ErgoMedia Gaming Pad

I never really got into the whole gamer keypad thing, as I figured you'd have to be much more into PC gaming than I am to want to unhook your keyboard and hook up a tinier one so you could frag faster. If having a smaller keyboard actually provided any benefit. But hey, if you really want to get your clan to the top of that Counter-Strike tourney, perhaps this is just the boost you need to get you over the top.
It's the ErgoMedia 500, a gaming pad with what looks like a comfy wrist pad attached. It's got stuff like 11 macros, a scroll wheel, a d-pad, and lit-up buttons. Will it make you any better at your favorite games? It's debatable, but ErgoMedia hopes it's a question that's worth your $43 to answer

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'Laser' Clock

Here's an LED-lit keychain device that lets you project an image of the time of day. Curiously named a Laser Clock, there aren't really any lasers involved, according to a nice guy we talked to at the product's distributor, Dynamism. In fact, there's no laser inside this little device at all, and it's only able to project an image a mere 12 inches away. Just thought you'd like to know what you'd be getting for your $29.
When we saw the term "laser clock" bandied about, we had visions of projecting a super-sharp laser image of 4:20 a half a mile away, onto that big water tower way over there. Or maybe equipping the device with a Batman pattern and projecting it onto the clouds above.

USB Big Fan

We've seen USB fans before, but none this big. Plug this USB Big Fan from Brando into a USB port, and its huge blades dole out the coolness in great gobs, all the while looking like an orange and white Creamsicle.
Running on either USB power or four AA batteries, you can even hang this 7-inch-tall fan on the wall. Its 180-degree adjustable stand brings that ventilation to just the right spot. As the summer warmth begins to waft its way toward us from southern climes, this is starting to look like a cost-effective way to stay cool for just $11.50.

Samsung's $1,200 Dual-Camera Deluxe Q1 Ultra

Having spent some time with the Q1 Ultra, I feel it's my duty to tell you that the most appealing version isn't $799, but $1,199.

Yes, all Q1 Ultras are thinner than the original Q1 with a brighter (300 nit), higher-res (1024x600) but still 7" screen. They all weigh 1.5 lbs., have the split QWERTY keyboard, the 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 802.11b/g plus Bluetooth 2.0, stereo speakers and a dual-array microphone. Battery life is up to 4.5 hours (as opposed to the previous Q1's 3.5 hours). With an extended battery, you can get up to 8.5 hours, and a full 13 hours if you use a "dual battery" configuration.

But the $1,199 Q1U-V, which will ship soonest, in just a couple of weeks, also has two cameras, a VGA up front for video conferencing and a 1.3-megapixel one in the rear for still shooting. It's got an 800MHz Intel Ultra Mobile A110 processor, instead of the $799 version's 600MHz. It has a 60GB 1.8" drive hard drive and a memory card reader (just SD and MMC, but still useful).
There is still no word on an SSD configuration, although Samsung told me "end of year... maybe." Samsung says that SSD was cost prohibitive at launch, as it is five to six times as expensive as

The super-duper Q1 Ultra will cost $1,499, and hit stores in August. This one, the Q1U-CMV, has everything that the Q1U-V has, except for an 80GB drive, an "authentic" fingerprint reader, and HSDPA high speed wireless, to be supported by AT&T. (That's the reason for the hold up.)

There's no PC card or ExpressCard slot, nor is there built in GPS. You'll see in the gallery that GPS is available as a USB accessory. I asked about connecting a GPS puck via Bluetooth, but was told, basically, that it wasn't the route that Samsung had explored. One of you intrepid Q1 Ultra purchasers will have to try that one out.

If you still want a $799 edition, you'll have to ask for the Q1U-EL (for "elementary school"), you'll have to wait about a month, and you will probably be mocked by people with nicer camera-equipped Q1 Ultras.

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Recognize Your Face

Another Canon PowerShot is on the streets. The 850 IS (if you live in Yurp it answers to the name of Ixus 950 IS) replaces the SD700 IS (Ixus 800 IS) and has an 8 megapixel 1/2.5" CCD sensor and 4 x optical zoom. Add to that optical Image Stabilization, face detection, a 2.5" PureColor LCD monitor, auto ISO shift, red-eye correction, time lapse mode and creative lighting effect.
Vital statistics are 3.6" x 2.2" x 1" and it weighs approx 5.8 oz. But please, Canon, forget your Image Stabilizer, you need a Name Stabilizer - can we have a bit of Euro-American symmetry

Canon's HR10 HD Camcorder

Canon today rolled out its HR10 HD camcorder, laying down 1080i images on a DVD. Using its 10x optical zoom lens, it acquires its footage using a full HD 1920x1080 CMOS image sensor, and records in the AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) video format onto an ordinary DVD. Except for that DVD recording, it's just about the same camera as Canon's tape-based HV20 HD camcorder, with image stabilization, 3.1-megapixel still image capture and a 2.7-inch LCD widescreen viewfinder.
Get lots more info, including our hands-on impressions, future plans from Canon, availability and pricing, after the jump.

Sony CyberShot DSC-S800

Sony just raised the bar with its 8.1-megapixel compact point and shoot CyberShot DSC-S800 camera, offering a 6x optical zoom that retracts into the camera body just like those 3x optical zooms do. To do that, Sony has abandoned Carl Zeiss optics for a lens of its own making, accompanying that with anti-blur tech will help you hold that sucker still even when you have the lens zoomed all the way in.
Take the jump to see the nice ass-end of this supersnapper, and there's where we'll break some bad news to you.

