Genius releases new G-Shot HD520 camcorder

Most people these days not only have a digital camera, they also own a digital video camera of sorts to make sure that still shots aren’t the only thing they can pass down to the next generation with video footage of their ancestors also being an important part of one’s history. Video archives have gotten more and more complex for the mass consumer market, and the advent of High Definition has brought about a slew of new players who want a slice of the growing pie. Genius is often on the periphery of computer accessories, but this time round they have dived deep into the world of digital video cameras by offering a new compact, pocket-size high-definition model that is not only capable of preserving your favorite memories at 11 megapixels, but is also capable of shooting and storing high-definition video at 5 megapixels in MPEG-4/H.264 format. Just in case you were wondering whether this is going to cramp your style, rest easy as the Genius G-Shot HD520 won’t weigh more than 6 ounces.

Genius has worked hard to turn the G-Shot HD520 into an everyday device which is easy-to-use, making this camcorder ideal for summer time outings, dads-n-grads occasions, moms on-the-go or anyone else who want to record life’s moments in brilliant color and clarity to help them remember when their memory fails them many years down the road. Playing nice with both Windows and Mac platforms, the G-Shot HD520 also comes with an ultra-bright 2.5” LTPS LCD display which can be rotated up to 270-degrees, virtually opening up new doors of freedom for you to shoot videos from a whole new variety of angles and positions. Perfect for folks who want to work on their technique in discovering weird and quirky angles.

Genius also knows how hard times are for the people, hence pricing the G-Shot HD520 at an affordable $149 - making this a very hard offer to refuse.

New Averatec N2700 netbook

TriGem USA has just made available yet another player in the already crowded notebook market - the Averatec N2700. This new mobile computing device will not skimp when it comes to features, and TriGem USA has made an extremely attractive offer for it which we’ll look at in closer detail at the end of the post. For the moment, let’s take a look at what the Averatec N2700 has to offer, shall we? For starters, this model will feature an Intel dual-core processor running at 2GHz, a 250GB hard drive and an 8x super multi DVD optical drive, all running on Microsoft Vista Home Premium.

According to Henry Hewitt, vice president of sales at TriGem USA, “The N2700 notebook is an ideal solution for consumers looking for the sweet spot in terms of price, portability and performance. It’s larger and more powerful than a typical netbook computer and offers great portability over notebooks sporting 13-inch screens and larger.” We certainly cannot deny that, since it is much beefier compared to a standard netbook, and yet it won’t break the bank with the relatively affordable $699 price point, where we’ve seen some higher end netbooks in the past retailing for approximately that price and yet lack the processing muscle to boot up Internet Explorer 8 in a fast and seamless manner. There is one drawback that the Averatec N2700 (and any other standard notebook for that matter) is unable to compete in – the size of the netbook will always win out, at least for the moment.

Other features of the N2700 includes a whopping 4GB RAM, integrated 802.11b/g wireless connectivity along with 10/100/1000 Mb/s wired networking. You will also benefit from a trio of USB 2.0 ports, while a FireWire port is there for folks to transfer their large multimedia files from devices such as camcorders over at a much faster rate compared to USB 2.0. Don’t expect this to be a head turner though, but we do think it offers a whole lot of bang for your buck.

The Mr Brightside USB Light

Task lighting is always nice when what you’re working on isn’t well lit, sometimes it can become difficult to concentrate. There have been several lights that are powered by your USB ports and this is just one more to add to the list. I do find it a little odd how tiny it is. With other types it seemed like it could easily illuminate something besides your keyboard keys, but with this it seems like it wouldn’t be that bright. However, if you like to plan for anything when you’re traveling, this could easily be stashed within your laptop bag.

Hopefully it’s brighter than it looks, from the picture it seems to be only as bright as one of those weak keychain lights. The light comes in a variety of colors, black, cherry, lime and blueberry. You can even choose to purchase a pack of three in all the same color for slightly cheaper than the individual price. For one it’ll cost you about $9 and for the pack of three it’ll cost you $20. Then if you lose one, it won’t be expensive to replace it.

The Vornado Flippi V fan

Weather is slowly but surely heating back up, but being Springtime it’s that awkward period where heat isn’t usually needed and it’s not time for the air conditioning either. There are days though that you might be tempted to flip on the air conditioning. For days like that when you’re just not ready to flip on the air, it will take a very well powered fan to cool things down. This fan from Vornado would be great during those days when you need things to cool back down a bit.

This pricey fan even looks better than the average fan you might see sitting around the average home or office. Then you add in that it will move air 40 feet and this is no ordinary fan. You can set it up in a convenient spot, then keep the remote control with you, making it so you don’t even have to get up to adjust the fan. It has three different speeds and an LED display on the fan itself. It also comes with a 3 year warranty to make sure that you get your money’s worth. This fan will cost you $79.99.

