Dec 22

The Aluratek Bump Offers Wireless Audio

Posted in: audio, MP3 Digital Audio, Music, speaker, Today's Chili, Wireless

Bump Player

If you’re looking for a media player that’ll look sharp on your desktop and won’t contribute to the rats-nest of cables that’s probably behind your monitor, the new Aluratek Bump media player and wireless speaker system might be worth a look. The Bump media player itself is a small, cylindrical player with playback controls on the top and a display on the front that shows you what’s playing, the time and date, or volume level. 
The beauty of the system is that if you want more audio power, you can add another Bump speaker to the system wirelessly by pairing it with the player. The speaker and the player communicate over 2.4Ghz wireless with a range of about 60 feet. Wireless audio has its downsides and it probably won’t make audiophiles happy, but 2.4Ghz is definitely better than Bluetooth audio. 
You can pair the Bump player with up to six additional wireless speakers, and when it’s time to keep the music to yourself, you can pop a pair of headphones into the 3.5mm stereo jack. If you want to pull music from your computer or another device, the USB port on the media player lets you connect a phone or other media player to the system. The Bump player will set you back $99 list, with each individual speaker priced at $99 as well.
[via SlashGear]
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Dec 22

Octopus iPhone Charger Has Suction Cups on the Back

Posted in: iPhone, ipod touch, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili

Octopus Charger

Most iPhone battery packs slide on to your phone, or serve double-duty as a case and a battery pack, but the Octopus Battery Charger takes a different approach: one that’s definitely more interesting, but is debatable if it’s better. 
The Octopus has a 30-pin dock connector on a flexible arm at the bottom of the charger. Plug in the charger to your iPhone or iPod Touch for some extra juice, and while you’re using it, attach the battery pack to the back of your device using the eight suction cups on the back of the battery pack. 
According to the manufacturers, your phone will be get about a half-charge from the Octopus in about 3 hours, less if you opt to use your phone while it’s charging. On the bright side, it’s clear the Octopus is designed for use when you need your phone and your battery is about to die, not as a permanent fixture on the back of your device. One can be yours now for $29.85 retail price.
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Dec 21

ClamCase iPad Case and Keyboard is Available Now

Posted in: bluetooth, case, ipad, Today's Chili, Travel

ClamCase

Back in May we discussed the ClamCase, one of the first combination hard-shelled iPad cases that included an integrated Bluetooth keyboard the market had seen. The folks behind the ClamCase had claimed it would be available in the fall of 2010, and while it’s a few months late, it’s finally available now for pre-order, and will begin shipping in January of 2011, retailing for $119.00. 
When the ClamCase was unveiled, it was one of the first iPad cases that would protect your device on the go, give you a full keyboard paired with your iPad for easy typing, and function as a stand so you could use it to keep your iPad propped up when you weren’t using the keyboard. 
Since then a number of similar products have hit the market, but the manufacturers of the ClamCase still think their piano-black, 360-degree foldable case stands out enough to be worth the money. If you’ve been waiting for the ClamCase to make an appearance, now’s your chance to get one.
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Dec 20

Smartfish Brings Pivoting Mouse to Notebooks

Posted in: mouse, Today's Chili, Travel

SmartfishWhirlMini.jpg

It was only this August that we covered Smartfish’s ErgoMotion mouse, which sits on its own pivoting pedestal to reduce wrist strain. Now SmartFish is announcing the availability of the Whirl Mini Notebook Laser Mouse, putting that same pivot experience in a travel mouse. The company promises the mouse is so comfortable that you’ll feel like your hand is floating on air.

This mouse is plug-and-play compatible with any Windows or Macintosh PC and it offers an ambidextrous design. You’ll also get an 800 dpi sensor, 2.4MHz wireless connectivity, and long battery life. It comes in black, blue, silver, red, white, or “carbon fiber” (a patterned gray) and lists for $49.95.

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Dec 20

The VogDUO Charger Cuts Down on Vampire Power

Posted in: green, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili, usb

VogDUO Wall Charger

It’s well known that if you leave your charging cables stuck in the wall or your phone connected to a charger even after it’s finished recharging the battery, you’re still drawing power from your socket. Even chargers not connected to anything still draw power, and by doing so bump up your electric bill. The VogDUO Green Wall Charger on the other hand, is designed to help you charge your gadgets without inflating your energy bills. 
The VogDUO has 4 USB ports that you can use to charge devices that can be powered over USB, and has 2, 4, 6, and 8-hour charging settings. Just plug in your devices and tell the wall charger how long you want to charge the devices for. 
Once the timer is up, the VogDUO turns itself off entirely, and doesn’t even draw passive “vampire” power from the wall. The connected devices are left to their own batteries, and you don’t have to worry about overcharging your gadgets or wasting electricity. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but more information should be available at CES 2011 in January.
 
