Here’s an interesting take on sustainable furniture. It’s called the “Expose LED bed” and it’s made up of a bed-frame, 2 bedsides, and 2 wall lights. What makes this furniture suite sustainable are the construction materials used. The furniture itself is constructed out of rotting teak planks which is then filled with energy-efficient LED lighting and clear epoxy material resulting in a funky lighting effect. Sure – the bed isn’t exactly for everyone out there but you gotta admit – it’s pretty “green”.

[Check it out via Born Rich]

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The Sony Ericsson MW600 is a new Hi-Fi Bluetooth Wireless Headset with a built-in FM radio tuner. Features of the MW600 includes:

• Built-in microphone, call answer key, 3.5mm jack to swap headphones
• Compatible with all Sony Ericsson mobile phones and Bluetooth enabled handsets from other
• Connect to two wireless devices simultaneously
• Mirrored OLED display
• 10 meter Bluetooth range
• Bluetooth A2DP profile support
• 3.5 mm plug
• 2 hour charging time with 170 mAh battery
• 8.5 hour battery life for streaming

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony Ericsson MW600 Hi-Fi Bluetooth Wireless Headset

Although USB 3.0 is technically still in its infancy, this hasn’t stopped Super Talent Technology from announcing a new USB 3.0 compatible portable drive called the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 RAIDDrive. With support for transfer speeds up to 10x faster than USB 2.0 drives, the new RAIDDRIVE can deliver transfer speeds up to 200 MB/sec with USB 3.0 ports. If you use a separate UAS Protocol driver with a USB 3.0 port, the SuperSpeed drive can reach speeds up to 320MB/second/

SuperTalent’s SuperSpeed drive is available in three storage capacities – 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB. The drives measure 95 x 37 x 13.5mm and are fully compatible with USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 protocols.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Super Talent Technology, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 RAIDDrive

Wish Bluetooth headsets didn’t look like they came out of a Star Trek episode? That’s exactly the challenge that Maverick Lifestyle gave to the design firm Speck Design; design them a Bluetooth headset that wasn’t so Star Trek like but more like a piece of jewelry that was comfortable and effortless to use in a car. The end result? The Maverick Nica – the only compact open-air headset currently available on the market.

Features of the Nica include:

• Pure round shape which “enhances the way you look instead of intruding onto your face”
• Open-air acoustics which means there’s no ear insert. A soft inner pad gently rests against your ear for maximum comfort
• Spring loaded ear clip keeps the headset securely attached to your ear
• Comes with a desk dock and car dock which the headset attaches to magnetically. Simply place the Nica on the charging dock and the magnetic system pulls the headset into position
• Noise canceling technology
• 13mm speaker
• Receive calls while the headset is charging
• Rechargeable lithium polymer battery
• Sliding power switch
• 4 hour talk time and 150 hour standby time
• Charge in 1 hour
• Weighs 0.5 oz
• 30 feet operating range
• Bluetooth 1.2 compatible

The Nica headset and dock bundles are available now at select Apple stores and on the Apple website. The nica is available for $119 while the desk dock sells for $19 dollars and the car dock for $39 dollars.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Maverick Lifestyle, Nica Bluetooth Headset, Speck Design

The JVC XV-BP11 is a new entry-level Blu-ray player available immediately for a price of $199.95. Features of the XV-BP11 include:

• BD Profile 1.1
• Playable Discs: BD-Rom, BD-R/RE, DVD-Video, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, Audio CD, CD-R/RW
• Playable Formats: AVCHD, WMV, JPEG, MP3, WMA, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital plus, Dolby True HD, DTS, DTS HD Master Audio/Essential
• Connections:
  • Video: HDMI V1.3, composite
  • Audio: Analog L/R, coaxial, HDMI V1.3
  • USB Host (front panel)
• Convenience Features: Quick loading, cinema zoom (x16), parental lock, slim design
• 1080/24p Playback
• HDMI with x.v.Color(TM)/Deep Color

Yeah.. no Profile 2.0 support but then again this is an entry level player.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: JVC XV-BP11 Blu-ray player

