iphone vapor case

What’s so special about the Vapor iPhone case that the manufacturer website experienced problems due to excessive amounts of traffic in the past days?

It could be the aircraft-grade aluminum, which has not been used in iPhone cases before. That type of aluminum is very sturdy but also lightweight, combining the best of two worlds.

But it is not only the material of the case, it is also the stylish design that is available in various colors. The Vapor iPhone case is that popular that it is currently sold out. The developers are only accepting pre-orders at this time. Customers will be notified about the availability of the case to complete the order.

But customers may want to wait just a bit longer before placing their orders, as a custom laser engraving option will be available soon for that case.

You’ve all been waiting patiently, and now the new “Vapor” Case for the iPhone 4 is on its way.

First of all, the Vapor’s ergonomic shape is very sleek, light, and of course, beautiful. That’s really all you need to know, but here’s more:
Despite it’s minimalist appearance, the Vapor is CNC machined from a solid block of aircraft grade aluminum. In
other words, it’s strong and light(25 grams)!
A CNC on/off button is designed into the case to complete the clean lines.

Next, the finish of the Vapor case is anodized to create a hard protective coating in brilliant colors. Yes, black is a
color. We love anodized black.

In true ElementCase style, the graphics are laser engraved. A “custom” option will be available soon.

The inside of the Vapor case is lined with a very high tech shock absorbing material that reduces the G-forces of an impact. It also creates a non-conductive barrier to help maintain the iPhone’s antenna signal strength.

The standard Vapor case is available for $79.95 at the manufacturer website.

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It has recently been unearthed that Apple has been granted a patent in Europe for an all-in-one desktop computer that can switch between mouse/keyboard and touch inputs. This patent confirms long standing rumors that Apple is moving towards a touch-based future for the flagship line of lifestyle desktop computer — the iMac.

Reported by the good folks of ‘Patently Apple’, the patent is clearly indicative of the fact that this feature is indeed going to become a part of only the iMac line for the moment. Excitingly enough, the patent also shows a clear image of a MacBook like device having a similar touch based interface.

This patent was granted to Apple in Europe and it outlines the various ways a new system of transitioning between two input modes — mouse/keyboard based and touch-based. The idea is that the computer will be equipped to handle both kinds of input, transitioning smoothly between the two modes without breaking the flow of the work that is going on. Also, touch-based applications are still at the infancy when it comes to development and focus. Apple recognizes this fact in the patent and mentions that while some applications work well with touch input, a lot of applications will still need mouse and keyboard input. right now, it looks like Apple is trying to bridge the gap between the touch and the non-touch world by making sure that the best of both worlds are present in this machine.

The accompanying images in the patent clearly show an iMac like desktop that features rotating joints reminiscent of older iMac models. The rotating joints help the screen to bend and rotate vertically to turn it in to a surface fit for using as a touch-based input. The OS interface will of course have to adapt itself to suit the new form of input and hence there are several ways proposed to make this transition automatic yet customizable.

The first option is to have an accelerometer to  detect a shift in the screen’s orientation. Once the screen is tilted to a more suitable position for touch input, the OS can then automatically change the interface to one that is more suitable for touch-interface. The touch friendly interface will be a low resolution interface in the sense that it will have larger control with more area around each control. Inversely, the mouse/keyboard interface will be a much higher resolution one where there will be more UI elements and will require the precision of a mouse pointer. Even though they are being called high and low resolution interfaces, it does relate to the display resolution in any way. This fact has also been separately mentioned just to avoid a possible confusion.

Another option mentioned in the patent for transitioning between the two interfaces is to have a touch sensor on the display which will be touched by the user when changing the orientation of the screen. This touch will then trigger the transition at the OS level. The manual changing of the position is assumed as one that orients the display to a more book-on-a-table position to make it easier to use touch gestures. And during normal keyboard/mouse operations it is expected that the screen will be at a distance from the user, in an upright position.

One more example of a transition mechanism is having rotation sensors at the joints, probably some kind of potentiometer. The transition will then be based on a calculation of the amount of rotation in degrees.  The user can then adjust the system for a threshold amount, after which the interface will transition.

