| | | | | | | GadgetReview | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Scientists at the University of Saskatchewan may have invented a revolution in dental care — the solar-powered toothpaste-less toothbrush. It works by charging up via solar cells, then a chemical reaction causes the bacteria in the teeth to die. It’s called the Soladey-J3X, and it’s currently in testing with teenagers. Just make sure you have enough juice for that nighttime brushing. Read | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | This QWERTY Keyboard Case concept from designer Altamash Jiwani sounds like it would be really appealing to certain iPhone users. The case slips over the iPhone and connects to its dock port, and thanks to the iPhone 4’s new external accessory interface, it would disable the on-screen keyboard and let you use a good old-fashioned QWERTY physical layout. Too bad it’s just a concept — but hey, maybe Apple would approve something like this. Read | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | When Google TV had its big announcement back in May, the tech community was excited…and then, nothing else happened. Things have been quiet on Google’s end on more details about their DVR-esque device, and now a new report by the Wall Street Journal says that the company is having trouble finding partners for its service. Although Google has the hardware end locked up, with Toshiba, Sony, and Dish Network on board, the content providers like ABC and Fox aren’t so sure. While Google TV users can still watch those network’s shows through cable or satellite, the companies might actually hurt Google’s attempts at a “content from everywhere” experience by blocking the streaming services they currently have online. With Google TV set for a fall release, we’ll find out soon enough whether they’re great experiment will pay off. Read | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Razer’s new BlackWidow mechanical keyboard is the latest gadget to promise advantages on the online battlefield. What is a mechanical keyboard, you may ask? Well, it mechanical keyboards use a different technology to register key presses. Most keyboards use a common membrane and scissor-switch style key designs — with mechanical keyboards, every key has a mechanical switch underneath the cap to register the stroke. What this means is that the BlackWidow will help out gamers and those that need to type quickly. It’s available now for in two versions — a standard one for $80, and a deluxe version with customizable backlit keys, microphone & headphone jacks, and an added USB port for $130. Read | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Back in January, we showed you the BookBook case for the MacBook pro, which disguised your laptop as a leather bound book. Now, the same company Twelvesouth has released an iPad version of the case. It looks similar to its predecessor, transforming Apple’s tablet into what appears to be an old hardcover book. It doubles as a stand too, for watching movies when you should be reading (see the irony?) The BookBook iPad Stand is available now for $69.99. Read | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Sure, yesterday’s announcement of two new PS3’s was nice, but they were the regular old black design, and there’s nothing too exciting about that. This blue PS3, a limited edition bundle for Gran Turismo 5, doesn’t have that problem. The Gran Turismo 5 Racing Pack includes the “Titanium Blue” 160GB PS3 and the Limited Edition of Gran Turismo 5 game and lands Nov 3rd in Japan & Europe for ¥35,980 ($421). Notice that there’s no U.S. pricing? Yeah, you’ll have to import this thing — but c’mon, just look at it. Read | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Logitech’s new K800 Wireless Illuminated Keyboard brings the wired illumination of last year’s MK700 to the wireless realm. An ambient light detector and motion sensor guarantees the right amount of light for each environment while conserving battery — up to ten hours on a single charge, which then gets refilled via mini-USB. It also uses Logitech’s PerfectStroke system, promising uniform tactile feedback across the entire surface of the key. The Logitech’s K800 Wireless Illuminated Keyboard is available now for $100. (more…) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | SSD drives were cool to begin with, but SanDisk’s new 64GB SSD is pretty darn small too — the size of a postage stamp, actually. The new iSSD, or integrated SSD, is soldered onto the motherboard and is going to be used for portable devices. Sizes will range from 4GB to 64GB, and have read speeds of 160MB/sec and 100MB/sec write. They’re shipping now, and will be available to manufacturers soon. (more…) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Amex Digital’s new MP-501 media player is small — measuring just 175- x 128- x 15mm and weighing 250 grams, but that doesn’t mean it’s not powerful. It connects to USB hard drives, flash drives, and has a SD card slot, and can stream 1080p video to your TV over HMDI thanks to its ARM Cortex-A8 CPU, making it the smallest player in the world capable of full HD video. Video support is broad, too, as long as it’s not DRM’ed. There’s also some standard def love with a composite video / audio output and mini-USB port. Best of all, the MP-501 is available now for $49. Read | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Remember Microsoft’s Magic Mouse competitor we talked about back in July? Well, it looks like the Arc Touch Mouse is real. Images have leaked from a German online store that show the mouse, with some specs too. The main draw here is the curved design, which provides more ergonomic comfort, and the mouse also folds down for portability. Other features include touch-scrolling, multi-surface tracking, a battery indicator, and 2.4GHz nano receiver. The price, roughly translated, is $69.95, but availability for America is currently unknown. Read | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | THQ’s uDraw Gaming Tablet is one of the more interesting game accessories we’ve seen. First of all, it’s on the Wii, and doesn’t have much to do with motion controls, even though the controller rests within it. The four by six inch tablet is coming bundled with a game called uDraw Studio, which is drawing based, and other game sin the pipeline include Pictionary and something called Dood’s Big Adventure. The former sounds like it could be pretty fun as a party game. The bundle arrives in early 2011 for $70. Read | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | TechCrunch is reporting on Apple’s testing of wireless payment systems today. If you’re unaware of what NFC (near field communication) is, it’s pretty cool — it allows for credit/debit transactions to happen wirelessly using short range transmission. They’re using prototype iPhones to do the tests, which, if they go will, could signal the technology as a feature in the iPhone 5. The tech could also be used to wirelessly transfer photos and video from your iPhone to your MacBook almost instantaneously, or to give people coupons based on being at a certain location at a certain time. Hopefully we’ll be seeing this tech become prevalent soon. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Fujifilm’s new Real 3D W3 camera looks like a great successor to 2009’s W1. The pocket camera’s biggest new feature is the resolution bump — this camera shoots 720p 3D video in the 3D-AVI format, which you can watch on you 3D TV with shutter glasses using the built-in mini-HDMI output. Or you could use the camera’s 3.5-inch autostereoscopic LCD that lets you see the 3D image without glasses. There’s also some cool 2D photo options, thanks to the two sensors needed to produce the 3D image. The FinePix Real 3D W3 is available in early September for $499.95. Read | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Well, the rumors were true — confirmed and shipping in less than a day! A 160GB version of the PS3 Slim is shipping now for $299.99. More interestingly, a PlayStation Move bundle will hit American shores for $399.99 on September 14th. That includes a 320GB console, Move controller, PlayStation Eye, Sports Champions game, and demo disc. With all that storage, you’ll have plenty of room for all those Move demos that will hopefully be out this fall. Read | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Attention, LOST & Apple fanboys — the Apple II used in the show is now up for auction, and basically the apex of nerd-dom if you’re a fan of both. Part of a huge auction sale of the show’s props, the Apple II was used to input “The Numbers” every 108 minutes in the show’s second season, and comes complete with the Dharma logo on all its parts. The auction house estimates the price at $1,000 – $1,500 dollars when it goes on the block August 21st, so you better start saving pennies to own this piece of TV history. Read | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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