Remember, we took off the last week of December and the first week of January. Our first 'break' since the DGW started.
THE DAILY GIZ WIZ TOOK OFF THE WEEKS OF DEC 25TH & JAN 1ST.
THE DAILY GIZWIZ week of January 8, 2007.
Monday, January 8th --- Netcast 221
Add up to four components to one input! Make the most of your flat screen display by adding up to four A/V devices to one input port! Compatible with component video as well as RCA and digital coax audio, the Star Tech CPNT410IR features a convenient remote learning feature that allows you to use existing component remotes to toggle between inputs. Not only does CPNT410IR deliver the variety you need to complete any A/V system, it also offers the signal quality necessary to bring out the best results from your input devices. The CPNT410IR will support high definition component video devices along with digital audio. Under $44. www.startech.com Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw221 Turn the Table Tuesday - January 9th, Netcast 222 Leo takes flying leap with his gadget for this Turn the Table Tuesday. Leo gave his son a pogo stick for Christmas. Okay, so it wasn’t an ordinary pogo stick, it’s was a high tech one that costs hundreds of dollars. Depending on the model and the weight of the user a Flybar can catapult a person 4, 5 feet or higher into the air. Not for the faint of heart. Or the clumsy. www.flybar.com Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw222 Wednesday – January 10th, Netcast 223 What to do what all that junk mail? Staples Mailmate Shredder.According to Staples research most people open their junk mail in the kitchen. So why not design a shredder to devour that junk mail, but make it look like something that belongs in the kitchen. They succeeded. People who see this device think it’s a coffee maker or something like that. But it’s a powerful compact shredder that turns unopened junk mail into confetti. Shreds 10 folded paper sheets, CDs/DVDs, credit cards, staples & small paper clips. I shredded many CDs and DVDs and it works like a champ. Under $70, but check Staples website. They have been offering a $20 rebate due to expire 1/6/07, but they’ve already extended it once, so they might extend it again. I just checked and it looks like it’s been extended again to 1/27/07 http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?prodCatType=1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&productId=155701&cmArea=SEARCH Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw223
Front (top) and back (bottom) of the Converge AV.
Thursday -January 11th Netcast 224
4 moms Digital Bath Spout Cover. Here’s a nifty idea from group of four moms. Hard to tell that from the company of the company, huh? Their first product is pretty useful. The Digital Bath Spout Cover with built-in thermometer. It attaches to the tub faucet with Velcro. As the water flows over the temperature sender a large digital readout alerts you the water temperature. In addition to the digital temps, you can tell at a glance from the color of the screen about where the temperature is. Blue is cold, green is good, and red is too hot. There’s also an audible high temp alert. It makes bath time for baby easier and safer. It even has automatic shut-off. Price is under $30. www.4momsonline.com
Back to the warehouse Friday.Friday, January 12th, 207, Netcast 225 The Cruzer Micro from San Disk is very small flash drive. Like other flash drives it saves files and music, but it could become part of an MP3 player by sliding it into the Cruzer Micro MP3 Companion. I loved this idea, but it seemed like it was short lived. With the Cruzer Micro and Cruzer MP3 Companion, you could carry your files and favorite tunes in a tiny package. The San Disk Cruzer micro is probably still around, but finding the Cruzer MP3 Companion is harder. Leo thought he found one, but then discovered the web site he was on hadn’t been updated since 2004. I especially liked the Cruzer micro’s built in blue light because it looked so high tech. It played WMA and MP3 files but there was no support for OGG files. It was powered by a single AAA battery. This is one of the most recent additions to Dick’s Gadget Warehouse. www.twit.tv/dgw225
THE DAILY GIZWIZ, WEEK of 1/15/07
Monday, January 15, 2007, Netcast 226 CES 07 Forget the 106” LCD TV. Let’s start The DGW CES coverage with one the weirdest gadgets I found in Vegas! Brush all your teeth in under 40 seconds! The HydraBrush Express is a power toothbrush unlike any you have ever seen. There are 8 micro brushes that surround your teeth and gums, top and bottom, at the same time! It is supposed to offer technology that takes the guesswork out of brushing. And forget that 2-minute timer in your current electric toothbrush to tell you when you are done brushing. The inventor of the HydraBrush Express says you can get the job done in 40 seconds or less with CONFIDENCE that you have done a PERFECT job! To use just gently bite down with your front teeth in between the opposing brush heads. The guide the handle all the way to right and all the way to left until the heads reach your back molars. You’re done! Every HydraBrush Express comes with 2 sets of heads: Standard Soft (light blue bristles) and to get you used to the HydraBrush, two Ultra Soft (red bristles) brushes.