USB Warm Gadgets

Giveaway Contest: USB Warm Computer Mouse!

2009-08-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

USB Warm Gadgets come in all shapes and sizes! The ValueRays® Warm Computer Mouse is totally a "hot" item for people who use the computer in a chilly work area or for those who have cold hands when using the computer! It is ergonomically shaped and comfortable to hold. The deep healing infrared heat is soothing for mouse hand aches and pains, too. It's like an infrared heat therapy session for your mouse hand.

To win the above item, visit the ValueRays Warm Mouse Giveaway Blog
To purchase the above item, visit the Sponsor's Website at Warm-Mouse, Heated-Keyboard

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2009-07-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

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USB Review: the USB Hand Warmer

2009-05-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

USB Warm Gadgets are available online at great prices ranging from $20-$30! That's a small price to pay for the cost of not using a proactive approach to computer aches and pains. Overuse of the computer causes Repetitive Strain Injury, Cumulative Trauma Disorder and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Don't get caught in the computer keyboard and mouse-clicking trap. Think ahead.... What are you waiting for? Read more here.....

by Mike Wilson, Associated Content

The USB Hand Warmer is a product that I was lucky enough to find while shopping early last week. USB related products have always been something that greatly interests me. It appears that companies are looking for more ways to create products that have the USB power capability. I found that the USB Hand Warmer was a great product idea. My hands are often a bit too cold during the winter season. This is the direct result of having my computer located near a window. So I decided to purchase two of the USB Hand Warmers and give them a product review. Here is my review of the USB Hand Warmers and what I thought of using them .

The best way to describe the USB Hand Warmer is as a joystick. Looking at the product, you will feel as if it looks like the old style gaming joysticks that you used at the arcade or with your Atari. The shape is created to look like a joystick in order to create firm gripping. It appears that the manufacturer of the product wanted to make sure that you could cover the USB Hand Warmer with your entire hand. The design is well thought out, yet simple at the same time. All you have to do is plug in the device into the USB connector on your PC or laptop and watch the magic happen.

You will quickly notice the USB Hand Warmer warm up. This is because th heat automatically comes out of the device after you plug it in. Simply take the device when it is heated enough and place it in your hand. Grip your hand around the joystick shape and allow it to warm your hands. The device is ideal for those of us who need to warm up our hands several times a day. You might be asking about the ability to use two of them, so you can warm up both of your hands. This is indeed what I wanted to do when I purchased two of the USB Hand Warmers. If you have a computer system that has several USB outlets, go ahead and use more than one at a time. I found that they were incredibly helpful in warming my hands up quickly and allowing me to return back to typing on my computer.

The best thing about the USB Hand Warmers is the price. You might go out to purchase a pair of gloves for use at a price of a little over $20. The USB Hand Warmer will only cost you $10.99 for each hand warmer unit. That is a pretty fair price for a lovely piece of electronics. An added bonus is that I discovered the USB Hand Warmers do not get hot enough to burn you. The heat level that is released by the product is at just the right level. This should help you feel more comfortable when deciding if purchasing the product is right for you. There are not many products on the market that truly excite me, but this product did just that. Visit the link that I attached to find out more about the product.

USB Warm Gadgets on Wholesale Central - HIGH QUALITY - LOW PRICES

2009-04-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

Wholesale Prices for ValueRays

WARM MOUSE - MOUSE HAND WARMER - WARM MOUSE PAD

If you have a store, website, boutique, gift shop and want to resell ValueRays USB Warm Gadgets, look no further. IGMproducts.com in partnership with ValueRays brand is now offering wholesale purchases online. How convenient is that? All you need to do is visit the WARM MOUSE (IGMproducts.com) Wholesale Central Online Store and place an order. It's easy and simple. And, you can do it without completing any applications or making any phone calls! Just shop online whenever you have time!

Minimum purchase is required for wholesale orders and the profit margin is excellent for resellers. Buy wholesale from a 15 year online ecommerce veteran, i-GlobalMall.com, Inc.

Questions? Contact IGMproducts today!

How USB Ports Work

2009-04-19T18:54:00.001-07:00

The ValueRays® USB Infrared Heat Mouse Pad includes a 4-Port USB Hub. Available online for $29.95 includes free shipping and no sales tax. Best Deal Online!

by Marshall Brain from How Stuff Works

Just about any computer that you buy today comes with one or more Universal Serial Bus connectors on the back. These USB connectors let you attach everything from mice to printers to your computer quickly and easily. The operating system supports USB as well, so the installation of the device drivers is quick and easy, too. Compared to other ways of connecting devices to your computer (including parallel ports, serial ports and special cards that you install inside the computer's case), USB devices are incredibly simple!

In this article, we will look at USB ports from both a user and a technical standpoint. You will learn why the USB system is so flexible and how it is able to support so many devices so easily -- it's truly an amazing system!

Anyone who has been around computers for more than two or three years knows the problem that the Universal Serial Bus is trying to solve -- in the past, connecting devices to computers has been a real headache!

Printers connected to parallel printer ports, and most computers only came with one. Things like Zip drives, which need a high-speed connection into the computer, would use the parallel port as well, often with limited success and not much speed.

Modems used the serial port, but so did some printers and a variety of odd things like Palm Pilots and digital cameras. Most computers have at most two serial ports, and they are very slow in most cases.

Devices that needed faster connections came with their own cards, which had to fit in a card slot inside the computer's case. Unfortunately, the number of card slots is limited and you needed a Ph.D. to install the software for some of the cards. The goal of USB is to end all of these headaches. The Universal Serial Bus gives you a single, standardized, easy-to-use way to connect up to 127 devices to a computer.

Just about every peripheral made now comes in a USB version. A sample list of USB devices that you can buy today includes:

Printers
Scanners
Mice
Joysticks
Flight yokes
Digital cameras
Webcams
Scientific data acquisition devices
Modems
Speakers
Telephones
Video phones
Storage devices such as Zip drives
Network connections

USB cables and connectors that allow your computer to communicate with these devices.

USB Cables and Connectors
Connecting a USB device to a computer is simple -- you find the USB connector on the back of your machine and plug the USB connector into it.

If it is a new device, the operating system auto-detects it and asks for the driver disk. If the device has already been installed, the computer activates it and starts talking to it. USB devices can be connected and disconnected at any time.

Many USB devices come with their own built-in cable, and the cable has an "A" connection on it. If not, then the device has a socket on it that accepts a USB "B" connector.

The USB standard uses "A" and "B" connectors to avoid confusion:

"A" connectors head "upstream" toward the computer.
"B" connectors head "downstream" and connect to individual devices.
By using different connectors on the upstream and downstream end, it is impossible to ever get confused -- if you connect any USB cable's "B" connector into a device, you know that it will work. Similarly, you can plug any "A" connector into any "A" socket and know that it will work.

USB Hubs
Most computers that you buy today come with one or two USB sockets. With so many USB devices on the market today, you easily run out of sockets very quickly. For example, on the computer that I am typing on right now, I have a USB printer, a USB scanner, a USB Webcam and a USB network connection. My computer has only one USB connector on it, so the obvious question is, "How do you hook up all the devices?"

