Oh! Gizmo

By Luke Anderson

Asus made waves when they launched their tiny (and cheap) Eee PC. Who could resist such a light and mobile laptop for as little as $299? Naturally with the response that was generated, other miniature mobiles would be announced. The first one to make it to the market will be the CloudBook from Everex, which is due to hit stores February 15. What’s interesting is that even with the release still a few days away, Everex is already talking about future revisions.

The $399 machine already has the potential to knock down the Eee PC as the reigning champ of the low-cost laptops with features like a 30GB hard drive, digital video out, high quality webcam and memory card reader. However, Everex is looking to really pull ahead with options like solid state drives, touch screens and a variety of colors sometime after launch. There is even talk about larger screens, all the way up to 22 inches.

The CloudBook will be hitting your local Walmart stores next Friday for just $399. I’m curious to see just how it stacks up against the Eee PC.

[ Everex ] VIA [ Laptopmag ]

By Luke Anderson

Do you ever have issues fitting all of your gear into your gadget bag? I tend to carry more than I probably should, so I’m constantly searching for smaller gadgets to take with me. This inflateable mouse has to be one of the most bizarre devices made to keep your travel bag light.

The idea is that you can still have a full sized mouse when you need it, but have it only take up minimal space. When it’s deflated, you can just stick it under the lid of your laptop and you’re good to go. Of course on the flip side, you’ll be the butt of jokes everywhere as you blow up your mouse. I’m sure there are some people out there that would find this interesting to use, but I’d certainly pass.

VIA [ Yanko ]

By Luke Anderson

When you travel, how many gadgets would you say that you take with you? For me it just depends on where I’m going, but I always have my laptop, Nintendo DS, camera and phone, all four of which need power at some point or another. When I’m staying at a hotel room, there are usually only two outlets at most that are next to each other, which means that I have to go across the room to plug something in. This is why I could use a small power strip to carry around, and Monster has the best one I’ve seen.

Just look at it, it’s the perfect size to throw in your bag, and it gives you that one precious outlet that you always seem to need. You can pick one of these up for just $15, not too shabby.

[ Monster ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Luke Anderson

SD cards are becoming more and more useful every day. I loved them back in the day because I could swap out cards between my camera and PDA (yes, I carried a PDA). Later my phone used a miniSD card, which with an adapter also worked with my (newer) camera. Not too long ago we saw the release of the Eye-Fi, which was an SD card that gave your digital camera a wireless connection which you could use to transfer images. Now we have the miniSD Bluetooth GPS unit.

I never really thought that an SD card could pack in a Bluetooth and GPS chip, but Spectec has gone a step further and crammed it all into a miniSD card. This little adapter can plug into your handheld device, which will then use a certain set of drivers to communicate with the GPS. If your device doesn’t happen to have those drivers, you’re still in luck. The card will use its Bluetooth connection to talk to your device and transmit the GPS signal. No word yet on pricing or availability.

[ Spectec ] VIA [ Gearlog ]

By Luke Anderson

All too often we see companies trying to blend a multitude of functions into one gadget. The end result is generally something rather hideous that can’t do anything very well. So naturally it’s rather refreshing when I come across a device that combines several things into one. This SlimBlade Mouse from Kensington is a perfect example.

Many people give Powerpoint presentations from their laptop, so it’s only natural to have a mouse that also serves as your presentation remote and laser pointer. It’s even smart enough to power off whenever your laptop goes to sleep. How cool is that? You’ll have to pony up a little extra for this notebook mouse, however the $79 price tag is well worth it.

[ Kensington ] VIA [ EverythingUSB ]

By Luke Anderson

Many newer phones take advantage of the small size and large capacity of microSD and microSDHC cards. Since they are so cheap, you don’t generally use up all of the storage space with your cool ringtones and random pictures from your camera phone. If you’d like to take advantage of all of the extra space on your card, you might consider one of these tiny USB keys.

The keys are about as small as they can possibly be. They weigh only 0.82 grams and measure 28×15x2.5mm. Personally, I have a 2GB card that I got on sale, and I barely use a quarter of the space. I’d love to be able to plug it into one of these whenever I needed to copy over a few files. There’s no word on pricing or availability, but I wouldn’t imagine that these would cost more than a few dollars.

VIA [ Akihabaranews ]

By Luke Anderson

I’m not what you’d call a paranoid guy. Sure, there are things I worry about, but I generally don’t buy into most conspiracy theories. That’s why I’ve never really worried about the government activating my cell phone and listening into my conversations. However, I do know a few people that are convinced that someone is “out to get them.” This gadget is for those sorts of people.

The Black Hole Phone Bag is a simple pouch that completely blocks all incoming and outgoing transmissions from your mobile phone. I’m pretty much content with just turning off my phone. If I’m meeting my friends in the mob to arrange the purchase of bootleg DVDs on the black market, I’ll even go as far as to take out the battery. If you’re in need of an extra layer of protection, you can pick up one of these for just $12.

[Brando] VIA [CrunchGear]

By Luke Anderson

I do a lot of writing, and a lot of traveling. Consequently, I spend a great deal of time writing from my laptop. I’ve grown accustomed to using my laptop keyboard, but it’s just not the same as typing on a full-sized one. That’s why I’m excited about the Matias Folding Keyboard which has the feel of a full keyboard, yet can fit inside your laptop case.

This keyboard is one of the few that I’ve seen which unfolds to give you the same look and feel as the one sitting on your desk at home. Aside from its relatively small size, the greatest feature is the inclusion of a number pad, which is essential to anyone that does a lot of data entry. You can pick one of these up for just $59.

[Matias] VIA [Crave]

By Luke Anderson

I have a number of gadgets that can charge via USB. This is convenient when I’m on the road because I can just pack couple of USB cables, rather than several bulky AC adapters. Unfortunately, if I want to charge these devices overnight, I have to leave my laptop running. That’s why these little Brighton Bi-Plugs caught my eye. They’re very simple and straight-forward, one end plugs into the wall, the other has a female USB port. Just toss one of these in your bag and you’ll be good to go. These will go on sale November 28th for an undisclosed price.

[Brightonnet] VIA [AkihabaraNews]