This page contains, or will contain, all the gadgets & gizmos talked about on The Daily Giz Wiz during July, 2008. Newest week is at the top. The Netcast usually goes online about 11 PM the night before the date indicated.
Monday, July 28th, 2008, Netcast 621
No LED’s, no secret pockets, but a baseball cap still worth owning.
The Gorgonz Work Hat came in real handy when I attended the Marine Accessories Show in Las Vegas in July. Outside temperatures were 105 to 110 during the day! The Gorgonz is designed to keep your head cool when it’s warm and warm when it’s cool. I’ve only used to keep my head cool, and it works really well. Unlike other hats that trap sweat and heat, this work hat uses Hydroweave technology to pull sweat and heat from the head. Here’s how to stay cool in blazing heat: Soak the inside of hat with cold water. Let the water soak into hat for 2-3 minutes and then wring out excess water. Repeat as needed. To stay warm wear the hat dry. Duh! After I walked about a mile in that Vegas heat I had lunch at a restaurant. Then before heading out into the heat again after I ate I dumped some ice water from my glass in the hat! Works great. $20. Available in blue and tan.
It’s Turn the Table Tuesday and Leo comes up another cell phone.
The Samsung Instinct. I’ve hadn’t used the Instinct myself, but I have seen one in person and it does look like an iPhone and it does use a touch screens. But Leo saysthere are some important differences in features. The Instinct runs on Sprint’s 3G (EV-DO Rev. A) network and it has an integrated voice-cued GPS, which Leo liked a lot. And it runs Sprint TV.Leo was disappointed his iPhone doesn’t have voice dialing which the Instinct has. However he said the Samsung Instinct doesn’t quite have the elegant interface that the iPhone does. On the other hand, the price is very attractive: $129.99 after rebate and 2-year "Simply Everything" plan. And Leo was impressed that Simply Everything plans start at $70 per month. So all in all, if you’re looking for a less expensive cell phone that’s not lacking in features, this one is worth checking out.
It’s the CoolHut Sport Utility Backpack PLUS. It’s really not for a boat but for anyone who likes the beach or the lounging in the outdoors. It’s a compact, lightweight, gear grade backpack cooler with lots of features.You get wet storage capacity for 24 cans plus ice & dry storage. An integrated audio docking port with twin 2.2 watt battery powered speakers and a pocket for your personal music device. Then for shelter you get a 62 sq. ft. waterproof shade awning with 30+ UV rating. For under you there’s a 50 sq. ft. waterproof & seam sealed ground cover with two integrated lounge chairs. Side pockets of the backpacks also hold light weight anodized aluminum poles, ground stakes, cinch straps, plus pockets for towels, sunglasses, keys, etc. It’s very compact and quite clever.
$199.00.There’s are other models too.Check the company’s website.
That guy is wearing the Cool Hut. Vist their website to see what that backpack open into!
Thursday, July 31st, 2008Netcast 624 Carry “The Big Stick”! The inventor of the Big Stick, Doug Henness, said he can’t believe that people will spend ten of thousands of dollars on a big, a few thousand dollars more on a top notch trailer, and then a few bucks on a padlock. He designed he would develop the ultimate in trailer protection and he came up The Big Stick. The Big Stick attaches and detaches in Seconds. It mounts to one of your trailer wheels using your existing lug nuts and never needs to be removed. To lock your trailer you don’t need to get on your hands and knees to thread a chain through the wheel.You just lock the Stick onto the hub with a twist of an almost “impossible to duplicate” key. The Big Stick is made from heavy eight gauge steel and is powder coated to resist the elements. The bar is over an inch in diameter, has a solid core, and weighs 18 pounds! The lock is shrouded in a custom hammer-proof stainless steel housing. Doug said his device also offers a strong visual deterrent. The full system includes one Cap/Bar, one Hub, one Lock/Lock Housing and one key. Price: $159.95. Since they’re unique, I’d opt for a second key which costs $14.95. For info is at http://www.carrythebigstick.com/index.php Hear this Netcast www.twit.tv/dgw624 Friday, August 1st, 2008, Netcast 625 It’s back to Dick’s Gadget Warehouse for the Periscope -- and it has nothing to do with a submarine. This Periscope is a booklight in a bookcover. There's a paperback book version and a hardcover version for larger books. The one I have in Dick's Gadgets Warehouse is more than ten years old. It's has a flashlight type bulb that gives off enough light to readassuming you have pretty good vision. But only that