HP Releases TouchSmart IQ770, Fancy Billboard For The Kitchen January 29, 2007
By David Ponce
Well, it’s not that there’s anything wrong with the traditional billboard per se. Scattered Post-It notes, and barely legible scrawls have succeeded in micromanaging families for decades. But, HP thinks it can do better with the IQ770. It’s a touchscreen PC that runs Vista, and lets you do pretty much all the things that normal billboards do… but digitally. It’s meant to be the “social hub” of your home, and on it you can leave notes (be them voice, written or typed) as well as manage your family’s schedule by updating calendar events. It can also serve as an entertainment hub, allowing you to
watch movies or use the integrated personal video recorder to play, pause, rewind and record live TV. Listen to digital music or the radio on high-performance speakers. Adjust the display’s height and angle for comfortable viewing of digital photos or Web surfing and enjoy it all on your 19″ diagonal widescreen BrightView LCD.
And, under the hood, this thing’s no slouch either, running a AMD Turionâ„¢ 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-52 chip with 2 gigs of RAM and 320GB HDD.
There’s no word on price or availability, other than “soon!” Come inside for the full specs and links.
* AMD Turionâ„¢ 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-52 * 2048MB DDR2 SDRAM system memory * 320GB hard drive * Slot-loading SuperMulti DVD burner2 with LightScribe technology * Touch enabled 19″ diagonal widescreen BrightView LCD * NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 graphics card with 256MB dedicated video memory (Up to 528MB Total Available Graphics memory as allocated by Windows Vistaâ„¢.) * Integrated 1.3-megapixel HP WebCam with built-in array microphone * HP SmartCenter Button to launch interactive mode with one touch * NTSC TV tuner and over-the-air ATSC high-definition television tuner * Wireless keyboard and mouse, stylus, and Media Center Remote Control * 24 x 7 toll-free phone support and 1-year HP limited warranty
[ Product Page ] VIA [ SciFi Tech ]
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Super Mario Chocolates
By David Ponce
So, hey, buddy, listen. Valentine’s Day’s coming up right quick. And, that’s a good time to get your gal something nice. We have yet to meet a girl that doesn’t like chocolates, so here’s an idea for an interesting gift. You can both make her happy, and tell her how much of a retro geek you are by getting her these Super Mario Bros. Coin Chocolate Sets. When you buy a box, it comes with a Mario world figurine (it could be Mario, Luigi, super mushroom, Kuriboh and Nokonoko), a block (either brick block, question block or clay pipe), and a few chocolate coins (that’s where the chocolate part comes in). We’re not sure how many chocolate coins are included, because the English on the site is just so perfect. But still, for $20, on pre-order from cellphone strap maker Strapya, it’s not a bad deal.
[ Product Page ] VIA [ Tokyo Mango ]
Only On eBay - 1984 Pontiac Trans Am Knight Rider Replica
By Andrew Liszewski
Given the actual show started airing in 1982 this ‘84 Pontiac Trans Am is probably not the most accurate vehicle to build a replica from but I suspect it’s more than close enough for even the most die-hard Knight Rider fan. And speaking of die-hard fans I’m not sure if the seller (zapper80) was the person who actually built this replica but whoever did ended up investing about 4 years of their life plus $40,000 into the project.
From what I remember from the show the replica looks pretty accurate and comes complete with gull wing steering wheel, doeskin tan color interior and a blinding array of lights and switches all over the dashboard and roof console. (Plus a few modern 4″ LCD screens you can probably use to watch the show on DVD.) The front bumper is even molded from the original car and of course includes the signature red scanner light.
The car is now up for auction on eBay with a starting bid of $20,000 (CDN) but keep in mind the seller is currently in Ontario, Canada and doesn’t deliver. (In theory shouldn’t the car be able to deliver itself if it’s really a perfect replica?)
[ 1984 Pontiac Trans Am Knight Rider Replica ] VIA [ TechEBlog ]
A Treadmill For Your Dog
By David Ponce
We’ve noticed that dogs tend to look a lot like their owners. And we’ve also noticed that a lot of people (a great, ungodly lot) are very fat. Yeah, like obese fat. And so are their pooches. So, what better idea than a doggie treadmill? Think about it. Dogs need exercise, but who’s going to take them out for a walk? Certainly not their already gravitationally challenged owners; there’s a reason they’re overweight in the first place. So, these people can just place poochie on the treadmill, and control their canine friend’s workout intensity with a remote, all from the comfort of their Dorito-dust covered La-Z-Boy. The machine goes from 0 to 5 km/h (3.1 mph) and a safety leash along with two side shields reduces the chances of a mishap. Of course, we’re thinking that a minor disaster is just around the corner should poor doggie trip while tethered by a leash… but, let’s just hope the owners will have the decency to be paying attention.
It’s Â¥15,800 ($131), though the site is in Japanese, and we can’t be sure if they’ll deliver overseas or what.