There’s also talks of the proximity being measured between the user and the machine to determine what kind of input is the best for the situations. It is possible that a combination of these features will be used in the final version to have an accurate and customizable system. The applications clearly shows the touch sensor areas on either sides of screen, so that is probably going to be there in the final version. The patent also talks about how the transitioning would be at the UI level.

In true blue Apple fashion, all the extra high-resolution UI items are going to ‘slide off’ the screen when the transition happens. That would include things like the mouse pointer, directory items, menu bar, dock, etc. that are only useful when there’s a mouse. This purge will leave behind a clean, finger-friendly UI that is low resolution in the sense that it has less controls and each control is larger in size.

The reverse happens when the touch interface gives way to the regular interface. Mac users can relate this to how exposé works on the Mac. And how Apple has already incorporated a lot of touch based gestures into their MacBooks and Magic Trackpads. It seems like taking OS X the touch way has been a longer arching plan for Apple for quite some time now.

In the MacBook-like figure, Apple says that the display of it can also be oriented for a touch-based input. Which means Apple is essentially creating an old school, convertible tablet with their aesthetics and design on it. If this really does come to pass, Apple will soon be operating an all-touch line of computers — from handheld to workstation. The next step for Apple might be to have a Cinema Display that works just like the iMac Touch’s display and then pair it with the Mac Pro. However, that will probably not happen anytime soon because of high costs and low possibilities of application.

Apple developers are definitely going to have to step up their game to take full advantage of this new system. The best part is that this new system can work in tandem with other related devices such as the iPad and the iPhone. That means you can make and receive calls from your system. This raises the suspicion that this new addition to the OS X (soon to be called iOS X?) will have something or the other to do with the iOS running o iPads and iPhones right now. In any case, looks like the future just got a lot more exciting for Mac users and lovers.

[via]

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If you are into computer gaming you know that proper audio can make or break a game, especially in competitive play. It is the ultimate advantage to hear players advance from every direction, which high quality surround headsets provide.

Sony’s DR-GA200 and DR-GA500 gaming headsets have been designed with gamers in mind, that want the full experience. The higher priced Dr-GA500 comes with full 7.1 channel 3D surround sound and a Dolby Pro Logic IIx decoder with Sony’s Virtual Phones Technology. The decoder contains the signal processing hardware and offers controls to switch between 2 channel, 5.1 channel and 7.1 channel inputs, as well as surround and special FPS modes.

Sony’s DR-GA200 comes without the decoder and the 7.1 channel 3D surround sound capabilities, but offers all other features of its high-end brother. Both headsets offer 40mm drive units along with a triple enfolding design to offer best ventilation and pressure reduction for marathon gaming sessions.

sony dr ga200

Both headsets include a high quality microphone with controls to set the volume and mute the microphone.

The Ga-500 headset include a 1.5 meter cable to connect the headsets to the signal process, and a 1.8 meter multi analogue cable for 7.1 channel sound, and a 1.5 meter USB cable. The Sony DR-GA200 comes with a single 2.5 meter cable instead to connect the headset to the PC.

sony dr ga500 processing unit

Sony has not revealed the pricing yet, but it is expected to be around $150 for the high end Sony GA-500 gaming headset, and considerable less for the GA-200. Both headsets will be available from October 15 on
and both will include a copy of the new Medal of Honor game.

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logitech wireless illuminated keyboard k800

Illuminated backlit desktop keyboards are rather scarce, and often high-end when it comes to technology and pricing. The Logitech Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800 is no exception, as it offers adjustable and intelligent illumination, an elegant design, for a price of $99.99.

Probably the most interesting feature of the K800 keyboard is the use of ambient light sensors that automatically adjust the keyboard’s brightness to the environment, and the motion sensors ensure that backlighting is only turned on if the hands of the user approach the keyboard. That saves a lot of battery life, which Logitech confirms to last for about ten days without recharging.

“The Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800 is perfect for someone who values both form and function,” said Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for Logitech’s keyboards and desktops. “The Wireless Illuminated K800 keyboard includes features that make it a standout – smart backlighting, Logitech® Unifying technology, our PerfectStroke™ key system and Logitech Incurve keys™ – and presents it all in a very stylish and sleek package that’s sure to please.”