old version of the Periscope is gone. Turns out the company is up and running with an upgraded version. The new one features wide angle, ultra bright LED's to light both pages top to bottom. A lot of the other features are the same as the old one. You get a deluxe cover to protect your book and your privacy when you read in public places like on an airplane. The retractable light stores in the book cover. And there's a built in bookmark. The light goes on automatically when you “raise the periscope”.If you only listen to books on Audible.com (plug, plug!) this is great for reading and writing notes in the dark. I’ve been one of the new ones forthat. They’re available at retail outlets like Barnes & Noble. You can also purchase a mini-travel 110-220V AC Adapter. There are two sizes. One for paperback books and one for larger books. The larger one is great to hold a pad or a script so you can write or read your notes in a darkened room! Price range from $30 to $35. http://www.periscopelight.com/pages/softcover.html Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw625
Daily Giz Wiz, Week of July 21th 2008 Monday, July 21th, 2008Netcast 616 Here’s a Handy Dandy Parking Meter with Alarm! If your glove compartment is so full of parking tickets you can’t close it, here’s the solution to keep the parking meter maid (or man) at bay. The Parking Meter Alarm has a 24 hour countdown alarm you can set in 5 minute increments to remind you when it’s time to race back to your car and feed the meter. Probably best to set the alarm to go off 5 or 10 minutes before the meter runs out to give you time to put in more quarters. Speaking of quarters, there’s a spring-loaded cylinder that holds 10 quarters so you’re never at a loss for change. There's even a ring to hold your keys. Has an easy to read LCD display. Metal. Measures 1 3/4"H x 1 1/8"diam. Price: $9.95 http://tinyurl.com/5uss9e Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw616 Turn the Table Tuesday, July 22th Netcast 617 A 24 hour iPhone marathon was not enough for Leo!
He tried to resist buying one! But after he spoke to folks from all over the world on line to buy the iPhone he couldn’t resist. So when the 24 show was over, Leo went out and bought one.On this Netcast you’ll hear about some of the hundreds of applications available for the new iPhone. They are amazing, including a real GPS. Leo bought the 32 GB version for $300. But the faster 3G Network that is one of the big selling features is not yet available in Petaluma! Leo pointed out that the new applications make it far more than a mere phone. Fear not though. If you have the old iPhone or the iTouch, a huge amount of the new applications will work. All you need do is download the new 2.0 software. Tons of info and the software are available at the link below.
www.iphone.com Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw617 Wednesday, July 23th, 2008, Netcast 618 One of the most asked questions of the Daily Giz Wiz is— How do I convert my old VHS tape to DVD? Here’s one very easy way. The new Samsung DVD-VR375. It actually does more than copy VHS tapes to DVD. It’s also a 1080p up-converting DVD Recorder. So this versatile unit records both DVD discs (DVD-RAM/-RW/+RW/-R/+R) and VHS tapes. (If anybody actually records VHS anymore.) It’s an easy and fairly inexpensive way to turn those stacks VHS videos to DVDs. A nice plus is that you can use the DVD-VR375 to play your DVD’s and up-convert them to 1080p. It also has progressive scan. And of course it plays CD’s. Plus it supports Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Connections include DV Input, Composite Video In & Out, and Component Video In & Out. (There’s no S-Video in or out.) Also Coaxial Digital Audio & HDMI CED Outputs. I’d say it’s a lot of features for under $180. Do a web search and you can find it a touch cheaper. (It’s $169.99 at B&H Photo, for example.) Here’s a direct link to Samsung page with more info on the DVD-VR375:
Here’s a super useful inexpensive dual purpose gadget.
It’s the SiyoTeam USB Card Reader + Bluetooth. My laptop has a card reader built in, but no Bluetooth. And there tons of laptops that don’t have either a card reader or Bluetooth built-in. Rather than carry a BT dongle and a card reader with you, you can have both devices in one small package. It’s the SIYOTEAM USB Card Reader + Bluetooth Combo. Not exactly a name we all know, but this is pretty nifty gizmo. You get Bluetooth and card reader for SD/SDHC/miniSD/microSD/SDHC / Just about all the versions of the Memory Stick. There is no compact flash slot and it’s for Windows only. It’s very small 2” X ¾ X 7/8. Price is under $18.00.
It’s another visit to Dick’s Gadget Warehouse Friday
Ever hear of an AM/FM radio that you look through?
