Devices Site

Posted Mar 3rd 2008 11:15AM by Nilay Patel
Filed under: GPS
TomTom might be in a bit of a tussle with the EU lately, but that isn’t stopping the company from announcing two new GO models at CeBIT this morning — say hello to the GO 930 and 730. The updates to the popular 720 and 920 now feature TomTom’s new IQ Routes features, which uses a database of historical vehicle speeds along different paths rather than speed limit information to generate route guidance, and Advanced Lane Guidance (shown above), which aims to make navigating complex interchanges a little simpler. Other than that, there’s not much of a bump here: both models feature the same 4.3-inch, 480 x 272 touchscreen, 400MHz CPU, Map Share and traffic as their predecessors, and the main difference between the 930 and the 730 is the presence of a dead-reckoning accelerometer in the 930. Expect the $500 730 and $550 930 to hit in April.

Update: If you’re in the Netherlands, UK, and Germany, you can also score HD Traffic versions of these bad boys as well, which come bundled with TomTom’s new GPRS HD Traffic receiver. The tiny box plugs into a range of compatible TomTom models and provides high-quality traffic data. It’s out in the Netherlands now and should be out in the UK and Germany later this year, with France to follow in 2009.

[Thanks, Tim]

Read - GO 930 and GO 730 press release
Read - HD Traffic receiver press release

Gallery: TomTom intros GO 930T and 730T with Lane Guidance and IQ Routes

Now here’s a neat looking DIY project, putting your Magellan GPS navigation system to different use, by integrating it into a robot.

Robots traverse a pre-defined course dealing with various obstacles along the way. Waypoints may be marked with objects that the robot must touch or come within a specified distance. The robots will be guided primarily by GPS and vision systems. Robots will be fully autonomous, but do not necessarily have to be self contained, i.e. it is ok to have a laptop with a wireless or even wired link to the robot.

Sounds like a totally innovative remote controlled robot to toy around with!

Everex’s gPC mini is the third in its new lineup of cheap, linux-powered computers. With smoothly rounded corners and a pearly-white paint job, it’s like a mac mini from another universe. And that’s certainly what its designers want you to think: at $500, it’s a mass market PC that comes in a similar tiny form and at an even tinier price.

The specs are good for the price: check our a comparison chart at the bottom of this post. Its Intel T2130 CPU is not as powerful as the Mac Mini’s, and it has only 512MB of RAM to the $600 Mini’s 1GB, but it has more storage (120GB vs. 80GB), a DVD burner, and various useful trimmings like an S-Video port, front USB port and a card reader. Like the Mini, it comes standalone: bring your own mouse, monitor and keyboard.

The full specs are as follows: Intel Dual-Core T2130 (1.86GHz), Intel GMA950, video chip (same as the Mac Mini), Realtek ALC268 audio, gigabit ethernet, firewire, 4 USB ports and standard Audio In/Out.

Having spent an hour with it to get some photos and a first look, it’s shortcomings were expected, given similar issues with Everex’s recent subnotebook: gOS Linux just isn’t ready for prime time as a mass-market alternative to Windows and OSX.

Though simple and straightforward, it immediately slapped down a typical Linux configuration conundrum–something it’s supposed to be the solution for. It wouldn’t recognize the native resolution of the tested monitor. Worse, it would claim that it did, but simply revert to 800×600 after the mandatory logout. That’s just not cricket for a machine destined for Wal-Mart’s shelves. Adding Windows, of course, would bring the total price even higher than the Mac Mini’s. Curiously, it has Bluetooth, but not WiFi; the  lack of the latter is unusual these days, so I’ve asked for confirmation.

It otherwise worked fine. The desktop was responsive, with well-organized menus and lots of pre-installed productivity software. It ran quiet, though it does have a cooling fan.

I can imagine this being a great machine for geeks and others who want a readily-available, tiny, cheap and cute computer the size of a hardback book, and who are prepared to get their hands dirty under the hood. How it stacks up for the rest of us, however, remains to be seen. Stay glued for Gadget Lab’s full review.

Can’t get enough of the multitouch features on your new macbook air or Pro? Mac developer Will Henderson has come up with a nifty way to get even more mileage out of those pinches, swipes and rotations. His new MultiClutch app actually lets you assign custom keyboard shortcuts in a given app to the standard gestures now available on the Air and Pro.