• Secure mount which docks the iPhone in the desired position on the car windshield or dashboard, using a twist-and-lock motion
• Adjustable mount securely rotates iPhone to either portrait or landscape mode
• Easily removed with one twist upon arrival at a destination
• Built-in GPS receiver reduces the chance of signal drop in areas where GPS reception is limited, such as cities with tall buildings or forested areas
• Significantly improved positioning accuracy in all areas
• Built-in speaker for clear voice instructions
• Integrated microphone and speaker allowing hands-free calling
• Charges iPhone while on the go, so it stays fully charged
• Plays your iPhone music through the AUX OUT port over your car stereo

The TomTom car kit for iPhone is available now for $119.95. Keep in mind you’ll still need to buy the TomTom application for the iPhone.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: TomTom, TomTom car kit for iPhone

Solar-powered chargers just got very sexy and very cool thanks to the upcoming ReNu product line from Regen. The product line is basically made up of two parts – the ReNu panel which consists of a solar panel charging a built-in Lithium Ion battery – and an accompanying accessory such as an iPod dock, an iPod sound dock, or a side light.

The ideas pretty straightforward. While you’re out, you leave the ReNu panel in direct sunlight where the Lithium Ion battery gets charged. Once you come back home, simply place the ReNu panel into the appropriate accessory to charge/power the accessory – whether it’s the iPod dock, the Sound Dock, or the side light. Each accessory has a slot where the ReNu panel easily slides into – providing the necessary power to the accessory.

According to Regen, the ReNu takes 9 hours to fully charge battery in direct sunlight outdoors and 20 hours to fully charge battery in direct sunlight indoors. Once fully charged it takes 1.5 hours to charge an iPhone from a ReNu.

Other specs to the panel include:

• Measures 8.85 x 8.85 x 0.748 inches and weighs 1.1 pounds
• 3.7V 4Ah Lithium-Ion battery capable of > 2 iPhone charges when fully charged
• USB A socket (power only)
• Custom connector for connecting to dock and other accessories allows both power and data transfer
• 3.7 hours to generate enough power to fully charge an iPhone in direct sunlight outdoors
• 7.3 hours to generate enough power to fully charge an iPhone in direct sunlight indoors

Prices for the ReNu product line are as follows:

• ReNu panel – $199 with pre-order deposit of $50 dollars
• ReNu panel + iPod dock – $249 with pre-order deposit of $75 dollars
• iPod dock – $89 dollars with pre-order deposit of $25 dollars
• Sound dock – $149 with pre-order deposit of $149 dollars
• Side Light – $89 dollars with pre-order deposit of $25 dollars.

Regen expects the ReNu product line to ship between February and March of 2010.

[Check it out via DVICE.com]

Technorati Tags: Regen ReNu solar-powered charger

This funky looking headset is the latest Jabra Bluetooth headset to come from the folks at GN Netcom. Known as the Jabra STONE, the headset employs a unique design which wraps behind the ear and eliminates the near-standard on-ear microphone. The Jabra STONE will be available exclusively at AT&T retail stores starting on November 9th for a price of $129.99.

The STONE also comes with a unique touch-controlled volume pad on the outside of the headset. All you’ll need to do is simply slide your finger up or down to control the volume. The STONE comes with a portable charger which also acts as a compact carrying case that fits into the palm of your hand. Features of the Jabra STONE include:

• Noise Blackout Extreme noise cancelling technology which uses dual microphones to capture sound while filtering background noise only
• Supports Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR & eSCO
• Up to 8 hours talk time and 12 days standby time
• Jabra StatusDisplay makes it easy to check battery level and Bluetooth connectivity
• Connect two Bluetooth devices at the same time with Multiuse capabilities
• Touch volume control, answer/end button, voice dialing, and streams music from A2DP enabled handsets
• Weighs only 0.25 oz
• micro USB and AC chargers

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Jabra STONE Bluetooth headset

We’ve been waiting for Powermat to introduce their wireless charging solution and we’re happy to say the devices are finally available for purchase at locations such as Best Buy and Amazon.com. In fact, if you’ve been watching TV recently, you’ll have probably noticed a commercial here or there for Powermat.

