Gadget Report [Digital Gear: Wi-Fi Extenders and More - 08/11/2005]
- From: Ablang <HilaryDuffPerfectGirl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 23:01:48 -0700
August 11th, 2005
Digital Gear: Wi-Fi Extenders and More
Agam Shah
IDG News Service
Looking for a way to improve the reach of your home network? Two new
options could solve the problem: Hawking Technologies' Wireless-G
Range Extender, a wireless network signal repeater; and IOGear's
Powerline Networking Kit, which uses power lines to connect networks.
Also this month: A blank keyboard for touch typists, a high-tech
health aide, cases to protect Apple IPods, and a couple of new
Logitech mice.
Das Keyboard
The labels on keys distracted bergeek Daniel Guermeur so much that he
created Das Keyboard, a keyboard with unlabeled keys. Using his blank
keyboard, Guermeur not only typed faster but also made fewer typing
errors. Now he's taken his blank keyboard to the world at large--or
rather, to touch typists who don't need labels to know which key
they're hitting.
This is definitely "not your typical keyboard," says Guermeur, chief
executive officer of Metadot. Generic QWERTY keyboards need the same
55 grams of finger weight to recognize any keystroke; Das Keyboard's
keys require any of five different levels of force, depending on which
finger is likely to touch a given key. Q, A, and Z can register a
keystroke when pressed lightly by a pinky finger, while a thumb can
hit the space bar like a hammer, he says. "The result is more comfort
for your hands," he says.
The Das Keyboard costs $80 and can be bought at the Das Keyboard Web
site:
http://www.daskeyboard.com/
BodyMedia Bodybugg
Those looking to stay in shape will want to consider using the
Bodybugg, from Apex Fitness Group and BodyMedia:
http://www.bodybugg.com/faq.html
This gadget wraps around the upper arm and continuously collects
information on how many calories are being consumed and burned.
BodyMedia spokesperson Joshua Silverman says the Bodybugg is better at
collecting and analyzing data than pedometers and heart-rate monitors
because it uses more sensors to determine how many calories a body
burns. Four sensors measure calories burned by combining data about
body movement, skin temperature, skin conductivity, and heat
generation. The sensors can also use that collected data to calculate
a body's glucose levels, weight, and blood pressure, he says.
BodyMedia, which makes the algorithms that analyze the data, claims a
92 percent data accuracy rate for the results of its calculations.
Data from the Bodybugg can be transmitted to a database on a computer
using wireless radio technology, or through a USB port, according to
Astro Teller, chief executive officer at BodyMedia. The database,
called Dashboard, displays how many calories a user consumes and
burns. Additional features, including customized meal plans, exercise
calculators, and nutrition information, assist in creating plans for
controlling calorie consumption and weight loss. Dashboard helps users
to meet their goals for losing weight and maintaining a healthy body,
and can also help fitness trainers track their clients' progress and
develop new workout regimes for them, he says.
"We want people to take charge of their own weight," Teller says. The
$300 Bodybugg is sold primarily through health clubs, which determine
pricing for additional packages that may include fitness training.
A $500 package typically includes the Bodybugg, eight weeks of
training with a fitness trainer, some online and phone coaching, and a
one-year license to the database, says Silverman.
Wireless G Extender
A good way to boost a wireless network's reach is through Hawking
Technologies' Wireless-G Range Extender (model HWUR54G), an 802.11b/g
wireless access point and signal repeater. The product receives a
wireless signal from a conventional 802.11b/g Wi-Fi access point and
retransmits it, doubling the range of the original signal. In an open
environment with no walls or interference it can extend a wireless
signal by up to 1000 feet, says Hawking spokesperson Jason Owen.
The Wireless-G Range Extender is compatible with products based on all
802.11g chip sets, Owen says. The $99 repeater is available at
Hawking's Web site:
http://www.hawkingtech.com/prodSpec.php?ProdID=239
Network via Power Lines
You can extend a home network through power lines using IOGear's
Powerline Networking Kit. The kit comes with two adapters that plug
into conventional electrical power outlets to communicate over the
electrical wiring in your home or small office.
The adapters come with cables that connect them to Ethernet ports.
Typically you connect one adapter to a free Ethernet port on your
broadband router and the other adapter to the Ethernet port of a
computer you wish to connect to the network. Because you cannot
dispense completely with cables, this kit isn't great for notebook
users seeking mobility, but it is very well suited for desktop PCs
that have problems catching a wireless signal.
The adapters, which are compliant with the HomePlug 1.0 power line
specification, offer up to 14 megabits per second in bandwidth and a
range of up to 990 feet. However, the adapters may not work on the
power strips with noise filters usually used by audiophiles. IOGear
sells the kit on its Web site for $99:
http://www.iogear.com/main.php?loc=product&Item=GHPB32W4
Save the IPod
Clumsy folks who risk damaging their Apple IPod media player by
dropping it should take a look at two new Targus cases that the
company says can spare an IPod from wear and tear and thereby increase
its useful life.
Targus's Slide Case is well-equipped with safety features, including a
screen protector that keeps the display from scratching.
While the Flip Case doesn't come with a screen protector, it provides
better access to IPod controllers, which makes it easier to use on the
road than the Slide Case.
Both cases are lightweight, made of leather, and clip onto a belt.
They're well worth $30 for those looking to safeguard their IPod.
These cases accommodate all IPod models except the Shuffle.
As part of its new line of IPod accessories, Targus has also
introduced the $50 RemoteTunes remote control. It comes with an RF
receiver that plugs into the top of the IPod and receives commands
from the tiny remote control. RemoteTunes is handy for users who
travel with their IPods and wish to increase or decrease volume and/or
fast forward or pause a song without having to remove the player from
a bag, says Michael Greco, director of marketing at Targus.
The cases and remote control will start shipping in July and will be
available at retailers across the U.S.
Need a Mini Mouse?
Battery life and management are the focus of Logitech's new V200
Cordless and Cordless Mini Optical mice.
The $30 Cordless Mini Optical has an indicator on top of the mouse
that blinks or turns red if its battery runs low. It can operate for a
year on a single AA battery, says Kate Brinks, a Logitech
spokesperson. The mouse communicates with a receiver plugged into a
computer's USB port; when not in use, the receiver can be slipped into
the bottom of the mouse. The mouse lives up to its name--it's
small--and is a low-cost way for notebook users to upgrade from a
touchpad, Brinks says.
While the Mini is targeted at style-conscious folks, the V200 Cordless
mouse is for people who need a better grip and more precision while
tracking, Brinks says. The $40 V200 Cordless doesn't offer all the
cool features of its upscale sibling, the $70 V500 mouse (the V500 is
less bulky, for example), but the V200 handles batteries better: You
can replace them by sliding off the top panel. The V200 Cordless can
accommodate two AA batteries, but can function with only one should
the second lose its charge.
Both mice come with batteries and are compatible with both Windows and
the Mac OS.
Have a question or comment? Write to Agam Shah:
digitalgear*pcworld.com
Read Agam Shah's regularly published "Digital Gear" columns:
http://www.pcworld.com/resource/columnist/0,colid,30,tk,gr,00.asp
===
"In a world where more than 10 million americans live with cancer -- we believe unity is strength, knowledge is power, and attitude is everything!"
-- Livestrong, by Lance Armstrong
.
- Prev by Date: Re: System for running Star Wars Knights of the old Republic
- Next by Date: Netfinity Help
- Previous by thread: IBM 256MB USB Storage Drive
- Next by thread: Netfinity Help
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
Loading
