Gadgets Future

Posted Mar 10th 2008 4:27PM by Paul Miller
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Networking
Remote desktop clients are great for those one-in-a-million scenarios when your computer is working well enough to connect to the internet and run a remote desktop app, but still requires technical assistance. In contrast, IOGEAR gives IT types full control from boot with the spendy-but-useful PCPortal GCN1000. The internet-connected KVM switch is completely hardware-based, meaning the computer you’re controlling needs no working operating system to be taken control of, and IT people have about as much control over the remote PC as they would if sitting directly in front of it. You can also plug the GCN1000 into regular KVM switches to manage multiple computers remotely, as well as use the Virtual Media port to give remote users data straight from whatever’s plugged into the USB port. Unfortunately, all this hotness comes at a cost: the GCN1000 is available now for $500.

[Via Blast]

I don’t know if any of you saw this mediocre movie called I Am Sam, but there is a scene where Sean Penn, who plays a mentally challenged father who loses his beloved daughter to the courts, literally walls himself in his apartment with origami bricks.

I only bring this up because the origami bricks from this film were really flimsy, and looked like a paper curtain. If Sean Penn’s character Sam wanted to build a better and firmer wall, he could have used Bloxes.

What exactly are Bloxes? Well, they are building blocks make from interlocking pieces of folded-up corrugated cardboard. As you can see from this picture, you can connect them together on all six sides and make walls, benches, tables, or pretty much anything else. You can really create a unique look that unfortunately won’t be fireproof.

These Bloxes may sound a bit like a plastic toy that rhymes with Eggo, but these Bloxes aren’t designed with children in mind. In fact, the website recommends getting a group of people together, and, after some beer and pizza, have a Bloxing assembling party. Once the Bloxes are assembled, they are quite large at 9 ½ inches square. Put twenty of these Bloxes together and you can create a 4-by-5 wall of 36 by 45 inches.

You can get Bloxes directly from the website in colors of White or Brown for about $59.95 a pop.

Source

Posted Mar 10th 2008 2:45PM by Donald MelansonMicrosoft Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie isn’t normally one to give interviews, but the man himself did find a bit of time recently to chat with Om Malik of GigaOM, where he talked about the economics of cloud computing and the relevance of the desktop, among a myriad of other topics. On that latter point, Ozzie says up front that a student today or a web startup “don’t actually start at the desktop. They start at the web,” but he goes on to say that while there are things that the web is good for “that doesn’t necessarily mean that for all those things that the desktop is not good anymore. What I think is important is to re-pivot the center of what we are trying to accomplish.” On the topic of cloud computing, Ozzie goes so far as to say that he thinks “all of these utility-computing services, as they’re born will either be breaking even or profitable,” adding that “at the scale that we’re talking about, nobody can afford, (even Microsoft) can’t afford to do it at a loss.” Of course, he goes on to elaborate further on that and other subjects, so be sure to hit up the link below for the complete interview.

Posted Mar 10th 2008 5:42PM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Storage
LaCie’s been known to launch a few products under the cover of darkness before, and sure enough, it’s decided to do just that with a trifecta of new externals. Starting from the top, we’ve got the 1TB Desktop Hard Disk, which sports a USB 2.0 port (only) and an exceedingly simplistic black design. Next up is the more compact 250GB - 500GB Desktop Hard Disk, which sports the same name (and sole USB socket) but a much less bulky chassis. Lastly, the Mobile Disk comes in 80GB, 120GB, 160GB, 250GB and 320GB sizes, fits in most cargo pockets and gets all the juice it needs from your machine’s USB port. Word on the street has both the Desktop and Mobile drives starting at around €80 ($123), and if you look hard enough, you can actually grab these right now.

Read - LaCie 1TB Desktop Hard Disk [Via Gizmos]
Read - LaCie 250GB - 500GB Desktop Hard Disk
Read - LaCie Mobile Hard Disk [Via Gizmos]

The Charlatans (here in the U.S. they would be called The Charlatans UK) have pulled a Radiohead and are initially making their latest album available to download for free! But unlike Radiohead, where fans had to decide how much they were willing to pay, the Charlatans’ offer comes with no such strings attached. There’s no guilt trip whatsoever! All right, there might be a bit of one when the Charlatans have the CD release of their album, which is their 10th and is called You Cross My Path, in a couple of months. You see, I downloaded the album and burned the songs to CD, so I already have my CD.

