FXI Technology’s Cotton Candy is Digitally Delicious

Norwegian company FXI Technologies has recently blazed the trail for a whole new breed of hardware with a product that bears the alias “Cotton Candy”. The gadget is an “any screen” connected computing USB device – and the first of its kind. Basically, it’s a crunched-down Android phone that can be plugged into any device with an HDMI or USB port – or, if you prefer, you can think of it as a miniaturized computer that runs either Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) or Ubuntu Linux. Sound sweet? It is!

Now Android users can have access to the world’s tiniest computer from pretty much all of their devices – including tablets, laptops, TVs, game consoles, and more. In the past, we have gotten used to PC functionality being restricted to the size of a screen…but Cotton Candy makes this limitation a thing of the past.

Just what are the specs on this tiny PC with a powerful punch? Well, it weighs about 21 grams, features an ARM Cortex A9 (1.2 GHz) CPU, and ARM Mali 400 MP (Quad-core) GPU. It also supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1, and it accesses data via a secure FXI Web portal. It also features a microSD slot that provides a storage capacity of up to 64GB.

The best part about Cotton Candy is, it’s ready to go – consumers can now pre-order it because it’s about to go on sale. The micro-computer will come with a USB and HDMI 1.3 connector to link to virtually any of your gadgets’ screens – and it can play HD video and display multiple image formats. And that’s not all… Cotton Candy even allows you to use a wireless keyboard or mouse with it.

Cotton Candy is more than sweet – it’s the beginning of a revolution in the land of tiny tech toys. Prepare for yours now by purchasing one of CPS’ extended warranties for it – as well as for all of the devices you will be connecting it to.

The Griffin Helo TC: Now Ready for Take-Off with your iPhone

The Griffin Helo TC: Now Ready for Take-Off with your iPhone
Revolutionary advancements in technology have enabled us to accomplish practically anything our hearts desire – even once-thought unimaginable things, like flying a helicopter! Okay, so, while most of us will not be positioning ourselves behind the controls of an actual helicopter anytime soon, the Griffin Helo TC is next-best to the real thing. Cleverly termed an “appcessory”, this gadget marries a mini, remote-controlled helicopter with an app that works best on an iPhone of iPod.
Don’t let the word “mini” fool you – this Helo looks, down to the detail, very much like a real chopper with a chic, jet-black plastic shell and a minimal metal chassis beneath it. The toy copter also features a single rotor on top of the body for lifting, and a tail boom featuring a tinier rotor for controlling direction – and while navigation is not a cinch and definitely comes with a learning curve, it doesn’t take much to master the controls via the D-pad on your iDevice.
Moreover, aviators can alter the direction of the chopper by simply tilting their iDevice accordingly – and these motions have proved to be much more sensitive and reactive than a classic joystick. The Helo should, without a doubt, be played with in a spacious area – and if you’re flying inside, make sure you pick a room with high ceilings. (On that note: navigating the device outdoors may be a bit difficult, since even a slight wind is apt to throw the chopper off course). The Helo also dons an Auto Land feature, allowing users to easily perfect a smooth, bump-less landing.
While the Helo provides some awesome entertainment, the toy’s battery will only provide approximately 15 minutes of flying time – but you may find that a fair trade-off in exchange for the piloting pleasure you do experience during those minutes!
Check out CPS for an extended warranty for your iPod, iPhone or any other iOS device you may use keep your Griffin Helo TC soaring!

Get Ready to Reach Into Your E-Wallet

Your digital wallet is about to get slimmer, because using it is soon to be a whole lot easier with the new Google Wallet service. Similarly, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon (A.K.A. Isis) have joined forces with mobile phone manufacturers like HTC, LG, Motorola, RIM and Samsung to help propel the revolutionary tap-and-pay service. The e-wallet will allow users to take care of a restaurant tab, pay a cab fare, donate to a non-profit – and complete any type of financial transaction in a jiffy (and most importantly without the need for cash-on-hand).
The technology behind the new way to pay is Near Field Communication (NFC) which functions via an integrated circuit where information is transferred between close distances and also has functionality alongside Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology – whose market seems to be growing at super speeds. Also quickening the access to pay-by-phone, is of course amalgamation of the NFC technology with smartphones. As many NFC chipsets have already found their way into phones recently, they are expected to find homes in a slew of other devices, too, like tablets.
NFC enables for functions other than paying-by-phone, too – for instance, Google’s Beam service, which has been integrated into the Android 4.0, allows users a unique transfer-by-touch function: by touching two phones together, information like photos, files and web pages can be instantly exchanged between them.
As-of-yet, the chipsets necessary to activate and utilize Near Field Communication are pretty steeply priced. For that reason, the technology has not been able to reach the masses of people eager for e-cash. However, experts in the field have predicted – and hope for – an approximation of  30% of all mobile phones on the market to be equipped with NFC. Some phones that currently have the chip are the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, The Google Nexus S, and Blackberry Bold.

