Gadgets to Think About!

 

By:

 

Nairit Adhikary

MS (Cyber Law and Information Security)-2010

Indian Institute of Information Technology - Allahabad

 

 

The first satellite smartphone:- Always within coverage area

 

 

The TerreStar Genus is the first satellite phone that's also a full-blown smartphone. AT&T will initially be selling it to professional customers through business channels, but it will be in retail stores later this year.

It runs Windows Mobile 6.5 software and has a full-alphabet keyboard and looks much like a lightly thicker BlackBerry.It doesn't have a large, protruding antenna, like other satellite phones do. It's not the first time a phone company has tried to sell combined satellite-terrestrial phones. Sprint Nextel Corp. sold Iridium phones in 1999, and Airtouch, a predecessor of Verizon Wireless, sold Globalstar phones a year a later. The new phone, the TerreStar Genus, could be an important tool for boaters, fishermen, forest rangers, emergency crews and others who go outside regular cellular coverage. It can send and receive data over the satellite, which means it can be used for e-mail and Web surfing. The cost, like the satellite, is sky-high: $ 5 per megabyte, or 400 times more expensive than a standard $ 25-per-month terrestrial data plan.Text messages, by comparison, are a bargain. They're 40 cents each, only four times the piece rate for cell phones.

To use the phone, it has to have a clear view of the southern sky, where the satellite hovers, with no intervening trees, buildings or hills. That restricts its use to the outdoors. The satellite is aimed at the US and doesn't provide global coverage in the same way Iridium Communications Inc.'s satellite constellation does.

The phones will communicate with the world's largest commercial satellite, owned by TerreStar Corp. It launched last year, and unfolded an umbrella of gold mesh, 60 feet wide, as a dish antenna to pick up the faint signals from phones 22,000 miles below.

The giant antenna in the sky means the phones can be relatively small. But it's uncertain whether TerreStar can avoid the fate of other satellite phone companies, even with a smartphone that's almost up to date. May be within certain time this phone might also be introduced in India.

Web Source:http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/2478.html

 

Harris BlackJack USB drive:

 

 

 

Harris BlackJack USB drive is a device that aims to help the field of computer forensics, where one will go about the search and catalog information that is targeted on the suspect computer. With Harris BlackJack USB drive one will be able to configure it to search for specific data or types of data thanks to a special configuration utility. The drive itself will see action on one's Windows-powered and can boot in under 3 seconds, although not stated whether that means the launch of spy program or kick-start a bootable OS image. LED indicator on the BlackJack will notify the operator about whether the software has found what it was looking for so if one continues to play poker with his partner until the desired color appears not looked at the screen while tapping ones fingers on the table.

 

Web Source: http://gadgetszoom.com/computers/harris-blackjack-usb-drive-to-aid-computer-forensics

 

Portable GPS Tracker:

 

 

 

This must be one of (if not the) coolest spy gadgets. It's sort of a cross between a USB memory stick and a GPS receiver and what it does is store where ever one takes it on the flash memory.

The Portable GPS Tracker is pretty small so one could either always carry it on himself or use it in 007 spy mode by planting it on a person or vehicle one wants to monitor. One may be wondering how to retrieve the stored info and secret routes, well that's where it gets really cool.


Once the tracker has done it's travels and it's back in one's possession and then simply needs to connect it to his PC and download the data. This data can then be plotted on Google Earth, Mapquest, maps.google.com and Virtual Earth to show exactly where it's been, how long it took and how it got there.

I just think this is so cool (may of said cool a record number of times in this post) it obviously has the spy functionality of tracking somebody else but to me it is even more useful for tracking one's own holidays and backpacking adventures. So not only can one show visitors with one's holiday snaps one can also show them exactly where one went.

Full feature list:

Web Source: http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20060405/really-cool-portable-gps-tracker/

The Panasonic Toughbook U1 gets an Overhaul:

 

 

Panasonic's Toughbook is rugged.  With a magnesium alloy chassis that's pretty near indestructible (in most modern applications anyway) and reliability that's beyond reproach the little computer that could is no doubt a solid machine-but it's old.  Almost four years old.  That's why Panasonic decided it needed an upgrade.

The new version boasts a 1.6GHz Atom processor and 2GB of RAM and a bigger 64GB SSD.  It runs on Windows seven but that's not really the big story.  The big story is the screen.

The screen has been updated to some fancy technology called a "TransflectivePlus for bright light viewability.  It's not an eInk display by any means-which begs the question of why not?-but it's pretty impressive.  Boost it up to 6,000 nits and one will be able to see clearly in anything but a supernova.  Plus it's been upgraded with a much more responsive touch-based virtual keyboard.

There's an optional 2MP front-facing camera but it's really unnecessary as this beast is probably not going to be put to work taking Emo or "Duck Face" photos for Facebook.

So if one needs to check one's email while running a black op for some shady government agency with no name, Panasonic has the portable PC for him.

