Archive for November, 2009

This tiny device was one of the more popular items in Akihabara’s Yodobashi electronics store.  Offered by Emobile, a Japanese wireless data carrier, this device acts as a tiny WiFi hotspot, just like the MiFi-style devices offered by Verizon and Sprint in the US.

I do have to say though, Emobile has a more compact solution here – the device weighs in at less than 3 ounces, and it fits in the palm of your hand, not to mention a pocket or purse.  And unlike the MiFi, this device was really being marketed heavily, particularly as a complement to the iPod Touch and netbooks.

Wireless Goodness is spending Thanksgiving in Japan, a country well known for its wireless goodness.  As any Japanese gadget fan will attest, Akihabara in Tokyo is the place to go to for gadgets, and we made a quick stop over there today.

We spotted the Toshiba T-01A in the landmark Yodobashi Camera store in Akihabara.  The device rocks the 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon, along with a 4.1” capacitive touchscreen, GPS and 3G Internet.

Sadly, the Snapdragon was put to waste with Windows Mobile.  And unlike HTC’s devices, Toshiba hasn’t done much to hide the uglier parts of Windows Mobile 6.5, so you’re stuck with a clunky interface that struggles even more with the use of Japanese characters.

Still, the design of the T-01A is quite impressive.  The device is incredibly thin, yet still feels like a solid slab of metal and glass.  The hard buttons are conveniently placed, and well integrated into the device’s front.  You also get a satisfying click when you push on soft buttons – kind of similar to typing on the BlackBerry Storm.

In any case, we won’t be seeing the T-01A in the States anytime soon.  And to be honest, this device isn’t worth it as long as it’s running Windows Mobile.  Toshiba has done a good job on the design-side though, hopefully this device will be resurrected with Android or an improved Windows Mobile 7.

I’m not really sure that training your dog with electric shocks is a good idea.  Sure, you want to prevent your pet from attacking others.  But using electricity seems a bit, well, cruel.

Either way, DYNAVET passed a shocking collar through the FCC today.  The device allows dog owners to administer shocks with a remote control.  Users can control the length and intensity of shocks, depending on the dog and/or training conditions.

Again, the benefits and efficacy of shock training are unclear – I’d get your vet’s opinion on this before you strap your dog up.

Who couldn’t use a computer in their car?  The TREK-743 brings you exactly that, albeit with a slightly underpowered AMD Geode processor running at 500 GHz.

The device rocks a 7” touch screen, as well as GPS.  Plus, the TREK-743 sports a CDMA/EVDO modem, allowing you to surf the web in transit.

The TREK-743 isn’t a consumer-ready solution, however.  The device can run Windows XP or CE, but it will require some customization to get up and running.  That means the TREK-743 is best suited for commercial vehicle fleets, not your Honda Accord.

Although it doesn’t look like much, this wearable device from ProTech called the Smart XT helps law enforcement to keep a handle on criminals.  The device works with a base unit to ensure that the wearer stays within a predefined area – important for those who are confined to their homes, or are restricted from entering sensitive areas.

If there are any problems, officers can use the device to communicate with the wearer via text message.  And just to make sure there’s no funny business going on, both the Smart XT and base unit have anti-tamper features that alert law enforcement if it appears that the device has been compromised.

It’s a pretty comprehensive solution that seems to go a long way to help law enforcement make the most out of their resources.

This GPS unit from NAVMAN made it through the FCC today.  There’s not a whole lot new to see here – the device has that generic touchscreen handheld design that we’ve all become so used to.

Known as the M-Nav760, this device sports a 4.3” 320×240 display.  According to the user manual, the M-Nav760 runs on Windows CE 5.0, and will have up to 128 MB of SDRAM and up to 2 GB of NAND flash memory.

Along with GPS features, the M-Nav760 can also pay music and show pictures.  No word on pricing or availability.

This boring-looking box from Remington-Elsag Law Enforcement Systems actually puts a pretty powerful tool in the hands of cops.  The device, known as the AutoDetector, is installed in police vehicles, and uses four cameras mounted around the cop car to automatically ‘read’ the license plates of surrounding vehicles.

This is valuable for cops, who would normally have to enter in license plate numbers by hand.  With AutoDetector, the cop doesn’t have to do anything – the system continuously reads and crosschecks plates without human interaction.  And when a suspect vehicle is identified, the cop is alerted and the location of the suspect vehicle is recorded with GPS.

The AutoDetector updates its database of suspect vehicles over WiFi, so the system is constantly updated.  Information about indentified suspect vehicles can also be uploaded to law enforcement databases via WiFi.

Sure, the AutoDetector is a bit Orwellian, but it is comforting to know that people out on warrants will be identified.  From a revenue perspective, this could also be valuable for police departments who could issue tickets for cars driving with expired registration, for example.

If you don’t want to be one of those guys who walk around with a Bluetooth headset in their ear all day, check out Planex Communications’’ BT-MiniHS2.  This tiny headset barely protrudes from your ear, a big improvement over most headsets that extend a few inches down your cheek.

Sure, you have to wonder how well the mic works on this thing.  But overall, I like the compact design of this device, not to mention the use of miniUSB for charging.

Atheros passed an 802.11 b/g/n card through the FCC today that makes reference to a mysterious Dell netbook called the P04T.  No current or announced Dell products have the P04T model number, so this suggests we will be seeing a new netbook from Dell in the near future.

Unfortunately, Atheros’ filing doesn’t give many details about the P04T at all.  One thing that is disclosed, however, is that the P04T will have a 10” display and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi.

An FCC filing yesterday by Atheros made mention of a Fujitsu netbook with a PineView processor, so hopefully the Dell P04T will also rock some PineView goodness.

If you don’t feel like carrying around a bulky GPS unit with a 3” + screen, perhaps the KapNav system from KAPTEN is for you.  The tiny KapNav unit fits in the palm of your hand, but packs in a ton of features including GPS navigation, voice recognition, MP3 playback, and more.  You can even use the KapNav as a Bluetooth headset.

You control KapNav by speaking commands into the included headset, while directions are read back to you by the unit.  That makes this device particularly useful for the blind.

Now, I’m not sure if I’d prefer the KapNav over a regular GPS unit in the car.  Voice commands seem like a pain, and visual maps are comforting.  But I can see KapNav coming in handy while hiking, or during other activities where lugging around a heavy GPS unit would be irritating.

You can buy KapNav online now, although the device isn’t cheap – it’ll run you around $500.