Printing has always been a serious business for HP. It is no monkey business and that is why HP’s Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) is relentless in promoting the use of original consumables with HP printers to consumers and business entities. But in a society like ours, in which falsehood has been a mordant part of reality, how does HP IPG handle the ordeal? HP makes a solid response by presenting some important figures that small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) should ponder upon.

Collaborating with QualityLogic, a world-renowned firm with more than two decades of experience in printer and MFP testing, HP conducted a region-wide research comparing the reliability and print quality of original HP 10A and 42A monochrome LaserJet toner cartridges with that of remanufactured counterparts.

The many electric conveyances I’ve posted in this blog have so far been essentially regular petrol car-bodies with a lot of batteries under the floorboard (not to downplay the hard work that’s gone into these machines), but many manufacturers, including Michelin, seems to have realized that there’s a lot more innovation to be done with the concept of electric-powered vehicles. Michelin and Valeo, French automotive companies (Michelin being the tire company and Valeo an automotive engineering ) have agreed to work together to develop electric and rechargeable hybrid vehicle systems, including the pictured “e-wheel” system.

That's what I call an all-in-one package.

It’s sometimes hard to retaliate when your opponent is tongue-in-cheek in its opposition, coupling its activities with a large measure of humor. Or so it seems with the intrepid manufacturers on the Chinese mainland. We don’t know who they’re trying to bamboozle with their newest “Sumsang Omnia”, but one thing’s for sure: I wouldn’t put it past a tech geek to crack a grin upon reading or hearing this product’s name.

Spot the difference! Winner gets to take home a smaller dose of sarcasm on your way to the end of this article.

Attachments and upgrades are part and parcel of the serious photographer’s experience, and these additional gear can range from the simple (UV light filter for additional lens protection) to the extreme (400mm “wildlife” long-range zoom lens anyone?). In between there are the countless useful add-ons that nonetheless are extreme in their own way – one example is Nikon’s Fabre Photo EX Stereoscopic Microscope attachment.

Keen on mixing up performance with what’s supposed to be “green” cars, many car manufacturers have turned to electric power to build performance vehicles that can give regular petrol-powered cars a run for their money. For the buyer’s money as well, seeing how stratospheric the prices are for these electric exotics.

The aptly-named Tesla Motors have made a name for itself with wholly electric-powered sport cars that actually look good and are actually being delivered to customers. Now Tesla is making sure not to lose any momentum with their release of the Roadster Sport, a model that boasts of 0 to 60 mph times of 3.7 seconds while still retaining its predecessor’s fully electric powertrain. 

How’s this for mind over matter? Mattel, purveyors of Hot Wheels and Barbie, now has something to keep the mind as well as the hands occupied – the Mattel Mind Flex. While examples of mind-controlled (or more correctly termed, “physiologically-controlled”) gadgets have surfaced, the fact that Mattel, a mainstream toy manufacturer, is coming out with this product with no more fanfare than its regular release of varied Barbie costumes tells us something of the maturity of this technology. [Thanks to Engadget.com for all pictures]

Yanko Design is at it again, and their utterly useless combination of a toaster and battery charger design is utterly interesting and compelling. Getting ready for your day? Skip the breakfast and charge up all of your electronic doohickeys with this fanciful little gadget, and you’ll still get the fulfilling sensation of “toast” popping up and satisfying your hunger, but only in your mind of course.

“Nuclear power” isn’t the safest thing to mention in front of conservationists and the ecologically conscious, even if only due to the bad rep it has. So this new product to be released by a company called Hyperion is certain to raise some hackles and start some kind of outcry – if it really delivers on its promise – that is, to provide a potentially long-lasting source of power in a device not much bigger than a small tool shed – a “mini” nuclear reactor.

                                              Size illustration for the truly "mini" reactor - it actually weighs "just" 8 tons.

Although not as cool-looking as the HAL wearable exoskeleton, Honda’s Walking Assist Device with Bodyweight Support System did not go out of its way to look cool – it is meant to help the naturally mobility-impaired.

Robots are some of the most popular subjects in this here HWZ blog, and example like this, this, or this only prove that there’s a robot in the future for all of us. Along that thread of thought, we can then surmise that there will be many types of robots for many kinds of people, and this blog entry shows a robot that’s perfect for people who like them creepy: enter the MSR-101 Hexapod.

Note: Original article and all pictures are from www.maximumpc.com.Credits go to them.

It’s finally come to pass that the once super-hardcore in personal computers have become merely mundane. None of the traditionally enthusiast and modder-exclusive features, like clear side windows, cathode lights, water cooling, and overclocking, remain their exclusive domain, as all of the above can be had simply by buying the most relevant parts – generic casings with acrylic side windows, the whole sunbeam tech lineup, Cooler Master’s Aquagate, and most any respected motherboard maker you care to name – all corresponding to the above “features”.

There’s no doubt that technology and gadgets can be smart and logical, but sometimes they can be whimsical, traditional, even a bit creepy. The PlantBot seems to fit into all these descriptions, and best yet you can put in a different plant every fortnight or so and change its character every time! The PlanBot is robot that mimics a piece of furniture’s overall aesthetic with its wooden legs and body and a woven-basket holder for your chosen plant.