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Portable
Magic Wand portable scanner PDS-ST410-VP from VuPoint Solutions
By Jeff Salton
15:59 February 8, 2010 PST
Taking around four seconds to scan an A4-size document in B&W, this portable wand-type scanner from VuPoint Solutions is designed for copying images from books or documents with thick or fragile spines that don’t allow them to be folded back for placement on a flatbed scanner. It's also useful for scanning pages that are located a long way from your office. Read More
Portable magnetometer to get to the heart of the matter
By Darren Quick
13:31 January 30, 2010 PST
A portable magnetometer being developed at the University of Leeds could dramatically simplify and improve the process of diagnosing heart conditions. Its creators say its unprecedented sensitivity to magnetic fluctuations will allow the innovative cardiac scanner to detect a number of conditions, including heart problems in fetuses, earlier than currently available diagnostic techniques such as ultrasound, ECG (electrocardiogram) and existing cardiac magnetometers. It will also be smaller, simpler to operate, able to gather more information and significantly cheaper than other devices currently available. Read More
WiNRADiO PFSL-G3 field strength logger now with TETRA protocol
By Ben Coxworth
01:03 January 22, 2010 PST
Whether you’re tracking a moose, trying to locate a sinking ship, or conducting a little spying, you’re going to be using a field strength logger. One of the slickest units currently available is the WiNRADiO PFSL-G3 Portable Field Strength Logging and Surveillance System. Whereas such systems used to consist of several pieces of equipment, the PFSL-G3 is all contained in one portable, compact, rugged unit. It also now comes with an optional TETRA control protocol decoder, allowing users to prioritize signal traffic by importance. Read More
The SEED Project - from unused shipping container to sustainable emergency housing
By Mick Webb
02:20 January 19, 2010 PST
Aside from tragic loss of life and incomprehensible destruction, events like last week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti create a myriad of problems in their wake, not least of which is homelessness. With over 30 million shipping containers the world over currently lying dormant, a team of researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina are working to help solve the issue of accommodation in disaster affected areas by developing a method to convert the unused containers into sustainable emergency housing. Read More
A helping hand for the backyard chef - the Barbecue Hand Crank
By Mick Webb
17:53 January 17, 2010 PST
Avid fans of the barbecue grill will know there is little more annoying than having to constantly attend to making sure the charcoal keeps on burning, often resulting in ever bigger huffs and puffs and the odd singed eyebrow. Well huff and puff no more with what is a very simple yet effective looking solution to backyard breathlessness, the Barbecue Hand Crank. As the name suggests, the hand held and operated portable blower lets the user produce a stream of constant air with a simple turn of the handle. Read More
US$699 Optoma HD66 - 300 inches of 720p 3D projection for the home theatre
By Loz Blain
00:18 January 13, 2010 PST
No matter how much you spend, there just doesn't seem to be any clear way to future-proof your home theatre system. You can have the biggest HD screen on the block, but suddenly, if it can't do 3D, it's all but obsolete. With the rush of 3D content that's under development in the gaming, TV and cinema worlds, 3D is set to become the new HD within the next couple of years - and with that in mind, Optoma has pulled the covers off its HD66 digital projector at CES - a US$699 home theatre projector capable of showing 720p content in 3D with a max image size around 300". Read More
TomTom EASE - small package, small pricetag GPS to hit US stores
By Paul Ridden
19:56 January 7, 2010 PST
TomTom's EASE is the latest addition to its satellite navigation family and brings all the functionality, ease of use and practicality of its siblings at a fraction of the cost. Launched at CES in Las Vegas this week, the EASE blends a simple two icon interface menu, an integrated fold-away mount and the company's proprietary Map Share and IQ Routes - all for around a hundred US dollars. Read More
The Wavebox portable microwave oven
By Gizmag Team
23:03 December 29, 2009 PST
The impact of the microwave oven on human grazing habits has been extreme. It can reheat frozen food or cook raw food in a fraction of the time required of a conventional oven and has brought the convenience of preparing food to new levels. Now a portable microwave oven offers those same capabilities to people who need to prepare food away from the kitchen, or indeed off-the-grid entirely – truckies, RVers, boaties, campers … . The US$250 WaveBox weighs just 6.3 kg (14 pounds), runs on mains voltage regardless of country, and can also run from a 12 volt battery using alligator leads or from your in-vehicle power outlet. This is without doubt a killer app! Read More
Apple's 2010 Internet Tablet to be coined ‘iSlate’?
