Oh they are so late with this one.  I would have considered it before getting a netbook but now, probably not.

One iPhone Keyboard To Rule Them All.

Hearst Unveils Skiff e-Reader.

Asus Eee Keyboard

Another delay in the release may have this item on the back burner for a while.  I saw this concept earlier this year and thought it was the perfect concept for having a PC to take everywhere and use on any occasion.  But since I got the Eee PC netbook, I’m not sure how eager I would be to test one of these out.  Let’s see how it goes.

Notion Ink’s Adam Tablet

Soon to hit the scene in June 2010.  Get more info from Gizmodo.  The concept is cool though.

So the race to see who will get out the first new tablet is on!

V12 Design concept.

I’ve seen this on two source sites.  It’s sleek and cool.

iTablet – Apple

Will it ever become reality?  Here’s to hoping!

Microsoft Courier

I’ve been hearing the rumors about Apple’s iTablet for some time now.  It’s a great concept but looks like the Microsoft Courier is going to hit the scene first.  Check out the vid and see what you think.

While visiting my sister and contemplating taking back my Wii Fit board and game, she introduced me to Wii Fit Plus.  I enjoyed my Wii Fit game but had not used it as often as I should have.  We cracked up the Wii and I tried a few of the newer games such as bike riding, Segway riding game and the marching band thingy.  They were a lot of fun but would I use it if I got it?  After coming home WITHOUT my Wii board and game, my hubby, bought me the Wii Fit Plus.  So far I’ve used it almost everyday.  It is easier now since the day job fizzled, but alas, I enjoy playing even more and have been working out for 30 minutes each morning.  It also has an additional place for Wii pets (weight your pet and keep track of it), and babies.

I’ll report back in a month to see if I am still on the fitness kick, but so far . . . ME LIKE!

WII FIT PLUS

• The Wii Fit Plus Bundle includes the game software and the Wii Balance Board.
• Users can input the amount of time they want to spend on their workouts or select an area for personal improvement, and Wii Fit Plus will suggest a number of diverse activities for them.
• For the first time, users can mix and match which strength and yoga activities they prefer on a given day. The seamless exercise flows make it easier than ever for users to maintain their daily workout routines.
• The range of games and customization options will make players want to play every day. They¿ll be having so much fun that their workouts will seem to fly by in no time at all.

Wii Fit attracted millions of new players to the world of video games. Now Wii Fit Plus offers a range of new features and enhancements to help players reinvigorate their workouts, along with exercises and balance games designed to keep them fun. Players will find a new dimension to the Wii Fit experience as they easily set their own customized workout routines, or choose 20-, 30- or 40-minute workouts based on how much time they have available.

6 new yoga & strength activities. View larger.

The ‘Perfect 10′ balance game. View larger.

Personalization options. View larger.

‘Obstacle Course’ game View larger.

Target specific body areas. View larger.

Users will also be able to choose from specialized workout routines that focus on all-around individual personal fitness goals or certain target areas. And with the addition of activities like Skateboarding and Rhythm Kung Fu, players will be using the Wii Balance Board accessory in a variety of new and fun ways.

Gameplay
As with the original Wii Fit release, Wii Fit Plus is designed, as its name implies, to improve the user’s fitness. The game contains a large number of activities that fall into a variety of categories, including: yoga, aerobics, strength training and balance games. With all but a few exceptions, which utilize variations on a standard Wii Remote configuration, all activities utilize the Wii Balance Board (included with this bundle), either alone or configured with either a Wii Remote alone or the Wii Remote and nunchuck. The Balance Board, like any other Wii controller acts as a motion/pressure sensing device wirelessly synched to your Wii and replicating your body’s movements. Each controller employed occupies one of the Wii’s four wireless inputs, together mapping the reference points needed to recreate most full body motions on screen. Although this limits the majority of the activities to a single player orientation, various activities throughout the game support up to eight players in alternating play.

