Gadgets Future

When I saw CNET’s Natali del Conte (one of my top women in tech) recommending her favorite time-saving sites on the Today show recently, it tripped a memory switch and I realised there was something I should share with Popgadget readers.

That thing is a service called OpenTable, which I used when I visited New York last year.

OpenTable’s website makes dining out a breeze by allowing you to make a reservation at any of 8,000 restaurants across the U.S. and Canada (from wherever you happen to be). Simply log on, select the restaurant plus the time and date of your choice, and you’re good to go. On the day of your reservation, you’ll receive a call to remind you of your dinner plans (at your hotel if you’re on vacation - they’ll even leave a message which there’s no obligation to return). OpenTable basically makes it easy for anyone to reserve a seat - especially foreign travellers like myself.

Oh, and if you’re wondering, the table I reserved was at the Marriott in Times Square, and it was one of the best meals of my life.

Thanks for the reminder, Natali!

Our dreams of the perfect, barebones camera come a step closer to being answered. Ricoh’s GR Digital II has been fully tested at the Photography Blog and the conclusion is that, while there are flaws, it delivers great pictures and is a joy to use.

Probably the most important for a serious photographer, the GR II shoots RAW. Adobe DNG RAW, which means no pesky compatibility problems with processing software. The camera does struggle to record these files to a memory card, though, with a write time of up to four seconds and no real burst mode (you can squeeze off two shots before the camera locks up).

Noise at settings above ISO 400 is a problem, too, although not surprising as Ricoh has squeezed 10.3 million pixels onto a sub-APS sized CCD chip. Another possible problem for those too lazy to get up and walk is the lack of a zoom. The GR II comes with a fixed 28mm lens. The prime glass should make for better images, though, and it also allows a fairly fast maximum aperture of ƒ2.4.

Ricoh has also decided to leave out an optical viewfinder. This seems like a serious omission until you realize that you can buy an accessory viewfinder for the hot-shoe slot. It seems even less important when you consider just how crappy are the optical viewfinders in other compact cameras (we’re looking at you, Canon G9). The camera costs $700. This makes it more expensive than many DSLRs, and the same price as Sigma’s 2003 throwback, the DP-1. It’s still not the perfect pocket camera, but it’s baby steps, people, baby steps.

Review page [Photography Blog]

I’ve owned a handful (literally) of cell phone headsets, they’ve all met their unique demise – my adorable dog chewed up two, one was so small that I don’t know what happened to it, and the other was rolled over while I was sliding around in my chair at work. If you can be more responsible than me with a nice headset, splurge and purchase Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth Headset.

The good stuff:

* Nealry weightless (weighs 8 grams)
* AudioIQ technology for automatic noise control for clear calls
* Multipoint technology to switch between calls on two Bluetooth devices
* Bluetooth version 2.0+EDR with connectivity for phones and hands-free car kits
* Up to 5 hours talk time and 5 days standby time
* Sassy leather carrying case comes with rechargeable battery for powering headset

Price:129.99 at Amazon.

The iPhone battery is known for not lasting nearly as long as it should. In my case, I tend to charge it at the end of each night, sometimes sooner, since I use it for not only phone calls but also texting, e-mailing, gaming and extensive Web browsing. Based on my usage, it’s understandable that it drains so quick. So, how can I do mindless surfing at the end of the night when the power is just about gone? Enter mophie’s juice pack.

The juice pack is basically an external battery for your iPhone. It comes integrated into a sled that you slide your iPhone into, and when you do, your iPhone is powered and ready to rock. Calling it an external battery is a gross oversimplification, though. For starters, the mophie juice pack is sleek looking and has a great feel, too. It’s not much larger than the iPhone and manages to keep the feel and style of the iphone intact.

The mophie juice pack features a non-slip, rubber-like outer coating. Integrated into the sled is a lithium polymer battery. On the back are four LED status indicators and a button that when pressed illuminates some or all of the LED indicators, showing you how much power you have left. These same LEDs will blink while the juice pack is charging, and will illuminate all or some, depending on how full the battery is.