Now the bad news: Sony inexplicably decided to release this in Europe first, and didn't say when it'll make its way Stateside or at what price.
Come on, Sony! Why not just blast this out everywhere? Maybe that sweet new lens is in short supply. Of course, 6x is much better than 3x, so we want it! But then, maybe it's not as sharp as the one by Carl Zeiss.

Microsoft Reclusa Gaming Keyboard

Microsoft makes fantastic keyboards, but when it comes to gaming peripherals, Razer's no slouch either. That's why this Reclusa, which is a combination of Microsoft and Razer, looks like what you would get if Microsoft were directing a movie, got fired halfway through, and Razer came in and finished it up.
It definitely looks and feels like a Microsoft keyboard, except it's got a blue LED glow and a bunch of macro keys added on. The addition of two USB ports, six hotkeys (three on each side), the jog dial, and the programmable software suite really makes this thing feel like a gaming keyboard.
As for the actual keys, they're soft and cushy—in traditional Microsoft style, which we love—but aren't arranged in the "ergonomic" curved style. The macro keys (including the jog dial) are easy to program, but there doesn't seem to be enough. Also, you don't want to plug in too many power-drawing USB devices into the hub, as that'll cause errors.
It doesn't seem to be a spectacular gaming keyboard, but more like a regular keyboard that you can sometimes pull out for gaming. Which will be nice for most of us reading, since most of us have actual jobs and can't play games all day like we could back in college.

Tubular Time Word Clock is Half Past Cool

Here's an unusual angle on timekeeping that tickles our techno-lust for clocks, and this one's a twisty, affectionately known as the Tubular Time Word Clock. Its two cylindrical segments revolve around, giving you approximate times of day rather than sticking to that pesky precision to which we've grown so accustomed.
This is a truly odd design which looks like a pipe coming up out of your desk, but gives you a quick answer when someone asks what time it is: "Well, it's about three," you'll say. We're thinking it's about time somebody came up with a unique clock design like this one. Too bad that uniqueness comes with a $160 price tag.

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Spanish Tower Draws Solar Energy

It looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. Six hundred mirrors reflecting sunlight onto a massive 40-story tall tower out in the Andalusian countryside. Yet as eerie as it looks, this is Europe's first commercial solar power plant being operated by a company called Solucar. The structure generates 11 Megawatts of electricity—enough power for 6,000 homes. Here's how it works.

The 600 mirrors beam sunlight at the tower, which converts the solar energy into steam. The steam is stored in tanks and used to drive turbines, and before you know it you're powering 6,000 homes. Overall, this is super cool and one lucky BBC reporter even got a tour of the tower.

Hercules Wireless MP3 Mixer

COOL GIZMO

Yo Yo Yo! DJ Chicken Wings here, and this is my buddy MC Spare Ribs (although we also answer to Marvin and Ernesto). Bringing you the sounds of the BBQ, flickin' the switch while we flip the burgers. Yes Ma'am, be with you RIGHT IN AN INSTANT. Ernesto! Go serve the lady while I talk about this new wireless mixing controller from Hercules. It's got two channels so you can mix Pussycat Dolls with Linkin Park (Chicken Wings is Fi-eerrce, comprenday?) and even do some basic scratching with the two jog wheels.
When I scratch, that's when Mr Lightbody, our Manager, gets down on the Dickeys lino and, like, throws some crazy moves. And if he hasn't ruptured something, I press one of the FX buttons to, like, give him A to the P to the LAWS. Is that how you spell it, Mr Lightbody? I'm not sure how the thing works as I didn't bother with Computer Studies at school, I was more into Home Economics, see, but Mr Lightbody knows EVERYTHING. He's gonna hit you after the jump with all the tech stuff. Okay, gotta run, Ernesto's doing something with his boogers and that lady's ribs.
DJ Lightbody here. That's Darren J. Lightbody the Third and I'm here with the beef on the Hercules Wireless MP3 mixer. Hurgh! I sound like Edwin Starr, don't I. BBQ! Hurgh! What is it good for? Absolutely NOTHIN'! Sayitaginnnnnn. Sorry. Back to the technical stuff.
Plug the receiver into the USB of your computer, and then let the battery-powered white box here control your your music collection. You can choose the songs you want via one of the two LCD screens, then mix them in so you have a seamless mix of Wayne Newton with Dolly Parton, if you're like me. The Hercules Wireless MP3 mixer measures 6.8 inches x 6 inches x 1.2 inches and will cost you around $120

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BlackBerry 8300 Curve

If you've been waiting for the right BlackBerry before making the jump into CrackBerry land, your time has come. The BlackBerry 8300 Curve is the email checking, media-heavy smartphone we've been waiting for.
Design-wise, the 8300 is a looker with its thin Pearl-like profile, full QWERTY keyboard and silvery finish. But the real reason you'll want it is 'cause of its media features. Both the guys at Laptop and Wired agree that this is RIM's best handheld, easily blending in at the office during the day and doubling as a cool smartphone at night. So what do we get?

Design-wise, the 8300 is a looker with its thin Pearl-like profile, full QWERTY keyboard and silvery finish. But the real reason you'll want it is 'cause of its media features. Both the guys at Laptop and Wired agree that this is RIM's best handheld, easily blending in at the office during the day and doubling as a cool smartphone at night. So what do we get?

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