Want to spend effectively on high tech gadgets? Here are some of the hottest gadget to buy in 2013;
Crux360
The Crux360™ is a clamshell-keyboard case that allows you to use the iPad® in a multitude of positions. All iPad ports and buttons remain accessible while using the case.
It features a full bluetooth® keyboard, and features four modes:
- Laptop Mode — allows use of the keyboard.
- Movie Mode — great for watching videos, playing games, or just surfing the Internet.
- Tablet Mode — great for reading books or magazines.
- Carry Mode — closes up and protects your iPad’s® screen from nicks and scratches.
Solar Keyboard K750
The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 makes battery hassles a thing of the past, even indoors. The keyboard connects automatically via a 2.4GHz wireless unifying receiver, and the solar battery will stay charged for up to 3 months, even in total darkness.
Powered by light
Good-bye, battery hassles. Solar power keeps your keyboard charged and ready—even indoors.Very thin
Your desk is about to get sleeker thanks to this streamlined keyboard.Feels good
It almost feels like typing on your laptop, but more comfortable.Logitech Solar App
Want to know how much battery power you have? Or how much power you’re getting from your desk lamp? The Logitech Solar App can help.More power
You pop the tiny Logitech Unifying receiver in your notebook and leave it there. You can even add more devices. Plug it. Forget it. Add to it. Learn more about the Logitech Unifying receiver.G-DRIVE
Making the perfect external storage companion to the Apple® Macbook®, MacBook™ Pro or Macbook Air™, the new Hitachi G-DRIVE™ slim external hard drive gives users 320GB of storage and ubiquitous USB 2.0 connectivity in an amazingly slim form. Formatted for Macs with simple plug n’ play connectivity, the G-DRIVE slim is Time Machine® ready for added backup protection, and it’s USB-powered, so there is no need to carry around an extra power cord.
OVERVIEW
Ideal for any laptop user,
the G-DRIVE slim is the ultra-slim, ultra-stylish portable solution for
videos, photos, music and more. Featuring a high-performance USB 3.0
interface with Time Machine® compatibility, G-DRIVE slim is the Mac or
PC user’s sleekest answer to superior data storage. G-DRIVE slim stores
and backs up your prized digital content in a smart, simple way. Its
slender, lightweight aluminum case packs plenty of storage for photos,
videos, music and more.
Easy to Setup – Time Machine® compatible!
G-DRIVE slim comes preformatted HFS+ with Journaling and is Time Machine® compatible right out of the box! A simple initialization is all it takes to prepare G-DRIVE for use with Windows® systems!
Easy to Setup – Time Machine® compatible!
G-DRIVE slim comes preformatted HFS+ with Journaling and is Time Machine® compatible right out of the box! A simple initialization is all it takes to prepare G-DRIVE for use with Windows® systems!
The Best Warranty & Support in the Business
G-DRIVE slim is backed by a standard 3-year factory warranty and unlimited free technical support by representatives experienced with the latest content creation applications.
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TECH SPECSCompatibility: |
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| Mac® OSX® 10.5 or higher Windows® XP/Vista/7 |
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Interfaces: |
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| 1x USB 3.0 | ||
Kit Contents:
G-DRIVE slim hard driveUSB cable (3.0, compatible with 2.0)
Quick Start Guide
3-year limited warranty
MSRP: $99.99
Dimensions: 5.08" x 3.23" x 0.39" / 129 x 82 x 10 mm
Weight: 0.33lbs/0.15kg
Type: SATA
Cache: 8MB
Storage Capacity: 500 GB
Drive Speed: 5400 RPM
iLuv iMM747 Audio Cube
The iLuv iMM747 Audio Cube is a fully-dedicated iPad stereo docking station. The Audio Cube provides two speaker channels, each with iLuv’s enhanced jAura Soundcell Technology. The iMM747 features easy docking via an adjustable, sliding docking wall, which provides secure iPad vertical support and a flexible 30 pin connector that automatically adjusts to dock your iPhone 4 or iPod as well.
