Hasta La Gadget!

NEC’s MultiSync monitor lineup is well-known for offering a slew of versatile choices — as such, this year’s CES isn’t too bad a time for the Lavie creator to introduce a new member of the family. The newly announced 24-inch LED EA244WMi looks pretty good on paper, boasting a 1920 x 1200 resolution with IPS technology and a 16:10 aspect ratio, plus there’s also built-in speakers four USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, DVI-D, VGA and, similar to that EA231WMi, a DisplayPort. Naturally, NEC has added plenty of its own customization options to the rather adjustable monitor, including ControlSync to help with multi-screen setups, ECO Mode and a “smart” sensing feature which adjusts depending on “ambient light and human sensors.” The EA244WMi will go on sale later this month for $379; in the meantime, we have a press shot gallery after the break to hold you over until the monitor eventually hits shelves.

Continue reading NEC revamps its MultiSync lineup with new 24-inch IPS monitor

Filed under: Displays, Misc

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Source: NEC

Trying to lower your utility bill? Maybe it’s time you talked to a motor company — Ford is on the warpath to reduce energy consumption. In a collaborative effort with SunPower Eaton and Whirlpool Ford is trying to show the world how it can drastically lower its electricity bills through the use of technology. The effort is called MyEnergi Lifestyle, and according to a model cooked up by the Georgia Institute of Technology, its energy-saving tricks could reduce the energy costs of an average single family home by as much as 60-percent. If every home in the U.S. got with the program, Ford explains, it would be like taking every home in California, New York and Texas off the grid.

The team’s ideas incorporate a wide range of technology — though much of it works around using utilities during off-peak hours. Dishwashers and water heaters that are programmed to do most of their high energy tasks at night, for instance, or Ford’s Value charging system, which leverages a cloud database to charge electric vehicles when utility rates are at their lowest. Solar power and other renewable energy sources can augment off-peak use too, further reducing energy costs.

For now, it’s a lot of talk and computer models — but the companies involved are ready to put their money where their mouths are. In order to create a real-world model, MyEnergi Lifestyle is planning to launch a contest awarding one lucky family an energy efficient home makeover. Details on the promotion haven’t been announced yet, but winners would presumably be outfit with enough technology to recreate the Georgia Institute of Technology’s model on a real power bill. The team plans to showcase some of its ideas at CES throughout the week, but you can get the gist of it now by skimming the press release after the break.

Continue reading Ford teams up with Eaton, Whirlpool and SunPower to create MyEnergi Lifestyle, hopes to reduce everyone’s CO2 footprint

Filed under: Misc, Transportation

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The Targus Touch Pen for Windows 8 is a paintbrush that you can rub all over you Windows 8-enabled PC monitor, whether or not it’s actually a touchscreen. By using an independently powered dongle attached magnetically to one side of the screen, the Targus Touch Pen’s strokes are picked up as both actions in the “Modern” UI and within a painting application we were shown (running on a non-touch Acer laptop). It’s hard to imagine many folks using the Touch Pen for its touch capabilities, but we sure could see ourselves spending an afternoon using it for electronic painting. Regardless, the pen retails for $100 and becomes available to aspiring digital artists everywhere in Q2 2013. Take a peek past the break at our hands-on video for a better idea of what you’ll be getting yourself into.

Continue reading Targus debuts the Touch Pen for Windows 8, we go hands-on (video)

Filed under: Misc, Laptops, Peripherals

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The Federal Trade Commission’s absolution of Google after a lengthy investigation into alleged abuse of market power induced expected reactions from the principle players. Microsoft was infuriated. Google was triumphant and exuberantly overstated the FTC’s exit. (“Google’s services are good for users and good for competition.”) Lawyers and lobbyists bunched on both sides of the fence to issue scathing or praiseful statements. The court of common opinion is now divided between nodding approval and eviscerating censure. The comment hate being hurled at Google is partly derived from general monopoly-busting sentiment, but there is also a stuck-in-the-past misunderstanding of what Google has become.

Continue reading Editorial: FTC and Google — why the right decision feels so wrong to so many people

Filed under: Misc, Internet

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It was a little over a year ago that ThinkGeek gave folks a chance to add a bit of 2001 to their home with the IRIS 9000 iPhone dock, but it’s really gone the extra mile this year. The retailer has today announced its new HAL 9000 Life-Size Replica, a $500 device that’s said to be built using the original 1967 blueprints and image files. What’s more, while it isn’t exactly “fully functional,” it is able to respond to voice commands and most IR remotes with a variety of suitably unsettling phrases (yes, including a rendition of “Daisy Bell”). The downside is that it will set you back considerably more than the $60 of its smaller counterpart — ThinkGeek is asking a full $500 for this conversation starter, each of which is “hand-assembled to make sure they are perfect.” Would-be purchasers can get a taste of what’s in store in the video after the break.

Continue reading ThinkGeek offers $500 HAL 9000 replica, makes you answer to ‘Dave’

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Source: ThinkGeek