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March 27, 2006
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Monday March 27, 2006
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 It’s official folks; Toshiba is set to launch its first gaming laptop along with several other new Satellites. Why is it a big deal? Well, the Satellite P105-S921 is launching with Nvidia Corporation, for the first time, unveiling the new GeForce Go 7900 GS. This privilege used to be reserved solely for Dell, who by the way is also set to launch an Nvidia powered XPS notebook sometime in April. The 7900 GS is not as powerful as the Nvidia GeForce 7900 GTX chipset, but if the current GeForce Go 7800 GTX graphics card is any indication, the 7900 GS should bring some excitement to the gaming community.
The P105-S921 will be the “deluxe” version of two other Satellite P105 configurations. Besides the GeForce Go 7900 GS, the system will also take on the Intel Core Duo T2400(1.83Ghz) and 1GB of RAM. It’s clearly a desktop replacement system, sporting a 17-inch TruBrite screen and tipping the scales at 7.2 lbs. As with the Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV600, the P105-S921 will also employ a Dual Mode Touchpad, embedding illuminated icons within the touchpad itself. It’ll feature a 160GB hard drive and a DVI-D output port. The system will retail for $1,999. In addition, Toshiba is also updating several mainstream units with the Intel Core Duo processor. Both the Satellite M105 and A105 series will have screen sizes covering 14.1” mobility units, 15.4” mainstream units, all the way up to 17” desktop replacement units. The “deluxe” versions will have a built-in finger print reader and Harman Kardon speakers. Several units will also have options for Windows Media Center Edition 2005. Oddly enough, none of these units will have integrated TV Tuners or options for USB attached tuners.
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Monday March 27, 2006
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 We may live in a Windows Mobile world, but over in Europe there's another smartphone OS of some note. It's called Symbian, and it's backed by Nokia. Symbian phones dominate the smartphone scene over there, though here in the US, the Symbian presence usually consists of one best-selling Nokia phone plus a bunch of poorly marketed (but much loved) fringe devices.
That best-selling Nokia phone is right now the Nokia 6682; it used to be the Nokia 6620, and before that the Nokia 6600. Other Symbian phones (barely) on the US market include the Sony Ericsson P910 and the Nokia N90. So which kind of phone will the Nokia 9300 Communicator be? I vote for fringe, even though it's the first US device to include Blackberry Connect, software that lets it hook up to Blackberry e-mail systems. That could help feed the hunger of Blackberry users looking for a more flexible smartphone with a broader office suite and better multimedia capabilities. The 9300's screen is gorgeous, its Web browser is top notch, and there are thousands of third-party apps out there for Symbian phones. But the 9300 has problems: it felt sluggish to me, and it lacks Wi-Fi and high speed 3G networks. More importantly, Nokia and US carriers have an absolutely awful history of marketing the capabilities of Symbian smartphones in the US, leaving most consumers to go with more familiar devices like the Blackberry 8700c and Cingular 8125. I don't get much faith from the tortured history of the 9300: I first tested it in May, Cingular announced it in September, and I only realized it was on sale when Ryan at Engadget blogged it today. That's a pretty hideously long time to market. I'll see more Blackberry Connect gadgets at CTIA, the big trade show next week. That's really good news for mobile e-mail users looking for quality push e-mail in a range of devices. But it'll take some serious consumer education, and a real commitment from Nokia and Cingular, for US folks to see the strengths of the Nokia 9300.
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Monday March 27, 2006
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 The days of boring laptop bags are long gone; lots of manufacturers in the past few years have picked up on the desire for more stylish choices. I was particularly taken with some of the bags on view at Abbi New York's Web site. The leather bags look really nice, but I'd never seen anything quite like the two silk-brocade-covered Darci Collection bags, at $89.95 each. (At right is the Jade bag; the other is called Alyssa, blue silk with a dragonflies pattern.) Really different and attractive.
The bags will fit a laptop with up to a 15.4-inch screen. They're very light and slim. Though the company states that they're well padded, I think I'd use a sleeve with them; the padding feels thin to me. The interior lining of the Jade bag is a startling but lovely pink, and it has are lots of handy compartments for other gadgets, papers, pens, etc., as well as a magazine-size compartment on the back of the bag. The adjustable strap is comfortably padding at its center.
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Monday March 27, 2006
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 Here at Gearlog, we'll try anything in the Relentless Pursuit of Awesomeness. And we find it in many places—including the bathroom, thanks to the fine folks at Kohler, the pre-eminent bathroom fixtures firm. Kohler recently introduced the DTV, which has simply nothing to do with Digital Television; it's an acronym for digital thermostatic valve. Half of the company's innovation is the thermostatic valve, the first valve to control flow based on water temperature. The other part is the touch-screen interface, which talks to the valves to regulate your water temperature, so you can program your shower to hit exactly 90—and to stay there.
But beyond that, Kohler's created a whole showering system. The digital interface can regulate up to eight showerheads, overheads, and body-sprayers (what, you don't have that many?), and it can program them to cycle on and off, at different speeds and pressures, and even at different temperatures. Want one yourself? You'll need to hire a contractor to put the whole thing in, and it'll run you around $2,000. But that money buys you complete controlled awesomeness…exactly the opposite of the pandemonium defined as Snakes on a Plane.
Posted By:
Gearlog
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Monday March 27, 2006
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 I remember in 7th grade, for Mr. Sheldon's Science Class, I wrote a report on ants. I found that they're really an interesting species. The only thing I remember about the report is talking about "ocelli": an ant's eye, which consists of a single lens and few sensory cells. And if you're curious, I did get an "A."
So, when I came across Fascinations' Antworks Illuminator, I knew I had to tell our readers about it. The Antworks Habitat and the Antworks Illuminator is an ant farm that contains a type of non-toxic gel which provides nutrients to the colony. There's no need to feed the ants or give them water. Plus, it comes with a removable LED, which serves as a cool display for the home.
The AntWorks set includes:
Removable LED Illuminator with Power Adaptor
Nutrient Gel
Magnifying Glass
Extreme Zoom Lens
Ant Catching/Tunnel Starting Tool
Instruction Booklet with Interesting Facts about Ants
The ant display is .5 inches x 6 inches x 1.25 inches and recommended for ages 8 & up. The only thing you'll need to buy seperately are the actual ants. Purchase the AntWorks Illuminated Combo for $28.95 on Fat Brain Toys.
And for an interesting tidbit: The AntWorks Illuminator will be featured on one of my favorite shows, Law & Order: Criminal Intent on Sunday, April 16th on NBC.
[via SmartHome]
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Monday March 27, 2006
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 Sure, I can color inside the lines, but I can't cut a straight line for my life. Especially when I'm wrapping gifts.
This is where the Laser Scissor would help my "crookedness." All you do is aim the laser and follow the leader line. It measures 8 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 1 inches.
The Laser Scissor must be a hot item (maybe they got Dave Coulier to do the promos?), since it won't be ready to ship until May 10th. Get it for $19.98 at GetOrganized.com.
[via UberReview]
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