Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:33:47 GMT

Manual Hard Drive Destroyer

This Manual Hard Drive Destroyer seems to be quite effective in rendering a disk full of data safe from prying eyes. Actually we’re guessing that if you really really wanted to retrieve the data, and had CIA levels of cash, you probably could. Which is why +600 degrees of furnace fire is really your only choice if you want to make sure your information is gone for good.

  It takes less than 15 seconds to destroy each hard drive. All one needs to do is to insert the proper drive height adaptor (if applicable) into the slot and crank the handle 8 rotations. The internal workings of the unit press down on the drive, bending it approximately 90 degrees. The MHDD then pushes the destroyed hard drive out for easy disposal. Posted by: Redferret      Read more     Source

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:51:21 GMT

LG breaks the thinness record....

Okay, so it's not quite the thinnest TV ever; that goes to some fancy pants OLED stuff that nobody will be able to afford for about 20 years, but it IS the thinnest LCD TV yet, measuirng just 5.9mm at their thinnest. Woah. That's tiny! I'm sure it'll look good on your wall....but is the extra cash for something just a little bit thinner really worth it?

I'd rather have a fatter but better value TV myself, perhaps with better picture quality too.... oh well LG, we await pricing. Posted by: Pat      Read more     Source

Sat, 02 May 2009 15:17:27 GMT

Silver Seal washable keyboard

Tossing that dirty keyboard into a tub of warm soap water for a clean-up is no longer an urge that you have to repeatedly supress due to those well-understood, practical reasons. The Silver Seal washable keyboard adds a simple and utterly sensible innovation to the normal keyboard to fend off the disastrous consequences - waterproofing. A gotcha moment for you too there, wasn"t it ?

The Silver Seal USB keyboard can be dunked into a tub of water, held under a running tap, or simply tossed into the dishwasher along with the rest of your utensils which are waiting to get scrubbed up. In any case, cleaning this keyboard is a no-nonsense matter since it has a special Seal Shield that makes it totally water-cum-spill proof. And laser etching ensures that the keys won"t fade off either. The shield also has an "Antimicrobial Protection" layer that makes sure that the mucky microbes are kept at bay.

With such features under its belt, the functional specs can"t really matter, can they? For me personally, it brings in the huuuge freedom to be clumsy with the cuppa while I am working. Totally precious. Available at Firebox.com for around $58.

Via The Red Ferret. Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source

Fri, 01 May 2009 02:25:02 GMT

Portable Misting Tower

This Portable Misting Tower comes with absolutely no ecological cred at all, but if you dwell in a hot hot climate, you’ll probably appreciate the ability to stay cool outdoors. Of course there is a school of thought that says you shouldn’t be hanging around under a roasting sun anyway, but we’ll move on from that and try not to be churlish. $79.95.

 Portable misting tower creates a cooling, hydrating mist, so you can enjoy your patio, deck or garden all summer long. When outdoor temperatures soar, don’t retreat indoors—use this misting tower. Tower produces a fine mist that cools the air and leaves you feeling refreshed. Great for sunbathing, BBQs and more. Your pets and plants will love the cool mist, too. Posted by: Redferret      Read more     Source

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:46:27 GMT

Mitsubishi defies crunch, releases a monster!

Mitsubishi obviously don't understand that the world is in a state of economic crisis; as they have just released a rather mad 82" LCD, costing almost $5000. It's not just big, it has some rather big features too; full 3D support, for whenever (if ever) 3D actually becomes something mainstream. It also features phenominal 120hz technology for completely judder free technology, as well as some serious colour gamut support.

It would look like a good buy, if only there were any certainty in 3D content coming soon, or even ever.... Posted by: Jordan Grodecki      Read more     Source

April 2, 2009, 5:03 AM CT

What do we lose with our technologies?

There are Web cams focused on falcons, ferrets and fish, virtual tours of the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, and robotic dogs, seals and even dinosaurs. But what about the real deal: observing animals in their natural habitat, hiking the John Muir Trail or a playing with a live pet?

Modern technology increasingly is encroaching into human connections with the natural world and University of Washington psychology experts believe this intrusion may emerge as one of the central psychological problems of our times.

"We are a technological species, but we also need a deep connection with nature in our lives," said Peter Kahn, a UW developmental psychology expert and main author of a newly released study exploring how humans connect with nature and technological nature.

Writing in the current issue of the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science, Kahn and two of his UW graduate students, Rachel Severson and Jolina Ruckert, look at the psychological effects of interacting with various forms of technological nature and explore humanity's growing estrangement from nature.

The UW scientists cite earlier experiments conducted by Kahn's laboratory, one with a plasma display "window" and several with AIBO, a robotic dog.