Web Source: http://www.myddnetwork.com/new-gadgets/the-panasonic-toughbook-u1-gets-an-overhaul/#more-1592

MSI's New 15.6 Inch Laptop Built For Gamers:

 

 

MSI has a bit of a reputation for building affordable gaming PCs.  Their latest laptop is no exception.  It's a 15.6 inch laptop that comes with up to 12GB of RAM and orange LED lights-because everyone knows one is not really a gamer if one's machine doesn't light up.  But what else does it offer?

Internally looking, an Intel Core i7 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M graphics acceleration with 1.5 GB of GDDR5 RAM on board.  If that isn't enough in itself to make one sit up and take notice then maybe one is a little jaded.  One can choose between a few different hard drives including the 500GB, the 640GB, or the 1TB-why anyone would go with less than 1TB now is beyond me.  One can also choose one's optical drives (DVD or Bluray).

The dynaudio speakers are a nice touch and one won't have to worry about First Person Shooters sounding tinny on this puppy.

The screen is available in full HD or backlit but if one is not picking the HD version one is just shooting oneself in the foot.  Of course one gets the standard 802.11 b/g/n WiFi built-in and Bluetooth 2.1 but one will probably find the 5-in-1 card reader a bit more interesting.  One will also get 2 USB 2.0 ports and 2 bonus USB 3.0 ports!

So as one can see from the specs, this PC isn't going to come cheap but in the world of gaming computers, cheap is a relative term. 

Web Source: http://www.myddnetwork.com/new-gadgets/msi%E2%80%99s-new-15-6-inch-laptop-built-for-gamers/#more-1648

 

Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 with 1080p Video

Technical Details

 

Product Details

  • Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 3.4 x 8.9 inches ; 1.2 pounds
  • Weight: 1 pounds

Easy Full HD video recording and sharing

->         Keep everyone up-to-date with stunning Full HD 1080p videos in 16:9 widescreen

->         Post one's videos to YouTube and Facebook with just one click

->         Polish one's videos before they goes viral with included Magix video and photo editor

->         Fluid HD 720p video calling

->         One can connect with everyone one cares about in smoother HD clarity and detail

->         One can call in 720p widescreen with a standard broadband Internet connection on included Logitech Vid HD and nearly every major IM service

->         Crystal-clear video and brilliant photos

->         Smooth autofocus and the precision Carl Zeiss pro lens keep one's video calls and clips rich and sharp

->         One can take and share brilliant HD-quality 10 MP photos (software-enhanced)

->         5 MP HD sensor gives one 16X higher image resolution than built-in VGA webcams

->         Look to one's best with auto light correction for dim and harsh lighting

->         Speak in HD-quality stereo

->         Dual built-in premium microphones let friends hear one in rich stereo

->         Background noise is filtered out so one can be clearly heard

Package contents

->         Webcam with 5-foot cable

->         Logitech webcam software with Logitech Vid HD

->         User documentation

->         2-year limited hardware warranty

->         Works with Windows XP (SP2 or higher), Windows Vista or Windows 7 or (32-bit or 64-bit)

 

Basic requirements:

->         1 GHz

->         512 MB RAM or more

->         200 MB hard drive space

->         Internet connection

->         USB 1.1 port (2.0 recommended)

->         For HD 720p video calling (on Logitech Vid HD) and Full HD

->         1080p video recording:

->         2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

->         2 GB RAM

->         200 MB hard drive space

->         USB 2.0 port

->         1 Mbps upload speed or higher

->         1280 x 720 screen resolution

Web Source: http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Webcam-C910-1080p Video/dp/B003M2YT96/ref=sr_1_130?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1286707918&sr=1-130

 

Are Hydrogen-powered Phones Becoming a Reality?

 

 

Hydrogen what? You read it right, the greenest phones out there. No more: "Talk to you later, my battery is running low." - disclaimer that is all too familiar to tens of millions of smartphone owners.

More than two years ago stirring news was that the French and Japanese R&D teams finally developed a hydrogen fuel cell which can be used as a backup power source for mobile phones.

The hydrogen fuel cell uses a hydrogen-filled cartridge which can be carried in a pocket. Each cartridge gives up to five recharges of the traditional battery for just 10 minutes of charging. Today, only few companies are either saying they really have something to demonstrate or they are in development. Among these companies is Canadian Angstrom Power Inc. and the smartphone giant Motorola.

However, there are few concerns regarding the safety, and one cannot forget the remote possibility for a hydrogen explosion. Other question is where to recharge my fancy gadget. Those questions are yet to be answered. Then again, it is not that Lithium-Ion batteries don't catch fire if they overheat.

I hope the predictions made by Angstrom and Motorola are true and that we will see a new generation of mobile phones. These phones would be one step closer to real hydrogen power. We know, maybe one day we will use water as car fuel or drive electric cars with non-flammable batteries.

Web Source: http://www.brightsideofnews.com/news/2010/8/11/hydrogen-powered-phones-becoming-a-reality.aspx