Awesome Gadgets

Microsoft updates its LifeCam line with a trio of 720p HD AF webcams; the HD-5000 and 5001 are designed for the desktop, while the HD-6000 adds 360° rotation for notebooks.

Astro Gaming’s A30 Headset targets home gamers at $50 less than the A40; it features supra-aural on-ear cushions, closed back construction, a left-side only mic, and three QD cables.

Digital Storm’s Black|OPS PC now packs Intel’s first hexa-core consumer CPU, the Core i7-980X, but that’s not the big news; their TwisterBoost OC package boosts it to a blistering 4.4GHz.

It’s not the first clip-on USB hub from Brando we’ve featured, but their new Combo Hub not only increases the total USB 2.0 ports to five but lets them swivel; also: a 4-slot card reader.

Available 4/2010: Sony’s MDR-RF4000K is a digital cordless headphone with circum-aural cushions and 40mm long-stroke diaphragm; it’ll last up to 7 hours and includes a charging dock.

Save space without giving up power with AeroCool’s Qx-2000; the double-deck case has space for 300mm video cards, letting you isolate hot components from the rest of your system.

Never be without a Rock, Paper, Scissors sparring buddy again with Steve Hoefer’s Playing Glove: this arduino gadget will not only play against you, but learns from your moves.

Never worry about powering your collection of R2D2 Humidifiers, IR Helicopters, and Lightsaber Lamps again: the Super 16 Port Hub features 16 USB 2.0 ports and a 22.5W PSU.

Cellphones have made watches redundant, but Celsius X VI II’s phone is more for telling time than making calls: made with 547 mechanical parts, it features a tourbillon in its hinge.

Pioneer’s DJM-2000 is a professional mixer with an industry-first 5.8″ color multi-touch screen which allows for virtual assignable triggers and faders; it’ll be available for $3k June 2010.

Apple geeks can geek-out with their axe courtesy Paul Reed Smith’s GuitarBud: it’s a cable system w/iPhone app that lets you connect your iPhone and headphones to your electric guitar.

Casio’s rugged/hip G’zOne series gets an upgrade with the Brigade; it features a full QWERTY, 3.2MP AF camera w/video, EV-DO Rev.A, Mil-Spec 810F, and dual OLED/WQVGA screens.

Sony finally sets things in motion with the PlayStation Move; part Wiimote, part lollipop, it uses the PS Eye to track the controller; also included is a secondary controller with analog stick.

Networking through your home’s electrical wiring isn’t new, but brite-View’s LinkE ups the ante (and the power) with a 200 Mbps adapter that offers a whopping 4 ethernet ports.

If your desktop case is on its last legs, get four more with Lian Li’s creepy PC-T1R Spider Case: it houses an mATX mainboard, drives, and PSU in its head/thorax and abdomen.

Elgato’s EyeTV Hybrid USB tuner slims down and adds Windows 7 compatibility; it allows you to watch HDTV, Clear QAM and analog cable TV and includes DVR software.

Available 5/10 in Japan and the US thereafter, Pentax’s long-awaited 645D is a digital medium-format cmaera with a 40 MP sensor, weatherproof body, 3″ LCD, and SD/SDHC slots.

It’s no M6500, but Dell’s Precision M4500 packs a lot into a 15.6″ form factor with a 1GB Quadro FX 1800M or 880M, Core i5/i7 CPU, 3 MP camera, backlit keyboard, and Gobi 2.0.

Samsung teams up with Barnes & Noble for the E6, its first eReader for the US market; it features a 6″ display, built-in MP3 player, text-to-speech, Wi-fi, Bluetooth, and 2GB of internal memory.

Dell’s Vostro may be targeted at small businesses, but the 3000 series will rope in a few consumers too; it sports sleek aluminum-class chassis, Core i5/i7 CPUs, and 13″-17″ screens.

He may have had a bad motivator, but Luke hit the jackpot with Artoo: this R2-D2 USB Humidifier also doubles as a moisture vaporator, perfect for dry desert planets far, far, away.

Daniel Valdez’s Steampunk Professor X. Wheelchair is epic: made with a 150 year-old rocking chair, it’s powered with Arduino/Adafruit and has chilled vodka and cranberry juice on tap.

This Hard Drive LED clock replaces tick-tock with click-clack, but man is it beautiful: carefully timed light strobes shine through 10 digits cut through a hard drive platter spinning at 30 rpm.