GeekSugar

Hot Gadget Predictions For 2008

GeekSugar — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:16:56 PST

Wondering what's going to be hot and not-so-hot in the upcoming year? Here are some of my gadget predictions for 2008!

OLED Televisions: Surprisingly OLED TV's weren't overly popular in 2007, even though they created quite the buzz with their super-slim design, energy saving technology, and exceptional screen quality. I can't help but think they are going to make a huge comeback in '08. Be sure to stay tuned for Samsung's latest prototype, a 31-inch OLED TV.

More Sleek and Stylish Storage Devices: For those of us who carry our portable storage devices on us 24/7, keep your eyes peeled for some fun new USB flash drives in '08. Check out these new flash drives from PQI called the Traveling Disk i201 which come in strawberry, pink, banana yellow, and blueberry blue colors. Storage capacity ranges from 1GB to 4GB.

Portable Media Players: Now that downloading movies off the net has become so quick and easy, more and more people will be investing in portable media players. Philips new flash based personal media player is fresh on the scene and is going to be a hot buy. With 2, 4 or 8GB capacities, a 3.5" LCD display, built-in speakers, and a five hour video life, you can't help but wish you got one for Christmas!

Fashionable and Functional Gadget Accessories: Gel cell phone cases became a growing trend towards the end of '07, so I'm sure we'll see more colors and designs in '08. With the debut of Kodak's chic new camera cases which were also a hit, you're guaranteed to see alot more custom-designed carrying cases for electronics throughout the year.

eReaders: With the release of Amazon's Wireless Reading Device, the Kindle last November, I couldn't help but get absorbed into the eReader frenzy. These handy devices are simple to use, lightweight and can hold over 200 book titles. . .It's time to say good-bye to our paperbacks and hello to the world of electronic-paper in 2008!

Best Apps and Tools For Serious Photographers

Kristy Korcz — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:21:19 PST

Serious photography requires a serious camera, but that doesn't mean you have to be chained to a laptop or desktop to process them. Paul Pierson, app designer and photo nerd, tossed his laptop aside for six months in order to find out if the iPad and iOS apps could handle a professional photo work flow. He found that the iPad is actually quicker and more efficient in processing photos than the traditional setup of a computer and Photoshop software, not to mention a lot less expensive.

At this year's Macworld, Paul shared some of his favorite tools and apps to help you create a love match between your DSLR and iPad. First tip? Get a Card Reader from Photojojo ($30) so you can get those beautiful images captured on your DSLR to your iPad and, thus, your camera apps. Duh. Also you'll probably want an iPad with lots of storage - 64GB ($700), please.

Load up your iPad with the apps below for professional photographers, and experiment with more than one to create stunning images with less equipment.

Sunseeker ($5) - Helps you find where the sun is, or it will be, with the help of augmented reality. Great for landscape photos.

ioShutter ($70, coming Feb. 12) - Turns your iPhone into an intervalometer. This tool plugs into your iPhone and SLR, allowing you to fire your SLR again and again with the app and help you create beautiful time-lapse sequences.

Ollo Clip ($70) - This clip-on lens gives your iPhone or iPad an advantage with three different lenses built right in - fish-eye, wide angle, and macro.

ACDSee Camera Flash ($1) - Brings out details in underexposed images.

Snapseed ($5) - Won Apple's App of the Year because of its variety of filters, edit tools, and selective adjust tools like edge detection that applies changes to objects within the perimeter.

Ready for more? See the rest of the list after the break.

The Swiss Army Drive Packs 1 TB of Storage in a Pocket

Kelly Schwarze — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:49:27 PST

Introducing the Swiss Army knife that can make it through security and lock down every last digital photo, document, and video file. These days you need a little more in your pocket than a nail file and scissors, which is why Victorinox Swiss Army launched the Victorinox SSD storage devices.

