This USB TV Card Player might be a super easy way to play photos, music or downloaded videos on your big-screen TV, but don’t expect greatness from it. On the plus side it has a built-in card reader for non CF-sized flash card formats as well as a USB port for connecting flash drives or even external card readers, which is the only way it will read an SDHC card. It supports the most common media formats like DIVX, MP3, WMA, JPGs etc. and even comes with a compact IR remote for “long distance operation abilities.” However, on the negative side the fact that it only has a composite video connection means no hi-def for you, which then also makes the $53.99 price tag seem a bit unreasonable.

[ USB TV Card Player ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

How often have you come across a gadget that was only available as an import item and thought to yourself, “hey! I could really use that, but the website selling it looks a bit sketchy and how do I even know it will work as well as they claim it does, if at all?” Such was the case with the Compact Wireless Keyboard with Touchpad we brought you a few weeks ago. A friend of mine thought the same thing when he first saw it, but since it was the exact thing he needed for his HTPC he decided $40 wasn’t that big of a loss if the thing was a total piece of crap, but it turns out it isn’t.

I had a chance to play with it this past weekend, and for the most part it works rather well. It’s a bit larger than even a classic Blackberry, but it’s quite thin (as you can see below) and it’s remarkably light. The keypad has a good tactile feel to it, though the keys could be a bit easier to press, and the touchpad is as responsive as one you’d find on a laptop. There’s also an orange backlight that makes all of the keys and their labels clearly visible even with no lights on, though the secret to turning it off, without power cycling the touchpad, remains a mystery.

On the bottom edge there’s a mini USB port which is used for charging its internal battery, as well as an on/off slider for preserving battery life when it’s not in use.

And across the top there’s a series of blue LEDs used to indicate various functions from battery life to connection status.

Now I won’t say this is the perfect solution for everyone’s HTPC setup, since doing things like typing out an email could get a bit tedious on its cramped keypad, but as a compact alternative to a mouse and full-sized keyboard sitting on your lap it’s really not a bad solution for just $40. Oh and I know they claim it will also work with the Xbox 360, the PS3 and the Wii, but I never had a chance to test that functionality out, so I still remain skeptical about that.

Thanks Derrick!

[ Unisen Handheld Keyboard & Mouse Touchpad ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Remember back when the Nintendo Wii came out, how there were reports of idiots tossing their Wiimotes through their fancy TVs? Well that sort of thing is still an issue for people with LCD and Plasma TVs, and not just from flying game controllers. Since the screens are easily harmed, one company has decided to specialize in protecting these expensive pieces of equipment.

TV Armor is a simple way to prevent objects from impacting (and thus ruining) the screen of your HDTV. The solution is about as low-tech as it gets, consisting of a thin layer ( ¼-inch)of acrylic held on by Velcro straps. The acrylic is considered optical-grade so that it won’t reduce the quality of the image.

The TV Armor won’t win any awards in the looks department, but it isn’t hideous by any means. The acrylic blends in rather well, and the Velcro straps are barely visible. You’ll need to set back $69-$289 depending on the size of your TV. It’s a little salty, but far less than you paid for your fancy-pants TV no doubt.

[ TV Armor ] VIA [ Technabob ]

If you ask me, most wireless keyboards designed to be used with HTPCs are just too big. I have no intentions of touch-typing out a novel while sitting on my couch in front of the TV, so this HTPC remote with its compact Blackberry-esque QWERTY keypad is more than adequate for my needs. It’s wireless thanks to a USB dongle that attaches to the HTPC itself, and besides supporting Windows, Linux and Mac OS, it can apparently also be used with the 360, PS3 and the Wii. Oh and that large area that looks like an LCD display? It’s actually a touchpad saving you from having to juggle a wireless mouse as well. Not bad for just $40 from efo, if it works as advertised of course.

[ Wireless Keyboard & HTPC Remote ] VIA [ The Gadgeteer ]

By Chris Scott Barr

If you have a PS3, then you probably take advantage of of its Blu-ray player. You’d be crazy not to. Unfortunately one drawback to the PS3 is that you have to have a separate remote to operate it. Why? Because it’s one of the only home theater devices to use Bluetooth to communicate with its remote. Well luckily there now exists a remote that can control more than just your PS3.

