Computers

Imation is now shipping what they say is the world's first wireless USB external hard drive, the Imation Pro WX. It gives you 1.5TB of storage and has a wireless USB data transfer rate of up to 15MBs/second. That said, the product can back up a standard CD in about 50 seconds, and store up to 300,000 photos or 750 hours of video.

The Imation Pro WX Wireless USB hard drive has a built-in stand and can be placed either horizontally or vertically. It also has a built-in sleep mode to save energy, as well as one-touch, backup sync buttons. Data can be backed up whenever it is within 30 feet, similar to a direct attached storage device.

The Imation Pro WX Wireless USB hard drive is now available for $449.99 and is compatible with both PC and Mac computers.

Many people are gravitating to the living room to view Internet entertainment on their televisions. Hillcrest Labs created a device with these people in mind, the Loop pointer. The Loop pointer is a wireless in-air mouse that lets you control an on-screen cursor with hand motions. Different from any mouse you've seen before, it has a round, ergonomic shape featuring just four buttons and a scroll wheel. To use, simply hold the device in any position, and control online video sites, photo sites, music sites, and more on the computer or TV screen.

Because of the Loop's innovative design and technology, the device was just named an International CES Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree. Congrats, Hillcrest Labs!

The Loop pointer can be purchased at www.hillcrestlabs.com/loop or www.amazon.com for just $77 (regularly $99) as part of a current promotion.

Best Buy just announced their lowest priced laptop computer ever, the $249.99 Acer Extensa EX5230E-2177. Available starting today (November 11), this laptop features an Intel Celeron 900 processor, 2GB memory and a 160GB hard drive. It will be available both in-store and online.

If the $250 Acer laptop isn't your thing, with more than 30 laptops, 6 netbooks, 17 desktops and 4 all-in-ones available from brands such as Acer, Apple, Asus, Dell, Gateway, HP, Sony, Toshiba, and Lenovo, you are sure to find a computer to meet your needs.

Also, throughout the holiday season, six months of anti-virus protection will be free with the purchase of any laptop/desktop/netbook from Best Buy, and one year of Napster will be included free with any Dell computer purchase. Read more

Last March Dell introduced Adamo, the world's thinnest laptop PC at just a .65-inch thick. Now they have added an even thinner laptop to the line, the Adamo XPS. Measuring just four-tenths of an inch thin and weighing just over 3 pounds, this is one impressive laptop!

Featuring a 13.4-inch high-definition display, 4GB DDR3 800 memory, Intel Core 2 Duo (1.4Ghz) ultra-low voltage processor, and a 128GB SSD, it performs well too.

More features:

• When opened, the body of the Adamo XPS is raised so the keyboard is angled to enhance cooling.
• Capacitive latching device – one finger swipe opens the latch.
• Built-in location awareness to provide real time local maps to show people where they are.
• Replaceable battery, with optional higher-capacity battery available.
• Full size keyboard with aluminum keycaps; touchpad with gestures.
• Built-in 802.11n wireless.
• High Definition (720p) 13.4-inch WLED display.
• I/O: display port, 2xUSB 2.0, audio, Ethernet (via included dongle).
• Operating system: Windows 7 64-bit edition.

Dell expects the Adamo XPS to be available in time for the holidays. Prices start at $1799. More information is available at www.adamobydell.com.

More people use laptops to listen to music, watch movies and play games than ever before. Now you don't have to be stuck with the (sometimes) poor quality sound coming from your computer thanks to the new Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 Wireless computer speakers.

Klipsch first introduced the ProMedia 2.1 system back in 2000, and it has become one of their best-selling products. To make the speakers even better, Klipsch decided to create a wireless version. The new ProMedia 2.1 Wireless sounds just like the THX-certified original, only this one features a USB wireless transmitter that plugs into the computer's USB port.

The system is not completely wireless, however. Unless operated via batteries, the power source needs to connect to electricity. With this system, the subwoofer is the power source. It plugs into a wall outlet and then the two speakers connect to it via wires. Wireless, (in this case), means no wires attach to the computer. The ProMedia and computer wirelessly connect via the USB wireless transmitter.

The ProMedia 2.1 Wireless is available at klipsch.com for $199.99, only in the United States. The original ProMedia ($149.99) is available at Best Buy and klipsch.com.

Acer just announced a notebook PC with an 18.4-inch display, Intel Core i7 processor, Windows 7 Home Premium and theater quality sound and visuals, the new Aspire AS8940G-6865.

Perfect for multimedia enthusiasts, this PC features 4GB DDR3 dual-channel 1066MHz memory, NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M with 1GB dedicated DDR3 VRAM, a 500GB hard drive, 4X Blu-ray Disc/DVD SuperMulti Double-Layer Drive, Multi-in-1 digital media card reader, WiFi, integrated webcam, 5 USB 2.0 ports, 1 HDMI port, 1 eSATA port, and an 8-cell Li-Ion battery.Read more

This is a great year to create personalized gifts for friends and family. Make them something they will remember forever by creating a photo or video disc of some of your best times together.

Do you have some shaky home video footage or cell phone videos you'd like to add to a disc but thought it impossible due to the quality? vReveal is your solution. It is not video editing software, but video enhancement software. This software features super-resolution technology that increases resolution, reduces noise, and provides stabilization. And, to make it even better…it is super easy to use. "One click" touch-up tools stabilize, clean, sharpen, brighten and increase the resolution of flawed videos. You can even trim a video or rotate sideways videos. Video files can be previewed and then saved to disc or upload them directly to YouTube. Read more

Those looking for a Bluetooth wireless keyboard should check out the latest from Adesso, the WKB-4000BB. The company's first compact Bluetooth keyboard, it features a built-in touchpad, low profile scissor-switch keys, an ON/OFF switch (to help save battery life) and a Quick Connect button, which synchs to the PC with a simple click.

Great for people with limited space, this compact keyboard allows for more room on your desk, table, living room…anywhere you want to take it (up to 100 feet). And, thanks to the handy touchpad, a mouse isn't needed, saving even more space. It fits easily in a backpack or briefcase as well, so you can take it with you on the go.

The SlimTouch Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard, model WKB-4000BB, is compatible with Windows 7, Vista and XP systems with Bluetooth connectivity. It is available now for $129.99.

Visit www.adesso.com for more information.

The release of Windows 7 is on everyone's minds this week. Because of this, Best Buy and HP have teamed up to offer a new "PC Home Makeover" package.

Quite a deal, the package consists of a HP Slimline desktop, an LCD monitor, an HP laptop, HP mini netbook, and a Netgear Wireless-G router. In-home setup by Geek Squad is included as well…all for just $1199.

The HP Slimline s5212y features a dual-core 2.5GHz Intel Pentium E5200 CPU, GMA 3100 graphics, 3GB DDR2 800MHz RAM, 320GB 7200RPM HDD, DVD burner, six-in-one card reader, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. A keyboard and mouse, as well as an 18.5" 1366x768 display with integrated 2W speakers are also included. Read more