The easy solution to the problem is to buy an inexpensive USB hub. The USB standard supports up to 127 devices, and USB hubs are a part of the standard.

A hub typically has four new ports, but may have many more. You plug the hub into your computer, and then plug your devices (or other hubs) into the hub. By chaining hubs together, you can build up dozens of available USB ports on a single computer.

Hubs can be powered or unpowered. As you will see on the next page, the USB standard allows for devices to draw their power from their USB connection. Obviously, a high-power device like a printer or scanner will have its own power supply, but low-power devices like mice and digital cameras get their power from the bus in order to simplify them. The power (up to 500 milliamps at 5 volts) comes from the computer. If you have lots of self-powered devices (like printers and scanners), then your hub does not need to be powered -- none of the devices connecting to the hub needs additional power, so the computer can handle it. If you have lots of unpowered devices like mice and cameras, you probably need a powered hub. The hub has its own transformer and it supplies power to the bus so that the devices do not overload the computer's supply.

The USB Process
When the host powers up, it queries all of the devices connected to the bus and assigns each one an address. This process is called enumeration -- devices are also enumerated when they connect to the bus. The host also finds out from each device what type of data transfer it wishes to perform:

Interrupt - A device like a mouse or a keyboard, which will be sending very little data, would choose the interrupt mode.

Bulk - A device like a printer, which receives data in one big packet, uses the bulk transfer mode. A block of data is sent to the printer (in 64-byte chunks) and verified to make sure it is correct.

Isochronous - A streaming device (such as speakers) uses the isochronous mode. Data streams between the device and the host in real-time, and there is no error correction.
The host can also send commands or query parameters with control packets.
As devices are enumerated, the host is keeping track of the total bandwidth that all of the isochronous and interrupt devices are requesting. They can consume up to 90 percent of the 480 Mbps of bandwidth that is available. After 90 percent is used up, the host denies access to any other isochronous or interrupt devices. Control packets and packets for bulk transfers use any bandwidth left over (at least 10 percent).

The Universal Serial Bus divides the available bandwidth into frames, and the host controls the frames. Frames contain 1,500 bytes, and a new frame starts every millisecond. During a frame, isochronous and interrupt devices get a slot so they are guaranteed the bandwidth they need. Bulk and control transfers use whatever space is left. The technical links at the end of the article contain lots of detail if you would like to learn more.

USB Features
The Universal Serial Bus has the following features:

The computer acts as the host.

Up to 127 devices can connect to the host, either directly or by way of USB hubs.

Individual USB cables can run as long as 5 meters; with hubs, devices can be up to 30 meters (six cables' worth) away from the host.

With USB 2.,the bus has a maximum data rate of 480 megabits per second.

A USB cable has two wires for power (+5 volts and ground) and a twisted pair of wires to carry the data.

On the power wires, the computer can supply up to 500 milliamps of power at 5 volts.

Low-power devices (such as mice) can draw their power directly from the bus. High-power devices (such as printers) have their own power supplies and draw minimal power from the bus. Hubs can have their own power supplies to provide power to devices connected to the hub.

USB devices are hot-swappable, meaning you can plug them into the bus and unplug them any time.

Many USB devices can be put to sleep by the host computer when the computer enters a power-saving mode.
The devices connected to a USB port rely on the USB cable to carry power and data.

USB 2.0
The standard for USB version 2.0 was released in April 2000 and serves as an upgrade for USB 1.1.

USB 2.0 (High-speed USB) provides additional bandwidth for multimedia and storage applications and has a data transmission speed 40 times faster than USB 1.1. To allow a smooth transition for both consumers and manufacturers, USB 2.0 has full forward and backward compatibility with original USB devices and works with cables and connectors made for original USB, too.

Supporting three speed modes (1.5, 12 and 480 megabits per second), USB 2.0 supports low-bandwidth devices such as keyboards and mice, as well as high-bandwidth ones like high-resolution Webcams, scanners, printers and high-capacity storage systems. The deployment of USB 2.0 has allowed PC industry leaders to forge ahead with the development of next-generation PC peripherals to complement existing high-performance PCs. The transmission speed of USB 2.0 also facilitates the development of next-generation PCs and applications. In addition to improving functionality and encouraging innovation, USB 2.0 increases the productivity of user applications and allows the user to run multiple PC applications at once or several high-performance peripherals simultaneously.

Geek Gifts for Online Shoppers - What to get the Nerd on your list!

2009-04-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

by Anna Miller, IGMproducts.com

Stumped again because you don't know what to get the geek on your gift-giving shopping list?

There are a few new geek gift ideas to use when the office or home work space has a chilly temperature. The USB heat, warm mouse, heated mouse pad, heated computer keyboard pad and mouse hand warmer blanket are available at low prices online. Plus, online shoppers can search to find websites offering free shipping and no sales tax. Search Google for "warm mouse free shipping" to find the best selection.

The warm mouse plugs into the USB port and generates infrared heat to keep the mouse hand relaxed and warm. The same holds true for the heated mouse pad. The heated mouse pad creates a warm surface to place your mouse hand. The warm products are safe for people and the computer. When using the warm mouse and heated mouse pad inside a mouse hand warmer blanket pouch, a very comfortable warm environment is created for the mouse hand.

Keyboard hands get cold, too. A soft, warm, ergonomic heated computer keyboard pad is placed in front of the keyboard. The USB heat, warm keyboard pad creates a comfortable resting place for arms, hands and wrists. It also generates deep healing infrared heat.

Infrared heat penetrates deeply through the skin's layers to the muscle tissue. USB heat is the rage. Warmth derived from the computer provides a cost-effective and energy-efficient source of heat. USB heat delivered from the geek's computer directly to his/her cold, stiff hand muscles is soothing, relieves tension and stress caused by gripping a computer mouse or typing at the keyboard! Plus, infrared heat can offset the onset of computer-related hand injury.

Do you know how to tell if you live with a computer nerd? It's easy, the computer nerd is continuously using the computer, and is attached to the computer in the other room. A friend once told me, "You can tell if a person is a nerd if he/she checks their email before brushing their teeth in the morning!" I thought that was pretty accurate. So, if you know or live with someone who logs-on prior to brushing, there's a pretty good change he/she is a computer nerd!

Gifts for a geek are always a challenge because there's such a wide variety of gadgets available these days at a wide range of prices and functions. As a suggestion, stick to something practical, cost-effective and energy-efficient. For any holiday season, we enjoy getting and giving items with free shipping and no sales tax.

Most computer addicts don't get enough exercise. They sit for long hours glued to their mouse and keyboard. As the months pass and the temperatures begin to drop, so does the tolerance to the chilled air. In an office or at home, a computer geek's mouse hand and keyboard hands can get very cold. The hands become frigid and fingertips become numb. Aside from any medical condition, like carpal tunnel or Raynaud's with poor circulation problems, the computer addict who spends several hours daily mousing their way through the Internet can experience cold computer hands.

USB warm gadgets are fun geek gifts to give and receive. For more information about the value of using USB infrared heat, visit ValueRays.com or the Learning Center at IGMproducts.com.

