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WATCH TV ON A COMPUTER SCREEN WITHOUT A COMPUTER

Watching TV on a your computer's screen isn't a big deal anymore with the abundance of TV tuner cards that let you view television images on your computer's screen. However all of those cards have one thing in common, that being they require the computer to be turned on. But the AVerTV Box from AVerMedia is something different in that you can watch TV on your computer's screen without the need to power on the computer.

Calling this ultra high-tech designed device a "box" is a misnomer. The silver toned wedge shaped device can sit on the table or stand vertically in its included black base. Simply attach a cable TV coaxial cable to the AVerTV Box's built-in cable ready tuner. You can also hook up most any other audio and video source such as a video game as well and at the same time. Use the included VGA cable to connect it directly to your computer's screen. The AVerTV Box supports up to 181 channels, has a fine tuning function, and can scan automatically for both cable and air TV channels. Also with the unit comes a full function remote control that lets you access all of the AVerTV Box's features such as picture-in-picture, multi-lingual on-screen menus, sleep timer, channel selection, volume controls and more.

The AVerTV Box sells for $159.99 and works with both PC and Mac systems.

(800) 863-2332 www.aver.com

Folding keyboard for your PDA

Tired of graffiti? I'm not talking about the writing that defaces walls but rather the shorthand form of data entry required by everyone using a Palm PDA. It's true the Palm and other PDAs offer alternative methods such as using the stylus to tap in characters on a screen keyboard but none of these methods can match the speed and ease of a real keyboard. The folks at Think Outside must have heard about "the agony of the text entry" and came up with a clever solution: A foldable keyboard. The Stowaway Keyboard is a folding keyboard that when closed can easily fit in the palm of your hand. In the closed position, the Stowaway is about the same size as the PDA. The four segmented keyboard accordions open into a full size, no-compromise tactile feedback keyboard with all the keys one finds on today's portable computers.

After opening the keyboard, the PDA simply plugs into the middle top edge of the keyboard via the slot at the bottom of the PDA. This stands the PDA at a slightly tilted vertical angle making it easy to view the screen when the Stowaway is placed flat on a table. Included software adds special key functions to call up menus and other features directly from the Stowaway. Each keyboard is designed specifically for different make and model PDAs so make sure you find the one for your unit before buying. A complete list of compatible units can be found on the Think Outside web site. $99.99.

www.thinkoutside.com

More keyboards

Do your fingers constantly hit the spaces between the keys on a keyboard? For the many out there who find themselves with hands larger than the rest of us, BigKeys has a keyboard for you. The BigKeys Company makes keyboards after their namesake. Each key on the these keyboards are one full inch square making it pretty hard to miss a key, even with the biggest fingers. BigKeys makes several model keyboards such as the BigKeys LX and the BigKeys Plus that offer different layouts, keys and color schemes. Check the website for more details. Prices start at $169.

(800) 249-5397 www.bigkeys.com