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Kickstart a desk design to create a Gamer's Paradise
As I thumb through the catalog in search of a deskI take a look at them all, and realize they fail the test'Cause I've got so many cables and cordsEven my mama thinks that they can't be storedBut I ain't never seen a desk with USB supportthis one's got 7, you'll always have portsYou better watch your games over HDMIOr you'll have to choose to put a DVI port insideI really hate to trip, so I want to placeall my AC adapters in the 6 provided spacesI keep my headphones plugged in the headphone jackAnd I illuminate my room with LEDS on the back
Satechi's Swift BT Speaker provides some impressive functionality in a very affordable package
The Satechi Swift BT Speaker is a surprisingly affordable little speaker (at just $29.99) that performs quite well. It's small and fairly stylish, and though its functions are about what you'd expect from a Bluetooth speaker, the Swift accomplishes them with an understated flair that I really appreciated. Setup is pretty standard for any Bluetooth device. You need to turn the speaker on, hold down a button for six seconds to put it into pairing mode, and then flip your iPhone's Bluetooth on and pair it up. Once that's done, the Swift works almost automatically. Whenever you're in signal, the speaker will connect up to the phone, and you can share audio signals between the two devices. The best use I can think of for a speaker like this is just to have it sitting on a desk at work or home, someplace where your hands might be typing or writing rather than holding your phone all the time. Whenever a call comes in, you can just press a button on the Swift speaker to answer it, and then it all works as you'd expect. Speak into the integrated microphone, and listen to the other side of the conversation from the speaker. In my short time testing the Swift, I found that it worked best the closer I was to the unit, so yelling across the room probably isn't ideal. But again, if the speaker's sitting on your desk already, you should be able to place it close enough where you can speak directly into the mic without a problem. You can also use the Swift for voice dialing, and you can redial from the speaker, reject a call (by holding down the button for longer than usual), or even send the voice back to the phone itself. The mic on the unit can also be muted, which might be ideal for long conference calls. Finally, you can also stream music to the speaker over Bluetooth -- the tunes I streamed sounded just fine with an impressively solid bass. The quality isn't incredible, but especially if you're already in a work environment, it's good enough just to have something to listen to. If you really cared about audio quality, however, you'd be much better off investing in an actual stereo system or, more likely, some quality headphones. I was quite impressed by the Swift speaker. I don't normally bother with speaker calling, but I could definitely imagine keeping this on my desk and using it (especially because my cell phone's signal happens to be terrible where I usually sit; with this, I could keep my phone across the room and answer it when it rings right through the speaker). The one big drawback is battery life: The Swift speaker itself has up to 300 hours of standby time, but only three or four hours of talk or music playback time. The speaker comes with a USB charging cable, however, so it's possible you could just find an open USB port and let it stay plugged in. The Bluetooth service will also cost your iPhone's battery a little bit, but depending on how often you use the speaker, that cost may be worth it. For a price of just $29.99, I highly recommend Satechi's BT speaker. If you've been looking for a way to more comfortably deal with your phone, especially at a desk in a private office or someplace where you won't bother anyone around you (please don't be that guy on the speakerphone in a bunch of cubicles), the Swift speaker could be really useful. As it is, I can see myself using it in my own work. The next time you call me, I may just press a button on this little device, rather than having to run and get my phone from wherever I last left it.
Custom PC desk / case combo ditches glass, metal for wood
Desk case PC mods have lit up our radar before, but a modder by the name of Pirate -- who's no stranger to us -- has dropped the typical glass and metal enclosure for medium-density fiberboard. Though the material choice was an effort to avoid buying a new desk, it created a need for a robust cooling system. Five fans (three exhaust, two intake), a radiator and a liquid-cooling system keep the rig at roughly 88 F (31 C) with ambient temperatures hovering around 79 F (26 C). As for horsepower, the workstation features a Core-i5-2500k processor and a Radeon HD 7950 graphics card sporting a water cooling block on an Asus Gene IV microATX motherboard. Visuals are piped to three displays in an Eyefinity configuration that are held by a modded ergonomic stand. Pictures of the build process in excruciating detail await you at the source. Update: Ben Willock commented to let us know that it's sporting a Core-i5-2500k processor, not a Core-i5-2000k. We've updated the post.
Gaze upon your impending destruction in this Street Fighter X Tekken combo exhibition
There are a lot of rules that apply to fighting games as a genre, chief among them being that no matter how good you get, somewhere in the world is a person that can completely destroy everything you think you are. The very fiber of your being, thrown to the four winds, never again to coalesce into the person you once were. Ennui, pure and desolate, in hadouken form. But hey, don't let that discourage you from trying! When you know the darkness is coming, you can prepare for it, which is why we recommend watching the Street Fighter X Tekken combo exhibition by DESK embedded above. Many of the techniques in this video will likely be seen online shortly after the game's launch, so study up. After all, as Mortal Kombat taught us, knowledge is power.
