Chinese computer tablets

The iPad from Apple has caused other manufacturers to bring out their own iteration of a tablet computer. No more than six months later, tablets from major electronics
manufacturers are released. There are also a specific group of tablets that have been trying to conquer a specific market: Chinese computer tablets for the really budget
conscious.

Chinese computer tablets price range is from £100 to £200. Prices are often determined by is storage capacity (2GB – 32GB), processing power (300Mhz – 600Mhz) and screen size (5 inches, 7 inches or 10 inches).

Android Powered

If there’s one feature common in these tablets, it’s the operating system. The Chinese tablets are powered by Google’s open source OS – Android. Created for mobile phones, Android can be easily ported to tablets without the phone feature.

But even though these devices use one operating system, the versions are different. Some have Android 1.5 while others feature the 1.9 version. To a casual observer, it doesn’t make any difference but those who have worked with Android knows that every version is different and the earlier versions have limited capability and prone to crashes.

The idea of “you get what you pay for” is perfectly applied in tablets. A really affordable tablet will give you a resistant touch screen that runs very slow due to its processing power and RAM and the battery capacity is no more than 2 hours.

If you’re considering purchasing this gadget, make sure that you have the best
specifications possible. Look for a gadget with warranty as this is very prone to breakage.

Mili Power Pico Projector

Pico projector is an increasingly popular accessory for business travellers. The ability to start a slideshow presentation on the road without heavy equipment is increasing its appeal. Mili, makers of popular chargers for iPhone and other Apple related products, came out with their own Pico projector. Its main draw is that it’s fully compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and other mobile devices from Apple.

The Mili Power Pico Projector is a clamshell device that transforms into a dock for mobile devices of Apple. It can be used as a charger or it can be used as a projector. The device is certified by Apple which means it will work without any problem. Don’t expect HD output as its quality can be compared to other Pico projectors. Its quality can churn out 640 x 480 VGA and there’s a built-in speaker although it would be better to use an external speaker for better audio quality.

Aside from Apple mobile devices, the Mili Power Pico Projector can also handle most devices with video-out option. It has an adapter for video input that can work with different video players. The device also comes with additional cord for connecting the projector to laptops and computers.

Charging time for the device is at three hours and the battery lasts 1.5 hours with full video and audio use.

VTech LS6325 Cordless Phone

Even though mobile phones have become a necessity for personal and business use, landline phones are still important because they offer a “stable” connection for everyone. The mobile phone may be lost but a landline phone can be reached anytime through any phone booth.

With this in mind, VTech is introducing the LS6325 Cordless Phone. Designed specifically for consumers and small business, it’s more than just your regular phone line without the messy chords. The LS6325 comes with PTT or Push-To-Talk technology. This allows phone connectivity in different rooms at home or in various areas of the office. This device removes the necessity to create expensive networking so that each one would have a regular line. The PTT technology is also useful for small businesses since this will improve inter-office communication without extra expenses. The LS6325 also has great looking display on the phone and on the docking system.

Teeth whitening lamp

The name Desktop Teeth Whitening Lamp says it all – it’s a simple device that can help anyone whiten teeth. The gadget looks like a small lamp but instead of illuminating your desk, the device will whiten your teeth. It will only use a small space so anyone can bring it to office and use it. The device is perfect for those who are concerned with the colour of their teeth because of coffee, cigarettes or red wine.

Using the device is very easy. The device will require a whitening gel and it will be used to whiten the teeth through the blue light emitted from the device. The teeth will eventually become whiter because the lamp will treat or “oxidise” the teeth’s pigment in no time. The process is very simple since users simply point the lamp to their teeth and expect some results. For optimal results, lamp should be used for 30 minutes.

Unfortunately, fast results with impressive design means the device is not going to be budget friendly. The teeth whitening tool costs more than £250 which is quite extravagant for such a small device and it is better if you see a dentist who could help you detect underlying teeth problems.

Mobile phones will dominate Internet

According to a survey conducted from Interpublic Group to measure mobile internet usage, active smartphone users tend to prefer efficient mobile internet access rather than computer access. The group of smartphone-savvy users covered all major demographic trends ranging from the UK and USA to Sweden India, South Korea and China.

It is fairly surprising that smartphone users access the internet from their handsets when in their homes on a 60% ratio to 40% when out of their houses. Furthermore, the survey has revealed that a third of smartphone users access the internet through their handsets first thing in the morning and 45% of them end their day in the same way.

Mobile phones were introduced less than 3 decades ago the first 1G networks made it easy to make and receive calls on the go. Less than 30 later mobile phones are pushing laptops and desktops out of our homes. It seems to be the beginning of a new era, or not..?

Office gadget: Ergoroller

Staying in front of the computer for hours is not easy. As office computer users stay longer in front of their machines, they have to consider additional devices they could benefit from.

