Gadgets Blog » gadget of the week

Apple may be garnering much media attention lately for its much-touted tablet computer, the iPad, but the idea of tablet computing has been around far longer. Touchscreen technology has found its way into a variety of computers, and if you really crave a tablet computer, but are looking for something with a little more computing power than the iPad (or a unit that operates Windows), there are several great devices on the market that combine this touchscreen technology with a laptop, allowing for some great versatility and functionality as well.

A great example of the benefits of this technology comes in the Fujitsu Lifebook P1630, a tablet PC running Windows Vista. There are some immediate differences between this tablet computer and what many people may think a tablet should look like, especially after the unveiling of the iPad. First and foremost, the Lifebook looks a lot like a traditional laptop computer, as opposed to a large iPod Touch. It has a fully-functioning keyboard, and an 8.9 inch swiveling display that is touch-activated, meaning you can flip the screen over the keyboard, making it single tablet, or you can twist the screen around so it’s oriented like a traditional laptop screen. This enables the unit to be proficient in both word processing and touch-screen capabilities.

This version of the Lifebook runs Windows Vista Business, which is indicative of Fujitsu’s target audience here. The screen is smaller than on a traditional laptop, making the unit portable. A stylus comes along with the device for writing on the touchscreen, and some great results were achieved in this way, with the ability to save the writing in a variety of programs in several different formats, such as .jpeg, Word documents, or even in PDFs. The utility here is obviously aimed towards note-taking upon existing documents, likely in the context of an important business meeting.

The best part about the Fujitsu Lifebook series is that they offer the same flexibility as other PC laptops. One of the biggest drawbacks about the Apple iPad is that it will be subject to the same restrictions as the iPhone and the iPod touch. Namely, there won’t be much flexibility with the programs and applications one is able to download and run. With the Fujitsu computer, this problem is avoided, and those who are already familiar with Vista will enjoy virtually no learning curve on the new model. The downside is the price tag, which at around $1800 makes this one of the higher-end Lifebook models, but if the concept interests you, be sure to shop around for other tablet PCs similar to this one!

Check out lower-cost alternatives to the Apple iPad, and compare tablet computers at Smarter.

In the world of televisions, bigger doesn’t always mean better. As the dimensions on a high-definition screen increase, the price tag can become enormous, making many larger models unaffordable for most consumers. Larger television screens also are bulky and hard to transport, and their size can make arranging a watching area around a screen more difficult. It’s too bad, really, because it becomes all-too-costly to imitate a movie-theater type experience in a living room, without using some ingenuity. That’s where the Epson PowerLite 700 Home Cinema Projector comes in. It’s a powerful unit, capable of transforming any room into a full-fledged theater.

The PowerLite projector may come as a surprise to those who have been skeptical of projector units in the past. The specifications on the unit are impressive, and situating it to work in your house is far easier than you might think. Sporting a 3LCD, three chip optical engine, the colors are bright and clear, provided you have a proper viewing space. This is the toughest part of using a projector like the PowerLite 700, finding a proper surface for viewing use, but this projector unit is highly portable and has easy-to-use focus controls. Whether you’re looking for a permanent watching area or wanting to get some travel use out of the projector, you’ll be able to use the PowerLite 700 with few focus issues.

A major concern for projectors is how they look in a lighted room, but the PowerLite 700 performs better than more expensive projectors in this category. While optimal viewing is still achieved by cutting out some of the light in the room, the colors still remain bright even under less-than-ideal conditions. Capable of projecting in 720p, the unit can spit out high definition images that are impressive for a projector in this price range. In fact, price is one of the greatest assets for this Epson projector. At only $689.88 through Smarter, it’s a great deal, costing less than most mid-sized televisions and far less than high-end projector models.

One really has to pity the civil engineers in charge of making modern American cities traffic-efficient. Its a difficult, if not impossible task, and regardless of the outcome, people will be frustrated. Not even the keenest of city planning can make up for the oppressive onslaught of cars that hit the road come Monday morning. The result can be a disorienting traffic jam, which is bad enough for locals but can be a downright nightmare for tourists or those unfamiliar with the city. When I moved from sleepy Missoula, Montana to Los Angeles, California for college, the difference in driving “across town” was like night and day. But today’s gadget of the week has made my driving experience excellent recently, and it has the capability to do the very same for yours.

Garmin arguably makes some of the best GPS navigation units, and the Nuvi 1390t is in my opinion, the best of their bunch. With an innovative touch-screen interface, extensive battery life, and an extensive host of additional features, it has the ability to get you where you need to go, and fast.

The basic premise of a GPS navigation unit is simple: plug in a destination, and the GPS uplink provides you with maps and directions to reach your destination. Obviously though, a high-end unit like the 1390t has a host of additional features. First and foremost, there are a number of ways you can locate your destination. If you know the address by memory, simply punch it into the device on the easy-to-use touchscreen and you’re on your way.

This is where the device has some tricks up its sleeve. If you’re not sure of the address, you can search for the location by a variety of criteria. While using the device in the Los Angeles area, a search of an In-N-Out Burger brings up the locations of the nearest burger stands (much like a search on Google Maps would do). However, say if you’re craving a burger, but are unsure of what type, the Nuvi 1390t has categories for browsing. It’s a great asset on road trips, if you’re looking for a place to eat but are unsure of any particular location.

There are also some features especially handy for tourists. Other categories for browsing are filled with gas stations, lodging, emergency services, and even points of interest. While using the device, the points of interest feature had some great suggestions, with everything from hiking trails to football stadiums programmed in the device. There were some discrepancies when searching for local businesses that had shut down. Overall, the device performed excellently while searching for a variety of locales.