To use Wii Fit Plus players import their Miis from their Wii system, set up profiles, establish a current physical baseline, set fitness goals, and embark on a routine to reach them. Wii Fit Plus tracks your usage, weight and progress towards your goal over time, giving you a status report as you start each session. At any time players can choose whatever activity they want, whether exercise or balance game, and as they progress in these they will level up in each, gaining points, setting high scores and unlocking more activities.

Personalization Option Via ‘The Locker Room’
The original Wii Fit was designed to have something for everyone. Now Wii Fit Plus raises the bar by providing users with personalization options that allow them to find/create a specific workout routine that is exactly right for them, their family and their lifestyle. One example of this is “The Locker Room.” Easily accessible throughout the game, here players can choose from a number customizable options that allow them to maximize their time with Wii Fit Plus without having to navigate through the game menu while in the middle of a workout. In essence this allows players to become their own personal trainer. Customization options available within The Locker Room include: preprogrammed and timed Wii Fit Plus Routines; My Routine, where you choose your own set of activities, optimizing their length and area of the body to be focused on; and Favorites, a notation of activities you frequent, which provides fast access to exercises you enjoy doing the most.

Addition Yoga and Strength Exercises
Designed as an addition to the already substantial list of focused, physical exercises available in Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus contains six new and challenging strength and yoga activities. But continuing with the game’s commitment to personalization, the key to these additions is not in their volume, but in how the player chooses to mix and match them. Do them in the order they are presented, or combine them in whatever order you want. The choice is yours. The player even has the ability to repeat the ones that he/she prefers, maximizing attention and effort where it is needed most. In addition, for those to whom time is a commodity, you can now omit unnecessary interludes between exercises, making for a continuous, timesaving routine.

A Wealth of New Balance Games
Regardless of the considerable fitness factor packed into Wii Fit Plus, the Nintendo brand is and will always be all about having fun. With that in mind Wii Fit Plus also comes packed with 15 new, entertaining balance games suitable for every member of the family. Just a few of those that players can expect to see are: Juggling; Skateboarding; Snowball Fight; Obstacle Course, a log-leaping, cannonball-evading event reminiscent of what Nintendo icon Mario must go through; and Perfect 10, a balance game designed to promote a combination of physical and mental health. In this final example the player’s Mii is situated between multiple color-coated balls, each showing specific numbers, with the goal to swing your hips, hula style, in different directions to tap out a total of ten as many times as possible before time runs out.

Key Game Features

• The Wii Fit Plus Bundle includes the game software and the Wii Balance Board.
• Users can input the amount of time they want to spend on their workouts or select an area for personal improvement, and Wii Fit Pluswill suggest a number of diverse activities for them.
• For the first time, users can mix and match which strength and yoga activities they prefer on a given day. The seamless exercise flows make it easier than ever for users to maintain their daily workout routines.
• Users might be asked to run an obstacle course across a series of platforms, zoom across a beach on a Segway x2 Personal Transporter or flap their arms to help their hilarious chicken-suited characters aim for targets.
• The range of games and customization options will make players want to play every day. They’ll be having so much fun that their workouts will seem to fly by in no time at all.
• Players also can see estimates of calories burned and can even activate a feature that lets them weigh their dogs or cats.

I have a very good laptop right now.  It’s HP Pavillion dv9000, 17″.  It was manufacturer refurbished.  I didn’t mind that so much because it means the defect was found in the factory and fixed before it was shipped.  It only started giving me a few problems this year but I have a warranty and everything that needed fixing was free.

CURRENT LAPTOP:  HP Pavillion dv9000

UPGRADE LAPTOP:  Another HP

HP Pavilion DV9720US 17.0″ Entertainment Laptop (AMD Athlon 64 X 2 Dual Core TL-60 Processor, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium)

This week I am focusing on my upgrade picks for used or wore out gadgets.  My sister inspired this week because her car was broken into and her camera and mp3 player was stolen.  So first the camera.  I helped her pick it out and it was new.  I chose the Sony Cyber-shot.