Trustwave Security Alert: Conficker Worm Variant C Expected to Attack on April 1, 2009

2009-03-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

We are members of Trustwave. We just received this notice and thought the readers on USB Warm Gadgets would like to know, too....

from Trustwave

As you may have read in various news reports, a variant of the Conficker worm (a computer virus that has been propagating across the Internet) is expected to begin behaving more maliciously on April 1, 2009.

The first variant of the worm was identified in 2008. Once a computer was infected, the worm would contact one or more of 250 URLs to download malicious applications that, among other things, allowed attackers to take control of the infected system or steal confidential data. A number of organizations took action in early 2009 to bar those particular URLs. The new variant of the worm, Conficker C, increases the number of different URLs to 50,000. A review of the worm's code shows that Conficker C will begin contacting those URLs on April 1, 2009.

The worm spreads successfully via un-patched systems, weak passwords or by running automatically when removable media such as a USB drive is attached to a computer.

The best way to prevent infection or the repercussions of infection is to ensure that your systems' patches and anti-virus programs are up-to-date and to disable Windows' AutoRun feature. Visit Microsoft's Malware Protection Center entry about the Conficker worm at http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/Entry.aspx?Name=Worm:Win32/Conficker.a and click on the Prevention tab for more information.

In addition, it's important to note how Trustwave solutions help protect against the worm:

Trustwave's Network Access Control (NAC) solution denies network access to un-patched devices and bars access for devices that exhibit malware-like behavior

Trustwave Unified Threat Management (UTM) service prevents in- and out-bound connections to unknown/illegitimate sources

TrustKeeper® vulnerability scans discover vulnerabilities that may put network devices at risk

TrustKeeper Agent monitors a system's security settings to ensure automatic updates are enabled and notifies administrators if they are disabled

For more information about Trustwave solutions, please visit our Web site at https://www.trustwave.com.

Trustwave periodically issues Security Alerts such as this one to inform customers about threats that may affect their efforts to protect sensitive information, secure their network environment and comply with industry standards and other regulations.

Alaska Living: Cold Hands Not a Problem

2009-03-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

Computer accessories heat to keep a person's hands warm while they are using the computer; a warming mouse, mouse pad, keyboard pad and mouse hand warmer blanket.

The AK cold climate is a perfect place to use USB Heated Computer Accessoriess -- they are an energy-efficient, cost-effective source of heat, and they help prevent the onset of computer-related hand injury.

How Computer Keyboards Work

2009-03-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

by Jeff Tyson and Tracy V. Wilson
from How Stuff Works

When you look at all the extras and options that are available for new computer keyboards, it can be hard to believe that their original design came from mechanical typewriters that didn't even use electricity. Now, you can buy ergonomic keyboards that bear little resemblance to flat, rectangular models with ordinary square keys. Some flashier models light up, roll up or fold up, and others offer options for programming your own commands and shortcuts.

But no matter how many bells and whistles they offer, most keyboards operate using similar technology. They use switches and circuits to translate a person's keystrokes into a signal a computer can understand. In this article we will explore keyboard technology along with different key layouts, options and designs.

Keyboard Basics
A keyboard's primary function is to act as an input device. Using a keyboard, a person can type a document, use keystroke shortcuts, access menus, play games and perform a variety of other tasks. Keyboards can have different keys depending on the manufacturer, the operating system they're designed for, and whether they are attached to a desktop computer or part of a laptop. But for the most part, these keys, also called keycaps, are the same size and shape from keyboard to keyboard. They're also placed at a similar distance from one another in a similar pattern, no matter what language or alphabet the keys represent.
Most keyboards have between 80 and 110 keys, including:

Typing keys
A numeric keypad
Function keys
Control keys

The typing keys include the letters of the alphabet, generally laid out in the same pattern used for typewriters. According to legend, this layout, known as QWERTY for its first six letters, helped keep mechanical typewriters' metal arms from colliding and jamming as people typed. Some people question this story – whether it’s true or not, the QWERTY pattern had long been a standard by the time computer keyboards came around.

Keyboards can also use a variety of other typing key arrangements. The most widely known is Dvorak, named for its creator, August Dvorak. The Dvorak layout places all of the vowels on the left side of the keyboard and the most common consonants on the right. The most commonly used letters are all found along the home row. The home row is the main row where you place your fingers when you begin typing. People who prefer the Dvorak layout say it increases their typing speed and reduces fatigue. Other layouts include ABCDE, XPeRT, QWERTZ and AZERTY. Each is named for the first keys in the pattern. The QWERTZ and AZERTY arrangements are commonly used in Europe.

The numeric keypad is a more recent addition to the computer keyboard. As the use of computers in business environments increased, so did the need for speedy data entry. Since a large part of the data was numbers, a set of 17 keys, arranged in the same configuration found on adding machines and calculators, was added to the keyboard.

In 1986, IBM further extended the basic keyboard with the addition of function and control keys. Applications and operating systems can assign specific commands to the function keys. Control keys provide cursor and screen control. Four arrow keys arranged in an inverted T formation between the typing keys and numeric keypad move the cursor on the screen in small increments.

Other common control keys include:

Home
End
Insert
Delete
Page Up
Page Down
Control (Ctrl)
Alternate (Alt)
Escape (Esc)

The Windows keyboard adds some extra control keys: two Windows or Start keys, and an Application key. Apple keyboards, on the other hand, have Command (also known as "Apple") keys. A keyboard developed for Linux users features Linux-specific hot keys, including one marked with "Tux" the penguin -- the Linux logo/mascot.

Inside the Keyboard
A keyboard is a lot like a miniature computer. It has its own processor and circuitry that carries information to and from that processor. A large part of this circuitry makes up the key matrix.

The key matrix is a grid of circuits underneath the keys. In all keyboards (except for capacitive models, which we'll discuss in the next section), each circuit is broken at a point below each key. When you press a key, it presses a switch, completing the circuit and allowing a tiny amount of current to flow through. The mechanical action of the switch causes some vibration, called bounce, which the processor filters out. If you press and hold a key, the processor recognizes it as the equivalent of pressing a key repeatedly.

When the processor finds a circuit that is closed, it compares the location of that circuit on the key matrix to the character map in its read-only memory (ROM). A character map is basically a comparison chart or lookup table. It tells the processor the position of each key in the matrix and what each keystroke or combination of keystrokes represents. For example, the character map lets the processor know that pressing the a key by itself corresponds to a small letter "a," but the Shift and a keys pressed together correspond to a capital "A."

A computer can also use separate character maps, overriding the one found in the keyboard. This can be useful if a person is typing in a language that uses letters that don't have English equivalents on a keyboard with English letters. People can also set their computers to interpret their keystrokes as though they were typing on a Dvorak keyboard even though their actual keys are arranged in a QWERTY layout. In addition, operating systems and applications have keyboard accessibility settings that let people change their keyboard's behavior to adapt to disabilities.

