Octopus Card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card uses for electronic payments in Hong Kong. The Card is widely used on virtually all public transport in Hong Kong and has expanded to use for payment at convenience stores, supermarkets, fast-food restaurants…etc. Today, the Octopus Card company release the Octopus iPhone Stick that lets users combine the stored-value smart card with their iPhone.

Simply stick the unique, new Octopus Phone Sticker onto the back of your iPhone 4 or 4S, and you can enjoy the all-in-one convenience of communicating, travelling and shopping.

The sticker comes in three colors, red, white and black. The sticker costs HK$268 (with no stored value). More about the Octopus Card.

[OctopusCard]

• HTC Magic Launch Event Hong Kong
• MSI WindPad Enjoy7 Android 2.3 Tablet Released in Hong Kong
• iPhone Unlocked in Hong Kong
• Hundreds of Hong Kong People Queue to sell iPhone 4S
• SIM-FREE iPhone 3G for Sale

The official price of the iPhone 4S in Hong Kong is HK$5088 for 16GB, HK$5888 for 32GB and HK$6688 for 64GB. Due to the huge demand and limited stock in China, a new 16GB iPhone 4S can sell for HK$5800-6200 to Sin Tat shops few weeks before. As the China Apple Online Store is now selling iPhone 4S and peoples are now expecting the iPhone 5, the resell price of the 4S has been dropped to HK$5600 then to as low as $5400 this week. Seeing the dropping price, peoples who were able to order on Hong Kong Apple Online Store (Apple made the iPhone 4S available on Hong Kong online store for just 5-6 times, each time for just 0.5-1.5 hours) just head to Sin Tat to sell iPhone 4S they have, before its too late. Previously, the online store of Apple China will open for a limited time ranging from half an hour of 1.5 hours, but now the 4S is available with estimated shipment this month and it seems Apple has got enough stock to fulfill the orders.

No one knows will Apple again stop selling 4S on China online store, but we are pretty sure if Apple does, the resell price of iPhone 4S in Hong Kong will probably goes up again.

[hkmobilenews]

• HTC Magic Launch Event Hong Kong
• iPhone Unlocked in Hong Kong
• SIM-FREE iPhone 3G for Sale
• MSI WindPad Enjoy7 Android 2.3 Tablet Released in Hong Kong
• Apple stopped acceping order for iPhone 4 in Hong Kong due to iPhone Arbitrage?

Scosche releases the cellCONTROL, a safe driving system for mobile phones that will disable the use of unsafe cell phone applications while driving. The device uses Bluetooth signaling technology to block drivers from being able to text message, email, make phone calls and much more. It uses a simple one-time setup and will activate automatically to keep the designated mobile device disabled every time the car is in motion. Music library remains active for normal use though.

The cellCONTROL works with over 1200 mobile phones any vehicle sold in the United States in 1996 and after will include an OBD-II interface and will be ready to use with the safe driving trigger. If you really need to make phone calls when you drive, just use hands-free headset. It works with all US wireless carriers and data plan is required.

The Scosche cellCONTROL Safe Driving System is priced at $129.95.

Supported OS:
All Android 2.1 and above, all BlackBerry 4.5 and above, all Windows Mobile 5 & 6, all Symbian S60 (3rd Edition) and select Brew and BREWMP systems

Brands:
RIM, HTC, Samsung, Sanyo, Motorola, Nokia, Pantech, LG, Palm, Sony Ericsson and more

[Scosche]

• Scosche solVUE Solar-powered Bluetooth Speakerphone
• Scosche RDTX-PRO Radiation Detector for iPhone and iPod touch
• Scosche solCHAT Solar Bluetooth speakerphone
• Yelpie Portable Safe has a loud 90dB alarm
• AvMap Geosat 6 Drive Safe with Breathalyzer

The Power Pad 16 has compact and durable form factor. It comes wit a ventilation fan for cool operation and a 180W FSP UL-listed power supply. The charging station can be mounted on or under a desk or counter.

The Power Pad 16 has been used in retail environments where charging large numbers of iPads and other Apple devices has to be reliable and fast in the least possible space. Service depots report it is a perfect tool to eliminate the jumble of wires and chargers.

