Category: Gadgetry

Brighthand has got the first hands-on reviews of the Palm Zire 71 and Tungsten|C models. The Zire 71 runs OS 5.1, meaning that it handles MP3 and other media content as well as any other PDA. It also has an included 640×480 camera hidden on the back — the first PDA with integrated digital camera under $300. The Tungsten|C (pictured, right) is the first Palm OS machine to come with 64 megs of RAM and integrated 802.11b wireless communication. It also does away with the writing area and replaces it with a thumb keyboard that should appeal to more business users familiar with the Blackberry. transflective color screens on both new units means great color and good battery life. The Tungsten|C retails for $500.

ExtremeTech is reporting that Pocket PC Films will be a distributor for the Pocketainment Pocket Pix, which is a device that plugs into any GameBoy Advance and allows it to play movies — top-rate ones like Leprechaun starring Jennifer Aniston! Woohoo! Seriously though, the PocketPix appears to be both an adapter for SD/MMC cards and also a decoder for certain formats of MPEG, so it’s possible you’d be able to download just about any recorded video source to the GBA for playback. The PocketPix has a USB port for downloading content, and a head-phone jack (presumably because it decodes the audio on board instead of piping it through the GBA). Cost is $60 with 64 meg card included.

Konami has some cool new toys for those who may be looking for new uses for their Warhammer terrains. The Battle DigiQ tanks are similar to other mini-RC vehicles, but have the extra feature of adding weapons and multiple gameplay options. There are four varieties of tanks (Tiger I, Panther, Sherman and T34) each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The tanks battle via infrared “cannons” and can battle in three different modes; race, beginner and expert battle mode. In race mode, hits to the opponent slow the tank down, allowing other tanks to overtake it. In beginner battle mode, the tanks get unlimited ammo and short reload times, and 5 hits will score a win. Expert mode is where it gets really cool; each tank has different reload times, ammo capacity and armor. Up to four can play at a time as a free-for-all or two-on-two. Cost is about $50 per. Read a great review at DansData.com for all the good pics and specs and where to buy.

As Danger gets a color version of the HipTop ready, another company has a competing GSM/GPRS cell phone hybrid device waiting in the wings; the Neode N1. The N1 is an impressive device on paper, running Windows CE .NET on an ARM720T processor at up to 110 MHz , with a 2.2″ color TFT touch screen, integrated 640×480 digital camera, MP3 playback and SD card memory expansion, plus hi-speed IR I/O for data transfer and using it as a universal remote control. It also has USB-host capability, which means you can plug a keyboard and mouse into it, and possibly hook it up to other USB devices such as a printer or external hard drive. All this packed into a 3.5″ x 2″ x 0.8″ device (about the same length and width as a credit card) weighing just 3.5 oz. Price is yet unknown, but release in Europe is expected in March. Full specs at Neode (pdf file).

If you’re thinking of finally updating your Sega Genesis to a Playstation 2 like 50 million other gamers in the world have, you might want to wait just a bit. Sony’s updating the hardware to make it just a wee-bit better. The new Playstation will feature pretty much the same specs except that it will be a progressive-scan DVD player, will work better with DVD-RW and other burned media, and will have a built-in IR for the remote (a $20 option on PS2.0). In the process, the new playstation loses its Firewire port, which is no big deal because nobody figured out anything to use it for anyway. Granted these are all minor improvements, but at least it makes it easier to justify buying a $200 game and progressive DVD player over spending $150 on something that’s only a progressive DVD player

PalmInfocenter has new details and pics about two upcoming Palm OS phones from a Chinese company called GroupSense (?). One is a candy-bar style phone (we need a new term for that, btw, suggestions please under comments) which is pictured to the left. They run Palm OS 4.1 on a 33MHz chip, with 16 megs of RAM and no expansion slot. The phones operate on 900/1800 GSM. What’s remarkable is that the phone is so very small — with a screen of just 2.2″, its resolution is reported to be 160 x 240 with a virtual Graffitti area. The other phone from the same mfr is a flip phone with much the same specs. Go to PalmInfocenter.com for more specs and pics.

New from mac outfitter and peripheral manufacturer Griffn Technology is the iTrip — an FM transmitter designed specifically for iPods. Like usual FM transmitters, it broadcasts tunes from your iPod to any car or home stereo via the FM tuner. But because it’s specifically designed for the iPod, it has some advantages, such as drawing power directly from the iPod (no batteries needed) and the ability to control which frequency is used from the iPod’s menu. And of course, it doesn’t mar the good looks of the iPod design. $35.

If you’re a fan of the looks of the new iMac, but are stuck using a laptop for your day-to-day computing, you can now add some style and ease your ergos by putting your laptop on the Lapvantage Dome. It’s nothing more than a laptop stand, but it does lift your laptop up to eye level and allow for rotation and adjustment, all while looking pretty snazzy. Basic models are available for $50, but the deluxe rotating adjustable model costs $80. For that price, you’d think that it would have added a USB hub to make it easier to plug in the required external keyboard or mouse…

Glow Rings are keychains which sport a small glass vial that houses phosphor and tritium. Radiation from the tritium makes the phosphor glow in one of five different colors without using batteries or bulbs. I haven’t found any US distributors yet.

Several times over the last two years or more various cell phone manufacturers have announced “wrist-phones,” leading just about every journalist, myself included, to make inane Dick Tracy references. Finally, two of these phones appear headed to market; the DoCoMo Wristomo (pictured top left) and the Samsung wrist phone. The DoCoMo phone, which reportedly is already on shelves in Japan, has a unique design that folds around the wrist like a bracelet, but unfolds to allow the wearer use it like a regular phone. It has a full keypad, eight-line mono display, and has internet access. It operates on the PHS system in Japan, which is a short-range, low-power, and low(er) speed connection than GSM.

In contrast, the Samsung phone (pictured bottom right) is a GSM phone for use in Europe and other parts of the world with 800/1900 networks. It does not have a keyboard, though it does have a color Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display — one of the first devices to make use of the low-power color alternative to TFT. The phone does not have a keypad, but supports voice dialing and Bluetooth, which means that it can be dialed from a PDA or BT headset. It has GPRS capability too, which means that other BT devices could use the phone to access the Internet at high speeds. While the preferred way to use the phone will probably be through headset, the phone reportedly includes a speaker-phone function, so no headset is needed. With a talk-time of just an hour and a half, and a standby time of “up to” 80 hours, the phone will definitely be a niche product. The Samsung will reportedly be available in Europe in Q3 2003. Both phone are expected to retail for about $1000.

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