minis

Now that the "Optimus Maximus" has been proven to be more than vaporware, interest is bound to rise for other products by Russian creator Art Lebedev--especially for those who want something a tad more affordable than the uber-keyboard, which can cost up to $1,564 for a fully customizable version. If someone just wants a few programmable buttons, for example, maybe something like the "Optimus Mini 3.0" might make a lot more sense.

Like its predecessor, the new version of the Mini will include three customizable OLED buttons (instead of all 113 keys on the … Read more

You'd think that the design for power strips and surge protectors would be pretty much played out, but Belkin has actually done some pretty interesting things with them in recent years: clamp-on models, ones that hide all of the wall warts, and even the forthcoming Conserve, an eco-friendly model that truly shuts off connected devices at the touch of a wireless remote.

The company is taking that spirit of innovation on the road with its latest power product: the Belkin Mini Surge Protector. The travel-friendly model packs three grounded three-prong power outlets and two powered USB ports into its … Read more

John Cooper has been a name that makes the hearts of Mini enthusiasts beat a little quicker for more than a generation. At this year's Geneva auto show, the two most recent Mini Cooper models--the Mini Cooper and the Mini Cooper Clubman--get the full John Cooper Works treatment, complete with new engines and a lots of race-inspired trim. Check out our photo gallery.

Click here for our coverage of the 2008 Geneva auto show.

After months of making the rounds at every conceivable auto show, the 2008 Mini Cooper Clubman is finally on sale in the U.S.

The wagon-style Clubman is billed as a roomier car that still maintains the personality of the original Mini. To some, it seems like a perfect combination of form and function. But for me, the idea of a big Mini just seems ... well ... against what makes a Mini a Mini. One thing's for sure: the Clubman just seems to be one of those cars that people either love or hate.

Part of the point of making … Read more

Opera should be bracing for impact.

Quite possibly for the first time, Opera Software will receive real pressure in the mobile-browser space from Firefox Mobile and Skyfire.

Like Opera's cell phone browser, Opera Mini (video), both newcomers are free. However, Opera Mobile, which serves Windows Mobile and Symbian S60 phones, is a commercial product that smartphone users may not want to pay for when handed alternatives gratis.

How does Opera plan to keep current customers and attract new ones when consumers face a choice between paying $24 and $0? I asked the Opera folks if they would consider making Opera Mobile free in anticipation of or in response to oncoming competition.

"The mobile Web is blossoming, and we are strongly positioned to take advantage of its growth," Tatsuki Tomita, Opera's senior vice president of consumer products, responded. "While we watch the industry closely, we have not yet determined the end-user model for Opera Mobile."

What a nicely toned, safely vague statement! It's one any company would be expected to make when challenged on two fronts by a competitive freeware surge. Yet with actual working, marketable products for a range of devices and a business plan that reaches into corporate pockets, Opera is well-positioned. For now.… Read more

New baby in the house? Old camcorder on its last legs? Here's your chance to score some MiniDV goodness for a song: eCost has the Canon ZR830 camcorder for $134.99. It's a Canon-recertified model with a 90-day warranty, and you'll pay a few bucks for shipping, but at least there's no rebate.

An entry-level camcorder, the ZR830 combines a 1/6-inch CCD (bigger is better, and that's on the small side) with an unusually long optical zoom (35x!) and a widescreen LCD. It includes a handful of program modes for various shooting conditions (snow, … Read more

The mass-market audio business is scared to death of iPods. Sales of $500 speakers are shaky, A/V receivers aren't exactly flying off the shelves, and nobody's getting rich selling $59 DVD players. Prices of flat screen TVs are still falling, and so are the profits. Meanwhile overhead and other costs go up every year.

The mainstream business model is faltering, but the two channel, high-end market is holding its own, thank you very much. THE hot speaker at the moment is Magico's Mini II ($29,600 per pair including floorstands). I was more than a little … Read more

We've just taken a cheeky advance look at Asus' new Nova P20. It's the latest in a line of alternatives to the Mac Mini and at first glance it ticks all the right boxes for a small form-factor PC: It's tiny, it's very, very quiet, and it's not beige.

You can position it in vertical or horizontal orientations and it has touch-sensitive power and optical drive eject buttons, which help to keep the front looking uncluttered. 'Round the back there are four USB ports and three audio jacks that support surround sound. It also has … Read more

We have a soft spot for the X-mini Capsule Speaker, which blew us away with its mighty volume last year. Now Singapore-based XM-I Company has unveiled the X-mini Capsule Speaker Gen2, which addresses a shortcoming of its older sibling--namely, that it's now stereo.

Part of the charm of the X-mini series lies with its patented technology, which mimics the resonance of a subwoofer; the capsule's resonance chamber acts like a loudspeaker. Now there are two of these. So if you thought the mono-aural original had a surprisingly big boom, the new and improved X-mini sports double the goodness. … Read more