About
Available in four stylish colors, the Vibro II is the perfect accessory for not only the bedroom, but as a traditional iPhone/iPod docking station anywhere in the home. The large LCD display is easy to read from anywhere in the room and ten brightness level adjustments let you find the setting most appropriate for you. Additionally, the Vibro II features TimeSync to reconcile time with your iPhone or iPod and also highlights the alarm setting and time instead of just a bell indicating the alarm is set. Users can charge their iPhone or iPod while enjoying patent pending jAura® sound by simply plugging their device into the Vibro™ II. Quite simply, the Vibro II allows anyone to enjoy a restful night and a good morning.
Features
- An innovative approach to waking up: Digital dual alarm clock with iPhone / iPod dock Shaker™
- Unique Shaker™ vibrates to wake up heavy sleepers
- Wake to iPhone / iPod, FM radio, buzzer and / or shaker
- Sleep to iPhone / iPod or FM radio
- Speakers play your music with depth and clarity
- Programmable presets for 10 FM radio stations
- TimeSync automatically sets time from your iPhone or iPod
- Play and charge your iPhone or iPod
- Large, easy to read LCD display
- LCD dimmer control
- Auxiliary line input for any audio devices with 3.5mm jack
- Enjoy enhanced performance by downloading the iLuv App (FREE at App Store). Transform your ‘Vibro’ into an Internet Radio with over 40,000 stations, an iPod music player, a highly interactive time display and alarm clock, as well as a source for international weather.
Specification
- Radio frequency
FM: 87.5MHz ? 108MHz
- Connectivity
3.5mm aux. in jack
Power adapter jack FM antenna
Shaker jack
- Power Requirement
AC100V~240V 60/50Hz Adapter
o Batteries for time-setting backup: 2 x 1.5V AAA batteries (not included)
- Power consumption: 10W
Compatibility
Made for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, iPhone, iPod touch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation), iPod classic, iPod nano (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th generation)
LaCie Hub4 USB 3.0
The LaCie Hub4 USB 3.0 gives you enormous flexibility to connect your peripherals, wherever you go. With four USB 3.0 ports, it's easy to get the fastest USB 3.0 speeds—up to 5Gb/s. It's even USB 2.0 compatible, so it works with almost all computers, laptops, and even netbooks.
IFUSION
The iFusion is an integrated communications docking station for the Apple iPhone. Combining the capabilities of many top-selling iPhone accessories into a single device, the iFusion utilizes built-in Bluetooth technology, a full duplex speaker phone and a patented ergonomic design to deliver superior voice quality that meets the requirements of today's home and business consumer.
The cradle design of the iFusion supports the iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4, providing a means to securely dock the phone while supplying power, battery charging and data synchronization via an integrated USB cable. With support for A2DP Bluetooth streaming, users are able to enjoy their favorite iPhone music over the internal speakerphone.
NVIDIA PROJECT FIELD FORCE
Nvidia Project Shield
This portable gaming device claims to redefine gaming on the go. The Android gadget, with top-of-the-range audio and visual quality, lets you play high-quality games away from your home. You can also connect the device to your PC using wifi, so you can play your favourite games without having to get off the couch.
It's still in development, but should be shipping to the USA and Canada in the second half on 2013. Nvidia say they want to ship to other countries, including the UK, as soon as they can after launch.
At the very back are the microSD, microHDMI, microUSB, and headphone jack. I'm told these are also changing slightly and would honestly like to see the headphone jack come around to the front.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S4
The Galaxy S4 has an easy mode, and more importantly, the Galaxy S4 needs an easy mode. This necessity is a double-edged sword. It means that the technology built into Samsung’s latest generation smartphone does things you’ve never seen before, and maybe couldn’t even imagine. However, really using that technology isn’t as simple as you might think, and could be downright overwhelming to a novice smartphone user.
This is the theme I kept running into with the GS4. If you’re technologically advanced enough to be excited for hovering gestures and optical readers and two cameras working at the same time, then yes, you should absolutely jump on the Galaxy S bandwagon. But for those of you who want a phone that works well, keeps you connected, and not much else, be forewarned that the S in Galaxy S4 certainly doesn’t stand for simple.
