Asus offers O!Play HDP-R1 HD Media Player

Asus is one versatile company that seems to have dipped their hands into just about anything and everything imaginable. Their latest release would be the Asus O!Play HDP-R1 HD Media Player - offering users yet another way to stream and enjoy a vast array of high definition content on your flat panel displays at home (if you’re still stuck with a CRT, isn’t it about time you got on with the times, mate?). Let’s take a closer look at what the O!Play HDP-R1 HD Media Player is able to offer the home theater buff, hopefully it will be able to come up with satisfactory nods all around instead of being sold short.

The Asus O!Play HDP-R1 holds the distinction of being the first (and only, to boot) High Definition media player which will tout the ability to handle a wide range of file formats, and among those include MPEG1/2/4, H.264, VC-1, and the ever popular RM/RMVB. Playing nice with a vast array of video formats isn’t just the only thing the uniquely named O!Play HDP-R1 is good at - it also allows users to share both videos and photos straight from their PCs and notebooks in enhanced clarity and high definition with anyone else who has an internet connection, all straight from the living room (or conference room if you’re more of the business type of person).

The remote control even comes with a dedicated button for music shuffle, allowing you to indulge in some random audio goodness during moments when you want to be pleasantly surprised by your own digital music collection. The inclusion of an eSATA interface on the O!Player HDP-R1 itself enables users to experience up to 6 times faster transfer speeds as compared to USB 2.0 under selected situations, virtually doing away with delays that are normally associated with video streaming, what more in high definition this time round.

Sanyo releases two more projectors

Sanyo is no stranger when it comes to projectors, regardless of whether they are of the LCD or DLP variety. This time round, they will be unleashing two more portable projectors to the market - the PLC-XW250 and the PLC-XW200, where these two models will target the education field without breaking the annual budget, boasting outstanding cost performance with an eco stand-by power mode that sips just 0.4 watts of juice. Coupled with their very own “Easy Setup Function”, getting one of these up and running even by a newbie should be a snap.

Their power consumption of 0.4 watts places both the PLC-XW250 and the PLC-XW200 under the category of “most ecological data projector” from Sanyo’s stable. When the eco power stand-by mode kicks in, it helps you save approximately 80% of the energy that is consumed by similar previous Sanyo projectors. This is made possible by a redesign of electrical circuits, fully complying with the EuP-Directive Lot 6 and the EU RoHS Directive. Not only that, the packaging that both of these projectors come in are also environmentally friendly, being made out of pulp molds that can later be recycled as used paper.

What’s so great about the “Easy Setup Function”, you ask? Well, it includes Auto Input Signal Search, Auto Vertical Keystone Correction and an Input Guidance Function. Firstly, the Auto Input Signal Search will be able to detect the input signal automatically and make the relevant changes to internal settings. Secondly, the Auto Vertical Keystone Correction function will be able to automatically detect its position angle and make corrections for any image distortion. Last but not least would be the Guidance Function that shows on-screen connection instructions whenever there isn’t any input signal detected. Sanyo will be rolling out the PLC-XW250 and the PLC-XW200 later this month, retailing for $895 and $795, respectively.

LaCie to release LaCinema Black Series

LaCie is back this time round with not some variant of an external or portable hard drive, but the LaCinema Black Series of media players instead, coming in both PLAY and RECORD varieties. By expanding their range of Wireless HD media players, LaCie has certainly stepped out of their comfort zone, giving some competition to players in this market with Neil Poulton-designed products that are pleasing to the eyes this time round. Both models from the Black range were specially constructed to optimize the way consumers access and play content straight off from their HDTV.

The LaCinema Black PLAY and RECORD will boast some of the most up-to-date home networking capabilities right smack in your living room, at least that’s what the press release claims. Users will be able to select from a direct network connection, but I suspect that more people would prefer to opt for the Wi-Fi connection since that is more or less a given in most homes these days. Regardless of your choice of connectivity, you will be able to use this new player to store music, movies and photos from any computer on the local network. An integrated UPnP client player makes it a snap for users to access media content from a networked PC or Mac from anywhere in the home.

In tandem with the High Definition age that we now live in, the LaCinema Black PLAY and RECORD will enable users to enjoy downloaded HD movies and television programs straight on their new flat panel display, virtually ensuring that you will need to have a HD-ready TV in your home before you decide to pick up either player from LaCie. Shared features among the two include 1080p resolution decoding capability for movies and TV shows, HD JPEG photos and 1080i upscaling of Standard Definition movies. Prices for the LaCinema Black line will start from $429.99 onwards.

