Gadgets Future

Apple’s distribution tactic of its Safari web browser for Windows last Tuesday has created a raucous when CEO of rival Mozilla posted on his blog that what Apple did was wrong. Mozilla CEO John Lilly criticized Apple’s move to push the Safari 3.1 Windows browser through its software updater pop-up. The software updates gives users the option whether to install the Safari browser along with the iTunes software.

The problem is not so much on whether users want to install the Safari web browser. But rather on the way Apple gave the option – that is having the install box checked by default. For Mr. Lilly this is wrong and even calls it a malware distribution practice.

“
It’s wrong because it undermines the trust that we’re all trying to build with users. Because it means that an update isn’t just an update, but is maybe something more. Because it ultimately undermines the safety of users on the web by eroding that relationship. It’s a bad practice and should stop,” said Lilly.

I couldn’t help but understand Mr. Lilly’s reaction to what apple did. Imagine if not all users are mindful enough of that option to install. How many would bother to uncheck that box anyway?  For Apple it’s just one of their ways of making it easy for users to get the latest update from Apple, but for Mozilla, it’s an unfair and uncompetitive practice.

But in the end, the decision still lies with the users. Even if users would not uncheck the install box, they would still have the option to continue with the installation of the Safari browser as the software updater runs along. I think Apple was just employing some guerrilla tactics in trying to push its product. Mozilla can counter this with a guerrilla tactic of their own, unless they run out of good ideas.

Via [CNET] Read [John’s Blog]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

How many buttons does your mouse have? Many people would say three, while plenty of others  might say five. However, if you were using this next mouse, you’d proudly answer with 11. I can understand using a few extra buttons when gaming, or even for multimedia purposes, however, this 11 Button Multimedia Mouse just seems like overkill.

It looks like there are buttons for volume, play/pause, page forward, page backward, internet and even double-click. I’ve really never found it all that difficult to click on the Firefox icon, but I guess it would save you around a second or so of hard work. However, I can’t possibly understand why someone would need a button to double click for them. You’d think it would take more time and effort to train yourself to press the double click button than just click the left mouse button twice. If you need more buttons on your mouse than your keyboard, you can pick this one up for just $14.99.

Source: RedFerret

Not much is known about Motorola’s upcoming Motorola ZN5 except that it’s supposed to be a 5-megapixel Kodak camera-equipped candy bar handset with a Montavista Linux 2.6.1 OS. Unwired View is reporting about a few additional, if a bit disappointing features including 2.5G GSM/GPRS connectivity, 320×240 QVGA display, so-so multimedia capability (Mpeg4 playback) and a bulky camera mechanism. But Motorola has been mum on the issue so far and even that leaked video showing the upcoming Moto phones has been taken down. So right now, the details about this phone are really scarce. Now I’ll be honest with you, I’m curious about this new Motorola phone and all the others because I still believe Motorola can do a comeback even after scoring second to the last in a recently conducted survey of user satisfaction, and not to mention the dismal sales of their then precious Motorola RAZR2 V8. So I did a little digging and well, I found what I was looking for. Not rumors, but official specs of the Motorola ZN5 supplied by the manufacturer’s web site itself.

From Motorola’s web site, this handset is officially called the Motorola ZN5 with Symphony Browser 1.0. Symphony is an open source browser with features that are comparable to the Opera 8.5 browser pre-installed in other models (supports page scaling, font adjustment, Fit Screen mode, multi-window browsing, bookmarks are shown in folder trees and it has a built-in pop-up blocker). Moving on, Motorola’s web site confirms the following features: 240×320 pixel screen resolution, Montavista Linux 2.6.1 OS (like the ROKR E8), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, and a max MMS resolution of 1920×2560 pixels (equating to roughly 5-megapixels), which confirms the details of the camera on this baby. But other than these, I found a few other things about the Motorola ZN5 from Motorola’s web site. And these other things are quite intriguing.

To be sure that I understood what I was reading correctly, I opened up the spec sheets of two other cellphone models, the Motorola L7 and Motorola ROKR E8 and tried to match what I was reading against each of the documents for comparison. Here’s what I found:

• The current bearer service supported is only GSM_GPRS_IPV4, and the list of supported bearers only includes SMS, CSD, and GPRS. Meaning, the Motorola ZN5 really won’t be having 3.5G, and not even 3G, after all.
• There are two officially supported languages: English and Chinese.
• Even though I mentioned earlier that the Motorola ZN5 will have Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, Motorola’s web site strangely says “none” in the portion for its Bluetooth Profiles.
• “We are not supporting the connection oriented Push. So no Push characteristics are included” is written at around the halfway point of the document.
• It supports a slew of many different file formats, and these include JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, MP3, AAC, M4A, MPG, 3GPP and even Real Audio.

Aside from what I’ve previously mentioned, the document I found makes no other reference to the supposedly Kodak-supplied 5 megapixel camera phone. And frankly I don’t think what we have here would be enough to salvage Motorola’s weakening mobile handset business. I guess I got what I came for, but it isn’t exactly what I expected. But of course, these specifications could change at a later time since the product has not been made official yet anyway. You never know. What do you think?

Read [Motorola ZN5 RDF]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

There are many different things about your computer that are good to keep an eye on, especially if you’re one that enjoys pushing your PC to the limit. I tend to push my PC pretty hard, which means I need to keep an eye on the temperatures at all times. There are generally two options here: keep a software monitor running on desktop taking up valuable screen space, or you can have an lcd monitor installed on the front of your computer. Neither one is all that appealing to me, which is why I’m intrigued by this Gadget Display.

