Archive for November, 2007

MP4 4GB watch with FM transmitter

Posted in MP4,Watches by Conner Flynn on November 2nd, 2007

MP4 4GB watch with FM transmitter
Looking for the ultimate multi-media player for your wrist? This one can even wirelessly broadcast music through a car stereo or portable radio with it’s integrated FM transmitter. It also has an embedded 4Gb flash memory, a 1.8″ 160×128 pixel OLED display which they say produces bright, vivid color images. You know, if you want to watch something on a really small screen.

It’s capable of playing MP3, WMA, MP4 music videos or movies, as well as displaying JPG photos, recording, e-book reading, and yes displaying the time too. As far as power, it’s got a built-in Li-on battery and it can still play while charging.

Make a rainbow indoors this Christmas

Posted in Home,Science,Toys by Conner Flynn on November 2nd, 2007

The Discovery Rainbow In My Room.The Discovery Rainbow In My Room makes a great gift if you want to steer your kid toward Science and away from say, Halo. Though I doubt most boys would appreciate this. It fits in more in a room filled with My Little Pony’s.

LED lights recreate the colors of a real rainbow and the motion-activated sensor turns the unit off with a wave of your hand.

Dr. Light alarm clock has iPod envy

Posted in Clocks,Lamps by Conner Flynn on November 1st, 2007

Dr. Light Alarm Clock has iPod EnvyIf the iPod were a supermodel, it might look something like this. Tall, skinny and beautiful. It’s as if an iPod were caught in a black hole and stretched. Words can’t really describe just how pleasing the above products are to my eye.

Beautiful as they are, Dr. Lite is simply an Alarm clock. No more, no less. An alarm clock with 2 distinct features: It struts around like an iPod snob and it has several rows of LEDs that light up to reflect the time of day, simulating dawn and dusk.

USB-powered far infrared heat pad

Posted in Health,USB by Darrin Olson on November 1st, 2007

USB powered infrared pad for pain reliefWe’re often surprised here at the ‘Brick by the different types of things that companies come up with which are powered by a USB connection. Most do seem to make a lot of sense though; people are spending more and more time at their computers and most of these devices don’t require a lot of juice to power them. This far infrared heating pad is a good example, offering the benefits of infrared heat through the convenience of a USB connection.

Star Trek photon torpedo coffin to die for

Posted in Sci-Fi by Conner Flynn on November 1st, 2007

Star Trek photon torpedo coffin from Eternal Image.Looking for something to do in your geek afterlife? How about reliving Spocks death during your own, with this sweet coffin based on the Photon Torpedo from STII: The Wrath of Khan. Currently, the technology doesn’t exist to jettison you from the enterprise and onto the Genesis planet, so this is the next best thing.

It’s from Eternal Image, the makers of all kinds of afterlife geek accessories and it is their final design of the torpedo replica coffin. As you might expect, it comes with Federation insignia on the inside and convenient handles so your poll bearers can carry your dead weight. This morbid and FINAL collectible will be available in 2008. So try not to die before then.

Toshiba HD DVD player under $100 Friday

Posted in HD-DVD Player,News,Toshiba by Darrin Olson on November 1st, 2007

Wal-Mart to sell HD DVD player for $99If you’ve considered getting your hands on an HD DVD player before the holidays you may want to consider hanging out at your local Wal-Mart tomorrow morning. According to their totally legit Secret In-Store Specials page, many stores will be offering the Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player starting Friday at 8am through the weekend for a mere $98.87. The player was previously priced at just under $200 and is still listed at around $200 at Amazon and almost $300 at most other places.

The Toshiba HD-A2 is a 2nd generation player that supports the HD DVD disc format, rivaled by none other than the high-definition Blu-ray disc format in an ongoing high-def war, which currently seem like it will have no end. The player outputs in 720p/1080i formats and has SD up-conversion to 480p/720p/1080i. And as you might expect, as soon as you buy this one its expected to be followed up soon by its upgrade, the Toshiba HD-A3, which Sears is planning on selling for $169 with two HD DVD movies bundled with it.

Sick Brick

Sick Brick: 14 M.P.H. Cooler

Posted in Sick Brick by Nino Marchetti on November 1st, 2007

14 M.P.H. CoolerThe 14 M.P.H. Cooler – yup, a cooler with an engine. Not your typical gadget but still quite amusing to us so it makes the grade. Grab your favorite six pack and load it up for on the go drinking for close to a mere $500.

As the name implies the 14 M.P.H. Cooler goes up to 14MPH. It’s powered by a 500-watt electric motor. You can drive this baby up to 15 miles on a single charge, transporting with you in the insulated bin up to two six packs and a block of ice. The frame of this scooter is built from aircraft aluminum and the variable throttle looks to provide a riding experience similar to that of a golf cart.

