Harman Kardon's jaw-dropping bullet-proof glass PC speakers

Just came across this hot little number on Amazon: A set of Harman Kardon PC speakers made out of glass. They don't appear to be available quite yet, but Amazon is taking pre-orders at US$999.99.

Harman's made other clear speakers in the past, including the well-received SoundSticks II system, but these are the first to use glass--and the GLA-55s really make a statement. From some angles they have a gem-like quality, from others--namely in profile--they look almost alien in nature.

While these speakers are obviously about design, Harman's also touting the GLA-55s' "impeccable" sound quality. (At US$1,000, they better sound good, right?) In fact, Harman claims it's "arguably the best 2.0 speaker system ever engineered" with numerous proprietary technologies that empower the speakers to create "clear and accurate high-impact sound with a large soundstage".

Whether glass is the best material from which to fashion speakers is debatable, but Harman says its glass enclosure material is "the same as what is used in bulletproof glass". The material is put through an "annealing" process, which "includes baking each enclosure at 80 degree C for 4 hours".
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Virus prompts ASUS to recall Japanese Eee Box PCs

You click OK on a message while surfing the Internet and suddenly your computer is full of malicious software and viruses. That's bad. What could be worse, however, is when your brand new computer comes preloaded with malicious software.

Tuesday, according to ChinaTechNews.com, ASUS announced a recall of its ASUS Eee Box PCs that it had sold in Japan because it was shipped with a virus.

The computers had a file called recycled.exe, residing on the D drive. Once executed, the file would copy itself to other drives, including USB drives, and install malicious software from the Internet. This causes the computer to slow down and exposes it to security threats.

Li Yusheng, an ASUS representative, told ChinaTechNews.com that the incident was an accident and affected only the production line of Eee Box PCs sold to Japan. Li also said that apart from the recall, the computer maker will impose stricter measures on production line management and software protection.

While the virus is disturbing, the good news is that only about 300 allegedly infected Eee Box PCs already sold in the Japanese market need to be recalled.

Via CNET Crave

Apple unveiled a new Cinema Display, too

The spotlight may have been on MacBooks at Tuesday's Apple press conference, but there was one other product on the stage: Apple's new 24-inch Cinema Display.

Admittedly, a monitor is hardly as exciting as an aluminum MacBook, but I do find myself intrigued. The 24-inch display is Apple's first with LED backlighting, which is not only thinner but also reportedly produces more accurate colors while using less energy than traditional monitors. It incorporates an iSight camera, built-in microphone, and speakers. And it includes a second cable at the rear of the display with branches for a MagSafe adapter, USB, and mini-DisplayPort connector.

This last feature is what appeals to me most; combined with three USB ports on the back of the display, it turns the display into a de facto dock for the MacBook and MacBook Pro. The end result is just one cord on your desk, and no more than three connections to unplug when you leave.
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Microsoft makes Windows 7 name final

For the first time in recent memory, Microsoft has chosen to stick with its code name for a final Windows release.

In a blog posting, general manager Mike Nash said that the next version of Windows will retain its Windows 7 code-name when it is released to the market--a date currently pegged as late 2009 or early 2010.

"Simply put, this is the seventh release of Windows, so therefore "Windows 7" just makes sense," Nash wrote.

Microsoft plans to give developers at the Professional Developer Conference later this month a pre-beta version of the software.

"For me, one of the most exciting times in the release of a new product is right before we show it to the world for the first time," Nash wrote. "In a few weeks we are going to be talking about the details of this release at the PDC and at WinHEC. We will be sharing a pre-beta 'developer only release' with attendees of both shows and giving them the first broad in-depth look at what we've been up to."
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The cure for "mouse arm": Gyroscopic mice

Do you suffer from hand and arm pain while mousing? Many factors can be blamed, from poor posture to a badly designed ergonomic environment. Unfortunately, simply adjusting one's seat or desk height doesn't always solve the problem (and sometimes you can't adjust either of these much at all).

I was a longtime sufferer of the condition I dubbed "mouse arm," which at one point got so bad that after a few hours, I would have to awkwardly mouse with my left hand for the rest of the day. About five years ago (long before I joined CNET), I discovered a company called Gyration and its line of gyroscopic mice.

The very latest version is the just-reviewed Gyration Air Mouse, a smaller US$99 travel version of the company's standard Gyration Go model. Like most other gyroscopic mice, the Gyration Air functions as a regular optical mouse when placed on a flat surface--but lift it up, and it switches into gyroscopic mode, letting users control the cursor by moving the mouse through the air.

Unfortunately, the new Gyration Air doesn't compare favorably with either the Go or another favorite, Logitech's sleek MX Air. The Air Mouse feels flimsy and insubstantial, and it literally rattles in your hand. The clacky mouse buttons feel loose, and worst of all, the optical tracking feels a tiny bit sluggish when used in the nongyroscopic mode.

A final note--newcomers to the gyroscope party should note that using one of these devices seems impossible at first, but after a short but intense 24-48 hour learning curve, it'll be second nature.

Via CNET Crave

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