Like many new products at CES, the SSD drive pictured above boasts major credentials, it's the world's smallest high-capacity storage drive available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, and one terabyte capacities. It comes with two interchangeable casings, one perfect for the plane and another that includes all the usual Swiss Army knife tools like a blade or bottle opener.

Exact availability on the cutting-edge knife drive isn't known, and it's speculated that it may cost close to $3,000 - yikes!

Worried that a flash drive of that size would be heavy and bulky? You'd be wrong. Check out the size in real life after the break.

Zipbuds Help You Say Sayonara to Tangled Headphone Cords

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:25:27 PST

Tossing your earbuds in your bag in a rush only results in a headache later. Thankfully these headphones and earbuds from Zipbuds will prevent your cables from ending up like a rat's nest so you can grab, go, and tune in without spending time unraveling.

Compatible with your iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and other mobile devices and MP3 players that accept 3.5mm headphone jacks (like, all of them?), the Zipbuds transform into one tangle-resistant cord for easy storage. The brand-spankin' new L.A.B. Headphones (pictured here, $60–$200) are perfect for immersing yourself in your music, while the earbuds are great for everyday listening, commutes, and hitting the gym. Zipbuds has a number of earbuds available to purchase now, while the L.A.B. line will be out this Spring.

Lenovo Gets on the Ice Cream Sandwich Train With a TV

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:41:38 PST

You've probably often thought "I could use an Android-running TV in my life." Well, Lenovo has totally read your mind and announced its K91 at CES. A 55-inch 3D HDTV running Android Ice Cream Sandwich, the K91 offers full 1080p, holds a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB storage, and WiFi, along with Ethernet, HDMI, SD card, USB 2.0 ports. It even has a 5MP webcam to boot.

Interesting features include facial recognition, 100 pre-loaded apps, and video on-demand. The TV can even be controlled through speech or a compatible Android mobile device.

Expect pricing and availability details soon!

Acer Rolls Out Its Own Cloud Storage and Transfer Service: AcerCloud

Kristy Korcz — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:15:16 PST

Cloud storage comes in handy when you want to access photos, video, and documents away from home. While there are lots of options when it comes to storing your goods in the cloud, Acer is planning to take on the iClouds and Google Docs of the world with its new cloud storage platform called AcerCloud.

Providing a secure and personal connection, AcerCloud connects all of your devices - from mobile phones to desktop PCs - allowing you to see your pics, vids, and Office documents (including PowerPoint, Word, and Excel) from anywhere. This free service works with Windows PCs and Android devices starting in Q2 of this year (Windows Mobile compatibility expected in Q4).

In order to access documents and media on the go, you'll first need to download the three AcerCloud apps - Clear.fi Photo, Clear.fi Media, and AcerCloud Docs - on your Android device. From there, you'll have a secure connection between your mobile device and your home PCs or laptops, even if your home computer is asleep or turned off. AcerCloud cashes your media and documents, so you'll always have access. Bonus: if you make changes to any docs from one device, the results are almost immediately available to view on your other devices. Snap a pic from your phone, and you'll instantly see it on your home computer; sorta like Eye-Fi, but with a longer leash.

AcerCloud is free for all Acer customers and is expected to go live in North America and China in Q2, with worldwide availability in Q4.

Acer Introduces Aspire S5 - World's Thinnest Ultrabook

Kelly Schwarze — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:59:24 PST

Acer kicked off CES 2012 today with the introduction of the Aspire S5, billed as the world's thinnest ultrabook. With a 13.3-inch LCD display, the computer measures 15 mm at its biggest point and weighs less than 3 lbs.

Using the same Instant On technology as the Timeline, the S5 boots to full functionality in 1.5 seconds and boasts a battery life of "several weeks," according to a statement by Acer. The included Always Connect feature wakes the S5 from sleep mode via a separate device like a tablet or smartphone. AcerCloud, Acer's multiplatform compatible response to customer cloud storage, will come pre-installed on the S5.