Maybe the Charlatans are hoping that fans won’t be burning the downloaded songs to CD and would still want to have the liner notes enough to buy the CD when it comes out. I guess since the Charlatans have been around for a while like Radiohead, they can afford to risk a hit to the pocketbook. OK, so here are the details. On the Xfm site you can download the whole album as a .zip file, or you can download the songs individually. The songs are MP3 files, so that’s thoughtful of the Charlatans in that they could still have had the songs be free but in a format that would not be compatible for everyone.  Anyway, thank you Charlatans and Xfm for your generosity!

Read [Xfm] Read [Tech.Blorge]

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Buffalo’s latest, the MiniStation TurboUSB is now sporting 500GB of storage space. The 500GB MiniStation TurboUSB drive, also know as the less exciting HD-PS500U2 offers quite a bit of storage in a very small size. The MiniStation measures in at just 5 x 0.8 x 3.3-inches which basically means it can fit just about anywhere.

The 500GB MiniStation is a 5400RPM USB drive that offers automatic setup with no drivers required, is USB powered and has a “shock resistant chassis” to protect against drops and those bound to happen mishaps. The drive will retail for $329 and is compatible with Windows and Mac. And just in case 500GB is a little more storage (or money) for you, the MiniStation TurboUSB drive also comes in 120, 160, 250 and 320GB storage options.

Product [MiniStation TurboUSB] Read [Buffalo Technology]

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As part of our long-standing tradition of bringing you the best in toilet technology, we’d like to present the Breeza deodorizing toilet seat. The Breeza has a 4-part deodorizing system which starts when the sensors detect a “deodorizing opportunity” as someone sits down. At this point, the fan kicks in, which sucks up the odors. Then, the carbon filter absorbs the odors. As a final step, the Breeza’s fragrance vents deliver a subtle (so they say) waft of natural extracts to give the air a sweet scent.

The Breeza Warm adds a seat-warming feature with an adjustable temperature setting.

Most of the world hasn’t caught up with the super-toilets of Japan, but the Breeza can bring you a step closer for just $129 from Amazon.

Posted Mar 10th 2008 8:54AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Desktops, Household
We’ve seen antiquated Macs given new life as fish tanks and living room decorations, but the iWipe takes repurposing to an entirely different level. As you can clearly see in the image above, one particular engineering soul figured a spare Macintosh SE case would look a whole lot better in his bathroom than in the trash, so he whipped out a screwdriver, removed some internal brackets and gave the unit a fresh coat of paint. $15 and a few hours later, out popped his new toilet paper dispenser. Check out the read link for a bunch more pics — oh, and stop second guessing yourself, you’re totally building one of these next weekend.

Need to open a folder on your computer but you’re feeling a bit too lazy to move your fingers? Tobii Technology is here to the rescue, with the introduction of their OEM eye tracking technology during this year’s annual CeBIT trade show. This technology can further be applied to gaming, medical and vision diagnostics, market research set-top boxes, 3D displays, and as well as in automotive safety. The list goes on to include computer interfaces in medical, industrial and military environments.

Personally, I think this would be a great feature in vending machines, where it would enable anyone to look at a particular product (a hot/cold beverage, tissues/napkins, etc.) and claim the item at the push of a single button without having to go through the currently difficult process of pushing two to three stubby nubs. According to Tobii, this will provide new and unique opportunities for product enhancements to companies as it offers customized OEM eye tracking components for seamless integration into various devices.

Imagine all the time you’d be able to save by skipping through the the necessary left/right clicking and gaining access certain programs or parts of your computer directly just by looking at them. And apart from being a time saver, this will also contribute to analyzing user thinking and behavior. Presumably, this technology is still in its beta testing stage but expect it to be one of the most talked about upcomings later on this year once it finally goes mainstream.

Via [Aving.net]

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Now here’s a musical instrument that will definitely make your day - a Laser Harp. Created by Stephen Hobley, this guy was inspired by Jean Michael Jarre stringing his highly theatrical Laser Harp live 22 years ago, and has finally achieved his dream of building one just like it. The Laser Harp can be built for less than $600, although you will need to pick up the $19 Laser Harp Plans and Source Code first. The “strings” on the Laser Harp doesn’t really make any sound as they’re just triggers for notes that are produced on a MIDI. Can someone make a Laser Guitar to woo a 21st century Juliet?

Source: Gizmag