ViewSonic EXOdesk announced, puts Surface on notice
Turns out those rumblings of a ViewSonic-branded version of the EXOdesk were spot on. The company is here with a 32-inch table-sized tablet in tow. The 10-point multitouch desk running the HTML5 EXOPC interface is powered by an external PC running on a Core i7 CPU and its integrated graphics core. Otherwise, it's not too different from the 40-inch models we've already seen in action and sadly we don't have either a price or release date yet. In fact it's not even entirely clear if the desk-based interface accessory will ever come to market under the ViewSonic brand for consumers. The fine folks at ExoPC were kind enough to give us an early preview of the device which you can see here.
EXOdesk hands-on
You've seen it shown off in poorly lit YouTube clips, now see in a poorly lit hands-on video from our favorite tech blog. The fine folks at ExoPC invited us up to their suite at the Trump hotel (which, by the way, smells exactly like you'd imagine Donald Trump does) to spend some quality time with their desktop extension. The core of the system is a 37-inch 10-point multitouch screen connected to a reasonably powerful laptop. But it's the software that's the real star. The tabletop computer is running the company's custom UI which is built on HTML5. Unlike other table-top computers, you're expected to use it alongside a traditional mouse and keyboard -- not in place of it. There's a dedicated EXOstore that's home to apps, also encoded in HTML5 and designed to run on any machine with ExoUI -- be it the EXOdesk, a tablet or standard desktop PC. In our short time with the desk, we were actually pretty impressed with its responsiveness and intuitiveness. As to be expected there are still a few kinks to work and some tweaking to be done -- but nothing that's an absolute deal breaker. The company plans to release a development kit sometime in the first half of the year, accompanied by developer hardware courtesy of Viewsonic. For a few more impressions check out the video and gallery below.
ExoPC's 40-inch multitouch EXOdesk is coming in 2012 for $1,299 (video)
We haven't even made it to Black Friday yet, and already we're getting a taste of the futuristic swag that'll be on display at CES in January. Over the weekend, ExoPC posted a video teasing a multitouch surface called the EXOdesk, promising more details when the show kicks off after the new year. The desk measures 40 inches (make that "40 high-definition inches") and, as you'd expect, supports a smorgasboard of multi-fingered gestures. The entire teaser lasts less than a minute, but you don't need more than a few seconds to realize this isn't the same UI we reviewed with the ExoPC Slate. So far, we noticed you can run apps at full-screen and swipe widgets to chuck 'em out of sight. You can also swipe the corner with four fingers to reveal what appears to be an RSS feed, and then swipe individual items to make them disappear. That's all we know about how it works, though the company did reveal it'll go on sale next year for $1,299 -- a fraction of the $8,400 you'll pay for the new Samsung SUR40 running Microsoft Surface. We'll be keeping an eye out for this when we stake out CES in January, but until then, we've got the teaser vid tucked after the break. [Thanks, Trevor]
Desk Pets' TankBot rolls out with Android and iOS support, is the tiny racer in your hand
Lonely and living in the city, but don't have the patience or maturity for Man's Best Friend? Well, you could always take a TankBot under your wing. Desk Pets' palm-sized four-wheeler first whirred into our hands earlier this year at the International Toy Fair, promising a variety of play modes and iOS control. Now, the team behind the roving gizmo has finally released it to retailers' shelves, tacking on a $25 price tag and adding Android compatibility. The mini-bot operates in a trio of configurations: an autonomous mode that makes use of its infrared sensors to navigate obstacles, a free-roaming option that'll have it wandering aimlessly and, most importantly, a free mobile app that puts dual joystick control on your Apple device's screen or universal remote (connected via headphone jack) for steering on an Android phone. Don't expect to squeeze hours of fun out of this little tchotchke, though, as its retractable USB port only gets you about 15 minutes of gee whizzery. Skip past the break to watch a video demo of the lil' guy en vivo.
The Elliptical Machine Office Desk: putting the 'commute' back in 'telecommuting'
Quite frankly, you've got it just a bit too easy. You rise 98 seconds before you're scheduled to clock in, you mash a power button, and suddenly, you're at work. PJs still caked to your legs, mouth still steaming from a lack of brushing. You're a telecommuter, and you're the envy of the working world. In fact, it'd be just stellar if you'd do us all a solid and add a sliver of complexity to your workday -- you know, like swapping out your OfficeMax special for an elliptical machine. And maybe, just maybe, you can convert your laptop into one that's pedal-powered, forcing you to keep churning for fear of dropping from the virtual office. And no, you can't ask for donations to cover the $8,000 price tag -- your fuel savings from last week alone should just about cover it. Harrumph.
