Here’s a new toy we just recently got from Addlogix: the InternetVue 2020. Basically, it’s a way to stream whatever’s on your PC to your TV/projector (for presentations, watching videos, etc.). Now, this idea certainly isn’t new - we sell tons of the pc to tv converter at Sewell. What really stands out about this device is that you can connect to it remotely without any hardware on the sending side. For example, with the wireless PC to TV converter, you need a box by your PC that sends out the signal and then one by the receiver. This is a problem if you’re wanting to make a laptop acting as the video source that you want to keep portable.

The InternetVue 2020 uses a software interface to mirror your computer’s screen on the target display. This means that, provided you have the software installed, you can display the video from any computer on your network via LAN or use the player’s built in 802.11g antenna to stream over WiFi.

The downsides? Not too many. The display resolution isn’t fantastic (running it over component cabling on a high def projector, we could read text, but it certainly wasn’t very clear and not practical). It would work very well, however, for streaming videos or powerpoint presentations. I did hit a glitch with some video formats not displaying (just black on the screen). I’m assuming this is a codec issue and could probably be solved if you put more time into it than we did… but we didn’t. For example, it would play live flash-embedded videos on pages (eg. YouTube), but I couldn’t get it to play a DivX-embedded AVI or a standalone flash player (FLV Player) correctly.

The InternetVue 2020 is available from Sewell Direct.

Yeah, I never thought I’d compare the two, to be honest. Google has established itself firmly as a standard search engine for some very good reasons. That’s why I was kind of surprised that when I went to look for some royalty-free stock photography today, I started to throw it in my Google toolbar, but then opted for jumping on to StumbleUpon. Why? Google’s system is much more gameable right now, as in, people who know SEO will probably get their site higher than many people who might actually have a really good resource but no SEO experience. With SU, however, I’ll find the sites that people who really know photography are going to for royalty-free photos. They’re voted on by people and not an algorithm.

Now, I’m not arguing that StumbleUpon is invincible to people gaming their system in the least. But I do think that right now, I have to look through less data for certain topics than I would through Google. I used to scoff at a quote I had read regarding StumbleUpon’s future as the web’s prime landing page and while I don’t know that that’s the truth, I’m definitely not laughing at it anymore.

Well, it turns out the Internet can be used to transmit information quickly. Just a month or so ago, it was big news that someone finally unlocked the iPhone (made it compatible to work on other carriers besides AT&T). The guys over at iphoneSimFree.com now have a relatively simple (maybe not for everybody, but definitely now widely accessible) program and step-by-step details to make your iPhone compliant with another carrier.

What will this do to Apple/AT&T? Probably not a ton, since it’s still not widely accessible (I’d bet 75+% of iPhone consumers will never even find out about it because it’s pretty technical). Regardless, it’s still pretty neat for those out there that prefer T-Mobile or other SIM-card-based carriers (GSA/GSM) and don’t like Cingular/AT&T’s dropped calls.

So Apple just reported their newest line of gadgets for Fall ‘07, including a (sort of) surprise release of the iPod touch. Basically, it’s the same as the iPhone, but you don’t have to switch to Cingular AT&T in order to use it. It’s a little slimmer, but is pretty much physically the same with an almost identical user interface to the ever-popular iPhone.

Another big deal is the inclusion of WiFi compatibility, meaning you can browse the web with the built-in Safari browser anywhere you can access an 802.11g wireless network. They’re also rolling out a deal with Starbucks (read St4rbuxx0rz) to offer a service where you can instantly buy whatever you’re hearing over SB’s speakers. They made a pretty big deal about this, but it seems like an inflated hype, though I’m sure it’ll get used.

The lowdown? Yeah, it’s shiny, but still a little overpriced at $299 for the 8 GB and $399 for the 16 GB model. Maybe I just think so because I don’t have time for entertainment any more.

Full review over at Engadget.

Sewell Direct has a great option for people who are looking for a way to display their video output from their computer on their TV. The Computer to TV coverter takes the VGA output from your computer and converts it to an S-Video signal which can be seen on almost any TV. It also gives you a VGA output in addition to the S-Video connection so you can still use your existing monitor.

The Sewell solution is one of the least expensive on the market, too. One downside to converting your computer’s video signal to a TV is that most TVs do not have as high a resolution as computer monitors do. Because of this, text and other fine graphics will appear pixilated. However, it does work for large text and displaying videos. So, get it for the right reasons and it’ll work great for you.

I know this is the exact opposite of the other product reviewed entitled “expresscard to pcmcia” but I’ve heard them both called the same thing, so - sorry for the confusion?

