FunTim

SpacePilot Pro Mouse

Posted on 13. May, 2009 by kikonja.

Since the advent of computers, more and more companies are opening up with new hardware upgrades comparing to the traditional ones. Even simple things like mouse and keyboards are having new designs, 3D models and who knows what. The price ranges from about 20 bucks apiece over to about 600 bucks, with increased functionality.

Would you think that there would be a mouse out there, which would have its own LCD screen? Well there is one, by 3Dconnexion. The mouse’s name is SpacePilot Pro, and it has a LCD screen, lots and lots of buttons, ranging from buttons for various isometric views to navigation settings. If even that wasn’t enough, there are more buttons for various applications, including an applet for checking out your mail on MS Outlook.

One drawback of this device is that it doesn’t come with drivers for the popular Mac. However, it has drivers for Windows XP and Vista, Solaris 8 and 10, and Linux. This mouse is available in the market now, for a price of $499. You might think it’s a bit high, but you should look at what it has to offer. Following are some features of 3Dconnexion’s Space Pilot pro which will determine it’s worth and abilities:

Ø The key feature is the smooth 3D navigation, thanks to the patented six-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) sensor. This sensor has 4 times the precision of the previous sensors, and has the capability to detect input as small as 4 micrometers.

Ø The Cap on it has the function of panning, zooming and rotating. It practically feels like stretching your hand in the screen itself, and holding the model in your hand.

Ø The QuickView Navigation Keys allow the user to have one-touch access to 32 standard views, enabling the power of viewing the model from any angle.

Ø The 90-degree rotation key rotates the view by 90 degrees.

Ø It has Two Isometric Views, ISO1 showing the model with the top/front/right sides facing the front and ISO2 showing the model with the top/back/left sides facing front.

Ø The LCD screen, provides visual feedback on all the function keys, so that you can have quick access to important information without interrupting the work user is already doing.

Another feature of this mouse is the mini applets that run on your computer and display on the LCD. So you have increased functionality with the mini application, which ranges from office functionality tools to feedback on the key assignment functions. The following applets are supported and installed on the mouse by default:

Ø Function Keys,

Ø Outlook® Mail,

Ø Outlook® Calendar,

Ø Outlook® Tasks,

Ø RSS Feeds.

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The Kindle 2 device from Amazon

Posted on 12. May, 2009 by kikonja.

The Kindle 2 device from Amazon, which was first launched in late February of this year, is roughly selling at almost double rates then the first generation device launched on by the same company. This news was sent on by a source close to the Amazon itself, and therefore cannot be neglected. On an approximate level, about 300,000 of the devices have been shipped already, and this gives us an important reason to believe that Amazon has already generated revenue of $100 million from the device, which is $359 a piece.

The predecessor of Kindle 2 sold about 400,000 devices, and Amazon plans on this figure being double for Kindle 2 in the year 2009 alone.

So what is actually this hot selling device? Well if you are in for reading books, you will be thrilled. Let me give you an overview of what the device actually is, and what it does.

Introduction:

Amazon’s Kindle 2 is actually a mobile eBook reader. It was first made available to the general public on February 9, 2009. This device is actually an update to the previous Amazon Kindle with some additional features. Following are some of its major and important features:

Features:

• It weighs 10.2 oz
• It has 7 times the storage capacity comparing to its predecessor
• It has a built-in 3 speeds text-to-speech feature
• It has the tendency to turn pages 20% faster then its predecessor

· 25% extra battery life then the previous version

· Utilizes 3G technology for internet, so don’t have to rely on getting a hotspot to actually download books

· Kindle 2 has a new feature added, the additional feature is called “Whisper sync bookmarking” to help its users pick up their book right where they left off, even if they shift to other devices.

· This device also has a high resolution display technology known as electronic paper, in which the display is black and white, and really crystal clear and crisp. This crystal clear display assures you that the reading format will be clear and easily readable.

Keeping in mind all the new tweaking that Amazon did to its portable book reader, there is simply no wonder as to which Amazon is making so much sales and profits from the sale of the device. Kindle 2 is really more technologically advanced, making it a far better choice then its predecessor, so it is really an irresistible device for any one who is familiar with kindle device.

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Bluetooth 3.0 prepped for launch on April 21

Posted on 21. Apr, 2009 by kikonja.

Everyone is aware of the Bluetooth technology which totally changed the era of modern wireless communication few years back. With the advent of this technology, the cell phone users didn’t have to stick around with each other for their multimedia files to transfer through the slow and low range medium of Infra-Red. Now people had a range of 1 meter or more, to transfer their files among each other, and therefore stay connected.

The advent of Bluetooth technology was with Bluetooth version 1.2 which had a slow transfer speed. Then, the technology advanced on with the advent of Bluetooth version 2.0, which had better transfer speeds and higher ranges then its predecessor. Bluetooth 2.0 has really reined the inter-cell phone multimedia communication, until recently.

The Bluetooth communications is planning a major breakthrough in Bluetooth technology with the integration of 802.11 technologies into Bluetooth, and upgrading it to version 3.0; with this advancement the users will have the privilege to transfer their multimedia content with blazing fast speeds of 802.11 wireless technologies, over their Bluetooth protocol. This does not mean that they have to transfer their connection onto a Wi-Fi connection; all they have to do is turn on their Bluetooth connection, and start transferring files onto another handset with the Bluetooth version 3.0 supports. The Bluetooth protocols would start communicating between each other at the blazing fast speeds of 802.11 wireless networks. They can now transfer huge multimedia content amongst their phones, without having to worry about the long hours the process is going to take, as with the 802.11 technology the files will be transferred at bolstering fast speeds. As soon as they are done transferring the file, their Bluetooth connection would switch back to earlier Bluetooth version protocol with the transfer speed of 3 MB per second, utilizing the same low battery power like before.

This advancement is supposed to be released in the general public on April 21^st, 2009. Once the new standard is announced by Bluetooth SIG, it won’t be long before we start seeing Bluetooth version 3.0 enabled handsets in the market, and people transferring movies through their cell phones like they were just transferring some mp3 songs or wallpapers.

Some brands of phones do show concern over this technology though, as their batteries are not so heavily equipped to have an 802.11 connection go through them and still provide the user with the whole day of battery backup. This condition is being worked on, and hopefully will be resolved by the time this technology actually hits the market in the form of handsets.

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