Hasta La Gadget!

Every so often, we come across a gadget (or five) that’s so offensive, so absurd that we simply can’t help but stick it in our back pocket and show it to the general public. Today, we’re rounding up the worst of the worst once again, proving that there literally is no end to the spewing of gadget-related garbage that comes from unknown caverns in undisclosed corners of the universe. We mean, just listen to these products: “fried eggs night light,” “Bic lighter spy camera,” “hungry caterpillar USB hub,” and “half-eaten chocolate mouse.” Does those even sound like kit that any partially sane individual would purchase? No, no it doesn’t. Have a gander while shaking your head furiously below, and feel free to drop a vote for the king of the crap while venting in comments below. Trust us, it’s therapeutic.

Read – Half-eaten chocolate mouse
Read – USB Penguin 4-Port Hub
Read – Fried Eggs Night Light
Read – Spy camera Bic lighter
Read – USB Bulb Flash Drive
Read – Hungry caterpillar USB hub

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Peripherals

Crapgadget: “Oh yeah, they’re totally serious” edition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s tough to think of a well-mannered Earthling who didn’t at least appreciate, if not adore Logitech‘s cutting-edge G5 laser mouse back in 2005, and at long last, said critter has a proper successor. Today, Logi’s introducing the Gaming Mouse G500, which is designed with an on-the-fly adjustable DPI system (up to 5,700 DPI), a battle-worn finish, a broader thumb rest than before and a “smoothed-out pinkie ledge” to really round things out. The 27 gram mouse also packs a dual-mode scroll wheel, a “gaming grade” laser engine and a small bag of bragging rights to boot. Moving on, we’ve got the Gaming Headset G330, a rather unsightly bugger that sports a behind-the-head design, a noise-canceling microphone, in-line audio controls and a USB adapter. If you’re interested in claiming either as your own, look for the G500 to ship in September for $69.99, while the G330 hits shelves this month for $49.99. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Logitech replaces G5 with Gaming Mouse G500, throws Gaming Headset G330 in for luck

Filed under: Peripherals

Logitech replaces G5 with Gaming Mouse G500, throws Gaming Headset G330 in for luck originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Notebook users, Logitech has just announced a handy way for you to cut the cords and use full size keyboards and mice. The Logitech Unifying Receiver improves on an existing design and lets you connect up to six compatible wireless peripherals to your notebook. The USB receiver sticks out only 8mm, so you can leave it in while you travel. Pair it with a keyboard and mouse at home and with another set at work.

The Unifying Receiver works with a 2.4GHz wireless connection. So far the company has announced three compatible mice and two compatible keyboards, and I’m sure that will grow. You can see the lineup here. To know if a Logitech peripheral is compatible, look for the orange Unifying logo on the box.

Free software from Logitech lets you connect new Unifying products as you get them. Once they’re connected, they’ll automatically work with your laptop when it’s in range. Unifying products are currently available for preorder from Logitech, and will ship this month and next.

C’mon folks, say it with us now: “finally!” While those utilizing Bluetooth-enabled input devices have enjoyed the ability to connect multiple wares to a single computer without any fuss, those relying on a USB keyboard and mouse have typically been forced to block a pair of their USB ports in order to have both operating simultaneously. Thanks to Logitech‘s marvelous new USB Unifying Receiver, said issue is no longer an issue. Designed to operate with the Wireless Keyboard K350 / K340 and Marathon Mouse M705 / M505 (all of which are being jointly announced here), this compact receiver is tiny enough to stay inserted in one’s laptop even when it’s stored, and while we can’t fathom why you’d need a half dozen devices linked at once, the nub definitely supports it. Each of the four new products will ship with one of these special receivers, with the keyboards expected to arrive in the US and Europe this September for $59.99 (K350) / $49.99 (K340) and the mice landing later this month (Europe) / early 2010 (America) for $69.99 (M705) and $49.99 (M505). Incredibly informative demonstration vid is after the break.

[Via Engadget Chinese]

Continue reading Logitech’s USB Unifying Receiver: one dongle to serve multiple input peripherals

Filed under: Peripherals

Logitech’s USB Unifying Receiver: one dongle to serve multiple input peripherals originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The design of Hillcrest Labs’ Loop Pointer may be unique, but can it excel in function as well as aesthetics? This $100 in-air mouse designed for multimedia PCs requires a dramatically different approach to interacting with your computer.

Want to know how it stacked up to the competition? Check out our full review, here.