The included Micro-USB charging cable is used to recharge the keyboard’s onboard batteries, which makes regular battery changing a thing of the past.

Because a good keyboard needs to deliver a good typing experience, the Logitech Wireless Illuminated keyboard includes the PerfectStroke™ key system and Logitech Incurve keys™. The PerfectStroke key system helps make every stroke comfortable, fluid and whisper-quiet. And the concave design and softly rounded edges of the durable Logitech Incurve keys position your fingers properly and invite your fingertips to glide from key to key, hour after hour. Additionally, the letters and characters on the keys are very durable and won’t wear off.

The Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800 is the latest keyboard to feature the Logitech Unifying receiver, which is small enough to be left in the computer or laptop at all times.

Logitech K800 Feature Overview:

• Laser-etched, backlit keys – You can type easily—even in the dark—with brightly backlit keys that provide precise illumination. Only the characters are illuminated, so you can see just what you need to see without distraction.
• Adjustable backlighting – The keyboard automatically adjusts the backlighting to suit the lighting conditions. Or you can adjust it the way you like it with the press of a button.
• Hand proximity detection – Sensors detect your hands as they approach the keyboard to turn the backlight on and off.
• The PerfectStroke key system distributes typing force evenly across key surfaces, making every keystroke comfortable, fluid, and whisper-quiet.
• Logitech Incurve keys – Durable concave keys position your fingers properly, and their softly rounded edges invite your fingertips to glide from key to key, hour after hour.
• Fast, easy recharging – You simply plug in the universal micro-USB cable for three to six hours for up to 10 days of battery life. You can even type while it’s recharging.
• Sleek, streamlined design – With sleek lines, a clear edge, and low-profile keys, the keyboard adds style to your workspace—whether you’ve got a laptop or desktop.
• Logitech Unifying receiver – The tiny receiver stays in your laptop. Plus, you can easily add a compatible wireless mouse or keyboard—without the hassle of multiple USB receive
• Logitech Advanced 2.4 GHz wireless – So you can work or play in more places—like your comfy couch—the long-range wireless connection virtually eliminates delays, dropouts, and interference.
• Easy storage – You can store your keyboard standing up to free up space on your desk.
• Power management – An on/off switch helps you go longer between charges, while power indicator lights eliminate surprises.
• Easy wireless setup – You simply plug the wireless receiver into a USB port on your desktop PC or laptop for a fast, reliable connection right out of the box.
• Full-size layout – All the keys are right where you’re used to so you can type quickly and comfortably.

The Logitech K800 wireless keyboard is expected to hit shelves later this month. (via Logitech blog

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microsoft arc touch mouse

If you have followed the news lately you may have noticed that Microsoft Hardware used their official Twitter account to announce a new device. The announcements were puzzling at first, as only cryptic messages and partly shots of the new device were revealed at that time.

This changed today when German hardware store Notebooks Billiger added the new Microsoft arc Touch Mouse to their shop (update: has been removed again)

The new Arc Touch Mouse is a new version of the existing Arc Mouse by Microsoft, with the difference that the scroll wheel has been replaced by a touch sensitive area. To scroll websites or documents, the user would simply place a finger on the touch panel to do so. The mouse itself comes with three buttons.

The mouse uses a bluetrack sensor which means it can be used on nearly every surface available, excluding glassy surfaces.

The cable-less Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse uses a 2.4 GHz nano-transceiver for its PC connection. The transceiver has been placed in the battery compartment. Additionally, the Arc Touch Mouse uses a battery status indicator, and an on and off switch.

The symmetrical mouse is suitable for left- and right-handed people. The lighter gray part of the mouse is flexible, which gives users a lot of flexibility in finding the right position best suitable for their hand.

The German online shop listed the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse at a price of €69.99, which is roughly $90.

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iPad Chair

The iPad is a mighty successful device, and most owners love it for its flexibility and style. Many users feel on the other hand that it becomes strenuous to work with the iPad for a longer period of time, since the device has to be held with two hands if it is not lying on a flat surface, or in an iPad holder.