Fujitsu MB88395 chip supports 1394 Automotive communication standard

It goes without saying that we love to be entertained, otherwise how else would you explain sold out rock concerts, millions of Thriller albums making their way to living rooms all over the world and the clamor for the latest hit movies. In fact, with the advent of the iPod, entertainment has gotten all the more portable, spawning a mushrooming portable media player industry that has players from various companies coming up with their own creations. While these devices can be carried around in one’s pocket, what about entertainment options in the vehicle itself? Right now, we’re just stuck with built-in DVD players as well as in-dash displays (or those attached to the sun visor) to keep the kids entertained with Barney’s DVD during that cross country road trip, but what if entertainment could be personalized in high definition for each passenger? That’s what Fujitsu Microelectronics Ltd. aims to do with their new MB88395 processor, an LSI which supports the “1394 Automotive” communication standard for automotive information systems.

Basically, the MB88395 will offer a capability to simultaneously transmit video data from Blu-ray discs, terrestrial digital TV broadcasts and car navigation systems. This is made possible thanks to doubling the transmission speed of its previous product to 800Mbps, making transmission of 720p HDTV video a very real possibility, in addition to throwing in a function to compress HDTV video data to 1/4 and uncompress it. Its predecessor was unable to scale such heights, hitting data compression of just 1/3 at best.

We would assume that this new technology would be able to reroute video from various sources to individual screens in the car, making sure each passenger will be able to watch a video of his/her choice without having to quarrel over whose show must come first. Sample shipments have already started, and we hope to see a working consumer solution in the near future.

Samsung announces N110 and N120 netbooks

The world of netbooks sure have grown by leaps and bounds ever since the Asus Eee PC 701 made its appearance a couple of years back, and just about every major notebook manufacturer have jumped aboard the bandwagon and come up with their own version to compete against one another. Samsung is not exactly one of the more mainstream names when it comes to notebooks, but their netbooks have made an impact in the industry so far. This time round, Samsung has announced a couple of new models in the form of the N110 and N120 for those who are interested in picking up a new netbook. They are readily available online as well as in retail stores, going for $469 and $459, respectively.

Let’s take a look at the Samsung N110 netbook first, where you will find its 10.27″ x 1.19″ x 7.3″ measurements to be extremely portable. In addition, you won’t find your shoulders strained when carrying this around with you on your travels as the N110 tips the scales at just 2.78 lbs, making it a snap to be stowed in a briefcase or travel bag. Touch typists will also find the ergonomic-friendly 93% full-size keyboard a joy to use, while the 10” LED SuperBright Glossy Backlit Display ought to do its part in keeping your eyes fresh even after working on it for a few hours at a stretch. Other features include a 6-cell (5900mAh) lithium battery that theoretically provides up to 9 hours of battery life, and we suppose that is only possible with all, if not most of the options turned off. Other features include a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB RAM, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, a 160GB hard drive, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, three USB 2.0 ports and a 3-in-1 memory card reader.

As for the Samsung N120 netbook, this is more multimedia centric although it weighs a tad more at 2.8 lbs. The keyboard is also larger, being a 97% full-size keyboard with trackpad. In addition, you will also benefit from a SRS 2.1 channel system that is powered by two 1.5 watt stereo speakers and a dedicated subwoofer, in addition to a 1.3 megapixel digital motion camera for video-conferencing capabilities.

Robo-Q Tiny R/C Robot

When the word ‘robot’ is mentioned, most people would think of huge, warring machines that are able to level a city in no time with its array of missiles and lasers. Well, here’s some news - not all robots are marauding technological monsters who love nothing better than wipe out an entire city for no good reason. There are some small and cute ones like the Robo-Q Tiny R/C Robot which are fully walking models, they are also equipped with fully autonomous modes in order to prevent bumping into obstacles as well as chase after the included soccer ball. For folks who are control freaks, you’ll be pleased to know these $39.99 robots will come with a remote. Bear in mind this imported toy comes with an all-Japanese manual, but you ought to figure out how to insert the AA batteries, don’t you?

Spy Camera Pen

Watched too many spy movies that you wish you had your very own Q along with a collection of toys and gadgets that would put James Bond to shame? Why not start off with the Spy Camera Pen that is able to hold up to 15 hours of footage, where it also doubles up as a fully functional pen to put down your John Hancock on those official government documents.

A tiny built in Spy Camera lens is situated above the pen clip, hard to see even with the keenest eye. Perfect gifts for James Bond wannabes, these Spy Camera Pens are a great addition to our Thumb Camera and Spy Glasses! Use the Spy Camera Pen in meetings, to document important conversations or just to try out your spy skills wherever you go! Just place the pen in your front pocket and record everything in front of you in full color. The Spy Pen camcorder also features sound! A microphone is hidden under the pen clip giving you full video camera capabilities. To download your footage simply install the software disc and attach your Spy Camera to your computer with the USB connector. Simple to use and effective on Watchdog style missions. Go undercover at school, catch your sister picking her nose at home or record your work mates falling asleep in your bosses meeting. The Spy Camera Pen will make your Mission Impossible…possible! Whether you casually leave it on a desktop or wear it in your front pocket, catch the action as it happens! If you need to covert video footage at the touch of a button then this nifty Spy Camera Pen is the ideal solution. Footage can be uploaded onto You Tube, editing tools and emails quickly and effectively.

The £59.99 entry price might be a bit steep for those who are looking for a little bit of fun, but something tells me if this thing gets any cheaper, we’ll see more and more voyeuristic kind of videos around the Net (as though there weren’t enough of these around already).