Multifunctional devices are a must for any geek, even at the office. So when a gadget comes along that replaces a technologically deficient tool such as a tape dispenser and adds the functionality of a full 4 port USB 2.0 hub, you can’t help but get excited.
While the more tech savvy you are, the less likely you are to have need for scotch tape over duct or electrical tape, this USB hub tape dispenser is still pretty nifty. It transfers at full high speed 480mbps and three of the four ports can actually rotate 180 degrees.
The USB Tape Dispenser is fully plug and play capable, so feel free to plop it on the desk at your new job and start taping junk in nerdtastic style.
If you’ve got a cell phone, chances are, you have a place were you get bad reception. Chances are, that place is your home or office. It’s just how luck works. So instead of whining to your friends about switching carriers (and don’t forget, the grass is always greener over somebody else’s cesspool, so be careful), you could always purchase a Cellphone Signal Extender.
This specific unit needs to have it’s antenna placed in the window, then a coax cable run to the central unit. It boosts the signal in a 2,5000 square foot area, but you need to remember that it only boosts signal, it doesn’t create it. So as long as your desired area has some signal, you’ll be golden.
We’ve already addressed the fact that notebooks were once called laptops, but due to the heat they produce, the name has all but disappeared to prevent a generation of internet savvy individuals from being unable to produce offspring. Plenty of solutions have been released to rectify the dangers of placing a heavily heated device on ones lap, including devices with and without fans. But none of them have looked nearly as bad ass as the ThermalTake T2000 Notebook Cooler.
The fact that this device looks about 20 times cooler than my laptop makes it difficult for me to even want to place it on there. Capable of handling up to a 15 inch laptop, this device can’t exactly handle the big boys like my 19 inch Dell media center notebook, but anything within reason, going all the way down to my 7 inch Eee PC fits perfectly on it.
The slated top allows for excellent air flow and actually grips on to your notebook pretty firmly. Inside that area are two 7 cm fans that run surprisingly quiet. The angled design keeps the bottom of the T2000 Notebook Cooler off your lap or other service enough so that the air being brought in and pushed out isn’t going directly into another surface, thus reducing its effectiveness.
The portability is by far my favorite aspect of the entire device. It’s fairly light weight, compact (it fit inside my 15 inch laptops bag), and runs completely off of USB for power. This solved a lot of issues, as previous coolers that I’ve used have actually had heavier power supply’s then the device itself. The device comes with a DC to USB plug, which I haven’t run across before, and is long enough to reach wherever your USB ports are. Mine happened to be right about the port, so unfortunately I found the cord rather long, but I’ve seen my fair share of laptops to know that not all of us are that lucky.
At $39.99, my only real concern is the fact that I won’t actually be able to make my laptop look even remotely cool enough to match the style that the T2000 Notebook Cooler has. Comparatively, the price is around what you’d expect to pay for a device of this quality, especially one that powers itself through USB and not through a bulky DC adapter.
T2000 Notebook Cooler provided for review by ThermalTake.
GPS is amazing for when you get lost. But the potential for it to be one of the gaming worlds most popular add-ons in existence is through the roof. With the 3G iPhone, games are already being developed that can take advantage of the GPS functionality, bringing Desktop Tower Defense style games into the real world.
What’s really impressive, however, is the plan to utilize the PSP’s GPS add-on for exactly this purpose. Sony and several other third party studios are already planing on developing games that can take full advantage of this system.
Too bad, of course, that no one has a PSP….
Netbooks seem to be taking over the world, and LG wants to hop onboard. The irony of it? They want MSI, the creators of the Wind (quite possibly the Eee PC’s most formidable foe) to build their X110 Netbook.
It would be safe to say that MSI is a quality company all around and are definitely kicking butt in this category. So why would they consider building their competitions system?
Well for starters, LG is looking to fill this baby with an 8.9 inch screen, 120GB hard drive, 2GB ram, and comes stock with Windows XP. That means that the price is expected to be between $625 and $790, making this the most expensive Netbook available. Their goal is quality over affordability.
MSI would be smart to take their money.
Yesterday, as I found myself caught in an intense downpour, I thought to myself, my iPhone is done for. The rain soaked right through all of my clothes, leaving my iPhone nearly submerged in the water almost pooling in my pocket.
Luckily it survived.
Apparently, I’m not the only one unfortunate enough to get their electronic devices wet constantly (see also: everyone), so when I heard about the Golden Shellback waterproofing method, I became overwhelmed with joy. The coating, which can’t easily be removed, is applied within a vacuum, and is so powerful that a device submerged in water for over 450 hours continued to operate while under water and afterwards as well.
No word yet on a street date, but be hopeful!
In an interesting turn of events, a case brought to court in California over a $190 speeding ticket was recently appealed. Not much of a story until you explain the fact that it was appealed due entirely to the fact that his GPS unit logged exactly how fast he was going.
Shaun Malone, the recipient of the $190 ticket, lost the initial case brought up against him, where a police officer clocked him going 62MPH in a 45MPH zone. But after a specialist took the stand during the appeal to not only explain that an email was sent to Shaun’s parents whenever he exceeded 70MPH and also kept a log of his general speed. The specialist confirmed that these devices were accurate to within 1MPH, so with this information, the judge ruled in Shaun’s favor to throw out the original conviction.
In October the final verdict of the case will be decided and the potential for GPS devices to hold a higher sway over radar guns may be a far reaching one.
Source: Gizmodo
Have a NetFlix subscription and an Xbox 360? Well you’re in luck. An update scheduled for this Fall is slated to include the ability for NetFlix subscribers to easily play any of the Watch It Now movies or tv shows that NetFlix has made available on their website directly through your Xbox 360.
While this may not seem huge to those of you without one or either, the ability to watch movies instantly without having to wait for them in the mail or plug your laptop/desktop directly into your TV (which rarely ever works right and can take up plenty of time) adds even more value to the already cheap price of NetFlix and the relatively reasonable price of an Xbox Live Gold subscription.
GPS devices are great, but one of the biggest issues that people seem to run into is where to place them. You want maximum visibility of the road and of the GPS unit so that you can avoid that person on their bike yet still make that sharp right hand turn. So where’s the best place to put it?
Apparently, in your mirror.
The DS400GB SmartMirror is a really neat addition to any car. Loaded with Navigon Mobile Navigator 6.5, a 4 inch touch screen, integrated speakers, bluetooth, and an SD card reader, you’ll be good to go. If you’re car has rear-view cameras, it also has two inputs for those as well.
The DS400GB SmartMirror launches August 1st for $799.
You’re no noob. So when you’re new processor and cooling unit comes packed with some generic thermal paste, you’re smart enough to toss that gunk and grab something a bit more powerful. While each person has their own personal favorite, Noctua’s NT-H1 pro-grade TIM solution is definitely one to consider regardless of whether you’re going for extended component life or to push your system to the limit.
Having a hybrid composition made up of different micro-particles allows for the NT-H1 to be perfectly optimized for use inside a PC. The compound has a much lower thermal resistance than most, allowing for it to work at temperatures other thermal paste aren’t even remotely effective at.
With the debate ever raging on as to how to apply thermal paste, it’s nice to see that NT-H1 stands firmly behind the dot method. Instead of wasting NT-H1 by spreading it manually across the surface, their instructions recommend that you put one drop onto the center of your CPU prior to installing your cooling unit and simply let the pressure spread it out for you. This works very well in general with most thermal paste, but I found the NT-H1 much more responsive to this method then prior compounds used.