March 26, 2008

[THE GET IT]
Looking to expand your network? The Netgear FS605 5-Port 10/100 Fast Ethernet Switch allows you to connect up to 5 computers, printers, or other peripherals to your network, all at speeds of up to 100 Mbps. In addition, it features zero configuration plug and play installation and sports Auto Uplink™ which allows the correct signal to be used for each type of Ethernet cable. Office Depot is offering the FS605 for the ultra low price of $9.99 with free shipping!
http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?id=411472
 
[THE GIZMO]
Get your mojo working and conjure up some sweet peer to peer sharing. Mojo is a new and extremely easy way to share music over the internet. Once you download, install it and create an account, you simply add your friends who also have it installed and you’re ready to get started. You can then share any song in your iTunes library or download any song from your friends’ libraries over the internet, free of charge! Just double-click an entry in your Mojo friends list and Mojo will open a new window showing every song in their library, along with their playlists, movies, TV shows, Podcasts, and audio books. Mojo even shows you the entries that you already have in your library by displaying them in gray. DRM protected tracks are shown in red and the rest in black. Click here for Lifehacker’s enthusiastic introduction and guide to the product.
https://www.deusty.com/
 
[THE GORGEOUS]
Man, this is some clean livin’. Fisher & Paykel’s new Izona Cooksurface is as beautiful as it is functional. Sporting an elegant, flush, easy clean design, it also features the best of gas and ceramic technology combined. No ugly knobs or pot supports here, the Izona keeps them tucked away, flush to the seamless black ceramic glass just waiting to be summoned. Once activated, they rise from their hiding places and can be raised or lowered to your liking. These support pins are also removable for easy cleaning and have seals that ensure that liquid and cooking overspills are unable to leak into the pan support cavities. In addition, each burner has its own precise temperature control and LED displays. Unfortunately, the Izona is not in production just yet; however, the company plans to announce a release date once testing and regulatory approvals are completed.
http://www.markpascua.com/2008/03/23/izona-cook…
 
[THE GREEN]
Back in December I told you about a company named SkySails and their bid to bring wind power back to the shipping industry. If you remember, the SkySail consisted of a large, self-deploying 1,700-square-foot parasail that is tethered to the bow of a cargo ship. According to the company, once deployed, this sail is capable of lowering fuel costs an average of 10-35%. Up to this point it has all been testing and speculation. That is until now. The cargo ship Beluga SkySail set “sail” to Venezuela from Bremen on January 22nd and reached the Norwegian port of Mo-I-Rana on March 13th after travelling a total of 11,952 nautical miles. What was the result? Right in line with SkySails prediction, the sail was able to substitute for 20% of the engine’s power. That represents a savings of about 2.5 tons of fuel and works out to more than $1,000 a day. For the next trip they’re planning to double the size of the sail which they predict will double the fuel savings.
http://earth2tech.com/2008/03/19/maiden-voyage…
 
[THE GOSSIP]
Last week the Federal Communications Commission’s coveted 700MHz spectrum auction ended. Although the winner will be officially announced within the next 10 days, the smart money is on Verizon. The price tag? How about $19.592 billion! In a giant nyah-nyah, auction loser Google has announced they “don’t need no stinking 700MHz spectrum.” Instead of paying for the cow, they’re looking to get the milk for free by planning to utilize the slivers of unused TV airwaves between channels, otherwise known as white space. These airwaves will become available after the February 2009 digital TV switchover. In a letter to the FCC, Google outlined plans for a new class of phones and wireless devices that use local wireless airwaves to access this unused space. The FCC is currently testing equipment to see if this space can be used without interfering with TV broadcasts. Meanwhile, the price of a Google share rose $27.63.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/…

posted by wayne on 03.26.08 @ 8:18 am | 0 Comments

March 19, 2008

[THE GET IT]
Wake up your next presentation with the Trust TK-4300p Wireless Presenter Mouse. It’s a 6-button 2.4 GHz wireless controller that’s a presenter, trackball, laser pointer and desktop mouse all in one device. It charges via USB so you don’t need to lug around a power adapter or travel plug and automatically switches to presenter mode when picked up. In addition, it can be used for browsing the internet and playing your movies/music, wirelessly, from up to 15 meters. Buy.com is offering the TK-4300p for the low price of $49.99 with free shipping. That’s nearly half the price of anybody else.
http://www.buy.com/prod/trust-tk-4300p-wireless…
 
[THE GIZMO]
Back in December of ‘06 I featured the DARPA-funded BigDog, “the most advanced quadruped robot on Earth.” It was developed by Boston Dynamics and included a video that was quite unsettling. For those of you that remember it, you know what I mean. Well, Boston Dynamics has announced a new version of the BigDog and a video to go with it. The new unit is more capable, able to now carry 340 lbs, and just to warn you, much creepier. The video shows it navigating through all sorts of hazards like ice, piles of cinder blocks and deep snow, all the while able to regain its balance on its own. Honestly, this thing is more fit and athletic than most of your coworkers. I will say no more, just watch the video and be prepared to be frightened. Mules everywhere are emitting a collective sigh of relief. It’s a little long, but well worth the time.
http://blogs.spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/2008/03…
 