Huh? Well, let me explain. Sports fans could use this when the watching the big game but not sitting in the “good seats”.The Sony SRF-X90, was an AM/FM stereo radio built into a single-lens 8x monocular. It weighs less than half a pound and it fits easily into the palm of your hand. It’s not a wide angle view but good enough at a sport’s event to get a close up of the action. That way you can watch from the cheap seats while you listen to the play-by-play on the headphones which shipped with the unit. It’s housed in a bright yellow case with rubber gaskets and seals to resist dirt and water damage. Actually in the gadget warehouse I discovered I accidentally left the single AA battery in the unit. The battery was leaking all over the poor device. But after prying out the battery, dusting off the battery compartment, and putting in a single new battery, the SRF-X90 Sony Portable Sports Monocular Radio worked perfectly.It’s from the early 1990’s and it retailed for 79.95.
Just how long has that open jar of tomato sauce been in the refrigerator?
Now there’s an easy way to tell just about how long you’ve had anything around the house. It’s called the Days Ago Digital Day Counter. The company says it’s the first and only digital day counter that attaches to a variety of surfaces. This small digital day counter is available with a magnetic backing, suction backing or stretch band. You attach to anything you open, buy, or want to know how long it’s been in your home. It counts up to 99 days and re-usable and resettable. (Just hold the button for a few seconds and it resets to zero) You can use it on food containers to let you know how many days ago you opened it, closed it, tried it, sauced it, grew it, etc.So for leftovers, it eliminates the doubt about when to throw it out. It also has a replaceable battery. 2/$10
It’s another turn the table Tuesday and Leo has come up with an analog to digital conversion device.
It’s the Canopus Analog/Digital Video Conversion ADVC110. You can use it to connect all analog and digital video cameras, decks and editing systems. It’s a portable and easy-to-use digital video converter compatible with Windows and Mac OS computers. ADVC110 is the ideal device for capturing and outputting analog video from any FireWire-equipped notebook and desktop computer. There are no drivers to install and ADVC110 does not require a power supply when used with a 6-pin FireWire cable. If you’re doing semi-pro editing, this will be of special interest: Compatible with leading editing and DVD authoring applications including Grass Valley EDIUS, Canopus Let’s EDIT, Final Cut Pro®, Adobe® Premiere® Pro, Vegas®, iLife®, Ulead MediaStudio® Pro, and Windows® Movie Maker. ADVC110's intelligent usability allows for easy setup and connection in any video environment. Front and rear connectors provide analog and DV signal pass-through and ensure that connecting cables is neat and simple.There is a whole line of ADVC devices, but Leo said the ADVC at $250 should be fine for just about any type of analog to digital conversion.
It’s from Planon, the folks who also make Docupen.They excel in innovating portability and their latest addition is PrintStik. The Printstik is a thin, completely self-contained printing device. It uses thermal technology (remember thermal? Think years ago, and waaaaaaaaaaay bigger.) to burn an image onto especially prepared thermal paper, so you can print on the go. The paper is contained within a cartridge that you slide easily into the PrintStik. But that’s the only cartridge you’ll have to fool with. With thermal printing technology there’s no ink or toner cartridges necessary. You don’t those in your suitcase anyway. The Printstik is fully Bluetooth connectible. If your laptop can communicate using Bluetooth you’re set.Mine isn’t, but for a little test, I used a Bluetooth dongle and was able to print wirelessly to the PrintStik while it sat a few feet away. And the PrintStik is compatible with PDAs and Bluetooth Ready Smartphones. Because of the small size and limited screen space of most Smartphones, reading email or deciphering directions or schematics can be difficult. Now just print it out and take a look at the full sized sheet of paper. To save paper it stops printing about 1” below the type on a page. In order if you print a boarding pass, it will just take up about 1/3 of a page. $299.00
You asked for a boating gadget, you got a boating gadget!
AUTOTETHER, is a Wireless Lanyard for Boaters! It’s a new wireless lanyard that connects directly to the engine kill switch. The kill switch is designed to protecting the boat operator in case he falls overboard.But a lot of boaters tend to hook up the kill switch to their belt when they first get their boat, but as time passes, they do it less and less. That’s because it’s really easy to bend down, or turn and accidentally shut the engine down. That won’t happen with AUTOTETHER because it’s wireless. And it not only protects the captain, but it also protect up to 3 passengers including pets. And it allows unrestricted movement about the boat. If the operator falls overboard the motor will shut off and an alarm will sound. If a passenger falls overboard, the alarm will sound but the engine keeps running so the Captain can rescue the overboard person.