As for charging, when you go to charge the mophie juice pack, it charges both the juice pack and the iPhone at the same time. According to the company, the mophie juice pack is rechargeable for over 500 full cycles. That means that you can feel free to top off the battery as often as you want, since a bunch of partials will equal one full.

My favorite part about the mophie juice pack is that it’s designed to drain itself first. So, if you start using the juice pack and you have a nearly dead iPhone, by the time you’re done, your iPhone will be fully charged.

This is definitely a must-have for every iPhone user. With the iPhone coming with a non user-replacable battery, this is a nice solution for extending the life of your iPhone before having to send it back to Apple to have the battery replaced.

I’ve also been taking the juice pack on the road with me instead of a car charger now, since I can just use it to top off the iPhone’s battery whenever I feel the need.

Read more about the iPhone mophie juice pack or purchase it for $99.95 at Mophie.com.

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TG Sambo just rolled out a new portable media player for the Korean market, featuring the following :-

• Alchemy AU1250 700MHz processor
• 4.8″ WVGA touch screen display with full browsing support
• T-DMB
• WiFi connectivity
• 16GB of internal flash memory
• Windows CE 5.0 operating system

Sounds like a pretty nifty device - no idea how much it costs, and chances are it probably won’t make it Stateside. Bummer.

Remember what we told you about Skype needing to give itself a boost to avoid getting sacked by its mother company, eBay? Well, after successive announcements the past couple of weeks, it looks like Skype is really out to prove itself and hopefully sends the signal that its “synergies are strong.” For its latest buzz creation strategy, Skype has just taken version 3.9 for Windows out of beta.

So, what’s in mean for us, the Skype-using public with this new version? A couple of good features actually, including reduced background noise during calls, less delay, fewer call drops and fewer cut-offs. Plus, changing headsets, headphones and microphone will now be easier as Skype 3.9 will adjust the settings of the devices automatically. Another major improvement made by Skype is the taking out the default profile image that previously shows up when authorization request is incoming. This is in response to users’ demand as some of them encounter offensive profile photos of other Skype users. These plus other improvements which the Skype blog did not mention, are supposed to come with the new version of Skype for Windows.

It’s up to you if you want to be part of Skype’s move towards strengthening its synergies. By all means download the new Skype for Windows version or just continue using the old one.

Via [Skype]

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It’s that time of the year again- Mother’s Day. Geek has put out a handy guide for everyone who is looking to pick up something the mother in your life might appreciate more than flowers or chocolates. In other news, Geek.com is still looking for an intern, so if you have some spare time this summer or know someone who does this is the chance to get involved.

April 25th - May 1st Make the MoveFirst up is a business white paper for users of Linux operating systems which explains in detail how to Make the Move to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop. You’ve heard the buzz about SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10, and maybe even seen a demonstration, but you’re still hesitant to migrate. You know that adopting a new operating system is a big step for administrators and users alike. Fortunately, migrating to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is easier than you think, and the benefits you’ve heard about such as lower cost of ownership, stronger security and greater flexibility and control are all real. With careful
planning, your migration can be smooth and highly rewarding.  

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Contents

1

Geek Thoughts

2

This Week on Geek

3

Geek.com Web Picks

4

Don’t Forget About This

1

Geek Thoughts - Get Ready for Mother’s Day We have just released our 2008 Mother’s Day Gift Guide. It’s packed full of goodies with prices ranging from $12 to $1,300 for the Geeky mom or from the Geek in all of us. Want mom to have pics of the kids with her at all times? Get her the Pocket Album digital key chain photo viewer. Does mom snap a lot of pictures but doesn’t want a bunch of lenses to lug around? Get her the Canon PowerShot S5 IS. Is identify theft top-of-mind for mom? Get her the Ziszor personal shredder. We’ve got these and a whole lot more in the guide so be sure to check it out.

