Gadzooki

A wireless dilemma

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wireless.jpgI recently bought a wireless keyboard and mouse combo set because I wanted to unclutter my work desk. There are just too many wires snaking in and out of my PC that I’m already endangering my pet dog’s life. I thought that by removing at least two cables from my PC it will be result in a slightly more organized mess. And hey, who doesn’t want to have a cool wireless device on their desk?

I bought a relatively cheap A4tech R7 set and proceeded to install the drivers on my PC. I have to admit I loved the freedom that a wireless keyboard brings. For one, I can type even when my feet are propped up on the side of my desk (my ankles swell if I sit down for a long time) and the mouse, unshackled from wires, meant that I can use any surface as a mousepad.  Everything went great for the next two weeks. It was on the third week that I started encountering problems.

First, I discovered that my keyboard does not work anymore on the dual boot screen, which is on the DOS level. I couldn’t solve the problem so I just attached my old keyboard for making the OS choices. Then I noticed that my mouse began to act very sluggishly. Sometimes the problem was intermittent but soon it worsened so that from the initial boot up it was already sluggish. I replaced the batteries twice, reconnected the connection with the RF unit to no avail. The final complication that happened was when I booted up my PC and discovered that my keyboard was also not responding like it used to. It was slow to respond to key presses. I tried everything I could think of and even tried consulting online articles on wireless input devices. Nothing worked. It dawned on me that there may be some interference at my house that I couldn’t pinpoint.

Frustrated and at my wits’ end trying to solve the problem I finally made a crucial decision… I unplugged the RF unit, removed the batteries on the keyboard and mouse, replaced it in its box, took out my old optical mouse and attached it to my PC.

I’m now back to where I started — using a wired keyboard and mouse. My desk may look cluttered but at least I can actually get some work done.

[tags]wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, A4Tech[/tags]

iMac Aluminum revealed

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One of the things that I admire about Apple is that they never fail to release products that make you go “I want to buy that NOW!” I blame the near diabolical mind of Jonathan Ive and his team of industrial designers for consistently coming out with such mindblowing designs that make you want to whip out your credit card even without knowing the specs of the damn thing.

That tradition of giving us the WOW factor is still very alive when the company officially revealed the iMac Aluminum, ending months of speculation and rumors about the product.

The iMac aluminum comes in a, you guessed it, brushed aluminum finish and is as svelte as svelte can be. The unit, which will come in both 20″ and 24″ models, is one of the thinnest desktop computers in the market. I was quite awed by how thin they had managed to make this new iMac. It is so thin that I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of innovative heat dissipation methods they have used for this new iMac.

The iMac Aluminum will ship with an Intel Core2Duo processor, built in WiFi and camera, ATI Radeon graphics chip, and will also be bundled with iLife ’08. Oh, and to make the iMac more attractive and functional, it will come with an Apple Remote (it is a multimedia entertainment center!) and a newly redesigned Apple keyboard with an anodized aluminum enclosure and low profile keys that amps the cool factor. The iMac Aluminum will be priced at $1199, which makes it within reach of those impulse buyers at the mall.

[tags]Apple, iMac Aluminum, Intel[/tags]

Google Phone hits stride

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Google may arguably be the most popular and most profitable search engine on the planet but that is not stopping the company’s think tanks from continuing to push the envelope as far as product development and innovation is concerned. After Google’s successful series of add ons, services and feature sets, the company is now settting its sights on hardware. Enter the Google phone!

According to announcements made a couple of weeks ago, Google seems to be getting its stride as far as development of the G-Phone is concerned. After years of delay, the company has finally found a manufacturer for the phone, and it’s none other than Taiwan based smartphone maker High Tech Computer (HTC). The company itself has made a name for itself for offering smart phones using Windows Mobile that have very attractive pricepoints and features. At this point, no company has yet been identified who will supply the Linux based operating system for Google’s phone.

Some of the other details surrounding the G-Phone that were released last week include:

  • a large screen with a QWERTY keypad
  • A succeeding model will use a Qualcomm chipset
  • Call minutes as well as text message will be funded through mobile advertising
  • T-Mobile is the selected carrier in the US, while Orange may be used in other countries

It will be quite interesting to see how the mobile phone landscape will change with the entry of both Apple and Google in the arena.
[tags]Google, Google Phone, G-Phone, Qualcomm, HTC[/tags]

Wii Fit aims to make you sweat

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I’ve been working at home for the better part of a decade now. A lot of my friends tell me that they envy the fact that I can earn money while staying at home. They then cite all of the attendant benefits of telecommuting. I have to agree it does sound like a good setup, except for one glaring, undeniable downside to this whole gig. I have gotten FAT. Working at home means the most strenuous exercise you will probably get is that short walk to the fridge or the bathroom. I have so much work that going to the gym is not even an option.

That’s why I think the Nintendo Wii is such a godsend for us work at home drones. What better way to shed those pounds than play an actual “game” on your TV with a machine that actually prevents you from just sitting down? Great, eh?

Well, Nintendo does see some potential in the Wii as an actual fitness aide and they are reinforcing it with the announcement of the Wii Fit. This is a new game title, ok, exercise game that lets you do various exercises and physical mini games while monitoring your BMI (that’s body mass index for those who’ve never even seen the inside of a gym).

The Wii Fit will be used in tandem with a new peripheral, the Wii Balance Board that will detect how your weight shifts in response to the commands being issued on screen. The Wii Fit is scheduled for release in Japan at the latter part of the year and will have its US debut during the first or second quarter of 2008.

Until then, I’ll just need to diet and walk up and down the stairs.