AUTOTETHER is portable and is powered by standard AAA batteries that provide more than 100 hours of protection. Take it from the boat to the beach. If your child, wearing the personal sensor, strays more than 100 feet or goes in the water the alarm will sound. This system includes: 1 emergency stop switch (kill switch) clip, 1 receiver, 2 personal sensors, AAA batteries, Owner's Manual, 2 Belt clips, & 2 Velcro straps. $295.00
ChatterBug was designed to let you make unlimited Long Distance Calling in the US and to Canada for $9.95 per month. Chatterbug is (was) simple to use. You plugged Chatterbug between your regular home touch tone telephone and the wall jack. It could work on any plain old analog telephone service. You didn’t need a computer, Cable, DSL, or any sort of internet connection. And it was powered by the phone line. I had a product sample, but it had some problems.I would often get an echo on the line, and then after about a week the whole system went down for a month. ChatterBug folks jumped in, providing customers with a toll free 800 number to use make their long distance calls. But problems continued, and now although the website is still up, I see there are no links to click. Also the price is listed as $0. The fact that they keep the website live means that perhaps they’ll be back!
Actually it amazed me so much I kept bringing friends into my office to show it off! The amazing device is from Display Link. DisplayLink lets you add a second display to your computer via a USB port. Yes, USB!At a trade show a gentlemen handed me a DisplayLink USB Graphics Adapter. I had no idea what it was, but I thought I’d figure it out at home. When I did, I was really blown away.It’s an honest to goodness USB to DVI adapter. In the package there was also a VGA display adapter, so you can use either input on the second monitor or notebook computer. Using the memory and video processor inside this ‘playing-card-size’ device, you can move windows from your main computer over toan external video screen with your mouse. It’s like magic, you can fly pics and info from screen to screen with this device which is about the size of a pack of cards, The video quality is excellent at a resolution of 1600 x 1200. Via the included software you can extend your desktop to other monitors or set it up for “mirror”. Mirror lets you see the identical display on both monitors.Now pricing is a little strange. It turns out DisplayLink leases this technology to many companies so on their website you can see the devices they license to do this tech trick. It’s also built into some new computer monitors! UPDATE: I was just back on the companies website and now there’s a version for only about $80! (Earlier it was about $100.)
Tuesday, July 8th, Turn The Table Tuesday, Netcast 607
Leo picks two gizmos for this week’s TTTT.The SanyoPro 700 & Pro 200
These two Sanyo handsets are just coming on the market via Sprint. Leo of course, has both.The Sanyo Pro 200 supports QChat(Walkie-Talkie like chat) and EV-DO Rev. The higher end model 700 has a few more features, including a ruggedized case. I’m not sure Leomentioned it, but checking the Sanyo website it seems both these new models have black and white displays. I don’t have either of these phones, but checking the web site at Sprint it seems the Pro 700 also has internal GPS to take advantage of Sprint Navigator. Neither has a camera, but they do have Bluetooth. The web lists prices in the hundreds, but Leo said with a two year contract the phones should about $50 and $80! Available at Sprint only.
www.sprint.com(you need to punch in your zip code before you can bring up prices.)
New and pretty amazing from the clever folks at Eye-Fi.
First came the 1GB Eye-Fi SD card. It’s a memory card with WiFi built in! Shoot a picture in your home or office and when you turn around it's already on your computer screen. (Assuming you have WiFi configured.) Or bring your camera home from a trip and when you turn it on, it uses your wireless network to transmit your trip photos to the computer. And it's all done automatically. The second version of the Eye-Fi card went to 2GB and dropped in price to just $80). A newer version at $100 can not only download your photos wirelessly to your computer, but it can also upload them to Flickr, Picasa or other online photo sites, again automatically and wirelessly. But now there's a brand new version called Eye-Fi Explore. Are you ready for this? The Explore makes note of where you took each photo!It's called photo geotagging. Once the photo is uploaded to your computer (Mac or PC)each photo shows the city and state where it was taken. You can choose either a street-map view or an aerial photo that shows (within about 100 feet) where you were standing when you pressed the shutter button. Photo Web sites like Flickr, Picasa and SmugMug can display these maps, too. It’s not G.P.S. but W.P.S. which is WiFi Positioning System. The card uses technology from Skyhook who found a way to use WiFi signals to pinpoint the physical location of your photos. It then uses that info to locate on a map where you shot your pics. The best thing about all these Eye-Fi cards is that you don’t need to find your camera’s USB cable and you don't have to manually upload your new pics to your photo-sharing site of choice. But give your friends a break. At some point, edit those vacation photos. No one wants to sit through 4,000 photos of your family at Grant's Tomb. (Well not many will!) But remember this: If you shot pictures in the woods, in the jungles, in foreign ports Wi-Fi networks will be hard for the card to find anduse to mark where you shot the photos. It works best in metro places. Free for one year with the Explore card is the use of any of Wayport’s 10,000 commercial hot spots in the United States. That way your photos will be uploaded before you even arrive home. And if you lose your card, you haven’t lost your pictures!
