Hovercam X500 USB "Camscanner" is Ready for Business
Overhead projectors were a great idea, and there are tons of twenty year old ones still being lugged around middle schools that are dying to be replaced. The HoverCam X500 is here to oblige with a very modern makeover on the old monster cart machine. The X500 USB imaging device has a 5 megapixel sensor mounted on a swing arm that can either scan and recognize or monitor and project anything happening on a desk or surface under the camera. As a scanner, the HoverCam performs as a 600dpi equivalent scanner. Scans are snapped as photos would be, in an instant. No more waiting for the slow trudging of the scan sensor to run up and down the page. The USB webcam function is pretty straight forward though. It's designed with a flexible neck so that it can be aimed at any subject and broadcast straight to the web. It also has a built in microphone with the camera all driverless via USB. The only thing it seems to be missing is some LEDs to assist in lighting.
The free software that is included with the X500 is called HoverCam Flex. The Flex is not surprisingly built on the Adobe Air platform, and is a desktop based application that connects directly to their web services. Images can be uploaded, saved, published, shared and OCR'd with a quick drag and drop. The HoverCam Flex service also provides quick integration with other cloud services like Google OCR, Picassa, DropBox and e-Fax. The benefits of the software alone might be worth the $199 asking price of the HoverCam X500. It's available now through their website and Amazon storefront. Video demo after the jump.
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R2-D2 USB Humidifier Clears Out Sinuses While Repairing your X-Wing
We've all wanted our own little astro-mech droid, now's your change to have one and maybe improve your complexion at the same time. Thinkgeek's latest geek toy is a hot little number that will steam up your cubicle but not in a NSFW way. The R2-D2 USB Humidifier is ready to humidify your local area network and to make it a little easier to breathe. Add about a cup of water, and R2 will aerosolize it into an ultra-fine mist that should give you a rain-forest style humidity in a very localized area. There are cuter ways to fog up your glasses, but nothing beats a Trilogy reference.
While this guy seems nearly useless, it's also quite dangerous. There's not a whole lot of good combinations of electricity and water. So, unless you're looking for a Darwin Award, use caution when running this little guy. C3PO is not going to come around to clean this up and your boss may go all Darth on you if you ruin your computer. True fan-boys can pick up the R2-D2 USB Humidifier for $19.99 now.
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MagicJack Gets SLAPPed Down for Bully Lawsuit Tactics
Well, we had high hopes for this product, but it seems that their early success may have gone to their heads. In what has to be one of the best examples of how not to influence the media, MagicJack, makers of a home friendly internet phone service. MagicJack is a USB device that lets you plug a home phone into your PC, and have a phone number that travels with your device. We'd heard good things about them but fellow news site, BoingBoing, got some details about MagicJack that weren't so complimentary. MagicJack took offense to the details that were published and promptly hit the tabloid with a lawsuit.
BoingBoing didn't back down, and pushed back on the lawsuit. California has some progressive laws protecting against bogus lawsuits called SLAPP lawsuits (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation). BoingBoing's lawyers had the lawsuit thrown out, and MagicJack even had to pay a hefty sum to cover their legal fees. Mark one down for the little guys. Let's hope MagicJack puts money into fixing the details instead of covering them up with legal scare tactics.
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BearExtender n3 USB 802.11n Booster, Exclusively for Macs
Dissatisfied with the range of your Macs' WiFi? BearExtender has a solution exclusively for Apple fanboys. The n3 that can easily be mistaken for a USB 3G modem is a USB-based WiFi (802.11n 2.4Ghz) adapter which promises to boost your wireless range by tenfold. As soon as you plug the n3 to a Mac's USB port, the 700mW-output WiFi card coupled with an external 2dBi kicks in to do its job. This output level compares favorably to the 32mW from built-in WiFi component.
Tests revealed that one could effectively double the distance between an Apple AirPort Extreme router and the n3-upgraded notebook. As the USB booster itself is also 802.11n complaint, it can kill two birds with one stone, offering greater wireless range as well as faster transfer speeds for Macs with just 802.11b/g. Last but not least is the nifty USB Metal Flex cable bundled in the package. You can pair it with BearExtender n3 to fix the position of the oversized dongle in any direction. Though for most Mac laptop users, it's probably better if the USB booster is clipped to the lid. For $44, the n3 might breathe life into aging iMac and Mac mini.
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