Anyway, this is basically a device to connect your older PCMCIA-standard cards to a newer laptop with an ExpressCard slot (sometimes erroneously called PCMCIA Express Card or Express Card PCMCIA - there’s still a lot of debate out there). The new ExpressCards are thinner and have a generally smaller form factor than their chunky predecessor. They are also much faster, which means you don’t hit the same bottlenecks by plugging the PCMCIA card (an older technology) into the Express Card slot.

These are, as always, available from Sewell and will set you back about $110/unit. It obviously isn’t the best option for someone just looking for a new ExpressCard USB Controller Card, since those are much cheaper, but for individuals who have security key cards, sound cards, tv tuner cards, an old data aircard etc. in PCMCIA format, it really is about the only option. Picture below.

Back in the day, when you wanted to play your non-cassette music in a car with just a cassette player, you had one of those funky pseudo-cassettes that would plug into a standard mini-stereo jack. While the technology was great for the time, it definitely had drawbacks. eg. The cord sticking out of your car stereo, running around your parking break and into your CD player with 40 second ESP (and Bass Boost!).

Well, times have changed and so has our music-toting technology. The iQFM is the best solution I’ve seen for getting your music media to your car stereo without wires and with some features a standard aux input just doesn’t give you. For example, you not only get the 1/8 inch stereo jack, the iQFM also has a slot for SD cards and a USB port for flash drives. With these getting more and more affordable, it’s very feasible to carry a few around packed with music. Simply plug either into its appropriate slot in the iQFM and it scans the entire device for any MP3 or WMA files you have on it.

Another big plus for the iQFM is the quality of sound you get. Not all FM transmitters are created equal. The iQFM is on the safe side of the border marking the strongest FM transmitter you can have without a license from the FCC. This means you get high quality audio, even in areas with lots of radio stations that normally pollute sound signals from a transmitter.

The basic design of the iQFM makes it very easy to use. You set it to an FM frequency, set your car stereo to the same, and hit play on your audio device or on the iQFM itself (if you’re using an SD card or flash drive). The iQFM even reads ID3 tags on MP3s so you can see the title and artist flashing on the device. And, and this also sets it apart from some other transmitters, it actually looks pretty good (see pictures below).

The device comes in both the black iQFM and the white iQFM models and are available from Sewell Direct for just under $50.

So there’s already a card that let’s you use your PCMCIA card with a laptop with only an ExpressCard slot. Well, this is the inverse of such a product. The biggest plus (besides cost, a mere $50-ish compared to $110 for the inverse) is that it’s a slick form factor. Someone had their brain on full blast when they came up with this design, since it is really non-intrusive, which is key for mobile computing. Obviously, there are limitations as to the types of cards that this will support, since PCMCIA is a step down, technology-wise, from the updated ExpressCard. But it does work for the new ExpressCard aircards and any other ExpressCard using a USB interface (versus the native PCI express interface). The PCMCIA ExpressCard Cradle is available for preorder only (first shipment expected on August 14th) from Sewell. Image below.

The Top Global MB9000 is a step up from their previous industrial-level model, the MB8000. It performs basically the same function, that is to take a wireless 3G or 4G signal (for those of you blessed to be in Rev A range) and convert it to a wifi signal. These are particularly popular for trade show booths, where you may need portable wireless access to more than one user at a time. The MB9000 has a couple great advantages over it’s predecessors, though. It not only supports 4G signals, but will take dual PCMCIA cards (or wireless ExpressCards when connected through a PCMCIA slot with a PCMCIA ExpressCard Cradle). It aggregates the bandwidth from both cards, basically giving you a very usable, high-bandwidth broadband connection in a portable box. Sewell carries the MB9000 for $1339.95, a higher sticker price than most Joe Schmoe consumers want to pay, but well worth it for the enterprise-level user who needs the performance. Picture below.

So Sewell is releasing a USB to DVI adapter in the near future (available for preorder only now). This means you can take a video card with you to add an additional display to a laptop or desktop easily. It’s actually quite ingenious. For desktops, you don’t have to rummage around in your case to install new hardware (luvs me that plug and play!). Plus, it’s portable enough that if you wanted to switch a display from notebook to desktop or if you want to use the same device with multiple computers (not simultaneously obviously), you can do it easily.

The adapter boasts 128 MB of RAM which is enough to drive a display up to 1400×1050. And, I got to test one. It looks really good. There just aren’t many comparable products, either, if you want an additional display without doing a full product install. Pics below.