Thursday, July 10th, Netcast 609 Now both parents can listen in to the kid’s room while they’re in two other rooms! It’s the Philips Avent LCD Digital Baby Monitor (SCD 590) Philips Avent LCD Digital Baby Monitor uses the newish DECT technology. DECT offers secure and private (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication) technology for zero interference. You (and your mate) will be the only ones who can hear your baby and you only hear your own baby. And not other houses, radio stations, etc. And the Philips Avent LCD Digital Baby Monitor offers mobility in and around the house with two small, mobile rechargeable parent units. A nice touch is a visible and audible link indicator so you know there’s a continuous connection between baby and parent units. And finally there’s a walkie-talkie feature to keep parent and baby connected. Kit includes the baby monitor, the two mobile parent units, a travel bag, belt clip and neck lanyard. Price: under $200. I did a web search & here are places that sell this gizmo:
http://tinyurl.com/5n2pfs(I haven’t shopped at any of them, though.) Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw609 Dick’s Gadget Warehouse FridayJuly 11thNetcast 610 Here’s a gizmo that’s for the birds! “Mother Nature’s Monitor” is a wireless way to hear the birds sing in your backyard.It comes housed in a weatherproof, plastic container that holds the microphone and a small FM radio transmitter. You hung it from a tree branch or put it next to your bird feeder. Yes, I live in NYC, but I have both. A tree, branches and a bird feeder. The range is about 75 feet from the mic to the receiver in the house. The sound is clear sometimes. There are so many electrical devices in my apartment and in the neighborhood, there is often other sounds being picked up. There’s a wired model, but the wireless model uses 4 C batteries in the outside microphone unit and 4 AA batteries for the receiver. A nice feature is “auto”which turns off the unit when it gets dark outside.Although this product is about ten years old, you can still find it on Ebay. But while searching the web I see companies now make models with built in video cams so you can not only hear the birds, but watch them to!
Daily Giz Wiz, Week of June 30th 2008. The giddiness is still with me after recording DGW episode live with Leo at TwiT Cottage! It was great being there. Dane & Colleen are amazing people and a great asset to the TwiT world. I’m trying right now on how I can get them to move to New York and work for me!Now back to our regularly scheduled Netcasts! Monday, June 30th, Netcast 601 Philip is right on with their new SpotOn gizmo. The Philips SpotOn LED Motion Sensing Portable Light offers hands-free lighting without having to push a button, pull a string or hit a switch. The built in motion sensor turns it on for you. It’s great for inside a closet because it will go on automatically when it senses the door opening. (Test it out first to make sure you put in a place where the SpotOn can sense motion. After about 20 seconds of zero motion, it automatically shuts off again. Since the SpotOn uses 3 battery saving LED’s, my guess is you’ll get many months of service of the 3 AAA batteries. They come with the unit, but you can easily replace them later on. Easy installation. You can mount it with stick on tape which is supplied, or use the supplied screws. Dimensions: 3.13 x 2.69 x 0.8 inches. There is no off switch so it’s meant to be used only in places where there is motion for a short time, like a closet, drawer, trunk, etc.List Price: $20.00, but do a web search at your favorite hardware type store, because most of them are selling the SpotOn for under $16.00. I haven’t shopped this place, but they do sell it for $15.99. Right now a Google search brings up places sell it in the UK, but it’s working it’s way over here. This website is in the US: http://tinyurl.com/4qb3uz Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw601 TTTTTuesday, June 24th, Netcast 602
It’s summer, and Leo talks about snowflakes! Well, actually it’s the Snowflake Microphone. The Company is Blue and they make the Snowball microphone. Now there’s a smaller, less expensive version which Leo’s is great for Podcasters. It’s called the Snowflake and it’s under $60. The company calls it the first professional portable USB mic that's head and shoulders above any comparable portable USB on the market! (Heck, if Leo likes it, it must be good.) Works on both Mac and PC with no drivers to install: just connect it to your computer’s USB port, follow the prompts and you’ll have high-fidelity sound in no time. It’s perfect for podcasting, voice recognition software, iChat, and VoIP software such as Skype and Vonage. Or use it for dictation, field recording, lecture recording, and narration for slideshows and PowerPoint presentations. The sky’s the limit. It’s even great for recording music via GarageBand and other multitrack recording software. As Leo demo'd if you watched us record the DGW, the unique design allows you to place it on a desk or flat surface near your computer, or