This little gadget is a 2-inch color LCD screen which connects to  your PC via USB. You can set this anywhere, likely near your monitor somewhere.  It can display dozens of different things ranging from a clock, CPU and RAM usage. We don’t have a lot of information on this little gadget, however, there is likely a way to get this to display other things such as your CPU or motherboard temperature.

Source: EverythingUSB

Griffin iFM Radio And Remote For Dock iPods

iFM integrates FM radio tuning and remote control functionality to the iPod, all in a tiny enclosure.With the flip of a switch users can now switch seamlessly between controlling their music library and listening to their favorite FM radio programming.Use the iFM as an inline remote to control the iPod’s transport controls, great for workouts, biking or hiking. The integrated white backlit LCD shows the operating mode of the iFM at a glance.iFM FeaturesRadio: Digital auto station scan with wraparound Band-Switch function to switch between US, European and Japanese FM bands 6 station presets per band Remote: Controls play, pause, fast forward, rewind, next song, previous song, volume Equalization: To give you quick control over the sound of your iPod’s music, iFM features a handy equalization toggle, available in Remote Mode

Technorati Tags: ipod & mp3 player

Dream of all dreams, HTC has announced their first Android-based handset will be called the Dream. The phone obviously, will run Google’s much-awaited Android software and is expected to feature a large touchscreen display with navigational controls below and full QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard is expected to either slide or swivel out. Unfortunately an image of the Dream has not been leaked, but sources say that it measures in at around 3 x 5-inches.

And just as you would expect, there has not been any word coming from HTC.

HTC represented Maggie Cheng, when asked more about the subject simply replied: “We cannot comment on this product.”

At least, they already gave it a name. All we have to do now is just wait and hope that our “Dream” will be fulfilled. 

Android, being an open source platform, will have many developing a phone that will eventually compete with the Dream. Rumors are also speculating that Samsung has their own model in the works. Looks like there will be some tough competition in the mobile phone market when phone makers begin introducing their Google phones.

Read [Yahoo! News]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

If all the buzz marketing about recycling stuff and conserving power isn’t enough to win you over, this new concept for a glowing household power outlet might. It’s basically an ordinary power outlet that has a hidden LED that glows red when a plug stays connected for a certain amount of time (read: too long). The red glow becomes brighter as more energy is used, prompting you to kindly unplug and turn your stuff off. Now I have to admit, this is a great idea, but I can’t help but wonder if the creators of this concept ever realized that for this thing to work, it is going to need power. So from what I can see, this glowing socket tries to remind users to stop wasting power, when it’s wasting the power itself by shining with that bright red glow. I hope they find another way to power this thing or else, it’s going to be nothing but an oxymoron—an electric power saver that runs on electric power itself.

Read [INewIdea] Via [DVice]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

We have seen more than our fair share of mini PC’s hitting the market lately. This latest coming courtesy of Asus is their Nova Lite Mini 2L PC.

The Nova Lite Mini 2L PC is super small measuring in at 9.09 x 7.24 x 2-inches and lightweight at just 3.3-pounds, but Asus was still able to pack in a solid set of specs. The Nova Lite Mini 2L PC features an Intel Mobile CPU, 1 or 2GB of RAM, an 80 or 160GB hard drive, DVD Super Multi drive, Ethernet, four USB 2.0 ports, DVI and VGA, audio in, audio out, built-in Hi-Fi speakers and optional 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi.

It is only loaded with a single fan which according to Asus should lead “to an amazingly quiet and tranquil user experience” not to mention the power savings thanks to the CPU running at just 18W while in operation and only 5W when idle. Thanks to the energy savings on the Nova Lite Mini 2L PC you could hopefully cut down on some of those huge electric bills, and yeah, save more desk space with this one. Currently Asus has not announced and pricing information or a release date.

Read [Asus]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

Ever wished you could go around much faster while underwater during your dives so that you can take as many pictures as possible? The Reef Rider Sea Scooter does just that for you when underwater.

The REEF-RIDER SEASCOOTER packs thrust for a speed of up to 2.2mph/3.5kmh in a very compact, lightweight design. With safety features including protective grille and auto shut off, the Reef Rider is great for kids (recommended 8 years and older) and adults alike. The Reef-Rider is essentially a stripped-down version of the Sea-Doo range of sea scooters, combining performance and safety with ease of use and lightness. Now you can lark in the pool or get down with the fish easily. The Reef Rider will operate to a depth of 3 metres, and a full charge will give you a run-time of up to 50 minutes - plenty of time to bond with the undersea world and discover the wonders of the not too deep.

The Reef Rider Sea Scooter can be yours today for £99.99. Why not get it as an early summer gift for someone?

USB Travel Case Hub

This fantastic unique design is your notebook’s travelling companion. This 4-port hub provides you with a ‘Brief Case’ unique design featured with cable-tidy and dust-free function It’s ideal for travelling purpose as well as office or home use. The 4-port hub is self powered and no software is required. The USB hub is 1.1 version but also compatible with 2.0. Transfer rates at full speed are 12Mbps and low speed 1.5Mbps. To open the case you simply press the plastic handle for the brief case and lift the top. This USB hub in an elegant aluminium travel case is a great accessory for you computer or notebook. All will be intrigued as to what you are carrying in that little case!