Subscribe to Gizmag's RSS feed
Follow Gizmag on Twitter
Personal Computing
Toshiba's Dynadock wireless docking station enhances your laptop's productivity
16:53 September 22, 2009 PDT
Toshiba has recently unveiled Dynadock Wireless U, a universal docking station that connects wirelessly to your Windows laptop and allows you to quickly gain access to a number of devices such as mouse, full-size keyboard and external monitors while featuring additional capabilities like two sleep-and-charge USB ports, automatic laptop connection and support for two additional monitors. Read More
World’s biggest and fastest desktop hard drive from Seagate
By Darren Quick
22:56 September 21, 2009 PDT
Hard drives aren’t just getting bigger, they’re also getting faster. And, for the time being, there's no bigger or faster desktop hard drive than Seagate’s new Barracuda XT. It's a 7200RPM drive that boasts 2TB of storage space and a blazing 6Gb/second SATA interface. This high performance, high capacity drive is aimed at gamers, digital video editors and other storage- and speed-hungry desktop computing applications. Read More
HP unveil sleek (and familiar looking) Envy notebooks
By Mick Webb
17:18 September 20, 2009 PDT
If ya can’t beat 'em, look like ‘em. That seems to be the ethos at HP with the unveiling of its slim new Envy line of notebooks, which take a fair few visual cues from Apple’s MacBook Pro – not that there’s anything wrong with that. Read More
Freeze your hard disk with the USB Windows Icebox
15:16 September 20, 2009 PDT
Almost every PC user knows about the importance of making regular data backups — often from their own, unfortunate personal experience. But, due to laziness and technical difficulties, only a small percentage of users actually performs regular maintenance other than updating antivirus software. The Windows IceBox is a convenient solution to this problem that plugs into your USB port and immediately freezes changes on your selected hard drive partitions, virtually eliminating the need for maintenance. Read More
Belkin Home Base: the box that does it all
By Paul Ridden
16:49 September 17, 2009 PDT
Wirelessly sharing devices such as a printer over a home network has just been made a mite easier with the introduction of Belkin's Home Base. This handy 802.11b/g/n compatible do-it-all box allows connection and access of up to four USB devices, can automatically back up files and share pictures on Flickr or Picassa accounts, and painlessly shares files between computers on an existing wireless network. Read More
A netbook by any other name: the VIA NetNote
By Paul Ridden
16:27 September 17, 2009 PDT
How do you punch a hole into the already over-populated netbook market and get your product seen by the buying public? You could just offer something that competitors don't have. But maybe that isn't enough. Perhaps you need to create a brand new device category for your new product to help it stand out from the crowd. Enter the NetNote from Taiwan's VIA Technologies which offers all the affordability and portability of a netbook and the high definition video capabilities and functionality of a notebook. Read More
A touchy subject: the new maXTouch chip from Atmel
By Paul Ridden
16:27 September 16, 2009 PDT
Atmel has just announced that its highly anticipated maXTouch mXT224 capacitive touchscreen controller chip is now ready for production release. Atmel representatives are positively bubbling with excitement about this product, which supports an unlimited number of simultaneous screen touches, looks out for unintentional touches and delivers smooth visuals with refresh rates of up to 250Hz - all on one tough, tiny, low-power chip. Read More
IEEE ratifies 802.11n amendment (at last)
By Paul Ridden
21:29 September 15, 2009 PDT
Seven years after starting to talk about it, and six years after introducing the first draft, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) has finally ratified the 802.11n wireless local area network (WLAN) amendment to the base standard. This effectively means that the super-fast routers we've been using in our home networks and for internet access for the past couple of years are now amongst those officially recognized by the IEEE. Read More
Quirky ideas: Scratch-n-scroll mouse-pad allows you to write with your finger
By Paul Lester
15:37 September 8, 2009 PDT
