Devices Site

ConnectVu is a CCTV system which allows you to monitor video from CCTV cameras on your mobile. If your mobile phone is capable of GPRS, GSM or 3G then you will be able to access, and control the CCTV cameras over the air. The software is Java, so a compatible phone would have to be used. By moving control of the CCTV cameras to your mobile phone, it allows you to track security where ever you are. The software on the phone allows you to switch between 16 different cameras and control where the cameras are pointing to allow you to get a better shot of who is breaking in to your premises.

The ConnectVu system can support up to four video cameras per capture card, and the system can use 4 capture cards making a total of 16 cameras being supported. Mix the combination of 16 CCTV cameras with motion detection, you have a nice security system all accessible over the air from your mobile phone. The motion detection system also can be configured to email or send an SMS message to your phone to alert you of movement.

Product Page Source

Guest post by Matthew of Gadget Venue.

An idea as simple as the NapTV deserves a similarly simple description, which is exactly what designer Sung-kyu Nam has done. These are the only words accompanying the pictures of his concept:

NapTV has a new concept about TV & Chair. You can sit on NapTV and also watch TV lying on the floor.

The stool hides a screen and stereo speakers on the underside so you can lie down with your head inside. That’s right. You can watch a movie even if you are too tired to remain upright. All that is required is a single open eye. This, my friends, is a bachelor’s dream. You can literally drink yourself under the table and then fall asleep watching your choice of smut. It even comes with a remote control.

Product page [Coroflot via Geekologie]

LG Electronics recently announced the global launch of the third LG Black Label Series handset.

The design heritage of the LG Black Label Series will continue on to the third handset boasting its smart technology with the latest and sophisticated features including the slimmest 5MP camera.

Similar to the previous LG Black Label Series handsets, the latest model also carries a product concept derived from today’s trend leaders. This new concept of ‘Style that Lasts’ reflects the timeless and elegant design of the phone enhanced by stylish materials such as carbon fiber and tempered glass.

The phone will be unveiled on April 24th starting from Europe and on to the rest of the world, and the product name of the third LG Black Label Series model will be revealed at the official launch.

Toshiba has added a new notebook to its product catalog, the Portege R500-12Q. The new Toshiba notebook is being touted by the company as the world’s lightest notebook weighing just a mere 2.15-pounds (by standard notebook weight, which pretty much is light indeed). Toshiba is also brandishing the Portege R500-12Q as the only notebook with the slimmest optical drive at 7mm, the world’s first notebook with the transflective LED 12.1-inch widescreen display and one of the world’s thinnest notebooks at 0.76/1.0-inches in height.

Aside from being the first in so many notebook aspects, it will be important to note the Portege R500-12Q is packed with a whooping 128GB SSD. In simple terms, that’s tons of storage capacity for a notebook of this caliber. Other features of the Portege R500-12Q include; Core 2 Duo ULV U7700 processor, 2GB RAM, dual-layer DVD writer, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and pretty much other standard notebook fare.

The Toshiba Europe site did not specify pricing information yet for this new notebook baby. The “where to buy” link is not pointing to anywhere as well.

Product [Toshiba] Via [Engadget]

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

In the “is this really necessary” department, you’ll find the Ziszor handheld paper shredder. Everything in this day and age gets miniaturized, huh? The perfect use of this gadget for those on-the-go execs who need to shred ATM receipts or perhaps those guys in the West Wing who only seem to get information via little pieces of paper which they promptly eat. Kidding. But if they had a Ziszor, no more indigestion.

The Ziszor is 10″ long and weighs less than 1.5lbs, nice and light. It also has an attachable plastic bag to catch all those little shreddings. Is that a word? Runs on 4 AA batteries which is probably where a lot of the weight lies. You can snag a Ziszor from their site currently on sale for $40.

Gimme!

More info from the manufacturer

Price: $39.95 (current offer)
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

Posted in Gizmo of the Day, Home Automation, Miscellaneous

Hitachi’s Wooo UT Series of HDTVs consist of half a dozen LCD models and three plasma displays to cater for every budget and viewer requirement. All the LCD TVs measure a mere 3.5cm in thickness and boast a 250GB internal hard drive, an iV port for iVDR HDD cartridges, DLNA compatibility, and full HD support. You will be able to choose from 32″, 37″ and 42″ models to suit your budget and taste. As for the Wooo XV series, it will come in similar sizes but do not have an internal HDD. Hitachi’s crown jewels in this range, the Wooo 02 Series plasma displays will be available in 42″ and 50″ models, where the latter has an internal 250GB hard drive. No idea on the individual pricing though.

Thanks to Sharp, we all just got a look at what will be the first device to be released with Intel’s Atom processor. The D4, which Sharp will be manufacturing for Japanese telecom Willcom, should be arriving some time in June and will be powered by a 1.33GHz Atom processor. The Z520 processor is a 2W (TDP) model with a 533MHz FSB which is part of the line formerly codenamed “Silverthorne”.

The D4 is expected to be about one pound and arrive with 1GB of RAM and a 40GB hard drive. The screen is a 5-inch 1024×600 touch-sensitive model, which will probably be similar to that found on the Fujitsu U810. The D4 will also have a slide-out keyboard, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, and a 2MP camera. The total size of the D4 will be 84×188×25.9mm.

If all that was not cool enough, InfoWorld is reporting that the D4 will be able to to handle voice communication through an optional Bluetooth handset that will work along side the main product, which can be placed in a bag or on a desktop during the call.

The D4 will ship with Windows Vista Home Premium SP1, making it one of the smallest devices to run Vista. Though we have been told that Atom devices will be able to run Vista it seems like Windows XP or a version of Linux would have been the better choice for such a small device. Akihabara News, who has already spent some time with the device specifically pointed out Vista’s performance as being “unimpressive”.

The expected price is about $1300 and it should arrive in mid-June.

For more information visit Sharp’s D4 video or the product page.

I must admit this is one of the weirder medical devices I’ve covered so far - the CardioArm is more an offshoot of Dr. Octopus’ tentacled wonder than a medical contraption. This snakelike robot was specially designed to help out in heart surgeries, requiring the surgeon to make an incision small enough for the robot to enter the system. Once inside, CardioArm is controlled through a joystick and a computer for monitoring. Guess those joystick jockey days surgeons had at college won’t be wasted here - I do wonder just how much battery life the CardioArm has. What happens when you’re in the midst of an operation and the damn thing actually runs out of juice?

JMTek has just released the Cross Box, a device that allows you to transfer data between two computers via USB 2.0 as long as they are powered by a Windows-based operating system. This does away with the hassle of installing drivers or setting up your IP configuration. The Cross Box comes with a user friendly interface and has a maximum cable length of 4 feet, perfect for impromptu data transfer between computers. There is no word on pricing, but it shouldn’t break the bank considering the simplicity of such a device. It sure sounds cheaper than setting up a network if all you ever need one for is to transfer files every day. Otherwise, a large capacity USB flash drive is more than enough.

The sweltering summer heat is nothing to joke about, and kids are more subsceptible to heat than we adults so leaving them in a car is a big no-no. Even worse is the fact that most kids seat behind while mom and dad are upfront, enjoying the full blast of the air-condition system. The Cold Seat aims to alleviate little ones’ suffering, but it will take some preparation beforehand. First, you will need to stick it in the freezer before the next car ride and fasten it onto a standard car seat when you and your family are good to go. It is simple to store and carry around without adding too much weight or bulk to your boot, but somehow I think purchasing a car with air-condition vents for the rear passengers is a much better idea. At least you don’t have to contend with the problem of condensation.