Posts tagged Portable at Switched

Posts with tag portable

Top Solar-Powered Emergency Gadgets

by Will Safer, posted May 5th 2008 at 4:14PM

Are you ready for an emergency? Have you got your "go" bag packed with all the items you need for a few days after a disaster, natural or otherwise?

We're not all doom and gloom here at Switched, but we do like being prepared, so when we saw a great round-up of emergency products that generate their own power, we couldn't resist a closer look. The folks at Unplggd have put together a list of top-notch solar powered gadgets that could keep you going when you're on the, um, go.

Here are some of our favorites from the list:

The Crank It Up! Dynamo Solar Radio has both a hand crank (old fashioned style) and solar power, so you can tune in to news when you need it, even without batteries or a power outlet.

Ignore the contradiction in the name of the Solar Flashlight, which drinks up power during the day so you can use the device to light your way at night. It also has a compass.

We were also intrigued by Innergy Power's Emergency Solar Power Kit, which stores power so you can plug in a cell phone, laptop or other device. [Source: Unplggd]

Michigan Boy Burnt By Pocketed PlayStation Portable (PSP)

by Will Safer, posted Feb 8th 2008 at 2:26PM

Are Sony PSPs going the same way as burning cell phones and batteries? According to WebPro News, a Farmington Hills, Mich., middle school boy felt something warm happening in his pants during band class -- and, just as you suspected (dirty monkeys!) -- it turned out that his Sony PSP was heating up to the point of causing second-degree burns.

In an almost cliche-like instance of coincidence, the disc he had in the portable gaming and media device was for a popular driving game called 'Burnout.'

There's no official word on the cause of the flare-up, but the Sony PSP Web site says to use only PSP batteries and charging packs "that meet our quality standards to avoid hazards such as firing or explosion. Using batteries with such protective devices may cause a failure or an accident." No word on if the boy was using a third-party battery or had damaged the device. He did return to school the same day after receiving treatment in the hospital for his injury.

From Engadget

Related links:

Nintendo DS Gets Camera and "Facening"

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jul 5th 2007 at 3:16PM

Sure, training your brain, that makes sense. But your skin? Not so much. And your face? Even less. But apparently that's the next step for the Nintendo DS. A game that translates roughly into 'Face Training' is being prepped for release (in Japan) that helps you improve your looks though face exercises, or as Nintendo calls it (we kid you not), "facening."

The game comes with a stand for hands-free use and a camera to assure you're performing the face exercise correctly. We're not sure if the software matches up points on your face, or if you have to just look and see if you're performing the exercise properly.

The camera is also the first official one available for the DS, though so far there has been no mention of other uses for the camera. It's hard to imagine Nintendo is wasting it on just this game.

From Engadget

Related links:

Limited Edition Yellow DS

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jun 12th 2007 at 8:41AM

If you prefer your portable gaming like you prefer your taxi cabs -- we mean yellow and black, not smelly and unsafe -- then look no further than Nintendo's new Pokemon DS Lite. In addition to the yellow paint job and black accents, there's a matching yellow stylus and an etched portrait of Mr. Pikachu himself.

But don't get too excited: The yellow DS is being produced in a limited run and will only be available from the Japanese Pokemon Center in Tokyo -- and only to those lucky enough to enter and win a forthcoming raffle.

It looks like you'll have to settle for tricking out your DS Lite with a bright yellow highlighter pen and some Pokemon stickers.

From TechDigest

USB Powered Portable Paper Shredder

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jun 7th 2007 at 10:01AM

We sure like our shredders here at Switched. And if your "business trips" are really a little more like "time away with the mistress," then you're really going to like Kinlan's new handheld USB shredder too. Don't just tear up receipts from hotel stays and dinners too romantic to be professional. Simply plug this baby into your laptop's USB port and shred away. The device is roughly 10 inches by three inches and weighs just 12 ounces, allowing it to easily fit in most laptop bags without adding a lot of extra weight. When a USB port isn't available, an AC adapter or four AA batteries can power the unit.

From GizmoWatch

Related Links:

Attack of the Clones

by Tom Conlon, posted May 20th 2007 at 5:56PM

FUN
A PlayStation-based cell phone has been rumored to be on the way almost since the day Sony released the PSP. But instead of waiting for Sony to come around to actually producing it, one unscrupulous Chinese gadget maker just went ahead and built one -- kind of. The FUN (pronounced F-U-N, we're guessing, to sound similar to P-S-P) is like a 50 percent photocopy of the PSP that makes calls, does music and video and plays 8-bit games. Sadly, this GSM wonder is available only in Hong Kong.

Spotted at PhoneDaily.com

<< Back Next >>

Carry MySpace on Your iPod

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Apr 16th 2007 at 9:45AM

If you're the kind of person who loves MySpace so much that you never want to leave your computer, then Mogopop has something to ease your pain: Mogopop has released a service that allows you to sync MySpace pages to your iPod.

To do this, you place a Mogopop widget (which can be created at the Mogopop homepage) on your MySpace page. The site generates a couple lines of code that you just cut and paste into your MySpace profile. Then the widget shows up on your MySpace page.

When clicked, the widget downloads your photos, blogs, top eight (or top 37 if that's the how you roll), interests and event dates and formats them for the tiny iPod screen. The information is updated every time you sync your iPod.

Mogopop has previously offered syncing for scaled down versions of other web content so it only makes sense that they would extend this service to one of the most popular sites on the Internet.

from iLounge

Want to play that Resident Evil 5 demo today? EA's 3 on 3 NHL Arcade skates on to XBLA, PSN in February Rumor: Kojima Productions teases 'A Next Metal Gear'	ZScreen is a powerful, open source screenshot app Google Reader gets a new look Interpret your dreams online with DreamCrowd
TapTapTap creates 10,000 iPhone apps mosaic What's in an icon? Livescribe and the Pulse Smartpen on the Mac	Job losses in November -- the worst since 1974 Will Boeing delay Dreamliner six more months? Merging GM and Chrysler defeat auto bailout goal
Country music DLC to invade Rock Band Xbox Live to be down for 'quick' maintenance [update] Forza Motorsport 2 experts drift into gear	Chevy Cruze WTCC livery gets official Italian reveal Mercury Sable dies along with Taurus X Trucks making a comeback? Ford adds extra shift, overtime for F-150
Download: Red Alert 3 v1.05 Patch and Worldbuilder Namco Bandai launches Serge..er, Surge brand New Divinity 2 screenshots come forth	Steelers Get Big Ben Back, Cowboys Still Waiting on Marion Barber Thursday Night Live Chat: Raiders vs. Chargers -- Battle for Last Place Continues Junior Seau Is in New England to Potentially Sign With the Patriots

Categories

Resources

Hot Topics

Switched Questionnaire

Hype Check

Web

Paranormal

Time Wasters

Just Tell Me What To Get

TUAW

Most Commented On (7 days)

Cyber Criminals Make Move to Social Networking Sites (80)

Online Poker Cheating Costly, Unpoliceable (32)

McCain Supporters Duped by 419 Scam? (27)

Switched Video

How to Avoid ID Theft

Featured Galleries

AOL Tech Network

Latest Reviews from CNET.com

Top Product Reviews