- 5-inch 440ppi 1080p Super AMOLED display
- Android 4.2.2
- NFC
- Accelerometer, RGB light, Geomagnetic, Proximity, Gyro, Barometer Temperature & Humidity, and gesture sensors
- 2GB of RAM
- 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 proc
- 13MP rear camera (1080p video capture)
- 2MP front camera
- 4G LTE where available
- 16GB, 32GB, expandable up to 64GB via microSD
- 136.6mm x 69.8mm x 7.9 mm
- 4.6oz
- 2600mAh battery
- Amazing software features like Air View and Dual-shot
- Incredible display in a svelte package
- Acceptable battery life
- Again with the plastic…
- Some features are novelties, not everyday utilities
The Galaxy line has never stood out because of design. In fact, many would argue that Samsung has been quite the copycat in the land of design, but the Galaxy S4 represents the first iteration of what appears to be true Samsung design language. It ends up being a mesh of earlier Galaxy S iterations, with a hint of the Galaxy Note and a whole lot of Galaxy S III in there.
I can’t say the GS4 is revolutionary by any means. It’s thin and light, just as it should be, and looks pretty meh. It’s made almost entirely of plastic save for a polycarbonate strip that runs along the edge of the phone, and it has a finish that gives the appearance of some texture, but is actually smooth.
But you have to hand it to Samsung. Somehow, the company managed to fit a bigger 5-inch display on a phone that actually got thinner and lighter from previous generations. In fact, the Galaxy S4 is almost exactly the same size as the Galaxy S III despite having a larger display. Bravo.
The buttons for lock, volume, etc are smaller and more compact than before, which Samsung claims helps with the solidity and durability of the phone’s build. They jut out a bit for you to feel your way to them in a pinch, but they have points on each end, and just don’t feel nice.
Along the back of the phone, you’ll see the 13-megapixel camera centered on the top half of the device, in usual Samsung fashion, along with a microUSB charging port on the bottom edge of the phone.
The GS4 sports the same elongated home button that we saw on the Galaxy S III, but certainly has a more boxed-out shape than the very elliptical GSIII.
Ready yourself, partner, ’cause the GS4 is one helluva rodeo in the software department. To start, TouchWiz (or whatever Samsung is calling it now) has been thoroughly revamped to include a set of smart toggles in the notification center, giving the user what amounts to a cheat sheet of all the features they’d never even guess were present on their smartphone in the first place.
In fact, when you first power up the device you’re given a quick tutorial of all the new things the Galaxy S4 has to offer. You’ll also notice that Samsung has done away with the black bar up top, and laid all your notification icons on top of your homescreen art, along with a redesigned Samsung Hub for content, such as movies and books.
From there, things get far more complicated, and not always with good reason.
Let’s start with the “Air” features, as I believe they’re likely going to be the most valuable and useful to people. Air View, which lets you hover over content to get a preview of extended information, is the latest iteration of technology originally developed for the Galaxy Note II with its S-Pen stylus. This time, however, all you need is a finger.
At first mention it seems confusing or overzealous, but Air View might end up being one of the must-have features for phones moving forward. It gives you a window into more detailed information without forcing you to click in and back out again, which is particularly clutch in the case of unread email. Air Gesture, on the other hand, lets you control your phone without ever touching it. Wave to answer a call (which automatically goes to speaker), swipe to scroll up and down on a page or through a gallery of pictures, and you can even set a locked phone to recognize when you gesture toward it to pick it up.
This stuff will come in handy when driving, eating, and cooking, though once you’re given the extra freedom of smartphoning with dirty hands, you find it frustrating that Air Gesture is only limited to certain apps like the photo gallery, music app, and browser.
Though Samsung’s new Smart Pause and Smart Scroll features seem equally innovative, I hate to imagine a world in which we’re all too lazy to press the pause button, or scroll with our thumbs. That said, I can see how the notion of auto-pausing when you’re looking away during a video, or tilting to scroll might be enticing. But given that these new features don’t work all that seamlessly, and often cause more frustration than they do delight, I’m far less impressed with these tools.