In other news, do you wish you had a bunch of other ways to get your Geek fix that didn’t involve sitting at a PC-based browser? Well, Sal has granted your wish and created the definitive guide on How to Read Geek.com. The guide includes getting Geek via RSS, through our custom mobile view, Twitter, and more. We’re adding new ways all of the time, so check back or feel free to suggest some of your own by e-mailing them to joel at geek dawt com.

One more thing: throughout the next month or so, HP will be teaming up with 31 sites (Geek included) in what will be the biggest tech giveaway that we’ve ever participated in. HP will be giving away one HDX Dragon Notebook (valued at $4,500) per site for 31 days. That’s right, you’ll
have 31 chances to visit partner sites and throw your name in the hat for this dream system. We will be starting things here on Geek on May 21st, and will be announcing the winner a week later.   VistaNext is a competitive guide explaining When and Why to Choose SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop Over Windows Vista. Cost is not always the most important consideration, but if you are purchasing hundreds or thousands of desktops, it becomes a vital part of the equation. The total cost of desktops stretches far beyond the initial licensing fee. This white paper helps you to decrease your total cost of ownership.

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2

This Week on Geek - April 25th - May 1st
News
Want to save XP? Send Microsoft feedback, says BallmerNews Corp. corporate spying lawsuit hears hacker’s testimony

Opera releases desktop browser 9.5 beta 2

Comcast claims U-verse causing problems with its Internet service

Dell firmware update looks suspicious

Deadline looms for Yahoo! regarding Microsoft offer

New airbag protects people outside of the car

Microsoft Windows sales down 24%

Dell to continue Windows XP sales post June 30

Defcon Race To Zero contest angers antivirus vendors

Blyk reaches 100,000 users 6 months early

Antibodies test is quicker and cheaper than DNA testing

HomeGrid Forum to promote global home networking standard

GTA IV causing huge spam influx

Skype 3.8 offers audio-focused improvements

LG thinks thin with Scarlet TV range

RIAA making available piracy argument rejected in the courts

Save money on groceries with online coupons from Deal Locker
Chips
Mystery of why Apple buying PA Semi revealed, partlyMounting evidence suggests AMD sinking fast in quagmire of own making

Review: AMD Phenom X3 8750 Triple-Core Processor

Step 1: People-friendly mobile devices you can talk to

Flash memory selling by nearly 25% below manufacturing cost

There’s gold in them there chips!

AMD’s house of cards continues to crumble, Cray chooses Intel

Military receives first flexible OLEDs with green and infrared

NVIDIA believes GPU will overtake CPU as future heart of computer (AMD hopes so too)

Windows XP SP3 available

Windows XP SP3 delayed due to compatibility glitch

Ten things AMD needs to fix now
Mobile
Global phone shipments up, Motorola downSIMable unlocks your mobile

Twitter gets more cash

Will RIM offer touch screen?

Online utility 1-ToGo puts information at your fingertips

Verizon Wireless continues growth in 1Q08

Nokia launches three new mobile phones

Shifting Expectations- Final thoughts on HTC’s X9000 UMPC

Windows Mobile iphone-look-a-like for 355 dollars
Games
Retro Studios escort Metroid staff off premisesAudio Ping Pong brings classic game to ears only

Codemasters buys recently closed Sega Racing Studios

Review: Mario Kart Wii

Spore Creature Creator coming June 17

Grand Theft Auto IV arrives, rocks gaming world

First Impressions: I’m not sold on Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360

Ubisoft confirms new Prince of Persia game this year

EA to close down EA-Land
Apple
In pursuit of Java on the iPhoneApple outfits iMac with Penryn processors

3G iPhones expected in June

Microsoft’s Mac BU releases Messenger for Mac 7
Gadgets
Microsoft issues RoboChamps challenge2008 Mother’s Day Gift Guide

3D monitors below $600 at 1680×1050

Play detective with the ZRAD Secret DVR Pen

Copy flash drives in seconds with 60 Port Flash Drive Duplicator

SOLo Lounge Table recharges your gadgets outdoors

Verbatim drops tiny 500GB HDD

Competition forces TomTom profits way down

British identify top 20 useless gadgets in new survey

Build your own multitouch surface controller

3

Geek.com Web Picks Submit your favorite sites, articles, software picks, diversions,etc.,
to Joel@geek.com (mail subject: Good Sites). Here is one of my faves:Top 5 Laziest Inventions

