AH - New ELECTRONIC and GADGETS

Now that the number of gadgets is growing, we stand in need of gadgets to look after gadgets… Oh, you’ll understand it better taking a look at that one. This is Belkin Conserve Insight , a power-outlet adapter with a digital display that you can get for $30 to keep tabs on your electric appliances. You connect it to your wall outlet and plug in a device, and the Belkin Conserve Insight tells you how much power it is pumping out, whether in watts, dollars or carbon dioxide. Isn’t it a good idea to know just how much each of your consumer devices is consuming off your bank account? Get in control and get a little richer with this little fellow sticking in your socket.

Last week Sony Ericsson announced the release of three new cell phones, one of which is a compact version of their Xperia series X10. To be expected early this fall, X8, an attempt to reproduce the Xperia X10 possibilities in a smaller and less expensive model, will look just like the X10 mini handset . It will run the latest Android 2.1 Eclair with, presumably, an upgrade possible right upon its release. Curvy and stylish, the X8 will be available in four colors which are marked as pixellated tinge on one end of the handset. It will feature a 3″ screen and a 3.2mega pixel camera for making video. Social network facilities are all there: you get a Facebook application and the Sony Ericsson Timescape user interface providing a real-time stream of the relevant information gleaned from all of your feeds. There is no official word on pricing but according to what the SE blog spills it will come to something like 200 euros (about $248).

HTC’s latest cell phone has been announced for unveiling towards the end of the summer in Europe and Asia. Called Wildfire, it is designed first and foremost as a perfect socializing gadget equipped with the HTC Sense technology. It has pre-set shortcuts to all best-known social networks, a sophisticated address book saving latest messages from your contacts, and the HTC Caller ID with Facebook profile images and birthday reminders. Wildfire is reported to feature a built-in 5MP digital camera with LED flash and autofocus. It offers support for sharing applications through recommendations. The new HTC android will carry a 3.2-inch touch display and will have a standard audio jack and microSD card slot. It will be available in red, black, silver and brown.

Rather unexpected and daring, that one, what? Let’s look into it. Designer Shao Wen came up with a concept device called the DIY Player that you can at your wish turn into – oh, anything, a cell phone , a gaming console , a media player . Wen’s universal player is a base screen to which a number of modules can be attached. You plug in a keyboard to use it as a handset, and as soon as you need a gaming console or a player you just exchange the keyboard for the appropriate console. Of course there are people who will jump at the gadget and people who don’t take to the idea of carrying a handful of keyboards and consoles and going through the endless bother of plugging in and out. These things want trying out to know whether they are really so convenient as they sound. But at the very least when you want to update you can get a new console without chucking the whole handset and buying a newest one.

The Nook Wi-Fi packs all the features of Nook 3G other than 3G access. The price of Nook 3G, which features both 3G and Wi-Fi access, has been reduced to $199. The Nook features a 6" E-Ink display with a color touch screen for navigation. The Nook Wi-Fi lets readers take advantage of in-home and public Wi-Fi hotspots, where they can browse the Web and shop the Barnes & Noble eBookstore of more than one million eBooks, periodicals and other digital content. Barnes & Noble is offering all Nook customers complimentary access to AT&T's entire nationwide Wi-Fi network, including Barnes & Noble bookstores which have previously been available to Nook customers. Nook 3G, Nook Wi-Fi features include: Lend to friends: Share a wide range of eBooks with friends for 14 days using exclusive LendMe technology. All Nook 3G and Nook Wi-Fi customers can also use the included USB cable to connect their device to a PC or Mac to transfer their personal files in ...

Toshiba has announced the world's first dual touchscreen device to run Windows 7. The compact Libretto W100 displays content across two 17.8cm (7") screens. The 7" LCDs offer a display equivalent to a 10.0-inch wide screen. The clamshell case opens like a book or a notebook PC with a virtual haptic keyboard that gives you a feedback as you type. The device features an integrated accelerometer that facilitates intuitive and diverse use - You can simply split content across two screens; turn the Libretto W100 vertically for reading web pages, or bring up the virtual keyboard for more traditional clamshell computing. The Libretto W100 is powered by an Intel Pentium processor U5400 (CULV) at 1.20GHz. It features 2GB memory for perky Windows 7 response, and 62GB SSD storage. It weighs 699g with a standard battery pack that gives 2 hours run time, and 819g with a high-capacity battery pack with 4 hours of juice. The device will be released in Japan in August. ...

Sprint has introduced the USB 250 WWAN Modem from Sierra Wireless to provide broadband access using its 4G WiMAX network with download speeds of 3-6 Mbps. If you are outside the WiMAX network, the modem reverts to 3G using EVDO Rev A, which gives download speeds of 600 kbps-1.4 Mbps. The 180-degree rotating USB Connector features an integrated GPS capability to provide location, navigation and mapping solutions when connected to the Sprint 3G network. The device is equipped with two external antenna ports and separate LED displays that let users know if they are connected to Sprint's 3G or 4G network. It supports Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP and Mac OS X 10.5/10.6 The USB 250 comes free with a two year data plan from Sprint.