Summer Brings Wave Of Hot Digital Products

Here's a snapshot of some new products to keep an eye on.

Projecting A New Presence
Toshiba's Digital Products Division has been busy sprucing up its line of projectors, this time with the TLP-XC2500U, a $1,539 LCD unit with a built-in document camera aimed at the SMB, education, training and mobile professional markets. There's also the TDP-TW100U DLP mobile projector ($1,699), which is designed SMB applications, gaming and viewing movies.

The document camera on the TLP-XC2500U is attached to an extender arm on the projector that users can position to project photos, documents and three-dimensional objects for close-up, hands-free demonstrations. The camera has a 3-megapixel resolution, 16x zoom and a built-in LED light for clear video images in darkened rooms. The projector also includes a small antitheft control panel to enter self-assigned passwords, a smart feature for busy classrooms and open conference rooms.

Weighing in at 8.8 pounds, the TLP-XC2500U also features Toshiba's Natural Color Enhancer3 for sharper and more vivid images, instant power shutdown and remote digital zoom that allows presenters to enlarge specific numbers or details on a presentation.

Though the TDP-TW100U DLP wireless projector is aimed at those aforementioned markets, it seems especially well-designed for gamers and movie enthusiasts looking for a cost-effective unit for a secondary room or second home. The projector features 2,700 ANSI lumens and 802.11G wireless networking capabilities that provide access to multiple wireless PCs and users. Hitting the scales at 6.8 pounds, the TDP-TW100U has a 2000:1 contrast ratio, XGA 1024x786 native resolution, Natural Color Enhacer2, a USB drive for storing presentations in JPEG format, a "blackboard" function that allows for color adjustment when projecting on a non-screen surface, and remote zoom.

Toshiba also introduced a new networked surveillance camera package that includes the IK-WB02A IP camera, either a 2.9-8.0mm or 5.0-50.0mm Fuji lens, a 24VAC 20VA plug-in transformer and a six-inch universal indoor mount. Aimed at home, school, government, casino and other markets, the IK-WB02A includes power-over-Ethernet, two-way audio, built-in motion detection and a Secure Digital card slot for all-in-one recording. The camera also features up to 30fps video streaming, 640 x 480 resolution, and low-light performance with day/night imaging.

Hopping On A Small Shuttle
The demand for small form-factor PCs continues to grow as consumers seek to free up desktop space or place computers in the living room, media room or kitchen as part of a home network. The trend is not lost on Shuttle, a City of Industry, Calif.-based manufacturer of small form-factor PCs, which recently unveiled its smallest, full-feature systems. The XPC 100 comes in two flavors. The $699 model packs an Intel Celeron M processor, 512 Mbytes of memory and an 80-Gbyte drive. The $999 unit ups the ante with an Intel Core Duo processor, 1 Gbyte of memory, a 250-Gbyte drive, an Intel Pro/Wireless LAN and DVD dual/combo drives. Standard features include ATI's Mobility Radeon X1400 graphics processor, a multiformat media card reader, high-definition 7.1 channel audio and support for the upcoming Windows Vista OS. Go Wide!
ViewSonic recently enrolled in the new school of displays with its 20-inch widescreen LCD TV for PC and entertainment applications, aimed at small spaces such as dorm rooms, apartments, kitchens and recreational vehicles. The HD-compatible N2060w ($499) connects to PCs, cable TV boxes, game consoles, DVD players and camcorders. The display has 450 nits of brightness, 1366 X 768 resolution, a 700:1 contrast ratio and an 8-millisecond response time to limit lagging and ghosting.

Wireless N Flies Small-Business Class
Linksys is serving up Wireless-N gear exclusively for the solution provider channel and specifically designed for small businesses and SOHOs.

The products are based on the 802.11n draft wireless specification and include a Wireless-N Access Point ($169), Wireless-N Gigbit VPN Router ($229) and Wireless-N PC card ($119). Some of the new features include an intrusion-prevention system, 802.1x client authentication, power-over -hernet, roaming, wireless multimedia support and wireless security monitoring. Linksys said the products will be sold only through distributors and solution providers.

Runnin' Yellow
Anthology Solutions beefed up the 3.3 version software for its Yellow Machine Media Servers with Digital Entertainment Power Tools, designed to help users store and manage digital libraries from such sources as TiVo, Media Center PCs and digital cameras.

The company also added RapidReady Startup software to the Yellow Machine platform, designed to automatically detect network devices and configure without a PC. The machines also include FailSafe storage technology to protect data, automated backup and remote access with secure VPN connectivity. Power Tools for Windows XP is available as a free download from www.yellowmachine.com. Yellow Machine half-terabyte models start at $599.

Plugged In
Fresh from Plugfest, the final stage of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance certification process, the standards organization recently approved 20 new products for interoperability with powerline communications standards.

The newly certified products, which join more than 6 million others, include ST&T Powerline Speaker, PLC Camera and Powerline to Ethernet Bridge, ZyXEL's Ethernet Adapter and Intellon's Ethernet to Powerline Reference Design.