Bamboo -- Engadget

Wacom's Bamboo Pen & Touch unboxed and previewed

by Paul Miller posted Sep 26th 2009 at 10:50AM

Wacom sure has been busy with its Bamboo line, and now the impressions are starting to trickle in. The Pen & Touch is particularly interesting, marrying what is essentially an extra large touchpad with traditional digital pen tech -- and to what effect? Well, the tester at BestTabletReview.com didn't find much difference in accuracy or sensitivity with his old Graphire, and was particularly digging the 16:9 ratio over his old tablet's 4:3 setup -- making for more of a 1-to-1 penning experience. Of course, it's probably more up to personal tastes as to whether you'll really find the multitouch aspects of the unit worthwhile, but they aren't touched on much here, and you could always just spring for the Pen-only edition if that's the way you're wired.

Wacom's Bamboo multitouch tablets finally go official, for formality's sake

by Darren Murph posted Sep 24th 2009 at 11:18AM

There's really little point to this now, but a solid week after consumers in the US began picking up the Wacom Bamboo multitouch tablet, the outfit has come clean and confessed that it actually approved the production of that very device. Granted, there's still some merit to the release, particularly since a foursome of new wares are being introduced. The second-generation Bamboo line will initially consist of the Bamboo, Bamboo Fun, Bamboo Pen and Bamboo Touch, some of which (we'll let you guess) are the company's first to support multitouch functionality as well as pen input. Prices are said to start at £49.99 ($81) for the Bamboo Pen and soar right on up to £169.99 ($276) for the Bamboo Fun Medium, and if you're interested in finding the one that fits your style, give that read link a look.

Wacom Bamboo multitouch tablet found at Best Buy, unboxed on video

by Ross Miller posted Sep 16th 2009 at 9:24PM

Need even more proof the Wacom Bamboo multitouch tablet is real? Apparently cued by one of our posts (or so he says), "weaksaucetwelve" ran out to his local Best Buy and picked up the device for the previously-heard price of $69 plus tax, and then proceeded to take it home and unbox it on camera. From his experience so far, it only seems to support up to two fingers at a time with OS X Leopard, but otherwise it works great. Video after the break.

Continue reading Wacom Bamboo multitouch tablet found at Best Buy, unboxed on video

Crapgadget: "Wow... just, wow" edition

by Darren Murph posted Mar 13th 2009 at 7:34AM

A buffalo USB speaker? Really? Someone thought this was a good idea? How's about a completely unlicensed Mickey Multifunction Webcam? You know, for doing lots of random crap, just not very well. Or what about an MP3 pen that helps you learn Mandarin? Yeah, 'cause that's totally beneficial in more than three locations on Planet Earth. Or, if you're still not sold, how's about a USB bamboo fountain that'll be a surefire catalyst for adding mold and mildew to any room? Believe it or not, all of these are real products that you can exchange hard-earned dollars for, though obviously we wouldn't recommend it. Cast your vote below for the most jaw-dropping of all.

Read - Buffalo USB Speaker
Read - MP3 Pen
Read - USB Bamboo Fountain
Read - Mickey Webcam

Micro Innovations's bamboo lineup might just save the world... from generic computer peripherals

by Paul Miller posted Feb 12th 2009 at 10:03PM

Our Panda-like obsession with bamboo is really paying off of late, what with the hundreds of bamboo ASUS laptops scattered around the Engadget HQ, the few dozen cubicles we've built out of Dell Studio Hybrid sleeves, and now this complete line of bamboo peripherals from Micro Innovations. Sure, they're ugly and a little low on tech -- the speakers, card reader, webcam, USB hub, keyboard and mouse couldn't be any more generic in specifications -- and as far as we can tell there's nothing particularly "green" about the typical-seeming internals, but apparently the (undisclosed) pricing is right. Most of this stuff should be available through your electronics retailer of choice in April or May.

ASUS' 12-inch bamboo laptop gets a price

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 27th 2008 at 11:36PM

ASUS may have been beaten to the punch by a few other companies and their bamboo-ensconced offerings, but it looks like it's now getting its first bamboo laptop out the door at long last, and it's taken the opportunity to finally get official with a price. Apparently, the first few 12-inch models will go on sale at Taiwan's IT Month exhibition on Saturday, where they'll run NT$59,900, or just over $1,800. Unfortunately, it's not clear exactly which configuration that'll get you, but, judging from the last word out of ASUS, even the base config seems to be pretty capable.

ASUS' bamboo laptops ditch the Pandas, bring the WiMax as they go production

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 1st 2008 at 6:33AM

Whether counting its 23 Eee PCs or 50 plus models of traditional laptops, ASUS isn't exactly known for its frugality. So seeing yet another press release touting the launch of its bamboo -- a renewable material with immense tensile strength rivaling that of many metal alloys -- laptops shouldn't be a surprise. What's new here, perhaps, is the detail. Now in mass production, these partially biodegradable laptops come with either 11.1- or 12.1-inch, 1,280 x 768 pixel displays, your choice of 3/6/9-cell batteries, and ASUS' Super Hybrid Engine allowing you to dial down the power when the wails of the Antarctic penguins become too much to bear. The 12.1-incher is the relative powerhouse of the pair offering Vista a ride atop your choice of Intel T9400/P8600/P8400 Core 2 Duo processors, 256MB of NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS graphics, a 320GB hybrid hard drive sporting 256MB of flash, and Intel's WiMAX / WiFi Link 5100 chipset. Pricing? Sorry, we'll likely have to wait for another press release for that detail.