$129.00 www.hydrabrush.com Hear this Netcast:www.twit.tv/dgw Tuesday, January 16th, 2007.Netcast 227. Turn The Table Tuesday This was a slightly different Turn The Table Tuesday. While I was CES, Leo was at MacWorld. So for this Tuesday’s Netcast Leo talked about the iPhone and what else he saw there. www.apple.com. Hear this Netcast:www.twit.tv/dgw227 Wednesday, January 17th,Netcast # 228 A new product that’s bound to cause controversy. Taser introduced a new smaller, more inexpensive version of the stun gun. This is a hot button issue with people for and against the move. They are certainly going after the general consumer market by making this device available in electric blue (hmmm, is that kind of a joke), metallic pink and titanium silver. The size, smaller than a commercial Taser unit, makes it easier to carry and to hide. Price is about $300. The company says there will be a background check before the Taser is activated.I spoke to Peter Shankman, a guy who actually volunteered to be shocked by the new model. He evidently was proud to be a guinea pig because he showed me a video of him taking the shock. He knocked him flat on his back on the floor in a second! (Well Taser did have two guys there to help lower the ‘shocked’ ones to the floor.) He did say however, “he wasn’t planning on doing that ever again.”I wonder why? Peter runs The Geek Factory and put a video of himself getting Tasered at http://www.prdifferently.comSPEAKS PERFECT JAPANESE NOW. www.taser.com
And mix of the old and the new from Crosley Radio – Here’s the lowdown from their website:Are your albums sitting idly in a dark, dusty corner somewhere? Can’t bear to live without them, yet can’t seem to find the time to fire up the record player these days? What are your options you ask? Well, have we got a solution for you - The Crosley Songwriter CD Burner. You can now simply take your old vinyl’s and convert them to CD in minutes with just a few simple steps. The Songwriter CD Burner allows those old vinyl’s to be recorded in a digital audio format for high quality sound on a smaller, more modern compact disc. The Songwriter also allows you to record from cassette to CD. However, if you still want to enjoy your albums old style, then Crosley’s Songwriter offers a 3 belt driven speed turntable for your listening enjoyment. Preserve your entire music collection with the Songwriter. Under $400. www.crosleyradio.com
Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw229Friday, January 19thNetcast #230 Is this a possible Warehouse Gadget of the Future? Concierge is an interactive, touch-screen computer affixed to the shopping cart. The device is wirelessly connected to a retailer’s in-store network and Springboard’s proprietary storage database and analytics system. By helping consumers save time, cut costs and discover new products, Concierge enhances the retail shopping experience. Concierge’s rich content includes recipes, nutritional information, and targeted discounts based on purchase preferences. Consumers can build their shopping list on the Concierge website before leaving home and download it at the supermarket by using their personalized access key or loyalty card. Concierge will also locate those specific products, to efficiently direct customers through the store. Seventy percent (70%) of all buying decisions are made in the store, and Concierge’s real-time cart tracking technology and wireless positioning allow advertisers and retailers to deliver a relevant advertising or informational message at the point of purchase. Springboard’s market surveys have revealed consumers consider targeted advertising to be non-invasive when delivered on the Concierge screen since the information is relevant to the individual shopper. So are you impressed? Would you go out of your way to find a supermarket that had Concierge on their shopping carts?I’d certainly do it at least once, just to see how complicated it is! (UPDATE: THE ANSWER IS "YES". A LOT OF PEOPLE ALREADY USE THIS DEVICE AND LIKE IT!) www.springboardnetworks.com
Hi Tech and Low Tech in Tools. The FUBAR by Stanley is the perfect tool for wrecking things! It's formed around a single piece of high carbon steel. There’s a built in nail puller, and a slot to help you carry 2x4s. You can use the blunt end as a sledgehammer and the sharp end for splitting wood or knocking things apart. I’m putting one in my New York City apartment in case I have to make an escape through the barred windows! Stanley says that FUBAR stands for Functional Utility BAR, but it also stands for Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition. “Fouled” is sometimes replaced by another word you just might know. It’s at stores and it’s about $40.
