Weary of household chores? Why not get a robot to pick up some of the dirty work? IRobot's Scooba partly automates the cleaning of hardwood floors. Other gear that could make life easier includes Gateway's latest LCD monitors and Epson America's StoryTeller kit for creating photo books.
Scooba Do
For those who don't enjoy mopping, IRobot--the company that gave us the vacuuming Roomba robot--in May announced it was developing the Scooba, a newfangled robot that can "vacuum, scrub, and dry hardwood floors automatically," according to the company.
Using a tank filled with fresh water and a Clorox cleaning solution, Scooba cleans spills, dirt, and grime, the company says.
Though the design is similar to Roomba's, Scooba doesn't match up technologically. Roomba can automatically recharge itself and keep vacuuming without human intervention until cleaning is complete. With Scooba, human intervention is necessary: Once the tank is empty, you have to refill it before Scooba will start cleaning again. "It doesn't recharge on purpose so clean water can be added," said Rachel Loya, a spokesperson for IRobot.
Scooba could become available by the end of this year, said Loya, but she couldn't provide a specific date. Pricing has not yet been set, she said.
An ATM That Doesn't Vend Cash
ATM machines are pretty easy to use, so when Gateway in May hyped its new FPD series of LCD monitors as being as easy to use as ATM machines, I had to see it to believe it. Though the monitor didn't meet its hype, its low price can certainly save you some cash.
Pressing the Menu button on the right side of the 17-inch FPD1760 monitor starts the on-screen display, called EzMenu. Like the menu on an ATM machine, EzMenu has arrows pointing toward and explaining the function of each button on the side of the monitor; for example, to move a cursor up or down, or to select a feature. However, it took 15 minutes of reading the manual and a call to Gateway to get familiar with the system. The learning curve isn't trivial, but it can be mastered in time, said Gary Lopez, product marketing manager at Gateway.
EzMenu's best feature is the automatic settings button for brightness and contrast based on information provided by the computer's video adapter. But do-it-yourselfers can use buttons on the monitor to bypass the EzMenu and set up brightness and contrast. The display looked slick and bright, with sharp colors.
This $299 monitor provides analog and digital inputs, though DVI cables need to be bought separately. The 15-inch version (FPD1730) costs $209.
Epson StoryTeller
Don't go to a bookbinder to create a photo book: Make it at home.
That appears to be the philosophy behind Epson's new StoryTeller kit, which is intended to be used with an Epson printer. The kit includes software, glossy paper for the pages, an empty hardcover binding for a 10- or 20-page book, and a glossy sheet for the cover. After using the software to print images or text on the pages, you insert each page into the binding and wrap the cover around the volume. Voilà, the book is ready. The StoryTeller kit for a 10-page 5-by-7-inch book costs $20, while the kit for a 10-page 8-by-10-inch book costs $25.
Hitachi's Microdrive Travel Kit
Hitachi's recently launched 6GB Microdrive Travel Kit is a great portable storage device because of its small size and portability. Using the Ultra DMA transfer protocol, it offers laptop users better data transfer speeds than flash memory cards or USB 2.0 storage devices. (For background on the 6GB Microdrive, read "Hitachi Slashes Microdrive Prices.")
To use the small drive with a laptop, you need a PC Card adapter plugged into the notebook's PC Card slot. The Microdrive Travel Kit includes a 16-bit adapter, which limits the speed of file transfers. A 32-bit adapter increases file transfer rates, but sadly, Hitachi doesn't ship one with the drive, says Hitachi spokesperson Beth Ellerman. I searched Froogle and found a Delkin 32-bit adapter for about $40.
With the Microdrive Travel Kit, you can also store data from portable devices with a Microdrive slot, including digital cameras, MP3 players, and portable media players.
The Microdrive Travel Kit costs $299; a 4GB version is $199, Ellerman says. It is compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, according to a Hitachi engineer who asked not to be identified.
A New MP3 Player From Archos
Joining Archos's line of products is the Gmini XS 100, a thin MP3 player available in multiple colors. Like many standard MP3 players available in the market, it supports Windows Media Player 10's Janus digital rights management technology, so it can play music downloaded from subscription services such as MSN Music, Musicmatch, MusicNow, Napster, and Wal-Mart Stores.
Weighing 2.8 ounces and measuring 3.6 by 1.7 by 0.5 inches, it has a 3GB hard drive. The $180 gizmo can work as a storage device, allowing transfer of data from a PC through its USB 2.0 port. Archos says the Gmini XS 100 is available in four colors: Volcanic Black, Funky Pink, Techno Blue or Ice Grey.
Agam Shah is an editor with the IDG News Service, based in San Francisco. Questions or comments? Write to Agam Shah.
Ad Choices