It’s just a calculator. But a very nice one, designed by Canon’s camera group, and it uses recycled PowerShot lenses for the glass elements. It’s thirty dollars. Lake Success, N.Y., January 5, 2010 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today announced the addition of the X Mark I calculator to its lineup of environmentally conscious calculators incorporating recycled materials into critical structural components. Advancing Canon’s commitment to a sustainable environment, the display panel of the X Mark I is made from Canon Digital Camera Prism Preconsumer recycled material. Designed with the Canon Inc.

Calculators were the original handheld computers, but unlike the whole PDA fad, they’ve had amazing staying power through their 40-year history — to this day, buttoned-up dudes crunching numbers at wooden desks have HP 12Cs next to them not for the kitschy retro street cred, but because they’re functional, familiar, and do exactly what they’re expected to do. Thing is, even purpose-suited perfection can only carry a product for so many years; eventually, raw technology and a new generation of users with different expectations are going to conspire to tear down the status quo. HP was the first giant to recognize that it might be a good idea to have virtual versions of its products available for a more modern medium, porting the 12C and 15C to the iPhone; now, TI — HP’s archrival in the calculator business for decades — is doing the same by offering its BAII Plus as a $14.99 download from the App Store. That’s exactly the same price as the 12C, so come on, you HP and TI diehards — duke it out and tell us which brand makes the better adding machine once and for all, won’t you?

We’re kicking off our series exploring memorable gadgets from memorable people with one of the most influential tech giants: Steve Wozniak , co-founder of Apple. – JC OK…meaningful…here goes… For that definition, it was probably an electronics learning kit I got for Christmas at about age 8 or 9. As I recall, it didn’t teach electronics formulas or resistor codes, but was full of projects to hook up input devices like switches and output devices like buzzers and lights. It was like learning how to connect all the devices to your hi-fi, or connecting all your peripherals to a computer.

Nerds of the world jump of happiness, for HP has brought the legendary HP 15C Scientific Calculator and the HP 12C Financial Calculator for the iPhone and iPod touch, complete with custom skins and programming. What are these “calculators” I am talking about, you ask? Please, allow me to pull a Chris Anderson here: The HP-15C was a high end scientific programmable. To the HP-34C’s numerical integration and root solver the HP-15C added complex numbers and matrix calculations. The HP-12C is HP’s longest and best selling calculator. Though it has been followed by many newer models, with both more and less features this model continues to sell well

Sure, you may have seen plenty of calculators / mousepads / USB hubs in your day. But how about a calculator / mousepad / USB hub that lights up ? Didn’t think so. Head on past the break for a glimpse of that magic, and hit up the link below to get one of your own for just $17.99. [Via Engadget Chinese ] Continue reading Behold: the illuminated calculator / mouse pad / USB hub Filed under: Misc

In the battle for e-book reader domination, Samsung’s Papyrus—a new touchscreen model. The A5 paper-size Papyrus features a stylus and 512MB of memory, and comes in a range of colors, including white, black, and a retro sea-foamy green. The e-book reader also includes handy applications: a memo pad, scheduler, calendar, world clock, calculator, and contact list. When stacking it up against the Amazon Kindle and Sony PRS-700 readers, I’m curious if it will have a decent store with a large ebook collection. The e-book reader is set to hit shelves in Korea this summer and will launch at a later date in the UK and U.S.

From a fitness and educational standpoint, I understand the idea behind the Alpha Mat . It provides a plyometric type of workout while engaging the mind with numerical sequences—but it’s missing a key ingredient. The problem is that the mat isn’t hooked up to anything. It’s not a gigantic calculator and it can’t connect with your phone to send text messages. Still, I see potential here. Working computer keyboard mats, television remotes and the like could make for an amusing fitness routine that wouldn’t grow old for at least a few hours…maybe even a few days

We have all heard how TV, game consoles and computers are being blamed for obesity—or that people don’t read as much, write as much and that we rely too much on technology. Seriously, if it wasn’t for calculators I would be counting on my fingers—and many of us would die of starvation if deprived of a microwave. So my question is: have gadgets turned us all into lazy morons? Have Gadgets Turned Us Into Lazy Morons? ( Online surveys ) [Image via X-tremeGeek ]

Sorry, straight-edgers. Continuing our theme of ” Pot Hacks March ,” loyal reader Brian sent in his creation, a pipe made out of an Atari 2600 controller. Doesn’t look like there’s any water in the pipe, and there’s no way it’s still functional, but any and all McGuyvering of marginally illegal substances must be championed. So, um, champion! [ Thanks, Brian! ]

It must be creative pipe week here at Gizmodo, because people keep sending in their awesome creations. And this might be the best one yet: a functioning TI-83 calculator with a pipe built into it. In high school, I made a pipe out of a TI-83 Plus calculator. the calculator still works, even now, as well as the pipe. Even though the tube is made of duct tape, it works fine.