Logitech's Touch Lapdesk holds your notebook, provides a pull-out multitouch surface
After relieving our wrists, buffeting our ears and cooling our notebook down, there was only one likely way for Logitech would update its Lapdock lineup -- add a finger-friendly digitizer to the equation. Yes, the Touch Lapdesk N600 we saw at the FCC in April has become a reality today, and it's actually a pretty simple slab of plastic all told. The hollow, fairly cheap-feeling frame houses a slide-out surface with a nice big three-finger multitouch panel measuring five inches across, a pair of giant left and right mouse buttons, and some multimedia keys as well. You pop open a panel on the rear of the unit to insert 4 AA batteries good for up to six months of use, pull out Logitech's tiny Unifying Receiver, insert it into your laptop, power on the desk, and you're good to go. Unlike its immediate predecessors, however, there's no fan or speakers to be had here -- just the extra input scheme -- for those who prefer gestures to lugging around a good old-fashioned mouse. Yours for $70 later this month, wherever such things are sold. PR after the break. %Gallery-125754%
Dutchman integrates a 4.5GHz water-cooled rig into his d3sk
Cooler Master's 2011 Case Mod Competition looks to be the gift that keeps on giving. After serving up a Tron lightcycle and an architectural marvel, it's now playing host to a mod that redefines the idea of an all-in-one PC. Peter from the Netherlands has managed to fit a pretty bombastic set of components -- 4.5GHz Core i7-980X, two ASUS GeForce GTX 580 graphics cards in SLI, over 12TB of storage with an SSD boot disk, and two PSUs providing 1,500W of power in total -- together with a water-cooling setup and the inevitable glowing lights inside one enclosure, which just so happens to also serve as his desk. The three-piece monitor setup is also a custom arrangement, with a 27-inch U2711 IPS panel being flanked by two 17-inchers. Admittedly, this isn't the first water-cooled and over-powered desk we've laid eyes on, but that shouldn't prevent you from giving the links below a bash and checking out the amazingly neat design of Peter's l3p d3sk.
Desk Pets TankBot hands-on (video)
Although we've only gotten a glimpse of a TankBot as a render, we were more than interested to see this robot toy doing its thing in the real world. We spotted these tiny desk pals at the International Toy Fair and got to take a look at some working prototypes. As we reported earlier, the TankBots have three functioning modes -- autonomous, maze solving and iOS controlled. The bots feature LED eyes and two infrared transmitters -- that's how it solves the mazes. Charging is done by plugging in the USB dongle found on the rear of the tank and you'll get 15 minutes of battery life after a 30 minute charge. And if you're wondering how your iOS device will play with the TankBots, a free app will be available to download and each toy will come bundled with an infrared dongle. You can grab TankBots from stores for 20 bucks come June. Head past the break to see some cute, yet impressive maze-solving in action. %Gallery-116612%
Thanko's monitor hub takes all your desk clutter and hangs it from your LCD
Your desk is a mess. Didn't your mother teach you anything? I mean, really, wouldn't that pen be better off in a drawer or something instead of tossed haphazardly behind your keyboard? And how long are you going to keep those empty soda bottles there? Maybe you should organize yourself a little, and maybe Thanko can help with its LCD monitor hub. It attaches to the sides and bottom of your LCD, giving you a four-port USB replicator below to help reduce cable-clutter and a series of tilt-out drawers on either side of your display where you can stuff the pens, pencils, cables, candies, thumb drives, screwdrivers, utility knives, digital cameras, toy cars, Gorillapods, memory cards, stickers, scissors, headphones, Wiimote wrists straps, and everything else that might not otherwise have a home. Or maybe that's our desks and we're just projecting.
BendDesk: the curved multitouch workspace of the future (video)
The Media Computing Group -- otherwise known as the dudes and dudettes responsible for making multitouch hip again -- is back, and some might say better than ever. The BendDesk is an outlandish new concept workspace for the future, relying heavily on a curved multitouch display to bring the wow. The desk is the Group's vision of merging multitouch with a common physical area, and it's probably the best implementation we've seen yet. A full ten touch points are supported, but the lower portion is also designed to be used as a standard desk, holding your laptop, paperwork and ink pen collection if you so choose. Shockingly enough, the whole thing looks exceptionally ergonomic, too. Head on past the break for a glimpse of it being used, but don't hold your breath waiting for a ship date and price -- something tells us it'll be awhile before either of those are published.