Keyboard Switches
Keyboards use a variety of switch technologies. Capacitive switches are considered to be non-mechanical because they do not physically complete a circuit like most other keyboard technologies. Instead, current constantly flows through all parts of the key matrix. Each key is spring-loaded and has a tiny plate attached to the bottom of it. When you press a key, it moves this plate closer to the plate below it. As the two plates move closer together, the amount of current flowing through the matrix changes. The processor detects the change and interprets it as a key press for that location. Capacitive switch keyboards are expensive, but they have a longer life than any other keyboard. Also, they do not have problems with bounce since the two surfaces never come into actual contact.
All of the other types of switches used in keyboards are mechanical in nature. Each provides a different level of audible and tactile response -- the sounds and sensations that typing creates. Mechanical key switches include:

Rubber dome
Membrane
Metal contact
Foam element

Rubber dome switches are very common. They use small, flexible rubber domes, each with a hard carbon center. When you press a key, a plunger on the bottom of the key pushes down against the dome, and the carbon center presses against a hard, flat surface beneath the key matrix. As long as the key is held, the carbon center completes the circuit. When the key is released, the rubber dome springs back to its original shape, forcing the key back up to its at-rest position. Rubber dome switch keyboards are inexpensive, have pretty good tactile response and are fairly resistant to spills and corrosion because of the rubber layer covering the key matrix.

Rather than having a switch for each key, membrane keyboards use a continuous membrane that stretches from one end to another. A pattern printed in the membrane completes the circuit when you press a key. Some membrane keyboards use a flat surface printed with representations of each key rather than keycaps. Membrane keyboards don't have good tactile response, and without additional mechanical components they don't make the clicking sound that some people like to hear when they're typing. However, they're generally inexpensive to make.

Metal contact and foam element keyboards are increasingly less common. Metal contact switches simply have a spring-loaded key with a strip of metal on the bottom of the plunger. When the key is pressed, the metal strip connects the two parts of the circuit. The foam element switch is basically the same design but with a small piece of spongy foam between the bottom of the plunger and the metal strip, providing a better tactile response. Both technologies have good tactile response, make satisfyingly audible "clicks," and are inexpensive to produce. The problem is that the contacts tend to wear out or corrode faster than on keyboards that use other technologies. Also, there is no barrier that prevents dust or liquids from coming in direct contact with the circuitry of the key matrix.

Different manufacturers have used these standard technologies, and a few others, to create a wide range of non-traditional keyboards. We'll take a look at some of these non-traditional keyboards in the next section.

Non-Traditional Keyboards
A lot of modifications to the traditional keyboard design are an attempt to make them safer or easier to use. For example, some people have associated increased keyboard use with repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, although scientific studies have produced conflicting results. Ergonomic keyboard designs are intended to keep a person's hands in a more natural position while typing in an attempt to prevent injuries. While these keyboards can certainly keep people from holding their hands in a "praying mantis" position, studies disagree on whether they actually prevent injury.

The simplest ergonomic keyboards look like traditional keyboards that have been divided down the middle, keeping a person's hands farther apart and aligning the wrists with the forearms. More complex designs place the two halves of the keyboard at varying angles to one another and to the surface on which the keyboard rests. Some go even further, placing the two halves of the keyboard on the armrests of chairs or making them completely perpendicular to the desk surface. Others, like the Datahand, don't look much like keyboards at all.

Some modifications, while not necessarily ergonomic, are designed to make keyboards more portable, more versatile or just cooler:

Das Keyboard is a completely black keyboard with weighted keys that require more pressure from a person's strongest fingers and less pressure from the weaker ones.
The Virtual Laser Keyboard projects a representation of a keyboard onto a flat surface. When used successfully, a person's fingers pass through the beam of infrared light above the projected surface, and a sensor interprets it as a keystroke.

The True-touch Roll-up keyboard is flexible and can be rolled up to fit in a backpack or bag.

Illuminated keyboards, like the Ion Illuminated Keyboard, use light-emitting diodes or electroluminescent film to send light through the keys or the spaces between keys.

The Optimus keyboard has organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) in the keys. Users can change what letter, command or action each key represents, and the OLED can change to display the new information.

With the exception of the Virtual Laser Keyboard, which has its own sensing system, each of these keyboards uses the same type of technology as traditional models do to communicate with the computer. We'll look at that technology next.

From the Keyboard to the Computer
As you type, the processor in the keyboard analyzes the key matrix and determines what characters to send to the computer. It maintains these characters in its memory buffer and then sends the data.

A PS/2 type keyboard connector.

Many keyboards connect to the computer through a cable with a PS/2 or USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector. Laptops use internal connectors. Regardless of which type of connector is used, the cable must carry power to the keyboard, and it must carry signals from the keyboard back to the computer.

Wireless keyboards, on the other hand, connect to the computer through infrared (IR), radio frequency (RF) or Bluetooth connections. IR and RF connections are similar to what you'd find in a remote control. Regardless of which sort of signal they use, wireless keyboards require a receiver, either built in or plugged in to the USB port, to communicate with the computer. Since they don't have a physical connection to the computer, wireless keyboards have an AC power connection or use batteries for power.

Whether it's through a cable or wireless, the signal from the keyboard is monitored by the computer's keyboard controller. This is an integrated circuit (IC) that processes all of the data that comes from the keyboard and forwards it to the operating system. When the operating system (OS) is notified that there is data from the keyboard, it checks to see if the keyboard data is a system level command. A good example of this is Ctrl-Alt-Delete on a Windows computer, which reboots the system. Then, the OS passes the keyboard data on to the current application.

The application determines whether the keyboard data is a command, like Alt-f, which opens the File menu in a Windows application. If the data is not a command, the application accepts it as content, which can be anything from typing a document to entering a URL to performing a calculation. If the current application does not accept keyboard data, it simply ignores the information. This whole process, from pressing the key to entering content into an application, happens almost instantaneously.

To learn more about computers and keyboards, check out the links on the next page.

Five Ways Twitter Can Help Your Business

2009-03-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

Follow me on Twitter.

from PC Magazine

Everyone knows Twitter is the place to be; all the cool SMBs are tweeting--i.e, running a "microblog" with posts of 140 [corrected: error was editor's, not Matt's!] characters or fewer--these days. But honestly, it's not just about being cool: Twitter actually serves a purpose. Here are five ways your business can benefit from Twitter.

1. Build networks. In business, it's all about who you know and who knows you. And Twitter is yet another place to win friends and influence people. The microblogging site is a good tool to use for online networking: Search for and follow others in your field in order to build rapport over time. Many of them will follow you in turn, and so it builds.

2. Promote your online assets. Send out short (well, it is Twitter) one-liners that tease fellow Twits to follow a link to a blog post, article download, or any custom landing page designed for your site--perhaps one that's promoting a sale. Something like: "Read my post on why BlackBerries beat iPhones at http://link..." Toss in a few keywords, and you'll drive traffic to your site.

3. Promote your events. Likewise, promote your company's physical-world events on Twitter: say an in-store sales, or maybe a lecture series or mixer. For example, tweet to the world that you're going to speak at the NYC Tech Meetup on Thursday. Who knows what'll happen?

4. Get free exposure. Nothing establishes your credibility like an article about your business. First score some PR ink, and then then tweet links to the article. Remember, always make your tweets helpful in some way, so they don't seem completely self-serving.

5. Gather intelligence. Would you like a crystal ball that can tell you what customers want, and what competitors are doing right this very second? Once you learn how to get what you want out of Twitter Search, you'll have exactly that: You'll know what your competitors are doing the second they announce it., and you'll be able to reach out to customers and show them how responsive you can be. Twitter Search can handle some pretty complex searches, and you can subscribe to each one as an RSS feed--so you'll be instantly notified when someone tweets about a topic you hold near and dear to your heart.

