Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

You may or may not have noticed that along with the previously mentioned “Blu,“ the letter “i” has become prefixed to every product known to man.  Obviously, Apple has all the right in the world to do that (as they really popularized it) but Phillips is making a name for themselves with this “prefix-stealing,“ after the goLITE Blu.  Get ready for the iPill (the intelligent pill). 
Most of us already know what camera pills are (pill sized cameras that you swallow), and this is really a development from that idea further into the world of medicine. The pill can essentially do three things: it can monitor acidity levels, it can release medicine, and it can record temperatures.  All of which contribute towards its main aim of analyzing problems and acting upon them. 

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Since it is Halloween, Gadgetell is taking a look at some the tech horror stories our writers have experienced.  Here is one tale.

This is a true story of my encounter with a monitor of the worst kind.  I have always relied on CRTs for two main reason; the first is the consistently good picture quality it provides and the second was that I couldn’t bear to pay for a new one.  However, one day it occurred to me that two monitors are better than one, so after investigating my graphics card I borrowed a VGA-to-DVI adapter from a friend (it was a very nice lilac color!).

So, I squeezed two clunky 15” CRTs onto my desk, the table creaking in protest and that is where the problems started.  Firstly, the cable, non detachable, could not reach the PC.  Fifteen minutes, later I moved the PC, connected the two monitors up, and switched it on. . . .

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Dell seems to be experimenting on its LCD product line.  Their new S1909WX and S1709X LCDs use the more traditional 16:10 aspect ratio (with a 1440x900 resolution) instead of using the new standard LCD aspect ratio of 16:9.  Still, these two new LCDs sport some of the features of other Dell LCDs, such as a detachable stand that will allow users to use a VESA mount the display on a wall.

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LG has recently introduced two new LCD display monitors in the UK market. While there may already be a slew of LCD monitors available for UK consumers to choose from, LG’s monitors offer something else which makes them stand out from the LCD lot. For these two new monitors, the 29-inch M2900S-BN and the 38-inch MS3800S-BN, LG has stretched (literally) their screen resolution to 1366 x 480 and 1366 x 398 respectively. Both LCD monitors boast of a 1,000:1 contrast ratio and a response time of 9ms aside from their digital and analogue video input.

According to LG, these two LCD monitors are perfect for exhibiting information in large commercial areas, giving out high picture quality and are able to display horizontal or vertical data in large format and in their full color glory. LG is also giving consumers an easy time in controlling the monitors’ power, contrast, brightness and volume through a single computer when they connect each monitor with cables.

Release date and pricing details are not yet available but like we said, it will be made available to the UK market first.

Via [Akihabara News]

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Here’s another way to accessorize your monitor besides sticking Post-It notes all over it.  This Posy Cozy by artist Darlene is a knit holder that includes a plastic vial to hold flowers and comes with a gift card and Velcro to attach to the side of your monitor.  It is available in many different colors and costs $10, $14, or $15 on Etsy.  This would be a great way to have a flower arrangement at your desk without taking up desk room.  If having water in the vial would be too messy for you, you can just put fake flowers, or put pens instead.

But let’s say that knits are not your thing and you just want the vial.  Well if you have an HP monitor, you can get this Easy Clip kitfor $9.99 that has a flower vase, plus a headphone holder and two photo holders.  I suppose these products would be more suitable for a home computer than for a work computer since flowers might look too whimsical for work.  But I think they’d make the computer look more cheerful!  The Windows XP Control Panel includes a couple of flower wallpapers, so if it’s OK to have flowers as the background for your screen then it should be OK to have flowers on the sides of the screen too.

Via [geeksugar]

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Sharp has expanded its Professional LCD Monitors with the launch of the TL Professional LCD Monitor Line. LCD’s in this product line will have a full 1920 x 1080 2-megapixel high-definition resolution display. To kick off the launch the product line, Sharp has released the 52-inch TL-M5200 and the 46-inch TL-M4600.

Both of these LCD’s give out a high image quality, features and performance which are perfect for teleconferencing, CAD/Simulation, digital signage, corporate, educational, training, hospitality, sports arenas, entertainment and house-of worship. In addition these LCD’s are also easy to install with their lightweight cabinet design, and even come equipped with RJ-45 LAN Control for network connectivity. Other features of these two new LCD’s include Advanced Super View panel, 1500:1 (TL-M4600) and 2000:1 (TL-M5200) contrast ratios, advanced signal processing, an HDCP compatible HDMI input, and a built-in web browser.

The Sharp TL-M4600 and TL-M5200 LCD’s retail for $4,995 and $3,995 at all Sharp retail outlets.

Via [Akihabara News]

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BenQ wants to define a new lifestyle trend in the design of computer hardware. And as an opening salvo, BenQ has released the 24-inch V2400W widescreen LCD. Fresh from receiving the iF Design Award, which is given to elite computer companies for their outstanding design, the BenQ V2400W gives a sneak peek at BenQ’s newly evolved Kinergy Design, that almost mimic a B-2 stealth bomber.

BenQ claims the V2400W LCD as the thinnest 24-inch widescreen LCD, with only 2.44-inches at its thickest point. This measures more than 21% of the next thinnest LCD monitor available in the market today. It has blue-LED and touch controls that adds to its elegant appearance. And how about durability? Was this not taken for granted in place of design and aesthetic features? Definitely not, as the LCD’s stand can fully support the 24-inch widescreen and even provide flexibility for adjusting viewing angles. This was made possible by the precise torque and friction applied between the metallic parts of the hinges.

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Dell’s got a spanking new 20-inch widescreen flat panel LCD monitor. Based on the specs it should offer exceptional color accuracy, the Dell UltraSharp 2009W display is fully adjustable even down to the tiniest detail. Just by looking at the 2009W LCD monitor, you’d immediately know that underneath its elegant look are high end technology features waiting to be used and explored. The 20-inch size may not be enough for your personal widescreen viewing pleasure, but it is definitely more than enough to answer everyone’s need for additional workspace in their desktop computing needs.

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Asus has launched its newest 24-inch LCD monitor. The Asus MK241H boasts native HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) support for full HD 1080p video playback. It is equipped with a 1920x1200 16:10 high resolution panel that delivers multi-channel audio and uncompressed digital video. Translating these into layman’s terms, the Asus MK241H would give gamers and multimedia users the ultimate gaming and multimedia experience.

Asus has even upped the ante of the MK241H by integrating a plug-and-play built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam for high-resolution video and array microphones for the much needed push towards optimum video and audio pleasure. The webcam, microphone array, stereo speakers and earphone jack makes the MK241H useful for video conferencing as well.

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Need more desktop space and less desk space? Humanscale’s Parabolic Paramount monitor mount can support between 2 and 8 flat screen monitors in any number of configurations. Need to monitor 8 servers, no problem. Working with a flight simulator, easy as pie.

Each monitor is attached via Quick Release mounting brackets, so reconfiguration is easy. Additionally, you don’t need to worry about a web of cables, due to its integrated cable management.

You may have to wait a few weeks as it’s availability is announced as the first quarter of 2008.

Via [Engadget]

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