Magic Gadgets

FROM ISSUE # 146 (February 2008) | IN THIS ISSUE
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Hot thin Air
Apple has unveiled the ultra-thin MacBook Air, the world's slimmest laptop. Adding to the MacBook's already stellar reputation, the new model is less than 20mm high. It includes the usual iSight camera, an ambient light sensor, and an oversize multi-touch trackpad which allows you to manipulate objects on screen using more than one finger, like the iPhone. It runs on a 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo CPU custom-made by Intel, with 2GB of RAM and either the standard 80GB hard drive or a 64GB SSD. The MacBook Air will retail for about Rs 145,000 and will be here by the end of January.

A cursory wave
Logitech's new gyroscopic mouse is just the thing for computer users with persistent hand and arm pain caused by poor ergonomics or repetitive motion. The operator can control the cursor just by waving the cordless mouse through the air, but can also use it as a standard laser mouse when it is placed on a flat surface. The MX Air has a touch-sensitive scroll panel to replace the traditional scroll wheel, a volume button and a dedicated play/pause button that works in most media-playing applications. It has a built-in rechargeable battery and sits in a small recharging dock when not in use. The MX Air will be unveiled at CAN Infotech 2008.

Summer blockbuster
The story goes that Steve Jobs decided to tinker with a touchscreen, and it ultimately evolved into an epic, the iPhone. This multimedia mammoth has a virtual keyboard interface, phone and internet capabilities, embedded digital camera function and, inescapably, the iPod music player. Those familiar with Apple products will not find it hard to slip into this new identity as it functions on an optimised OS X platform. But the real drama lies in its collaboration with third parties like Google, which allows for the easy installation of applications such as Google Maps. This much-hyped blockbuster will arrive in Asia this summer. Price: Rs 40,000 at press time.