Hasta La Gadget!

Because of a scheduling snafu, we missed the first segment of the TechCrunch50 conference on Monday. But we were in time for the “New Frontiers” segment, which included a couple of interesting hardware products.

Spawn Labs
has developed a so-called HD-720 platform that allows a PC user to log in to a game
console, such as a Microsoft Xbox 360, from a network-connected PC. As of now, Spawn only works with the Xbox 360.

To set up products, you’ll need the Spawn HD-720 applicance, which connects to
a game console. A game cline tis needed for the PC. With a username and
password, the PC and the applicance connects, and the game can be
played in 720p resolutions. If bandwidth is limited, the video
resolution will degrade to maintain the frame rate.

The problem is latency: on a network it’s 100 ms. The company knows
ways to get to 70 ms,  playing across the Internet can add up to 50 ms.

They’re cute, they have attitude, and they’ll hold your camera in place. I flipped when I saw the DigiDudes, and if you like your gadgets with adorable faces, you will, too.

The DigiDudes are five keychain characters with more than good looks on their side. Unscrew their heads, pull out their bendable legs, and you’ve got an instant camera tripod. Enough with the blurry shots, now you can have a tripod anytime you need one. Keep one on your regular keychain or attach one to your camera bag.

There are five DigiDudes to choose from, so get the attitude that fits you best. Pick from Pinky Scorsese, Snot Buster, 1iChomp, BoltBot, and G-bling-Money-Son.

The DigiDudes were designed and developed by Quirky, a community site. This is its eighth product. Site members post ideas, vote on others’ ideas, and make money by influencing a product.

The ‘Dudes are currently available for pre-order for $19.99 each. You won’t be charged until they ship (and shipping is free).

Razer, the developer of the gaming-oriented Boomslang mouse and “gaming surfaces” for computer mice, announced that the company will manufacture so-called tournament-grade gaming peripherals emblazoned with the StarCraft II logo.

This will most likely be little more than an existing Razer mouse with some interesting artwork adorning the sides. But I’m interested in knowing what a “tournament-grade” StarCraft mouse will be based upon. As you may know, StarCraft is an obsession in some Asian countries, specifically Korea, and tournaments are televised. Blizzard’s new game (which is due “when it’s done,” according to the company) is sure to be feverishly awaited.

“It has been a little over a decade since StarCraft first rocked the video game industry and began a legacy that continues to this day,” said Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff, president of Razer USA, in a statement. “We’re extremely excited to be working with Blizzard Entertainment on the StarCraft II gaming peripherals and gear. The project is in the development phase with a focus on serving up innovative features while offering precision, cutting-edge technology, accuracy, speed and comfort.”

In the meantime, Razer said it would offer a StarCraft messenger bag (above) and E-Sport Pro Gamer Case.

When a store is selling a product that you really want at a discounted price, you probably jump for joy and grab for your purse. Not so fast. Just because one store is selling that item at a “discounted” price doesn’t mean it’s the lowest price you can find. And let’s face it: there’s nothing worse than feeling cheated.

TechSaver’s goal is to provide you with the most current lowest prices on products it finds advertised at merchants. First up: X-tremeGeek.com. This gadget store has been one of my go-to places for finding unique and unusual products to write about for PCMag.com. Today the store announced its Fourth of July sale, which consists of cool items for grilling, camping, listening to music, playing in the backyard, and plenty more.

I was excited to see the RC Cooler for $52.95, originally $59.95; the ION Audio Tailgater Portable PA System for iPod for $169, originally $199; and the iTouchless Swatter DIX Rechargeable Bug Terminator for $17.49, originally $19.97.

But should you really be celebrating July 4 early with these so-called bargains? Let’s find out in this TechSaver Test, after the jump.

For preschoolers who love books but haven’t quite made the leap to reading on their own yet, the Tag Junior from LeapFrog (which we had a preview of earlier this year, along with other upcoming LeapFrog toys) is a terrific toy that allows them to explore and enjoy books on their own, discovering new words, numbers, characters and rhymes along the way. It turns story time into a fully interactive experience.

Using the Tag Junior book pal, which is perfectly shaped for the grip of 2- to 4-year-olds, a child can make Tag Junior board books come alive. The Tag Junior reads aloud the words of a page and identifies animals, colors, and shapes.

LeapFrog’s lineup of board books is impressive, including perennial favorites such as “Dr. Seuss’s Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?” as well as books featuring popular characters like Winnie the Pooh, Dora the Explorer, and Curious George. Each book focuses on a different learning skill, such as action words, numbers, colors, rhymes, and opposites and has more than 150 audio responses.