Says Henderson:

Want swipes to change tabs in Safari? Done. The same in iChat? Done. Want zoom-in to open emails in Mail, zoom-out to close windows in every app, and a swipe down to bring up Quicksilver? Done done done.

Henderson is currently distributing a beta version of MultiClutch for free on his web site and there’s also a PayPal link for those who want to throw a little scrilla his way in appreciation.

He says he’s considering combining other keys with gestures to expand multitouch functionality even further (e.g. ctrl + pinch = open a webpage while pinch alone = default zoom out) in future versions of the application. 

MultiClutch: assign keyboard shortcuts to gestures [MacNN]

hanging harry light pull

Most closets still have lights with pull strings attached instead of switches.  Well convert that old pull string into a hangman?s noose with the Hanging Harry Light Pull.  At the end of the rope is poor dead Harry, forever hanging by his neck and assisting you with turning on the lights. Morbid? Yes. Funny? Absolutely!

Technorati Tags: gadgets For Her

Brain Fitness Kit
The plain scientific fact is that your brain is a well-oiled calculating machine, performing truly unimaginable number-crunching to simply keep you upright. It’s only when it comes to doing a crossword or reading a map that beffudlement sets in.

See price

I’m not really a Bluetooth earpiece kind of man, but I do know people who wear them 24/7. It’s really hard to talk to these Bluetooth earpiece wearing people sometimes, because too often they are talking to someone else, even when they are looking me in the eye. Isn’t that just annoying?

However, maybe it would be better if the Bluetooth wireless headset users had some sort of visual cue, like a collar. Better yet, what if their collar was the wireless headset? Sure, it might not look good, but it has certain advantages.

For example, the microphone is connected next to your voice box, which means that most of the ambient noise can be filtered out. This is perfect for those who drive convertibles or ride motorcycles. No more “I’m sorry, could you speak louder, I can’t hear you” conversations.

Another advantage is that the Bluetooth Neckset, also known as the Roadrunner, has less ear slippings than the miniatures. It fits around your neck snugly to allow for 180 degree turns, which is good for all users who are part owl. The battery life is good for about 9 hours worth of talk time.

You should be able to purchase this at the Pro Idee site for about £39.50. Use it, and hopefully you won’t end up looking like this guy in the picture.

Product Page

Posted Mar 3rd 2008 10:07AM by Paul Miller
Filed under: cellphones, Home Entertainment, LaptopsWe’d say 2007 was a pretty big year for Steve Wozniak, what with Kathy Griffin, an Epcot animatronic, some widely covered Apple sentiments, and (honor of honors) an Engadget interview to top it all off. Turns out he’s not backing down in 2008, and spoke out at a Sydney press conference with some fairly constructive criticism for some of Apple’s brightest stars. He expressed concern over the 24 hour limit for iTunes movie rentals, and doesn’t see the Apple TV taking off just yet, though he sees it as a “good indication of the future.” Woz was less kind to the iPhone, saying he was “really disappointed” at the iphone’s introduction, due to the lack of 3G. He’s still a fan of the phone interface, particularly the browser, but he’s miffed about those speed constraints. Finally, he likes his macbook air, and he’s currently attempting to see if he can make it his single laptop, but the shortage of ports and lack of disc drive and removable battery are making it difficult. We really couldn’t have said any of it any better, Woz.

[Via The Inquirer]

The 686 Original Snow Toolbelt will definitely put images of being Batman into your imagination, featuring an all-utility belt that comes complete with a Philips and flat-hear screwdriver and a wrench built-in. This functional accessory comes in brown, black and white colors, retailing between $35 and $50 depending on the size. For those who thrive on precision (else you wouldn’t even consider this toolbelt in the first place), each purchase comes with a #2 Philips, a #2 flat head, and 8, 10, and 11 millimeter wrenches. Perfect for those who spend plenty of time out in the snow.

Despite how glorious it sounds to work from home in your pajamas, blogging isn’t a very glamorous profession. Sure, there are exclusive press events and fancy cocktail parties every now and again, but for the most part, it’s just you . . . at home . . . in your pajamas. All day, every day.

It can get pretty mundane. That’s why I need this paparazzi play set. It comes with a velvet rope that I could set up beside my computer to keep those pesky 4-inch vinyl photographers, reporters, and autograph hounds at bay. Paris Hilton’s got nothing over me (except fame, wealth, and a prison record).

Available for £14.95 from I Want One of Those.

Via Coolest gadgets.