technology filter: Peripherals

Twenty-first Century Medical Bracelet?

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:55:24 GMT

Imagine a twenty-first century universal medical ID bracelet that is actually a USB device. The device would carry a person’s complete lifetime medical history Intel Chairman Dave Barrett , whose company continues to work on putting large amounts of data into smaller spaces says that’s a likely possibility in the very near future.

Barrett’s remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland comes after Intel and IBM announced a vision for new generation of chips that will overcome the problem of heat loss in the circuitry of increasingly smaller transistors.

Individual health records – from a variety of sources – that currently remain largely on paper are the key target for such a chip, Barrett says. Instead of facing endless questions from health providers on medical history in a medical emergency, patients can simply pop the USB device into the provider’s computer.

Presumably, there will be protections to secure the data from accidentally being swallowed by a household pet or being accidentally tossed into a toilet bowl.

Posted by Barbara.

Monitors Getting Cheaper, Wider

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:55:20 GMT

There’s much to be sad about so early in the year. CES is over. There’s war, pestilence, and the price of citrus fruit is about to skyrocket.

Yet there’s hope.

The price of LCD monitors is headed down, and screen real estate is on its way up. That 17-inch screen that cost $300 a year ago is now $190 and measures out to 20-inches. Monitor manufacturing has become an efficient process, researchers say, and there are fewer desktops holding up the massive CRT displays of old.

Of course, the dot pitchers remind us that higher resolution still comes at a higher price. Even higher resolution displays are dropping in price. But those high resolution monitors are made for AutoCAD projects and fifth dimension science projects. Most monitors display far more mundane ventures like watching the State of the Union Address or the latest supermodel video.

With the money you save you can make a down-payment on of those high definition Plasma screens you saw at CES.

Posted by Barbara.

Flash Back to Storage Reliability

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:34:24 GMT

When CES began in 1967, a hard disk drive was about as common as vacuum tubes are today. Hard drives were about the size of a small trade show booth and had more mechanical moving parts than a Las Vegas slot machine. At best, a hard drive could deliver about five megabytes of data storage to a mainframe computer that required more sensitivity care than a newborn baby.

This year, the hard drive for tiny desktop systems has crossed the terabyte barrier and brings with it enough reliability to be carried across a battlefield.

Apparently, even that is not enough.

SanDisk, which gadget enthusiasts know for memory cards in digital cameras, joined other flash memory producers such as Samsung, in introducing a high capacity advanced flash drive in a tiny card that holds 32 gigabytes. Unlike the ordinary hard drive, flash memory has no moving parts — such as read-write heads that can be scraped against a platter. Solid State disk technology grew out of high-end computing environments — such as military and aerospace computers. Among the benefits is a read-rate that makes modern-day hard drives look like that old five-megabyte mainframe in comparison.

Now, the flash memory cards with unprecedented reliability are ready to store thousands of I-Tunes and grandma’s photo album. Of course that assumes that grandma has $600 available for her online photo album.

Like every other storage option in the last five decades, however, the price of flash memory will drop quite a bit further. Best of all, even if it smashes against the ground, flash memory will still be as good as new.

Posted by Barbara.

A Terabyte of Data for Your Desktop

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 22:03:37 GMT

Decades ago, at the first-ever CD-ROM conference that joined manufacturers and IT professionals curious about the shiny new platters that could hold more than half a gigabyte of data, an executive familiar with security issues noted that “the ability to run off with 560 megabytes of company data could prove a security nightmare.”

Today, that platter that holds 560 megabytes can barely hold our I-Tunes. The desktop spiral that began with an eight-inch floppy drive in the early 80s, has broken across a new barrier — a terabyte or 1,000 gigabytes.

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies says it will ship its 3.5-inch Deskstar 7K1000 hard drive for personal computers in March. The new drive will hold one-fortieth of the entire Library of Congress on your desktop.

In the half-century since hard drive technology began at IBM with a five megabyte drive in a huge box weighing more than a ton, the industry’s proficiency has reached a point where you can get a terabyte on a mere four platters within a very small space.

Do you really need that amount of space on your hard drive? Given the trend of video and music downloads, chances are you will.

But imagine what a criminal mind with a screwdriver can do with a terabyte of data.

Posted by Barbara.

Cool USB X-Mas Gift for Your Music Lover

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 19:01:25 GMT

Now sticking a USB cable on a plastic duck with various strange functions might make you skeptical about giving USB-based harware as gifts. This puppy will change your mind.

