Virtually Jamaica

My 2 Cents:  Now here is an amazing innovation that seems to have been around for a little while but I really like the idea “eco-friendly water-powered gadgets… 

(Credit: Solutions.com)

We really like the idea of eco-friendly water-powered gadgets. Exhibit A: the H20 desk calculator. Add a few drops of tap water to the removable battery and put it back in the product for up to three months of use. When the display begins to fade, just make another trip to the sink.

This isn’t the only water- or electrolytic-liquid-powered calculator around, but online seller Solutions notes that the battery in this one can be taken out, stored in a dry state indefinitely, and activated when needed. It can be “re-energized by the addition of water again and again,” supposedly lasting a lot longer than alkaline batteries.

The calculator has a standard 12-digit display and takes care of your basic adding machine functions. It sells for $24.95, which seems more than reasonable if promises of an Energizer Bunny-type battery persistence bear out.

Readers, have you used an agua-powered clock, calculator, or other gizmo? If so, how did it work? Are H20-powered cell phones and MP3 players next?

Benefits add up for water-powered calculator | Crave, the gadget blog – CNET

 My 2 Cents:  This thing looks too cool…with DisplayLinks USB to VGA technology you got to love how easy it is to display anything anywhere.  Can’t wait to get a hold of this one when it comes out….a simple way for me to display my laptop on my HD TV.   Also it will be too nice when this WirelessUSB comes built-in to most products.

The WUSB to VGA kit from Iogear includes two compact components.

(Credit: Iogear)

If you’ve always wished to connect an external display to your laptop without having to physically hook a cable between to the two, then I have good news for you.

Iogear introduced on Tuesday its Wireless USB to VGA Kit for streaming PC content to an alternate display. This is going to be one of the first implementations of Wireless USB (WUSB).

WUSB technology has been under development ever since 2004 and the first time I saw its demo was during WINHEC 2006. As the name suggests, it’s essentially the current USB 2.0 technology without USB cables. WUSB can operate at full USB 2.0 speed (480Mbps) within a 10 feet range — longer than the length of most standard USB cables — and up to 110Mbsp within a 30 feet range. For now, most computers and legacy peripherals has to be upgraded to WUSB with add-in cards and hubs. Going forward, most computers and devices will hopefully have this technology built in, just like USB 2.0.

The WUSB VGA kit from Iogear will allows for quickly displaying your laptop’s visual content on to an external display such as an LCD, a HDTV or a projector, just like you would currently do that by hooking the two with a VGA cable. The kit allows for displaying anything you see on the laptop’s screen including 720p HD video content on the alternate display up to 30 feet away. For non HD content, the kit supports resolutions up to UXGA (1600×1200) or WSXGA+ (1680×1050), which are higher than the native resolutions of most laptops. It can also take advantage of a television’s picture-in-picture function so that you can view the laptop’s content and watch TV at the same time.

The WUSB to VGA kit consists of a Wireless USB adapter that connects to a Windows PC and a wireless VGA adapter to plug into a VGA display. You will still need a VGA cable (not included) to connect the wireless VGA adapter to the display, however. Aside from the VGA cable, the set up is compact enough for you to easily carry on the go.

The kit is compatible with both Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems and will be available for the general market sometime in October for about $230.

Connect external displays without cables | Crave, the gadget blog – CNET

My 2 Cents:  For all of you that live in second / third world countries where there is a risk of drinking tainted water this product my be for you.  The price is a little steep but it does what it is supposed to then it should be worth it.  This item might be a little overkill for some of you but better be safe than sorry…

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Remember the LifeStraw, a sip-and-survive filtration straw? Here’s another solution for dealing with Gaia’s water woes: The Lifesaver bottle. Michael Pritchard developed the device after witnessing the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, apparently pouring his life savings into researching a chemical-free solution that’s able to purify 4,000 to 6,000 liters on a single filter. We’re not clear if this will work on sea water, but it will elimiate bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and all sorts of microbiological waterborne pathogens.

The invention, which won an award from Well-Tech, has a replaceable filter that’s good for 5.5 years, based on 2 liters a day. Filtering 750ml of water takes just under 1 minute, and once the cartridge expires, the unit will shut itself off. But before it can be truly effective for the masses in developing nations, something will need to be done about its $460 price

Lifesaver: An ultra-filtration water bottle | Crave, the gadget blog – CNET

My 2 Cents: For all you movie lovers out there just not satisfied with playing your movie collection over your iPod at the sub-standard resolution, or just want to be able to host movie-night anywhere this little device might be for you..  It also works as a portable drive…like any other similar device…

Honestly when I saw it I just had to get it.  I know that in essence it is just a $149.00 shell, but the ability to roll around with my movies (Divx / Xvid), (well…1/4 of my collections…I use a Buffalo terastation 4TB’s in conjunction with their DVD players in each room, up to 5 concurrent streams…I like) was something I wanted to be able to do.  Really did not like that I had to convert them each time if I wanted to use my 30GB iPod …

Will update when I have a chance to play with it…

If you’re already taken care of on the HD media streamer front, Mvix is hoping you’ll look its way for a more portable solution. The pocket-friendly MV-2500U checks in at just 5- x 3- x 0.8-inches and makes room for a 2.5-inch internal hard drive. The simple, LCD-less exterior means that you’ll need to access the interface on-screen after plugging in the (component, we presume) cables to your HDTV, after which you’ll be able to watch video files encoded in MPEG1/2/4, DVD (VOB, IFO), DivX, XviD, BivX or VCD (DAT) for both PAL and NTSC systems. You’ll also find support for AC3, MP2, MP3, WMA, OGG and M3U audio formats, and even JPEG photos can be shown in beautiful 720p / 1080i. Unfortunately, this wee piece will run you a stiff $149 before you even go hard drive shopping, but Mvix will happily add an 80GB, 160GB or 250GB HDD in there if you’ve got the coin.

Mvix unveils pocket-sized MV-2500U HD multimedia drive – Engadget

My 2 Cents:  Its only a matter of time before we start seeing the designer versions of this lovely garment ;O)  I can only imagine the real-life benefits of a material like this if it was affordable to the masses…A TRUE MUST FOR ANY JAMAICAN ;o) 

Mind you, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen garb constructed to withstand vicious knife fights, and apparently a few Japanese streets are becoming just as frightening as some in London. Reportedly created to provide protection against stabbers following an "increasing number of malicious crimes that have victimized children and late-night convenience store clerks," Nihon Uni has developed a t-shirt crafted from "ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fiber." Aside from rendering blades useless, the material is also completely machine washable and lightweight; still, the fabric can be penetrated by "sharp points," so it’s up to you to steer clear of rooftop archers. Nevertheless, long-sleeved versions can be had this June for ¥22,000 ($221) to ¥59,000 ($593), while the way less protective short-sleeved variety will run you between ¥19,000 ($191) and ¥52,000 ($522).

Nihon Uni shirts resist stabbing, make you feel like a superhero – Engadget