[Businesswire][Datamation]

• Kanex Sydnee iOS Charging Station charges 4 iPads simultaneously
• iGo iPad Wall Charger and Car Charger
• Magic Charger – A Rubik’s Cube that Generates Power
• Twelve South PlugBug iPhone/iPad Charger Attaches to MacBook Power Adapter
• AT&T ZERO Charger

Scosche announced its new RDTX-PRO radiation detector and app for iPhone and iPod touch. According to the company, the device needs no calibration and allows users to accurately detect gamma radiation above 60keV within +/- 5% accuracy. It connects to iPhone/iPod touch via the dock connector and is designed to use with the free radTEST application that offers consumer friendly meter display that shows radiation levels as safe (green), elevated (yellow) or dangerous (red).

The Scosche RDTX-PRO can also be used as a radiation alarm independently from the iOS device. When being used as a standalone alarm the RDTX-PRO runs on one AA battery and provides up to 96 hour of radiation detection. Coming in September, the Scosche RDTX-PRO radiation detector is priced at $349.99.

[Scosche]

• Scosche showTIME AV cable for iPod and iPhone
• Scosche passPORT Home Dock brings iPhone 3G support to your old iPod docks
• Scosche myTREK Pulse Monitor for iPhone and iPod touch
• Scosche reviveLITE iPhone Charger
• Scosche flipSYNC II Keychain Charge and Sync Cable for iPhone and iPod

Native Instruments introduces its new Traktor Kontrol S2 DJ performance system designed to set a new professional standard in the two-deck category. The Kontrol S2 is based on the Kontrol S4 hardware and delivers a “2+1″ setup with sample decks.

The compact DJ system features high-resolution jog wheels, combined with ergonomic controls for cueing, looping and effects. It has integrated 24bit/96 kHz sound card with its dual stereo outputs. Its two full-featured playback decks are complemented by the versatile Sample Decks of the latest TRAKTOR PRO 2 software, which can add up to eight simultaneous one-shot samples or beat-synced loops to the mix.

The Traktor Kontrol S2 DJ system is priced at $669. It will be released on 4 October.

[Traktor][Press]

• Pioneer DJM-T1 Digital Mixer with TRAKTOR SCRATCH 2 DJ software
• Native Instruments Audio 2 DJ USB Audio Interface
• Hercules DJ Console MK2
• JVC UX-J51 CD Micro Audio System with iPod dock
• Pass Labs Radical SR1 Speaker System

Sony announced in Japan the ESSP-2000, a huge-capacity battery for business. It can also be used as a UPS for small data center. The ESSP-2000 has 2.4kWh battery capacity and offers at least ten years of optimal performances, thanks to the olivine-type lithium-ion iron phosphate batteries. It takes only about 2 hours to charge the battery to 95%.

The Sony ESSP-2000 supports up to 1000VA maximum load. It measures W490 x H610 x D750mm and weighs 90kg. Coming in September, the price is 2 Million Yen.

[Sony]

• 20,000mAh High Capacity Solar Battery
• Sanyo XX eneloop High Capacity Rechargeable Battery
• Sony Ericsson G700 Business Edition
• Sony MicroVault Click and Click Excellence Flash Drive
• Dell Vostro 1220 Ultraportable Business Notebook

IOGear launches its new GUWIP204 wireless 4-port USB sharing station that is designed for usrrs to share any USB devices, such as USB flash drive, card reader, webcam, speakers, printer..etc, over a WiFi network to multiple users. Thanks to the station, you can now place your USB devices anywhere in the home or office as long as there is Wi-Fi coverage.

The IOGear GUWIP204 offers four USB 2.0 ports and supports a USB 2.0 hub extension. Other than wireless connection, the Sharing Station also has Ethernet LAN port. It is priced at $99.99 or just $72.01 from Amazon.com.

[IOGear 1|2]

• IOGear GUB211 USB Printer Auto Sharing Switch and GUIP204 USB Net ShareStation
• IOGEAR GCS1784 4-Port Dual Link DVI KVMP Switch
• IOGear GUWAVKIT3 Wireless 1080p Computer to HDTV Kit
• IOGEAR Wireless USB to VGA Kit
• IOGear GW3DHDKIT Wireless 3D Digital Kit

WIMM Labs announced its wearable computer platform based on Android OS. The platform offers a full color touchscreen and support for Bluetooth and WiFi. WIMM Module can be loaded with a variety of Android-based Micro Apps created by using an open SDK and works with Android, Blackberry and iOS devices seamlessly.