The iPad chair has been created to provide iPad owners with an luxurious accessory to get the most out of the device. The iPad chair offers everything one would expect form a high end chair.

The Valentino leather chair resembles a mix of an European sports car seat with that of a star fleet captains seat, offering lumbar support, elbow positioning, seat cushion and an whisper quiet motor to adjust the position.

ipad chair2

The iPad holder supports 360 degree movements. The iPad can be rotated vertically and horizontally as well, to position it flat on the arm rest or in any other position imaginable.

The iPad chair comes as a standard package for $2495 with the choice of Black or Rustic Brown Leather. The premium package includes many extras:

• Adjustable Headrest
• 2 Crowson Tactile Motion Transducers
• 1 High Power Crowson Amplifier
• 1 Luxa H4 iPad Holder (iPad not included)
• Power/Motorized Recline
• Your Choice of 15 Various, Top Grain,
  Valentino Leather Colors.

The premium package is available for $5995 per chair. (via Elite Home Theater Seating)

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Stress, can be experienced in various levels while using the computer. Maybe a deadline is approaching, and the document editing or coding takes longer than expected, maybe you have eaten the tenth rocket in a row in a computer game from your arch enemy, or maybe because someone else is talking to you while you have more important things to do on the computer.

PetPad is an anti stress mouse that has been designed for stress relief in exactly those situations.

PetPad is a deformable computer mouse, which is completely adapted to the needs of the user and for a little relaxation during everyday office life. The mouse is plagiarized from an anti-stress ball, which helps in the use of muscle relaxation. The upper cushion can be removed and replaced with other pillows. This PetPad is open to all kinds of cushion colors, shapes and sizes. The mouse buttons are mounted beneath the base plate and controlled by lateral tilt. (via)

It is obvious from the screenshots that this is currently not suitable for users who need advanced mouse features like mouse wheels or additional buttons. Still, the idea in itself is pretty nice, and it may work well on laptops and other mobile devices, considering that they usually come without a computer mouse, and the mice offered often resemble those basic ones.

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It took some time for the first iPad rival to hit the store shelves, and who would have guessed that it will be the WeTab (formerly known as WePad), a tablet PC made in Germany that will not only be made available via Amazon but also Media Markt, one of the largest electronic store chains in Germany.

The WeTab will be released on September 19, 2010, here are the stats:

• Display: 11,6″ with max resolution of 1366×768, multitouch
• CPU: 1.66 Ghz Intel Atom N450 Pineview-M
• Computer Memory: 1 Gigabyte
• Webcam with 1.3 Megapixel
• Connectivity: 2 USB ports, integrated card reader with SD SDHC support, external audio, standard sim card slot, HDMI, bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Wlan 802.11 b/g/n, optional 3G (UMTS / HDSDPA)
• Supports Java, Flash and Adobe Air
• WeTab Store integrates multiple stores, support for native apps and Java, Linux, Adobe Air and Android Apps
• Multitasking: yes
• Battery: about 6 hours
• Supported e-book formats: ePub, PDF, txt, Mobipocket, premium formats
• Supported music formats: Mp3, Ogg and Wav
• Supported video formats: H.264, avi, wmv, divx, mov, ogg, flv
• GPS: Yes, with WeTab 3G
• Dimensions: 295 x 195 x 15 mm
• Weight: 800 g, 850 g (Model 3G)
• misc: Ambient Light Sensor, Stereo speakers, internal microphone, accelerometer
• Extras: docking station, case, sleeve, wireless keyboard, support for standard PC hardware

The WeTab basic with Wlan and 16 Gigabytes of storage retails for 449€, the 32 gigabyte WeTab with integrated 3G module retails, 32 Gigabytes of storage and HD video support retails for 569€.

WeTab 3G 29,5 cm (11,6 Zoll) Tablet-PC 32GB (UMTS, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Wi-Fi, GPS)

WeTab Media Markt page

WeTab 29,5 cm (11,6 Zoll) Tablet-PC 16GB (Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Wi-Fi)

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With technology advancing more rapidly than ever, technology devices appear that some would call genius, while others madness. The Sony Ericsson FH mobile phone is such a concept phone, that splits not only the opinion in two, but itself as well.