Black & Decker Auto Wrench
If you’re working in a cramped space trying to use an adjustable wrench is not fun. It’s even worse when you can’t quite see the nut because it’s blocked by a pipe or something. This new gizmo should lessen those bruised knuckles. It’s the Auto Wrench from Black & Decker. It’s designed to accommodate nuts and bolts up to 1-1/4 in. wide. Since its battery powered, it adjusts with the touch of a button. Black & Decker says it can replace up to 50 standard and metric wrenches. It has a maximum 220 ft./lbs. of torque and is constructed of professional heat-treated hardened steel. The wrench is engraved with standard and metric measurement scales, but to my mind it’s easier to let the wrench close down on the nut by just pushing the open/close rocker switch. Heavy duty rubber pads on either side of the handle make it easy to grasp even if wet. Auto Wrench comes with 2 AAA batteries which should last through about 650 cycles. Its available now at places like Home Depot for under $30.
Tuesday – Turn The Table Tuesday ---- Netcast#232January 23rd
Leo and I are both fans of the Slingbox.Well on this Turn the Table Tuesday Leo talked about something new from Sling Media. Here’s some info from their website:It’s a new product called SlingCatcher, designed to deliver rich video experiences to a television located in the home as well as in remote locations. Sling Media also announced the first key applications that will be a built-in part of the SlingCatcher platform at launch: SlingProjector and SlingPlayer for TV. Additional services and partnerships will be announced at a later date. The actual on sale date has not been announced. The price hasn’t been announced either, but it’s expected to be under $200.
invisibleSHIELD is made from a unique material originally made for the military to protect the leading edges of helicopter blades. They are model specific so they cover as much of your gadget as possible. The invisibleSHIELD offers some amazing scratch protection for all your gadgets. I took an iPod protected with the shield, dropped it into a box of screws and nail and shook it up. The screen came out without a scratch. But remember, this will protect the screen and case, NOT the electronics inside your iPOD, so don’t do this at home! InvisibleSHIELD says the protection is for life! And that they back up it with unparalleled Customer Service! They make the shield for over 600 different electronics and they range in price from $10 to about $25.
Verbatim Store ‘n’ Go USB Drive. 1" hard drive with up to 12GB of storage in a unit about the size of two standard USB flash drives side by side. It lets you carry volumes of data, video and audio in a single portable unit.The sleek device comes pre-loaded with Mobile Launchpad, a utility for downloading applications that can be run directly from the Verbatim USB Drive. Mobile Launchpad also allows users to have complete access to personal files and data without loading the content on a guest system. Hook up is via a flip-out USB connector and a USB extension cable is included, along with a carry case. Many applications specifically designed to enhance the usefulness of this portable device are available for download online. Programs include mobile photo databases, ID/Password management tools. The blue Verbatim logo glows when connected and blinks when info is being transferred. It supports Linux, Windows and the MacOS. Price is under $180 and it’s coming toward the end of the month.
Friday, January 26th Back to the Warehouse Friday. Netcase #235
The strangest thing in the gadget warehouse? SEA URN
The Sea-Urn is a biodegradable Urn for the dignified committal of cremated remains to the water. The use of the Sea-Urn will prevent unpleasant cremated ash "blow-back" and will provide a more dignified committal. Under most circumstances the urn will float for approximately five minutes before slowly sinking. If the remains are dense the Sea-Urn may sink immediately. In either case it will totally disintegrate within twenty (20) minutes. It may be used in salt or fresh water and it’s water-soluble, non-polluting, and non-toxic. It may also be used for earth interment where it would be desirable to have no urn remaining for future unearthing. The Sea-Urn is not intended for permanent storage of cremated remains. However, it will last indefinitely as long as the urn remains totally dry. Since the Sea-Urn is designed to eliminate the family's having to deal directly with the cremated remains of their loved one, it is available only through funeral service providers. One day I might be inside my Sea-Urn but hopefully that’s plenty of years away! Price ranges from about $225 to $300. The link below is one we found on the web. They sell the Sea Urn for about $110.