The WIMM module also packs Accelerometer and Magnetometer sensors for accurate motion tracking. It will come pre-loaded with a library of custom watch faces and core Micro Apps, including: Caller ID, SMS Preview, Lost Phone Warning, Calendar, Weather, World Clock and more.
Concept Products:

[Businesswire][WIMMLabs]

• i-3D Video Glasses Wearable Display
• VholdR ContourHD HD Wearable Camcorder
• iSonic Crystal 701 and Shade 301 Wearable Video Displays
• Fossil Meta Watch Wearable Development System
• Xtune XTS-02tok Portable/Wearable Speaker

Porsche Design announced the P’6520 Compass Watch that shows you not only time but also direction. Underneath this high-precision three-hand watch is a compass whose needle always points north, thereby establishing all the directions. The P’6520 is inspired by the first Compass Watch, created in 1978 by the designer Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. The watch and the bracelet are made entirely of titanium with a black PVD coating (Physical Vapour Deposition).

The Porsche Design P’6520 comes in two parts, the upper part is a precision three-hand watch, whose luminescent hands are driven by the automatic SW300 Sellita calibre. Underneath the watch, you can find a compass for both the northern as well as the southern hemisphere. A scratch-resistant mirror has been installed on the rear of the watch part and on top of the compass. The P’6520 is water resistant to a depth of up to 50 metres.

Only 911 pieces of the Porsche Design P’6520 are available.

[Porsche Design P’9521 White Edition

Griffin Technology releases its StompBox foot controller for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Developed with Frontier Design Group, the StompBox is designed to work with iShred LIVE, iShred, Guitar apps, and comes with four four assignable foot switches and a 1/4″ effects pedal input jack, allowing musicians to use an iOS device as a portable, programmable effects board and practice rig.

The StompBox has a built-in 1-meter heavy-duty dock cable for connecting to an iOS device, and its 1/4-inch input allows users to connect any instruments with 1/4-inch jack. A Griffin GuitarConnect cable cable with 3 connectors is also included for connecting musical instruments, iOS devices and sound systems or headphones.

The Griffin StompBox foot controller is priced at $99.

[Griffin]

• Griffin iTrip DualConnect FM Transmitter with AUX-in and Charging Cable
• Apogee GiO USB Guitar Interface and Controller for Mac
• Griffin TuneFlex AUX SmartClick iPod / iPhone Car Mount
• Stanton SCS.3m touch-sensitive MIDI controller
• Griffin iTrip nano for iPod nano 4G

Ideum introduces it’s new MT55 Platform 55-inch multitouch table with integrated computer. The table’s Full HD 1080p touchscreen features LED backlight with 50,000 hours of life span, 5,000,000:1 contrast, 500cd/m2 brightness, 120Hz refresh rate, and 178-degree viewing angle. The table uses the solid state optical multitouch system offering 32 points of simultaneous touch.

Inside MT55 Platform’s rugged aluminum body, you can find an integrated computer powered by Intel’s Core i5-560M 2.66GHz processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB SSD (256GB optional). It provides USB 2.0 connectors as well as Bluetooth, Ethernet and WiFi-n connectivity. The multitouch tablet comes with a Bluetooth keyboard with integrated trackpad. It runs Windows 7 Professional 64-bit.

[Ideum]

• Ideum MT55 HD Multitouch Table
• Asus Eee PC T101MT is now Available
• Cox Speaker Table
• SOLo – Solar Powered Table that Charges Your Gadgets
• iBuyPower Battalion Touch CZ-11 Multitouch Notebook with Core i7

Jawbone, famous for its headsets and speakers, introduces UP, a system the tracks your movement, sleep patterns, and nutrition so you can live a healthier life. The system includes a small wristband the monitors your activity, a mobile app that analyzes the activity, and an open platform that motivates you with personal and social recommendations and challenges tailored to your goals.

The Jawbone UP will be released later this year. More details here.