[THE GORGEOUS]
Said to be inspired by old train station clocks, the new Snap, designed for Diamantini & Domeniconi by Lorbus, looks more to me like a nice big slice of juicy candy. Kind of like a giant Starburst. The force behind Lorbus is Lorenzo Bustillos Galavis, a 32 year old industrial designer from Caracas, who now lives in Milan and is a self-proclaimed “freak for technology”. In addition to its beautiful design, the Snap features a base that rotates, allowing it to either be hung on the wall or used on a table and comes in two sizes: 28 x 28 and 37 x 37 cm. No word yet on pricing or availability. Unfortunately, the D&D site isn’t much help either.
http://lorbus.com/snap-for-diamantini-domeniconi-2008/
 
[THE GREEN]
I know what you’re thinking, not another piece on e-cycling, but I promise you this is different. Normally, you get information on a particular company or organization that handles a particular product. Or maybe a guide or web site that points you in the right direction. Well, e-cycling is about to get that much easier. You can now e-cycle your crusty old gadgets for free with the new “Mail Back” pilot program launched by the US Postal Service. Customers can pick up free envelopes in over 1,500 Post Offices to mail back inkjet cartridges, PDAs, Blackberries, digital cameras, iPods and MP3 players, free of charge! Clover Technologies Group is picking up the tab and there’s no limit to the number of envelopes customers may take. Clover is a nationally recognized company that recycles, remanufactures and remarkets your old gadgets and anything that cannot be sold is then broken down into components for reuse or safely recycled.
http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2008…
 
[THE GOSSIP]
As you know, THE GOSSIP section of the Hit List is usually reserved for stories like this one chronicling how the House of Representatives defied President Bush and the Senate by passing their version of a surveillance bill without legal immunity for telcos. Or maybe this one reporting that Toshiba will take nearly a $1 billion hit this year for its losing HD DVD campaign. So when I first came across this video, I knew that it really didn’t fit here, however, it was so good, I felt that I had to put it somewhere. So here it is, no real story, just an independent dog, passing the time away with his very own gadget.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PcL6-mjRNk

posted by wayne on 03.19.08 @ 8:35 am | 0 Comments

March 12, 2008

[THE GET IT]
Believe it or not, there are different levels of quality when it comes to DVD-R and CD-R media. TDK is one of the producers of higher quality media. Meritline is offering the 100 pack of 8X DVD-R White Thermal Hub Printable Blank Media, 4.7G Shrink Wrapped Bulk for the low price of $22.99 with free shipping. That’s 4.7GB for about 23 cents! Use coupon code TDK2OFF at checkout.
http://www.meritline.com/tdk-8x-dvd-r…
 
[THE GIZMO]
When you find yourself on the road, don’t forget that those outlets in hotel rooms, trains and airports are still susceptible to surges. Plus with more and more of us computing on the road, there are less of those outlets every where we go. But what are you going to do? You can’t lug around one of those giant power/surge strips. Get yourself the new Mini Surge Protector from Belkin. This tidy little model packs three grounded three-prong power outlets and two powered USB ports into its tiny frame, and plugs directly into the wall socket, so there’s no dangling cord. A green LED confirms that connected devices are protected against surges, which Belkin backs with a $75,000 warranty. Just a fantastic travel tool. PC Connection currently has it available for $19.99.
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage…
 
[THE GORGEOUS]
Okay, so we’ve seen 1TB external hard drives for some time now, but I don’t think I have ever seen one so ominous. No ugly plastic case here, just 1 terabyte of monolithic badass at your service. The new USB 2.0 Desktop Hard Disk from LaCie has a beautifully clean design, done up all in minimalist flat black with the exception of a single blue light behind the grill that periodically glows to signal it’s working. It features a quiet, compact, high speed 7200 rpm disc, 16MB (2 x 8MB) cache and measures 4.5 x 2.5 x 8.2 in. so it won’t take up a lot of desktop real estate. In addition LaCie includes ‘1-Click’ Backup Software for quick backups. The Desktop Hard Disk also comes in 250GB and 500GB flavors. I found the 1TB model on Buy.com for just $216.99!
http://www.lacie.com/us/products/product.htm?pid=11051
 
[THE GREEN]
You probably wouldn’t have to look much further than your umbrella to find your most un-green product. After all, it’s almost always made of some unrecyclable material and is usually poorly constructed which many times results in a short lifespan. You’ve seen those old carcasses floating around on a stormy day like tumbleweeds. Feeling guilty yet? How about a 100% biodegradable umbrella that looks great? I’d like to introduce the BRELLI from PAM&Co. The frame is constructed of bamboo, cotton string and is covered in a unique, patent-pending biodegradable clear canopy that will biodegrade in less than five years. Despite its delicate appearance, the makers claim it can withstand heavy downpours and high winds, crediting its design and use of bamboo. The BRELLI comes in two sizes: a 35″ diameter stow away version for $28 and a full sized 52″ for $38. The BRELLI will be available March 18th but can be pre-ordered right now.
http://www.thebrelli.com/
 