It's a high-quality, belt-driven turntable that's also got a USB cable. So if you've got an audiophile on your holiday gift givving list, you know they've probably got a few racks of vinyl records somewhere in climate controlled storage. You also know that they complain constantly abot how difficult it would be to convert all that excellent music into digital format.

Well, for $225 you can silence those complaints forever. Now that's thinkin'.

(via Gizmodo)

Posted by Oliver

Okay, What's With all the Ducks?

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 17:42:57 GMT

I regurgitated Gearlog's USB DuckVac post a little while ago, thinking it was just one weird USB duck peripheral. Wrong!

Now they've got this GuardDuck post up. A motion-sensing, quack-alarm-inducing gadget designed to protect areas of your house or office cube where it won't be noticed because...other ducks are there? Only saving grace is that at least it's not another USB peripheral.

But that got dashed when I dug a little deeper and found this post on the Duck Mouse. Not only a mini-rev of a new duck-ified computer mouse, but also a list of other computer peripherals with a duck theme. Did I miss something? Ducks get cool all of a sudden?

Digital Life Update

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 17:34:53 GMT

The Digital Life show is going on in New York City right now. I attended last year, but was a mite disappointed. The show itself was pretty small. Most of the floor was taken up with a giant xBox competition area--loads and loads of little green-haird teenagers blasting away at each other. then they brought Jessica Alba in and she scared the bejeezus out of most of them. The poor woman sat down to play and in a couple of minutes she had a 15' radius of empty space around her.

This year the show seems a little larger and somewhat more devoted to new gadgets than gaming. Sony's showing the test version of the PlayStation 3...again. Only thing sexy about that demo is the giant flat screen HDTV they have it hooed to. Now THAT gadget I want. But there are also deals there for the financially mortal among us.

Dell is the one out in front this time. They're showing a new flat panel display that will be on sale next Tuesday. The E207WFP has a pretty basic feature set: a 20-inch HD-capable flat panel monitor. No speakers, no USB hub, just the monitor. What isn't basic is the price: $289. Yeah, that's right, $289 for a 20-inch hi-def display with a fast response time. Thinking about grabbing one of these myself before someone at Dell figures out what they're doing.

(via Gearlog)

Samsung Strikes Again

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 20:47:29 GMT

I blogged on SMB IT yesterday about Samsung's releasing the first solid state disk-based (SSD) notebook. That's the new Q30, which now uses only flash RAM, not a hard disk. Means way faster performance, tho probably smaller overall storage.

But Samsung wasn't finished. Now they're released info on their latest laser printer. It's called the CLP-300 and has a rated 17 pages per minute performance. Several firsts here: It's the smallest laser around at only 15.4 (w), 13.5 (H) and 10.4 (D) inches. It's also a full color laser that's priced at only $300. That's the price that everyone said made B&W lasers viable for the home. So I guess color lasers are viable for the home now, too. Having had one in my home dor a while, I can't recommend it enough.

Only down side is that while it does Windows, Mac and Linux, it doesn't do networks just USB. Not that big a problem for home-oriented printers, and certainly surmountable if you want to use a network, but it would have been nice to stick a $50 network card in there. Still, full color lasing for $300 is pretty darn good. Go Samsung.

(via Gizmodo)

The Ultimate Gadget Mouse

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 15:26:40 GMT

This could be one of the whackier mouse items I've ever heard of. It's from Fanatec and called the head$h0t--except that the 'a' has an umlaut over it, but I can't seem to get an umlaut working under Spaces. But that's about the only thing that doesn't work when you're talking about the $100 Head$h0t. That's because the thing has so many features in it, there's little it can't do. Figure: a special mouse cord manager, a special hi-rez mouse and pad combination with a high-DPI sensor (up to 4000dpi--whew!), support for programmable macros, a USB hub, and joystick emulation.

Only thing that seems to be a problem is the high-DPI deal which requires the special pad for the mouse. Small enough to be a problem for some people, apparently, especially when you're gaming.

(via ExtremeTech)

Review: Samsung SpinPoint T SATA drive

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 14:11:09 GMT

Hard disk drive upgrades are a great weekend project--provided the weather isn't as great as it was this weekend. But if you're looking at a rainy Saturday, mmoving from your old and slow IDE drive to a faster and more spacious Serial ATA (SATA) drive is a good way to spend your time. Only thing is, which drive to buy?

