Hardware page 3/10/05

This IP camera can operate both wired and wirelessly

This IP camera can operate both wired and wirelessly. However, the BL-C30’s biggest claim to fame is its ability to remotely control the direction of the lens. It can pan between +/-50º horizontally and +/-40º vertically. But a feature that’s missing is an internal microphone, so all the footage will have to be video only.

The web interface lets users adjust the various settings and is, on the whole, well designed. Operation times can be scheduled for the camera and, using a heat detector, it is able to detect movement. This works just like a standard motion detector, but with greater accuracy.

Captured screenshots can automatically be emailed or sent to an FTP site, although setting up the transfer process can take time. A night mode is also available and boosts the brightness levels in low-light conditions, but don’t expect it to illuminate pitch-black scenes.

USP: Remotely control the direction of the lens

Available: Now

Distributors: Bell Microproducts, Centerprise, Hammer, Hugh Symons, Micro Peripherals, Steljes, TekData

The Solio charger unit is an essential tool in providing power to gadgets while on the road. Via adapters it can charge iPods, mobile phones, PDAs and some digital cameras.

A range of mobile devices can be charged at the same rate as their individual wall chargers thanks to Solio’s intelligent internal circuitry, and it should charge a phone in a few hours and an iPod in four to six hours. Uniquely the Solio includes its own integrated Lithium Ion battery, which charges in the sunlight. So it will even charge a phone at night.

Unlike other obtrusive portable chargers, Solio’s fan blade design allows it to be folded neatly to the size of a small mobile phone. This means Solio is highly portable, making it the perfect travelling partner.

The solar panels are waterproof and the unit, at around 150g, is highly portable. An excellent tool and well worth investigating.

This Wi-Fi-TV edition of the P5LD2 Deluxe, includes just about everything in a micro-sized space. The standard P5LD2 Deluxe has a higher feature spec along with improved noise and temperature reducing designs. But where this goes further than most is that it uses Asus’s latest Stack Cool 2 system, which covers the whole motherboard.

What makes this version of the P5LD2 Deluxe stand out is the inclusion of a Wi-Fi-TV PCI card with TV/radio and wireless antennas, which supports High Definition (HD) TV and 802.11a/b/g standards, and it includes a remote control unit and a USB receiver.

The board uses Intel’s popular i945P chipset, and supports 1066/800/533 Pentium 4, Celeron and Pentium D CPUs with a maximum of 4GB of double data rate 2 667/533/400 being supported through four dual in-line memory module slots.

Drives can be connected to the P5LD2

via Intel’s Raid-supporting ICH7R Southbridge, an ITE controller and a Silicon Image controller. Elsewhere there is a single integrated Gigabit Ethernet controller, and a Realtek ALC882M chip provides 7.1-channel HD audio.