[THE GOSSIP]
Woo-hoo! Removing any doubt that the iPhone could be the corporate business phone that we all hoped, Apple has announced support for some serious bidness tools. The big bomb? How about Microsoft Exchange and ActiveSync support. Yes, that’s right, I said Exchange support. In addition, we’re talking about push email, push calendar, push contacts, global address list, Cisco VPN, certificates and identities, WPA2/ 802.1x, security policies, device configuration and Remote Wipe. According to Information Week, Nike and Disney have been testing Exchange for iPhone and are pretty happy with it. I’ll bet that infamous laugh by Steve Balmer, when asked about the iPhone, is surely haunting him this week. .
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle…

posted by wayne on 03.12.08 @ 9:47 am | 0 Comments

March 5, 2008

[THE GET IT]
If you’re still doing that landline thing, here’s your chance to upgrade the whole house in one shot. The Panasonic 5.8GHz Cordless Answering System comes with four handsets and a built-in digital answering machine. In addition, it features call-waiting/talking caller ID, speakerphone, visual ringer, handset locator, built-in clock with alarm, four-way conferencing, voice enhancer technology and intercom. Circuit City is offering this feature-packed system up for the low price of $99.98.
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Panasonic-5-8GHz…
 
[THE GIZMO]
After nearly a year and a half of lighting up the photography blogs and web sites, the new Sigma P1 will finally begin to ship the end of this month. The P1 is unique in that Sigma has managed to crowbar a full size sensor (14MP) and specs of a full-size, high end SLR into the body of a compact camera. It features a 14 megapixel Foveon X3 image sensor that is currently found in Sigma’s SD14 dSLR, a 16.6mm F4 lens that is equivalent to a standard 28mm, providing low distortion, high contrast images, QVGA video mode (320 x 240 @ 30fps) and an audio capture mode. In addition, it has support for RAW, the “TRUE” image processing engine and features full manual controls for photo enthusiasts. The Sigma P1 is currently available for pre-order on Amazon for $799.
http://www.sigma-dp1.com/main.html
 
[THE GORGEOUS]
Looking for a nice place to keep that new gadget warm and safe? ‘Cause you know that new little anorexic MacBook Air of yours is always complaining its chilly. Then definitely check out the simple, beautiful, handcrafted line from Working Class Heroes. These sleeves and pouches are made from soft, water-repellent 3mm grey German wool felt and are finished off with nice simple snaps for closure and a bit of leather for accent. The line currently features pouches for your laptop, moleskin or iPod/iTouch along with a mousemat done up in the same style. Trying to distinguish themselves from the plastic and rubber usually used for these types of products, founder James Teal says. “We were inspired by the past, when handcrafted items were almost an everyday commodity.”
http://www.workingclassheroes.eu/products.html
 
[THE GREEN]
This week at the Geneva Motor Show, Morgan, creator of those crazy wooden-framed, retro-styled roadsters, unveiled the much anticipated hydrogen-fueled LifeCar. Beyond the advantages of zero emissions, the LifeCar has some beauty and a little beast in it. Along with a well appointed interior featuring steam-bent plywood covered in hand stitched leather and a wood-rimmed steering wheel, the LifeCar is slated to do 0-60 mph in 7 seconds and have a top speed of 100 mph. In addition to the hydrogen-fueled powerplant, the LifeCar sports an advanced regenerative braking system that rescues some 50% of its kinetic energy giving it a maximum range of 250 miles. Okay, I get it, beautiful, powerful and green but do I have to look like I just carjacked Liberace or Cruella de Vil?
http://jalopnik.com/363442/morgan-lifecar…
 
[THE GOSSIP]
A small device that you attach to your surfboard or wetsuit to repel sharks? Sounds great, doesn’t it? The Shark Shield was designed to emit electrical waves, giving sharks uncomfortable muscle contractions to drive them away. However, while being tested in South Africa, under the supervision of the Natal Sharks Board, a female great white shark actually ate it! I’m no scientist, but that doesn’t sound so good. This on the heels of the death of Jarrod Stehbens, who was “taken” by a shark while studying cuttlefish for the University of Adelaide after being provided with two Shark Shields. Probably feeling a bit on the defensive side, Rod Hartley, director of Sea Change Technology, which manufactures the Shark Shields, states “The surf product only can be guaranteed to work when it’s stationary, not when it’s surfing in the wave or paddling.” Huh? Now you just have to figure out how to stay stationary while surfing.
http://www.uberreview.com/2008/03/shark-shield…

posted by wayne on 03.05.08 @ 9:40 am | 0 Comments