Western Digital, Seagate and others are big names in the hard drive world, but one lesser-known vendor is Samsung. Most likely because the huge conglomerate also manufactures everything from washing machines to HDTVs. But they also have a small but loyal following for their SpinPoint hard disk drive line--and CompUSA carries that line, too (some of the time).

Good prices, and if you want to know how they perform, check out this review by the Tech Report.

Quick 'N Easy IDE to USB Converter

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 13:01:02 GMT

This is a great way to quickly add some extra storage either internally or externally to your system. It's also an excellent little tool for IT or tech support folks who need to backup internal hard disks a lot while they're fixing PCs. The gadget is made by a company called Vantec, which has named it (appropriately) the IDE-USB Adapter. Thing supports all standard IDE disk interfaces on one side and handles eitehr USB 1.1 or 2.0 on the other. A great little tool, especially at only about $25 on the street.

(via OCModShop)

More Smart Clothes that Really Aren't That Smart

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 21:28:51 GMT

Yet more "smart fabric". I posted on a smart backpack I found (and gave to my sister for her birthday) that had wiring meshed with the fabric fibers so that you had iPod controls built into the backpack strap. First sucky thing was that it only talked to the iPod--ever hear of USB 2? Second sucky thing was that it didn't work--flat out no workee.

Now the same company that did the non-functioning backpack, ElekTex, has teamed with Bagir to make a men's suit that also can control your iPod. First off, it probably won't look as good as a good Hugo Boss or Brooks Brothers. Second, how many pockets does a suit have? Usually, seven that could handle a Nano, right? So what's the big deal about just reaching into your pocket to press your iPod buttons?! Last, if the backpack didn't work, how dumb do you feel after you buy a suit that doesn't work?

(via Gizmodo)

Review: Maxtor Fusion HD

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 19:54:45 GMT

Since more and more homes now have multiple PCs, the idea of sharing storage between them is becoming a big market. And that's where the networked hard disk comes in. It's just a big hard disk, stuck into an enclosure that has a regular Ethernet port. Then there's some firmware in the enclosure that lets networks see and share the drive. Sometimes there's some software you need to install on all the PCs, too.

Now, you can get some generic network hard disk products, but some companies are coming out with network hard disks designed specifically for the home. One such is the Maxtor Fusion. This is a 500GB hard disk with 10/100/1000 Ethernet connectivity and a couple of USB 2.0 ports for expansion. But what sets the Fusion apart is embedded software that lets you easily share your photos and media files, not just with people connected to your home network but with folks across the Internet, too--probably why it costs $800.

For more, the guys at CrunchGear just did an updated review of the Fusion. Worth a read if you're looking for a product like this. I'll be doing one on the Iomega StorCenter in a few days, so you'll have a comparison.

(via Gizmodo)

Sony NAS Goes Stylish

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 20:20:31 GMT

Sony is having problems, no doubt about it. Rootkits in their music, game consoles that never seem to get here and lithium ion batteries that like to light users on fire. But it's a big company so not everything coming out of there can be bad, and it looks like Sony's new NAS-CZ1 shines a little light on an otherwise gray Sony product landscape.

No, despite the name, it's not a network-attached storage device. It's a bookshelf mini-stereo system with support for audio streaming. The thing has Sony's usual high-quality audio components and a CD-player that also supports CD-R and CD-RW as well as an Ethernet port that lets you stream audio through the device from wherever on your home network you're keeping your trove of MP3s. Nice, basic and only $175.

(via UberGizmo)

Cool Seamless 3-Monitor LCD

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 18:07:38 GMT

If you're a multi-display lover like me than the more displays you can hook into a single logical display without causing your video card to smoke, the better. Only downside is that little jump over two bezels when that mouse cursor goes from one monitor to the next.

Well, no more. Check out this new monitor from Seamless Display, a new company apparently started by some guys from Oxford University. It's designed to replace a three-monitor flat LCD setup with a single, smooth display that measure 50 inches diagonal with a resolution of 4,800 by 1,200 pixels. But you're going to need a pretty strong video card to drive it: three digital outputs each capable of 1600-by-1200 pixels. Not gonna be cheap.

(via SciFi)

First HDMI-Certified GPU Out & About

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 22:00:35 GMT

PVRs are the way of the future--actually, they're the way of the present for many of us nerdier types. The best ones, however, are still home-built because most PVR manufacturers always seem to skimp on some features somewhere. Even for the home-brewed types, however, recording hi-def video is still a challenge. The storage is there, but the ability to connect to HD-capable A/V equipment is definitely not a standard feature on most video cards.

