Archive for the “Gadgets” Category

One for All” URC-8350 universal remote control has a “something different” than other remote controls.

You can control up to 4 different Audio-Video devices but with the dedicated Green Energy Saving button you can even switch off all your AV standby functions at once.

Doing so you can save over 90% of standby power consumption.

  • Switch off all your devices from Standby with a single button press
  • Ready-to-use energy saving button + On/Off Power Plug
  • Universal remote control, controlling up to 4 devices including TV (Plasma LCD, Projector), DVD, Sat/Cable/DVB-T and surround sound AMP

More details:

  • Expandable with OneForAll On/Off Power Plugs
  • Future Proof Remote – wireless upgrades of any new device code
  • Multiple commands by pressing just one macro-key
  • Learning function for easy addition of original remote functions
  • Uses 2 normal AAA batteries (could be replaced by Eneloop rechargeable ones)
French website GinjFo published a complete test of this remote and demonstrates the financial and environmental impact of such remote.
  • 4 tested AV equipments in standy mode 19 hours/day equal, for a year to:
    - 42.5 Watts of electrical consumption
    - 50.86 US dollar
    - 15.62 kg of CO2 (Carbon Dioxide)
  • When they are switched off, using the Energy Saver remote control, the results appear like this :
    - 0.6 Watt of electrical consumption
    - 0.72 US dollar
    - 0.22 kg of CO2
So, if 10 millions households connect their AV system through it, it will just save  per year
  • 419 MegaWatts of electrical consumption
  • 501.4 millions USD
  • etc…
  • One for All and its dealers will get 500 millions of income the 1st year (unit price is about 50 USD).There is indeed a most Eco-Friendly and cheaper solution… Turn all equipments off manually. You all do that already, isn’t it ?

More : Complete Test results on GinjFo (in french), OneforAll.

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HTC launched earlier this week in London the "Touch Diamond" the lastest smartphone of their TOUCH series.

The Touch Diamond is a stainless steel frame based of only 11.5mm thick, comes with a 2.8 inch touch-sensitive TFT 640×480 VGA screen. An integrated GPS system as well as a 3.2 megapixel camera and a second VGA CMOS one are also available.

This "iPhone-like" smartphone will be available in Europe and Asia in June 08 for about 770 USD.

Surprisingly, there is apparently no Mini-SD card slot to extend the 4 GB internal storage memory.

Highlights:

  • 2.8-inch touch screen, with four times the pixels of most phones.

  • Vibrant TouchFLO 3D user interface, responding perfectly to your finger gestures when scrolling through contacts, browsing the web, and launching media… all vividly displayed as photos and artwork powered by the 3D graphics processor.
  • HTC Weather – providing a constant view of weather at home and abroad.
  • Surf and download at broadband speed with HSDPA internet connectivity.
  • 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera for quality stills and video.
  • 4GB of internal storage to preserve more photos, music, files and exchanged data than ever before.
  • Integrated GPS for use with maps software for a full turn-by-turn satellite navigation experience.

Technical Specifications:

  • Processor
    Qualcomm® MSM7201A' 528 MHz

  • Operating System
    Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
  • Memory
    ROM: 256 MB
    RAM: 192 MB DDR SDRAM
    Internal storage: 4 GB
  • Dimensions
    102 mm (L) X 51 mm (W) X 11.5 mm (T)
  • Weight
    110 g (with battery)
  • Display
    2.8-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with VGA resolution
  • Network
    HSDPA/WCDMA: Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz
    Up to 384 kbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds

    Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
    Europe/Asia: 900/1800/1900 MHz
    (Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent.)

  • Device Control
    TouchFLO' 3D
    Touch-sensitive navigation control
  • GPS
    GPS and A-GPS ready
  • Connectivity
    Bluetooth® 2.0 with EDR
    Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g
    HTC ExtUSB' (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
  • Camera
    Main camera: 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus
    Second camera: VGA CMOS color camera
  • Audio
    Built-in microphone, speaker and FM radio with RDS
  • Ring tone supported formats:
    MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV, and AMR-NB
    40 polyphonic and Standard MIDI format 0 and 1 (SMF)/SP MIDI
  • Battery
    Rechargeable Lithium-ion or Lithium-ion polymer battery
    Capacity: 900 mAh
  • Talk time:
    Up to 270 minutes for WCDMA
    Up to 330 minutes for GSM
  • Standby time:
    Up to 396 hours for WCDMA
    Up to 285 hours for GSM
  • Video call time: Up to 145 minutes for WCDMA
    (The above are subject to network and phone usage.)
  • AC Adapter
    Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60 Hz
    DC output: 5V and 1A

All informations on HTC site

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I haven't review in details all news from the CES 2008 that closed its doors on Thursday but it seems the Global Energy problem contributes to have better ideas regarding the way we can power our IT stuff.

One company, Green Plug, has identified a significant contributor to the high cost of battery-powered consumer electronics products, wasted energy and unnecessary toxic waste. A typical home or office has a dozen or more power transformers that convert between 90V and 254V wall power to device-specific DC power. Every adapter is physically unique and therefore is thrown away every time a device is replaced.

Green Plug comes with a better idea.

greenplug.jpg

Creating a standardize power supply which can be used by all Green PlugTM compliant devices utilize uniform cables and connectors; so, you never have to worry about finding the right adapter for your laptop, DV camera, cell phone or power tool.

Let's hope they will be able to convinced enough partners to have a real impact on the market and we'll have soon all our electronic devices using a single and unique type of power supply.

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