GadgetReview

You may remember reading here, back in March, about the D3O protective plasticine goo being used in soldiers’ helmets, but now it’s got a more mundane use–as a gadget protector.

Parent company Tech21 recently launched a wide array of smartphone and laptop cases that offer between, get this, “140 and 221 percent more protection for a mobile device or laptop than existing cases can”.

See, D3O is a strange sort of chemically engineered, enhanced Silly Putty of sorts that, when you pull it apart slowly, stretches much like Silly Putty would.  But if you jolt it abruptly, it hardens and becomes rigid, offering a shock absorption capability for relatively low space.

D3O cases are now available, and cost between twenty eight and fifty bucks depending on where you shop and what sizes you get.

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All right, folks, brace yourselves–Best Buy just leaked its Black Friday deals, even though at this point they’re a little behind the curve;  Sears and Office Depot had theirs out weeks ago.  But given as it’s still about a week and a half out from Black Friday, there’s still plenty of time to call this a leak.

And what they’ve got is pretty interesting, too–check out this list!  There are a LOT of items for sale here, so I’m just going to cherry pick some of the better ones.  The read link will have a bigger list on hand.

• HP Desktop AMD X4 Quad Core, 8GB Memory, 1TB Hard Drive w/20” Monitor, HP Deskjet DJ350 Color Printer & Windows 7 Home Premium – $499.97
• Sony 15” Laptop w/Intel Dual Core Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD, Windows 7, Sony Headphones, Built-In Blu-ray, Blu-ray Movie – $479.97
• Sony DCR-SX40 Handycam Camcorder – $199.99
• Samsung 5.1 Channel 1000W Home Theater System With Blu-ray Disc Player – $399.99
• Sony PlayStation 3 Package w/120GB Console, Little Big Planet, and Ratchet And Clank – $299.99

Sounds like enough to get you out of your post-holiday turkey coma, doesn’t it?

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Qualcomm just yesterday introduced a whole new brand of Lenovo gadget that’ll blow your mind open.  Check this out.

It’s called the smartbook, and it combines all the best features of a smart phone and a netbook.  Slimmer than most smart phones and able to fit in the palm of a hand, it offers not only a QWERTY keyboard but also a “full-size screen”.  It’s powered by a Qualcomm chipset platform that has, for some reason, been dubbed Snapdragon and will run a series of different applications including Flash, Adobe and AT&T’s mobile broadband.

It’s interesting to note, however, that this may not be the end of the smartbook line but only the beginning.  Word is that everybody from Asus to Toshiba is planning to launch their own smartbook.  But do people, especially in a bad economy like this, really want or even need another portable computer when they already have laptops, netbooks and smartphones to choose from?  Is there anyone who’s saying “I love my netbook but I wish it were smaller!” or “I love my smartphone but I wish it had more features!” who isn’t just buying the next step in either direction?

Name and price are still being kept quiet on this new model as the product will officially launch this January at the Consumer Electronics Show.

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So the gadget recycling program, which usually offers credit on new gadgets purchased in the process, is continuing on.  Maybe you’ve been interested but haven’t been able to find a location near you handling it.

That’s okay, because now it’s got a new ally in Sears.  They’ll take gadgets in twenty different categories,and pretty much the only caveat is that it has to actually work.  You can send them nonworking equipment, which they’ll recycle for you at no cost, but you won’t get any credit for it.

The process is actually pretty simple–here’s the word from Sears’ own press release:

1. Visit www.sears.gazelle.com.
2. Get an offer on electronics by answering a few quick questions.
3. Ship items. Shipping is free and many customers will also qualify for a free shipping box.
4. The customer receives a Sears gift card in the mail for the total value of their items. As a special holiday promotion, through Dec. 31, 2009, participants will receive an additional 5 percent of the value of their trade-in, added to their Sears gift card.

So if you’ve got some old hardware sitting around that you want to trade in, or if you’re looking for a quick way to get a little extra holiday shopping cash, then head on over to Sears and get the credit you need, while emptying your house of clutter.

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In an interesting move, now retailer Orange is getting into the cash for old gadgets game with its Recycle and Reward program. While they don’t have the awesome automated kiosks of other vendors, Orange will give you a quote and a check within a week when you take whatever it is you’d like to get rid of–old mobile phones, laptops, and music players (bigger stuff that the automated kiosks can’t handle) and offers up cash for them.

