(Credit:
Parvus)
With the Zypad WR1100, we're getting closer to "beam me up," at least in looks, if not in actual transporter compatibility.
This bit of bling is a ruggerized wrist-worn personal computer designed for the bush. It contains a high performance CPU with 128MB of flash memory and 256MB of RAM.
With the Zypad device, which runs a Linux operating system, one can access a remote host system through integrated wired or wireless interfaces. The unit boasts a special fiberglass-reinforced nylon-magnesium alloy case for maximum durability and minimum weight.
Features include "802.11 and Bluetooth/Zigbee interfaces, a GPS receiver, electronic compass, biometric fingerprint sensor, and a tilt- and dead-reckoning system that detects the position of the user's arm and sets the system to standby mode when the arm is hanging down beside the body."
Battery packs and functions can be switched out or expanded with a modular hot- swap.
The color VGA 640x480-pixel touch screen, which is resistant to water, dust, is clearly readable in direct sunlight, according to Parvus, the Salt Lake City-based engineering company that makes this marvel. The night vision-compliant feature is optional.
The onboard microphone and speaker are dialed for high noise environments. Diddy, you may need one of these.
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:
Topline Digital)
If there was ever an argument to integrate GPS functions into watches, this would be it. The Chinese-made "Wrist GPS Tracker" claims to be the smallest gadget of its kind, providing satellite tracking and texting functions in a wristwatch-like device.
But even in this relatively compact form it seems unnecessarily cumbersome, especially if it's worn separately from a conventional watch. And the messaging feature needs to work with a cell phone anyway, so that's yet another thing that needs to be carried. With GPS technology being built into more devices all the time, it would seem to make more sense to wait for a watch or a phone that included it instead of buying yet another gadget to carry.
(Credit:
IWantOneOfThose.com)
For the sake of those who wear this timepiece, we sincerely hope that scientists never find any adverse health issues posed by light emitting diodes. The reason: The "Guru" watch, as it's known, has no fewer than 82 LEDs that wrap around your wrist.
This lighting overkill supposedly gives the watch a "hypnotic" effect, but we'd be too preoccupied trying to figure out how to work it to be mesmerized. Still, as Gizmodo notes, its 2-inch-long face does provide a bold fashion statement for the large-boned.
(Credit:
Atlantic)
NEW YORK--Finally, I can play tennis, bowling and other Wii games at full strength without fear of the dreaded fling.
Following on the heels of New York Fashion Week, Atlantic's GameKeeper has unveiled a fashion accessory at DigitalLife 2007 that doubles as a safety device.
The Wii Strap for the Wii controller fastens through the controller loop and onto your wrist with Velcro. But the thick band also looks as if it might double as a wristband. They'll be available this November in sets of blue and black or pink and green for $9.99.
Sorry, fellow WristStrong fans, Atlantic's bands don't have a cause other than protecting your flattie.
Still, it's never too early to start thinking about stocking stuffers for the gamer in your life.
(Credit:
Atlantic)
(Credit:
OhGizmo)
Purists who don't go for such combo gadgets as GPS mice might want to go in the opposite direction with an old-fashioned device that concentrates on just one function. Yes, they do still exist.
And where GPS is concerned, perhaps something like the Mainnav MW-705 is in order, as it's a dedicated receiver built into the form of a watch. Unfortunately, as OhGizmo notes, the unit is so clunky that it would be hard to make it through a doorway without turning sideways.
The Bluetooth GPS watch can work with other devices, such as smart phones and laptops, so there are alternative uses. But if you do keep it on your wrist, we don't advise wearing one of Discovery's wrist cams on the other arm or you may not be able to move the upper half of your body. On the other hand, figuratively speaking, at least you could use the unit to find the nearest chiropractor.
(Credit:
Newlaunches)
Sure, there are plenty of products to keep computers from overheating, but what about the people who use them? We're talking specifically about those familiar gamers who are known for giving their deodorants a run for their money.
To combat overactive sweat glands, Thermaltake has developed some accessories for the hardcore pwner that are designed to blend in with other gaming equipment, unlike a portable fan from K-mart. To wit: The "Anti-Perspiration Wrist Pad" (this is the actual name on the logo).
Although it could easily be mistaken for a set of speakers, as Newlaunches notes, this USB-connected device actually houses two fans to keep palms dry even under the heaviest enemy fire. It may also come in handy for emergency clean-up situations, including the inevitable Mountain Dew spill.
(Credit:
I4U News)
Dick Tracy cliches aside, this long-promised watch-phone could finally become a reality as soon as next month. Australia's SMS Technology claims that its M300 is the "world's smallest phone," a mobile device that could otherwise be easily mistaken for a digital wristwatch that can work with any GSM network. It has a color screen, MP3 player, USB port, speakerphone and Bluetooth compatibility. I4U News says it's scheduled to start shipping March 25 for about $500 in a variety of colors--yes, including pink.
(Credit:
Discovery Communications)
(Credit:
Cosmo Net)
When we first saw this wrist camera, we thought it was a joke. Check out the picture on the far right: It looks as if we could have done just as well with any waterproof point-and-shoot and some Velcro.
Granted, Discovery's wrist cam does have some interesting features, such as the ability to shoot 32 10-second video clips as well as take photos. But we just can't get past the design.
The product literature says this "ultra-light" camera weighs "less than 12 ounces"--which means that, by today's standards, it isn't exactly a featherweight. Also, it "lays flat on the wrist and flips up to take the picture." (Doesn't all this seem decidedly low-tech?)
The camera itself looks like and old Kodak Instamatic from the '60s. All it needs is one of those rotating flash cubes on top.
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