spotcoolstuff      tech

As we type these words we are sitting in a dark room testing out the backlit keys of the latest Logitech Illuminated Ultra-Thin Keyboard.

Continue →

Time was that all-in-one printers could fulfill variety of useful functions without being particularly good at any of them. All-in-one printers could not produce photos as well as a photo printer, could not print text as well as a dedicated inkjet, could not scan as well as a stand alone scanner and could not fax as well fax machine.

Times have changed with the wifi enabled, touchscreen equipped Epson Artisan 800.

The Artisan 800’s ability to print photos and text, to scan and to fax, rivals or exceeds most machines dedicated to those purposes. Here’s a summary of those functions from strongest to weakest:

Continue →

“Elegant design” and “Microsoft” not words that go together. Yet somehow they’ve managed to meet up in the Arc Mouse. (Or “Arch Mouse” as many people spell it). This wireless mouse is looks futuristic and, well, beautiful.

Continue →

Canon’s latest compact and mobile printer, the iP100, doesn’t look too impressive from the outside. And its “I P” name reminds us of a Bart Simpson prank phone call. Still, the technology here is undeniably impressive. This is the first portable printer capable of printing at a one picoliter droplet size. It prints at around 20 pages per minute, making it one of the fastest portable printers, and connects to your computer wirelessly or via Bluetooth. With the optional battery it can print 290 pages on the a three hour charge. When printing photographs the iP100 really shines — the printer can produce borderless photo-lab quality prints at 9600×2400dpi. The photo prints are so stunning in large part because of Canon’s Auto Image Fix feature, which analyzes and optimizes photographs base on type (portrait, scenery, etc). The Auto Image Fix is especially important when printing directly from your camera, camcorder or cell phone. $249.99

BUY

A 1 terabyte hard disk is just another 1 terabyte hard disk. Unless it is designed by Neil Poulton and possesses the technology of product leader LaCie. Then a 1 TB hard disk is a piece of art with a black mirror finish and ambient LED lighting. And then this 1 TB hard disk can near-silently transfer data at speeds up to 80MB/s. Compatible with both Mac and PC, this LaCie hard disk can interface through eSATA, FireWire 400 or Hi-Speed USB 2.0. An excellent deal at around $250, also available in 750 GB, 500 GB and 320 GB models.

BUY | eBAY

Continue →

If you are like us your computer doubles as your stereo. And perhaps also as your television, your video game system, your telephone and your escape from reality. Good computer speakers are essential. Logitech’s Z Cinéma Advanced Surround Sound System provide EXCELLENT computer speakers. A sub woofer supplies a massive base. Two tiny satellite speakers pull off a ventriloquist act by creating a 360 degree surround sound superior to the vast majority of 4- and 8-speaker systems we’ve heard. A full-featured remote controls it all. Unlike most computer speakers, the Z Cinema connects through your computer’s USB port, which transports both data and true 24-bit digital audio. No sound card is required though, very sadly, the Logitech Z Cinéma’s USB-based interface is not compatible with Macs.

BUY | eBAY