New Panasonic Blu-ray Disc player ups ante

Posted in Blu-ray,Panasonic by Nino Marchetti on November 1st, 2007

Panasonic DMP-BD30Panasonic recently unveiled a new Blu-ray Disc player which is the first player to offer up the Final Standard Profile and its variety new and enhanced features. The Panasonic DMP-BD30 is priced at around $500.

The Panasonic DMP-BD30, making use of the Final Standard Profile, offers some interesting new functions including Picture-in-Picture (which displays a second image in a sub window) and Audio Mixing (which allows one to switch the sound between the main and sub windows). There’s also a new multi-function SD Card slot which allows for images recorded on a HD SD card to be outputted at 1080p via HDMI.

New G-DRIVE mini HDD offers triple interface

Posted in External Hard Drives,G-Technology by Nino Marchetti on November 1st, 2007

G-Technology G-DRIVE mini TripleG-Technology, a developer of external hard drives for computers, announced today a new triple rear interface design for its G-DRIVE mini portable hard drives. The new G-DRIVE mini Triple starts at around $180, depending upon the drive’s storage capacity.

The G-DRIVE mini Triple is available in sizes ranging from 120GB to 250GB. It offers for connectivity to a PC or Mac a choice of FireWire 400, FireWire 800 or USB 2.0. The drive is housed in an all aluminum enclosure with built-in heat sink and weighs under nine ounces. It’s bus powered and requires to external power source to operate.

SPOT satellite tracker saves your behind from bears

Posted in GPS,Outdoors by Nino Marchetti on November 1st, 2007

SPOTLet’s face the facts – you’re lost deep in the woods after going out on a hike to get photos of the elusive Bigfoot. You can’t find your way out and that big bear staring at you and salivating isn’t helping matters. As you rapidly climb a tree, you remember you can summon help with SPOT, the self-described world’s first satellite messenger. This aid to the lost hiker is priced at around $170 plus service fees.

The SPOT takes the form of a portable device which is designed to be waterproof as well as to withstand the outdoors in general. It’s reportedly relatively easy to use by pressing one of several buttons to, for example, transmit a user’s exact location and message to a 9-1-1 emergency call center in times of need. You can also send standard messages to family or others to request help or just let others track you via a Web service which uses GPS coordinates and Google Maps technology.

DXG-110: 10-megapixels for under $200

Posted in DXG USA,Digital Cameras by Nino Marchetti on November 1st, 2007

DXG-110How willing would you be to go cheap for a ten-megapixel digital camera? Under $200 cheap enough for you? DXG USA is the one dangling this carrot, announcing today the DXG-110, priced at around $170.

The DXG-110 offers up, besides the ten-megapixels, 3x optical/4x digital zoom, VGA video recording, autofocus tracking, a 2.5-inch TFT color screen and face detection. It also offers some DXG calls “automatic contrast management” to “detect contrast levels and apply the best dynamic range in high contrast scenes” in 12-bit resolution.

Google to introduce OpenSocial API

Posted in Google,News,Services by Darrin Olson on November 1st, 2007

Google to launch Open Social APIs as a common platform for social networking sitesTonight Google is planning to unveil OpenSocial, a new set of API‘s which make up a common programming platform specifically built to use on popular social networking sites. The development platform will allow application developers to create third party programs to run on these sites without them having to learn a new platform and rewrite their components for each one.

Not only will the new common platform work on Google’s own Orkut, but has also already seen support from as many as a dozen other popular companies and social networking sites including Oracle, Salesforce.com, Hi5, iLike, LinkedIn, Slide, Ning, Friendster and Plaxo. Flixster, iLike and RockYou already have developers in the onboard. The very popular Facebook, who recently accepted a bid to go with Microsoft over Google and who “opened up” its own platform for 3rd party widgets, is not in the list of sites supporting the API’s, and neither is MySpace.

21st century compass from Wayfinder

Posted in Clocks,Compass by Conner Flynn on November 1st, 2007

21st century compass from WayfinderLooking cool with a backlit “X-Files green” lcd display, this little device can replace that old style compass on your dashboard. They say that this updated version of the old explorers tool even has digital accuracy.

In the center, you’ll see the analog clock face that syncs with the atomic time broadcasts. Just in case those features aren’t enough, they saw fit to include an altimeter for those who like to know what altitude they are in. Don’t trust your weatherman? They covered that too by integrating a barometer capable of 12-24 hour weather forecasting. Comes with a lithium battery for power and a suction cup mounting bracket for your windshield.