Have you forgotten about Powermat? Well the concept’s pretty straightforward. You purchase one of their charging mats (say the Powermat Home & Office mat for $99.99 dollars) and then a wireless charging accessory which you connect to the portable device at hand. When you’re ready to charge your device simply place the accessory and the mat and you’re good to go. No wires to connect whatsoever (although the mat needs to be connected to the outlet). For devices such as mobile phones, Powermat offers the wireless charging accessory as part of a phone case thereby providing two solutions in one.

PC Magazine is one of the first publications out with a review of the system – giving the Powermat Home  & Office 4 out of 5 stars and saying:

“The Powermat Home & Office does exactly what it claims to do—charges your portable devices wirelessly—but the technology’s future potential in broader applications is what has us really excited.”

The only real downer to the Powermat is the cost factor.  The Powermat itself typically runs you $99.99. Each charging adapter will run you around $29 dollars – $39 dollars making this wireless charging solution a bit pricey.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Powermat Home & Office, Wireless Charging, Powermat, PC Magazine Review

• Secure docking using the EasyPort mount
• Built-in GPS receiver enhances the GPS signal especially in areas where GPS reception is limited
• Built-in speaker and volume control
• Hands-free calling via built-in microphone
• Charges iPhone while driving
• Rotates for optimal viewing
• Line out port to connect to car audio system
• Compatible with iPhone 3G and 3GS

If you’re living in Europe, you can purchase the TomTom car kit for the iPhone at the TomTom website or at the Apple online store for $99,99 euro. The car kit will be available in the U.S. in the near future. Note – the car kit does NOT come with the TomTom app – you’ll still need to purchase the app for the iPhone.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: TomTom, TomTom car kit for iPhone

• Reads Blu-ray discs and reads/writes CD/DVDs
• Reads BD-R and BD-ROM discs at up to 8x speeds
• Reads CDs at up to 40x and DVDs at up to 16x
• Average access speed of 350ms
• Comes with two lenses for more stable reading and writing – one lens for BD read and one lens for CD/DVD read/writes
• Spherical Aberration Compensation Technology (SACT) improves reading quality on a BD drive whose protective layer does not have a uniform thickness
• Precision Step Control Technology (PSCT)
• Four point skew adjustment
• Optical lens cooling system reduces heat buildup
• Eco-friendly drive with low power consumption and aerodynamic frame design to lower acoustic noise by preventing pressure concentration in several areas of the bezel and the door
• Bundled Cyberlink Powerproducer software
• Front bezel includes chic mirror front door design and blue LED

The Samsung SH-B083 will be available in November – no word on pricing as of yet.

Technorati Tags: Samsung SH-B083

• A simplified menu displaying a two button user interface – “Plan Route” and “Browse Map”
• Lightweight design with a 3.5 inch display
• Semi-fixed EasyPort mount
• Choice of six colors
• Support for IQ Routes – provides users with faster route any time of the day with accurate travel times
• Support for Map Share technologies – allows users to make their own map changes and benefit from thousands of free map corrections made by TomTom users every day free of charge
• Realistic visual instructions
• High quality speaker
• Help menu
• Available in black and white

The Start will be available in UK and Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway. Prices are $129 for a regional map and $149 for a European map.

Technorati Tags: TomTom, TomTom Start

After a prolonged development cycle, the Garmin nüvifone G60 handset will FINALLY see the light of day here in the U.S. thanks to AT&T. The companies announced today that the Garmin nüvifone G60 will be available to AT&T customers starting on October 4th.

In case you forgot about the G60 (and really.. who hasn’t now?), here are the features/specs:

• Linux OS
• Same core features as a high-end Garmin nüvi GPS device
• Comes preloaded with maps and millions of points of interest for North America
• Comes with dashboard and windshield mount
• Turn by turn voice promoted directions
• Automatically recalculates routes
• Built-in GPS receiver with Garmin HotFix technology and assisted GPS
• “Where Am I?” feature provides users their exact latitude and longitude coordinates, nearest address, intersection, hospital, police station, and gas station with one touch of the screen. nüvifone will also automatically mark the position in which it was last removed from the windshield mount
• Full HTML browser
• 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity
• Location Link – parses addresses on the web with latitude and longitude information
• Touch-screen virtual keyboard with predictive text
• 3.0 megapixel camera with auto-focus
• Geotagging images with latitude and longitude information
• Free access to AT&T Yellow Pages, flight status, and converter
• Premium Connected Services gives customers access to real time traffic information, fuel prices, White Pages, weather etc