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Dec 17

Booq Unveils the Cobra M Messenger Bag

Posted in: Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili

Booq Cobra M Messenger Bag

If you’re tired of squeezing your laptop in or struggling to get it out of your messenger bag when you go to and from the office or classroom every day, the new Booq Cobra M Messenger Bag gives you the form factor of a messenger, but gives you a protective laptop sleeve that fits perfectly in the bag, and keeps your laptop safe while you travel. The Cobra M Messenger will fit a 15-inch or 17-inch laptop, but the included sleeve will only fit a 15-inch model. The sleeve fits in the laptop compartment inside the bag; if you have a larger laptop you can still use the compartment without the sleeve. 
The Booq Cobra M also features a quick-access pocket on the outside of the bag that’s designed specifically to fit and protect an iPad, and a number of other zipped external pockets perfect for things you need quick access to, like a phone, set of keys, notebook, or digital camera. The Booq Cobra M is available now for $195 list price at retailers worldwide and online.
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Dec 17

The Scosche Kickback P1 iPad Case Stands Up for Movie Watching

Posted in: ipad, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili

Scosche Kickback P1

If you’re on a long plane trip or just prefer to use your iPad as an entertainment device, it helps to have a decent stand you can use to keep it propped up while you watch a movie or play games. Some cases and stands are made for work and others for play, but the Scosche Kickback P1 is designed for both. The case is rugged polycarbonate with a kickstand that can prop your iPad up near-90 degrees so you don’t hurt your neck watching a movie.
The sides of the case allow access to the iPad’s ports and controls, and the back has rubber bumpers on it so it rests comfortably when laid flat. The Kickback P1 is available now, and will cost you $59.99 retail price.
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Dec 16

Daily Gift: Design Your Own Laptop Case with Caseable

Posted in: Today's Chili, Travel

caseable.jpgDon’t you just hate getting (and giving) gifts that are super impersonal? There are only so many journals or bath soaps you can own in a lifetime. If you don’t want to get your friend or family member another gift card this year because you want to get them something that actually means something to them, then there are ways to personalize products that are normally impersonal — take a laptop bag, for instance. You could go to the Apple Store or Best Buy and buy a generic laptop case if you want, or, you could decide to use your own design to keep your loved-one’s computer safe, while still maintaining that person’s style.

caseable, a small Brooklyn-based startup company, allows you to design your own laptop cases (Timbuk2-style). caseable lets you design every part of your laptop sleeve: front, back, zipper, side, and handle. You can choose solid colors, pre-loaded photos and designs, or you can upload your own photos. Shown above, I uploaded my own photo from colorful Colorado, changed the zipper color to maroon, and the side to green, and the handle to orange, and voila! Plus, it was extremely easy to do.

You can choose from a multitude of sizes, including Mac 13-inch to Mac 17-inch, as well as Mac Air, and then from PC 10.1-inch to PC 17-inch (iPad is on its way). Then, in terms of width, you can choose from classic or slim. I tried building a few different laptop bags, and no matter what options I changed, it always came out to $69.90. Yes, this is a little expensive for a laptop bag, but how many laptop bags do you have with your cute dog’s face on it? Not many, I assume.

And, according to the site, caseable is now offering free shipping for a limited time. 

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Dec 16

The Best Gifts for TRON Fans

Posted in: controller, headphones, ipod, Miscellaneous Tech, playstation, Today's Chili, video games, xbox 360

tron-guy-remake.jpgTRON: Legacy is hitting theaters tonight at midnight. Whether you have a loved one who’s a die-hard fan of the original, or you know someone who’s a brand new TRON convert, there are tons of creative gift ideas to surprise them with this holiday season. Thanks to Disney’s slew of licensing deals to a variety of companies, you can now have your own TRON jewelry, TRON headphones, TRON leggings…really, the list goes on.

We chose a handful of our favorite TRON-inspired products perfect for any fan on your list. Check them out after the jump.

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Dec 14

The Chameleon X-1 Pulls Double Duty as a Mouse and Gamepad

Posted in: controller, gaming, mouse, Today's Chili, video games

Chameleon X1

If you just looked at the top of the Chameleon X-1 Gaming Mouse you wouldn’t think there was anything odd about it. It’s red with chrome trim, sleek, features an adjustable 1600 dpi optical sensor and an RF USB receiver that you can plug in to virtually any computer and use without difficulty. 
Where it gets interesting is on the underside: if you flip the Chameleon X-1 over, you’ll find a full D-pad, four action buttons, two analog thumbsticks, and shoulder buttons, along with start and select buttons nestled around the optical sensor. 
Turn the mouse right-side up and it’s a wireless gaming mouse. Turn it upside down, and it’s a fully featured USB game controller. Ideally the Chameleon X-1 is for people who need a regular PC mouse most of the time, and then need a PC controller for specific games, like old arcade and console games run in emulators, for example. It’ll hit the market early next year, and be available for $55 list price.
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