twist
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Todoist team offers a less distracting take on Slack
Slack's team chat can be extremely helpful for coordinating with your coworkers, but it can also be supremely distracting. Do you really need a constant stream of alerts and unrelated funny GIFs when you're trying to get work done... or avoiding work on vacation? Doist (the team behind Todoist) doesn't believe so. Its newly launched Twist service is designed to offer collaboration without the endless pings and digressions of competitors like Slack. Rather than rely on real-time chat, it focuses on specific topics and otherwise does whatever it can to respect your free time. In a sense, it's a smarter alternative to email.
Here's an all-in-one travel adapter for your MacBook charger
Road warriors who carry a MacBook may already have Apple's world travel adapter kit, or even Twelve South's PlugBug for that extra USB port; but both products require swapping plugs for different regions. Konnext's OneAdapter Twist, however, caters to the slightly lazier travelers: It's essentially a chunky all-in-one travel adapter that sits atop any MacBook charger, though it also works just fine by itself. To switch plugs, simply twist the ring in the middle until it clicks. There's also a 2.4A USB socket (PlugBug's is only 2.1A), and if you need more, you can slot an optional three-socket USB hub in between. The OneAdapter Twist won't be launching until June for around $29 to $39, but for now, we have a quick demo video of a prototype after the break.
Lenovo ThinkPad Twist review: an old form factor gets new life with Windows 8
It used to be that "convertible PC" could mean only one thing: a laptop whose display swiveled around, folding down into tablet mode. Now that Windows 8 is here, though, the category has become a bit muddied. How else to describe our recent collection of reviews? In just the past few weeks alone, we've tested a laptop whose screen folds all the way back, an Ultrabook whose display flips inside the hinge and yet another with a slide-out keyboard. Anything goes -- at least until consumers decide which form factor they like best. But when Lenovo calls its new ThinkPad Twist a convertible, you can rest assured it's using the old-school definition. As the name implies, it has a rotating screen that allows it to be used as a 12-inch slate. And, like all the business-friendly ThinkPads that came before it, it sports a well-engineered keyboard, a secondary set of touch buttons and, of course, that signature red pointing stick. Now, though, it runs a much more finger-friendly OS, and has a touchpad that can support all the new gestures in Windows 8. It's one of several new touch-capable notebooks from Lenovo, but it's the only one geared toward business users. So is this worth the upgrade from an older ThinkPad? And is it a better buy than Lenovo's other Win 8 convertible, the IdeaPad Yoga 13? Read on to find out.%Gallery-171580%
Lenovo announces ThinkPad Edge Twist, a business-oriented convertible coming this month for $849
Lenovo was first out of the gate with a form-shifting Windows 8 machine when it unveiled the IdeaPad Yoga at CES. Now the company's back with a convertible for its business customers, the ThinkPad Edge Twist. In many ways, it's a convertible in the most conventional sense of the word: unlike the Yoga, whose screen folds all the way back, the Twist has a 12.5-inch display that can swivel all the way around and fold down into tablet mode. As a member of the Edge family, in particular, it blends design elements from Lenovo's business and consumer lines, with metal accents, rounded edges, an island-style keyboard, a magnesium frame and, of course, that signature soft-touch finish. Stealing the show is that 12.5-inch, 350-nit, Gorilla Glass-coated display, which uses IPS technology for wider angles. On the inside, the Twist runs your choice of a Core i5 or i7 processor, with up to 8GB of RAM and either a 128GB SSD or a 7,200RPM hard drive (320GB or 500GB). Battery life, meanwhile, is rated at up to seven hours. At 3.48 pounds, it's heavier than some larger-screened Ultrabooks, but at least that 0.79-inch frame makes room for a full-sized Ethernet jack. (It also has a memory card reader, two USB 3.0 ports, mini-HDMI output and a mini-DisplayPort.) As for business-friendly features, the laptop offers TPM and can be configured with an optional 3G radio. Look for it on October 26th, starting at $849. Until then, enjoy those hands-on shots below.