One of those devices is the “Ergoroller”. The product is a very simple device. It is manufactured to replace the wrist pad that supports the user’s wrists while holding the mouse. The traditional wrist pad is mainly made of foam. But the Ergoroller uses balls which massages your wrist while you use the mouse. Your wrist is practically going through a massage while working. The balls are just high enough to support your wrist so that you can still hold the mouse in an even manner.

The only downside to this simple computer accessory is the component of the balls. Because they are made of metal, it might get a bit difficult for some to rest their wrist on a hard material all day. But this could be a perfect alternative to the cushion wrist support. You can swap the Ergoroller from time to time if you want to rub your wrist for relaxation. It’s a highly unique gadget that will most likely attract anyone’s attention in the office.

Solid State Drives for your office

SSDs or Solid State Drives is a form of storage for PCs, laptops and other computing device. It's one of the newest technologies adopted in computers and many believe it's going to replace hard disk as the standard storage device. Offices may soon use this type of storage device. It's also possible to use this technology early as it could provide advantages to its users.

The biggest advantage of SSDs is durability. Hard disks have plates that move during read/write process. That means every time you save or delete a data, the hard disk will move. SSDs on the other hand, will do the same process without any movement.
Another advantage of SSDs is the longer battery life it can offer to mobile devices. There are currently laptops and MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices) which come with SSDs and they work longer on the road compared to hard disks. The advantage of no-movable parts is also used to add more life to mobile devices.

But SSDs are not necessarily the ideal upgrade for everyone. Its main selling point is durability and better battery life but it's still a very expensive technology. A 64GB laptop can be a lot more expensive compared to 500GB laptop. The storage capacity is clearly limited and can be a lot more expensive.

Before considering SSDs for office and small businesses, always consider the price of the technology. There are situations wherein an expensive upgrade is a must but a business can also wait until SSDs become more affordable.

Digital voice recorder

Computers can easily record a person's voice thanks to the software that already comes with most operating systems. There are situations when a conversation, speech or meeting should be recorded and a computer is nowhere to be found. A laptop will work fine but live recording could easily sap out its battery. For these unique circumstances when meetings have to be recorded, a digital voice recorder can be a good option. While there are hundreds of brands and versions to choose from, here are the factors to consider in selecting the right digital recorder for business.

Brand new or used? - It’s always advisable to consider brand new gadgets for this type of task. Because a digital voice recorder is a small device, it has to be covered by manufacturers warranty because it's more susceptible to damages.
No additional software - there are digital recorders that require software installed before files can be accessed. This can easily hinder users from accessing files in any computer. Choose a digital voice recorder that can be accessed as a mass storage device.

Choose branded devices - aside from warranty from the manufacturer, devices from well known manufacturers are known to be sturdy. There are popular products that are in mid-range prices (£150-£200) but their only difference is the storage capability. Don't worry about this feature because mid-range products can store more than 100 hours of recording.

Be smart in choosing a digital voice recorder. It’s a small gadget that can really help businesses in their documentation needs.

Power adaptors for your office

External power adaptors are gadgets that complement various mobile devices> Mobile phones, laptops, Mp3 players and digital cameras have to be recharged after hours of usage and these external power adaptors can do the job. Each device already has their respective charges but the external adaptors can be used as a replacement.
But why would you need a power adaptor? The answer is: mobility.

The following are factors to consider when choosing the right power adaptors for business:
•Universal External Adaptors - instead of purchasing external power adaptor for every gadget, it would be a better option to purchase an adaptor that can be used for every gadget. There are power adaptors that come with different ends so that they can be used with popular gadgets.
•Energy Saver - while there are many types of external power adaptors, it's important to choose one that comes with an energy star seal.
•Quality - double check the quality of the product by checking its source and reviews related to the product.

By considering these factors anyone should be able to purchase a good external adaptor that can be used anytime without excessive energy requirements. This is just a small device but a necessity for transactions on the road.

Cheque writing system

The accounting department of any business will most likely need a cheque writing system. This tool will aid the accounting department to accurately write cheques while preventing any type of forgery. But just like most gadgets, any check writing system is not perfect for any business.
The following are the factors to consider when choosing such a writing system:
• Number of digits - there are writing systems that can print only up to 10 digits. There are also some systems that can print up to 14 digits.
• On board memory - there are cheque writing systems that record the amount entered for easier accounting. This might not be needed for small business but an essential feature for larger ones.
• Forgery prevention - cheque writing systems that have a specific character writing behaviour.
• Warranty - while the cheque writing system will not really work hard in the office compared to other gadgets, it's still essential to purchase them under warranty. As much as possible, look for a system that comes with a 1-year warranty.

Considering Check Writing Software

On the other hand, there are softwares or applications that can print cheques. This feature is often added in accounting applications. However, it's advisable that this should be considered only when there's a reliable printer that can be customised based on the size of the paper. Without customization, the prints on the cheques might not be placed in the right area.