Along with building interesting technology right into the system, Samsung has also launched a handful of dedicated apps like S Health, which monitors activity levels through the phone’s slew of sensors, S Translator (complete with live voice translation in over 10 languages) and the Optical Reader, which converts analog text into digital text which can be translated or saved.
Of course, the same NFC-based features are still there, giving users access to S Beam and TecTiles fun. There’s also a new feature called AllPlay which lets you play a song from multiple Galaxy S4s at the same time, to take best advantage of all the little speakers. This is one of those features that will rarely, if ever, get used, but on the off-chance that you actually want it, you’ll be grateful to have it.
As mentioned before, the phone comes with an easy mode which seems aimed at older generations. It “dumbs” down the phone a bit, removing many of the more complex features and enlarging text and app icons for easier navigation.
3D PRINTER
Using technology which maps out an object, the printers then layer thin slices of plastic - or other materials - on top of each other to create a 3D object.
It is hoped that 3D printers can provide cheap and quick production, possibly providing solutions to problems such as forensic investigations.
Some companies, such as RepRap, are trying to produce 3D printers available for home use, as most are only used in industrial or commercial settings.
PLAT STATION 4
"Supercharged" Playstation 4 is twelve times more powerful than its predecessor
It has a new social feature which lets players share
recorded gameplay clips with a press of a button from the console's
controller
PS4 controller: DualShock 4
If you have an eye for details you may have noticed that the PS4'sDualShock 4
controller has no Start or Select buttons. Norden confirmed this,
saying that it will have a so-called Option button instead, as well as
the much bandied about Share button on the rear.
The
analogue sticks have been tightened up to be more precise, and the
controller also features a brand new three-axis gyroscopic motion sensor
with three-axis accelerometer which should be great for getting you
immersed in the games. The camera continuously tracks all four
controllers with precise accuracy. Rotational tracking is provided by
the internal components and.
The
controller has a two-point Vita-like touchpad on the front with a
1920x900 resolution, and a tactile clicking sound letting you know
you've pressed it. The light bar on the front will glow different
colours depending on whether you're player 1, 2, 3 or 4 and will be
tracked by the new PS Eye camera. It also has an Xbox-style headset jack
and a mono speaker inside it.
Video-watchers take note
This new PS4 controller won't accidentally fast forward when you set it
down. Norden said this was one of the biggest complaints his team heard
about the PS3's DualShock. The PS4's controller has triggers designed
not to depress when set down. What's more, Norden even said he'd been
dropping controllers without skipping a single frame.
That
touchpad on the DualShock 4 will be capable of two simultaneous inputs.
The light on the controller will glow blue, red, green or pink light,
depending on whether you're player one, two, three or four.
The Share button
The
PS4's ardware encoder always records the last several minutes of game
play without using any additional resources from the game, by pressing
the Share button you can then upload or save your gameplay and show your
friends or keep it just for your own amusement.
PS4 Streaming
PS4
streaming lets you stream out live gameplay to your friends. This is
all built into the hardware and does not need to be supported by
developers. Users can react to the video by typing comments in real
time. You can do this to friends, or public.
PS4 user interface
The XrossMediaBar (XMB) interface of PlayStations past has been completely ditched in the PS4, with Sony instead choosing to design a new OS that looks a lot more like that of the Xbox 360 than the PS3.
Play station 4 various design
SMART TV
SMART: Having or showing quick-witted intelligence (Oxford dictionary) So what is smart? The television? The company that made it? The guy who’s selling it in the showroom? Or you, who wants to buy it? That may be the subject of a round-table debate, with no clear answer at the end of it. But there is no doubt that choosing a television has evolved into a complex procedure that is going to become even more complex in times to come.What exactly is Smart in the TV? Looks? Features?
To cut a long story short, ‘smart’ refers to ‘connected’ — you can connect the machine to the Internet. That’s not to say that your DTH connection is junk now; it just means you can use the smart television as a monitor, really: surf the net, watch Youtube, make video calls… the works.