• Aliph releases new Jawbone Bluetooth Headset
• Aliph Jawbone Icon Bluetooth Headset
• Aliph Jawbone PRIME Bluetooth Headset
• Aliph Jawbone 2 hit FCC
• Fujitsu LifeBook A1120 to Bring Colors Back to Life

Olympus Directrec DR-1200

Olympus announced in the US three new Directrec dictation devices, the DR-1200, DR-2200 and DR-2300, offering “the perfect combination of great audio reproduction, programmability and ease-of-use in a professional recorder”. For easy dictating, the DR-2200 and DR-2300 feature strategically placed slide switch and the DR-1200 comes with a push button. They feature a durable trackball for more intuitive, one-handed operation, and a new low-noise directional microphone that reduces extraneous sounds and unwanted background noise for high-quality sound recording.

Olympus Directrec DR-2200

Olympus’ new ergonomic recorders come with built-in speaker for acoustic playback, a triple-color LED screen current recording status and a new trackball allows users to navigate freely on the PC or Mac without having to utilize the computer’s mouse. The DR-2300 includes also an interface to barcode module.

The Olympus Directrec DR-1200, DR-2200 and DR-2300 will be available in August.

Olympus Directrec DR-2300

Click to enlarge

[Olympus]

• Garmin nuvi 2200 and nuvi 2300 series get nuRoute Technology
• Olympus Stylus 1200 12MP Digital camera
• Navigon 1200 and 1210 GPS Devices
• Verizon MiFi 2200 Portable EV-DO-to-WiFi Router
• Olympus DM-4 and DM-2 Digital Audio Devices

Jabra introduces its new PRO 9450 wireless headset, the latest addition to the company’s PRO 9400 Series business headset lineup. The headset is designed for businesses looking to make a smooth transition to Unified Communications and is optimized for Microsoft Lync 2010.

The Jabra PRO 9450 allows users to answer calls in four different ways:  when away from their desks, using the headset; at their desks by pressing a button on the headset base touch pad display; using Jabra Call Manager software; or using computer keyboard shortcuts. It provides three wearing styles as well: headband, earhook and neckband.

The PRO 9450 features a noise-cancelling microphone and offers a range of up to 450 feet. It offers up to 8 hours of talk time and up to 46 hours of standby time.

[Jabra]

• Jabra PRO 9400 and GO 6400 Series Headsets with Touchscreen for Microsoft Lync
• Jabra SPEAK 410 USB Speakerphone supports Microsoft Lync
• Jabra SPEAK 410 MS and 410 UC Speakerphones for Enterprise (Video)
• Plantronics Voyager PRO UC Wireless Headset
• Jabra Arrow Bluetooth Headset

Panasonic is going to release in Japan its JT-H320HT Series handheld terminals designed for store management, food industry and medical applications. Looks just like an ordinary Japanese bar-type phone, the lightweight, slim and stylish devices are ideal for female users. Two models are available, the JT-H320HT-10 with semiconductor laser barcode scanner, and the JT-H320HT-20 with a 1 Megapixel CMOS sensor for barcode scanning.

Panasonic’s JT-H320HT handhelds runs Windows Embedded CE 6.0 Professional with 64MB RAM and 128MB ROM. They have a 2.4-inch 240×430 QVGA touchscreen, and supports Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity.They measure 50mmx 160mm x 30mm and weigh 155g/160g.

Panasonic will release the JT-H320HT-10 and JT-H320HT-20 on 31 August.

[Panasonic]

• Panasonic Toughbook H1 Field is the Most Rugged Handheld Tablet PC
• Garmin GPSMAP 62 Series Rugged Outdoor Handheld Devices
• Garmin aera Series Handheld Navigation Devices
• Trimble Nomad 900 Series Outdoor Rugged Handheld Computers
• AlphaGrip Handheld Computer

Archos introduces two new Android devices for your home – the 35 Smart Home Phone DECT phone and the 35 Home Connect, a web device. Both of them run Android OS and have a 3.5-inch touchscreen for easy operation. They are powered by OMAP 3630 1 GHz processor with OpenGL ES 2.0 graphic accelerator and run Android 2.2 Froyo OS.