Easily put Video on your Video iPod. The iRecord converts any type of video or audio directly to an iPod at the touch of a button. You can preserve your audio and video memories without a computer or software.The converter plugs into any audio or video device equipped with RCA connections and S-Video with its included audio/video cables. Simply push the record button, and content is converted to digital MP3 (audio) or MPEG4 (video) format, three hours of 320 x 240 resolution video content takes up approximately 1 GB, and is stored immediately onto an iPod. As you probably guessed a video iPod is required to see and record video content. Data can also be uploaded to a USB flash drive or USB hard drive plugged into the converters USB port; it automatically detects if it has attached an iPod or USB key. MSRP is $199.95. Among the first to sell this device (for $159.95) is Hammacher at: www.hammacher.com www.irecord.com Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw236
Tuesday, January 30th Turn The Table Tuesday. Leo's choice for this TTT was the mStation 2.1 Stereo Tower. Made from Extruded Aluminum, this is a floor standing "Made for iPod" docking station/speaker system with 100 Watts of power. It features a 5.25” dedicated subwoofer which Leo said produced very decent sound, especially for it's size. Every Tower includes a 10 Key Remote that allows you to navigate within Playlists, as well as adjust the Volume ±, Bass & Treble. Included also are 6 cosmetic docking cradles, cables and stereo min. Under $300.
Smile, you’re on TV! GE IntelliCorder replaces the peephole in your door with a high tech security device. You can set it so it records constantly (about 6 hours on an SD card) or you can set it to the “motion on” setting. Then it will only record when someone comes up to the front door. It’s set to recognize someone within a few feet of the front door. That way it won’t trigger if it’s facing the street and a car goes by. In the motion on setting, a green light tells you someone has tripped the device. Powered by a rechargeable battery (included, with charger) so there’s no exposed wiring. Price is just under $300 and it will be available in stores the spring. It's avilable on their website now.
Now Sing Along with Your iPod! iKaraoke from the fun folks at Griffin Technology brings the fun and excitement of karaoke into your home -- or anywhere you have a stereo receiver. And the best part is it lets you sing along, not from a limited menu, but with your favorite musical selections, straight from your iPod. iKaraoke fades out the lead vocals and brings your vocals up front to make you the star! ...and sends your music and vocals to your stereo via wireless FM Transmission or Line-Level audio. Convenient buttons let you enhance your sound with three levels of reverb, or temporarily mute the music for PA announcements. Fun for you, but maybe not the neighbors. And if your voice is awful, not even the family. Except for the laughs. Under $50(But a web search for a lower price!) www.griffentechnology.com Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw239 Friday, Feb 2nd 2007 Netcast 240
Back to the Warehouse Friday No Disco Ball, but Speakers that Pulsate. From about 1999 comes the Aiwa CSDMR1. This plays CD’s, Cassettes, has a built in audo recorder. and AM/FM Stereo Tuner. The unit is round and loaded with a 6-Speaker Surround Sound System. The case design is really unique, totally round and almost 12" in circumference. It could run on 8 C batteries or AC power. When the music plays, lighted circles around each speaker dance to the beat. The dancing speaker lights only work when the unit is plugged into AC. This was no powerful, with only 2 watts per speaker. There's an LCD display for CD track info. The 9-pound AM/FM radio/CD player also has a headphone jack. For a six speaker system the sound was pretty thin, but oh those lights! Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw240 .
You provide the iPod.
This website is current only up to the end of April, 2009. My new website with everything from May 1st, 2009 forward is: www.gizwiz.biz.
