Slideshow

Beauty shots: Technology to drool over

9 Photos Anne B. McDonald (PC World (US online))

Take a gander at some of the most gorgeous tech of the year from the 2010 Industrial Design Excellence Awards.

  • GlideTV Navigator Remote Control





    The US$99 wireless [[xref:http://glidetv.com/navigator|GlideTV Navigator|GlideTV Navigator]] fits in the palm of your hand. It's designed to provide keyboard, mouse, and remote control capabilities for controlling your home theater, media PC, gaming consoles, [[xref: http://www.pcworld.com/article/200094/hulu_plus_subscription_service_streams_tv_for_999_a_month.html|Hulu|Hulu]], and more--all in [[xref:http://www.idsa.org/content/content1/glide-tv-navigator|one small package|Glide TV Navigator]].

  • Best in Show: Sling Media's Slingbox 700U Set-Top Box



    Sling Media's small Slingbox 700U won one of three Best in Show awards given by the [[xref:http://www.idsa.org/content/panel/idea-2010-gallery|Industrial Designers Society of America|Industrial Designers Society of America]] (ISDA). The ISDA's 2010 International Design Excellence Awards attracted nearly 2000 entrants.

    Only available through TV service providers, the 700U is an IP-enabled, USB set-top box that enables users to watch HDTV content in real time on their laptops or PCs.

    (Most photos: Courtesy of the Industrial Designers Society of America)

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  • Dell Vostro 320 All-in-One PC



    Dell designed this graceful [[xref:http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/review/desktop_pcs/dell/vostro_320/348379|all-in-one PC|Dell Vostro]]--with its "picture-frame" stand and 19-inch widescreen flat-panel display--to appeal to the business market.

    Winner of a [[xref:http://www.idsa.org/content/content1/dell-vostro-all-one|IDSA Bronze Award|IDSA Bronze Award]], the Vostro 320 price ranges in price from US$569 to $699, depending on the configuration. The optional desk clamp costs extra.

  • LaCie USB Flash Keys



    LaCie's inventive USB flash drives--from left to right, the [[xref:http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=11409|WhizKey|WhizKey]], the [[xref:http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=11225|iamaKey|iamaKey]], and the [[xref:http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=11405|CooKey|CooKey]]--impressed the judges enough to win [[xref:http://www.idsa.org/content/content1/lacie-iamakey-cookey-and-whiskey-usb-flash-drives|a Gold Award|LaCie IamaKey, CooKey and WhisKey USB flash drives]].

    These sturdy metal keys hold from 4GB to 32GB of data; their prices start at US$20.

  • Asus LS246 LCD Monitor



    This glamorous 24-inch frameless monitor, with its unusual ring support, was a finalist in the [[xref:http://www.idsa.org/content/content1/ls246-lcd-monitor|IDSA's Computer Tech|IDSA's Computer Tech]] category. The [[xref:http://www.pcworld.com/shopping/detail/prtprdid,789030257-sortby,retailer/pricing.html|Asus LS246 LCD Monitor|Asus LS246 LCD Monitor]] costs about US$300.

  • Dell Adamo XPS Laptop



    Dell's ultrathin Adamo XPS laptop won a Silver Award from the IDSA for its sleek design.

    Last fall, PCWorld had an in-depth discussion with the [[xref:http://www.pcworld.com/article/181464/handson_with_dell_adamo_xpsand_prototypes_youll_never_see.html|Dell designer in charge of this project|Hands-On with Dell Adamo XPS--and Prototypes You’ll Never See]] about how the Adamo XPS was put together.

  • Samsung G Series Hard Disk Drives



    Samsung's [[xref:http://www.samsung.com/global/business/hdd/external/external.html|G Series hard disk drives|G Series hard disk drives]], which range in size from 120GB to 250GB, have Lego-like knobby surfaces whose color is designed to change when light shines on them.

    The drives also have ecological appeal, as they are halogen-free inside and out. They won a [[xref:http://www.idsa.org/content/content1/external-hdd-g-series|Gold Award|Gold Award]] in the Computer Equipment Category.

  • Litl WebBook Internet Appliance



    The easy-to-use [[xref:http://www.pcworld.com/article/186411/hands_on_with_the_litl_webbook.html|Litl WebBook|Litl WebBook]] (US$399), a [[xref:http://www.idsa.org/content/content1/litl-webbook-0|finalist in the IDSA design awards|LiTL WebBook]], is billed as an Internet appliance that offers a heightened Web experience via its sprightly widgets.

    The company calls the device an "un-computer," and promises that anyone can master the essential point-and-click hardware features instantly.

  • At&T 3G Microcell



    AT&T's [[xref:http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/why/3gmicrocell/|3G Microcell|3G Microcell]] won a Silver Award in the design competition in the Communications Tools category.

    This US$150 little tower [[xref:http://www.idsa.org/content/content1/att-3g-microcell|amps up your AT&T service|AT&T 3G Microcell]] for 3G phones in your home or small business.
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