Gadgets That Puzzle and Delight - Don't Forget the Wow Factor
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Many of us use flash memory all the time, whether it's in our digital cameras, cell phones, or standing independently as a flash drive to carry all of our important files. And as with regular storage, it seems like there's never enough space for everything we want to keep with us. Toshiba apparently understands the problem.
The company unveiled the TransMemory line of flash memory sticks that range in size from 512 MB up to 4 GB, but if that's not enough, there's a "limited edition" stick coming out that holds a whopping 16 GB. The drives work with both the Mac OS and Windows. It's larger than a normal memory stick, a little over three inches by one inch, and weighs 12 grams (half again as much as a normal TransMemory stick). The TransMemory line itself is set to hit the market in November, with the limited edition stick available in December. (Hmm, that sounds like a good stocking stuffer to me). You can read more about Toshiba and its TransMemory line here (http://www.techworld.com/storage/news/index.cfm?newsID=6755).
That much memory makes you imagine the possibilities (like turning all computers into thin clients, booting Vista from flash, copying DVDs...). If you really want something that will just about blow your mind with the possibilities, you should take a look at Lego Mindstorms NXT. The original Mindstorms sparked the development of an entire robot-building community, despite the kit's relatively limited capabilities. NXT is expensive ($250), but it boasts nearly 600 pieces, four sensors, three motors, many cables, wheels, a CD, and the "NXT brick" that acts as the brain of any robot.
Even a beginner can use the kit to build a robot that moves around by itself in about half an hour or so. Programming it is easy thanks to a graphical user interface. And the brain communicates via Bluetooth, so if you have a PDA or cell phone with Bluetooth, you can use it to control your robot. In fact, as an Ars Technica review observed, "the NXT brick can communicate with three other Bluetooth devices at any one time. This means that if you had four Mindstorm kits, you could create a mega-robot with four brains, twelve motors, and sixteen sensors - all of it coordinated through Bluetooth." There's no death ray, so you probably can't use it to take over the world, but that shouldn't stop kids and adults from working together with this wonderful kit and trying. (You can read more about Lego Mindstorms NXT here http://mindstorms.lego.com/).
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