Sony Ericsson goes green with GreenHeart phones

It is nice to see companies taking more responsibility in keeping the planet clean with each product release without sacrificing on performance, such as LCD monitors and now, cellphones. Sony Ericsson just unveiled a couple of GreenHeart pioneer products that underline the efforts the company is taking when it comes to environmental sustainability, featuring eco-friendly products that won’t compromise on product design and functionality. The two handsets on parade today would be the C901 GreenHeart as pictured as well as the Naite.

The flagship C901 GreenHeart will comprise of an electronic, in-phone manual that does away with the standard paper version - good thinking on their part. Now all they need to do is to sell a gazillion of these handsets in order to make a real, significant impact when it comes to deforestation prevention. Well, sarcasm aside, this move looks set to save more than 90% in paper, further reducing the environmental impact during transportation of the final product as it would mean a more compact packaging. As for the case, the C901 GreenHeart handset uses at least 50% recycled plastics within, while the optimized display light sensor will further reduce your carbon footprint.

Interestingly enough, the Sony Ericsson C901 GreenHeart will be equipped with a WalkMate application that enables users to literally walk the talk as it goes about calculating the exact number of steps you’ll take in an equivalent journey traveled by car, showing how much CO² you save in the process whenever you walk to your destination instead of drive.

Some of the features found on the Sony Ericsson C901 GreenHeart will include :-

• Smile shutter
• One-click uploading
• Face Detection
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
• UMTS/HSPA 900/2100.
• 5 megapixel camera with 16x digital zoom and xenon flash
• Video recording capability
• Bluetooth stereo A2DP connectivity
• 2.2″ 240 x 320 resolution TFT scratch-resistant display
• Memory Stick Micro slot

The Car and Wall USB Power Charger

This is a small gadget that would definitely come in handy.  It’d be one of those things that makes traveling or even your day to day life a bit more simple.  It can charge all of your USB gadgets and it does so in a versatile manner.  Making it so you are unlikely to ever be somewhere that you can’t charge it up.  Just plug it into your car and you can charge up your iPhone or iPod while you’re on the go.

It also can be plugged into the wall as well, so if you’re not able to get access to a computer someplace that has an outlet, you’ll still be able to get charged up.  It doesn’t require a three prong outlet either, so if you’re visiting family that lives in a house where three prong outlets are scarce, this would be great to have handy.  There is also a status LED light that lets you know that the outlet is providing the power you need to charge your gadget.  You can purchase the Car + Wall Plug USB Power Charger for $12 from USB Geek.

Source: GeekyGadgets

The PC Mouse Ladybird

Although this isn’t likely to appeal to the average geek, it might appeal to the very girly female and especially to young females.  This cute ladybug works as a mouse and gives your computer a less boring look.  After all, so often computer feature nothing but blacks and grays, which is fine, but it does get a touch monotonous.  It also doesn’t have quite the cartoon-like look that the other ladybug mouse I’ve seen had.  Since it’s not so cartoonish, it makes it a better prospect for women who enjoy anything with a ladybug theme.

It’s a mouse, so the specs are pretty basic, it’s thankfully an optical mouse.  I have on occasion come across a novelty mouse that wasn’t optical.  It connects through your USB port and since it is just a mouse it will of course work with either a PC or a Mac.  It’d be a great mouse to take to work if you can get away with it.  Just to add a little more color to your office environment.  The mouse is being sold through Lazy Bone UK and not at a bad price either.  You can purchase it for $28.95.

The Memory Pill USB Drive

This is one of those drives that you wouldn’t expect it to be a USB drive concealed within.  It looks more like something someone would stash a little Tylenol within.  Instead it’s a small USB drive that allows for you to store random files inside.  It’d be a humorous keychain for nurses and various medical workers to carry around.  Of course it won’t discriminate if you’re not within the medical field, it’ll still safely store your files just the same.  Plus it can be attached to your keys as a keychain.

Once again this is another one that the keychain part is attached to the cap.  Which makes me a little concerned that it would stop clinging to the lid so well and the drive itself, with all of your data, would be dropped and lost.  The serious down side of the drive is that it’s only a 64MB drive.  That still leaves room for 40 photos though or 30 minutes of MP3s.  Still, it’s not exactly a decently sized drive.  The drive will cost you £10.95 or about $18 from GiftLab.