Fortunately, that's changing. There are a couple of graphics cards out there capable of handling HD video, but MSI is the first one to get a card to market that's fully HDMI (hi-def multimedia interface) certified. So getting MSI's new NX-7600GT for your PVR project PVR builders' minds at ease. Too bad there's no pricing info yet.

(via UberGizmo)

Fast Graphics Cards for Mere Mortals

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 15:24:54 GMT

I've been posting on NVIDIA SLI-type video cards for a bit. But these setups tend to use $599 video cards. That's two of them for a total price tag of about $1200 just for your video system. Not exactly in the realm of the real for many of us working stiffs out there. Fortunately, you can still get fast graphics for an affordable price. And to make that process easier, AnandTech just pubbed this article on $200-$300 GPU cards. Good read if you're looking to upgrade your current video system without selling your home or virtue.

Nerd Alert: Quad SLI Systems on the DIY

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 18:35:37 GMT

NVIDIA was the first cutting edge graphics company to come up with the SLI concept. In case you're mystified, this refers to tying two NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards together such that they're working as one card--only twice as fast because the two graphics processors (GPUs) are working as one.

It requires special drivers as well as specific support on the motherboard. And naturally, this didn't stop at just two video processors. Didn't take long for NVIDIA to introduce the Quad SLI concept (four graphics processors--two on each video card). That really required specialized drivers, so until recently, Quad SLI systems were generally configured at the PC manufacturer's. That's left the DIY crowd out of the picture.

Well, they're back in because NVIDIA just released the new Quad SLI driver as a general download. That means you can buy the motherboard separately, buy your two GeForce 7950 GX2 cards (has to be these cards because only these GeForce's have two GPUs each) and build your own super-fast video blaster system. And to give you some help in this high-performance endeavor, HardOCP has published this step-by-step article complete with hi-rez screen shots to help with the all-important software configuration part. This is going to be way more than a weekend project, but if you're into building the fastest thing in silicon on your own, it's worth the read.

(via Digg)

From Separate Graphics CPU to an External Graphics Appliance?

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 14:19:42 GMT

TG's graphics guru, Darren Polkowski, just put up a thorough and interesting article on the state of PC graphics. With graphics card vendors pumping out ever-faster GPUs (graphics processing units) for ever-higher prices along with super expensive options like bonding two graphics cards into one, a lot of PC users are wondering where it's all going. Not only are graphics subsystems becoming nastily expensive, they're also sucking up ever-more power from your over-worked PC's power supply.

Polkowski has some interesting takes on this question, key among them being that if something doesn't happen serious gamers are going to be looking at 1000 watt power supplies in the near future. As an alternative, Polkoski describes an external graphics toaster. Something that could plug into a desktop or notebook via PCI Express or perhaps an updated version of PC Card for notebooks. These boxes would have their own power supplies and would simply take over for a weaker, more work-oriented graphics subsystem that would come native with most PCs.

Worth a read if serious gaming is your interest.

More Secure Mobile Storage with iQBioDrive

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 20:27:37 GMT

For those who travel quite a bit with an external USB drive for data storage, the concept of losing that drive must have crossed your mind. If you're smart, youv'e got a backup of the drive back home. But that still wouldn't ease my mind that much knowing that gigabytes and gigabytes of your personal data are floating around out there on eBay or in some pawn shop.

Enter biometric security. There are a couple of vendors offering these now, the latest is BioCert's iQBioDrive, which is a 100GB portable USB 2.0 external drive. But the drive has several security modifications. First is that only 10% of the drive is available to anyone who plugs it in. The other 90% is encrupted using 128-bit AES encryption that can be accessed only via a strong password or a biometric fingerprint scan. So $300 may sound expensive for a 100GB drive, but then again what's your peace of mind worth?

(via UberGizmo)

New Logitech QuickCam

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 19:13:31 GMT

My buddy Paul "Sasquatch" V. likes to go on trips and then check in with his wife and baby girl using the iSight webcam built into his Macbook. If you're like Sasquatch but mayhap using a Windows PC, then you've no doubt checked out Logitech's QuickCam. Low-cost and certainly serviceable as a DIY videoconferencing unit as long as you've got a broadband connection.

