The power house of external drives, LaCie (pronounced Lacy), has turned over a new leaf into speaker market. They have developed the first FireWire speakers. The use of the FireWire functions under the power of your computer, thus eliminates the use of having an AC adapter and internal batteries.  FireWire connection emits a faster and better quality sound over the slow speed of a USB connection. These speakers use FireWire 400 with a 8-watt minimum audio output and eliminates clutter on your desk.

These speakers show a little personality to the retro ways of 1960s and Austin Powers. So I give this product a "Yea baby!".  Neil Poulton was the designer of the sleek black & white design.

Although, if you don’t want use these speakers on your computer, you can use them on your iPod. In this case you will have to buy an AC adapter separately to power the speakers.
The speakers are currently on pre order for $99. 
Nick

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If you already own a Nintendo Wii or if you’re sure you are going to be the winner of our BIG TechieDiva.com Wii giveaway, then you’ll LOVE this new gadget.

Thanko in Japan normally focuses on USB gadgets and now they have a USB remote control charger for the Nintendo Wii.  The charger comes with a USB cradle and also a Wiimote battery cover that also has a special nickel battery attached. 

Simply switch the Wiimote battery cover with this cover and with the special cover having contact terminals at the back, similar to a cordless phone, you won’t lose any personalized settings to reset each time you connect.

According to reports, batteries charge completely in 3.5 hours and provide up to 25 hours of gameplay.  This works with a PC or a MAC and has cool blue LED lights to indicate charging times.  Also reported, the new battery is much lighter compared to 2 AA batteries.  This is on sale in Japan, selling a set of two for around $53 and one single unit for only around $30.

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Mattel is trying to get ahead of the IM game but I think they are a bit behind.  They have come out with a limited use IM system for children.  I have two children and I’m unsure what benefits this has besides allowing me to leave my child alone while he or she IMs with family.

With this mobile electronic device, the IM-Me is designed to work only within the range of the USB dongle.  This also allows parents to have control over who can be added to the all important list of people who can IM your child.  It’s pink and cute…and that’s probably the best selling point of this device.

Coming in at $65 I’m unsure how quick this well sell, but I wish Mattel luck because I like the basic premise of this gadget.  Safety.

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E-Neccessities has created a Digital Photo Cube that will capture 25-30 digital images and allow you to share them with others.  The screen is 1" and the photos rotate between pictures.

The little box is 2 5/8" square and connects to your computer with a USB 2.0 connection.  Cost is around fifty dollars for this gadget.  It would be more useful in a remote location and I’m assuming you can carry it away from your computer, or what use would it have?  You could just place the photos on your desktop screen saver and save the money.

I suppose it could be useful though and would allow you to share photos in a unique way.  Take a look at it and tell me if you’d spend that amount for this gadget.  I’m curious.

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Not exactly sure where this video originated from, but it’s definitely a cool concept phone by Nokia.

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We’re only a few weeks away from the new daylight-savings time which will begin on Sunday, March 11 at 2 a.m. There’s been a lot of talk of how this affects any scheduled appointments by an hour if you don’t update your mobile phone and computer software. To prevent any problems or missed appointments, check out how you can update  your gear with the available downloadable updates issued for operating systems and mobiles.

• Windows XP
• Windows Mobile
• Microsoft Outlook
• Mac OS X Tiger 10.4 
• Blackberry
• Palm OS: Nothing out yet
• Lotus Notes

Has anyone else come across any other software updates? To find out more about these changes, check out these other posts:

Continue Reading

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Maya Lotan didn’t like dating sites, so she created a social networking site that keeps it mysterious. It will launch soon (maybe March) initiate connections with people in a public space, start annonymous to develop a relationship gradually.

UrbanSeeder is a social networking application

Continue Reading

Popularity: 2% [?]

 Ditch the coupon clipping, and check out Cell Fire.com. This is the first mobile coupon service that provides you with virtual dicount coupons to places like T.G.I.Friday’s, Hollywood Video, and other major brands. It’s a new service so the availibility of major brands is somewhat limited, but if you can save yourself a few bucks on rentals, flowers or restaurants then why not do it. Basically you sign up for the service, and anytime you’re ready to redeem your coupons, you simply launch Cellfire on your phone, select the coupon you want to redeem, and show it to the cashier who will then take the code to approve the discount. You can sign up for the service online or text 22888. The service is available to Cingular and Verizon subscribers.

Popularity: 4% [?]

My grandmother had a genetic eye disease called Macular Degeneration during her lifetime.  This caused her to gradually go blind but still retain her peripheral vision.

I was reading about a new break in science where they are creating a retinal implant for the eye that will help patients with this issue.  The implants take over the cells that are degenerating and convert light into neural signals that are then interpreted by the brain.

Other versions of this device in a simpler mode have been tested in the past in humans, giving them rudimentary vision and a limited ability to detect light (and sometimes they were able to distinguish between simple objects).  USC and other institutions have tested it and one patient claimed to be able to perceive the sensation of players’ in a soccer game as they move by her vision.

This new design, developed by Mark Humayun and others with USC, is created out of a tiny chip that’s dotted with hair-thin electrodes.  When placed in the retina of the patient, the electrodes transmit electrical signals from the chip to the neural cells in the eye, which then follow to the brain.

I’m excited to see where this goes in time and I’ll be watching the news for this new technology.  I know it will help many gain eyesight they are losing and that’s encouraging that our technological world can make changes even in the medical field.

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To follow up on my Backup post, I’d like to recommend software out there that will help you create backups in a flash. One backup product available is Acronis True Image 10.  This product will create an exact image of your computer at the time you back it up, and can also be scheduled to take incremental backups to ensure an ongoing updated backup.

In order to have a full backup you will need either some sort of burner (DVD or CD) or an external drive.  If you want incremental backups an external USB drive is recommended. 

One of the many features of True Image is being able to access individual files from the backup.  This is done without having to restore the whole computer.  It is fairly quick and painless even for the technically challenged user. 

Factory restore cd vs Acronis

Acronis creates an image of your computer, much like a snapshot taken at the time of the backup.  When you run a factory restore, your computer will look very much like it did when you purchased it.  All of your documents, pictures, Itunes, and personal settings such as backgrounds and font changes will be gone.  If you aren’t a computer packrat then you probably would not care.  However, if you’ve accumulated a vast array of those funny videos people send or have customized your computer just the way you like it, you might want to purchase this product. 

You can download a 15 day trial version at www.acronis.com. Please read the FAQ’s for OS’s supported.  The full version can be purchased for 49.99. 

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