The Gadget Geek

USB 3.0 and SATA 6G put to good use: benchmarks

The fine folks at both HotHardware and PC Perspective have run the new ASUS P7P55D-E Premium motherboard through its paces, which has the particular distinction of handling both USB 3.0 and the up-and-coming SATA 6G through controllers by NEC and Marvell, respectively. Lucky for us, both sites’ tests came to similar conclusions. The Seagate Barracuda XT SATA 6G drive has almost zero improvement over SATA 3G, other than in some burst speeds due to the fancy cache on the 6G — the bottleneck here is the drive, not the controller. Meanwhile, USB 3.0 has speeds that are roughly 5 to 6 times faster than USB 2.0 with the same drive, a huge win for fans of external storage the world over. Perhaps even better news is that an ASUS US36 controller card with USB 3.0 and SATA 6G support is a mere $30, so this stuff is already basically within reach to the average desktop user.

Read – HotHardware
Read – PC Perspective

Filed under: Desktops, Peripherals, Storage

USB 3.0 and SATA 6G put to good use: benchmarks originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer debuts 23-inch T230H multitouch monitor

Filed under: Displays

Acer debuts 23-inch T230H multitouch monitor originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Titanium Mouse by Intelligent Design costs $1,200, might be worth a little less

No matter how bad the global economy gets, you can always rely on there being a select few people with (a lot) more money than sense. Exclusively for them, Dutch outfit Intelligent Design has put together this handcrafted Bluetooth laser mouse, which boasts a neodymium scroll wheel, high quality plastic resin and a grade 1 titanium body. We didn’t know you could handcraft titanium and we challenge anyone to explain what neodymium has to do with good input ergonomics, but then maybe that just shows how little we know about luxurious items like this. So, if you have $1,200 (or €800 in Old World money) to spare, why not add this unnamed mouse to your shopping list, just under the Mnemosyne USB drive? More snaps can be found after the break.

[Via HardOCP]

Continue reading Titanium Mouse by Intelligent Design costs $1,200, might be worth a little less

Filed under: Peripherals

Titanium Mouse by Intelligent Design costs $1,200, might be worth a little less originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Logitech Z Cinema Surround Sound
Logitech Z Cinema Surround Sound
Breaking: Non-Ugly USB Card Readers
Elecom’s new everything-in-one memory card reader is exactly the same as every other cheap memory card reader you can buy, with on exception: it is good-looking enough that you won’t want to hide it away in a drawer when you’re done transferring files. To this end, the Japanese company has put a magnet inside it so [...]

The daily roundup: here’s what you might’ve missed

	The Engadget Show – 002: Steve Ballmer, Droid, Nook, and new Macs Do we really need to tell you what this is all about? Steve Ballmer. Windows 7 launch day. Pure magic. Sit back and enjoy a spirited conversation with the CEO of Microsoft — then stick around to watch Josh, Paul, and Nilay get into it over the week’s news!		Dell Adamo XPS specs leak out: ULV processors, integrated graphics That touch sensitive case latch we’ve been hearing about? Yeah, it doesn’t work without power, so you can’t open the machine if your battery is dead. (See also: Dell’s Adamo ‘crazyhinge’ XPS demonstrated on video)
	FCC net neutrality rules enter drafting process, face McCain challenge The great big gears of regulation have finally started turning, and we can look forward to more political wrangling as the rules take shape over the coming months.	Other news of import Windows 7 Whopper claims its first victim (video) Microsoft first-quarter income down 18 percent, still beats expectations Barnes & Noble nook LendMe feature is severely limited, assumes you have friends
	Microsoft: ‘We have no plans for Blu-ray on Xbox 360′ Ballmer was referring to Blu-ray accessories for the PC and reiterated his focus of bringing instant-on 1080p streaming movies to Xbox 360.		Verizon’s Droid is a series, not just a phone; Droid Eris coming from HTC Droid Eris will be released — not announced, actually released — on November 6
Comcast has issues with Verizon’s FiOS VOD claims Rocketfish wireless whole home audio system cuts the cord on all your speakers		Jabra STONE Bluetooth headset review Verizon launching Storm2 on October 28 for $179.99? Motorola Droid gets fully previewed, ‘must-have’ claims may not be far off

The daily roundup: here’s what you might’ve missed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sonos Bundle 150 Audio System
Sonos Bundle 150 Audio System

‘Unique’ Bluetooth banana has truly limited applications

Some products require no explanation. Take this “Unique Banana Shaped Bluetooth Handset,” for example — either you get it or you don’t, but no amount of marketing, advertising, or sweet-talking is going to get a skeptic to appreciate its brilliance. If you’re still reading this, maybe — just maybe — you fall into the “I need this, particularly at just $17.70″ camp, and for you, take heart in the knowledge that you can be just 2 to 5 business days away from talking on a simulated piece of fruit that’s connected to your phone via Class 2 Bluetooth 2.0. When’s the last time you heard “standby time” quoted for a banana, anyway?

