Oh! Gizmo

By Evan Ackerman

We’re big big fans of rechargeable batteries, but they’re not usually something that you think of powering devices that suck up a lot of electricity over a long period of time. Something like, oh, I don’t know, a laptop. But it looks like netbooks are just barely low power enough to achieve a decent amount of on-time using a bunch of rechargeable AA batteries, and NorhTec has taken the first step with their Gecko Edubook, which uses eight integrated NiMH batteries for power. More info and specs, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

By Chris Scott Barr

There’s nothing quite like running out of juice on your laptop when you’re in the middle of something very important and far from an outlet. Many road warriors will pack a spare battery for just such times. However, what if you don’t want to remove your battery (making you shut down your laptop or plug it in) or want more than just two batteries worth of use? If you’re using a MacBook of any kind, you turn to the HyperMac.

The HyperMac line of external batteries are a useful tool for any frequent traveler with a MacBook. While they might be a little larger in size than your spare battery, it does much more than just give you double the running time. First, they come in varying sizes, allowing you to run your laptop for up to 6x as long as it would with a single battery charge. Each one also comes with a USB port that can be used to charge any USB device (including your iPhone) while simultaneously powering your laptop. The HyperMac comes in four different sizes ranging from $200-$500 each.

[ HyperMac ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Evan Ackerman

The PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop, as you may have guessed from the name, is designed for kids ages 3-10. As such, it comes with “age appropriate software,” a Disney Theme for Windows XP, and a security suite designed to keep your preschoolers from downloading hardcore pornography.

Once you get past the kiddie stuff, though, this is actually a pretty decent machine. It’s essentially a netbook, with all of the features you’ve come to know and love and be bored by, including an Atom processor, Windows XP, 1-2 gigs of RAM, a 60 gig HD, USB, card reader, WiFi, 6 cell battery for 5+ hours of on-time, blah blah blah. But it’s also a convertible touchscreen tablet that comes with a stylus. And a webcam that rotates 180 degrees. And a spill-resistant keyboard. And drop-resistant shell. You know, stuff that’s nice to have in a computer that you carry around a lot.

You’ll pay more for all of these features, of course: the PeeWee PC costs $600. That’s a premium of about $150 or so from a similarly outfitted MSI Wind (the netbook standard, IMO). But that’s not really that much for the additional durability and touchscreen… As long as you can handle using a laptop that probably says “PeeWee” on it in a few places.

[ PeeWee PC ] VIA [ Engadget ]

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

When most people think about PC gaming, they envision a sweet desktop with the latest and greatest components. However, not everyone chooses to go the desktop route. Unfortunately for those that do go with a laptop, heat becomes a major issue. There’s nothing quite like having your game interrupted because your computer shut down to prevent overheating. There are quite a few different solutions on the market today, but I’m going to show you the Cryo LX Notebook Cooler from NZXT.

The last time we took a look at something from NZXT we were impressed, so I had high hopes when I dug into this Cryo LX cooler. If I were to judge this simply based on weight, it would definitely win an award. It’s made from solid aluminum, so the weight doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. You certainly don’t have to worry about it moving around on you while you’re gaming. Surprisingly it does fold up partially to make it easier for transporting.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Evan Ackerman

Who really cares about a laptop with a bigger screen or more horsepower or an SSD or 4G or WiMax when you could have a laptop with an integrated make up kit and nail printer and a screen that turns into a mirror at the push of a button? Because that’s what girls want, right? Right? Hmm, maybe we need a female writer on staff or something, because I suddenly feel like I’ve dug myself into a pretty deep hole here. Just keep in mind that these HP laptop concepts were designed by a guy in Russia named Nikita Buyanov and not me… A couple more, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

By Evan Ackerman

Maybe it’s unfair of me to say that this Microsoft laptop cooling pad from Microsoft is mediocre. But I don’t know, I guess I kind of expected that if Microsoft were to come up with a laptop cooling pad, it would be somehow notable or significant, and as far as I can tell, this isn’t. It’s 1.16 inches thick, and it’s got a single USB powered fan.

And it has a cable management clip.

And it’s kind of curvy, I suppose.

It’s available in black or white (to match your MacBook), for $30 in July.

VIA [ Engadget ]

By Andrew Liszewski

This seems like an obvious upgrade now that the U.S. and eventually Canada are converting to DTV broadcasts, but Intel is apparently the first company to develop a balanced antenna for digital TV that can be embedded inside a laptop. So down the line if you find yourself stuck in an airport or anywhere without a wireless internet connection, you’ll at least be able to enjoy the boob tube (can we still call it that with tube-less flat screen displays?) without the need for an annoying external TV antenna.

[ Innovation@Intel - World's First Embedded Balanced Antenna for Digital TV on Your Laptop ] VIA [ SlashGear ]

By Evan Ackerman

The MSI Wind U100 is a pretty decent netbook the best netbook EVAR. In fact, I’m typing this entry on one right now, can you tell? MSI has been pretty good about providing substantive software upgrades, and now it looks like there are some hardware enhancements on the way in the next generation of the U100 series, although they’ll be just about identical from the outside.

The U100 Plus will have an extra gig of RAM for 2 gigs total, although it’s unclear whether they’re just going to be filling the empty RAM slot found on the original U100. Also, the processor gets a small bump to the 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280, with an Intel Intel 945GSE graphics chipset.

Specs on the U110 ECO, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

By Evan Ackerman

It’s unclear where exactly the line between netbook and small laptop is, but the Mouse computer LB-F1500W certainly blurs it by including an optical drive. Not just a CD drive, either… They’ve crammed a DVD burner in there. The rest of the specs are fairly bland, including a 1.6 GHz Atom, a gig of ram, a 160 gig HD, 10.2″ 1024 x 600 display, and Windows XP Home.

Is this a useful feature to have on a netbook? I have my doubts. There are certainly specific instances where having an optical drive comes in handy, but is it something that’s necessary to a computer that’s designed to be (generally) minimalist and efficient? It would be nice for, say, being able to watch a DVD while on the plane or something. But I’m sure battery life takes a pretty significant hit and the computer has got to weigh more and have a larger case, all things that netbooks were designed specifically to avoid. A much better solution would be to just get a little external USB powered DVD drive to have when you want it… And even with that, you’ll still probably be saving money over the $729 price of the LB-F1500W if you get yourself something better. Like, oh, I don’t know, maybe an MSI Wind?

VIA [ CrunchGear ]