Despite its size, the S5 does include external ports, hidden within what Acer calls a MagicFlip I/o port panel. A touch of the MagicFlip key reveals an HDMI, USB 3.0, and 20 Gbps Thunderbolt port. You heard it - Thunderbolt. The brushed black metallic cover is made of magnesium-aluminum alloy. An Intel CoreTM processor, SSD storage, and Dolby Home Theater v4 round out the S5's inner specs.

Look for the S5 to ship in the second quarter of 2012, when pricing will also be announced. Check out a first look at the new ultrabook in the gallery!

Acer Introduces Two New Timeline Ultrabooks at CES

Kristy Korcz — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:25:40 PST

Acer introduced a new lineup of ultrabooks to the world today, including the 14- and 15-inch Timeline Ultra. This slim and sleek laptop is just 20mm thick with a battery that keeps on chugging for up to eight hours. Instant-On technology helps you boot up in the blink of an eye, while Acer's signature AcerCloud cloud storage keeps your documents, music, and photos within reach on your PCs, laptops, and mobile devices wherever you are. A dedicated graphics card will allow you to game in 3D, and if you're still toting DVDs, the Timeline Ultra even comes with a DVD-Super Multi optical drive.

Other specs include the latest Intel Core i processors, SSD/HDD storage options, Dolby surround sound, HDMI, and USB 3.0 ports. No pricing has been made available just yet, but you can expect both 14- and 15-inch versions in Q2 of this year.

Get a better look at the Timeline Ultra in the gallery.

One-Stop Shop For Every Kind of Techie in Your Life (YAY!)

Sponsor — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:00:22 PST

Let's face it. We are living in a digital world, and the people on your holiday gift list are digital girls (and boys). That means they're only wishing for one thing: gadgets to further their lives of techie luxury, of course! Enter the Seagate fleet of storage devices (and the gift of peace of mind!). Check out the GoFlex Satellite, GoFlex Home, GoFlex Slim, and GoFlex for Mac in the slideshow!

Kiddie Tablets: Let's Compare the Leapfrog LeapPad Explorer and the VTech InnoTab

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:32:18 PST

The iPad may be top on Mama's holiday wish list this year, but there's a good chance it's on her tot's too! Kids can't keep their hands off the tablets, leading two of the largest educational games manufacturers to create tot-friendly versions this year.

I told you about the LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer ($100) when it first hit the market this Fall, and now I just finished playing around with the VTech InnoTab ($79) and can't help but compare the two units. Similarly priced, they are both designed for kids 4 to 9 years old, both run on four AA batteries (or, better yet, burn through them), and both are designed to educate as lil ones interact with their favorite characters. Though neither device runs as fast as an iPad (and neither offers a WiFi option), gadget-oriented kids can't put them down. See how the two hot holiday gift items compare!

Screen size
Both learning tablets have five-inch color touch-screen LCD display screens, though the InnoTab's appears to be more responsive to the finger touch than the LeapPad, which worked better with the included stylus.

Gadget size

LeapPad: The gadget's screen is surrounded by one inch of casing to protect it from drops and spills.
InnoTab: The product's screen comes packaged in a case that provides a two-to-four-inch border around the gadget, giving tots more room to hold it than its competitor. It is almost the same size as the iPad.

Activities and Games

LeapPad: The tablet comes with four free apps - Art Studio, Story Studio, Pet Pad, and one of your choice - to entertain tots. Additional cartridge games are $25 with downloadable apps ranging from $5-$25.
InnoTab: The tablet's PDA-like capabilities - a calendar that allows tots to plan their days and add in stickers, a clock to help learn to tell time, a stopwatch for timing kids, a world globe, etc. - are both fun and educational. They also give kids a sense of independence, turning to their devices for information much like mom and dad. The system also comes with an Art Studio. Additional cartridge games are $25 with downloadable apps costing between $5 and $8.

Keep reading to see how the products compare in other categories.