--Post by Matt Sarrel, Executive Director of Sarrel Group, an editorial services, product test lab, and information technology consulting company. He is also a Contributing Editor for PCMag, as well as Tech/Games Editor and Technical Director for YRB Magazine. And yes, he tweets.

Brain Gadget Power: A thinking cap for wheelchairs

2009-03-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

Professor Matteo Matteucci (R) and Ph.d student Bernardo Dal Seno (C), wearing a skullcap mounted with electrodes and wired to a computer as he sits on a special wheel chair at the Politecnico di Milan department in Milan. Italian researchers have developed a wheelchair that obeys mental signals sent to a computer, they said Friday.

from Psysorg

Italian researchers have developed a wheelchair that obeys mental signals sent to a computer, they said Friday.

The researchers at Milan's Polytechnical Institute artificial intelligence and robotics laboratory took three years to develop the system, Professor Matteo Matteucci told AFP. The user is connected to a computer with electrodes on his or her scalp, and sends a signal by concentrating for a few seconds on the name of the desired destination -- kitchen, bedroom, bathroom -- displayed on a screen. The computer then guides the wheelchair to the selected room using a preset programme.

"We don't read minds, but the brain signal that is sent," Matteucci said. The chair is equipped with two laser beams that can detect obstacles. The Milan lab is already in contact with companies that could produce a commercial prototype aimed at quadriplegics, Matteucci said, adding that it could take between five and 10 years.

Such a wheelchair would cost only 10 percent more than a classic motorised wheelchair, according to the institute. Research to develop the so-called Brain Computer Interface began in the early 1980s around the world.

Matteucci said a handful of other researchers were working on similar projects to his, including the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland. "Eventually, a research consortium should be set up that will use all these projects as a basis for finding the best approach," he said. "We've now started work on getting the chair to operate outdoors using a GPS," Matteucci added.

****************

from Gearlog

Professor Matteo Matteucci of Politecnico di Milan believes that "a research consortium should be set up" for projects concerning the development of brain-powered wheelchairs and similar technologies. For now though, he, PhD student Bernardo Dal Seno and their other colleagues came up with a working prototype of a thought-propelled wheelchair.

After three years of working on it, the wheelchair now works by connecting the user to a computer through putting electrodes on the person's scalp (see image left). These electrodes send the signal capable of controlling the wheelchair's movement. However, the technology isn't so advanced that it could decipher brain signals at length just yet - the user would have to concentrate on a destination's name (i.e., kitchen, bathroom) and then a pre-set program would take the wheelchair to that location. Since it seems a promising technology for quadriplegics, the researchers are already in contact with a few companies that could create a commercial prototype within five to ten years' time.

Heated Computer Keyboard: Ergonomic warm wrist pad provides support

2009-03-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

Seems like the only part of the ergonomic equation not getting much attention these days is the computer keyboard. Sure, there are many ergonomic keyboards with strange shapes and designs, but the cost of them prohibit a test drive for most of us. We purchase a new computer, and a standard keyboard is included. We get used to using a standard keyboard and stick with it until something new comes along.

If wrists and hands remain on the desk top or on the keyboard itself, it can become quite uncomfortable to type. The desk and the keyboard surfaces are cold. It doesn't take very long for the wrists and hands to feel the chill. It can actually make your entire body feel cold. Cold hands when using the computer are uncomfortable and unproductive.

A value-added item to provide warmth and support is a heated computer keyboard wrist pad. One of the warm keyboard pad designs can be put into the microwave to heat. The warmth lasts about 15 minutes. Although novel, the practicality of this style of heated keyboard pad is not practical for most.

An USB (universal serial bus) connected keyboard pad seems to be the best solution for adding warmth and ergonomic support while keyboarding. A heated keyboard pad connects to the computer and draws a low voltage of electricity providing warmth to the pad's surface. The keyboard pad consists of a cloth cover and a soft sponge-like interior. The arms and wrists rest on the pad at just the right height over the keyboard. The surface of the pad delivers a steady flow of heat. Hands never touch the keyboard or the desk's surface.

The remarkable component of the USB heated keyboard pad is its healing qualities. The heating element is made of a carbon fiber which produces infrared heat. Infrared heat has been used for many years as a source of healing. The most familiar and natural source of infrared heat is the sun. A heated keyboard pad using a carbon fiber delivers infrared heat without the harmful UV rays of the sun.

Research shows 20-30 minutes of infrared heat treatment daily can improve blood circulation through the blood vessels and reduce symptoms related to RSI (repetitive stress injury). People who suffer from poor circulation, arthritis, diabetes and Raynaud's welcome warmth throughout the year to deal with cold, painful joints and muscle tension. By using an infrared heated computer keyboard pad, arms, wrists and hands are ergonomically supported in front of the keyboard, and they are kept warm. Plus, the soft pad is a comfortable resting place for arms and elbows.

Heated computer products are somewhat new to the computer accessories market. A warm mouse, heated mouse pad and warm, heated keyboard pad are just the beginning of heated ergonomic computer work aids available today. With the continued use of the computer, and the advancements of technology, we'll probably see many more heated computer gadgets invented. USB heated computer products are an economical and energy-efficient way to provide warmth and ergonomic support while using the computer.

Warm Mouse - Rheumatoid Arthritis Infrared Heat Therapy

2009-03-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

Infrared heat penetrates deeply through the skin's layers to the muscle tissue. It is the perfect solution for pain associated with stiff joints in the hand when using the computer mouse and keyboard. The warm mouse from IGMproducts.com provides a steady flow of infrared heat to the mouse hand. The warm mouse pad and warm keyboard pad do the same. If you or someone you know suffers from the horrible pain of rheumatoid arthritis of the hand and fingers, suggest the use of USB infrared heat computer accessories. About 20-30 minutes of infrared heat therapy daily improves blood circulation, reduces pain and rids the cold computer hand problem.

For more information, visit these sites: ValueRays.com, IGMproducts.com and Warm Mouse Heated Keyboard & Mouse Pad.

Are RSI and Carpal Tunnel the Same Thing?

2009-03-24T18:27:00.001-07:00

Using infrared heated computer accessories can help reduce the risk of Repetitive Strain Injury. USB Warm Gadgets - Heated Mouse, Heated Mouse Pad, Heated Keyboard Pad and Heated Mouse Hand Warmer Blanket deliver warm heat to computer hands. We may as well do something healthy while we are sitting at the computer.

from RSI-Relief
Article by Frank Barnett

Many individuals are curious if the terms RSI (Repetitive Stress Injuries) and Carpal Tunnel means the same thing. While many may be in agreement that these two conditions are one in the same, they actually are not.

Repetitive Stress Injuries are complications that occur when a large amount of stress is experienced in a certain area of the body. The stress that is most common in this type of situation is the type that occurs over and over again on a consistent basis. There are several different types of RSI. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is just one type of injury that may be experienced when an individual suffers from injuries that are due to stress injuries that are repetitive in nature.

