Next Generation Sony Memory Stick Potentially Integrated with TransferJet Technology

We mentioned about TransferJet technology since early last year and if you wonder what kind of Sony products will have this technology integrated in, the recent FCC filed by the Japanese company may able to give you some hint. Just recently, Sony submitted a FCC application
for its Sony Memory Stick Duo, MS-JX8G and as you may aware, FCC is only required for those products that occupy certain radio spectrum for data transmission and that is a bit weird for this new submission unless there are wireless technology being designed into it.



Further checking on the FCC filing disclosed that the module will be run and tested on 4480MHz frequency band. If you recall, TransferJet occupies this spectrum span (but not any other 802.11a/b/g or even Bluetooth) and it is quite firm that the next generation Memory Stick Duo card may have the technology embedded into it. If this is true, it also means that users will be able to transform a normal mobile phone into a NFC (Near Field Communication) capable device easily by just plugging in the memory module. Although TransferJet is only meant for very short effective range around 1.25-inch, but with its high bandwidth of 560Mbps peak transfer and relatively lower power consumption as compared to other wireless technology, it could potentially become one of the prominent technologies especially on portable devices where battery life is one of the main concerns.

No information on availability yet, we can expect some NFC based module to be integrated directly into end consumer products, with this next generation memory card filling up the gap with simple plug and play capability to turn conventional mobile devices into it.


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Eneloop Stick Booster for Emergency Charging

Looking for a charger and power socket to recharge the mobile phone is quite common for mobile phone users particularly busy businessmen who always spend a lot of time on their phones. Instead of seeking high and low for a place to charge your communication device, Sanyo’s new Eneloop Stick Booster could be a good idea to have mobile phones as well as other mobile devices such as personal audio devices, portable game units, etc recharged instantly.




As the name implies, Sanyo’s Eneloop Stick Booster is an aluminium stick-type portable charger that can be used to charge mobile devices. Unlike other regular emergency chargers powered by dry cells which can only charge certain phones that do not need high current for charging, this Eneloop Stick Booster sticky charger is able to provide a steady charge to devices that need high current such as Apple iPhone via USB connection. The Eneloop Stick Booster is powered by two AA-sized ‘eneloop’ batteries which come along with the product. The batteries are rechargeable up to 1,500 times via any USB source. This handy stick charger measures about 18mm (diameter) x 148mm (length) and weighs around 76g (including batteries); it can be easily carried around for any emergency use.

The Eneloop Stick Booster will be released in 1 December in Japan. Perhaps it will be a nice Christmas gift for your busy and absent minded boss or family members who always forget to charge their phones.

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Livescribe Upgrades Pulse Smartpen to 4GB for Notes Taking and Audio Recording Electronically

Previously we mentioned about Livescribe’s Pulse Smartpen which appears to be your good companion when trying to jot down lecturer’s notes electronically, now seems that the company has continued to upgrade its product line to include a much higher memory capacity up to 4GB.


Similar to its predecessor, the new model is equipped with an ARM9 processor which can help users to recognize handwriting and able to record audio intelligently. Further enhanced with a titanium stylish outlook, the 4GB model allows a much longer audio recording time up to 400 hours, doubling what can be achieved by its previous version. To make it more powerful, it even takes into consideration so that there are plenty of leftover space for apps installed through Livescribe Application Store that will be available soon.

The new 4GB package will be retailed at $200 which is about the same price when it was launched since early last year for 2GB model and good news is, the 2GB model’s pricing has been slashed to $170 to give way to this newly released 4GB model. In conjunction with the release, Livescribe is offering its customers with a Pro-Pack package that includes a 4GB new pulse smartpen, an A5 sized notepad, leather carrying case, a charging cradle as well as the proprietary handwriting to text conversion software at an affordable price of $250.

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OWC On-The-Go Pro 750GB Hard Disk With FireWire 800/400 and USB Ports

With the current technology shift, it is always good idea to integrate few different interface standards so that you don’t have to worry about the incompatibility of one device when connected to other host system in short future. Similar to the new portable hard disk drive announced by OWC, dubbed as On-The-Go Pro series, it is equipped with three connectivity options that offer FireWire 800, FireWire 400 as well as commonly available USB 2.0 host port for easy data backup regardless of what computer system you are having.


The new OWC On-The-Go Pro series will come with 750GB memory capacity which can be easily larger than any of the internal memory in most of the PC systems for storage expansion. Some of the basic specifications include maximum of 5200-RPM that can boost up the read/write performance to 100MBps for faster data transfer and backup. Not to limit by the system interface either in terms of hardware compatibility and available bandwidth for data transmission, users can optionally choose to connect to different protocols such as FireWire 800/400 or USB 2.0 interfaces. Internally, the FireWire uses Oxford controller whereas the USB 2.0 model is based on JMicron controller.

The hard disk drive will be bundled with carrying case, cables and necessary software utility such as ProSoft Engineering Data Backup 3, Intech SpeedTools Utilities, Carbon Copy Cloner and etc to ease up the synchronization and backup tasks while on the move. With a standard of three year warranty provided, the triple interface FireWire 800/400/USB2.0 model will be priced at $270,followed by FireWire 400/USB 2.0 model at $250 and the cheapest USB 2.0-only model at $230.

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New Plantronics Discovery 975 with Gel Ear Tips, Dual-Mic AudioIQ2 Noise-Canceling And WindSmart Features

One of the worldwide market leaders in lightweight headsets, Plantronics has debuted its new Plantronics Discovery 975 Bluetooth heaset, which combines patented gel ear tips, dual-mic AudioIQ² and WindSmart technologies in a single device, aiming to ensure your conversations clear and your voice sounding natural, even in harsh conditions.



Main Features Of Plantronics Discovery 975:

* Dual-mic AudioIQ2 noise-canceling technology simultaneously captures users’ voice and cancels unwanted background noise for superb call clarity
* WindSmart technology provides 3 layers of protection against unwanted wind noise
* Compatible with most Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones thanks to QuickPair technology
* Supremely comfortable patented gel ear tips offering a secure and comfortable fit
* Striking, minimalist design offers simplicity of one-touch controls
* Includes n ingenious carrying case with an easy-to-read LCD to show the battery and earpiece levels, recharging the headset and tripling talk and standby time
* Talk time: Up to five hours ; Standby time: Up to one week

The new elegance Plantronics Discovery 975 Bluetooth headset that comes with a rechargeable carrying case, case strap, AC Charger and 3 gel eartips (Small, Medium and Large) is now available for about $130.

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New Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones

The well-known audio company, Bose Corporation has launched its latest QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones (successor to Bose QuietComfort 2), which the company claims as its best-performing, quietest headphones ever, featuring a new mechanical design, proprietary ear cushion technology for additional passive attenuation, and active equalization technology that electronically tunes the frequency response of the headphones.


“We believe the QuietComfort 15 headphones offer a combination of benefits unmatched in the industry,” said Sean Garrett, general manager for Bose Noise Reduction Technology Group. “We’ve applied our research in noise reduction using an integrated systems approach -– an approach as proprietary as our technologies. It requires meticulous engineering to ensure all elements of the headphone work together to achieve our very ambitious performance requirements.”

The new Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones that powered by a single AAA battery
(supports up to 35 hours of use) are now available for around $300.

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