10 More Tech Gadgets For Summer
10 More Tech Gadgets For Summer
Now that the summer's in full swing, the time seems right for a follow up to 25 Tech Gadgets for the Summer, our first look this year at summer electronics.
So here are 10 more high-tech gizmos that you'll want to consider along with the types of meat you'll be grilling on the barbecue.
Three-In-One Remote
After an invigorating day on the links, there's nothing better than to sit back and relax with your favorite TV show, movie or musical selection. And to help you access your media of choice, Genius has developed the LuxeMate T810 Media Cruiser three-in-one wireless media and PC control system. For $89.99 list, the kit, which includes a 2.4-GHz wireless remote control, wireless mouse and keyboard with dozens of programmable hot keys, works from any angle within a range of about 30 feet. Designed specifically for Windows Media Center, the kit includes USB dongle, batteries, rubber feet and a dust cover. Logitech, eat your heart out.
One Ring To Rule Them All
For people who can never give up control there's the Ring Mouse, a ring-sized wireless pointing device that brings pinpoint precision to the tips of your fingers. Simply insert the USB receiver dongle into an available slot on your PC, slip the ring onto your forefinger and VIOLA! You're controlling a PC from your ring over 2.4-GHz band from within 30 feet. It sells for around $45, including USB charging cable for the ring's lithium ion battery.
Good Thing, Small Package
Once upon a time, ideas were presented to large groups by lugging around a heavy projector and hoping its bulb didn’t break along the way. Hewlett-Packard has broken that back-breaking tradition with an S-VGA projector that uses a break-resistant LED rated at 10,000 hours, weighs less than a pound and measures 4.5 x 3.5 x 1.5 inches -- smaller than some laptop power supplies. Listing at $699, the Projection Companion puts out 100 lumens and a native resolution of 858 x 600 resolution, automatically scales to the incoming resolution, and comes with its own tripod, VGA cable and a power supply that's interchangeable with many HP laptops. And since the LED bulb runs cool, it won't add to the summer heat.
Fast And Furious
Hardware and accessory distributor Other World Computing recently released Mercury Electra 6G solid state drive, a lower-cost version of its high-performance Mercury Extreme 6G model. Built in America and backed by a three-year warranty and priced to move starting at $229. Still, While the Electra is a bit slower than the Extreme, this SATA III SSD will still blow the doors off any spinning drive in its path.
Quick Connect
This gadget is sure to cool things down when data protection or migration is the hot topic. Though Tripp Lite says it supports only Windows, the U339 also works with Mac OS X to connect any SATA II or SATA III drive to a USB 2.0 or 3.0 port with no drivers or additional connections. For ports that don't provide enough power, an AC/DC power adapter is included in the street price of around $35, a real bargain for backups, file transfers, pre-installations and snapshots.
Light On The Subject
Although Gem Hsin Electronics' Topaz series USB desk lamps are designed for the office, we couldn't help but imagine using one to illuminate a good book, while cool evening breezes roll in off the ocean and into a beach villa. With three brightness levels, the LED bulb is rated at 30,000 hours and consumes a maximum of two watts at its brightest setting of 500 lux. An optional battery pack can supply power for up to 72 hours. Unveiled in early July, pricing was not immediately available.
Web In Your Hand
Play scores of media formats, browse the Web, stream video, play music in Dolby Digital True HD surround sound from a USB stick or SD card, enjoy video content in 1080p resolution, all from a device about the size of a deck of cards. That's the UEBO M50, a portable media center that redefines portable playback power. Connections include Ethernet, HDMI 1.3, USB 2.0, stereo audio, SD, SDHC, MMC, MS, MS Pro and composite video. The M50 lists for $69.99; options include a USB WiFi adapter.
Hands Off The Monitor
Who wants to fuss with wires to re-connect a laptop in the blistering summer heat? Samsung solves this problem with a universal docking station for Windows laptops. Following a consumer version that began shipping in May, Samsung in August will began shipping Central Station for the business user, a universal docking station that wirelessly connects any Windows laptop to a high resolution display, Ethernet, USB 2.0 and 3.0 and audio. Central Station is aimed at anyone seeking the simplicity of a single point of connection for servers, printers, scanners, devices in need of recharging and for consumption of 1080p content. Support for Mac OS X will be available later this year as a firmware update. The 27-inch model lists for $549 including a required USB dongle and an eco sensor that puts sleeps and awakens the unit depending on user proximity.
A Tablet A Day
Need to check e-mail while on the golf course or at the beach? Long battery life, a bright 10-inch HD screen and built-in WiFi/3G are hallmarks of Acer's Iconia Tab A500, which now runs Android 3.1 thanks to an over-the-air update issued last week. Built around a dual-core NVidia Tegra 1Ghz Cortex-A9 processor, the Iconia Tab lists for $449 and is a worthy (but heavier) contender to Apple's $499 iPad.
Don't Fear The Thunder
To protect electronics from those worrisome summer storms and outages, there's the Zonit Micro ATS, which the company claims is the world's smallest and most efficient 15A-capable automatic transfer switch. Simply replace the power cable of the system to be protected with the Micro ATS and provide power to its two plugs from separate power circuits. If power fails on one circuit, the device automatically switches to the other, providing up to 92 percent of the reliability of a dual power supply, according to the Zonit, which makes data center power equipment. It also also can be used for "hot moves." The 15 amp, 120 volt Micro ATS lists for $320.