The 35 Home Connect features built-in WiFi connectivity for streaming over 50,000 web radio stations or music using the pre-loaded TuneIn application. It has built-in front camera for video calling, built-in stereo speaker, microSD/SDHC card slot. The Home Connect comes with an alarm application that brings users weather, traffic and news from the moment they wake up and features multiple alarms.

The 35 Smart Home Phone, as its name tells, is a smart DECT home phone. It is compatible with any ADSL box or phone line and uses standard DECT protocols, and works just like other Android smartphones. The Smart Home Phone has a front 720p camera with recording for video calling.

Coming in September, the 35 Home Connect and 35 Smart Home Phone will be available for $149 and $159, respectively.

[Businesswire][Archos 1|2]

• Archos 7 Home Tablet up for pre-order
• Belkin Conserve Gateway Connect to Smart Meter for Home Energy Usage Monitoring
• Archos 7 and Archos 8 Home Tablets
• iRiver WAVE-HOME multimedia networking device
• Archos Phone Tablet

The Limited Edition CS500 Tour de France comes standard with a dual lock bike mount that is made of reinforced composite metal, providing sturdy attachment to the bike and making it ideal for both road and mountain biking. It can be configured with the wireless Polar Power Output Sensor W.I.N.D. accessory and is compatible with Polar LOOK Keo Power pedals.

The CS500 Tour de France available as a base set, or bundled with a cadence sensor (CS500 Tour de France cad). The base set includes the main unit, the fabric WearLink+ transmitter W.I.N.D., CS speed sensor W.I.N.D., and Dual Lock Bike Mount, and is available for a $319.95. The CS500 Tour de France cad set is available for $359.95.

[Polar][PRNewswire]

• Polar WearLink+ Transmitter for Nike+
• Polar RCX5 Training Computer
• Samsung Betty Boop Limited Edition Slider Phone
• Joy Division Zune Limited Edition
• XBox 360 Wireless Controller Fable III Limited Edition

Here is the Easy2pick, a wireless luggage locator that helps you find your luggage. The system includes an electronic luggage tag with built-in wireless transmitter and a wireless key chain recognition device. While you wait at baggage claim, your key chain will sound, flash, and vibrate once your suitcase is within 20 meters.

The Easy2pick can even deactivate automatically inside the plane. You can get one from Amazon for $25.

• Garmin GTU 10 GPS Locator
• Live Luggage PA-series Battery-powered Suitcase
• Keruve GPS locator for Alzheimer patients
• TravelTeq Trip Sound Luggage with built-in Speaker System
• Pikavu Express Locator tracks the location of your kid

VIA Labs announced the new VL701 low-powered USB 3.0 SATA bridge controller featuring an industry-first fully-integrated 5V switching regulator which earns USB-IF Bus Powered Certification. The VL701 is a highly integrated single chip solution that allows users to connect any SATA hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), or optical disc drive (ODD) to their PC via USB 3.0. Utilizing USB 3.0 interface, it supports data transfer rates of up to 5Gbps.

Key Features

• Super-Speed USB (5Gb/s) and High-Speed USB (480Mb/s)
  • Compliant to Universal Serial Bus 3.0 Specification Revision 1.0, and USB Specification revision 2.0
  • Mass Storage Class Bulk-Only Transport (BOT)
  • USB Attached SCSI Protocol (UASP) for streaming
  • Integrated in-house Super-Speed PHY and USB2.0 PHY
• Serial ATA 3Gb/s and 1.5Gb/s
  • Compliant to Serial ATA Specification Revision 2.6
  • Integrated in-house SATA 3Gb/s PHY
  • Support 48-bit LBA
• Built-in Voltage Regulators
• Software support for Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, 2000, ME, Mac OSX and various Linux kernels
• Physical
  • LQFP 64L green package (7x7x1.4 mm)
  • QFN 48L green package (6x6x0.85 mm)
• GPIOs for Special Function Usage

[VIA 1|2]

• LaCie LaCinema Classic Bridge HDD Media Player
• Santech N67 Notebook with Sandy Bridge
• Sharkoon SATA QuickPort USB3.0 Hard Drive Dock does SuperSpeed
• Asus U31SD Thin and Light Notebook with Sandy Bridge Core i3/i5
• Zalman SSD-F1 SATA III Solid State Drive