As my gentle readers may have noticed, I am a big fan of gadgets, from simple to bright & shiny electronics.
This gadget falls under the simple, yet useful and cool category. It’s a six in one multitool shaped like a key, and this fits very nicely on your key ring. The small blade is very handy, and the design keeps it safe when it is on your keyring.
This is one of my favorite multitools. It’s handy, I typically have it with me (the massive Swiss Army Multitool my brother game me years ago did a lot of stuff, but it was too damn big to carry around. A tool you don’t have is of no use), and the tools on it (screwdrivers, small knife) are useful in everyday life.
Filed under: Gadget | Tagged: iPhone, multitool | 1 Comment »
As I’ve noted before, it is my theory that Amazon does not actual sell e-books on it’s Kindle device, it leases the book to the reader.
Another point of evidence to support that theory has just come out. According to this New York Times story, Amazon can delete e-books off your Kindle, that you have “purchased” from them, without your knowledge or consent.
One of the books removed, George Orwell’s “1984”
Keep in mind that Amazon was the first company to grab a noticable portion of Apple’s iTunes digital formated music business by offering MP3 files without copy protection. Amazon is using it’s dominate position in the online bookselling business to force an ugly “DRM” scheme on its customers that assumes that they are thieves.
Amazon, and publishing companies, need to recognize that they make most of their money off avid readers who are willing to spend money to support their favorite authors. Their fear driven reaction to the fear mongering of the RIAA is pushing them toward a business model that is hostile toward their best customers. They would better serve their customers, and their stockholders, by working with the customer instead of treating them like criminals.
Portions of this post were first published on the Urbin Report.
Filed under: etext, Etext Reader, Gadget | Tagged: Amazon, etext, Etext Reader, Gadget, Kindle | Leave a comment »
I broke down and got a new iPhone. My old one was a 1st gen, I gained a lot of new features. Faster processor, more memory, GPS, and a much better camera. In addition to better stills, the 3GS will take videos as well.
The better camera and videos are really the big feature over the 3G. The older version supports many of the software features. The real bang for the buck comes from upgrading from the first gen model.
What will be interesting is see how the multiple phones running the Android OS will stack up as well as the applications that will be written for it.
Update: Ok, the single most useful feature of the 3GS over the first gen iPhone, not needing a bloody adapter to use a standard set of head phones!
Filed under: Apple, Gadget, Smart Phone | Tagged: iPhone | Leave a comment »
Let’s review what is announced/rumored for this summer.
Palm’s Pre is due out in two days. Will it be enought to save Palm? Hell, Sprint could use the boost too.
Two days after that, the new iPhone firmware is release, and probably new iPhone hardware as well.
Later this month, Nokia’s N97 is due out
After that, Google will release another rev of Android and multiple Android phones will be hitting th streets.
Filed under: Android, Apple, cell phone tech, Gadget, iPhone, Smart Phone | Tagged: Android, Apple, cell phone, iPhone, Palm, Smart Phone | 1 Comment »
Before you get too excited, it won’t be released until next month, it’s only available in Japan, and it has a $1,000 price tag.
The FLEPia will however have a color screen with touch capabilities. Old School Palm OS stylus touch control though.
The display uses a variant of LCD tech that doesn’t use a backlight. The backlight is the power hog that has kept it from being used in a ebook reader yet.
I wouldn’t call this a threat to the Amazon Kindle or the Sony EBook reader, but it shows the market is opening up.
Filed under: etext, Etext Reader, Gadget | Tagged: ebook, etext, Etext Reader | 1 Comment »
Apple is now allowing third party browsers on the iPhone.
Don’t get too excited, these are all Safari based browsers.
When I can load Opera, Chrome or Firefox on my iPhone, that will be a real crack in Apple’s control over the device.
Filed under: Apple, Gadget, Internet, iPhone, Smart Phone | Tagged: Apple, broswer, cell phone, iPhone, Smart Phone | 1 Comment »
Palm has announced their new smartphone, the Pre. It’s not out yet, but it does look interesting. Big color screen, a slide out physical keyboard, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, calendar/email synch, accelerometer, 3 Megapixil camera, 8 Gig RAM, USB connector and support for additional add on memory.
It looks like Palm is stepping up the plate in challenging the iPhone and phones using Google’s Android OS. It will be interesting to see how the OS holds up under actual use and the application support. Palm has a very deep application pool to draw from. How compatible this OS is with the API for the old OS will effect how much of that application pool the Pre can draw from.
Filed under: cell phone tech, Gadget, Palm, PDA | Tagged: cell phone, Palm, PDA, Smart Phone | 3 Comments »
Palm has been working on a new OS for the past four years, code named Nova. The rumor is that it will be released at the Consumer Electronics Show in early 2009.
A Palm executive makes an interesting observation in BusinessWeek, “The next 10 years is all about the transition from notebooks to mobile computing.”
Palm’s strategy is to not go over the business market (dominated by Blackberry devices) or the high end “strong mobile media experience” (where the iPhone rules), but the “fat middle of the market” of users who want a mobile Internet device/Phone, but don’t need/want to watch movies on a tiny screen.
It sounds like a good plan, except for one fly in the ointment. That is the same market space Google is going after with their Android OS.
Filed under: cell phone tech, Gadget, Google, Palm, Smart Phone | Tagged: Android, OS, Palm, Smart Phone | 4 Comments »
One of the hot items this Christmas is digital picture frames. I’ve been looking at various models, bought several and returned a couple.
First, what not to buy. Omnitech digital picture frames. Omnitech is a Staples brand name. Don’t let the low price suck you in like it did me. The quality is absolute dreck! Very low resolution pictures. Here is a tip, if the resolution of the screen isn’t printed on the box somewhere, it’s probably safe to assume that it sucks.
I found two models that I’m happy with. The first is an HP 10.4″ model. The resolution is 800×600, it has a remote, support for music files, movies, CF/SD cards…all the usual stuff. A bit pricy, Amazon has it for $165, but then you are paying for the brand name and the perceived level of quality. It will show your digital photographs off quite nicely though. It also has different colored mats that can be swapped out to match your room’s color scheme.
The other model I like is the Smartparts OptiPix Pro 10.4″ digital picture frame, which Amazon has for $99.99. According to data on the box, the resolution is 640×480. I’ve got it set next to the 800×600 HP, loaded with same pictures, and I can’t see $65 worth of difference between them.
Bottom line, if you want a decent digital picture frame, be prepared to spend at least $100, and while it’s probably safe going with a well know brand name like HP, it may not be the best buy available.
Filed under: Gadget, Photography | Tagged: digital picture frame, Gadget, gift, Photography | Leave a comment »
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