The plasma window study showed that people recovered better from low-level stress by looking at an actual view of nature rather than seeing the same real-time high-definition television scene displayed on a plasma window......... Posted by: Ryan      Read more         Source

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 03:28:02 GMT

Eco-Media Player Revolution

The Eco-Media Player Revolution is an updated version of the original Eco Media Player with extra bits. It still has the fabulous hand-cranked, charge-me-anywhere handle but it now it plays nicely with iTunes. It’s also got an SD card slot, so you can boost its storage capacity from the inbuilt 4Gb all way to 11 16Gb. You can still charge your mobile phone with it, watch videos, read eBooks, show off your photos, listen to FM radio and record with the built-in mic or line-in.

The battery is good for 48 hours (!!) of audio playback or 7 hours of video, and a minute of winding will give you 45 minutes of mp3 playback. If winding’s not your thing, just plug in the USB cable and charge it the old-fashioned way. The only downside I can see is it weighs 750g so it might make a bulge in your pocket. £109.95.

 To power the Eco-Media Player Revolution, simply wind the integrated handle, and it will reward you with 24-bit Hi Fidelity playback of all the major music formats including Apple AAC, Microsoft WMA, mp3, and OGG Vorbis. Playlists can be organised by Favourites, Artists, Albums or Genre, and the device can even handle movie playback, supporting formats such as MP4 (H.264) and Windows WMV, for superb, glitch-free enjoyment of all those great music-videos and feature films. Posted by: Redferret      Read more     Source

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:43:50 GMT

Sky Cutter Flying Lawnmower

The Sky Cutter Flying Lawnmower looks like fun. If only it could actually cut grass as well. Wowee! The video is also hilarious. $149.99 for complete kit.

 Take offs are a breeze as the Sky Cutter takes to the air with ease. Simply apply power and pull up slightly on the controllers once speed has built up. High speed or slow, the Sky Cutter can fly at any speed and still retain a constant and steady flight path. Landings require a little finesse as the Sky Cutter will come in at a high alpha angle. With a combination of power and elevator, it will touch down softly. Posted by: Redferret      Read more     Source

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:39:53 GMT

I'm Using Safari 4 Open Beta and I Haven't Died Yet

Hello, my name is Chris Matier, and I hate Internet Explorer. Well, maybe hate is a strong word, but I definitely don't like it much. After all, nearly half of my computing time is done on Apple products, and Microsoft gives me no love. I use safari on my Macs, but Idefinitely don't like Safari in Vista much either. That is until today; right now, I am running the beta release of Safari 4 on both platforms, and so far I love it.

Apple is known for eye-candy, and that is the same for their software; Safari is no exception. The cover flow history interface serves no real purpose other than to look really fancy, and the "top sites" feature is no different than Opera or Chrome's speed dial except that it is much prettier. Thankfully, Safari 4 brings much more to the table other than cover flow and fancy histories; it is fast, and it loads many pages much quicker than Firefox. Yeah, Apple says it is faster, but it really is - trust me. Safari has also lost the stupid address bar and gained a smart address bar. What this means is that you can type in a phrase or word, and Safari will finally work like every other web browser.

Under the hood it seems stable and usable, but keep in mind it is a beta. I have done a lot to it including wringing all of Google's apps through it and it has yet to crash on both my MacBook and my HP Tablet. This is something I could not say for Safari 3 or Firefox 3. So far, so good; I like it. Head over to Apple to download the beta for yourself. Posted by: Chris Matier      Read more     Source

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:18:51 GMT

A casuality of the global economy

I'm not sure how it's going out there in the big ol' US of A, but over here in the UK prices for cameras are going bananas, literally. The pound has devalued significantly, and as such, with a lot of cameras imported from america, and as such, something like the Canon 580ex mk flash unit, has literally doubled in price up to £500. Loads of other things have gone up, lenses, bodies, the lot.

I was planning an upgrade before christmas but now.....I just can't afford it! Can anyone in the US tell me if things have changed at all for you? Posted by: Jordan Grodecki      Read more     Source

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 11:11:49 GMT

Lisse S10 MP3 player from MyRacer

We were far from being impressed by just another pocket-sized mp3 player, but the Lisse S10 from MyRacer is one that definitely can"t be written off in a hurry. Though we totally dig the cuteness factor that the 128 x 64 resolution OLED display brings in, the highlight of this gizmo happens to be the fact that the display itself performs the functionality of a 4-way directional pad that helps navigates between menus. Alles accomplished succinctly within a mere 46x40x11mm volume. The little beauties are apparently going to be available only in Korea in 2GB or 4GB varieties (in several delicious colors).

