Gadget Access

by Donald Melanson, posted Apr 21st 2008 at 2:54PM We’ve already seen one hack to automate Guitar Hero, but it had the slight disadvantage of having to be pre-programmed for each song, and even then it was slightly hit-and-miss. Now, a father looking for a way to finally beat his son at the game has taken things considerably further, with his hack actually using the composite video input to determine which notes need to be hit in real time. That, as you might have guessed, is way beyond any notion of practicality, and far outside the realm of the average DIYer’s skill level, but it seems like it does indeed work, although there are apparently a few minor kinks left to be worked out. If you’re still not undaunted, you can find the schematics and other information you’ll need at the link below, and check out a video of the setup in action after the break.

[Via Hacked gadgets]

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Filed under: Gaming

With today being Earth Day 2008 here in the United States, I thought it would be good to highlight some eco-friendly gadgets for all the gadget lovers out there who want to do their part for the environment. Doing something good for the environment doesn’t involve having to live in a mud hut, sustaining yourself off wheat grass and tofu and wearing only hemp clothing. You can be on the cutting edge of technology and still be green.

Who doesn’t own a cell phone or an mp3 player? Even my grandparents have cell phones. But these items need to be recharged on a regular basis otherwise they just turn into expensive paperweights or something you use to hold a door open. (See? Recycling!) But why not use solar technology to recharge those items that you use all the time? The Universal Solar cell phone/iPod Charger will allow you to do just that. From the website:

The Universal Solar Cell Phone/ipod Charger will charge your iPod and mobile phone in less than 3 hours when exposed to direct sunlight! Small, light, and extremely portable, the Universal Solar Charger Kit can fit in your pocket for easy transportation to almost anywhere.

The kit includes the Universal Solar Charge, 1 mini USB cable, 2 interchangeable iPod adapters, 5 interchangeable mobile phone adapters.

iPod Adapter compatible with: Apple iPod, iPod Shuffle, iPod nano, iPod Mini

Interchangeable mobile phone adapter compatible with: Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Siemens, Motorola, and blackberry.

And unlike other solar charging stations I’ve seen, this one is actually somewhat affordable at only $89.99. Not bad considering it’ll recharge two of the gadgets that you use the most - at least they’re the two I use the most! So go get one and start saving the world!

[Eco Geek Living]

The Eee PC made by Asus was a big hit due to the cheap price, small dimensions, and overall performance. In less than a year it got upgraded and the “soon to be released” version - 900 - is considered a top-notch UMPC.

With all the success, it was only a matter of time until other companies started copying the plan and creating their own products. That is what happened with MSI, which has announced the Wind notebook.

One of the big differences when comparing each device is the screen size. While the Eee model goes for the tiny screen of 7-inches, the MSI Wind offers two options: 8.9-inch or 10-inch monitor, with 1024×600 as the resolution. In the end, both versions of the Wind are bigger than the current Eee PC, that is, in terms of screen size.

Other features include 1GB of RAM memory, a hard-drive with 80GB of storage capacity, Windows XP as the Operative System, and lastly, a mere weight of (almost) 1Kg.

The MSI Wind is suppose to have an excellent battery life, which adds up to 7 hours. As for the price, it can go from €300 to €700 - it all depends on the configuration you pick. The release date is set for June.

Guest post by Tiago of Gadgetizer

Source: MobileMag

A Japanese company called Solid Alliance is selling an Apple iPod cover that’s designed to look like RAW MEAT. It comes in a cellophane-and-Styrofoam package just like meat does. We’ve reviewed plenty of ipod/iphone cases before, but this one gets bonus points for originality. I wonder what my dog will think.

iPod… It’s what’s for dinner?

More info at rakuten.co.jp and therawfeed.com

methodshop

Posted in Miscellaneous

I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand it when cats, dogs, squirrels, or other critters come into my yard. It doesn’t help to knock on the window and yell, because they don’t seem to be scared by that. The only way to get them to leave is to shoo them away, which means you have to run outside and look like an idiot.