Spring Design’s Android-Infused Alex E-Reader is Hot and Handy!

Just because you own an e-reader, doesn’t mean you don’t want to put down Mrs. Dalloway now and then to check out the latest Kardashian goings-on. Lucky for you, Spring Design is hip to your need to curl up with a classic as well as your need to veg out on the internet.  As a result, the company has created the new Alex e-reader, which combines the e-reading experience with the web browsing experience into a hot, dual-screened gadget featuring both in e-ink.

Spring Design modeled part of its dual-personality-ed reader after the smartphone by incorporating the Google Android Operating System and a color touchscreen on the bottom third of the Alex – but without the Apps. Alex is fashionably ahead of its brother and sister-e-readers, as it is thinner (0.4-0.5”), longer (8.9”)and not as wide (4.7 – 4.9”) – and consider this device the Kate Moss of the e-reader world, weighing in at a waifish 11 ounces.

Alex’s features include a USB charging and data-transfer, a 2.5 mm headphone jack, 2 top-quality speakers, and a microSD slot with storage capacity or 32GB (2GB of which is pre-installed). Accessories include an AC-to-USB power adapter, a USB cable, headphones which users have touted as being exceptionally cozy, as well as a protective neoprene sleeve for sporting this e-reader even on the busiest subway train without the worry of scratching it up.

Now onto Alex’s performance: consider it at the level of a first-generation Android phone. Startup time lags a little, scrolling through menus proves a bit stop-and-go-ish, as the screen tends to stutter, and the touchscreen keyboard requires users to wait a split-second for each key to register after being tapped. Nevertheless, Spring Design has created an ambidextrous, stylish gadget that is sure to seduce a slew of e-readers/web surfers – and adequately priced, Alex makes for a pretty fine device.

Nikon Coolpix P500 Review

Imagine a camera that lets you take pictures of objects you didn’t even realize were there – well, you can do just that with the new Nikon Coolpix P500. The camera has an amazing 36x optical mega-zoom that can capture astoundingly small subjects with exceptional focus. The best part is, the camera offers these great focal ranges and the lengthy telephoto scope of a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera, without the high cost of one.
The Coolpix lacks the mirror-box assembly of an actual DSLR as well as the big APS-C sensor and lens mount, so it is substantially lighter than one, and it measures slighter, too, at 4.6” x 3.3” x 4.1”. Including the battery, the camera weighs 17.5 ounces – comparatively less than average cameras weigh by themselves.
Features of the camera, in addition to the 36-power lens, include a combined AF Assist and self-timer lamp, a pop-up flash, a burst button for changing speeds and adjusting shutter, and stereo mics for the 1080 HD video. The Coolpix’s mode dial allows you to choose between Auto setting and Scene setting. Scene provides you with 16 selections including Scene Auto Selector which prompts the camera to “guess” the subject it is shooting and adjusts itself accordingly for the best quality photograph production.
Other features include a CMOS sensor that shoots numerous frames – and can even take several shots and merge them for a better exposure result, an LCD screen, a a .24” electronic viewfinder (EVF) at 230K pixels with diopter control and a vari-angle 3” monitor at 921K pixels.
Video components include a surrounding toggle that allows you to record High-Def or High-Speed clips and movie-makers will be glad it does 240fps QVGA so they can review slow-motion clips.
These are just a few perks you get when you purchase the Nikon Coolpix P500 – the camera comes with a slew of other neat tricks that both novice and pro photographers will fall in love with. It’s perfect for anyone desiring to capture shots within a huge focal range with superior picture quality, at a reasonable cost.