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Gadgets

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MP3 Miffy

MP3 Miffy fits right to the cute accessories office culture I see in my visits in Asia. It has all the right elements, identifiable character, primary colors, and last and least utility. Miffy comes with a docking cradle with a built in speaker. A perfect fit for USB Tulips.

MP3 Miffy @ mobiBlu

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USB Tulips

Turn your desk into a plastic flower garden. Cute and fun. Use it with the AC Adapter MIDORI for the full garden effect.

USB tulip hub. Via swiss-miss.

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Buffalo's Tiny Wireless Dongle

It's actually a challenge to find devices these without some sort of built-in wireless capability but if you are looking to give a new lease on life to an older laptop this tiny wifi dongle might just be what you need. I've got a couple desktops in my house which could use it, one came without a wireless card and the other's failed. The Buffalo WLI-UC-GN 802.11b/g/n dongle's dimensions are 16x33x8mm and will run about $24 when released sometime next month in Japan. Via Engadget.

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Palm pre

Palm has invoked some excitement around their product catalogue again and with the Pre has piqued my interest more than another other smartphone, sans iphone, recently introduced. I have my doubts on whether we will ever see this in Asia, and without 3G it would be a no go. The iPhone has all the buzz and HTC a strong local following, at least within the circles I follow.

If you haven't been following the post CES launch buzz the Palm Pre is a new smartphone that features Palm's new touch-based webOS. It boasts a 3.1-inch touch screen with a gesture bar below, a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 8GB of storage, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/GPS, and a 3-megapixel camera with flash. I think one of the interesting things about this phone is just how central a role the internet plays in the operating system. The way it pulls data from various web services, and melds it into its own framework is very promising. Apple and Android do the same to a degree, but with only there own proprietary networks. I do wonder why we would expect these web apps. to be any better than web apps. optimised for the iPhone, a strategy that directed allot of criticism towards Apple.

Watch a pre UI demo here and find more info. here.

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Bluetooth Webcam for Mac

This looks very promising, a small webcam for the Mac that 'just works' (df). The BT-1 frees Mac users from the constraints of a built-in camera, allowing for maximum versatility in camera position, pan and tilt. The included flexible mini-tripod makes for easy desktop mounting. This will be allot of fun.

More info. here.

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SanDisk Ultra Back-Up Flash Drive

Looks like an ideal mobile back-up device.

With no cables required, or any complicated software to install, the new SanDisk Ultra Backup USB flash drive is a complete backup solution that provides an incredibly easy way to protect digital files. It uses patent-pending backup technology with capacities up to 64GB, large enough to back up average consumer requirements, as well as critical small business files and documents. In addition to one's digital personal life, these products protect critical work files with a dual layer of both password protection and AES hardware encryption.

The entire new SanDisk USB family introduces an iconic new design language developed by global innovation firm frog design.

More info. here and here. Via IDAsia.

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Never get lost again

The Bushnell Backtrack performs one simple task. You enter in a starting point (it accepts up to three) by pushing a button and the Backtrack will guide you back to it later. Very useful for locating your car in a vast mall parking lot or if like me useful for getting back on track when doing some serious urban exploring. Sure I may have a fancy mobile phone with gps but many times a simple device like this works far better.

More info at Bushnell Outdoor Products.

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CurrenKey

Storage (and bandwidth) is the new currency. I like the playfulness of this otherwise common accessory. LaCie and 5.5 Designers have injected some fun in something otherwise very banal. It's usb interface is revealed by a simple twist. I like it.

Though not nearly as interesting, if 8 gb of storage is too little for you, you might want to check out the newly introduced 64 gb flashdrive from Kingston.

LaCie CurrenKey USB Flash Drive

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RichardSolo 1800 for iPhone

If you are someone who finds it hard to get through the day without charging your iPhone you might consider the RichardSolo 1800 external back-up battery. Even my Nokia N78 with it's tiny display needs to be charged when I start using gps, music, and the camera through-out the day.

This new model has an 1800 mAh capacity and is latched firmly onto the iPhone using a specially designed mechanism. 1800 mAh is enough to completely recharge your iPhone. The RichardSolo 1800 is also compatible with the iPod touch and all other iPod devices except shuffle. The included LED flashlight and laser pointer are a nice added bonus.

Looks like a must buy for heavy users. More information here.

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PIP*PHONE & Base with Bluetooth

This PIP Phone allows wire-free calling with MAC, PC and mobile phones. The design is sleek, full of personality, with a simple form and feel. It's size makes it a good choice when traveling with your laptop. $185.00US

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Xtremely Bright Light

Don't mind the name left over from the 'X' branding madness, this poorly photographed emergency clip light is useful and a worthy addition to your go bag. It's 1 inch x 1 inch and costs $8.00US.

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Yubz USB Skype Phones

These aren't new but they are interesting in that they focus on what feels and works well. I doubt replicating the quality of the original analogue phones that these phones have as a source of inspiration was their original intent but they are designed to be ergonomic and user friendly. I think products like these are a statement that not all new forms are an improvement.

The Yubz talk online series works without the need for a software install, comes in 4 vivid colors (Jet black, Alpine White, Russian Red, Lemon Yellow) and works with either a PC or a MAC. The focus of the product would be software like Skype but I assume it would work with most voip software.

Link.

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Thomson VOIP phone

Thomson Symbio DECT VoIP phone combines the functions of a wireless VoIP phone and an Internet radio in one somewhat attractive device. It certainly would match last years iMac aesthetic (inspiration always follows late). I like devices like this for short conversations as I always feel somewhat odd wearing my headset all the time. There’s a small LCD screen in the body in order to view contact, VoIP network info, Internet radio information, and your RSS feeds. The ability to play HiFi ringtones would no doubt fill an already jingle filled office environment with yet more annoying sounds. Good device for those days you might be strapped to the desk. More pictures after the jump.
Link.

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LaCie Little Disk

This portable HD designed by Sam Hecht for LaCie looks really great and it's super small. They say it's the size of lighter but being a non-smoker I'll have to take their word for it. Available in 30 & 40GB sizes. It's a platter and not solid state.

Ever notice how horrid all these 'designed' external hard drives look together when you purchase them over time? I've got a whole history of case aesthetics pilling up beside me here at the home office.

LaCie Little Disk

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