We’ve gotten a ton of info on the MSI Wind, but so far pricing details have been a closely-guarded secret. Good thing we’ve got wonder-importers Expansys to help us out, though — they’ve just listed the Wind at the pretty decent price of $610. That’s not bad for a 10-inch screen, 1.6Ghz processor (supposedly an Atom), 1GB of RAM, an 80GB disk and XP, but let’s hope things get even cheaper when this thing hits the US for real.
Watch out, battery-powered MAVs — your viability could be seriously in danger. Based on a patent application from University of Florida aerospace engineer Subrata Roy, he’s reckoning that a micro air vehicle could be propelled by plasma. Scientists have known that passing a current or magnetic field through a conducting fluid generates a force, but exploiting it for use in moving an aircraft has proven futile thus far. The phenomenon, simply known as magnetohydrodynamics, has typically been tested on larger crafts, but Mr. Roy’s invention would boast a wingspan of less than 15-centimeters and resemble a flying saucer more so than a 747. Of course, this fantastic idea has yet to become much more than just that, but for armed forces and entities obsessed with surveillance, this could undoubtedly be big.
Water resistance treadmills has gone up another notch, but this time the beneficiaries won’t be humans but dogs. It makes me wonder whether dogs aren’t getting enough exercise these days, considering us humans ourselves are suffering from an obese epidemic in developed countries. Most of the time, fat people tend to rear fat dogs, and the same applies for fit and trim folks who love bringing their pets out with them for funs. Guess the water resistance treadmill for dogs is a shortcut to a healthy and happy dog.
Dogs are smart animals, so it makes sense that their technological counterparts carry some semblance of intelligence as well like how the USB Smart Dog Hub is. It comes with a rectangular-shaped head which can be detached (creepy!), providing you with an instant portable radio complete with auto-scan capability from 88MHz to 108MHz. Connecting it back to its body will turn it into a computer speaker (albeit a lousy one) as well. There are two USB 2.0 ports on each side of this digital pooch. The USB Smart Dog Hub will retail for $19.15.
Don’t be too smug that your car has just been outfitted with the latest GPS navigation system - chances are, the Geek Scooter you see here has more tech inside of it than you think.
Really, QSTARZ? You’ve actually had independent testers confirm that your BT-Q818 eXtreme is the most powerful GPS receiver on the entire planet? We’re guessing not, but for what it’s worth, the second incarnation of the BT-Q818 features 51-channel tracking, 32-hours of navigation time, -158dBm sensitivity, USB connectivity, built-in Bluetooth, adjustable 1 to 5Hz update rate and a 36-second signal acquisition time (when cold). Sounds pretty run-of-the-mill from here, but QSTARZ wouldn’t fib about this thing’s world ranking, now would it?
HP’s Mini-Note 2133 is due to get all-new Windows XP configurations this month, and it looks like early pricing details are starting to leak out. If the numbers are accurate, a base 1.2GHz rig with 1GB of RAM and a 120GB disk will run you $729, and bumping things up to 1.6GHz, 2GB of RAM and a 160GB disk will set you back $819. That’s pretty steep — but remember, early pricing info on the currently-available models was a tiny bit off, so these numbers could change when these hit sometime next week.
When it comes to laptop bags and cases, there are traditional-style ones, modern ones and downright unusual ones… we can’t decide which to put the new BUILT Laptop Backpack into. It’s almost a traditional rucksack, made out of fancy water- and stain-resistant neoprene, but it’s shaped to hug your back like a half a bullet-proof vest. An image helped by the fact that it’s available in Police black or Army green. It does look kinda comfy, and it’s got three pockets: for 12-inch to 17-inch laptops, accessories, and whatever fits in the shoulder one. Available now, in two sizes, for $80. [BUILT via Be Sportier]
Diamond Simulation has a new generation of flight simulators that fall under the wings (no pun intended) of D-SIM-NG. These simulators will comprise of newer and more powerful P2/P3 software, a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit, the Tropos 1000 visual system and the True Environment ATC simulation program. The Tropos holds the distinction of being the only image generator developed using off-the-shelf graphic processors that is able to generate runway lighting realistically. This won’t be available to the masses as it will probably be way out of the average household’s budget, but it makes me sleep better knowing that folks trained to fly planes are given the very best equipment possible.
We’ve gotten a ton of info on the MSI Wind, but so far pricing details have been a closely-guarded secret. Good thing we’ve got wonder-importers Expansys to help us out, though — they’ve just listed the Wind at the pretty decent price of $610. That’s not bad for a 10-inch screen, 1.6Ghz processor (supposedly an Atom), 1GB of RAM, an 80GB disk and XP, but let’s hope things get even cheaper when this thing hits the US for real.
When it comes to laptop bags and cases, there are 