The Garmin nüvifone G60 will be available at AT&T retail stores or online at www.wireless.att.com starting on October 4th for a price of $299 (after a new two year agreement and after a $100 dollar mail-in rebate). nüvifone Premium Connected Services will cost ya $5.99 a month after a 30 day trial.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: AT&T, Garmin nüvifone G60

The Belkin “Conserve Surge with Timer” is a new surge protector with a built-in automatic timer designed to help minimize power consumption by automatically shutting off six outlets after 11 hours.

Why build an automatic timer into the surge protector? Simple – most of us are pretty lazy. We all know we should completely shut off all of our gadgets and devices but how many of us are willing to unplug every single device from the outlet? With the Conserve Surge with Timer. laziness is addressed through the use of an automatic timer.

The timer controls six “auto-off” outlets which turn off devices after 11 hours of operation. What about devices that need constant power you say? No problem – the surge protector comes with two always-on outlets too.

Finally, Belkin packages a one-touch on/off button wired to the surge protector that resides on your desktop – allowing you to control the six auto-off outlets. The Belkin Conserve Surge with Timer is available now for a price of $34.99.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Belkin, Belkin Conserve Surge with Timer

TomTom and AT&T announced a new agreement today whereby the AT&T wireless network will power the new TomTom XL 340S LIVE’s connected services. The XL 340S LIVE’s connected services include Local Search powered by Google, real-time traffic information, TomTom Fuel Price service, and TomTom Weather (there are others).

All services are preloaded on the XL 340S LIVE and will work immediately out of the box. Expect future collaboration between the two companies on future products.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: TomTom, Tom Tom XL 340S LIVE, AT&T Wireless

Fans of the Kingston DataTraveler USB flash drive will be happy to hear that the company has increased read/write speeds to 20MB/s with the Kingston DataTraveler 410. Available in storage capacities up to 32GB, the 410 also comes with password protection to help keep files away from prying eyes. Other storage capacities available for the DataTraveler 410 include 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB with the unit measuring 2.58 x 0.71 x 0.41 inches.

Prices are as follows:

• Data Traveler 410 – 4GB – $26 dollars
• Data Traveler 410 – 8GB – $46 dollars
• Data Traveler 410 – 16GB – $84 dollars
• Data Traveler 410 – 32GB – $134 dollars

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Kingston DataTraveler 410 USB Flash Drive

With CrestaTV Universal Broadband Receiver Technology, manufacturers can ship a single TV tuner module which they know will work no matter what country the device is located in. The integrated GPS receiver helps the system figure out which regional channel guide to pull up for the area. 

The receiver itself supports formats including DVBT, ATSC, Cable QAM, NTSC and PAL, along with FM radio and GPS capabilities. CrestaTV is made up of the CTC-200/201 programmable RF and Interface IC as well as multi-threaded signal processing software. Equipment manufacturers can implement CrestaTV on PCI Express cards, PCI mini-express cards, or USB TV modules.

Here’s hoping that the next time I travel around the world, I’ll have a device with the CrestaTV technology embedded.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: CrestaTech, CrestaTV Universal Broadband Receiver, TV tuner

Kensington Universal Notebook Docking Station with VGA/DVI and Ethernet – can turn your notebook into a complete desktop system simply by plugging in a single USB connection. Use the docking station to connect a high resolution display, printer, speaker, and other devices to your notebook – without worrying about plugging and unplugging the devices. Features include:

• Auto-install design makes installation as simple as plug-n-play
• HD screen capable
• 10/100 Ethernet support
• Hot pluggable support
• “Always-on” USB ports charges your devices even when the notebook is shut down
• Front Audio ports and back speaker port lets you connect 2.1 stereo speakers and internet chat headset
• Mini-tower design for smaller footprint
• Supports PCs and Macs although Mac video responsiveness is reduced but functional for everyday computing
• 5 USB 2.0 ports
• DVI, VGA (with DVI to VGA adapter)
• Security cable slot on side panel
• MSRP of $149.99

