I have admit it, when I see the brand name "WowWee," I picture cheesy plastic robots and children's toys. That is why I am torn by a series of video projectors, pico projectors to be exact, that WowWee has announced at CES 2009. The projector line, dubbed Cinemin, is a group of ultra-portable media projectors designed to work with iPods, iPhones, and other portable media devices.

The Cinemin projectors come in three flavors. The smallest one is the Cinemin Stick (witty don't you think) which will load SD media. Next, you have the Cinemin Swivel which features a 3 hour battery and a neck that bends to 90 degrees. Lastly, the big boy is the Cinemin Station, a projector about the size of a standard iPod speaker dock. All of the projectors are powered by Texas Instruments DLP LED technology.

There is no official word on price yet, but WowWee promising that they will be "affordable." Look for more information about the Cinemin projectors at this years CES.

via CrunchGear

MacBook Pros are downright sexy laptops. They are also, quite expensive, but in my opinion they are worth it. Today, at MacWorld 2009, Apple announced a hardware revision to the 17 inch MacBook that makes my eyes water with joy. Unfortunately, I will never be able to afford it.

The new 17 inch MacBook has an aluminum unibody frame like the revisions announced last October. Also, like the other MacBooks, the 17 inch model features the glass track pad with four-finger gesture support. The rest of the specs are where things get spicy; the new MacBook includes a 17 inch LED backlit display with a 1,920 × 1,200 resolution and 700:1 contrast ratio. Processing power is driven by the Intel Core 2 Duo 2.93 GHz Dual Core processor, and 8GB 1066MHz DDR3 RAM. You also get a 320GB hard drive to store your stuff on. What will be controversial, is the battery; it is no longer removable. In exchange, you get 8 hours of normal use per charge and a 5 year life cycle. Honestly, after 5 years, you will probably want a new computer anyways.

The price of the new sexy machine is $2799, and it will be available in January. I can't wait to get to an Apple store and play with one; Lord knows I will never own one of my own.

Photo via Gizmodo
Macworld live blog via Engadget

Let's be honest, backing up your computer's data is really not that hard. It is a simple matter of remembering to do it or having the right tools. Why is it then that so many people forget? Data loss is infuriating because it happens to all of us, and it is so easy to avoid. Backup product manufacturer Clickfree is doing what they can to make a simple process even easier with the Transformer USB Cable.

The Clickfree Transformer USB Cable is a standalone backup appliance that bridges the gap between your computer and your backup drive. It can be attached to any USB hard drive, and with no other configuration necessary, it gets to work saving your data. The Transformer Cable is supposed to work with no software installation, configuration, or remembering. The device, much like Apple's Time Machine, will initially do a whole drive back up and then supplement with incremental backups.

The Clickfree Transformer cable retails for $59.99 and is available from the manufacturers website. I think sixty books is a small price to pay for the security of knowing that your data is safe.

via Press Release.

I have to give it to the Vestalife Firefly iPod Speaker Dock, it has an intriguing design and shape. The all-in-one iPhone and iPod compatible dock has much to offer in a little package. Not only is it iPhone 3G compatible, but it also has a built-in subwoofer and amplifier. I dig this little thing quite a bit.

In addition to the subwoofer and amplifier, the Vestalife Firefly also has a remote, fully rechargeable lithium-ion battery, auto shut-off, auxiliary input for other MP3 players, touch volume controls, and both audio and video out. All of those goodies are packed into a compact little ball of sound power.

The product will be official announced, complete with price, at CES 2009 (January 8 - 11). If the Firefly comes in at under $150 I think it is a must-buy.

via UberGizmo

Okay, there is a lot of Vista hate out there, and I'll stand up and say, it's completely unfounded. Vista is a solid, dependable OS, providing you run it on hardware that is not really old.

However, for all those die hard haters out there, check out Windows 7; it's just hit Beta 1 stage and it is apparently blisteringly quick.

ZDNet have published some performance test results showing that 7 is already doing almost everything quicker than both XP and Vista.

Well worth a read.

I don't know about you, but my Grandmother doesn't quite get modern gadgetry. In fact, over Christmas, she was trying to change the TV channel with my iPhone. Her sweet naivety shouldn't imply that she doesn't deserve cool gadgets. Brother agrees with me. They present, to your grandma and mine, the Brother's Quattro 6000D. The 6000D is the king of sewing machines.

First, the Brother's Quattro 6000D includes a 4.5 x 7 inch LCD screen. Not only does this screen feature all of the settings and options, but it also allows you to zoom into what you are sewing with a "InnovEye" and "Up-Close" camera settings that can zoom into your sewing on a stitch level. You also get advanced embroidery ability, runway lighting, and 3 USB ports. I don't know what you do with USB ports on a sewing machine, but it all seems very impressive.

There isn't a price for the Brother's Quattro 6000D yet, but as soon as this sew-inator is available, I am sure your grandma will want it, so you better start scraping your pennies together now.

via Gizmodiva