Current Camera:  Sony Cyber-shot

Upgrade Camera:  Sony Cyber-shot

I think it is the top of the line.  I bought mine a few years ago and I looked at the low in models and they were great.  Then just for kicks, I picked up the Sony Cyber-shot.  All of a sudden, it was if a veil had been lifted from my once blinded eyes.  I’m almost certain I heard angels singing in the background as a golden ray of sunshine shone on me.

Oh yeah, I was hooked.  Fortunately for me the camera was on sale.  My aunt wanted a camera also and when I couldn’t find the Sony Cyber-shot, we settled for the Powershot.  It looked nice and I couldn’t complain with the price either.

The one thing I like best about the new digital cameras is the video camera feature.  I thought the new flip video camera was cool but why would I need one if I had a really good digital with the same feature.

Sony Cybershot DSC-W220 12MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom

with Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization

This one’s got it all. The Cyber-shot DSC-W220 combines point-and-shoot ease-of-use with advanced features in a sophisticated, compact body. Smile Shutter technology allows you to capture a smile the moment it happens, and the Carl Zeiss 4x optical zoom lens, Optical SteadyShot image stabilization, and 12.1-megapixel resolution deliver crisp, clear images.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W220 Highlights

12.1-megapixel Super HAD CCD Image Sensor
A powerful 12.1 megapixel 1/2.3-inch Super HAD CCD image sensor helps you capture gorgeous images with superb contrast and clarity down to the finest detail. With 12.1 megapixels, you can create stunning, photo-quality prints up to A3 size, or crop your images and still come away with high resolution shots.

Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens with 4x Optical Zoom
4x optical zoom lens captures sharp images, even from a distance.

2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD display (230k pixels)
Generous 2.7-inch (230K pixels) Clear Photo LCD display features sharp, natural color that makes it easy to compose shots, read menus, and view photos, even in bright sunlight.

BIONZ image processor
The BIONZ image processor delivers the high resolution and fast performance you expect from a Sony digital camera.

Face Detection technology
Face Detection technology detects up to eight individual faces and controls flash, focus, exposure, and white balance to deliver accurate, natural skin tones with reduced red-eye for beautiful images of family and friends. Face Detection technology can even distinguish between children and adults, so you can prioritize the camera’s focus on children in the scene for clear images of their memorable moments.

Smile Shutter technology
The popular Smile Shutter technology automatically detects and captures a smiling face. Simply choose the Smiley Face feature and the camera will capture a smile the moment it happens. You can also select subject priority (Adult or Child Priority or touch subject on screen) and indicate the degree of Smile Detection Sensitivity to high (small smile), medium (laugh), or low (grin).

Double Anti-blur Solution
The combination of Optical SteadyShot image stabilization and High ISO sensitivity helps compensate for shaky hands, minimizes blur, and allows flash-free shooting to preserve the mood.

SteadyShot image stabilization

Optical SteadyShot image stabilization
Optical SteadyShot image stabilization uses a built-in gyro sensor to detect camera shake and automatically shifts the lens to help prevent blur without sacrificing image quality.

High Sensitivity Mode (ISO 3200)
High ISO allows for faster shutter speed, so you can take photos indoors or in low light without the need for a flash. In addition to High Sensitivity Mode (ISO), you can select up to eight ISO settings (Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200) when shooting in Program Auto Mode to adjust sensitivity to your shooting conditions.

Convenient Photo Modes
Choose from 14 convenient photo modes to quickly adjust for specific shooting conditions. Photo modes include Auto, Program Auto, Easy Shooting, Smile Shutter technology, High Sensitivity, Landscape, Soft Snap, Twilight Portrait and scene selections such as Twilight, Beach, Snow, Fireworks, Underwater and Gourmet Mode. Gourmet Mode lets you capture mouth-watering culinary creations with all the color and clarity of images you see in gourmet magazines.

