Hasta La Gadget!

Pogoplug may have been the first to make this type of contraption popular, but now it’s time for the no-names to sneak in and offer up comparable devices for a bit less cheddar. Sharkoon has evidently taken a break from punching out SATA HDD Docks in order to develop its USB LANPort, which effectively puts any piece of USB storage (flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) on one’s local network — though it seems this is mainly for making multiple drives available to a variety of machines via customized permissions. The USB LANPort 100 converts a single drive into a device that can be streamed from locally, while the USB LANPort 400 handles up to four USB devices. Unfortunately it looks as if these weren’t designed to link USB drives to the internet at large, but we’re sure the hacker in you could figure it out. Both boxes support automatic and manual IP address contacts, and they’re both available now across the pond for €22.99 ($34) / €36.99 ($56) in order of mention. As for a US release? Your guess is as good as ours.

Sharkoon USB LANPort gets your isolated USB drives on your local network originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPhone keyboard (or the lack thereof) has been a polarizing point for many, and while we’ve seen a workaround or two in our day, we’ve yet to see a solution to the lack of tactility as beautifully simple as this. 4iThumbs is a screen overlay that adds minuscule bumps on your iPhone display — bumps that correspond to where the keys are when using the vertical keyboard. ‘Course, these things are apt to bug you when using the horizontal keyboard (or no keyboard at all), but we’re guessing the heavy texters in the crowd won’t mind. Have a look at the videos below the break for a better idea of what you’re about to get yourself into. Oh, and be sure to pick up a pair of Awethumbs while you’re at it — we hear these two go great together.

Update: A horizontal version is available, hooray!

Continue reading 4iThumbs overlay adds a tactile keyboard to your iPhone… sorta (video)

4iThumbs overlay adds a tactile keyboard to your iPhone… sorta (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Up until now, there have been just two ways to get HD Radio in a portable, handheld solution: buy a Zune HD, or opt for Insignia’s NS-HD01. As of today, Gigaware is changing all that, and it’s hoping to give HD Radio a kick in the pants by opening it up to every single iPod touch and iPhone user in the US. iBiquity’s own HD Radio module has been tucked neatly inside the clickwheel in-line adapter you see above, giving any iPhone / iPod touch with iPhone OS 3.0 (or greater) the ability to listen to HD Radio and FM stations in their area. The (now available) adapter itself sells for $79.99 exclusively at RadioShack, while the accompanying app — which sports a manual tune wheel or auto-seek option, social network integration, bookmarks and iTunes Tagging — is available to download free of charge. It’s a novel idea, sure, but something tells us the limited availability and lofty price tag will keep it from selling like gangbusters.

Continue reading Gigaware adapter brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80

Filed under: Portable Audio

Gigaware adapter brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You can’t keep a phoenix down and this Xbox 360 wireless n adapter seems to be a bird of similar feather. After discretely showing up on US retail sites and subsequently managing to drop off into internet obscurity, the 802.11n-compliant peripheral has returned to the scene via Costco’s site, this time with a November 10th shipping date and a more attractive than before $88 price tag. With only five days until the 10th, will this finally be the price and date that stick? Who knows — but at least this time we won’t have to wait long to find out.

[Thanks, WeakSasco]

Filed under: Gaming, Networking

Xbox 360 802.11n adapter rebirths on Costco site, ships November 10th for $88 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A new, janktastic Wii title dubbed Baby and Me (not to be confused with the new 50 Cent song, “Baby by Me”) is shipping in limited quantities as a special edition that actually includes a doll “accessory” in the box. The regular game is designed to work with the Wiimote attached to any old doll, but in case your child is looking for a premium fake baby experience, we suppose this special edition is the way to go. The actual game play includes motion sensitive baby-rocking, Balance Board support for teaching the child avatar to walk, and the sound of gurgles and burps output through the Wiimote’s built-in speaker. It sounds exactly like caring for a real child.

[Via Switched]

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

‘Baby and Me’ special edition includes Wiimote-ready doll originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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