If anyone wants to learn how to do this.. Just let me know.
All the best,
NeoN HaZe.
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San Fransisco is the place to be for new gadgets this week, not Las Vegas... ones worth getting, that is.
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Neon Haze,
I live in Ireland and wanna watch Greek channels...
Since you condemned slingbox you may be able to tell me how to do it with your trick....
cheers
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Hmm, that SlingCatcher could be just what I'm looking for. My Myth box doesn't have a TV out (because it's too old and I could never be bothered) but if this will work with a Linux box, I might have to try it.
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Neon Haze,
Apologies... Just noticed that you were talking about sending PC to your TV and I was talking about the other way around...
You wouldn't have any advice for this, would you??
Slingbox seems the best thing
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I'm intrigued by your brilliantly simple way of transmitting video from a PC to a TV, Tim. More details please, such as the best video sender for the job.
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The HP Touchsmart really interests me. It would be perfect in a kitchen. With a tv tuner, and a touch screen on which you can leave notes for others, it looks like an excellent piece of kit.
Not far off what Mr Gates was talking about in last years CES Keynote!
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Slingcatcher? Big deal! I have my Media Center PC connected to my TV with a simple DVI to HDMI cable (about 15 quid at Maplin). How much simpler can it get than that?! OK, you need it physically close enough, but if it was so far away what would be the point anyway?
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If your PC is in the same room as the TV, just get a long VGA cable to connect them. Of course you need the correct output on your graphics card and corresponding input on the TV. With more modern graphics cards and TVs than mine (NVidia Geforce 6600, Samsung LE32R41BD) you'd probably use DVI instead of VGA.
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We don't need any of this stuff/crap. These companies are producing this useless stuff and then marketing takes over. We have all become hypnotised
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More junk to help help the Bevis and Butthead generation delve deeper into the world of the couch potato, taking away the ability for kids to use imagination or thought without the use of a printed circuit board and flashing lights. Heck, even the art of typing on a keyboard now is negated by voice recognition and touch screens you only need to trace your foot across as you have your hands full with the takeaway you ordered online.
The next gen of children might as well be born with a network socket already implanted in their cerebrum.
Enough with the entertainment, lets get something educational out of technology again!
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You can get a signal sender from tesco for £25, you will need a video out from your pc and a few wires to convert it to an AV connection (£10 maplins) then it attaches to the signal sender, you then have the receiver at the other end next to your tv and attach the scart leads. You can also use it with sky and change the channel from another room saves money on multi room.
I've been using mine for the last 2 years and it works fine.
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I think some of you may have missed the point with the Slingcatcher.
It is not a simple case of transmitting a PC signal to the TV or vice versa.
It allows 'remote' access to your satelite/cable box from anywhere in the world, via the internet.
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