Intelligent Scene Recognition in action

Intelligent Scene Recognition
Intelligent Scene Recognition (iSCN) Mode automatically detects five different types of scenes and selects the appropriate camera settings: Backlight, Backlight Portrait, Twilight, Twilight Portrait, and Twilight using a Tripod. iSCN has 2 modes: Auto and Advanced. In Auto Mode, the camera takes a single shot using the optimal settings. In Advance Mode, the camera takes a photo with the standard automatic settings and only if necessary takes a second photo with optimized setting.

Dynamic Range Optimizer Standard and Plus
Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO) Standard and Plus uses a sophisticated algorithm to determine the best exposure and contrast settings for almost any shooting environment. The result is more natural images with clearer details that more closely match what your naked eye sees. DRO is particularly effective when shooting backlit portraits or any scene with a dramatic contrast between background and foreground lighting. DRO Plus allows for even greater optimization by analyzing each region of an image and performing additional image processing.

Function Guide
This beginner-friendly optional function helps navigate through the various functions and settings displaying the description of chosen functions or settings on the LCD screen.

Easy Shooting Mode
With Easy Shooting Mode, even beginners can take great photos. In Easy Shooting Mode, easy-to-understand basic instructions are displayed on the LCD screen and the camera switches to all automatic settings so you can just take the photo without worrying about settings.

MPEG Movie VX Fine Mode
Capture VX Fine (640×480) audio/video clips at a high frame rate (up to 30 frames per second). The maximum length of time you can shoot continuously is approximately 10 minutes.

16:9 High Resolution Mode
Using the 16:9 High Resolution Mode, you can record high resolution images in the 16:9 aspect ratio favored by HDTVs. This setting is ideal if you plan to view your images on a compatible HDTV and invite friends and family members over for a slideshow.

Memory Stick Duo Media Convenience
The Cyber-shot DSC-W220 camera accepts Memory Stick Duo media or Memory Stick PRO Duo media (both sold separately).

Stamina Battery Power
Provides extended battery life and shooting capacity when using a fully-charged lithium-ion battery. The included battery supports up to 370 shots.

In-Camera Retouching Tools
Retouch and enhance your photos on the go with in-camera Trimming and Red-Eye Correction functions.

HDTV Compatibility
View your photos in glorious high definition on a Sony BRAVIA or similar compatible HDTV using the included HD output adapter cable (VMC-MHC2, sold separately)

PhotoTV HD
Bring your photos to life and enjoy highly detailed, Full HD 1920×1080 images with PhotoTV HD-capable Sony BRAVIA HDTVs (HDTV sold separately). PhotoTV HD fine tunes settings on your HDTV, such as sharpness, gradation, and color to display images that look more like actual printed photos.

PHOTOMUSIC feature
PHOTOMUSIC combines images with music to produce fun and entertaining slide shows. The five standard visual effects (Simple, Basic, Nostalgic, Active, and Stylish) are supplemented with three face priority effects: Face1 (Basic), Face2 (Nostalgic), and Face3 (Stylish). Select from eight pre-loaded tracks on camera or transfer your own from your compatible PC (sold separately).

Wide Zoom display
To use the entire image area of the compatible HDTV screen (sold separately), Wide Zoom display automatically expands standard 4:3 and 3:2 images to 16:9.

Multi-purpose Resize function
The Multi-purpose Resize function lets you change the aspect ratio of an image right in the camera, so you can adjust images as necessary, whether you want to display them on a compatible HDTV, e-mail them, or upload them to a blog (compatible PC with internet connection required).

Picture Motion Browser ver. 4.2
Sony PMB (Picture Motion Browser ) software7 provides a simple, easy-to-use way to transfer video and still images to your compatible PC, as well as sort, edit, and output to data disc and the Web. Finding your images with PMB is easy with Calendar view and Face Search. Face Search allows you to filter by faces (one or many) and also a specific person’s face. Share images and videos on popular sharing sites with Media Services function (internet connection required).

What’s in the Box

• NP-BG1 rechargeable battery
• BC-CSG battery charger
• A/V and USB multi-connector cables
• Wrist strap
• Picture Motion Browser ver. 4.2
• Note: No Memory Stick DUO Media or adaptors are included.