[Thanks, Larry]

Filed under: Cellphones

‘Unique’ Bluetooth banana has truly limited applications originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holiday Video Game Gifts
Holiday Video Game Gifts
Blue Screen of Death Belt-Buckle
Why not celebrate the launch of Windows 7 with the Windows Blue Screen of Death belt to remind you of the bad old days? The belt is fashioned from 44-inches of cotton and acrylic and can be cut to length, whilst the buckle is a tiny Windows tablet computer in its natural state. Kidding! It’s a [...]

Apple welcomes Windows 7 the only way it knows how, with a new commercial (video, updated)

Can’t argue with a wig like that, right? Video after the break.

Update: Two more added. Are these still fun?

Continue reading Apple welcomes Windows 7 the only way it knows how, with a new commercial (video, updated)

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software

Apple welcomes Windows 7 the only way it knows how, with a new commercial (video, updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Compaq 2510p Notebook
HP Compaq 2510p Notebook
Amazon Dumps Sprint for Kindle 2, Embraces AT&T
In a stealthy yet significant move, Amazon has dropped Sprint as its wireless partner for the latest versions of the Kindle 2 e-book reader. From now on, new Kindle 2s, in the U.S. and worldwide, will be powered exclusively by AT&T’s 3G network. “Due to strong customer demand for the new Kindle with U.S. and international [...]

Geek Squad visa application approved, Best Buy opening stores in UK

We know you’re worried about what could happen; we saw that Liam Neeson movie too, the one where the daughter goes abroad and gets kidnapped and only after killing 351 people does he get her back. Taking trips to Europe can be risky, but our Best Buy is old enough and responsible and can take care of itself, so we’re okay with it taking a trip to the UK next year… even though we don’t know exactly where it’ll be landing. It’s been talking about going for so long it’d be a shame to say no now. Yes, it’ll be packing its blue shirts and yellow name tags so everyone will know what it is, and once it gets there sometime next year we’re sure it’ll call and tell us which franchise location will be first. So until then just try not to worry — and maybe sign it up for some self defense classes or something.

[Thanks, Adam]

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Geek Squad visa application approved, Best Buy opening stores in UK originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gateway One
Gateway One

TRENDnet ‘world’s smallest’ Wireless N travel router now on sale

Looking to take 802.11n to places you never thought possible? You know — like your studio apartment on the Upper East Side? TRENDnet’s Wireless N Travel Router (which was announced way back at CES) is tailor made for cramped spaces, fitting within the palm of your hand and offering up a single WAN port, a carrying case and a USB socket. Unfortunately there’s no internal battery to keep this puppy alive in the wild, but for $79.99 we can’t kvetch too much.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

TRENDnet ‘world’s smallest’ Wireless N travel router now on sale originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Onkyo’s tiny ION-based P3 nettop has an even tinier removable DVD-ROM

If you’re concerned about the future obsolescence of your miniscule Atom-based nettop, chances are its choice of optical storage is not what’s bothering you. But, if that’s what keeps you up at nights, Onkyo’s P3 is your Ambien. Its ION platform sports the usual 1.6GHz Atom 230 proc, 2GB of memory, and 160GB hard drive. The DVD-ROM is a separate module that clips into a groove on the side and, while details are slim, that doesn’t look like a standard form-factor to us, so if a Blu-ray upgrade or the like ever surfaces don’t expect it to be cheap. The P3 itself (pictured again below with an LCD friend) isn’t exactly a bargain to start, with an estimated MSRP of ¥69,800 (about $770) when it ships in March of next year. That’s the price you pay for modular design.

[Via PC Watch]

Continue reading Onkyo’s tiny ION-based P3 nettop has an even tinier removable DVD-ROM

Filed under: Desktops

Onkyo’s tiny ION-based P3 nettop has an even tinier removable DVD-ROM originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pixel Qi e-ink / LCD hybrid display to debut on tablet next month?

It’s been far, far too long (read: four months) since we’ve heard a peep from the gentle souls over at Pixel Qi, but it looks like the long, heart-wrenching wait for the hybrid display that’s bound to revolutionize Western civilization is nearing an end. According to the startup’s CEO herself, Mary Lou Jepsen, the primetime-ready 3Qi display should make its glorious debut on an undisclosed tablet to be announced next month. For those out of the loop, this transflective display contains both e-ink and LCD properties, one for outdoor reading scenarios and the other for multimedia viewing. The amazing part is that toggling between the two is as simple as flipping a switch, which obviously means great things for battery life on whatever device it’s shoved into. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for more, but do us a favor and cross your fingers for good luck. Toes too, por favor.

[Thanks, Tom]

Filed under: Displays

Pixel Qi e-ink / LCD hybrid display to debut on tablet next month? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E3 2009: PSP Go
E3 2009: PSP Go
Video: Swift, Indestructible Cockroach-Robots. The End Is Nigh
DASH is a cheap, featherweight robot based on a cockroach. And like the cockroach, it is both quick and almost indestructible. Dynamic Autonomous Sprawled Hexapod (we’re sure the name was made to fit the acronym) is made from cardboard laminated with flexible polymer using a 3D printer. Because it weighs just 16 grams, it can survive [...]
Fixies Light Up!
Yay for buttons! I’m basically in love with anything that with a switch, click, or pull can activate a system or complete a circuit. Here we’ve got a bit of a bike attached to a pole which in turn is attached to a light and a lamp that activates upon …