Kensington Universal Notebook Docking Station with VGA/DVI – is basically the same as the above docking station minus the Ethernet support. The suggested price is $129.99

Kensington Universal Multi-Display Adapter – allows you to easily add a second display to your notebook/desktop setup via an available USB connection. Features include:

• Up to six adapters can be connected to your computer for up to six additional displays
• Compatible with projectors
• DVI to VGA adapter for up to 2048 x 1152 resolution
• Powered off of USB port – no external power supply required
• Supports PCs and Macs although Mac’s video responsiveness of connected external monitor is reduced by functional for everyday computing
• MSRP of $79.99

Technorati Tags: Kensington Universal Notebook Docking Station with VGA/DVI and Ethernet, Kensington Universal Notebook Docking Station with VGA/DVI, Kensington Universal Multi-Display Adapter

Pictured above is Denon’s latest Blu-ray player – the DBP-4010UDCI Universal Blu-ray Disc Player – which features many of the latest technologies and enhancements found in their DVD-A1UDCI player yet at a lower price point (though at $1999, the DBP-4010UDCI is still not for the faint of heart).

The DBP-4010UDCI features:

• Profile 2.0 support
• BD Live and “Bonus View” support
• Plays back DVD-Audio and SACD discs with native digital audio output via DENON LINK or PCM conversion with full bass management
• Ethernet port for Internet connectivity, firmware updates, BD Live interactivity, IP control for third party controllers, CI remote access, and web browser support
• Support for AVCHD and DivXHD playback
• Built-in SD card reader
• Anchor Bay Technologies (ABT) VRS processing for “highest resolution video available via HDMI connection” – supports upconversion and IP scaling to 1080p and HD audio decoding
• New HDMI Clock Control feature – when using HDMI for A/V output, the DENON LINK allows for connected AVR or AV processor to take over the Master Clock Control signals – avoiding digital jitter via HDMI
• Dynamic Discrete Surround Circuit-HD technology (DDSC-HD) with decoding of all the latest HD formats from Dolby and dts.
• Bit-Stream Bypass to HDMI for Dolby Digita+
• Support for TrueHD 7.1 and dts-HR, dts-HD Master Audio 7.1 digital transmission to an AVR/AVP for decoding
• 12 bit 297MHz Analog Devices Video DACs
• Burr-Brown 24/192 PCM1796 DACs
• Multi-channel analog outputs with separate dedicated stereo analog outputs
• All aluminum construction

The Denon DBP-4010UDCI will be available in October and will have a suggested price of $1999.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Denon DBP-4010UDCI Universal Blu-ray Disc Player

• “PersonalSound” which allows the user to select from three custom listening modes that are tuned to enhance speech clarity and boosting listening power
• “Environmental Mode” which allows users to hear equally out of both ears when they’re not on a call. When this mode is activated, the “hearing ability” is enhanced and soft sounds can be heard while the headset is on
• Only headset compatible with the optional Sound ID “CompanionLink Remote Microphone” – creating the Sound ID “Personal Sound System”. The CompanionLink is a small clip-on device measuring two inches in size that syncs with the Sound ID 400. The CompanionLink can be worn by someone else or placed near a sound source to enhance the audio coming from the source.

Other features include:

• NoiseNavigation – removes background and wind noise while boosting speech
• Multi-Point Technology – allows users to connect with two Bluetooth enabled phones
• Automatic Volume Control – headset automatically adjusts to changing environments and variable noise situations
• Measures 2.1 x 0.6 x 0.3 inches and weighs 0.28 oz
• 7 hour talk time and 200 hour standby
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

The Sound ID 400 will be available in the fourth quarter for $129.99 and comes with a universal AC charger, USB charging cable, three sizes of RealComfort EarLoops, and an Ear Hook for an alternative over-the-ear wearing option.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sound ID, Sound ID 400 Personal Sound System