Black and Decker screwdriver senses your hand movement to adjust speed, direction (video)
Were you feeling the need for new tech to replace the switches that control direction and speed on your cordless screwdriver? Us neither, but we're not the braintrust at Black & Decker, which just launched the Gyro 4V Max, the "world's first motion-activated screwdriver." The company put an InvenSense MEMS gyroscope in the new model, so all you have to do to change the direction or speed is rotate your drilling hand one way or the other in varying amounts. After you've polished off that Ikea shelf, it should be ready the next time you haul it out of the toolbox, with a Lithium-ion battery that stays juiced for as long as 18 months. Judging by the video below the break, it actually looks pretty clever, and at $40, why not start dragging your tools out of the stone age?
DXG gets vivacious with 1080p Twist and Luxe pocket camcorders
Surely you made a New Year's resolution, right? Right. What better way to keep tabs on yourself than to nab a new pocket camcorder? DXG has just unveiled a new duo of handheld video cameras, so we won't waste any time getting down to the nitty-gritty. The aptly-named Twist looks an awful lot like LG's now-ancient VX9400 (or pretty much any phone with embedded mobile TV support), boasting a 3.5-inch widescreen swivel display and the ability to capture footage in 720p / 1080p at 30 frames per second. It's also equipped with HDMI and USB 2.0 outputs, an SDHC card slot and a rechargeable Li-ion battery. It'll be available around a month from now in pistol-grip (1080p and 720p) and traditional football grip (720p) variations, with a price point sitting at $169.99. If that's a little too Plain Jane for ya, the 2011 Luxe Collection is bound to provide the sprucing you're after. Available in a half-dozen patterns, this pocket camcorder offers a 3-inch touchscreen, a 1080p capture mode and a one-inch thick chassis. Naturally, HDMI and USB 2.0 ports are included, but before dropping your $149.99 to $199.99, we'd recommend thinking long and hard about what hue fits your personality best. Are you more of Maui hibiscus guy, or a Riviera quilted dude? Decisions, decisions. %Gallery-112241%
Verizon Razzle starts twisting on October 6
Call it a cool idea, call it ridiculous, call it a one-off novelty -- whatever the case, Verizon's unique Razzle will be hitting stores next week. The PCD-sourced handset is Verizon's branded version of the TXT8030 and features a totally unique twisting bottom half with stereo speakers and music controls on one side and a full QWERTY keyboard on the other. This is a truly low-end handset on account of its 1.3 megapixel camera and forgettable 2.2-inch display, but on the plus side, it's got microSD expansion and GPS -- and there's the nice little bit about the price, too, which comes in at $69.99 on contract. It'll be available to order from Verizon's web store starting the 6th, while brick-and-mortar locations pick it up "later this month."
Nokia Twist for Verizon hands-on
We've got to give Nokia credit: they managed, against all odds, to come up with a truly unique form factor in creating the Twist for Verizon -- a combination of shape, design, and mechanism that had never quite been seen before. Thing is, it's the year 2009 and virtually every legitimate form factor has been explored, so how'd they pull that off? In a word, the Twist is... well, weird. A perfect square that swivels 90 degrees on a chrome ring with multicolored lights isn't the most obvious way to put a phone together, but the old adage of "different strokes for different folks" definitely applies here. Follow the break to find out why. %Gallery-73609%
Nokia Twist given a proper photo shoot, priced $100 for Verizon
Not that there was any doubt, but Nokia's gone official with its Verizon-bound 7705 Twist, just shy of one month after its KIRF counterpart hit the market. Espoo's released a handful of glamor shots to celebrate, and although the hardware is still crazy enough to thoroughly pique our interests, all the airbrushing in the world won't break that UI from its "mid-nineties dumbphone" shackles. Price is less than what we previously heard, $99.99 with two-year contract thanks to a $50 mail-in rebate.
Nokia Twist launching on Verizon starting September 13
The Keepin' It Real Fake industry has become so good, so fast, so well-tuned to market trends that we knew it was just a matter of time before it'd be consistently beating the real phones to market. What we didn't expect, necessarily, was for Nokia to start making its own fakes. We can't tell what's going on exactly, but it appears that the twisty E81 that we saw a while back could've very well been a genuine article -- either that, or it was scooped up well ahead of release in China and cloned ages before Nokia had intended the phone to be announced. Anyhow, this thing is launching as the Twist for Nokia, the bizarre swivel phone that's been rumored for a while now. Alongside the Surge, the Twist proves that Espoo's committed to releasing totally customized gear for US carriers, and we'll be especially curious to see how well the swivel works in practice here. It'll run $149.99 on a two-year deal before rebate, featuring a 3 megapixel autofocus cam with flash, full HTML browser, so-called "Habitat Mode" (like the Intrigue before it), EV-DO Rev. 0, and a full QWERTY keyboard that swivels away to turn the phone into a near-perfect square. It also features replaceable faceplates and is said to have some sort of lighting arrangement around the swivel ring that's user-customizable -- perfect for your next fog-filled rave. The interwebs and "select NYC locations" all get it on September 13 with everyone else following on come the 21st, so go ahead and make some square-shaped room in your pocket right now, why don't you?
