Space-age design: The mPower Emergency Illuminator is set to hit stores in March, 2010.
(Credit: mPower)Flashlights are becoming more and more sophisticated, as well as rather expensive. Case in point: the upcoming mPower Emergency Illuminator, which made its press debut this week at an event in New York. Designed by the Porsche Design Studio to be "a stylish product with emergency utility, it will cost somewhere between $250 and $300 when it comes out in March of 2010.
Aside from the fetching design, the mPower Emergency Illuminator boasts some innovative battery technology. One battery "tube" stores two CR123 batteries, while the other has what's called an OnCommand Reserve Battery that the company says has a minimum 20-year shelf life and will deliver "power on command when and where you need it."
While the special reserve battery isn't rechargeable and will wear down if you use the flashlight a lot, it will never degrade just sitting around in its tube. In other words, you could never turn this torch on for years, and it would still work the moment you need it--according to mPower. Replacing the backup battery will cost you around $25, though that price may go up with inflation over the years.
It's also worth noting that the flashlight has a built-in USB port for charging cell phones and other gadgets. If there's juice available from the CR123 batteries, your device will draw power from them; if not, it will charge up via the backup battery.
Comments? Would you rather have this model or the battery-free LED quick charging flashlight from 5.11 Tactical?
Gateway releases new MD series notebooks
Leveraging the style of Gateway's MC Series notebook PC, the new Gateway MD Series notebook line delivers cinematic mobile entertainment and mainstream performance to consumers on a budget. The MD Series sports a 16:9 aspect ratio and high-definition 15.6-inch wide-screen display at a 1,366x768-pixel resolution. With its HDMI 1.3 media connection, it lets consumers connect to a display device for enjoying high-definition video and audio ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Back in September, we introduced you to Logitech's newest diNovo Keyboard for Notebooks. CNET's Rich Brown expressed confusion as to why we actually need a "for Notebooks" model, and after doing a full-length review, I must agree. There's absolutely nothing about the diNovo for Notebooks that makes it strictly for laptops. Well, there is one tiny little key: the eject button. Although, that can still be used for desktops, so I guess that designator means nothing- it's all marketing.
That's not to say that we didn't like the keyboard itself, though. It looks and performance almost exactly the same as the Logitech diNovo Mac Edition, except for a few different shortcut and Windows keys. Both keyboards integrate Logitech's PerfectStroke key design that we're loving more and more as the days go on. The shortcut keys on the top row make it easy to open your most popular applications, and, of course, they're all reprogrammable thanks to Logitech's SetPoint desktop software. Unfortunately, both diNovos suffer from the same shortcomings as well. Neither give you control over angle ergonomics, nor do they include integrated USB ports or backlit keys. The diNovo for Notebooks also daringly boasts the same $100 price tag, which we think is a little too much to charge for a keyboard lacking so many extra features.
Check out our full review of the Logitech diNovo for Notebooks.
After reviewing the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard, the diNovo for Mac, and the diNovo for Notebooks, our day-to-day favorite by a long shot is the Illuminated Keyboard. The backlit keys are a huge help in the dark, two feet on the bottom let you adjust the angle of the keys, and the uniformly flat surface area makes things super comfortable on your wrists. Finally, the $80 price tag is easy on the wallet and helps us forget about its lack of USB extension ports.
Read our full review of the Logitech diNovo Illuminated Keyboard.
Feeling a little blasé about how ordinary your blinds look from day to night? OK. Fine, so you don't care. How about if they did something more than just open and close?
Designed by Yoon-Hui Kim and Eun-Kyung Kim, the Solar Vertical Lamp takes an average vertical blind and embeds it with special mini photovoltaics and LED pixels. Close the blinds during the day and the miniature solar pads on the back of the blinds start to soak up the sun's energy. Once the sun goes down, artfully placed lighting pixels illuminate in certain parts of the blinds.
(Credit:
Inhabitant)
The two-dimensional lamps come in table lamp, floor lamp, and chandelier forms. Besides being completely energy-efficient and saving you tons of money on your monthly bill, they create a sexy and dramatic ambiance for any part of the home.
(Credit:
Inhabitat)
(Credit:
Logitech)
Logitech just announced a new Mac version of its popular diNovo Keyboard, and we're eager to get our grubby little hands on a test unit. We've tried out the diNovo Edge, the diNovo Edge for Macs, and the Illuminated Keyboard with positive marks across the board, and we're sure this version will be no different.
The new diNovo keyboard promises to be the perfect companion to your Mac desktop, with all the buttons in the familiar Mac-style layout in a slim, easy-to-use layout. The keys themselves are part of Logitech's PerfectStroke system that allows for uniform tactile feedback across the entire surface of the key, making for a pretty comfortable typing experience.
In addition, this is a 2.4GHz wireless system that Logitech claims will last three years before you'll need to change batteries. And of course, the keyboard has an integrated wrist wrest that we all need to keep arthritis at bay. The Logitech diNovo Keyboard Mac Edition is available now for $99.99. Look for a full review from CNET coming soon.
Night owls, boogey monsters, and vampires rejoice: the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard is here to help you work in darkness, away from the harsh light of the sun. The underside of each key houses a tiny microlight that emits a soft blue glow in low-light conditions, effectively letting you work in the dead of night.
Like the Logitech diNovo Edge, the Illuminated Keyboard incorporates Perfect Stroke to help you type faster and more accurately. The system allows for a wide 3.2mm stretch spanning each letter and an even amount of vertical depression across the the flat of the keys, so your hands feel slightly stretched out when you position them on the home letters.
We actually typed faster using this keyboard thanks to the lightweight keys and the angled wrist rest that gently positions your hands on the padded base.
Read the full review of the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard.
(Credit:
LumiGram)
It occurs to us that the previous item may have left an erroneous impression. For the record, we wish to let it be known that not all LED products are actually useful. In fact, if Crave's posts are any indication, the superfluous may well outnumber the practical. (On second thought, Crave should never be used to judge reality in any form.)
In any event, this next example ranks right up there with the "Illuminated Handbag." The "LumiHeart" cushion is made of fiber-optic fabric lighted by batteries stuffed inside, according to Gizmodiva. There's apparently a toggle switch somewhere in this ill-advised accent piece, if you're so inclined to turn it on and off, and it even comes in small and medium sizes. We can't imagine why it's not offered in large and XL too.
The scuba headlamp
(Credit: FoxFurty)It may be the season of power outages, but you'll never have to worry about stubbing your toe in the dark if you have one of these lamps. In fact, you can light up the whole neighborhood just by turning your head.
FoxFury, which makes industrial-grade lighting products, is offering some serious LED headlamps for personal use as well. Its "Signature Series" includes various versions that are designed for such activities as hunting, hiking and even diving, according to OhGizmo, with different LEDs for each purpose. The scuba model, for instance, has blue and green lights that aren't as likely to freak out the marine life as other colors.
And for good reason: These lamps, which run on 4 AA batteries, boast 24 LEDs that can light a path 150 feet ahead with a 45-degree field of vision. We can't wait for Halloween.
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