Hasta La Gadget!

I love art that’s made out of old junk. Especially if they do something really clever. These Space Invaders mosaics made out of junk keyboards are very clever indeed. I wish I had one for my wall.
They’re a great mashup of computer and pop culture. They may not actually type anymore, but wouldn’t be very intuitive for typists anyhow. It beats throwing keyboards in a landfill somewhere. Now if someone can just make one of these that controls an actual game of Space Invaders on a nearby monitor, my life will be complete.

They were created by ThreeHeadedMonkey on Flickr who definitely knows how to make some awesome retro art. I wish I had thought of this. I guess I still could make one anyhow.

[via Craziest Gadgets]

If you prefer a set of keys to power your mobile recording sessions instead of a guitar adapter of some sort, you’re in luck. The folks at IK Multimedia have just revealed the iRig KEYS portable keyboard peripheral for iOS devices and both Mac and Windows PCs. Packing 37 velocity-sensitive mini keys, the add-on touts a three full-octave range, modulation / pitch bend wheels, an input for a sustain / expression pedal and an assortment of controls for customizing your sound just so. Should you feel inclined, this iRig offering connects via USB to a computer for an “in-studio,” desktop tracking experience. The unit is Core MIDI compliant and sports plug-and-play functionality alongside the outfit’s SampleTank family of apps. Said software can function on its own on the PC side or as a plug-in for more robust offerings like GarageBand, Pro Tools, Cubase, Sonar and the like. Itchin’ to snag one? You’ll have to wait until sometime this fall, but when it arrives, the KEYS will set you back €74.99 ($94).

Continue reading IK Multimedia announces iRig KEYS portable keyboard for iOS devices, ships this fall for $94

Filed under: Peripherals

IK Multimedia announces iRig KEYS portable keyboard for iOS devices, ships this fall for $94 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 18:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The folks at Lenovo have re-revealed the Ideatab S2110 at IFA 2012 this week, making another tablet hook up with the keyboard crew to make a convertible tablet/notebook for the Android universe along with a couple of lovely smaller tablets by the name of A2109 and A2107. The S2110 tablet has a 10.1-inch IPS LCD display with 1280 x 800 pixel resolution and 420nit brightness attached to a keyboard dock that’ll have to flipping back and forth between tablet and notebook at will. You’ll have 10-finger touchscreen abilities here as well as a powerful Qualcomm 8060A/8260A 1.5GHz dual-core processor (aka a dual-core Snapdragon S4) under the hood.

This tablet comes with up to 32GB of eMMC internal storage and works with a projected 10 hours of battery life. With the keyboard dock you’ll have 20 hours of battery life as well as a slightly thicker and not quite as light experience. Without the dock you’ll have a unit that weights in at just 580g. On the back of this device (on the tablet end of the business) you’ll be working with a 5 megapixel camera with Auto Focus and a single LED flash bulb – on the front is a 1.3 megapixel camera for video chat. Inside you’ve got 1GB LP-DDR2 memory as well as Bluetooth 4.0, built-in FM Radio, and wi-fi connectivity.

You’ve also got a G-sensor, Gyro-sensor, E-compass sensor, and Ambient light sensor as well. On the tablet you’ve got a microUSB port as well as microHDMI, SIM card slot for mobile data (details incoming), and headphone jack. This device works with Google Play as well as the Lenovo App Shop for apps and media. The Ideatab A2110 is available right this minute for $399 USD throughout the USA.

Also being shown today by Lenovo in their first big showing of the set are the Ideatab A2107 and A2109. Both tablets run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and work with a metal alloy roll cage coming straight from the ThinkPad lineup. The A2107 brings a 7-inch display with a microSD card slot, Bluetooth 4.0, built-in FM radio, 720p HD resolution, and both a wi-fi and a 3G model. The A2109 is the manufacturer’s current 9-inch tablet model running Android bringing with it an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor.

