Cool Tools

The Nokia N900 takes its cues from the world of desktop computing. Its operating system is open source, Linux-based Maemo software that delivers a PC-like experience on a handset-sized device. With its Maemo 5 software, the Nokia N900 allows users to have dozens of application windows open and running simultaneously while taking full advantage of the device’s cellular features, WVGA touch screen and QWERTY keyboard.

Switching between applications is simple, as all running content is constantly available through a dashboard. The panoramic homescreen can be fully personalized with favorite shortcuts, widgets and applications and the device takes great photos with a 5MP camera and Carl Zeiss optics.

The Nokia N900 features fast internet connectivity with 10/2 HSPA and WLAN. Thanks to the browser powered by Mozilla technology, websites look the way they would on any computer and there’s full Adobe Flash 9.4 support. The device offers 32GB of storage, expandable up to 48GB via a microSD card.

The Nokia N900 packs a powerful ARM Cortex-A8 processor, up to 1GB of application memory and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics acceleration.

From Getac comes a line of rugged Tablet PCs that will be the first rugged computers to offer a Multi-Touch screen for use with or without gloves. Having Multi-Touch technology on Getac’s V100 Tablet PC will allow users to move and edit documents, rotate maps and photos, zoom in and zoom out of maintenance manuals, and navigate numerous system applications by using a series of “gestures” with their fingers.

The new Multi-Touch technology employs single touch, dual touch, “flick” and application gestures. Users of Getac’s V100 Tablet PC will be able to quickly and easily perform numerous on-screen tasks such as move, copy, delete, zoom, and rotate by simply touching the screen and performing the task desired with their fingers. Getac’s Resistive Multi-Touch technology is not based on capacitance sensitivity, which means users can perform these actions, and many others while wearing protective gloves. This makes it ideal for industrial and field professionals who work with dangerous chemicals or perform their jobs in extreme weather conditions.

Are you tired of paying enormous bills for international roaming service from your mobile phone provider? Then consider purchasing a National Geographic Duet Travel Phone or Travel SIM card.

The Duet includes National Geographic’s pay-as-you-go National Geographic Travel SIM card, allowing affordable calling in 185 countries, free incoming calls in more than 80 countries and 30 minutes of outgoing call credit for most countries. Users have the option of inserting another SIM card in the phone and having a secondary number and service.

The National Geographic Travel SIM card can be purchased separately from the Duet phone for those travelers who already own a cell phone that is compatible for international use.

The EnCase Portable is a new data acquisition solution on a USB drive. This computer forensics solution enables the user to easily and rapidly boot a target computer to the USB drive, and run a pre-configured data search and collection job. Using the EnCase Portable, even individuals untrained in computer forensics can forensically acquire documents, Internet history and artifacts, images, and other digital evidence, including entire hard drives, with a few simple keyboard clicks.

The device is being targeted at law enforcement, government, law firms and corporate customers but the truth is that anyone using this tiny device will immediately acquire the ability to remove data from computers in a covert manner. The EnCase Portable is expected to ship on a 4GB USB drive, but can also be used on larger USB devices if required. With the use of a USB hub, data can be stored on a USB drive or on other media, such as external hard drives. The product is expected to be available in Autumn 2009.

You can have your storage and save the planet, too. From Western Digital comes the 2 terabyte (TB) hard drive – the world’s highest capacity drive and the latest addition to the environmentally friendly, cool and quiet, WD Caviar Green hard drive family. This new 3.5-inch platform is based on WD’s industry-leading 500 GB/platter technology with 32 MB cache, producing drives with capacities of up to 2 TB.

External storage solutions are now common for the consumer segment and extreme-capacity drives help consumers manage their media libraries. WD’s My Book family is one of the first applications of the new WD Caviar Green 2 TB drive family. The WD Caviar Green 2 TB (model WD20EADS) will be available later this month for $299.

Samsung Electronics has unveiled “Blue Earth.” Designed to symbolize a flat, well-rounded shiny pebble, Blue Earth is the first solar powered full-touch screen phone. By charging with the solar panel located on the back of the phone, users can generate enough electronic power to call anytime, anywhere.

Blue Earth is made from recycled plastic known as PCM, which is extracted from water bottles, helping to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions in the manufacturing process.

The device, including charger, is free from harmful substances such as Brominated Flame Retardants, Beryllium and Phthalate. Blue Earth comes with a user interface which is designed to draw attention to preserving our fragile environment. One feature of “Eco Mode” is the “Eco Walk” function which allows the user to count steps with an in-built pedometer, calculating how much CO2 emissions have been reduced by walking as opposed to motor transport. Learn about The Blue Earth Dream and other eco-friendly initiatives at www.samsungmwc.com.