Eye-Fi Pro wireless SD card hands-on

We're all pretty spoiled in these digital days; not that long ago taking a look at a vacation's worth of photos required a trip to the store, a couple of hours (or days) wait, and then the better part of an afternoon getting fingerprints all over a stack of poorly composed shots that you daren't throw out because you just paid good money to have them printed. Now you pop a memory card into your computer, wait a few seconds for them to fly into an appropriately labeled folder, and then... probably forget you took them. It's so much easier it's hard to fathom the process getting even more simple, but that's what Eye-Fi has done with its line of wireless flash memory cards, which beam pictures directly from your camera. The company's latest, the $149, 4GB Eye-Fi Pro, makes the process even more direct by letting you send pictures straight to a computer, also adding some additional features that pros and semi-pros will appreciate. We put it through its paces after the break.

by Tim Stevens

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Mechanical Memory Key stores your data with the precision of an Antide Janvier timepiece

Listen up, steampunkers: Have you been having a hard time finding an appropriate USB thumb drive to wear on a gold chain next to your pocket watch? Artype's 16GB Mechanical Memory Key is a handcrafted beaut, with materials that include Purpleheart for the case and twenty-six rubies. When this device is drawing USB power it glows green from beneath the gears, taking you back to your days as a hacker during the reign of Queen Victoria. Sadly, the device pictured above has already been sold, but at $165 a pop we're sure this particular artisan has plenty more of these guys in the works. Two more glamor shots for you after the break.

[Via Boing Boing]

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Ecosystems Bada Table Transforms into a Loveseat

by Mike Chino

Whether you’re an advocate of low-footprint living or a space-restricted city dweller looking to get the most milage out of your dining room, Ecosystems‘ brand new transforming Bada table may be just the piece you’re looking for. Crafted entirely from reclaimed walnut, the slick table features an ingenious design that transforms into a loveseat with a flick of the wrist, saving on both the space and materials consumed by multiple pieces of furniture.

Here at Inhabitat we’re huge fans of multifunctional furniture, so we were thrilled to get a first look at Ecosystems‘ new Bada table at this year’s BKLYN Designs. The Bada desk on display was a pre-production model crafted from found lumber sourced by Terramai and finished with natural oils that are safe enough to be applied with bare hands. To pull off the piece’s grand reveal, simply insert a credit card into the thin slot at the table’s side and slide it through to disengage the locking mechanism. Badabing! A lovely cork-padded loveseat flips out from the frame.

The table is due to go into production soon, and future models will be crafted from FSC certified wood. You’d be hard pressed to find a more refined piece of double-duty furniture, which is why we decided to award the Bada table with our BKLYN Designs Best of the Show editors’ choice award. For pictures of our other award winners, plus general footage from the show, check out our 2009 BKLYN Designs Highlights and BKLYN Designs photo gallery!

+ Ecosystems

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SmartQ 7 Internet Tablet

We were mildly impressed when SmartQ 5 PMP-MID was announced. Here at last is a little known brand that has ambition and seems to have the means to make it to the very top. Well, they’re not stopping. The 7-inch WVGA SmartQ 7 is something you have to get excited about. It’s a sleek device with very interesting buttons on the bottom of the screen and on the side, WiFi-enabled of course, running Linux. The 4500mAh is goo enough to play music for 48 continuous hours. If that is true, we got ourselves a netbook killer right here. It’s available in at least three colors. Pending a hands-on review, I’d say it’s one of the more important PMP news this year.

No pricing and availability for the SmartQ 7 just yet. We hope to have more details soon (processor, build material, etc.) as we’re sure our readers will be looking forward for updates.

[via engadget, pocketables]

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