Gadget Dose

Incoming American President, Barack Obama, had his first presidential portrait last January 13th. That session made history as Obama is the very first USA President to have had his picture taken using a digital camera — the Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

From T3:

The Presidential portrait – which is the first ever official picture taken with a digital camera – used no flash, and a 105mm lens stopped to f/10 at a 1/125 exposure, with an ISO of 100 by official White House photographer Pete Souza.

Want to know more about the camera? Well, the EOS 5D Mark II has a 24 x 36mm 21.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 processor with 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion, and captures Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 video.

It hits the shops from November, but Canon will sell a body-only version for $2,699 or with Canon’s 24-105mm f/4L IS USM zoom lens for $3,499.

This is indeed a big breaking story, but one that gadget geeks expect nonetheless.

Steve Jobs, Apple’s Chief Executive and the person responsible for making Apple what it is today, is taking a leave of absence.

It has long been rumored the honcho is battling health problems. In the last Macwold event where he usually presents to the public the latest from Apple, Tim Cook has to stand in for him and do the presentations.

The big boss is sick. Some quarters are saying that it may be something more serious than we can ever imagine. The memo he released to his staff is right after the cut…

We wish him well and get well soon, Mr. Jobs!

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As some people find desk trays annoying and would prefer to work without it, using laptops on their laps, without any other protection may get their own thighs toasted. I should know, I still have the burn marks on my thighs. So I finally caved and I’m starting to use a basic wooden breakfast tray. But if you’re still uncomfortable with trays, look into this ThermaPak then.

It is a cooling pad that you can put on your lap to serve as barrier between your laptop and your body. Think of it as something like a baby’s bib.

• ThermaPAK Laptop Cooling HeatShift Pad is the most effective solution against laptop computer heat. The HeatShift Pad performs better than fan based USB cooling devices. It uses ThermaPAK’s patented HeatShift Technology to dissipate heat away from your notbeook. It is made of a safe, laboratory tested chemical that has been proven to lower temperatures. It requires no power, no refrigeration, and generates no noise.

The ThermaPak comes in black, blue and pink.

$27.99 to $34.99 (size variation), for purchase here.

It is official, Lenovo’s dual screen ThinkPad is coming to the market.

This 17 inch laptop has an additional 10-inches of slide out screen, which may look a bit odd to you in this photo, but the second screen is actually less bulkier and thicker. The second screen angles up to 30-degrees.

This laptop consists of the following specifications:

• NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700M graphics card
• 8GB RAM
• WiFi
• support for Dual-Link DVI
• Display Port and VGA
• 7-in-1 multicard reader
• five USB ports.

Optionals include:

• WiMAX
• fingerprint reader
• smartcard reader
• hard drives with full-disk encryption

The laptop costs a whopping $3,663. A bit expensive I know, but those working in graphic designs will need a device like this.

Via Electronista

Sony has released what they call the world’s very first 10 Megapixel Digital Camera with Wi-Fi capabilities, which means that sharing pictures and videos can be done immediately and directly…you don’t have to transfer anything on the computer.

This camera features the following:

• a 3.5″ LCD
• 4X optical zoom Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens
• 4GB internal memory
• Width: three-fourths of an inch thin
• Face Detection Capable
• With anti-blink and Red-eye Correction
• Digital Portable Photo Album
• BIONZ™ imaging processor
• Smile Shutter™ technology
• Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization
• High Sensitivity ISO 3200
• Intelligent Scene Recognition
• Dynamic Range Optimizer Standard and Plus

In addition to this, the camera also comes with an AT & T hotspot access for those who are in the United States.

The Sony DSC-G3 Cyber-shot® Digital Camera carries a price tag of $499 and you can purchase it here.

Up the ante to your viewing experience using your handheld gadgets such as the iPod with this mini-projector from Cinemin. It is one that’s fast becoming popular with homes and with those very much into mobile gadgets these days.

This gear is capable of supporting your iPhone or iPod and also even most laptops. You can just plug those gadgets into this device and enjoy movies, videos and other media stored in your handheld on a bigger screen.

The Cinemin Projector includes the following:

• the swivel ($299) which allows for 90-degree projection
• the stick ($349) for handheld projections
• the station ($399) which serves as the base where you can park your iPod/iphone. It also includes the speakers.

The Cinemin is scheduled to go on sale in the Spring in Japan.

Debuting at the CES 2009, the international techology trade show, is Palm latest touchscreen phone. It is apparently making waves there and is putting Palm back in the playing field of handheld glory.

The Pre is a mobile phone that has a slide-out qwerty keyboard and a trackball for navigation, as well as web browsing capabilities. It can accommodate the WebKit, much like the iPhone and T-Mobile browsers.

What is unique about this new gadget is its Card System feature, one that keeps all the information you have on your phone and allows you to drag certain applications for ease of use. It also has what they call the Gesture Bar, which makes quick launches possible.

You can check this site for a more in depth review and additional photos.

Windows 7 Beta has been released last week and it will hopefully fix whatever it is most people did not like about the Vista. I, in fact, have never stuck with the Vista, so maybe this new one will be something I can work with.

The new Windows supposedly promises “less crashing”…and that’s something I wanna see for myself! It also has integrated new features for absorbing social networking sites, which everyone seems to be on these days.

While the software is still in beta phase, operating it is still not in full form and right now, there is no on call support system for it. It is suggested that if you want to fiddle with Windows 7, don’t use your main computer.

To learn more about this, you can head on to Technet for more information.

Polaroid yesterday announced the launch of its first ever digital camera, the Polaroid PoGo. It will be made available first in the US and Europe, where use of Polaroid is pretty much popular.

This digital camera works just like the beloved instant camera that prints out photos as soon as you click it.

