Posts in PC & Peripherals
SUMO-DRIVE: Nothing like the wrestler you know
Damian Koh | Dec 14, 2007
In fact, it's tiny, holds 30GB of data and sits quietly in a corner, slurping up some bandwidth. As you would already have guessed, we're not talking about the wrestlers from that weighty competitive touch sport.
Developed by Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) and commercialized by EDS Labs, Suzuki Technology has launched what it touts as the world's smallest Wi-Fi storage device.
The 1.8-inch IDE/ATA hard drive has a footprint of 111 x 78 x 23mm and is slightly smaller than a man's palm. Besides data storage, the portable drive also allows operating system independent remote file access via a Web browser when it's connected to a wireless network. However, do note that the initial setup for wireless router access still requires a computer system with either Windows (2000/XP/Vista) or Mac OS X. Linux users are out of luck.
According to a representative, the SUMO-DRIVE is based on the Linux platform and comes with BitTorrent software out-of-the-box. An internal rechargeable Lithium-polymer battery powers the drive for up to 2.5 hours on a full charge.
The SUMO-DRIVE is currently available in Singapore at S$399 for the 30GB version, but the company has plans to roll out the 120GB model in the near future.
Mogo Mouse X54: More fun than nipples
Rory Reid | Dec 14, 2007
Some people love nipples, others prefer trackpads, but neither of these laptop input devices is as good as a proper external mouse--not when it comes to gaming or image editing, or anything for that matter.
Thankfully, there's a solution: The Mogo Mouse X54. This wireless Bluetooth mouse collapses to fit into a vacant ExpressCard/54 slot--hence the name--where it automatically recharges. After 30 minutes on charge, it'll run for a good 8-10 hours from a range of up to 10m away.
Better still, the X54 doubles as a wireless remote control. Flick the switch on the rear to activate media mode, and the function of each button changes. The left and right selectors become previous and next track, the scroll pad manages the volume, and the back button becomes mute.
The X54 also comes in a "Pro" version, which includes a laser light for pointing at stuff in presentations. Neither is particularly comfortable in the hand, but they're infinitely better than a trackpad or laptop nipple. Both versions cost approximately £54.99. Grab one here.
Via CNET Crave UK
My USB drive is faster than yours
John Chan | Dec 13, 2007
With this, you can probably copy a spreadsheet 0.5347 second faster than the colleague sitting next to you. Yeah, more power to you.
Via Akihabara News
Goldman Sachs: New iPhones, Apple TV for 2008
Tom Krazit | Dec 13, 2007
We had a pretty good idea that a new iPhone would be coming in 2008, but what will it look like?
A report from Goldman Sachs Wednesday spotted by AppleInsider doesn't exactly shed much more light on that subject, but says that Apple is gearing up to deliver two new iPhones next year. The first one sounds like it will be just a storage upgrade with more flash memory in the first half of the year, while the second half of the year should bring the long-awaited 3G iPhone, according to the report.
Not one, but two iPhones could be released next year, according to Goldman Sachs.
Both Apple CEO Steve Jobs and AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson have indicated that 2008 is the year for the 3G iPhone, so that's not much of a surprise. An iPhone that could connect to 3G (third-generation) data networks would allow for faster download speeds, but Apple has held off on introducing such a model to this point because of concerns over battery life, according to Jobs.
Goldman also thinks that Apple is getting ready to introduce a newer version of Apple TV, which had a disappointing first year. But the report doesn't make much sense; it says Apple is going to attach an LCD screen to Apple TV. Maybe I'm missing something very obvious, and feel free to point it out below, but I just can't fathom why Apple would want to do that. Apple TV's problems have nothing to do with the lack of a display.
Anyway, the report also says that Goldman can't find as much evidence of the long-rumored ultraportable notebook that's supposedly on tap for Macworld, saying that "possible design issues" might have delayed that model. Just another day in the Apple rumor business.
Via CNET Crave
New Nvidia 3D cards thin-slice the market, deliver strong performance
Rich Brown | Dec 12, 2007
It's certainly not a bad thing that the new US$349 (give or take, but more likely give) Nvidia Geforce 8800 GTS delivers comparable performance to last year's US$500-plus GeForce 8800 GTX. The question is, would you be able to pick it out off the shelf? To do so you'd have to sift through the older (and slower) 640MB and 320MB GeForce 8800 GTS cards, as well as the 512MB and 256MB (introduced today) versions of the GeForce 8800 GT. Then, of course, there's the various overclocked SKUs from ASUS, EVGA, XFX, and Nvidia's other board partners. And that's just the Nvidia side of the aisle. We haven't even mentioned ATI's newer cards yet.
We'll point you to Anandtech and PC Perspective for the blow-by-blow performance charts. The gist is that the 512MB GeForce 8800 GTS is faster than both the older 8800 GTS cards and competitive with the 8800 GTX due to a new chip design (code-named G92) that uses a 65 nanometer manufacturing process. The result is increased power efficiency compared with the older chips' 90 nano and 80 nano processes, and higher core and memory clock speeds.
We're less sure about the price-performance of the 256MB 8800 GT. If you can find it for its suggested US$199 price tag, it seems like a good buy. And while it seems to be faster than the US$179 256MB ATI Radeon HD 3850, it doesn't outpace the US$249 512MB Radeon HD 3870. With 512MB quickly becoming the recommended amount of video RAM for respectable 3D gaming, you're better off spending more for the faster ATI card. But then when you consider the 512MB GeForce 8800 GT card is between US$275 and US$300 (when it's actually in stock), you start to see just how much ATI and Nvidia are thin-slicing the hyper-competitive graphics card market to the point of consumer confusion.
Via CNET Crave
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