From what we were able to gather the phone can be expanded both vertically and horizontally, and even split in half with the two parts acting as bluetooth enabled walkie-talkies, and probably more.

The phone is powered by two screens, making it a dual screen phone, which makes it interesting for several applications where other phones have to pass, watching videos and TV for instance.

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The GLBenchmark database revealed a very interesting new gadget earlier this week. A brand new HTC phone that has never been heard of and has never been seen online. It is called the HTC Glacier and it has scores that will put any smartphone to shame — no matter whether it is the A4 powered iPhone 4 or HTC’s own Snapdragon powered EVO 4G.

The new HTC phone called the Glacier, was found by a tech website called AlienBabel tech. It showed up as a benchmark result on the GLBenchmark database and has been removed since it was first reported. So we only have the screenshots from ABT to go by. But there are multiple shots and they look real enough. So it can be taken as a real thing.

This phone, whatever it is, is really powerful. One look at its benchmark score and it shows that it is more than twice as fast as the fastest phones in the market right now. While the Evo 4G scored a 512 frames with its 1Ghz Snapdragon processor, the Glacier scored a 1432 with whatever that is at the heart of it. That is nearly a three fold increase in processing power. This leads the original reporter and us, to suspect that it is powered by the next generation Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm.

This suspicion mainly arises from two things. One is that Qualcomm has already announced that it has begun sampling its 3rd-generation Snapdragon processor with manufacturers. The other is that HTC is known for using Qualcomm products in its phones. This new chip is a dual-core mobile processor and can clock speeds like 1.2 – 1.5GHz. Since the current chips are single core 1GHz ones, it is logical to conclude that this benchmark could only have been generated by a dual-core processor.

Also, there’s no news right now of any other such chip going into sampling or production. So it must be the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon. Then comes the T-Mobile connection.

The user who has uploaded this benchmark, is called mbibik. All his previous benchmarks have been of phones that are sold by T-Mobile. This raises the suspicion that this phone too is going to T-Mobile, where one of their employees has been testing it out. A little investigation conducted by ABT unearthed a LinkedIn profile of a person called Mike Bibik who works as a Senior Interaction Designer at T-Mobile. At this point, it does start looking like it is all related.

Given that this is a very powerful HTC phone that is being tested at T-Mobile, connections to the mysterious Project Emerald cannot help but be drawn. It was rumored that this secret project is actually a HTC phone powered by a dual-core CPU and hence this is quite likely to be that phone. Perhaps the name Glacier will change into something else on release but it is likely that the phone will remain the same.

However, a likely timeframe for release is hard to pin point. The chip is still being tested out by the manufacturers and it will be a while before they base an entire line on this chip. So we might be in for a long wait. But if this chip really is this powerful and lives up to the power efficiency expected from ARM chips, it will cause another drastic change in the way we perceive smartphones and other handhelds like tablets.

With this chip, ARM has enabled manufacturers to actually come close to the performance expected from a proper computing device like a netbook and stuff it into the shell of a smartphone and/or a tablet. A dual-core 1.5GHz chip can easily take on the lower models of Atom and even though it will likely not beat Atom, it will definitely be much more power efficient while doing the same things at similar speeds. In the end, the world is moving towards a more mobile yet powerful computing age and the priorities are already shifting to mobility and battery life over everything else.

While HTC works on this with Qualcomm, it will be interesting to see how the other manufacturers and chip-makers react. HTC is currently competing quite hard with Apple and it is likely that they will bring this phone to market much before Apple is ready with an answer. But since Apple designs its own chip now and is usually late to adopt the latest hardware being used by others, the iPhone will not be getting this upgrade any time soon.

As for the others, it will be interesting to see how they use this chip. If they do at all. This does hold a lot of potential, especially for tablet makers. The iPad is already cannibalizing netbook sales, as per recent industry reports. Once this chip is used in Android-based tablets, they might also become hot properties. So, it just needs some time before the high-performance chips are reserved only for specialized uses like servers, media production, etc.

[via]

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