Computer Accessories

Over 20,000 new products were announced at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES), making it impossible to cover each and every product the week of the show. One little gem we wished we would have experienced hands-on is the iharmonix Q-i-sound Bluetooth speakers by Qmadix. Not your typical boxy design, these ultra-portable wireless speakers deliver stereo sound for a better music listening experience and also feature microphones for hands-free calling.

Great for use with laptops, tablets, smartphones, or any other Bluetooth-enabled device, the speakers – once paired with the device – can be separated from each other by up to 15 feet, and can be placed up to 33 feet away from the tablet or smartphone itself. Each speaker is equipped with a rechargeable lithium polymer battery which charges in 3 ½ hours and lasts for up to eight hours of continuous playtime, 240 hours (10 days) on standby.

A handy zip-up carrying case makes traveling easy and keeps the iharmonix Q-i-sound speakers protected when you're on-the-go.Read more

Wireless mice are great, but when that battery poops out on you, and you're without spare power, suddenly your entire business shuts down. You simply can't navigate your PC.

Genius' DX-ECO Mouse ditches the friendly batteries in favor of a gold capacitor. What does that mean to you? In just 3-minutes time this mouse can be charged to full and last for what the company says is a complete work day. Additionally, it can be recharged up to 100,000 times, which means that this mouse will be well outdated before its capacitor fizzles out.

And just because it doesn't sport a traditional rechargeable battery, or at the very least a slot for one, that doesn't mean Genius has forgone any of the standard features you've come to expect from your wireless mouse. It can work at up to a distance of 15 meters, includes a tiny micro receiver, 4-way scrolling, adjustable dpi (800/1600 dpi), next/previous page hot keys and a blue optical mouse, or as the company calls it, a "BlueEye" sensor, that is said to work on dusted glass, carpet and marble.Read more

Logitech is releasing a new mouse called the Logitech Cube. The device looks like a small box and fits in the palm of your hand. What makes it unique is that the top side of it is a touch sensitive panel. When picking up the Cube it jumps into presentation mode and allows you to control a presentation from the palm of your hand.

Essentially, it's a wireless mouse / presenter hybrid in the same small package. As a mouse, the Cube scrolls via swipe gestures across the main panel via the company's Flow Scroll software with performance similar to scrolling on your touchscreen smartphone of choice. To engage presenter mode, all you'll have to do is pick the device up off your desk and the switch is made for you. The pocket-sized accessory connects to your PC using a diminutive Logitech Unifying receiver with 2.4GHz connectivity.

While in presentation mode the touch sensitive panel can be used to jump forward and backwards between frames. To do that it requires you flip it upside-down when going backwards and flip it back the other way to go forwards between slides. Logitech is also making a plugin available that allows for smoother scrolling.Read more

Logitech just announced the Mini Boom Box, an audio device for owners of tablets, smartphones and anything else that can play audio files and can communicate via Bluetooth.

The Logitech Mini Boombox is not just any audio output device. Though the main principle of audio generation is the same, the role of it is quite specialized compared to the general crowd of headphones, headsets and speakers.

Simply put, it is supposed to be paired with smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. The transmission is done via Bluetooth, so that narrows the list of compatibility down somewhat, though not by much. After all, Bluetooth is, at this point, a standard feature on all handsets, big or small, not to mention tablets and laptops. Desktop motherboards also have it sometimes, or the PC gets it via add-in boards or USB adapters.

"The Logitech Mini Boombox rises to the occasion to bring an immersive sound experience wherever you go," said Azmat Ali, vice president of tablets and mobile for Logitech. "Now that mobile devices also act as movie theaters, concert stages, game consoles, and conference centers, people want sound quality to match and the Logitech Mini Boombox delivers." Read more

By now you've (hopefully) taken care of the big-ticket items on your holiday shopping list. But don't forget the stocking stuffers! We've put together a list of some great, yet inexpensive stocking stuffers, along with a few $5 toys you can sneak into your kids stockings - or even under the tree!

NewerTech NuTouch Gloves
NewerTech's NuTouch Gloves are the stylish and functional solution to keeping hands warm while using an iPhone, iPad, or other touch screen device in cold weather. Unlike other brands of gloves that limit finger use and touch capability, NuTouch Gloves have a special conductive fiber woven into all 10 fingertips so users can enjoy the fastest typing input on full-sized touch keyboards.

Made from a soft cotton mix and available in four hand sizes - S/M/L/XL, they come in a classic charcoal color and can be worn by themselves, or as liners with heavier cold weather gloves.Read more

Linksys on Tuesday released its new flagship wireless-n router - the E4200 v2. Great for large or multi-room homes, it offers greater wireless coverage; better wireless networking speeds on the 2.4 GHz band, plus a faster processor for speedier downloads from a USB connected storage device. But that's not all - Linksys also introduced new mobile apps, allowing you to control your wireless network from your mobile device.

The new Linksys E4200 v2 Maximum Performance Dual-Band N900 wireless-n router provides wireless networking speeds up to 450 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band and up to 450 Mbps in the 5.0 GHz band, and is powerful enough to handle all your home network can throw at it – whether its streaming HD video, music downloads or multi-player gaming.

New features:

• Wireless performance up to 900 Mbps: 3X3 spatial streams are now included on both the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz band for faster wireless speeds up to 450 Mbps in each band
• Improved CPU to include a 1.2 GHz processor: Faster USB hard drive disk performance for streaming videos, music or photos.

The Linksys E4200 v2 features internal and external amplifiers, along with six antennas which reduces dead spots and improves your home network coverage. In addition, the virtual USB feature makes it easy to add printers, storage and other USB devices to the network. As with all Linksys E-Series routers, Cisco Connect software is included for easy setup and network management for Macs and PCs. Read more

Last week we told you about the H9500BD, Acer's latest home theater projector capable of converting 2D content to 3D. Today we have the HR274H, a 27-inch 1080p 3D display from Acer that also turns most 2D content into 3D.

The HR274H sports its own internal chip-based solution which does the 2D-to-3D conversion (this feature can be switched on or off on the monitor), and a single HDMI cable carries the video from a 3D-enabled PC, Blu-ray player, game console, cable set-top box or camera to the monitor.

A set of polarized, passive 3D glasses are included, and Film-patterned retarder (FPR) technology in the display and glasses allow for flicker-free 3D viewing, reducing eye strain.

"The Acer HR274H delivers the highest level of realism available for fans of 3D games, TV programming, movies and photos," said Chris White, senior director of product marketing, Acer America. "Every detail is so clear, bright and rich in color, immersing yourself in your favorite game or movie has never been so utterly exhilarating." Read more

Computer Apparel announces the Original V Neck Sleeve

You've seen baby clothes, doll clothes, and even dog clothes. But the latest trend in forward fashion is computer clothes. Yes, computer clothes.

Computer Apparel has got the fall wardrobe to fit your Mac laptop, iPad, and even your iPhone.

Redefining the phrase "business casual," Computer Apparel announces the Original V Neck Sleeve, a handcrafted, machine washable, computer sleeve made from high-quality cottons and padding. Additionally, the Original V Neck Sleeve is equipped with convenient pockets to stow chargers, papers, and even your iPhone.Read more