The digital camera prints 2″x3″ in under a minute.

Says Jon Pollock, Vice President for Digital Imaging —

“This is the digital version of our traditional instant camera, which consumers have loved since the 70s. With this product, Polaroid will bring the magic of instant photography to a whole new generation. It’s what consumers have told us they want — a fun, easy way to use a digital camera to print photos and share their memories instantly.”

This digital camera will make use of the same ZINK Photo Paper and Ink Technology it has been using for its mobile printer.

The Polaroid Digital Camera, which measures 4.7-inches wide by 3-inches tall and weighs about 10 ounces only, will be in the market by March of 2009. It will retail to about $199 and will include an initial ten packs of the Zink Photopaper. Additional packs can be bought in many retails stores nationwide for $4.99.

Source

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Photos are from Dvice

Laptops are getting smaller and smaller aren’t they? And they aren’t called simply laptops anymore but rather “lifestyle PC”, like this latest one from Sony Vaio. It is so unbelievable small, it can fit into your jacket pocket.

The laptop is only about 1.41 lb. and runs on Vista operating system. And for its size, this machine is pretty powerful as it can support 3G or wireless systems.

Now, the problem with tiny laptop’s like this is that there isn’t enough room for typing or ones fingers may crunch up. But apparently, the keyboard is big enough, and the 8 inches screen isn’t all that bad for the vision either.

This tiny laptop, from Viao’s P-series may be ordered online. Priced at $900, the gadget will be in stores later and will come in a selection of colors — black, white, green and red.

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Keeping with the previous post’s theme, I found this compact mirror from this site and it is one that’s shaped to look like dark chocolates. It doesn’t melt during high temperatures in your bag though. It just look delicious and edible enough to be mistaken for the sweet treat.

The tiny thing fits right into any compact case, next to a woman’s personal female stuff of lipsticks, mascara and similar items.

The chocolate compact mirror’s specifications are —- Width:69mm, Height:102mm, Dimension: 10mm. It’s weight is 60g.

At $5.50 (plus shipping, I suppose), it doesn’t seem like a fair price, I think. Maybe if this one had chocolate scent in it, or if this one comes with actual chocolates upon purchase, then I think shelling out $5.50 is alright.

Via Lady Brando

Fancy a chocolate iPhone case?

To me though, this one seems to take away the class and the beauty of such and expensive, state of the art gadget. But maybe as a gag gift or for someone who is an honest to goodness choco-addict, this will probably hold a lot of appeal.

This case can provide ample protection for the iPhone only, as the item is made of silicon covering.

Sold for $24.99, the chocolate silicon iPhone case may be purchase at USBFever.

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This new stainless steel handset is designed after luxury watches and defines artistry in the way mobile units are made and manufactured. The craftsmanship to this is unbelievably distinct. It doesn’t even look like a cellphone, does it?

The surface is scratch resistant, protected by a Grade 1 62-carat sapphire crystal. Swiveling the unit will reveal a keyboard for easy texting and use.

Below are more of its features:

• 16 Million Colors
  World’s first 16 million color, circular display with 300 dpi resolution in the mobile phone industry
• 62 Carat Lens
  Created from Grade 1 62-carat sapphire crystal, one of the most scratch-resistant materials on earth
• Meticulously Crafted
  Stainless steel housing with chemically etched textures and patterns takes nearly two weeks to sculpt, etch and polish
• Swiss-Made Main Bearing
  At the center of the mechanical heart is a Swiss-made main bearing, which serves as the foundation allowing the blade to rotate with seamless precision
• Custom-Engineering
  Custom-engineered rotating mechanism has 130 precision ball bearings that drive the assisted-opening blade — like opening the door on a high-end luxury car. On the 100,000th opening, the blade glides with the same fluidity and grace that it did on its first
• Tungsten Carbide Coated Gears
  Gears composed of Rockwell 50-55 hardened steel are protected with the same coating used in high-performance racing engines
• 700+ Individual Components
  Comprised of features including up-scaled, nickel-chrome-plated exposed screws
• CrystalTalk™ Technology
  CrystalTalkTM technology delivers supreme clarity and deep resonance to every single conversation an AURA owner has, even in noisy environments
• Mirror Polish Finish
  PVD coating, the same used when making luxury watches, gives AURA its polished, mirrored shine
• Aluminum Keypad
  Individual aluminum keys are formed, anodized, spin-finish applied and assembled

This can now be pre-ordered in the US via Motorola USA

Apparently, our laziness as human beings have passed on to the dogs that there is an actual treadmill built and sold just for their use.

The Canine Treadmill from Hammacher Schlemmer is an exercise gear that allows your dog to stay fit and healthy indoors. It runs with a rubber belt sturdy enough to support your pooches for about forty five minutes everyday. Speeds, distance, as well as incline, may be adjusted by you, using the controls found on the treadmill. The gear comes in three sizes, priced between $500 to $900.

Alright, I’m all for exercise and keeping healthy. It’s one of those things we need to take care of, even with our pets. Understandably, jogging or working out outside, especially if you live in a bustling city, may be bad for the health, what with all the pollution and danger lurking in the streets. Or becoming tied down at work or at social functions may make walking the dog seem more of a chore of a nuisance. With this kind of perception, a canine treadmill sounds like a feasible purchase.

Then again, part of being a responsible pet owner is to take charge of walking the dog regularly. And this is not only for exercise but also for hygiene… and I’d like to imagine, the dog’s sanity. No one likes to stay cooped up in the house for a long period, not the least curious dogs. Going out and actually walking the streets sharpen the dog’s senses, I believe.

Would you purchase this for your pets?

I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Regular posting will resume this Monday.

Thanks for continuing to visit this site.