[Via The Inquirer]

SimpleTech hops on eco-friendly bandwagon with [re]drive HDD

by Darren Murph posted Jul 28th 2008 at 3:11PM

Not that we haven't seen bamboo-based gizmos before, but there's something about SimpleTech's [re]drive that just screams upscale. This elegant, smooth looking external HDD was crafted to be easy on the eyes and Mother Earth alike, with the outfit utilizing "renewable, naturally grown bamboo and recyclable aluminum" along with an Energy Star power adapter and eco-friendly packaging. You'll also find a USB 2.0 jack, automatic power up / down and 500GB of internal storage space. Not too shabby for an estimated $150.

[Via Wired]

Dell Studio Hybrid mini PC leak reveals specs, new casing

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jun 20th 2008 at 9:35AM

Remember that tidy little bamboo-encased mini PC Dell showed off in April? Well apparently the company is at work on a variant of the diminutive system, dubbed the Studio Hybrid. In addition to forgoing the eco-friendly wood for what appears to be a sleek, orange Plexiglas shell, the system boasts an Intel chipset, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, WiFi, a DVD+R drive, five USB ports, an HDMI port, S/PDIF, DVI, and a memory card reader. We're not sure exactly when Dell plans to unleash these on consumers or what the final cost will be, though previously the company had stated plans to offer it later this year for between $500 and $700. Check the gallery below for a few more (blurry) shots of the device.

Gallery: Dell Studio Hybrid mini PC leak reveals specs, new casing

Asus shipping 11- and 12-inch bamboo laptops in June -- Mother Jones nearly smiles

by Thomas Ricker posted Apr 23rd 2008 at 8:10AM

Finally, after kicking its bamboo laptops around trade shows for more than a year, Asus is set to roll out the eco-themed lappies in June. No details were provided except a rough price of about $1,650 for the 11-inch S6 and 12-inch U6. Really though, does it matter what's inside? It'll look great at the local cafe propped-up conspicuously next to your organic, Fare Trade coffee harvested by newly white-collared neo-peasants.

Dell unveils tiny bamboo-cased eco-computer concept

by Nilay Patel posted Apr 22nd 2008 at 6:42PM

Michael Dell spoke at Fortune's Brainstorm:Green conference today, and he took the wraps off this funky bamboo-encased eco-PC concept. Said to be Dell's smallest-ever computer, the machine is 81 percent smaller than a standard desktop and uses 70 percent less power. There's no word on what's inside yet, but Dell says the machine is due to be released later this year, and should cost between $500 and $700. Hit the read link for a couple more shots, and check out a render after the break.

Continue reading Dell unveils tiny bamboo-cased eco-computer concept

ASUS gets bamboo happy at CeBIT 2008

by Paul Miller posted Mar 10th 2008 at 3:19PM

In case you weren't aware, ASUS has a little bit of thing for bamboo, and its passionate displays of affection were unapologetic at CeBIT this year in Germany. The company was showing off a number product concepts on the show, as seen above, and while little info was given on specs or releases, they certainly seem to be a sign of things to come. We're actually a bit more excited about that Essentio 5110 bamboo desktop than the various laptops, but, as demonstrated by the EcoBook, ASUS is probably going to be pushing this mostly in a laptop direction.

[Via Crave]

Felt Mouse puts a different spin on ergonomics

by Darren Murph posted Nov 3rd 2007 at 4:19PM

We have little choice but to take Joey Roth's word for it, but we've got our reservations about this one. The so-called Felt Mouse forgoes the typical dome shape that most mice made this millennium share in favor of a totally blockish -- and likely uncomfortable -- design. Conceptually, at least, the critter is indeed wireless, and while you will notice a right and left click, you can forget about finding one of those fancy "scroll wheel" contraptions. The unit is said to be constructed primarily from "natural wool felt and laminated bamboo ply," and the former will apparently conform to your hand when you grab hold. Check out the underbelly after the jump -- we promise carpal tunnel syndrome can't be contracted visually.

[Via YankoDesign]

Continue reading Felt Mouse puts a different spin on ergonomics

Wacom shipping Bamboo tablets in the US

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 15th 2007 at 5:57AM

We'd heard about Wacom's small and inexpensive Bamboo input tablets a few months ago, but it looks like the company is getting ready to ship both the $79 Bamboo (aimed at casual photo retoucher) and the $99 (small) and $199 (medium) Bamboo Fun, which costs more because it comes with a mouse and is apparently more fun. Both models feature four ExpressKeys, the "touch ring" zoom / scroll controller, and a textured surface designed to emulate the feel of a real pen on paper. Both models should work well with both OS X's InkWell and Vista's Tablet features, so those of you interested in eating up Martha should keep your eyes open.

[Via MacWorld]

Wacom rolls out "Bamboo" tablet

by Donald Melanson posted May 15th 2007 at 11:45AM

Wacom has busted out a new tablet for those not quite ready to drop $3,000 on a Cinteq (or $200 building their own), with its new "Bamboo" tablet device covering all the basics for a reasonable price. Of course, you won't get a built-in LCD, and it's not wireless, but you will at least be able to take advantage of Vista's various pen-based capabilities (it'll work just fine with a Mac as well). The device itself also won't take up too much room on your desk space, measuring about 7.8 x 7.3 inches although, as far as we can tell, it's not actually made of bamboo. If that's not too much of a deal-breaker, you'll be able to pick up one of these this month in Japan for ¥8,980, or about $75.

[Via Impress]