Aug
28
2008
Lady gamers, hold on to your hats, or at least your ears. SteelSeries has introduced a new line of full-size headsets with you in mind. The SteelSeries iron.lady Siberia headset is designed with specifications and a soundscape for long hours of gaming, providing comfort every minute of the way.
The iron.lady Siberia headset is not limited to the gaming application, but can be used with your favorite MP3-player, handheld gaming device or practically any other kind of portable digital device. The pink headset is designed to appeal to the growing numbers of female gamers.
Women currently make up 40 percent of the gaming population and will appreciate the fact that the iron.lady Siberia headset was developed in cooperation with professional gamers.
The specialized headset also comes in SteelSeries signature black and white. Availability should be during the last quarter of this year at a suggested retail price of $79.99.
The iron.lady Siberia headsets will be used by the women’s team previously known as Les Seules, now a part of the leading E-Sports organization, Meet Your Makers
Jul
29
2008
The photographic theme continues with a look at the new Pentax Optio E60. Pentax does not get the attention that Nikon and Canon do, but they certainly deserve their slice of the pie. Pentax has produced good quality cameras for more than 55 years. The company introduced their Asahiflex camera in 1952. Pentax actually started as a lens producing company in 1919, getting its start in the photography industry much like Nikon.
Fast forward to 2008; Pentax brings the Optio E60 to market providing consumers with a 10.1 megapixel camera in a compact case. It would be fair to ask; where are things going from here? Point and shoot cameras with 10.1 megapixels and a 32mm to 96mm (35mm equivalent) lens were unheard of just a few years ago. In terms of digital sensors, they are encroaching on what was once the territory of pro cameras only.
The PENTAX Optio E60 offers the user a number of shooting modes including Face Recognition, Auto Picture, Digital Shake Reduction and Green Mode. The Green Mode sets sensitivity, exposure and other parameters. The Optio E60 offers an Image Recovery function to retrieve accidentally-erased images. It also allows for time and date imprinting on images based on world time; all of this in a compact package.
Toss a couple of AA-rechargeable batteries in for money-saving convenience. The Optio E60 will hit the market this October.
Jun
12
2008
On June 10th, HP introduced 16 new notebook models designed with new materials and software features at their ‘Connecting Your World’ event. The consumer models feature the sleek new liquid-metallic HP Imprint 2 surface design. The HP Elitebook business series notebooks feature a durable, aircraft-inspired look.
The new HP Pavilion notebook consumer-focused notebooks have the innovative HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection feature which detects when the notebook has been dropped, and during the fall, automatically stops the hard drive from spinning, helping to prevent the loss of files and data.
Buyers of the consumer series also have the option of a high-speed eSATA interface for backing up data to external storage drives. Accessories for the new notebooks include the HP xb4 Notebook Media Docking Station and HP Bluetooth(R) Stereo Headphones with active noise cancellation.
For the working professional on the go, the new Elitebook series notebooks include a protective coating of anodized aluminum on the palm-rest surface that is six times more scratch-resistant than that used in previous notebooks. EliteBook also includes HP QuickLook 2 software. HP has set a goal to remove any mercury from their notebook screens in the next two years. Mercury is commonly found in notebook screens and florescent style light bulbs.
Jun
11
2008
For the busy business person on the go, a new product for the iPhone makes keeping a schedule easy and convenient. RemindYou by Make Your Day Media is an application for the Apple iPhone that helps users keep appointments and review their schedules.
When an iPhone user unlocks their iPhone, the default earth view image is replaced with a view of their RemindYou schedule. The application syncs with iCal, Outlook, or Entourage so that the user gets a lock screen schedule, that is up to date, every time they use their iPhone. Time management just got easier.
In my last posting, I talked about the iPhone’s new GPS capabilities. Now you can keep track of your schedule and location all at once. This is the perfect tool for the salesperson or executive on the go.
The RemindYou application can show over a dozen appointments up to six weeks away. It can be set up in a 24 hour format and uses little battery power. Make Your Day Media offers a free 14 day trial of the RemindYou app.
Make Your Day Media foresees additional software development for the iPhone that will enhance the iPhone’s utilitarian capabilities.
Jun
03
2008
It’s all about security these days when important personal information resides on your computer hard drive. Short of sticking your computer in a safe, there are easier means to achieving a ‘hardware’ solution to locking your personal information down. That’s where the Edgetech Corp. DiskGO Guardian comes in.
The DiskGo Guardian exceeds government standards for encryption by utilizing mandatory 256-bit AES hardware encryption. The flash drive comes encased in a very tough anodized-aluminum housing. It can stand up to the wear and tear of the elements according to its manufacturer.
The Guardian requires the use of a complex password and will erase data after eight failed password attempts. It includes an unencrypted area for storing contact information in case it is lost. The Guardian features very fast read/write speeds.
One interesting fact about the manufacturer is that the founder, Jeff Thompson, started the company when he was only 14 with money saved from his paper-route. That was twenty-two years ago. Now that’s what I call an American success story.
May
20
2008
The Nintendo Wii Fit hit the U.S. market on May 19th. The electronic exercise device has already sold 2 million copies in Japan. It includes the Wii Balance Board, a sophisticated platform that has the ability to sense weight and shifts in balance and in movement.
The Wii Balance Board connects to the Wii console through a wireless connection. The Balance Board allows the user to engage in up to 40 different exercises including yoga, aerobics, strength training and balance.
The device features virtual trainers that egg-on the user. The Wii Fit even tracks users’ progress, which lets people see how they have improved while challenging them to better their scores and stay motivated to keep going.
Wii Fit should prove to be a great solution to get gamers off the couch and enjoying the game-like approach to fitness. It should also prove to be a great introduction to Wii for non-gamers who are just interested in exercise. What could be better than bringing interactive entertainment to getting fit.