Causes of Repetitive Stress Injuries
There are a number of potential causes when it comes to repetitive stress injuries. Individuals that spend long hours on a computer may be prone to this type of injury. However, it has been found that certain physical activities, such as sports, may also result in the development of repetitive stress that can be potentially harmful to various areas of the body. There are certain jobs that an individual may engage in that result in injuries to certain areas of the body. Individuals that work in factories, an office, as a cashier, or those that play various types of musical instruments may be subjected to this type of physical complication.

The Symptoms of Repetitive Stress Injuries
There are a number of symptoms that may be experienced when an individual experiences RSI. The following details a list of the potential complications and uncomfortable symptoms that are likely to be experienced:

In the area that is severely affected, it is common for a sufferer to experience a numb sensation. This may be accompanied by tingling in the area. The neck and the back area of the individual that suffers from RSI, or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, a type of RSI, may become quite stiff and relatively sore. Very often the extremities that are affected the most will feel weak. Many may complain that the area feels “tired”. In reality, the area actually is quite tired.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome at a Glance
There is a small area in the wrist of an individual that is often referred to as a “tunnel” by medical professionals. This is a relatively narrow space. However, when an individual experiences RSI, swelling is quite common. When the swelling affects this narrow space in the wrist area, it causes pressure to occur on the nerves in the area. These nerves are responsible for delivering impulses that are both “motor” and “sensory” to the hand. Naturally, if there is pressure on the nerves that have this responsibility, the individual is likely to experience pain in the hand. Symptoms that may also occur include that of tingling sensations, weakness, and even odd sensations of numbness.

Conclusion
While Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a type of injury that occurs as a result of Repetitive Stress Injuries, they are not one and the same. Repetitive Stress Injuries are ultimately considered to be the “cause” and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is considered to be the effect.

One of the most common causes of both RSI’s and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is simply improper workstation setup. From your keyboard and mouse to your chair and workstation, it’s probably designed to fit an “average” The problem is, few people are average, and using one-size-fits-all equipment hundreds of times every day can cause significant damage to wrists and other affected areas

If you’re ready to customize your work environment, Ergonomic Resources can help!

Gadgets That Innovate Ordinary Things

2009-03-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

USB warming gadget -- a heated mouse pad. Plug it in, and create a warm surface for your mouse hand. You know how cold your mouse hand gets on top of your regular mouse pad? Well, not anymore. The warm mouse pad also has a 4-Port USB outlet on one end.

Here’s a gadget for your yard birds: solar bird house - it has has a solar panel that charges a small battery. At sunset a sensor turns on the illuminated perch, creating a whimsical glow in your garden and hopefully makes it easier for your birdies to get home.

from DIRjournal

Do you love gadgets? Well, if you are going to answer “No”, you probably just don’t know what I mean. Gadgets are little (and huge) devices that are meant to make our lives easier. They do not necessarily mean any technological innovations, sometimes these are ordinary things with enhanced functionality. So today I am going to show you how daily-routine things may be optimized so that you could never imagine. You have dreamed about them without even knowing this is possible!

Unbelievable Cool PC for $16K

2009-03-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

Cool PC Cooler

from Gadgets are Cool

Cooling your PC has been an age old problem but one geek has a resolution...but it has cost him a shed load of money! This $16,000 PC features a custom water cooling system, with a massive external radiator which features nine 120mm fans. The massive external fans run at 5V which means they are almost silent, but they manage to keep the processors running at 45 degrees C under full load and at 36 degrees C at idle. This $16,000 cool PC features two VelociRaptor hard drives in RAID 1 and six 1TB hard drives in Raid 5, that is a serious amount of hardware in one single PC.

Ego Lifestyle Dundee Laptop: For Over-the-Top Geek

2009-03-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

Shop for Geek Gadget at Affordable Prices

from Coated.com

Saks Fifth Avenue, the retailer of luxury items and expensive gadgets has come out with a line of designer notebooks which fuse high tech with high fashion. Known as the Ego Lifestyle line, these new notebooks are available in Dundee, Emerald and Amaryliis.

The Dundee line, shown above is handcrafted and consists of an interchangeable exterior of crocodile-embossed Italian leather while the interior has a beautiful finish of high-gloss black lacquer.

The notebook itself comes with the following specifications:

Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate
Microsoft Windows Office Small Business edition
Integrated Bluetooth 2.0, DVD and RW player
160 GB SATA hard disk
2 GB So-Dimm DDR internal memory
Luxury is never cheap and this expensive laptop sells for $10,900.
_______________________

I'm sorry. Did I miss something here? Would someone actually pay $10.5K for this over-the-top geek gadget? Give me a break! What is this world coming to? If anyone knows if this thing actually sells, please let us know - Contact Us.

OH So Mini - Vivienne Tam Edition

2009-03-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Vivienne Tam Designer Notebook
Vivienne Tam Designer Mouse

So, when your hand gets cramped from using all this fancy looking gadgetry, return to this site and visit ValueRays.com. Infrared heated computer mouse and mouse pad will help relieve all the pain from looking so beautiful!

by staffblogger

from momsgadgets.com

I have been quite in love with the idea of having a mini computer for while now. Then, I was recently at a blogging convention and noticed the oh so many minis that were in the room. They were all nice, but this particular one really caught my eye. It isn’t only mini, it’s beautiful. It’s practically a fashion statement, an accessory. Now what momma wouldn’t want that?

After doing some research I find out it is the HP Mini - Vivienne and it weights on 3 lbs. Now for this weak armed little lady that’s an added bonus. Plus it’ll fit in my purse. It even has accessories that match that you can purchase separately. Not to mention all of its fab features, including Windows XP, a web cam, a mini mobile drive, just to name a few.

I have been wanting a mini, but now I want THIS mini. What about you?

--------------------------------------

I think I'll stick to my PC. If I was a corporate traveler, maybe I'd buy this just to be designer, but I really enjoy using my current laptop and am addicted to my desktop with the warm mouse and heated mouse pad!

Cold Hand Help for Computer Users: Infrared Heat Warm Mouse, Heated Mouse Pad & Warm Computer Keyboard Pad

2009-03-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

- See the Heated Computer Keyboard Pad -

Warm ergonomic support for wrists, arms and hands

It doesn't matter if you sit and think, or if you just sit! It doesn't matter if it's Summer, Winter, Spring or Fall. When your hands are cold, your entire body feels the chill. Chills create distraction, and the only thing to think about is the cold. Not all people have cold hands when using the computer, but for those who do, there are infrared heat, ergonomic computer work aids to help cold hand pain.

Three items used whenever we use a computer are the computer mouse, mouse pad and computer keyboard. Using the computer mouse and keyboard with cold hands is very uncomfortable and at times very painful. A cold mouse hand creates numb fingers, and the chill is felt to the bone. Trying to grip a computer mouse and typing with freezing, frigid fingers and hands is nearly impossible. The solution is an infrared heat warm mouse, heated mouse pad and heated computer keyboard.

Heated computer gadgets and mouse hand warmers connect to the computer using an USB port. USB connections create an energy-efficient and cost-effective source of heat energy during winter months or during the summer when air-conditioning creates a cold work space and hands become cold. Some people sit near a drafty window or under a ceiling fan where cold drafts become a problem. Using a heated mouse, warm mouse pad and warm keyboard pad can help relieve cold hand pain.