Storm 2, Motorola Sholes, Nokia Twist dated for Verizon, according to leaked doc
We've heard about a good number of these phones were bound for Verizon Wireless already, but if this leaked doc via Boy Genius Report is to be believed, we now have a much better idea when they should be within reach of consumer hands. First up is Samsung Rogue for sometime this month (we previously heard today, but that's looking very doubtful at this point) for an estimated $370 subsidized. Next on the calendar is the "female centric" Nokia Twist 7705 in late September for $230, which more likely than not is the swiveling device we've seen on two prior occasions. Also due out next month is the Samsung Intensity for $130 (screenshot after the break). LG Chocolate Touch was rumored by Best Buy for today, but here it's listed for an October debut, along with Storm 2, a "low cost QWERTY" HTC Razzle / Blitz 2 (XV6175, perhaps?), and the Motorola Sholes "Google Phone," red D-pad likely in tow, all with TBD price tags. Rounding out the list in late November is the BlackBerry Curve 2, which we wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be the 8530. The first one expected for public is the Rogue, replacing the Alias 2 that just launched back in May. What gives Verizon, no love for e-ink textpads?
Has your Palm Pre learned to do the twist?
No, that's not a Blurrycam shot of a rumored Palm Pre follow-up with a rotating screen. It's actually one of the more extreme cases of the Palm Pre "twisting" right out of its shell, which, as far as we can tell, still seems to be a fairly rare occurrence. This particular Pre belongs to one Royer, who was apparently able to get it replaced without too much hassle, but other folks are also reporting some slight screen wobble, and even a few cracks appearing here and there. Somewhat interestingly, Royer says that the Sprint repair center he went to said they're not allowed to try to fix the Palm Pre, and are instead instructed to simply exchange it for a new one. So, has your Palm Pre learned any new moves it shouldn't have? Let us know in comments.[Via Engadget Chinese]
mypressi TWIST gives espresso addicts an easier way to indulge
You know the story -- your daily craving for a shot of espresso hits right around 7:30AM local time, and if you don't have it in your grasp by 0800 hours, you're likely visiting the slammer for at least a day or two for barista battery. In a beautiful effort to keep addicts far away from prisons and ever closer to their productivity machines, Espressi has unveiled the mypressi TWIST, which is described as a truly portable espresso maker that delivers top-notch goods without the wait. The secret to the one-pound device is the pneumatic engine that provides constant pressure throughout the extraction cycle, and we're told that a single CO2 cartridge can provide around eight shots. It'll hit American shores this fall for $129 -- 'til then, it's on you to keep a local shop on retainer.[Via Single Serve Expresso]
Conceptual baton phone does the twist
The tried-and-true Hamburger phone is still our fav (what, there a problem with that?), but Marc Schömann's baton-styled concept phone is very worthy of a look. Laden with LEDs and ready to be turned, users can dial up friends and family in painstakingly long procedures that involve all sorts of inefficient rotating maneuvers. Still, we can't help but adore the hat tip to yesteryear's rotary phones, though we have no doubts that this will never, ever see a retail shelf. Please, someone, prove us wrong.[Via PhoneMag]
All the World's a Stage: How roleplaying a Death Knight will be different
When you decide to roleplay, a whole new world of imagination opens up to you -- soon you realize that all the world's a stage, even if just an electronic one.We don't know a whole lot about death knights in WoW yet, but what we do know is already enough to show that death knights are the class with the most background story already laid out for them ahead of time: The death knights we will be able to play are former servants of the Lich King who have now turned against him and joined the Alliance or the Horde instead. This background story is built into the class -- something each and every death knight roleplayer will have to take into account when they roleplay their character, and it will have ramifications upon everyone else in the entire global society of Azeroth as well.Some other classes have a great depth of lore behind them as well, such as druids, paladins and shamans, who look to Malfurion, Uther, and Thrall for inspiration. These classes certainly look up to their heroes and follow in their footsteps, just as, in some ways, death knights follow in the footsteps of Arthas. And yet for other classes that has little effect on each individual's path to becoming a practitioner of his or her particular abilities. The transition from normal shmoe to level one hero is left vague for the player upon character creation, unless, as a roleplayer working on a backstory, he gives it special attention. Indeed, some classes are pretty straightforward, and don't necessarily suggest a story at all. Instead, they present us with an image, or an idea -- when you play one of the existing nine classes, you can fit right into the role without a story, because the role feels like a basic archetype you already understand.
