laptopdock
Latest
Century's all-in-one dock gives your netbook a greater sense of value
For those who need a little something more from their netbooks, at least while at home, Century's all-in-one dock should help out in that department. It fits just under the little laptop and features a pop-up fan to help with cooling, 8x DVD-writer, and a slot for a 2.5-inch SATA HDD or SSD drive, because let's face it, your digitized copy of the complete Doctor Who series probably isn't gonna all fit on your portable. It's compatible with XP and Vista, but no word on how well it'll jibe with Linux. It looks to be on sale now in Japan for ￥9,980 (US $100), and if you're needing some more intimate shots, Akihabara's got a hands-on with it. [Via Everything USB] Read - Product page Read - Hands-on
Intel, Embraco team up on cooling laptop docking station
Sure, there's a number of pre-fabricated (and DIY) laptop cooling options already out there, but apparently, Intel and Embraco saw the need for one more. Granted, the External Chilled Air Docking Station is still in prototype form, but early peeks showed the device packing a minuscule "compressor that cools the air before flowing into the bottom of the laptop" as well as thermal sensors to show the "air temperature before and after the refrigeration process takes place." Reportedly, the docking station could work with a variety of lappies by simply moving the "air ducts and vent holes" around. The cooler could hit store shelves before Christmas if things go as planned, and while we wouldn't jot this down in ink, the price could purportedly hover around $150.[Via SlashGear]
Logitech intros Alto Cordless laptop stand / dock
Logitech just busted out a couple of new additions to its Alto line of laptop stands a few months ago, but it looks like the company has found yet more ways to make your laptop a bit more comfortable to use, with it today introducing its new Alto Cordless model. The main distinction here, of course, is that the keyboard is now freed from the main unit thanks to some newfangled wireless technology although, as with the original Alto, you'll have to supply your own mouse (which can be accommodated by one of the three USB ports on the base). Also like the original, the Alto Cordless can elevate your laptop for some more comfortable viewing, although it's apparently not recommended for use with laptops larger than 15.4-inches. Look for this one to be available sometime next month for an even $100, with an optional $20 power adapter also available for those that need powered USB ports.[Via HardwareGeeks]
Kensington laptop dock first to feature startup's multiple-monitors-over-USB tech
Although we're pretty sure that many of you wouldn't agree with Newnham Research CEO Michael Ledzion's assertion that "connecting a graphics card to a PC is hard, and expensive," you might still be interested in his company's technology for connecting multiple displays to a PC through a standard USB connection, which will debut in a Kensington laptop dock in June. The Cambridge, England-based startup is able to achieve this rather amazing feat through a hardware rendering engine call NIVO, which can either be built directly into a monitor or incorporated into other peripherals, and which uses proprietary compression algorithms to deliver video up to 1280 x 1024 at 75Hz. As you could probably guess, this technology isn't designed for gaming -- the company suggests using it to display "largely static images" -- although it's supposedly capable of HD playback, which is something we'd definitely like to see firsthand.[Via Extreme Tech]