mount it to the screen of most laptops. And the price again -- a very reasonable $60! www.bluemic.com Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw602 Today’s your last chance to play the “What The Heck Is It?” Game. Guess what the gadget is at the very bottom of www.gizwiz.biz and you can win one of the up to 36 copies of autographed MAD Magazine’s given out each month. Wednesday, July 1st, Netcast 603. Here’s a very easy way to put video on your iPod, PSP, or a USB device! It’s the Pinnacle Video Transfer (PVT). This is the one of the easiest ways to record video I’ve ever used. I was recording video within 5 minutes of opening the box. On the bottom end of the PVT just connect the DC power and a USB flash drive. The other end of the unit has the video connections. There’s the usual RCA, red/white/yellow composite and an S-video input. LED’s are also positioned above each of the video/audio inputs and the USB port. When the unit is turned on the blue LED’s let you know the unit “sees” audio & video and the USB drive. For better quality recordings, as you would expect, Pinnacle advises using the S-video input rather than Composite Video. You get the composite A/V cable, but you have to supply your own S-video cable.After connecting the cables and plugging in a USB storage device, turn the device on by pressing the MODE button. When all the LED’s have turned blue, select the recording quality. Pressing the MODE button lights the LED’s - (one LED for 'Good', two for 'Better' and three for 'Best').To record – hmmm, let’s see. Oh right - press the REC button. All the LED’s then turn red to confirm that you’re recording. To stop, just press the REC button again. There’s a warning not to remove the USB drive until its LED turns blue. But that only takes a few seconds after you stop the recording.When you search the drive on your computer you’ll find the recordings in the Video directory, The unit has no clock, so there’s no time or date stamp of the recording. Each video is numbered according to the sequence in which it was recorded. Although the PVT can record directly to most iPods and the PSP, I only tried it with a USB flash drive and it worked perfectly. I took the USB flash drive from the PVT and was able to watch the show I recorded from my cable box on my laptop. I did a price search on Amazon and see it can be bought for about $115 to $120.00. www.pinnaclesys.com
Something New in Tunes.And it’s Called Toilet Tunes!
According to the company, Toilet Tunes is designed to give you privacy and ambience in the bathroom. It’s done automatically using patent pending wireless technology. Toilet Tunes consists of two components, a digital sound machine and a wireless sensor that easily attaches to any toilet. The sensor is waterproof, washable and guaranteed to stay on. The digital sound machine was created by European designer Lukasz Bertolli. (No one I know or heart of.) Here’s how it works. You install the wireless sensor on the toilet cover. When the cover it raised it automatically turns on the sound machine. The sound is used to indicate to others in the house or office that someone is using the bathroom. A locked door would do the same thing, but this does have an good advantage. The digital sounds can cover any ‘natural’ sounds the person using the bathroom might make. You have a choice of music or nature sounds, including Jazz, Latin Guitar, Modern Pop, Ocean Waves, Mountain Stream or Soothing Rain. Lewis Green, a screen writer, is the creator of Toilet Tunes. He recently appeared on The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch where Toilet Tunes was featured on the new product segment: My idea will make millions. To my mind a bigger advantage of Toilet Tunes is that can also use it as a sound machine to help you fall asleep or to cover noises from the street or others in the house. Costs $29.95, plus $9.95 S&H
Back to the Warehouse Friday, July 4th, 2008, Netcast 605
It’s Spring, 2001 and there’s a new technology that lets you use your laptop wirelessly just about anywhere!
Well not exactly anywhere, but in about a dozen major cities! It’s the Merlin Ricochet Type II PC Card. This 128-Kbps modem started out by covering about a dozen major cities, with more planned. I don’t know if more cities were added, because about two months after using this card I received a notice that service was going to be shut down within the month. The PC Card model was much smaller and lighter than the external USB version that Leo used. But the USB card still had a rotating external antenna. Therefore you won’t want to store your laptop with the card sticking out of your notebook or Windows CE device.Although this meant I could get and send emails in my backyard and in the park (both in New York City) this wireless modem did draws quite a bit of power. The cost wasn’t a big help either at about $300. plus monthly service. Although it seemed like a good idea, there was not enough support for the company to keep it on the market. Besides other newer technologies were moving in, so the Merlin Ricochet had a short life.
