The Gadget Geek

Dexim’s Shu-Lip turns your new iPod shuffle into the thumb drive it’s dying to be

With the promising intro of “when a shuffle kisses a Mac…” we were hoping for something a bit more exciting, but we suppose Dexim’s new Shu-Lip will have to do. In completely straightforward and boring fashion, the Shu-Lip is designed to plug into the end of the new iPod shuffle and transform it from miniscule DAP to completely run-of-the-mill thumb drive, replacing that clunky audio-jack-to-USB dongle that the shuffle comes with. Naturally, with such short notice from Apple, it seems like Dexim merely has the renders and a price locked down so far — the Shu-Lip will ship for $10 whenever it’s ready.

[Via iLounge]

Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio, Storage

Dexim’s Shu-Lip turns your new iPod shuffle into the thumb drive it’s dying to be originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Samsung Q1EX UMPC reviewed, dismissed

Rats. Just when we thought that someone had figured out how to make a winning UMPC configuration for consumers, out comes a review to pan it. While the Samsung Q1EX sounds good on paper with its 7-inch resistive touchpanel with 1,024 x 600 resolution, 1.2GHz VIA Nano processor, 4.5-hour battery, and $775 price tag; Laptop Mag was unimpressed when it came to go-time. Unfortunately, Laptop found text entry to be too much of a chore thanks to the loss of the thumbpad used on previous Q1-series UMPCs and the lack of a digitizer that severely impacts the unit’s ability to accurately recognize handwriting under XP Tablet Edition. Boot times were slow and battery life was poor at just two hours compared to the 4.5 hours stated. Sure, you can add a dock with keyboard (pictured) and optional 6-cell battery (bringing the price to $977), but at that point, you’d be wise to look at the latest in wee netbooks offering bigger screens, the same power, and longer battery life at half the price.

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

Samsung Q1EX UMPC reviewed, dismissed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Neothings LightSpider takes HDMI signals 300 feet over fiber

Gefen has already taken the wind out of Neothings’ sails somewhat with its HDMI v1.3 Fiber Extender, but if you’re not quite ready to drop the coin required to take HDMI signals 1,000 feet over fiber optics, this here device may be the perfect solution. Dubbed LightSpider, this bridge can take HDMI, RS-232 and analog audio around 300 feet on a single fiber cable utilizing OWLink’s Digital Light Interface technology. The company is quick to point out that the unit’s integrated support for HDCP is a big win for those passing along protected material, though it won’t go so far as to provide a price. Reportedly, the company will be on hand at EHX Spring to showcase it to HD junkies and home theater installers, after which we fully expect to hear more details on how to actually procure this thing.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Neothings LightSpider takes HDMI signals 300 feet over fiber originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 03:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
CES 2009: Sony Walkman Media Players
CES 2009: Sony Walkman Media Players
Electric Hub is Simplest Powerbike Mod Yet
Those of you who scoff at the idea of “lazy” electric bicycles, think of it this way — anything that gets more people onto a bike is a good thing. At the least, it’ll help the elderly to get around….
Flashlight Fit For Home Improvement
You have reached the top-notch of society and are you still going to hang on to those tools from yesteryear? Noooo you need to move on mister, break away from the shackles of that old rusty torch that needs to be smacked on its head till the tiny bulb splutters into …

Finalized USB 3.0 tests just months away, consumer devices set for next year

We’ve heard the details and watched the bits fly in person, and now representatives from Agilent Technologies Inc. are saying that test specifications for the SuperSpeediest standard ever will be fully ratified by the end of June. Sure, you probably don’t care much about the internal workings of the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF for those fond of acronyms), but without tests manufacturers can’t certify their devices, and with no certification that 500MBps external USB HDD of your dreams will never come to market. However, if all goes to plan and those standards fall in place before the dog days of summer begin, USB-IF members expect consumer devices should hit shelves in 2010. Better start saving.