Via Engadget. Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 04:48:51 GMT

Napa Essentials Battery Operated Corkscrew

I don"t drink wine at home on a regular basis, so I may be behind in learning about this. A battery operated corkscrew?  Seriously?  Great day in the morning! I always end up with little bits of cork on the bottle because I can never work my hand corkscrew correctly. I don"t know if I can fathom the thought of a perfectly popped cork.  I think I want to cheer!

I saw this Napa Essentials Battery Operated Corkscrew at a friend"s party over the holidays.  Just a push of the button and all the normal twisting, pulling, and tugging is out the window. Posted by: Editor      Read more     Source

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:14:58 GMT

PSX-2

No, it has nothing to do with Sony's PSX; a PS2 in a box with PVR functions, or even anything to do with the original Playstation; it's an iPod dock. I don't tend to like reporting on iPod docks as they tend to be cheapy things for kids to blast awful quality music out of; but this ones a bit different.

Firstly, it's expensive. A whopping $399. Also, no speakers included, this just hooks up to them.

So why the cost? It's compatible with Universal remotes, something I've been pining for for ages! It will let me use my iPod in my system properly! It's very very well done as well, with IR codes for every concievable function you could want, even those not available to the user on the iPod itself!

Incrediable piece of kit which probably took a damn long time to create, well worth it. Posted by: Jordan Grodecki      Read more     Source

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 06:12:32 GMT

The Socket Sense

The Socket Sense.Many of them are not always suitable for connecting multiple adapters, often they are very large or you would require more than one to accommodate all the various power adapters. Ideative"s Socket Sense is a good solution and makes perfect sense. It"s a pretty nifty product which expands perfectly and can connect them all with one Socket Sense. It expands outwards so you can "load" the outlets before compressing them together into a tidier bundle. All details in video!

Watch the "The Socket Sense" Video on Youtube Posted by: Venus      Read more     Source

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 06:09:47 GMT

Sound Blaster - for iTunes

Sound Blaster for iTunes from Creative Labs. Sounds like something we all want. I know I do.

It wirelessly streams your music to any room of your home where you have a Creative Wireless Receiver connected to speakers or the new GigaWorks T20W speakers, which have a receiver built right in. The Sound Blaster for iTunes transmitter (the USB device) will be $99, the Creative Wireless Receivers will be $69.99 and the GigaWorks T20Ws will be $129.99.( If you already own the Gigaworks speakers, as I do, you just need a Creative Wireless Receiver that you plug into your current speakers via line-out.) Available in the Spring. Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 00:08:55 GMT

The Key To Success

The Key To Success."The Key To Success" designed by Sebastian Frith is awesome; simple yet useful. The design for sure is made for multiple uses, it can work as a spanner, a bottle opener and its also a keychain. A simple device which can be said to be a combination of different functions for different situations. Posted by: Venus      Read more     Source

January 15, 2009, 7:25 PM CT

Next generation cloak

A device that can bestow invisibility to an object by "cloaking" it from visual light is closer to reality. After being the first to demonstrate the feasibility of such a device by constructing a prototype in 2006, a team of Duke University engineers has produced a new type of cloaking device, which is significantly more sophisticated at cloaking in a broad range of frequencies.

The latest advance was made possible by the development of a new series of complex mathematical commands, known as algorithms, to guide the design and fabrication of exotic composite materials known as metamaterials. These materials can be engineered to have properties not easily found in natural materials, and can be used to form a variety of "cloaking" structures. These structures can guide electromagnetic waves around an object, only to have them emerge on the other side as if they had passed through an empty volume of space.

The results of the latest Duke experiments were published Jan. 16 in the journal Science First authors of the paper were Duke's Ruopeng Liu, who developed the algorithm, and Chunlin Li. David R. Smith, William Bevan Professor of electrical and computer engineering at Duke, is the senior member of the research team.

Once the algorithm was developed, the latest cloaking device was completed from conception to fabrication in nine days, in comparison to the four months mandatory to create the original, and more rudimentary, device. This powerful new algorithm will make it possible to custom-design unique metamaterials with specific cloaking characteristics, the scientists said......... Posted by: Ryan      Read more         Source

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:41:43 GMT

Roku goes HD

Netflix has always been pretty damn cool in my eyes; streaming video content on demand, for a really reasonable price. The fact that with things like the xBox360 and now Roku, it is moving back to the television rather than the PC, is also excellent in my book. As much as I like watching things on demand on my PC, I'd rather watch them on demand on my television!

Roku's $99 box has just become even more attractive, with it's new firmware supporting HD Netflix streaming, where available.