Logitech is looking to beef this product segment up with the QuickCam Ultra Vision. This is a sleeker version of their QuickCam, that's got an upgraded 1.3 megapixel full-motion capability able to produce a nice picture at 640-by-480 resolution at a full 30 frames per second. Still images can be as high as 4 megapixels and it's also got a (supposedly) improved RightSound microphone. It promises a much richer vid conferencing expierience no matter which chat or skype client you're using--and for $129, it better.

(via Engadget)

Video Card Buyers' Guide

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:34:33 GMT

If you're a gamer then keeping your PC up-to-date is a nearly constant process. New hard disks mean faster data access and more room for games. New sound cards mean better oomphs for explosions and more piercing screams when you mow someone down with the BFG10000. But nothing is as singularly responsible for a great gaming experience as the video card.

That's because games are simply video intensive--they're largely all about the pixels. So the faster your pixel pusher, the better your experience including video movement and color depth.

Unfortunately, all that resource hogging means that vid card makers are constantly inventing new ways to let the hardware keep up with the software. And this rapid development path often means learning about new technologies, which is something that's not for everyone.

So (whew!), if you're in this boat, check out this excellent and pretty much up-to-the-minute current buyers' guide for PC video cards from the UK branch of Gamespot. Lets you know what's out there, what the technologies are and how to figure out what's right for you.

(via Geeks Are Sexy)

Buying a Display? A Plethora of Resources

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 14:42:46 GMT

In case you're looking for a new PC display, PC World and Tom's Hardware Guide are running a load of buyers' information. PC World has a whole bunch of reviews on 20--inch and 17-inch flat panel display, including a how-to-buy article and a downloadable (and printable) buyers' guide table. Tommy's Hardware also has a review of 20-inch LCDs, including a discussion thread and pricing index.

(yeah, I know the picture of a 30-inch display, but I didn't feel like digging for a 20-inch and besides, it's cool ain't it?)

Nerd Alert: Perpendicular Recording Tutorial

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 18:41:44 GMT

Perpendicular recording is the wave of the future for hard disks, allowing companies like Seagate to give us 750GB hard disks as early as this year. But if simply seeing a bigger capacity marked on your hard disk box isn't enough for you, and you just need to know exactly why perpendicular is better than longitudinal, then check out this tutorial on the subject from Hardware Secrets. It starts all the way in 1831, so you may want to have refreshments handy.

Super Cheap Geek: $59 Laser Printer

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 19:15:02 GMT

If you're looking to impress Dad on Father's Day without spending a fortune, check this out: Ben Gottesman found this Cheap Geek deal on PC Connection. Seems companies are dumping their stock of the Samsung SCX-4100 multi-function. It's not the fastest multi-function around, doesn't do color and has no fax machine capability. But it does eveything else you want from a printer/scanner/copier, and at $59 it's just too good a deal to pass up.

(via Gearlog)

Review: Dual-Layer DVD Burners

Tue, 13 Jun 2006 20:20:54 GMT

Another solid ExtremeTech review: This one is a roundup of dual-layer DVD burners. The ETers review such products from HP, Lite-On and Plextor. All of them were in-case devices and cost between $43 and $116 dollars. They ran through both play and record tests and got some good results. Good read if you're thinking of buying dad a DVD burner for Daddy's Day.

Portal Player Partners with Acer

Fri, 09 Jun 2006 18:16:45 GMT

Started out as a cool add-on to Asus notebooks, but who buys Asus notebooks. (Kidding, dont' flame me...much.) But now Portal Player has partnered with Acer and that should really raise their profile.

The idea behind Preface is to place an external screen on a notebook's cover. This lets users access certain information instantly without having to go through the trouble of fully booting up. You can think of it as a mini-PDA that allows access to data directly on the PC--useful stuff llike email, calendar, contacts and such. Rumor has it will also get used as an ersatz video player so you can watch videos that way. Mayhap even work as a phone eventually.

(via Gearlog)

VGA Cell Phones on the Horizon

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 19:28:15 GMT

Samsung's showing a brand new 640x480 VGA full-color screen that's...1.98-inches across. The thing is capable of 16 million colors, too. Samsung sees it on an upcoming generation of multimedia cell phones.

(via Engadget)

Next Perpendicular Bad Boy from Toshiba

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 21:15:37 GMT

First Seagate shoots out a 750GB drive based on the new perpendicular data recording technology, and now Toshiba's in the game. But Toshiba's taking it one step further right away and doing the new recording method on a 2.5-inch portable drive. They've announced a perpendicular portable hard disk capable of 200GB, and rumor has it that it'll show up not only in notebooks but in a rumored new portable media player device, too.