Filed under: Peripherals, Storage

Finalized USB 3.0 tests just months away, consumer devices set for next year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

New CableCARD diagnostic tool for Windows Media Center makes installation slightly less frustrating

Let’s be honest, getting a CableCARD to work with Windows Media Center is far, far, far from a smooth process. Thankfully, the Media Center Integrator Alliance — this sort of the things is its bag, naturally — are set to show off a Digital Cable Tuner Diagnostics tool at next week’s Electronic House Expo. It’ll provide all kinds of information on your tuner and CableCARD, including modulation type, format, frequency, carrier, PCR Lock, encoding level, and authorization — and if all that goes way over your head, there’s an option to export the data to XML and send it to someone who can help. No word on when we’ll see an official release, but no matter what, it won’t be soon enough.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Media PCs

New CableCARD diagnostic tool for Windows Media Center makes installation slightly less frustrating originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Lenovo Webcam and Headphones
Lenovo Webcam and Headphones
OQO OLED Notebook Is A Luminous Beauty
LAS VEGAS — Even as inexpensive netbooks have caught the attention of most gadget enthusiasts, their richer cousins from the mobile internet devices (MIDs) category have faded into the background. But at CES 2009, OQO’s smallest PC sporting a OLED…



Tea Bag Lights Up your Night, Literally
Surely you caffeine addicts will agree, coffee truly is the sexually oriented drink – It picks you up! It illuminates your world, if I may say so. Designer / Bookmark Maker Wonsik Chae takes this concept to an elegant level by making the drop-in tea bag light up your environment …

HDMI-equipped ASUS Eee Box 206 eyes-on

A number of you bemoaned the fact that MSI’s WindBOX lacked an oh-so-necessary HDMI port, so maybe the better option for you is an LCD mounted Eee Box 206. Yep, the HD-minded mini PC was set up here in Hannover, with one of the units hosted up nicely on the rear of a flat-panel monitor. The fit was flush and the connections were easily accessible, so those looking for a nice, if not underpowered media center should definitely give this one a glance. Speaking of glances, you do cast some right now in the gallery below.

Filed under: Desktops

HDMI-equipped ASUS Eee Box 206 eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
CES 2007: Pioneer 24fps
CES 2007: Pioneer 24fps
Video: Toshiba’s Wannabe Minority Report Interface
LAS VEGAS — Some of the coolest gadgets showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show aren’t real. Well, they’re not real in the sense that they’re concept products, which you can’t buy in a store. Toshiba’s concept of a spatial motion…



Open House!
Totally inspired by John Lautner s villa Chemosphere, this modern version of a spaceship house is simply fantastic. The only difference is that John s version was stationary and this one s a trailer. The beauty of this house-on-wheels lies in the fact that its compact and yet boats of ample living quarters. …

Amazon’s Kindle for iPhone hits the App Store

Sure, Amazon could pit the Kindle squarely against phone- and PDA-based e-book apps, but why not play both sides? The company had previously mentioned its desire to embrace non-Kindle devices in its digital delivery ecosystem, and the first fruits of that labor have now hit the iPhone App Store. The uncreatively-named Kindle for iPhone allows you access to all of your Kindle content right from the comfort of your iPhone or iPod touch, and if you have the good fortune of owning an honest-to-goodness Kindle, Whispersync will kick in to keep your location synchronized between readers. It’s a huge win for owners of both devices, considering that the Kindle’s still just a little bit big to be carrying everywhere you go, but your phone — well, if you don’t have that everywhere you go, you’re just plain weird. [Warning: iTunes link]

[Via The iPhone Blog]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Amazon’s Kindle for iPhone hits the App Store originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
CES 2007: 40 Years
CES 2007: 40 Years
Digital Scanner Turns Books Into Audio Files Instantaneously
Generating digital content for the media you already own is a frustrating experience. Whether it’s buying up a single online you couldn’t get out of an old vinyl, or getting a digital version of a favorite book to read on…



Take ME With You This Weekend
Airlines really know how to ruin your vacations and I m not just talking about flight delays. On my last trip Down Under they managed to screw up not one, but two of my luggage pieces. Thankfully they DID replace both of them, but to be fair for some part my …

Intel’s shape-shifting programmable matter shown on video, sadly not for real

If you were as confused as we were by Intel’s talks of programmable matter, an intelligent amorphous blob formed of microscopic glass spheres and able to take any shape, you’ll want to check out the video from CNN embedded below. It shows the stuff in action — albeit rendered, conceptual action — allowing a group of designers take a car that looks a lot like a Cadillac and make it even more slab-sided, changing its color a few times, and then causing it to explode in what can only be a 1/18 scale preview of another installment of The Matrix. We can’t wait to have a blob of this stuff on our desk to play with (it’d be the ultimate stress ball), but we’re guessing it’s going to be a long, long time before that happens.

Continue reading Intel’s shape-shifting programmable matter shown on video, sadly not for real

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Intel’s shape-shifting programmable matter shown on video, sadly not for real originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments