The HP Touchsmart 420t is an all-in-one PC, which as some of you may remember, tends to be one of our favorite types of computing devices. The 420t in particular “is powered by newest Intel 2011 Core i3 / i5 / i7 “Sandy Bridge” CPU, touch-enabled 21.5″ display supports multi-touch gestures, pre-loaded TouchSmart 5.0, adjustable base, 1080p screen and more. Also includes slot-loading optical drive, built-in webcam & mic, 802.11n WiFi, 6-in-1 card reader, two USB 3.0 ports, wireless Keyboard + Mouse, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS.”
Well today the 420t “1080p All-in-one Multi-touch PC, starting at $799.99 – $100 off – $30 stackable coupon = $669.99 with FREE shipping. Also includes FREE upgrades to 4GB RAM & 750GB HDD, FREE 15-month Norton Internet Security subscription, up to 57% off on a wireless HP printer – starts from $29.99 only.”
Two of the things I love about using a digital SLR are that as fast as I can turn it on I can start taking pictures, and I’m rarely left waiting for the autofocus to do its thing. I can’t say the same for my backup P&S. So maybe it’s time to give Casio some consideration since they’ve seemed to prioritize speed over megapixel count these days.
I mean their new Exilim EX-ZR15 still packs 16MP which is really far more than most consumers need, and a 7X zoom lens, which is hopefully backed with some image stabilization. But what might pique your curiosity the most is that the camera starts up and is ready to take a photo in just 0.99 seconds. Still slower than a DSLR, but they don’t feature retractable lenses that have to be extended. It’s also no slouch in the autofocus department, promising that focus beep in just 0.13 seconds. And in-between shots you’ll only have to wait about 0.29 seconds. They say the best camera is the one you have on you, but not if it’s so slow you miss the shot. The Exilim EX-ZR15 will be available in gold on September 22 in Japan for ~$520 (¥40,000) and in red, black or white come October.
On-screen keyboards are fairly usable when it comes to compact devices like smartphones, but when you’ve decided to swap your laptop for a tablet and need to do some serious typing, a physical keyboard is still where it’s at. So it’s no surprise that with the iPad and plethora of other tablets to hit the market over the past few years, the selection of wireless portable keyboards has also increased. Apple still sells one of the best IMO, in terms of form factor, size and design. But James Stumpf hopes to give them a run for their money, at least in the design department, with his new Levitatr portable keyboard.
It’s wireless, relying on a Bluetooth connection to talk to your tablet or other portable device, and features a 12.5mm thick machined aluminum chassis so it’s rigid and sturdy. But its real claim-to-fame is that the entire keyboard retracts when not in use, sitting flush with the rest of the keyboard’s surface. The idea is to prevent accidental key presses while the Levitatr is being carried in your bag, but it also serves to keep dirt and crumbs out. The keys are backlit, which from what I can tell is the only way to discern what each one does, and the whole thing is powered by a set of 4xAA batteries. It even comes with a simple aluminum kickstand designed to prop up your tablet or smartphone.
You can’t go out and buy the Levitatr just yet, though. At the moment it’s just a Kickstarter project with quite a ways to go before it reaches its $60,000 funding goal. But since the keyboard seems to be popping up on blogs all over the interwebs today, I’m sure it will be getting a much needed boost. If you do think it’s an innovation you can’t live without, a pledge of $79 will effectively serve as a pre-order once they go into production.
According to Fatboy Slim, everybody needs a 303, but since they’re no longer manufactured and hard to come by, not everyone can find or afford a Roland TB-303 sequencer. There are software-based alternatives, but who doesn’t prefer the hands-on approach when it comes to making music? Researchers at the University of Southampton certainly do, so they created the d-touch sequencer and drum machine which can be simply printed and easily assembled at home.
You’ll still need access to a PC to download, install and run the Audio d-touch software suite, and a mountable webcam so the apps can see your paper timeline laid out. But even someone with basic origami skills can assemble the ‘sample’ cubes, and even if you have no musical capabilities whatsoever, you’ll be creating fresh beats in no time.