Only downside is a purported 4200rpm spin speed. Throughput tops out at 150MB/sec (rated) and Toshiba is claiming a 12 millisecond seek time. So it's okay, but definitely not the speediest of disks. Probably good for general usage, but for anyone who wants a hi-performance notebook, you might want to wait until the perpendicular thing smooths out.

(via Engadget)

Roc-Solid Mobile Storage

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 17:11:07 GMT

Always nice to see some thought go into a well-designed product. There are oodles of portable hard disks pinging around out there. Anyone who can stick an IDE interface into a box with a USB-out seems to be in the market. But that's where most of their thinking stops--which is short sighted.

Traveling is risky nowadays. Especially when you're carrying data that might be crucial to yourself, your business or maybe a few million consumer types. For these situations, you want an external drive that's really built for the hardships of the road. And for those with this kind of foresight, there's Rocbit.

Made by Rocsecure, the Rocbit series of external hard disks look like your typical mobile drive in a hard shell case, but there's more in there than meets the eye. For one thing, they have Macintosh friendly models by offering every Rocbit drive in a USB-only (for Windows) and a USB + FireWare version. That means plug-and-play installation whether you're using Billy's Box, an Orchard fruit or even the Linux Penguin as Rocsecure's gone and managed drivers for that OS as well.

Next--and best of all--they have firmware that supports hardware-level encryption via a separate USB token. So that means your data can be encrypted via 40/64/128 or 192-bit DES or Triple DES encryption at the hardware level. That hardware part is important because it means your CPU isn't clogged with encryption processing. Makes the whole encrypt/decrypt process much, much faster.

And last, the case that surrounds a Rocbit is more than just a metal shell. It's been specifically designed for mobile hard disk use with considerations for heat dispensation, noise reduction and even shock absorbtion.

Rocbits start at $160 for the 40GB version and go up (500GB max). Definitely worth it for the security-conscious road warrior type.

Review: Seagate Barracuda 7200 Perpendicular Hard Drive

Mon, 22 May 2006 18:21:23 GMT

AnandTech just pubbed a first look review of Seagate's new Barracuda 7200 hard disk. Sure, it'd be a little boring if it were just another faster/larger hard disk review. But this particular disk uses a new technology called 'perpendicular recording' for storing data.

On regular magnetic media, when you store data it's recorded as ridges that lie in the same plane as the media. So if it's a flat disk, think of it as a flat groove on the surface of the disk. Perpendicular technology, on the other hand, stores data perpendicular to the disk. So it can be thought of as either a bump or a dip o the face of the disk. Means much tighter data storage, which in turn means faster access (maybe) and more space on the disk (definitely).

AnandTech does a really detailed review of the new disk, and even compares it to comparably sized SATA drives. No spoilers now, but the thing is fast.

Not so Cheap Geek: Pioneer Blu-Ray Burner Now Available

Fri, 19 May 2006 15:03:36 GMT

Back in April, PC World's Melissa Perenson (an old colleague from my PC Magazine days) pubbed a review of Pioneer's pioneering (hey, I couldn't help it) BDR-101A drive.

Overall, she seemed to like it. Base pricing was quoted at about $1000, but there Melissa was wrong. You can, in fact, order a BDR-101A for more than $1 less. B&H will have them for $998.95 as soon as they get some in stock.

(via Engadget)

Big Nerd Alert: Build Your Own Infrared Receiver/Transmitter

Thu, 18 May 2006 19:37:20 GMT

Yeah, this is a real nerd post for those who play around with motherboard upgrades a bit.

If that's you, you'll have noticed that infrared connectivity isn't a standard feature. Sometimes they even sucker you, claiming infrared "support" which turns out to merely be the ability of the mommaboard to accept an infrared transceiver--but no actual transceiver bundled with the board. Finding this little bit of hardware can be a major female canine, requiring you to dig through electronic component catalogs and Web sites.

Well dig no more, because Hardware Secrets just put up this really detailed article on how to build an infrared receiver/transmitter component yourself. Doesn't cost much, doesn't even take that long--provided you've got some basic geek tools. And once you're done, you'll have the ability to talk to any infrared-capable device, including printers and cell phones. Handy.