I’ve bought more than my share of useless gadgetry through the years, but this video, showcasing the Top 5 Laziest Inventions, blows my useless gadgets away. You have to see it to believe it. These are ACTUAL products and the sad part is that they probably made their inventors millions.   Support LinkAnd finally there is a look at support from Novell for OpenOffice.org in It’s Time to Make Your Move. Have you seen the costs associated with Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007? Send the children out of the room and take a look. Now take a look at OpenOffice.org from Novell. It’s much more cost effective and includes the office tools your employees need to stay productive. And with full support available from Novell, there’s no better time to switch to OpenOffice.org and free yourself from high costs and complicated licensing.  

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4

Don’t Forget About This Want to be a Geek Intern?Geek.com is looking for a few driven individuals for our newly-launched summer internship program. If you are interested in technology and you want to write about it someplace aside from your Facebook wall, then this could be your chance.

The hours will be long, and the work thankless, but you’ll have access to some cool gear and as many press releases as you can handle. If you are in the NYC area, then there will be a few events as well. We need people who have an excellent understanding of current technology, strong writing
skills, and at least a basic understanding of HTML and image editing.

If interested send us an email to joel at Geek dawt com with “Intern” somewhere in the title. Send along a resume, a link to your blog (if you have one), and a sample post that is up to 300 words. Candidates can be based wherever, but NYC would be ideal. As always, thanks for reading!Joel Evans

Joel@Geek.com

Chief Geek

Geek.com

Geek.com never sends unsolicited email. You received this email because our records indicate that you are a current subscriber on our site. Click here to unsubscribe.

Thought the (smart) flip phone was dead? Well BlackBerry seems to disagree.

Somehow, the Boy Genius got his hands on a brand blackberry, the company’s first ever flip phone. Unlike the standard mobile rumors and questionable handset pictures that we have all become accustomed to seeing, BGR is saying that this one is totally legitimate. The Kickstart is a clamshell phone with BlackBerry’s SureType keyboards (similar to that on the Pearl) as well as an external LCD. Also like the Pearl, it has a trackball for navigation and a built-in camera.

Details are still sparse, but we should see the phone this year. Check out BGR’s gallery for more images.

LG enV(2) is available now online at www.verizonwireless.com and at more than 2,400 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores across the nation, including those at Circuit City. It is a successor to the popular enV, the new enV(2) gets a makeover with slimmer design and sophisticated black or maroon finish. It features the V CAST Music and Video, VZ Navigator(SM), Bluetooth capabilities, dual speakers and a 2.0 megapixel camera. Its QWERTY keypad with large sized external keys makes messaging easy, while its 2.4-inch internal screen offers crisp, crystal-clear videos and images. More specs available after the break.
[ Source ]

SeaLife has a new digital camera for underwater enthusiasts - the DC800. This 8 megapixel camera is capable of producing extremely sharp images even at depths of up to 200 feet, way ahead of what the RC-12 wireless mini cam can offer. Whenever you decide to lose your sea legs and head on land, the DC800 ain’t no slouch either in dry conditions. All you need to do is remove the slim camera fro its waterproof housing and you’re good to go. With fast shutter time and quick-start, you get virtually no shutter lag. Some of the features include :-

• Sea mode with 3 UW color correction settings
• Ext Flash Auto mode for automatic exposure settings
• Ext Flash Manual mode for manual aperture and shutter speed exposure controls
• Spy Mode ti automatically shoots continuous pictures at set time intervals
• 8 megapixel CCD sensor
• 2.7″ LCD display
• 20X zoom - 4X optical zoom plus 5X digital
• SD/SDHC memory card slot
• 22 Land modes
• 640 x 480 video recording

The SeaLife DC800 will retail for $549.95 and is compatible with SeaLife’s line of accessories.