When an USB warm computer gadget is designed with a carbon fiber, it creates infrared heat. Infrared heat is an excellent source of healing energy. The natural source of infrared heat comes from the sun. It's the deep penetrating heat we feel when the sun's rays hit our skin. The sun's natural infrared rays are capable of penetrating deep into the body where they elevate surface temperature and activate healthy body functions.

The infrared heat from USB warm computer gadgets is the same as the sun's infrared heat without the harmful UV rays of the sun. The infrared waves are a safe alternative to natural sun infrared rays. The infrared rays heat objects by direct light conversion - a process to directly warm an object; i.e., the warm mouse, warm mouse pad, and warm keyboard pad, and not the surrounding air. Infrared heat rays from the warming mouse, warming mouse pad and warming keyboard pad penetrate the hand, warm the muscles, tissues and dilate the blood vessels. The infrared heating process improves blood circulation by allowing the blood to flow more freely through the cold, painful, tense hand.

A standard, USB heated computer mouse connects to the computer through an USB (United Serial Bus) port and delivers infrared heat creating a comfortably warm mouse hand. It has the basic functions and characteristics of a standard mouse with the added feature of delivering heat to a cold mouse hand. The USB infrared heated, warm computer mouse is an efficient way to stay warm by using energy generated from the computer. The USB warm mouse is ergonomically shaped and comfortable to hold. It is an optical scrolling mouse with an accurate 800dpi. The warm mouse has two buttons and three functions, and it works with any PC, Mac or Notebook style computer. A warm mouse has a "plug & play" install with no additional software needed.

The heated mouse pad connects to the computer through an USB (United Serial Bus) port and delivers infrared heat to the mouse hand. It has many more functions compared to a standard mouse pad. The USB heated mouse pad creates a warm mouse pad surface to rest the hand and wrist. It's an efficient way to keep the mouse hand warm. The USB warm mouse pad is ergonomically shaped and comfortable to use. It has an ergonomic wrist support pad at the front of the mousepad, and at the opposite end of the mousepad there are four USB ports. The warming mouse pad is constructed of a smooth, hard surface compatible to use with any mechanical or optical mouse for ease of mouse movement. A standard heated mouse pad measures about 10" x 10" with a height of about .5 inch. When plugged into the USB port, the heated pad illuminates around three sides with colored lights. The warm mouse pad operates on a safe, low voltage and generates soothing heated mouse pad warmth. The warm mouse pad works with a 2.0 USB outlet on a PC, Mac or Notebook style computer. It has a "plug & play" install with no additional software needed.

The warm mouse and heated mouse pad help the cold mouse hand and serve a purpose when used together or separately. When the two items are used in combination with third item, a mouse hand warmer blanket pouch, infrared heat is insulated inside and under a mouse hand blanket creating a perfectly warm mouse hand environment.

With the mouse hand warm, the keyboard hands are still an issue for the person who suffers with cold hands. The heated computer keyboard pad connects to the computer through an USB port and delivers infrared heat to the hands, arms and wrists. It is ergonomically shaped and offers support for the keyboard hands and wrists for typing on the keyboard. The wrist pad is easy to maintain. It has a nylon cover with a zipper closure making it easy to remove and hand wash/air dry. A standard USB heated computer keyboard pad measures about 16 inches long, 3 inches wide and has a height of about 3/4" tall. It has a soft sponge insert making the wrist pad very comfortable for keyboard use. It aligns your wrist ergonomically over the keyboard adding supprt and warmth while you type or work. The USB heated keyboard wrist pad works with any PC, Mac or Notebook style computer. It has a "plug & play" install with no additional software needed.

There is help for people who have cold hands when using the computer. Warm computer gadgets to help cold hands are available online. Making an investment in one or all four computer gadgets to help relieve the cold has high a payoff value when cold hands cause pain and discomfort. A simple Google search for "infrared heat computer gadgets" will provide available online options.

Source: http://www.IGMproducts.com & http://www.ValueRays.com

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Don't overused your hand and wrists

2009-03-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

Prevent Carpal Tunnel - Use heated computer mouse, a warm mouse keeps your mouse hand healthy. Use a supportive warm computer keyboard and mouse pad. Keep your computer hands comfortable and safe.

from Health Assistant Blog

Are you always online? always in front of your computer, spending a lot of time chatting with friends, writing blogs,etc. All of this requires the use of our precious hand specially our wrist, maybe sometimes we experience the sudden tingling or numbness of our hands and wrists, others experience it like a sharp pain seems to shoot from the wrists to the arms, specially when the wrists are moved. The problem is if we overused our hands, chances are we may get a condition call CTS or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, if you experience this kind of signs and symptoms, you may need to visit a specialist.

To test if you have this kind of condition (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) do this test:

Tinel Test - Involves tapping or pressing on the median nerve of the patients wrists. Where a tingling feeling in the fingers or an electric shock like sensation is felt. The test means its positive.

Phalen Test - also known as the wrist-flexing test. This test involves hold his/her forearms uptight by pointing the fingers down then pressing the backs of the hands together. CTS is suspected if symptoms such as pain, tingling or numbness is felt in the fingers within one minute.

Here are the common Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms:

* Weakness of grip leading to a tendency to drop things.
* Tingling sensation and numbness of fingers specially the thumb.
* Hand pain specially at night.

Unlike other conditions preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is better and less costly option than cure. Here are some simple ways to prevent CTS.

* Massage your hands and wrists every now and then while doing things that require the use of hands and wrists.

* Position the computer monitor directly in front of your seat to avoid twisting of your body.

* Ensure that the keyboard is as the same height as the elbows.

* The body should be align properly with the keyboard. You can do this by bending your elbow to a 90 degree angle.

* Observe proper posture while sitting.

* Wear splints to keep the wrists straight. This is because flexing the hand can significantly decrease the space inside the carpal tunnel.

* Observe the proper wrists position while working. Studies have shown that the improper use of the mouse is more of a cause than typing in the keyboard.

* Perform stretching and strengthening exercise.

* The most effective way is to rest between prolonged use of hands and wrists. Computer program which reminds computer users to rest and stretch their limbs are being use in US to help.

HP Vivienne Tam Special Edition Notebook PC

2009-03-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

by Elias Plastiras

PC World Australia

This notebook is all about making a fashion statement. It has a few shortcomings in its feature set, but if you can overlook those you'll be blessed with a good looking and easy-to-use ultraportable computer. The new HP Mini netbook features a fiery red scheme that will turn heads.

HP's Vivienne Tam Special Edition Notebook PC is an in-your-face netbook that has one main virtue: chicks dig it. They love the colour, the floral design, the carry pouch, the small size of the unit and the big keys. Do guys dig it? Not so much. But hey, look at the pics and judge for yourself.

The exterior is the only thing that differentiates the Vivienne Tam Special Edition Notebook PC from the HP Mini 1001TU, as the cores of both netbooks are identical. You get a 10.2in glossy screen, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of memory and a 60GB hard drive. It runs Windows XP, and runs it relatively swiftly. While browsing the Web and creating office documents, the Vivienne Tam Special Edition was responsive and only slight delays were experienced while switching applications. You can easily listen to music in the background while you do other work without having the netbook slow down to a crawl.