The smartphone Palm Pre

Palm Pre is a powerful Smartphone released in 2009 and became one of the top competitors of iPhone. Palm, Inc. has revised its operating system to compete with a very powerful gadget from Apple. The OS behind the new Palm is called Web OS which gained positive reviews from users and technology experts.

While iPhone is riding on the popularity of its touch screen capability, Palm Pre opted to push their phone further by offering a slide QWERTY keypad with multi-touch. This gives users more options on how to interact with their gadget. It's also the first Smartphone to use wireless charging. Their "touchstone" charger (sold separately) allows users to simply put their phone on top of the gadget for charging. As already indicated, the OS of the gadget is very impressive. Using "cards" as buttons for touch screen interaction, users can flip to various pages of applications. Web OS allows multi-tasking which is very helpful as this will help power users to do much more on their phone. Synching through various email sources is also possible through Web OS.

On the other hand, Palm Pre lacks the storage capability when compared to iPhone. Pre only has 8GB of storage while at the same price; users can have iPhone with 16GN of storage. Addition of applications is also limited because the internal storage of Palm Pre is only 512MB. But it's still a large storage capability as this will allow users to install essential applications in their mobile phone.
Overall, Palm Pre is a very attractive mobile phone. The addition of QWERTY with multi-touch is very impressive.

Green and eco-friendly offices

Businesses and individuals have started to do their bit for a greener existence from recycling or using stationery made from recycled paper to using eco-friendly energy or web hosting. A top of green companies in Britain includes Skanska UK, BT Group, PriceWaterHouse Coopers or Canon UK.

Energy efficient offices should follow some guiding principles like: reduce energy loads, provide efficient energy input or minimise the operation times for machinery and computers (turn to "off" rather than "stand by").

Other ways in which an office can stay eco-friendly is by reducing the amount of hard copies sent to clients or partners or placing stickers with "Save energy" reminders for switching off the light or turning appliances off. A company can also encourage the reduction of car journeys made by its staff to and from work. Greener alternatives are: sharing cars, considering public transport or even investing in green cars for the company. Companies which have changed their means of transport are: Forster, ExCel London or British Land. Other actions such as those taken by Explore include recycling everything from paper and computers to installing waterless urinals.

Turning the office into a green one can be achieved if bosses and employees alike work as a team and as the old saying goes: where there's a will, there's a way.

What You Need to Know about the iPad

After months of frenzied rumours in the tech industry about the upcoming tablet from Apple, Steve Jobs has finally released the beast and it's called the iPad. Although some are a bit disappointed by the name, it has certainly made the tech world anticipate on its upcoming release.

The new iPad has a 9.7" screen powered by 1Ghz of Apple's A4 Chip. The screen resolution is 1024 x 768 and it comes with Wifi 802.11n and Bluetooth. The gadget will also come with 3G using a micro-SIM which means accessibility in this gadget is not an issue.

But there are two features that have really wowed the tech gurus. The first impressive feature is the battery life. According to Steve Jobs the iPad can run 10 full hours and it's standby time is one month. The second impressive feature of the iPad is actually on its price. Many tech experts believe that the product might be priced no less than $600 but everyone was surprised when the product will be introduced at $499.

With $499, you'll get an iPad with 16GB of internal memory with no 3G. It's actually a very good deal considering the product came from Apple. The base price for 3G enabled Wifi is at $629.
While the product sounds and looks very impressive many are quick to point out some limitations of the gadget. Like the iPhone and iPod Touch, the iPad doesn't support Flash. No camera can be found in the gadget and multi-tasking is not available.
The iPad (Wifi only) will be released 60 days after its announcement. The 3G-enabled version will be available in three months.

Pocket Projectors

Pocket projectors are gaining in popularity these days because of their ability to display images and videos on the wall without any monitors. As the name suggests, it's a miniature projector that can be easily taken to places. The price range of this device is from $200 to $350. With this price range, the pocket projector costs only 50% less than regular projectors.

While these projectors are light and not as expensive compared to regular projectors, the gadget does have some disadvantages. Among them is its short battery life. Pocket projectors will last only 120 minutes or shorter depending on the quality of image or videos. Another disadvantage is the screen size. Regular projectors can easily emulate 1/2 of the regular theater. Pocket projectors, on the other hand, will only display up to 50 inches. There is also an issue on lighting. Most, if not all, pocket projectors will require darker locations so that the image will be easily displayed.

But even with the disadvantages, a pocket projector is still a good product for businesses who wants to have a lighter projector that can be used on the go. It's just a matter of selecting the right pocket projector. In this case, it's highly recommended to look for products that came out from well known manufacturers. Aside from product support, reliability and durability is always an issue for such a small device. It's also recommended to consider a pocket projector with an internal memory or can hold a memory card. This will eliminate the need for computers or other sources.