Gillian Shaw
Sun
AiGuru SV1 videophone, Asus
ThinkPad X200 Tablet with Multi-Touch Screen, Lenovo
PC TrickleSaver, Tricklestar
1. AiGuru SV1 videophone, Asus, $300
For Skype talkers, a Skype-certified stand-alone videophone, billed as a world’s first. No computer, no additional hardware or software, just plug in and dial. It has a seven-inch (17.8-cm) 800-by-480 pixels LCD screen, with a built-in camera and speaker and microphone. Works on 802.11b/g WiFi, or plug in an Ethernet cable. A battery in case the power goes out gives a talk time of 20 minutes, and standby of 30 minutes. In Canada, the new videophone is slated to be available through www.ncix.com and www.canadacomputers.com. For more, check the Asus website at www.asus.com.
2. Skype for iPhone, Skype, free
While we’re on the topic of low-cost/no-cost long-distance calls, there is good news for Canadians who can now get the Skype application on their iPhones. (There was a workaround that let you pick it up from the U.S. offering, but strictly speaking, here in Canada, we weren’t allowed to download that Skype for our iPhones.) While this is old news for callers in other parts of the world, for Canadians this means free Skype-to-Skype calls on your iPhone — when you’re on Wi-Fi — to other Skype users in the world. You can also call landline or mobile phones and pay Skype rates. Call forwarding, voicemail retrieval, and low-cost SMS messaging are some of the other perks, plus you can see when your Skype pals are online and ready to chat or instant message. The application is free, check Skype rates for your calling needs. www.itunes.com/appstore.
3. ThinkPad X200 Tablet with Multi-Touch Screen, Lenovo, from $2,059
Touch is taking over from typing for a lot of computing tasks, and Lenovo’s latest offerings in multi-touch screen technology — the ThinkPad X200 Table and its sibling the T400 laptop. The X200 also has a useful option for workers who need to use their tablets outside — a super-bright outdoor screen. Plus, for mobile workers, the optional eight-cell battery offers up to 10 hours on a charge, depending on your use. www.lenovo.com.
4. PC TrickleSaver, Tricklestar, $25 US
Trickle, trickle little star, how I wonder how much power is being wasted with my PC. Tricklestar has come up with a little accessory that helps cut down on power that trickles out through the peripherals you have connected to your PC or Mac while the computer is shut down. The device senses when your computer is off and switches off all the peripherals. When you turn it on, it switches them back on. A tiny green step. www.tricklestar.com.
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