(via Hardware Secrets)

Review: High-end iPod Speaker Systems

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 17:17:32 GMT

For those who just can't stop listening to their iPods, the search for decent external speakers has been long and arduous. Fortunately, manufacturers have answere the call with higher-end third-party speaker systems designed specifically with the iPod in mind.

And even more fortunately, the guys at ArsTechnica got together and reviewed a bunch of them so you know what's what. Everything from Apple's own iPod Hi-Fi to the Klipsch iFi (affectionately known as the "iffey").

SLI Goes...Nuts

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 19:29:24 GMT

When I attended CES 2006 back in January, me and the five Jesuit priests were duly impressed by Dell's XPS 600 Renegade. Very hot system with custom paint that cost a mint. It also sported an SLI video system composed of no less than four video cards.

Previously, SLI systems were two-card deals. It's an on-card architecture that allows system makers and game enthusiasts to tie two video cards together such that they can share the graphics processing load together--kinda like dual CPUs, just for video.

But Dell came out with its XPS 600 Renegade performance behemoth, and most of us CES attendees thought it was a one-time custom job to make Michael D. happy. Considering the box cost over $25,000 and they were only going to make about 25 or 30 of them, we figured it--as well as its four video-card madness--was a one-time deal.

Well, no go, says nVidia, which formally announced the availability of four-way SLI systems in conjunction with a number of high-end system vendors, including Velocity Micro and Alienware--which is Dell, too, but who's counting?

Now, obviously, video performance is going to be scorching with a setup like this. Question is, what's it cost? Sadly, that's the part that drops a downer on the whole development: a $6000 per-system charge is pretty big downer indeed. Now I like fast video, but that's just a bit too steep even for an ultra-geek. Maybe if I hit it big in Vegas next week.

Build Your Own USB Password Manager

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 19:45:49 GMT

Remembering passwords bites--and it only seems like there's more and more of them to remember. Cutting down on the number you need to remember is always a good thing. There are a growing amount of products out there aimed at just this need, including USB key-based deals like Sony's Puppy.

But if you're willing to spend $20 bucks on a USB key and another $30 on Palcott's Natural Login Pro, then you can build your own. By installing Palcott on your Windows system, you can assign Windows account credentials to specific external tokens--that means USB keys. Just plug in the key and Natural Login Pro takes care of authentication. You can even assign multiple keys to different accounts.

Lose a key and Login Pro has a series of questions it asks you to enable manual access to the Windows account. Once in, you can assign credentials to different keys. Not quite as flexible as soemthing like the Puppy, but then again, it's cheaper, too.

Review: Matrox Adds More External Monitors via Triplehead

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 17:48:15 GMT

Found this on ExtremeTech. Driving two monitors is a big plus in geek land, but driving three or four really sets you apart. Only trouble is that configuring Windows to do this with most video cards is a bit of a pain--plus requires video cards with multiple monitor ports.

Enter Matros with the TripleHead2Go. This is an external box that plugs into any video card (even advanced configs like a two-card SLI setup) and automatically takes care of recognizing both monitors and spreading your screen image across both of them. A mite pricey at $299, but that's still significantly cheaper than a second video card not to mention your valuable time.

(via ExtremeTech)

Holographic Storage Demoes 515gb per Square Inch

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 18:51:47 GMT

InPhase Technologies just announced that it has successfully demonstrated the highest capacity potential of any commercial storage medium, by recording 515 gigabits of data per square inch. See, that's what happens when you go holo. While thing is dependent on InPhase's proprietary media, called Tapestry (and pictured in its early form at right).

InPhase says their technology goes commercial later this year with a 300GB drive that has a 20MB per second transfer rate (yeah, that's mega-bytes), which I believe is about 160 mega-bits per second. That's good, but USB 2.0 is already 400 megabits per second, so they've got a little ways to go in the speed department. Fortunately, the 300GB drive is supposed to be closely followed by faster 800GB and 1.6TB drives. Can't wait.

(via Digg)

Another Weird USB Concept: Balloon Drives

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 13:51:41 GMT

A company called PlusMinus just came out with a product they're calling the Flashbag. It can only be described as a USB storage balloon. The thing acts like a regular USB 2.0 thumbdrive, but then physically expands the more data you shove onto the thing.

Purpose? I haven't the faintest.

(via Gearlog)

I/O Magic Does Cornucopia of Portable Storage

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 15:14:59 GMT

I love thumb drives, but I also lose things. Small things. Like thumb drives. So while they're real convenient, I'm often looking for new an innovative ways of making them harder to lose. Neck hangers, pocket cases, etc. A side effect of these solutions is that it usually makes the whole device a bit bigger.