The Blu-Link remote works off of both Bluetooth and infrared signals, thus catering to all of your devices. It supports up to six different devices, and can learn commands from other devices. You’ll also find dedicated PS3 and Blu-ray control buttons. $49 might seem steep for your average universal remote, but this one looks to be well worth the money.

[ Interlink ] VIA [ Technabob ]

Not only are massive ‘wall wart’ transformers a pain in the butt to squeeze onto a standard power strip, but they’re so heavy they have the tendency to fall out by themselves, severing your gear’s power source. So the PlugLock power strip solves that problem with a simple innovation. Each of the five generously spaced plugs can accommodate even the largest of transformers, and they all feature a dedicated clamp which can be adjusted to securely ‘lock’ the transformers in place. It’s also rated for 15 Amps, comes with a heavy-duty 5 foot, 14 AWG extension cord and is available from various online retailers for about $45.

[ Furman Sound PlugLock-PFP ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Remember back when TVs were just boxes that were just used for watching movies, cable and playing video games? I guess that wasn’t all that long ago, since the TV I just bought a few months ago still needs another device in order to really do anything. However, soon you’ll be able to go and get yourself a Vizio HDTV that comes with all sorts of cool applications built-in.

I’ve got a small PC that sits in my entertainment center which gives me access to streaming video, audio and of course the web. With the new line of Vizio XVT HDTVs, I could almost get rid of it. Owners will have access to free streaming content from Revision3, Showtime and Pandora while also being able to subscribe to services such as Vudu, Netflix, Blockbuster OnDemand, Amazon Video On Demand and Rhapsody. The icing on the cake is access to Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Yahoo Widgets.

Of course all of these features is going to require the use of something a little more advanced than your standard remote. After all, who wants to Twitter using arrow keys and an on-screen keyboard? The new Bluetooth remote will have a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, which should be useful enough to hack out the 140 characters needed to tell everyone what you’re watching. Without internet access these new programs are virtually useless, which is why you’ll have the option of either connecting via an ethernet cable or 802.11n wireless. These new XVT models will hit stores next month starting at $749 for a 32-inch and going up from there.

[ Vizio ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I have enough devices in my home entertainments center to fill up an entire 12-port surge protector. While not everyone has a dozen devices to hook up, it can be a pain to get everything plugged in as it should be. Plus there’s never an outlet where you need it, right? Well here’s an interesting concept, fill your entire wall with outlets!

I’m no electrician, but I can imagine that this is a fire hazard waiting to happen. Not to mention dangerous for small children to be around. However, you have to admit that it looks pretty damn cool. With so many outlets, at first glance it just looks like the person has fancy wallpaper. Then again you could always fill most of the area with false plates if you just wanted the look. Of course that would defeat most of the purpose in the first place.

[ Ironic Sans ] VIA [ Dvice ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Monster Cables is a company well-known for suing other people for uttering the word “monster” when not referring to their products. Oh, and they produce overpriced cables. Unfortunately it would seem that the poor economy and sheer amount of lawsuits over trademark infringement have really taken their toll on the company. As you can see from their latest product, the MCC AV50 Home Theater Controller, they had to let go their entire design team.

Normally I wouldn’t bother writing about a $50 universal remote, but this thin is too hideous to pass up. Sure, if it were coming from some unknown company out of China, I wouldn’t have given it a second glance. Yet somehow this is being sold by Monster Cable. I suppose if you needed a remote to fit in with your living room which has been modeled after the original Enterprise, then this might do.

[ Monster Cable ] VIA [ BoingBoing ]

By Shane McGlaun

It hasn’t been too long now since HDMI specification 1.3 came on the market and it’s already time for another specification to drop. I am glad to see that the HDMI Licensing company doesn’t sit on its laurels when it comes to adding new features to HDMI.

The full specification is due to be available for download no later than June 30, 2009. Until we can see the full specification, we do know a few of the features that HDMI 1.4 will offer. One of the most interesting is an HDMI Ethernet channel that allows HDMI connected devices to communicate at 100Mbps without needing another cable. An audio return channel is also featured in the spec along with support for 3D over HDMI.

Supported resolution gets a boost with support for up to 4096 x 2160 at 24hz and 3840 x 2160 at 24/25/30Hz. The new spec supports expanded color spaces as well like Adobe RGB. A new micro HDMI connector is also part of the spec aimed at making 1080p connections available for portable devices. The new connector is 50% smaller than the existing HDMI Mini connector is.

[ HDMI.org ]