Gadgets and New Technologies

Sony’s e-book reader is the first of its kind to support the spanking new EPUB format. This standard is one of the first few that has been accepted by multiple major publishers and enables both locked-down and unprotected books to automatically reflow to fit the screen or particular fonts. In addition, a software update throws in compatibility with protected Adobe e-books and is now capable of reflowing basic PDFs on-the-fly. Users also have a say in loading these books, thanks to an updated version of the Sony eBook Library application. EPUB support will arrive only next month, and this will coincide with a limited edition red Reader which boasts these new features as well. (Read the full post about ‘Sony Reader Supports EPUB Format’…)

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So we’ve all been there. That rush of panic when we’ve lost (or at least momentarily think we’ve lost) our cell phone.  When our phone contains lots of confidential data like bank info and emails, the panic level tends to rise even more quickly. Now we don’t have to just worry about Joe Finder using up our minutes, but now Joe Finder could access our bank accounts and read all those spicy emails we sent to Suzy at the office, uh-oh. This not even counting in the fact that the money spent on the phone is now down the drain. Enter your possible savior, the cell phone Superhero! (Read the full post about ‘It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s … a cell phone Superhero?’…)

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If you love the sport of golf and will be picking up Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 for your Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP or Wii consoles, then you ought to take note that the game has a Club Tuner to further provide the opportunity to calibrate their clubs to fit their personal tendencies and preferences. This means players now have the ability to test and customize their driver, fairway woods, irons and wedges for a more realistic gaming experience. Of course, you can always save time by not customizing your clubs, as there is the presence of performance coach Hank Haney to provide recommendations on the optimal settings for each of their clubs. Each club has five attributes that can be tweaked by a slider - power, workability, loft, spin and bias. (Read the full post about ‘Club tuner on Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09′…)

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At the end of June Google entered into the top ten of the Infected Sites Report issued by Stopbadware.org appearing at number five. The reason for its appearance was put down to the popularity of Blogger with online criminals.

It’s now a month later and security company Sophos are singing the same tune, only this time their results show 2% of all malware around the world is hosted on Blogger. That fact comes from their latest Security Threat Report that aims to cover the security events and trends in the first half of 2008.

(Read the full post about ‘Sophos claims Google Blogger hosts 2% of all malware’…)

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Over at Laptop Mag, Joanna Stern is so excited by the Xtensor that she whipped up a video of it in action. The $40 Xtensor (to be pronounced with an heroic roar to rhyme with SkeleTOR!) is an exercise device for the fingers, aimed at reducing the effects of “BlackBerry Thumb”. Strap the modified glove on and the adjustable bungee cords provide resistance as you move each finger. The Xtensor comes with a set of workouts for your hand. It’s a shame we didn’t know about this a week or so ago, when we compiled our list of fitness gadgets. Interestingly, a video search for the term “Xtensor” brings up a lot of results for another Xtensor, a very similar looking device to help with your golf game. Stern doesn’t link to the site of her version, so we can’t be sure that this is from the same company, but it certainly looks like it. (Read the full post about ‘Extensor Cures ‘BlackBerry Thumb’, Improves Your Golf Game’…)

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Don’t you just love convergence devices? Here we have the Big Daddy Driver that doubles up as a weed whacker as well, but I don’t think the local golf club will take too kindly to you messing up their green during your more frustrated moments. This may look like an ordinary driver but the Big Daddy Driver conceals a Secret Weapon – a Weed Whacker! That’s right, this novelty golf club transforms into a battery powered weed whacker that actually cuts the grass. Is your ball stuck in the rough? No problem! With the Big Daddy Driver you can cut around it to create an easier shot. Of course the Big Daddy Driver is only permitted during recreational play but the fun and laughter you get while using it is priceless! (Read the full post about ‘Big Daddy Driver’…)

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Korean PC manufacturer Ripple has released a new mini desktop PC, dubbed the Mini Chocolate PC. Ripple’s new mini computing machine is powered by a 1.6GHz Atom processor and is loaded with 2GB of RAM, four USB ports, two SATA sockets and an IDE socket. You can also plug-in additional optical drive in its extra slot. Measuring only 15 x 210 x 80mm and looking a lot like the mac mini, Ripple’s Mini Chocolate PC is now available in Korea market for 209,000 Korean won (around $200 US). It may a good alternative to the Eee Box if you’re not an Asus fan, but over all nothing special considering the optical drive is an extra add-on and it is limited to just a wired Ethernet connection. (Read the full post about ‘Ripple unveils the Atom-powered Mini Chocolate PC’…)

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So we’ve got guitar games evolving into a full-fledged band, but now a wireless skateboard peripheral? Well, the QMotions wireless skateboard will work with the Xbox 360 and PS3 only (sorry, Nintendo fanboys), and has been dubbed as the QMotion Big Air. Features include an Ollie button for performing kick flips, jumps and impressive air manoeuvres - although it will be much easier compared to the real thing, and the chances of you hurting yourself while performing tricks are minimized. No idea on the pricing, but it should cost more than a regular game IMHO. If this catches on, time to start picking up Activision shares as they roll out a deluge of Tony Hawk games in the future. (Read the full post about ‘Wireless Skateboard Peripheral’…)

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Folks living in the UK will soon be able to take advantage of the Sony eReader, and pre-orders are already starting to make an appearance online. There won’t be any more need to import this device from the US, and it would seem as though the Sony eReader might do a wee bit better in the UK compared to the US since there appears to be a larger number of voracious readers across the Atlantic. No idea on pricing though, but as with most electronic items, it ought to be more expensive compared to the US model after factoring in taxes and currency conversion. (Read the full post about ‘Sony eReader Hitting the UK’…)

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Fans of Zelda can now rejoice in the fact that they can belt out their own ocarina tunes thanks to this playable replica. It even comes complete with a tri-force logo at the bottom, and while it won’t turn you into a pied piper for ladies overnight, it should snag you at least one or two Zelda loving chicks - just make sure you have some sort of musical background beforehand lest you risk chasing all of them away with a tune that loses out to the wailing of cats. The ocarina itself is made from glazed earthenware and comes with half a dozen holes and a songbook containing all your favorite Zelda tunes over the years. ThinkGeek is carrying this for $39.99. (Read the full post about ‘Playable Ocarina Replica’…)

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