Older Gizmag readers may remember the Etch A Sketch, a child’s doodling utensil that used aluminium powder and a glass screen to draw horizontal and vertical lines and the Magna Doodle, a similar product that used a magnetic drawing board. A cheap and cheerful version of the latter, often called the ‘magic slate’, consisted of a pad and stylus that allowed scribbles to be erased by lifting off and replacing a film of plastic. This concept has now been rather cleverly turned into a Mouse Pad called the Scratch-n-Scroll. Read More
Altec Lansing's 200W Expressionist Ultra MX6021 computer speaker system
By Jeff Salton
19:29 September 7, 2009 PDT
Some people like their PC gaming experiences big. They spend big money on big games, big monitors and big gaming accessories but suffer from SSS (small sound syndrome). Well, listen up! Altec Lansing has released the Expressionist™ Ultra (MX6021), a distinctively styled and powerful three-piece home speaker system for computers, MP3 players and more that delivers 200W RMS. And with this quality of sound, it won’t be just the gamers taking advantage of all that power. Consumers who keep their music on their PC will greatly benefit from these speakers. Read More
Acer Aspire Z5610 is a serious all-in-one desktop
By Darren Quick
00:20 September 7, 2009 PDT
Acer unveiled a big brother to its recently-released Veriton Z280G all-in-one desktop at IFA 2009 in the form of the Aspire Z5610. The new all-in-one unit features a larger 23-inch multi-touch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 5ms response time and 1000:1 contrast ratio. While the Veriton Z280G is more suited to basic home and office use, the Aspire Z5610 is aimed at more demanding multimedia users. Read More
ASUS EeeTop PC ET20/22 confirmed at last
By Paul Ridden
19:03 September 3, 2009 PDT
If you need computing power but space is at a premium and you don't want to opt for a laptop or netbook, then an all-in-one PC might just be the answer you are looking for. After months of eager anticipation, Taiwan's ASUS has finally confirmed the technical specifications for its solution for the space-conscious non-mobile computer user - the EeeTop 20/22 series. They'll be super fast full HD graphics on a touchscreen 20in or 22in screen, a built-in webcam, wireless keyboard and mouse and the option of a Blu-ray player and even more squeezed into one classy chassis. Read More
Another global broadband offering from Verizon: the UMW190
By Paul Ridden
17:31 September 3, 2009 PDT
Not even a month has passed since Verizon announced that it had partnered with the USA arm of China's ZTE to release of the AD3700 USB modem which offered users worldwide coverage from a single device. And now the company is at it again, declaring the forthcoming availability of the UMW190 USB modem, which does essentially the same job in a slightly smaller and cheaper form. Read More
Sony shows Vaio X-Series netbook at IFA
05:12 September 3, 2009 PDT
Sony has provided a glimpse of the next installment in its Vaio ultra-portable laptop line at IFA 2009 - the carbon fiber clad Vaio X series. Powered by what's billed as "an all-day battery", the slimline X-series is just over half an inch thick (14 mm), weighs 1.5 pounds (700 grams), sports a 11.1-inch display and backs the rugged credentials of its carbon fiber frame with what looks to be a very usable aluminum keyboard. Read More
Wow-Pen Joy: the cheap, five-button ergonomic mouse
19:36 September 1, 2009 PDT
Forty years after the first computer mouse saw the light of day, the IT industry still tries its best to reinvent this peripheral. At Gizmag, we've seen our good share of esoteric mice, but what's interesting about the Wow-Pen Joy is how functional its design promises to be, for a price well below the average for ergonomic devices. Read More
Acer keep 'em coming with the Veriton All-in-One Desktop PC
By Mick Webb
14:52 August 30, 2009 PDT
Acer certainly isn’t resting on its laurels. Following on from a recent flurry of new product releases comes the All-In-One Veriton Z280G desktop PC. With an emphasis on energy and space saving qualities, Acer is taking aim firmly at the commercial computing market. Read More
UK government: crack down on file sharing, cut off suspected pirates' Internet connections
By Loz Blain
17:22 August 26, 2009 PDT