It IS somewhat limited–no bringing in your old furnace, water heater or what have you; it’s pretty much exclusively a consumer electronics setup–but hey, free cash for stuff you weren’t using anyway?  That’s no small treat.

Also, Orange is also launching its Copy and Keep program, where they’ll charge you a whopping twelve bucks or so to transfer all your media, addresses and contacts from your old mobile phone to your new one.  Pretty useful if you’ve forgotten how or just plain old can’t be bothered.

So if you’re needing a new phone, and want to get rid of the old one, then it’s a great time to think Orange.

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When ever I work remotely (aka Coffee Bean) I carry my laptop in a Booq sleeve.  While I can wax poetic about this sweet hard case, one thing it’s lacking is a design built for working directly from the case without removing it.

Enter the Viper rush.  Available in a M (15-inch) and L (17-inch) sizes, the Viper rush zips open 120 degree and features special bumpers to dissipate heat, a neoprene non-scratch pocket and what should prove to be a tear free seat belt style shoulder strap.  The only thing I don’t like about this case is the price tag: $129.95. …Continue reading: Booq Viper rush Notebook Case

Dell officially unveiled their newest rugged latptop today, the Latitude XT2 XFR.  They’re laying claim to the “smallest 12.1-inch rugged convertible tablet PC available”, with a multitouch display.

Under the hood you’ll find a Intel Core Duo ULV SU9600 processor, up to 5GB of DDR3 RAM, your choice of 64/128GB SSD or a 160GB hard drive, Intel GMA 4500MHD, WiFi, optional broadband support, Bluetooth, 3x USB ports, Firewire, your choice of expansion options which includes GPS or a 2MP camera, 3 different sized batteries and a variety of Windows 7 installs to choose from (as well as Vista Business).

The Dell Latitude XT2 XFR is available now and starts at $3,599.

Torture test video after the ‘leap’ …Continue reading: Dell’s Latitude XT2 XFR Tablet Gets Official, Slimmest Rugged Tablet PC (video)

I’ve long loathed the white Macbook.  I owned one and although it was mostly issue free – that is after I replaced everything but the hard drive and processor 11 months in – the white facade attracts dirt with a magnetic force.  So I’m kind of surprised to see that Apple has updated the laptop with a new set of specs and a completely new build process.

Using the same Unibody technique found in the Macbook Pros, the new white Macbook also has the same sealed, non-removable 7 hour battery.  They’ve also tossed in 13.3-inch LED backlit screen, a glass multitouch touchpad, 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of DDR3 RAM (upgradeable to 4GB), WiFi N, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM, 250GB hard drive (320GB available) and a DVD burner. …Continue reading: Apple Serves Up New White Macbook With Unibody And Bumped Specs

I have seen some THIN laptops in my day, but the Dell Adamo XPS is so thin that it would make supermodels take a look at it and say, damn, eat a SANDWICH or something.  Thin is great and all but there are limits, and the Dell Adamo XPS butts up against all of them.

It’s still a concept at this stage–after all, care to name a battery that’ll fit into a case just under ten millimeters thick? And even if you could find a battery to fit in that tiny a space, how much charge could it possibly hold?  And if you’re on the road, battery life is life.  Who’d buy this if its battery life can’t hold up?  And look at the back–see how it’s raised up a bit?  That’s where you’d normally plug in your cables.  This thing’s keyboard is thinner than an ethernet cable head.

I think this might be stretching a point just a little too…thin…for my tastes.  Considering that it may never launch, we may be concerend for nothing.  But you know we’ll keep our eyes open out here just to seee what we can spot.

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Having just bought a new laptop I was excited to be able to work outside of my basement but wanted to find a nice accessory to keep my computer elevated properly and comfortable at the same time.  I found one at Ikea that I like to call a laptop pillow.

This one pictured above is called the E-Pod Laptop Desk and it is designed to make any sitting situation more enjoyable when using a laptop.  The E-Pod comes in three color choices and looks as if it sort of folds up for easier travel.  It also has a carrying handle.  The one I got from Ikea was only $15 and it has a small pocket in the pillow for your cell phone or whatever.  This E-Pod from BrookStone looks to be of a bit better quality and costs $40.

I must say that I really love my laptop pillow and use it constantly.  If you need something like this definitely don’t hesitate.

[via TheGreenHead]

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