Awesome? I think so! Posted by: Jordan Grodecki      Read more     Source

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:09:53 GMT

Roku hits back with HD Netflix

Sorta cross posting from the digital TV weblog, but this is just as relevant here in my opinion!

Netflix, while a wonderful service for the PC, has always been limited by being just that; a service for the PC. With the advent of the service on set top boxes like Roku and the xBox360, this limitation has vanished! I can finally watch on demand movies and television from Netflix, on my television. Just what I wanted!

If you are a 360 owner you have probably got accustomed to the HD content, but Roku owners have been left in the dark ages, with SD streaming being all that there is available; until now! The 1.5 firmware update for Roku enables HD streaming, just in time for Christmas! Posted by: Jordan Grodecki      Read more     Source

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:32:45 GMT

10 Offbeat Uses For A Digital Camera

How many times have you found new uses for things you've had for a while?

My hunch is that it's happened frequently but no one person can come up with all the good ideas and I found 10 prime ways to use your digital camera, most of which I'll be you never would have imagined.

These are 10 innovative uses for a digital camera that you need to know about.

Take a camera with you whenever possible, and look around, you'll find a picture somewhere.

Photo Source:www.cockeyed.com Posted by: jim      Read more     Source

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:27:17 GMT

Fuji Will Release Digital 3D Camera Next Year

Here's something I came across entirely by luck while cruising the Fuji digital imaging website yesterday.

Sometime late next year Fujifilm plans to release a digital 3-D camera, and I, being a fan of 3-D imaging couldn't be happier.

I've dabbled with 3-D over the years and have had fairly good results with a variety of old and new 3-D cameras.

Those cameras use film, have 2 or more lenses and yield stereo slides, pairs of stereo prints to be viewed with a special viewer, or specially processed "lenticular" prints which allow 3-D images to be viewed directly without special viewers or glasses.

My 3-D or, "stereo", photographic pursuits include using what is probably the granddaddy of consumer level "lenticular" 3-D cameras, the venerable "Nimslo."

Lenticular prints are the easiest of all 3-D images to handle and Fuji's upcoming digital 3-D camera will utilize that system.

The necessary special print processing will be available at Fuji's 1 hour outlets.

3-D photography isn't for everyone but it still has large numbers of fans and more and more movies are being released in 3-D so there is a bit of a rebirth happening.

Check out this upcoming Fuji digital 3-D camera and see if it's for you.

Take a camera with you whenever possible, and look around, you'll find a picture somewhere.

Photo Source:www.fujifilm.com Posted by: jim      Read more     Source

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:47:40 GMT

Dreidel, droidel, droidel, Happy Hanukah to all

Spell it Chanukah, Hanukah, or even Hanukkah. It"s the 8-day Jewish holiday known as the Festival of Lights. It usually falls in December and often overlaps with Christmas. This is one of those years. Chanukah begins at sundown December 21.

Among Chanukah traditions is a children"s toy: the four-sided top called the dreidel, which is used in a game and is the subject of a bouncy nonsense song.

The song says dreidels are made of clay, although they are usually made of wood. But detailed instructions for making a dreidel out of--wait for it--a cereal box can be found here. Here is the Star Wars site, which promotes everything connected with guess what movies, video games, and even--it was probably inevitable--a touring musical.

What does a dreidel have to do with Star Wars? The Star Wars dreidel is actually a droidel, so named because it melds R2D2 with the top. Marketing genius. Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:32:54 GMT

String Of Pearls Trivet

String Of Pearls Trivet.A string of white porcelain pearls, designed to protect any table from hot pots, pans or plates, a good inch and a half away from the table top or tray surface. Not your typical little trivet or stand, but definitely an amazingly well working one. Costs $80. Posted by: Venus       Read more     Source

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:32:40 GMT

Mini Bubblegum - 250 GB USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive

Ever since I glued rhinestones on my first BlackBerry, I''ve flaunted the fact that I''m a geek girl with style. (It was also handy as I worked at AOL at the time and at meetings you had to leave all communication devices outside on a table. Believe me, no one ever picked up mine by accident:)

So I actually love this bubble-gum pink portable hard drive by Simple Tech which boasts 250 GB! (You can also get it in other "flavors.")

What''s to love:

- Sleek design by Pininfarina
- Small, compact size
- Durable and made for travel
- Multiple colors and capacities to suit your style
- High speed USB 2.0 "Y" cable included provides power without extra cables
- Simple, automatic backups with Fabrik Local Backup
- Complete protection with Fabrik Ultimate Backup online service (2 GB free)
- Joggle digital content manager for easy tracking, sharing and publishing of photos, music, and videos
- Free technical support

If you feel like flaunting your inner stylish geek girl, it will cost you $85 at Amazon. Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source