Remember, though, smart is a relative term. Not all TVs out there are equally smart. The technology is still in it’s infancy, which means it is on the upward evolutionary curve. A few years down the line things may be smarter – or totally dumbed down. Maybe your TV can be upgraded by downloading a software. Or maybe you’ll need to replace it. But the crystal ball is all cloudy, can’t predict right now.
Just like smartphones, the smart TV runs an Operating System (OS). Depending on the OS, the manufacturer and the tie-ups they have, each smart TV offers different things.
Broadly, though, there are six questions you need answers for:
1. Can I attach a Webcam to it?
This is probably the most important feature for a smart TV. You might not really fancy a video call on TV, but it is a desirable standby. I know of a family in which each member has a smart TV in their dining room, with Webcam. And the family eats together, as though at the same table — via the Web! Do remember: most TVs use proprietary Webcams. So compare the prices of the camera as well, for you may save on the TV but end up needing to buy a more expensive Webcam.
2. Will it accept a 3G Wireless stick?
If your home broadband is via 3G dongle, it is important to know if your new smart TV is smart enough to accept it, and also which company’s 3G dongle it will accept. The driver for each dongle is different, and a TV may not be equipped with all drivers. The other alternative is to use a 3G router for connectivity.
3. Ethernet vs wireless
Since I am in the technology industry, each room in my home has 2 ethernet cables at 2-3 places, even though we have a full wireless network. Wire at times delivers the best performance. You would need to know if your TV has built in WiFi, or if it will require an extra dongle to go wireless, or whether to draw a cable till the TV from your Internet setup. If the distance from the broadband router to the TV is too much, cabling my well end up as a nuisance.
4. Friendly remote, text entry modes
If you have Internet connectivity on your TV, you may use the browser, Youtube or an application that requires text input. Here, the remote control plays a great big role, and a friendly remote is half the battle won. Remember, entering a complicated password via the remote may involve several retries!
I wish television manufacturers build bluetooth capability into their smart TVs to connect keyboards. May that day come soon!
5. What apps do I really want?
Most smart TVs now can access Facebook and Twitter, but these are too personal for me to want on my bedroom TV. Not that I want to hide something from my wife, but … a guest fiddling with the remote accidentally opening my FB page is not for me! Some TVs have games built in, which may be great if you have children – or not. For me the TED app* on the LG and Samsung is a big Yes! So are Sony Entertain-ment network on Sony TVs and BigFlix+ on Panasonic.
6. Anything else?
Ensure your new TV has the option of DLNA connectivity. Going forward, when you buy your next tablet or phone, they will be able to talk to your TV over DLNA. It is also a good idea to know when apps and firmware updates are released by the company, and if alternate remote options exist for Apps.
PEBBLE SMART WRIST WATCH
THE humble wristwatch became the latest gadget to receive a hi-tech overhaul at the world's largest technology show yesterday, with several 'smartwatches' promising to deliver phone calls, messages, alerts and even Twitter updates directly to your arm.
The advanced wristwatches revealed at International CES in Las Vegas included the much-anticipated Pebble E-Paper Watch that raised a record $10.2 million from everyday investors at Kickstarter.com last year.
The Pebble watch was designed to connect to any Apple or Google Android smarphone to deliver SMS and phone call updates, email and calendar alerts, Facebook and Twitter messages, and featured an energy-efficient E-Paper screen that could be viewed in sunlight.
GOOGLE GLASS
This highly anticipated piece of technology will allow wearers to have a hands-free technological experience.
While you wear the lightweight glasses, you can use your voice to command them to take pictures, record video, send messages, find directions and translate your speech.
The glasses connect to the Internet and use Google's services to create a hands-free smartphone, right in front of your eyes.
Google are testing the product on a lucky few who applied to be "Glass Explorers", but they will be released to a wider audience soon.
The unit is powered by an internal rechargeable battery and can deliver up to 10 hours of playtime per charge. It can be recharged via computer USB or a 5V USB power adapter using a plug. There is also a built in LED low battery indicator.
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