Fortunately, there is another solution: use the Mega-Sonic Scatter-Cat Repeller. This device may look like a megaphone, but it is not designed to amplify your voice. Instead, it sends out an ultrasonic signal that human ears cannot hear, but will hit an animal’s ear like a high-pitched scream. Think of it as a dog whistle on steroids.

Of course, you can always switch it to a loud sonic signal that can be heard by both animals and humans, but I’m guessing you would only need that if some gang was loitering in your front yard.

The Cat Repeller also comes with a laser sight, which means you can target your human or animal prey like the Terminator.

If this is something you need to repel all types of animals from your yard, the Mega-Sonic Scatter-Cat Repeller can be purchased at the selections.com website for about $30.

Source

Just when gadgets are going sleeker, sexier, and slimmer, mankind has gone in the other direction. That is, went bigger, larger, and rounder.

Isn’t technology supposed to make our lives better and not our waistlines bigger? But it looks like this comic from Clubic.com perfectly describes it all. For me, this isn’t just about the man and the television but rather the whole technology and gadget innovations we’ve seen throughout the decades. That, as technology progresses, so should man, but it looks like the reverse is happening.

Read [Wired]

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Traveling to Third World countries might be cheap for those living in the West, considering the much lower standard of living, and the sights and smells are often exotic as well. Unfortunately, all that comes at a price, sometimes safe drinking water is hard to come by, and to rely on bottled water wherever you go is pretty inconvenient. Enter the Thirst Aid Pouch that makes it easy to filter water from just about any source.

Our advanced water filtration technology enables the user to get water from just about any source, from drainage ditch and muddy puddle to a standpipe, and be confident that the Thirst Aid pouch will remove it’s contaminants. The water you get out will have gone through our unique advanced filter which strips out contaminants and pathogens, bacteria and viruses; it also removes sediment, reduces heavy metals and leaves the water odorless and palatable.

A safe, clean water supply anywhere you are? I’ll take one. Sure beats drinking water from the tap and ending up with an upset stomach later on…

So you’ve got a host of gadgets to carry around, but lack the perfect bag to tote those around? Perhaps the LytePac Mini Pack & LED would be able to help.

A perfect way to carry your camera, mp3 player or cell phone! Keep your stuff handy in this sturdy little case! The LytePac is an ideal way to carry your wallet, cell phone, MP3 player or camera while you’re hiking, enjoying rides at a theme park or sightseeing downtown. A convenient clip keeps your car keys securely inside, and an attached LED light makes it easy to find door locks after dark.

At $12.95 a pop, this investment shouldn’t be too heavy on your finances, and it looks good enough to get the job done.

by Thomas Ricker, posted Apr 21st 2008 at 4:08AMMSI just got right with the gadget lorf by going official with its Wind Notebook. Launched anonymously at Intel’s IDF, the Wind is pretty much everything we’ve heard: about 1-kg weight; XP-only (at the moment); LED-backlit, 8.9- and 10-inch 1,024 x 600 displays; and traditional 80GB, 2.5-inch hard disk. MSI also claims to have a superior keyboard and battery life compared to the competition. Yup, they’re looking right at you Eee PC. No word on price or delivery date though we previously heard Juneish (with Atom CPU launch) for between $470 to $1,099.

[Via DigiTimes]

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Filed under: Laptops

PMP’s coming from Asian countries such as China and Japan are really nice and innovative, it’s a shame that most of these devices never make their way to the States. That is the case with this latest PMP from Ramos Digital, called the V8.

It’s still being worked on, but as of now, we know it supports MP4, AVI, DivX, RMVB, MP3, WMA, and FLAC. Other features include an integrated e-Book reader, and TV-Out functionality. Finally, it comes with a 4.3-inch screen and can automatically detect the way you hold it, meaning it will go from portrait to landscape mode, and vice versa automatically. Sounds a bit like the ipod Touch, eh?

Unfortunately, that’s all we know right now, hopefully it will be on sale sometime in the near future.

Via [Akihabara News]

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