Illegal peer-to-peer sharing of movies, music and software is currently estimated to comprise more than half the world's Internet traffic - and copyright holders are up in arms, saying that CD, movie and software sales are taking a devastating hit from the quick, convenient and anonymous piracy options the broadband age has opened up. Now, the UK is considering legislation that would see suspected illegal file sharers cut off altogether by their ISPs - despite the fact that the European Parliament recently rejected a similar plan from France, on the grounds that it contravened the modern citizen's fundamental right to access the Internet. Read More
Nortek Duplus mini wireless mouse and presenter
By Jeff Salton
20:42 August 24, 2009 PDT
Business-people who never have enough hands when making electronic presentations will applaud the new Nortek Duplus Mini Wireless Presenter 2.4GHz Mouse. Co-designed by Samsung, it's a mouse and laser pointer all-in-one with an operating range of up to 10m, multi-functional click wheel, quick and continuous scrolling, and rechargeable battery. Read More
Nokia to join the netbook fray with the Booklet 3G
By Darren Quick
19:49 August 24, 2009 PDT
They’re known as netbooks, ultraportables, subnotebooks, mini-laptops or even kneetop computers in some circles. Now consumers have yet another moniker to contend with as Nokia announces its upcoming Nokia Booklet 3G. Featuring a glass 10.1-inch HD display and Intel Atom processor, the Booklet 3G is a Windows-based unit that promises the performance of a full-function PC alongside a rated 12-hour battery life. Read More
No surface too shiny for new Logitech mice
By Jeff Salton
23:48 August 20, 2009 PDT
Logitech has released a mouse that makes portable computing easier – one that operates on shiny surfaces. Utilising its Darkfield Laser Tracking, the company says its mouse can operate on virtually any surface – including clear glass (that’s at least 4mm thick) and other high-gloss surfaces found in today’s modern home and office. The technology is available in two models – the Logitech Performance Mouse MX (full-size) and the Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX (compact for notebooks). Read More
Aegis Padlock Secure Drive with integrated keypad for data security
By Darren Quick
20:32 August 20, 2009 PDT
External hard drives make data portable, but they also make it vulnerable if you manage to misplace the drive or it is nabbed by some light-fingered thief. Software encryption provides one level of protection for that all-important data, but for extra peace of mind there are also options for hardware-based security like the new Aegis Padlock Secure Drive. Read More
Verbatim launches InSight Portable USB Hard Drive
By Mick Webb
20:55 August 18, 2009 PDT
The world of portable USB hard drives is getting tougher and smaller, and by the looks of things, sleeker. Verbatim has launched its InSight portable hard drive, a sophisticated looking number boasting a built in display that calculates and shows the amount of available free space, even when not connected to a computer. Read More
High speed USB internet from Verizon
By Paul Ridden
18:47 August 18, 2009 PDT
The US division of China's ZTE and mobile phone carrier Verizon Wireless have launched the AD3700, a high speed USB Mobile Broadband modem which quickly connects to the fastest possible network wherever in the world you find yourself. It's compatible with modern versions of Windows, connects to your laptop via swivel hinge USB 2.0 and, according to the tech company partnership, should prove a great option for staying connected while on the go. Read More
AVerMedia’s twin HD TV tuner turns your PC into a set-top box
By Jeff Salton
01:15 August 17, 2009 PDT
The increasing consumer desire to watch TV shows on demand, combined with the proliferation of home theater PCs (HTPC), has given rise to the AVerTVHD Duet – a pure HD Dual Digital TV tuner for your PC that lets you watch one show while recording another or record both simultaneously. And, by recording your HD content to your HTPC's hard drive, it becomes a personal video recorder (PVR): you can time-shift your favorite shows, skip annoying bits, pause and rewind, you know the drill … Read More
Logitech C600 webcam and Vid calling software review
By Darren Quick
17:01 August 13, 2009 PDT
Logitech recently released a raft of new webcams and we've spent the last week putting the C600 through its paces. Despite the fact that the unit offers superior imaging capabilities over the little black circle above the screen on my laptop, it wasn’t the webcam itself that impressed most, but the included Logitech Vid software. But we’ll get to that. First to the webcam. Read More
Freedom Glen
- November 25, 2009 @ 02:47 UTC
