Daily Giz Wiz 457: LapWorks Futura
Episode 457 of the podcast
| Subject: | Review of LapWorks Futura |
| Released: | Tuesday 4 December 2007 |
| Length: | about 11 minutes |
| Download file: | dgw0457.mp3 (5 MB) |
Listen to the episode
Short info
It's turn the tables Tuesday, and Leo talks his laptop desk, the Lapworks Futura.
(source: twit.tv/dgw457)
Detailed information
Link: Lapworks
Lapworks makes a range of notebook stands, including the Laptop Desk Futura. It can be used flat and extended (21") on your lap, or folded in a range of 5 incline positions as a stand (either on your lap or on a desk). It has open ventilation slots for heat dissipation, and weighs about 1 lb.Not to be outdone by Leo, Dick has a similar product up his sleeves, which he saw recently at a trade show - the iRizer made by Matias.
It raises by laptop by a maximum height of 6.5" (compared to the Futura's 3.75"), but doesn't give you the extra space by the sides which the Futura's "wings" give you, when extended. Folded up, the two have similar sizes. At 1.5 lbs, the iRizer is half a pound heavier. The iRizer's list price is $10 more expensive than the Futura, but you get a free miniRizer (a mini-stand) for your iPod or cellphone.
Pinnacle TV for Mac HD Stick
Pepka, a magician from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, heard Episode 419 about the PCTV HD Ultimate Stick, noted that Leo was disappointed that it did not support the Mac, and was surprised to find one for the Mac in a BestBuy store which works perfectly on his MacBook.
There is a bit of confusion over the different versions. The product which Dick talked about in Episode 419 was the HD Stick Ultimate for Windows (which overtakes the previous Pro version for Windows). The difference between the two is that the Ultimate version supports ClearQAM and has the software embedded in the USB stick itself. Both the old Pro version and the new Ultimate version can record in iPod and Sony PSP compatible formats.
There is only one Mac version, called Pinnacle TV for Mac HD Stick, which Dick and Leo did not mention in the previous episode. It has been available for some time, but it does not support ClearQAM, does not have the necessary software pre-installed on the stick, and records only in MPEG-2. That's why Pepka cannot put the shows recorded by the Mac HD Stick on to his iPod Touch. Accordingly to Leo, Pinnacle is working on a new Mac version.
There is a bit of confusion over the different versions. The product which Dick talked about in Episode 419 was the HD Stick Ultimate for Windows (which overtakes the previous Pro version for Windows). The difference between the two is that the Ultimate version supports ClearQAM and has the software embedded in the USB stick itself. Both the old Pro version and the new Ultimate version can record in iPod and Sony PSP compatible formats.
There is only one Mac version, called Pinnacle TV for Mac HD Stick, which Dick and Leo did not mention in the previous episode. It has been available for some time, but it does not support ClearQAM, does not have the necessary software pre-installed on the stick, and records only in MPEG-2. That's why Pepka cannot put the shows recorded by the Mac HD Stick on to his iPod Touch. Accordingly to Leo, Pinnacle is working on a new Mac version.
(source: insidedgw.vox.com)