La Boite Concept LD120 is the hi-fi desk your laptop's been crying out for (video)
Why more people aren't doing this kind of thing, we don't know. La Boite Concept, a French design studio with a focus on electronic acoustics, has put together the above piece of laptop-loving music furniture, dubbed the LD120. It features a total of seven drivers, including a down-firing subwoofer and a stereo pair at the rear, the latter of which is intended to bounce sound off a wall and neatly into your ear canal. You'll still only be getting 2.1 audio output at the end of it, but when it emanates from a leather-trimmed desk equipped with its own USB sound card and a cable-tidying channel in one of its legs, we're kind of willing to overlook that little detail. We only wish we could be as blasé about the price, which at €980 ($1,300) places the LD120 strictly on our "hope someone buys us one" list. [Thanks, Samiksha]%Gallery-108325%
Have some Black Walnut with your Apple Wireless Keyboard
Personally, I consider Apple's Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard to be one of the sexiest input devices around. I've even replaced my Logitech DiNovo Edge (you may recall seeing it before) with one. Now, Combine Collective has upped the ante with a peripheral for your peripheral, which -- in the right surroundings -- is guaranteed to make this classy keyboard even classier. These carved Black Walnut keyboard trays come in three flavors, each holding a different combination of wireless devices. The largest holds your Apple Wireless Keyboard, Apple Remote, and Magic Trackpad, all sheathed in smooth, dark wood. In a cubicle with bad carpet, it might stand out like an eyesore, but on the right desk... well, I probably get more excited than I should about interior decoration. Still, I want one. The prices are probably what you'd expect for executive-office-looking wares: US$69 for the small (Wireless Keyboard only), $74 for the medium (keyboard and Magic Trackpad), and $79 for the aforementioned large version. Feeling extravagant? Wander on over to the Combine Collective site.
Seagate busts out 3TB external hard drive for $250
Yeah, you heard that right. As of today, those among us who value quantity over speed in our storage can buy a whole trifecta of terabytes in one solitary package. Seagate has just unveiled the FreeAgent GoFlex Desk (did they have the teenage intern name this thing?), which is the first 3.5-inch drive to store quite so much data. It also comes with a USB 2.0 adapter that can be upgraded to USB 3.0 or Firewire 800, depending on your preference (and cash reserves). Priced at $250, this record-busting storage hub is available to buy today direct from Seagate. Full PR after the break.
Resource Furniture makes Ikea designs look unwieldy (video)
Sometimes a so-called "revolution" really can be revolutionary. New-York-based Resource Furniture specializes in highly engineered space-saving furniture from Clei (and others) that really is extraordinary in its design and ease of operation. Something that's particularly important if you or your family is stuffed into a tiny, big-city apartment. The lifetime warranty is just a bonus. So sit back, slip off your trousers, and prepare to be amazed at each step along the six-and-a-half-minute video overview found after the break.
Case Study: Standing at your Mac to save your back
BusinessWeek is worried that Your Office Chair Is Killing You. "Short of sitting on a spike, you can't do much worse than a standard office chair," says Galen Cranz, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley. This article caught my eye because just about a month ago, I bought this standing desk from Amazon.com. I had been in the market for one for a long time but had held off because they are usually ridiculously expensive. At the time, that desk cost me $96 ($86 + $10 shipping, all prices USD); it may have been a pricing error because that same desk today is selling for $277 + $7.50 shipping or you can buy a pack of two for $723 + $73 shipping! (Like I said, it's ridiculous.) Reading up on others around the web using various different desks, it is not unusual to see people spending over $1000 for a "standing desk," especially custom made. You can spend much, much more. I'm not trying to sell you on this particular desk, but to answer the question that everyone seems to ask me when they see it: "How well does it work? Aren't you tired of standing all of the time?" Read on for more...
Video: iropod turns your desk into a big-ass mobile computer
Look, we like the idea of an ergonomic workstation with a VESA monitor mount. Integrate a slip-in laptop dock and we might even be tempted to reach for our credit cards. But designer Rad Iliuta seems to have built the computer right into the chassis of the iropod (Interactive Robotic Pod) while fitting it with a battery "as powerful as a car battery" offering a claimed 24-hours of freedom... you know, when you want to pack this into your backpack or take it into the woods. It's said to be launching in the 3rd quarter of this year which by our count gives them until September to get this thing priced and rolled out the door, literally. However, without a single PC spec listed on its website of dubious design we have our doubts about that time schedule. Insane or insanely awesome, let Rad know your thoughts in the comments below. Quickie video after the break.