But don't use it for transcoding media files or any type of file compression, because it's not designed to be even remotely quick in these areas. It took 9min 7sec to encode 53min worth of WAV files to 192Kbps MP3s, which is over 1min slower than we expected. Its hard drive, which is the same size as the one found in many iPods, also returned a sluggish result of 16.65 megabytes per second in our file copying tests, which is 4MBps slower than a netbook with a regular notebook hard drive. The hard drive also made annoying click sounds very often, even while the netbook was idle.

The unit's battery performance was identical to the Mini 1001TU's, lasting for 2hr 20min, which isn't a stellar result but is better the Acer Aspire One AOD150 (our current favourite 10.2in netbook). In a typical usage pattern involving Web browsing or document creation while the screen is not at its full brightness level, it should last a little longer.

Disappointingly, the Vivienne Tam Special Edition suffers from the same let-downs as the Mini 1001TU when it comes to the number of features you get for your $899 outlay. There are only two USB 2.0 ports, which is inconvenient if you want to use a 3G Internet key, external mouse and USB thumb drive, for example; there is no D-Sub port for attaching the unit to an external monitor, and there is no separate microphone jack. What you get instead is a proprietary port for HP's external storage solutions, which is a little pointless considering there is already 60GB of space available. Furthermore, you only have 802.11g and 10/100 Ethernet networking speeds, rather than 802.11n and Gigabit Ethernet.

These quibbles aside, it's the artwork that really sets this netbook apart, and if you're a fan of its design you will probably be able to forgive the shortcomings in its configuration. We handed the Vivienne Tam Special Edition to PC World Editorial Director Amanda Conroy to get a female perspective on the design and overall feel of the netbook. She reported:

The Vivienne Tam designed netbook certainly turns heads with its striking red design, featuring gold accents such as key lettering, and a Chinese character on the Enter key, as well as a stylish cherry blossom-inspired decal on the HP Mini’s lid. As I slipped the netbook from it’s bright red satin sleeve — which will protect it from scratches, but not any drops or hard knocks as it is not padded — fellow commuters looked and commented on it’s cute looks (as well as advising me to keep the demo unit!).

The screen is easy to see and read documents on — even in a mixed lighting environment of daylight and artificial light — and reflection is minimal. The keyboard is easy to use, and while it is not full sized, it is close enough for touch typists to easily navigate the keys. The gold lettering on the keypad is a bit difficult to distinguish on the red background in some lighting conditions. An experienced notebook PC user will adjust to using this keyboard faster than a newbie user who may need to read the keys more closely.

It is advisable to use headphones or ear buds while watching movies or listening to music as even at top volume levels, I had difficultly hearing the dialogue of our test video (an episode of The Wire) when there was a lot of ambient noise (and it’s probably better for your fellow commuters too considering the filthy language used in that show). Shut down time was very speedy; if I finished typing, saved my file as the train pulled into the station, I was logged off, packed up and ready to go as the doors opened.

Indeed, the unit is easy to use, as its keys are very comfortable and its touchpad feels smooth (we still hate the left- and right-click buttons either side of the touchpad), and its LED-backlit glossy screen is bright and produces plenty of contrast. It's not as good as the screen on the Acer Aspire One D150, but it is miles ahead of the screen on the ASUS Eee PC S101H. The unit does get a little warm when you use it on your lap, particularly towards the front, but it was nowhere near the heat produced by the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC.

For all you ladies out there who want a tiny computer (and apparently size does matter — it's smaller than the Acer Aspire One D150, and ASUS Eee PC S101H) that also looks good and is easy to use, the HP Vivienne Tam Special Edition Notebook PC is a sure bet. However, if you plan to use it to give presentations, be warned that it has no video out port, and if you want to use more than two USB 2.0 devices simultaneously, you'll have to swap one out (or plug in a hub). Look at the ASUS Eee PC S101 as an alternative if you need more features as well as some style.

References
HP Mini 1001TU
Acer Aspire One AOD150
Hewlett-Packard 2133 Mini-Note PC
ASUS Eee PC S101

Warm gadgets needed for laptop cool base users

2009-03-10T16:51:00.000-07:00

Microsoft's new laptop cooler will keep the laptop cool, and your hands, too. Cold hands using the laptop were always kept warm from the heat of a laptop computer. Now, with the heat gone, cold computer hands will be a problem for laptop users. Commonly reported a cold mouse hand and cold keyboard hands are experienced by desk top users. Laptop users relied upon the heat generated from the laptop to keep their digits warm.

The laptop cooler may be a welcomed gadget during the summer, but as soon as the temperatures drop and hands get cold, people will turn to their warm mouse, heated mouse pad and heated keyboard pad for relief.

New laptop cooler
By Stanley A. Miller II of the Journal Sentinel

Microsoft announced two new computer accessories today, a notebook cooling base and its popular Arc Mouse in new colors. The sleek, slim notebook cooling base -- measuring only 1.16 inches thick -- is designed to do just what you'd expect: keep your laptop from getting uncomfortably warm. It does this using a fan and a cooling channel, and the base is contoured to rest firmly on your desk or lap, offering an ergonomically friendly typing angle. It also has a cable management clip, and it's powered via a computer's USB port so no batteries are needed. The base comes in white and black and costs $30.

New laptop cooler & PC mice

2009-03-10T16:46:00.000-07:00

Gear, Games and Life Online
Technology reporter Stanley A. Miller II tracks news and trends, from the coolest new gadgets to the latest stuff on the Web

By Stanley A. Miller II of the Journal Sentinel

Microsoft announced two new computer accessories today, a notebook cooling base and its popular Arc Mouse in new colors.

The sleek, slim notebook cooling base -- measuring only 1.16 inches thick -- is designed to do just what you'd expect: keep your laptop from getting uncomfortably warm. It does this using a fan and a cooling channel, and the base is contoured to rest firmly on your desk or lap, offering an ergonomically friendly typing angle. It also has a cable management clip, and it's powered via a computer's USB port so no batteries are needed. The base comes in white and black and costs $30.

The new Arc mice have been bred in four new colors: olive green, marine blue, eggplant purple and frost white. They cost $50.

Blog Catalog - Heated Computer Keyboard

2009-03-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

Need warmth for your computer keyboard hands? Wrists? Arms? The ValueRays heated keyboard pad is ergonomically shaped and delivers the right amount of support and heat. Body temperature is about 98.6 degrees farenheit. The ValueRays USB Heated Keyboard Warm Wrist Pad generates a regulated heat ranging from 99 to 104 degrees. The heat the ValueRays USB Heated Keyboard Warm Wrist Pad generates keeps the hands, wrists and arms comfortably warm while working at the keyboard.

Source: http://www.valuerays.com/

Vote for Geek Gadgets at Start Up Nation

2009-03-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

There's a contest happening, and your vote is needed. Click the link below and cast your vote today for Geek Gadgets at Start Up Nation!

Please click the above picture and vote for our start up company on Start Up Nation. Voting deadline is March 31, 2009. Thank you!

http://www.igmproducts.com/

We specialize in Ergonomic Heated Computer Aids.