The 9-inch S2109 (slightly different from the A2109) has been on the market in the USA for several weeks now for right around $299 while the A2107 will be appearing later in 2012 with a price and a more specific tune on which processor it’ll be carrying as well! NOTE: the S2109 was introduced earlier this year with a slightly different processor – not quad-core Tegra 3, but TI dual-core!

Lenovo Ideatab S2110, A2109, and A2107 get IFA unveiling with Android ICS is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

With one of its very first devices to work with Windows 8 right out of the box, HP brings the ENVY x2 – a “hybrid PC” otherwise known as a tablet with a keyboard dock. This device works as its own 11.6-inch touchscreen tablet and is able to dock magnetically with a keyboard that then turns it into a notebook computer. HP is making sure consumers do not lump it in with the mobile transforming tablet universe by calling the HP ENVY x2 a hybrid PC first and foremost.

This device uses its seamless magnetic latch to work as a perfectly solid notebook or as a tablet, both in one device. The device weighs in at 3.1 pounds with the keyboard attached or just 1.5 pounds with just the top half. This device has a 11.6-inch diagonal HD touch display for you to work with whilst entering the Windows 8 world this Fall.

You’ll be getting ultrawide viewing angles galore with this device’s 400nit IPS LCD panel that’ll have you working well both indoors and outdoors alike. You’ve also got an HD webcam on the front of the device above the display and an 8-megapixel camera on the back. Inside you’ll also find Beats Audio integration for high-quality sound delivery, and HP has shown off an optional stylus accessory you can purchase specifically for this unit as well.

The HP ENVY x2 has solid-state memory integrated within for both fast startup times and improved reliability, and you’ve got an NFC chip integrated in the tablet portion as well! With Near Field Communication technology you’ll be able to share content with devices around you with a single physical tap.

Inside you’ll be working with a collection of software that makes this HP device unique. With the HP Connected Photo application you’ll be able to connect your photos across multiple devices and sync them for editing from any device you’re working with. This app also works with instant-sharing abilities for several social networks as well. This HP machine also has HP Connected Music inside powered by Meridian – you’ll be able to download music, stream media, and work with internet radio as well.

The HP ENVY x2 will be appearing in the USA near the end of the year right in time for the holiday season. At the moment no pricing is available – check back soon!

HP ENVY x2 brings Windows 8 hybrid PC power is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

While up on stage for their Unpacked event Samsung hasn’t wasted any time announcing a slew of new devices. What you’ll see next is their new Smart PC. With an 11.6-inch HD display tablet that combines into a very Transformer-like keyboard dock this PC offers both a portable and a full keyboard typing experience.

Let’s forget a minute that Samsung just got sued by Apple and look at just how extremely similar that picture above is to the ASUS Transformer and Transformer Prime Android tablets. Moving on! The Samsung ATIV Smart PC and Smart PC PRO are similar to the earlier announced ARM Windows RT model — only will offer the full experience.

With a fully detachable keyboard, S-Pen stylus input and more these tablets that double as laptops will be compatible with both the upcoming Windows 8, as well as the older and still extremely popular Windows 7. The 11.6-inch display only comes with a 1366 x 768 resolution but the rest of the specs are quite nice.

The Smart PC comes with a lower Intel ATOM processor, 3G/4G capabilities, 2GB of RAM, HDMI-out, 128GB storage, and an 8 megapixel camera all running for about 13 hours according to Samsung. The beefier ATIV Smart PC Pro however comes with a much improved Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, 256 GB SSD, 1080p HD display, USB 2.0 and 3.0 as well as HDMI-out. It does suffer in battery life and a smaller 5 megapixel camera though.

Samsung hasn’t unveiled any official pricing or release date details but surely they’ll be coming along here shortly. With Windows 8 not arriving til the tail end of October we are hopeful for a mid September launch. Stay tuned for our hands-on coming up momentarily.

Samsung ATIV Smart PC and Smart PC Pro with keyboard dock unveiled is written by Cory Gunther & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.