By Paul Lester
21:50 December 29, 2009 PST
Internet tablets have never really taken off in a big way, and despite high-profile companies like Nokia getting involved with portable offerings like the N900, the jury is still out on whether there’s sufficient demand for a more dedicated device. There are few better placed companies than Apple to make a final ruling on such technology though, and we’ve already seen blueprints and patents filed for such a device. If the project does go ahead, the latest word from MacRumours suggests that any such device will be labeled the "iSlate". Read More
Zemno’s DeskBook Pro portable docking station
By Darren Quick
19:27 November 25, 2009 PST
The biggest advantage of laptop computers over their desktop cousins is their portability, but the flipside is that they are significantly harder than desktop PCs to upgrade. Bumping up the hard drive capacity, upping the screen size, or adding better speakers can be achieved with the addition of multiple peripherals, but continuously plugging in and unplugging these extra devices can get to be a real hassle. Zemno’s DeskBook Pro portable docking station eases the pain considerably, and its ModBay Technology enables the DeskBook Pro to support internal connection of hard drives, batteries and peripherals. Read More
Goodbye gloves, hello Sanyo eneloop Kairo hand-warmers
By Jeff Salton
23:27 November 24, 2009 PST
Cold hands, warm heart. Why not have both this winter? (warm body parts, that is) Just in time for the Northern Hemisphere’s colder weather, Sanyo has launched two new eneloop Kairo portable rechargeable hand-warmers. Shaped a bit like an egg, the eneloop Kairo is available in one-sided and two-sided models, and makes an ideal stocking-filler … or pocket-filler for this Christmas season. Read More
Learn to play harmonica in a Flash
By Paul Ridden
15:00 November 6, 2009 PST
A music teacher from Riverside Illinois has come up with a Flash drive design that's more novel than novelty. Possibly one of the most portable instrument around - the harmonica - and the most portable digital storage solution have been merged into one to produce the FlashHarp. Read More
eviGroup enters touchscreen tablet market with 'the Pad'
By Paul Ridden
05:27 November 2, 2009 PST
It's only been a short while since eviGroup's Wallet MID was released and the French tech company has already unleashed its bigger sister - the Pad. With an Atom processor at its heart, a 160GB hard drive, WiFi, 3G and Windows 7 Home Premium, is this touchscreen tablet PC an Archos killer? Read More
I see what you're saying - NEC's ‘Tele Scouter’ retinal-display translation glasses
By Darren Quick
20:13 October 29, 2009 PDT
The days of a Universal Translator like the one that made chatting between alien species a non-issue in Star Trek might be some way off yet. But a new device from NEC is definitely a step in the right direction for those of us on planet Earth looking for a way to communicate with other language speakers that doesn’t involve a human translator or a well-thumbed phrase book. The prototype device called a “Tele Scouter” is a glasses type display that translates the foreign language being spoken by a partner and projects the translation onto a tiny retinal display. Read More
GE Vscan portable ultrasound scanner unveiled
By Paul Ridden
07:56 October 23, 2009 PDT
General Electric has unveiled a pocket-sized ultrasound scanner at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. Looking very like (and not much bigger than) a clam-shell mobile phone, the device allows physicians to scan any part of the body by placing the attached wand on it. The system will be able to see real-time black and white or color inner body images on the screen of the Vscan and data can be also be saved and reviewed at a later date. Read More
PSP Go review
By Tim Hanlon
23:44 October 19, 2009 PDT
The original PlayStation Portable (PSP) was released in December 2004 and has since seen two hardware refreshes (the PSP Slim & Lite and the PSP 3000) with combined sales of more than 55 million units. The PSP Go is the latest and most radical hardware update for the PSP, shedding the UMD drive of old in preference of 16GB of internal storage, with games and other content provided via download from the PlayStation Network. Read on for our full review. Read More
Green Power's sliding speaker solution for iPod
By Paul Lester
14:41 October 12, 2009 PDT