[ Product Page ] VIA [ Spluch ]
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Single-Use Camera Tripod With Timer
By Andrew Liszewski
It seems odd that anyone would want to purchase accessories for a disposable camera but what’s even more odd to me is the fact that people still purchase disposable cameras at all. Regardless this miniature flexible tripod can attach to pretty much any one-time use camera and even includes a 12-second timer for those occasions when you want to be in the picture but there are no strangers around to help you out.
The tripod looks like it has a large base for the camera to sit on which is then secured in place with a flexible and I assume adjustable strap. The timer unit comes attached to the strap and has some sort of mechanical trigger to actually push the camera’s shutter button.
The single-use camera tripod with timer will only set you back $9.97 and can be disassembled for easy transport.
[ Single-Use Camera Tripod With Timer ] VIA [ Uber-Review ]
Media Decor’s ‘Hide And Chic’ System
By Andrew Liszewski
Odds are if you’re reading OhGizmo you’re probably the type who’d prefer to show off that new LCD or plasma screen hanging in the living room rather than hiding it behind a piece of artwork. But I’m sure there are plenty of other people desperately trying to fit into an ‘image’ that prefers gadgets and other electronics to remain out of sight. In that case a company called Media Decor has you covered with their ‘Hide And Chic’ robotic art system.
Instead of having that clean, polished flat screen TV hanging out in the open the ‘Hide And Chic’ system hides it behind a gaudy painting and frame. A robotic arm system is used to retract the TV into the wall when not in use allowing the artwork to be lowered down into the empty space. As an added bonus while the TV is being displayed the robotic arm allows it to be tilted a few degrees in any direction to help you achieve the best viewing angle.
The art that gets displayed can be chosen from Media Decor’s own collection or can be custom printed from a provided TIFF or PSD file. If you’ve just invested a small fortune in that new flat screen TV you might want to hold off for a little while on the ‘Hide And Chic’ though since it apparently starts at just over $14,000.
[ Media Decor Hide And Chic System ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]
Gold Ingot USB Hub
By Andrew Liszewski
While the USB connection was designed to be simple and easy to use I don’t think the tech-heads responsible for its inception could have imagined the level of creativity it would inspire. For example a USB hub should be a pretty boring piece of technology but Thanko has created one in the shape and color of a gold ingot bar. The unique design really adds nothing to the functionality but I’m still pretty sure the company will sell thousands of them.
As for tech specs the gold ingot hub features 8 USB 2.0 ports as well as corresponding LED lights to indicate when they’re in use. It can also be powered via USB or though a standard AC adaptor which I believe is sold seperately.
The Thanko Gold Ingot USB hub is available from AudioCubes.com for $79 which seems a bit steep to me given it’s not actually made out of gold.
Blu:Sens G14 Goes Right, Where Zune Went Wrong: Unrestricted WiFi
By David Ponce
Company Blu:sens, from Spain, is releasing an MP3 player with a lot of promise. It’s called the G14, and its claim to fame is that it’s able to do what Microsoft’s Zune didn’t have the guts to. It features WiFi, and it’s not crippled with DRM. This means, in case you’re not following, that you’ll be able to share songs with your friends, wirelessly, and let them keep them. Not only that, but you’ll be able to share all the songs in your playlist, unlike the Zune, which allows record labels to dictate which songs can be shared in the first place. What’s more, the company claims that the device will be able to interact with more than other versions of itself. You’ll be able to connect it to your network, and load the device without having to plug it in. There’s also Bluetooth, for added connectivity.
The G14 supports DivX natively, as well as MP3, WMA and OGG Vorbis. It comes in 1GB and 2GB formats, has a 2 inch 256K color display and is expected to cost between 180 Euros and 200 Euros, though availability information is a little scant at the moment.
[ Product Page ] VIA [ Gizmologia ]
Portable Media Players, Wireless
Introducing The iPhone Shuffle
By David Ponce
Now, wouldn’t it be great if this were a real product?
[ Mac Essentials ] VIA [ Digg ]
Cooking Mama: Cook Off, For The Wii
Hard as it may be to believe, there are still those of us that haven’t purchased a Nintendo Wii. Those poor souls may still be wondering what sort of new gameplay the console is supposed to bring them. Well, you should check out this video for an upcoming family oriented title called “Cooking Mama: Cook Off”, a game originally developped for the DS, but which is now being entirely re-written for the Wii.
“There are new foods, new modes, and multiplayer, all wrapped around the crunchy center of the Wiimote.”
As the title indicates, the whole point of the game is to cook. You get to slice, dice, chop and sautee all your ingredients, in the quest of the perfect dish. Or something like that.
Point is, there’s a video after the jump, if you’re so inclined. The game should be out in April, for $50.
[ IGN Article ] VIA [ TechEBlog ]
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