Microsoft adds twist to handhelds with force-sensing technology
Surely you're not content with just multi-touch and built-in accelerometers, right? Microsoft Research is expecting not, as it's already working towards integrating force-sensing technology that will enable gestures to twist on-screen imagery without crafting UMPCs out of flexible material. Essentially, the gurus behind the idea feel that implementing said tech would "turn an otherwise passive component that just holds the device together into an active input surface." In the future, it's likely that auditory cues would enable users to know when they've applied enough pressure to cause a change, and of course, they expect it to work hand-in-hand with existing human-computer interfaces. Yeah, who needs keypads these days, anyway? [Warning: PDF read link][Via BBC, thanks Joe]
Stretchy silicon circuits wrap around complex shapes, like your wife
The first "completely integrated, extremely bendable circuit" was just demonstrated to the world. The team behind the research is led by John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The process bonds circuit sheets measuring just 1.5 micrometers (50 times thinner than human hair) to a piece of pre-stretched rubber. That allows the circuits to buckle like an accordion when pulled or twisted without losing their electrical properties. Unfortunately, the materials used thus far are not compatible with human tissue. In other words, no X-ray vision implant for you. X-ray contacts perhaps... quantum-computers now, please Mr. Scientists? Watch a circuit buckle in the video after the break.[Via BBC, thanks YoJIMbo]
More details on Samsung's U700, U900 for Verizon
phoneArena's scored some more details on the U700 and U900 flips from Samsung that had previously been mentioned as contributors to Verizon's rumored lineup for the remainder of the year, and at least one of the two looks from the outset like a high-end winner. First up, the U700 Gleam offers pretty much everything you'd expect from a midrange Samsung circa 2007: 2 megapixel camera, QVGA display, microSD expansion, yada yada -- plus an updated Flash-based UI. We can allegedly expect this puppy in the next month or two. Later on in the year comes the U900, heir apparent to the A990, likely making it Verizon's new king of the Samsung hill. This one rocks out with a 3 megapixel autofocus cam, stereo speakers, touch sensitive external controls, and a rotating display (it seems to us like the twist top makes this puppy perfect for VCAST TV, but there's no indication that it'll be available here) in your choice of red or black.
UTStarcom's DV007 camcorder phone
'Round these parts, UTStarcom's best known for its hodgepodge of low-end offerings and its on-again, off-again relationship with HTC. In Hong Kong, though, well... check this out. You're looking at the UTStarcom DV007, a twist flip with a penchant for video recording. It rocks out with some flavor of Linux, a 2 megapixel camera, 40MB of onboard storage, and microSD expansion. The best part though? It's in your pocket for the equivalent of $140, if you can stomach the triband GSM radio.[Via Slashphone]
Glide's Twist-Together decorative LED light cubes
We've seen instances of in-house LED lighting and decorative blocks before, but Glide Inc. is melding both worlds into a single glowing building block project with its Twist-Together devices. The blocks are LED-based to keep energy costs at a minimum, but the real fun begins when adults realize that they're really buying a set of useful LEGOs on steroids. Glide insinuates that these fixtures can be arranged in just about any combination that your brain can fathom, and can even be used as props in furniture if your mischievous kids have taken a toll on bar stool legs and bookshelf dividers. The modular lighting solution was showcased this past weekend at BKLYN Designs' annual show in New York, and while we're not sure how much these things will end up running you when they hit niche shops in the future, returning to a state of childhood innocence is simply priceless.