Though most multimedia phones tend to have external speakers for, albeit meagerly, pumping out tunes for other people’s benefit, they tend to be less common on MP3 players as companies prioritize slim and pocket-friendly designs. The most notable "hybrid" to take a chance in this market is Samsung’s K5, which offers a clever slide-out design to keep things relatively compact while allowing for the widest possible stereo image. This approach has now been aped by Korean company Green Power as a solution for the iPod. Read More
Get mobile power with or without an outlet from the iGo Charge Anywhere
By Jeff Salton
22:47 October 1, 2009 PDT
Everyone remembers that interstate or international trip when their cell phone or GPS ran out of power and they discovered they’d brought the wrong charger with them. Or found themselves 'powerless' with no outlet in sight. Frustration, fear, panic … you name it, there are a lot of emotions that run through your mind when you find yourself in that situation. It’s a scenario you never want to repeat. But unfortunately, many of us are slow learners. A new travel-friendly charger called the iGo Charge Anywhere should help you overcome the problem of flat batteries by allowing you to charge your mobile devices in any location, with or without an outlet. Read More
Non-Lethal Thermal Laser prototype only works on nudists
By Darren Quick
01:07 September 22, 2009 PDT
Non-lethal weapons are intended to have reversible effects on personnel and material. They provide soldiers with another option when lethal force isn’t considered to be the best first response to a situation. One non-lethal weapon prototype that is being evaluated by U.S. military is the Thermal Laser System, which attaches to a rifle and uses a laser to create a heating sensation to repel adversaries. Unfortunately, current trials indicate that clothing nullifies the weapon's effectiveness. Read More
Samsung releases P410M and A600 projectors
16:42 September 16, 2009 PDT
Samsung recently added two new projectors to its lineup, both featuring high image quality and a wide range of connectivity capabilities at a very interesting price. The very portable P410M is compact and lightweight, with direct USB connectivity for games and devices, while the high-end A600 offers full HD 1080p video suitable for home theater projection. Read More
The Olympus LS-11 portable audio recorder
By Darren Quick
01:13 September 9, 2009 PDT
IFA brought us the Olympus LS-10 last year, so it’s only fitting that IFA 2009 saw Olympus touting the imminent arrival of the LS-11, a feature-packed audio recorder that fits in the palm of a hand and boasts sampling rates of up to 24-bit/96kHz with PCM recording. It also gives users a choice of three file formats – WMA, MP3, and WAV – and even allows sound files to be edited in the device. Read More
Old meets new in the form of the YikeBike
By Paul Ridden
15:10 September 7, 2009 PDT
So what do you do when you challenge yourself to come up with a design to make traveling around busy, congested cities as easy and stress-free as possible? According to the folks behind the YikeBike - which was officially launched at Eurobike 2009 trade fair in Friedrichshafen Germany this month - you start with a blank sheet of paper, throw a good-sized front wheel in for stability, swap pedals for a brushless electric motor and abandon the familiar forward-leaning riding position of the bicycle altogether. Read More
Altec Lansing’s Orbit USB 360° sound portable speaker packs a punch
By Darren Quick
18:13 September 6, 2009 PDT
Laptop speakers generally aren’t the most impressive sound reproduction devices going around so travelers either have to put up with poor sound quality, rely on a set of headphones, or pack a set of (often not so) portable speakers. Altec Lansing appears to have overcome this annoyance by unveiling its Orbit USB ultra portable speaker at IFA 2009 this week. Read More
DivX-compatible R1 portable multimedia player from Samsung
By Darren Quick
01:37 September 1, 2009 PDT
Samsung claims its R1 'beat' player is the slimmest and lightest DivX-compatible portable multimedia player yet, which means users can play DivX content without the time-wasting step of converting files. The R1 is also the first DivX-compatible player to boast a touchscreen, measuring 2.6-inches, that allows the device to incorporate the TouchWiz user interface (UI) also found in other Samsung devices like the Jet and Memoir mobile phones. Read More
Sony makes some noise - S Series Walkman with built-in speakers
By Mick Webb
22:14 August 27, 2009 PDT
Sony has announced the latest update of its enduring stalwart, the Walkman, with some additions to their range of portable music players. Rather than just providing music for one, the S-Series includes built-in speakers to share the sound, while the new E-Series offers a stylish entry-level option. Read More
dariusvons
- February 10, 2010 @ 00:56 UTC