And if it's bigger, then maybe I don't waste the space on a thumbdrive leash, but use it for more storage. If you're of a similar mind, check out I/O Magic. This company has a host of portalbe storage devices that fit any desired storage range and budget.

At the low-end, I/O Magic's got the GigaBank series (right). These are small USB powered storage devices that are about the size of a credit card but a half-inch thick. They store between 2.2GB and 8GB of data at $99 to $189. Something for everyone. Bigger then your average thumbdrive, but still easy to place into a pocket or briefcase sleeve. Everything is USB powered and compatible with USB 2.0 with zero driver install required, but available for USB 1.1 (for Windows 98/ME users) as long as you use the bundled driver CD first.

On the higher end, there's the GigaBank Elite and Premier series (left). These are basically the same product with increasing storage space. The Elite is a 40GB portable hard disk, that includes a USB cable and runs off of USB power. The Premier series are 80GB and 100GB products that are also USB compatible and powered.

All three products have portable carrying cases and come with one-touch backup software, so you can just hook them to your laptop's USB drive and hit the backup button for traveling peace of mind. Cost goes from $199 for the Elite to $249 for the 100GB Premier.

And they're all easier to track in my knapsack than a thumbdrive.

Out in the Wild: Maxtor OneTouch III Turbo

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 19:53:55 GMT

Ever since the IBM ThinkPad did its static charge faceplant, I've taken a healthy interest in new and ever-easier desktop storage/backup peripherals. So after he snarked one, my buddy John immediately called me over to gloat over his new Maxtor OneTouch III Turbo.

What's the diff from pervious OneTouchables? RAID. These new OneTouchables are running two 500GB hard disks in either RAID 0 or RAID 1 configurations. You can change the RAID type with a bundled mini-management utility, which many of us will be hitting right away to do a reformat as these things seem to default to an OS X format out of the box. Not sure why, but John insisted he had to reformat for NTFS. Okay. Not that big a deal, just a mite weird.

Other than RAID, it's the same great OneTouch concept: A big black brick of empty space that sits on your desk and backs up everything in sight at the touch of a button. Only downside is that for 500GB of RAID-style backup, you're looking at about $900.

Get Ready for Wireless USB

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 18:03:17 GMT

Got started on this via News.com, but some online sniffing got me a lot more information. Seems the USB vendor groups (including guys like Agere, HP, Intel, Microsoft, NEC, Philips and Samsung) are looking to deliver wireless USB by this September. I'm not talking about USB dongles that do wireless networking. I'm talking about a USB thumbdrive, for example, that communicates to the host PC without a USB cable.

This thing could kick Bluetooth's booty all up and down the playground if it works. The Bluetooth guys won't say that, but end-user consumer types are a heck of a lot more comfortable with the USB acronym than the Bluetooth brand name. That's a quite an advantage out of the gate.

The standard seems to use WiMedia's Ultra-Wideband protocol, which some members were already hawking at this year's CES. Once released, these productts are set to work at USB 2.0-style 480Mbps throughput at up to 3 meters, and then drop that down to 110Mbps if the connection is from 10 meters. Beyond that you're out of luck.

If you want more info, you can download the actual spec doc here in a Zip archive.

Should be a fun CES next year with this brawl brewing.

How To Get HDTV on Your PC

Tue, 21 Feb 2006 15:31:12 GMT

If it's one thing that CES 2006 underlined, it's that PC displays are very quickly overlapping with HDTVs. Dell, ViewSonic, NEC, Samsung and Gateway all showed me products that are either PC displays with HD capability or flat panel HDTVs with PC connectivity. I even got a chance to review the Gateway here.

So for those of us with newly HD-capable monitors, the question becomes how to get HD content onto our PCs. This is important for more than just looking at sexy TV when you're supposed to be working. Today's commercial PVRs like the LG LRM-519, are largely lacking in the ability to record HD content. If you own one, you're also pretty much out of luck should you eventually want to burn that content to an HD-capable DVD recorder. So using your much more easily customized PC to keep up with these changes in the interim is a pretty good strategy.

But to do that, you'll first need to get HDTV content onto your PC. Fortunately, Ben Drawbaugh of HDBeat just finished a real nice tutorial on exactly how to do that over on HDBeat. Good read for the multimedia junky.