Thanks to FXI Technologies’ Cotton Candy USB device, we may not have to wait long to see Android on more than just our mobile devices. FXI essentially built an ultra-lean computer inside a small USB stick. Stick it into any device that supports USB storage, and Cotton Candy will register as a USB drive. From there, you can run the Android OS in a secure environment inside your desktop, courtesy of a Windows/OSX/Linux-compatible virtualization client embedded in the device.
We have numerous super-light laptops, a plethora of netbooks, and the iPad to choose from. But some companies still produce portable DVD players. One example is Sony, which yesterday in Japan announced [JP] just that, the DVP-FX950. The player has two selling points: a 9-inch LCD screen that features an LED backlight and a battery life of 7.5 hours (up 25% from the previous model).
Other than the LED backlight, the screen features a resolution of 800×480 and a viewing angle of 180 degrees. Next to DVDs and CDs, the player also has a USB port, meaning you can plug in a USB stick to view JPEGs or listen to MP3s (other formats aren’t supported through USB). The player, which is sized at 227×170.8×34.4mm and weighs 0.88kg, also has an internal speaker.
Sony plans to start selling the DVP-FX950 in Japan on June 16 (price: $390). The company hasn’t said yet whether the device will go on sale in other markets as well.
Here’s a rather unique DIY project for you: a russian builder created a USB key design using a block of wood, a switch, and a fan. Why do you need a fan for a USB key you ask? Well, I have no idea. The only thing I can think of is the glowing LED lights inside the glowing logo need cooling? Honestly, no clue.
Needless to say, this is not exactly something that you’re going to find for sale anywhere anytime soon. Not that you’d want to buy one. Or couldn’t just build one yourself, if you were so inclined. Make sure you add a fan that sounds like a vacuum cleaner if you do build one though. Oh, and “in Mother Russia, USB stick builds you!”
[via Reddit]
By Gaurav Kheterpal
Anyone who has played Atari games will relish those old school gaming memories forever. You might well remember it due to the misery of the so called “Joy”stick, which was painful and at times, impossible to use. It used to be a monumental task to move the stick away from the center to either side.
Still, Retro Thing have re-fashioned the old school Joystick by adding a USB interface to it so you can hook it up to your PC or Mac. It ships with the Stella Atari 2600 Emulator and 80 old school games including Pacman 4K and Lady Bug.
The Clear Classic USB Stick is priced at $30 and is bound to take you back the old school gaming memory lanes with loads of ‘joy’.
[ Reflex Audio ] VIA [ Wired ]
Tokyo-based crap accessory maker Greenhouse has given us a plethora of gadgets that basically make no sense over the last months, and these new USB memory sticks don’t look to be different. Much like the cork- and light bulb-shaped USB sticks Greenhouse released not too long ago, they don’t offer anything special technically.
But the look is noteworthy: You can choose between six designs, namely pizza, sandwich, hot dog, burger, chocolate and strawberry donuts. Isn’t that awesome?
The USB 2.0/1.1 sticks offer 2GB of memory. People living outside Japan can order the entire fast food set (pizza, sandwich, hot dog and burger USB stick) for $160.95 over at Geek Stuff 4U (who don’t list the two donut sticks yet).
Looks like we’re about to see Qualcomm’s ARM-based Snapdragon platform finally start to take off this year. One of the first devices out of the gate will be Lenovo’s unique “Skylight” smartbook.
It’s a netbook-ish computer that weighs less than two pounds, sports 10-hour battery life, and an interface (Linux, presumably) full of continuously updating widgets. Wi-Fi and 3G connections are built in and the computer will be sold directly from Lenovo and through AT&T starting in April. There’s also a unique integrated USB stick that swivels out and detaches for taking your data with you elsewhere.
The price tag is going to be a sticking point for some people: $499 unlocked. These Snapdragon smartbooks are supposed to be priced around $200, right? Subsidized units sold through AT&T ought to be priced more aggressively. At any rate, you get a 10.1-inch screen at 720p resolution, HD playback, and a relatively spacious keyboard. We’ll take a closer look at CES but here’s a demo video in the mean time.
Lenovo Skylight [Press Release]