At this point the Audio d-touch software is robust enough to let you import samples as WAV files, or record and assign your own sounds or audio bits to a specific cube. And even though you have to register and the software requires an occasional internet connection to send usage reports back to the researchers, the d-touch system is completely free! And technically, even recyclable, once you realize you will never be any real competition for Mr. Slim.
Remember Teddy Ruxpin? For his time he was pretty advanced as far as animated toys go. But as a stuffed animal he was the last thing you wanted to take to bed with you. He had enough ’80s technology inside him to stop a car if left in the middle of the street, so I don’t think he ever became any kid’s best friend. A group of researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology are hoping to right history’s wrongs though, and are working on an animated stuffed animal that’s still soft to the touch.
Strings running through the bear’s arms and legs are connected to motors hidden inside its padded torso. By pulling on the strings with varying amounts of force, the limbs are able to move in different directions, creating a fairly convincing life-like effect. Furthermore, because the strings are under tension, the electronics in the torso are also able to detect and register when the limbs have been touched or moved externally, allowing the bear to react and move in response. Most importantly, it’s these kinds of advancements that will give mankind the upper hand and advantage when robots eventually become self aware and rise up. Arms and legs made of steel make punches and kicks very dangerous. But arms and legs made of fabric and stuffing? They make being attacked feel like getting an overzealous hug!
If your kid is at the age when they’re even remotely interested in playing with building blocks, I’m pretty sure they’re not even close to being literate yet. But it’s never too early to push them towards academic excellence, so forego those alphabet blocks in favor of this colorful set which features 20 wooden blocks printed with every element of the periodic table. Including their name, atomic number and symbol. While building forts and castles, on a subconscious level they could be on their way to becoming the next Alfred Nobel. The sets are handmade in Grand Rapids, Michigan and are available from UncommonGoods for $40.
Not keen on the whole ‘sharing 3D glasses with a complete stranger’ idea when checking out a 3D flick at the theater? Well there are plenty of companies selling cinema-friendly 3D eyewear that you can bring with you when you go to see a movie, but if you already wear glasses you might want to serious consider LG’s new clip-on 3D glasses. Like a pair of clip-on sunglasses, they’re not going to make you look any less dorky while wearing them, but they do mean you can avoid the whole double glasses situation which I’m going to assume makes seeing a 3D film even more uncomfortable. Better yet they’re available for around just $20, and are easily stashable once you leave the theater so no one realizes you’re still supporting 3D movies.
I’m not here to debate whether you should or should not be shooting in 3D, but if you are, you really need a way to monitor what’s being recorded in all 3 dimensions. Of course wearing shutter or filter glasses while on set is even worse than in a theater, so Marshall’s new 7-inch glasses-free 3D field monitor is by far the way to go. It uses the same “parallax barrier and lenticular hybrid technology” as the Nintendo 3DS, but I’m assuming with better results since this is designed to be used by professionals.
Its 1600×600 resolution falls just shy of 720P, since the bottom half of the display is actually filled with realtime waveform monitors and color vectorscope displays for image quality control. And it comes with all of the connections and hookups required for use with a high-end camera system. It can even be used as a post-production display, though staring at a 7-inch monitor all day while editing or color correcting could get tedious. Available October 1st for $7,899.
Today we turn to laptops once more, with HPs dv4t, a 14-inch computer that’s been described as a laptop that “works well as a media hub for a home theater, as well as a mobile workhorse for lugging to school or traveling. Port selection is fantastic, and with the native docking station connection you can attach even more devices.” Already competitively priced, today you’re looking at the following deal:
14-inch HP Pavilion dv4t “Sandy Bridge” Dual-core / Core i3 / i5 Laptop now available starting at $599.99 – $100 off – $30 coupon code = $469.99 + free shipping. Available in Epsresso Black (default) or Pacific Blue (pictured, $25 upgrade).
Also get FREE 4GB RAM upgrade, FREE 500GB Hard Drive upgrade, FREE upgrade to computrace LoJack ($60 savings), 30% off 6 cell and 9 cell batteries, Up to 57% off on a wireless HP Printer starting from only $29.99 with your PC purchase and FREE shipping.
Related Tags: daily deals, HP, sponsored
Permalink | 
No Comments
