Gadget Access

by Darren Murph, posted Sep 30th 2008 at 6:08AM
It’s not making the same sized splash as the tidal wave created by SanDisk today, but Fujifilm is still vying for your flash card dollars with a bundle of newcomers. On the vanilla SD front, we’re seeing a new 1GB SD and 2GB SD card, while those scouting a microSD card can key in on the new 1GB and 2GB flavors there, too. Stepping it up are the 4/8/16GB SDHC cards and the tinier 4/8GB microSDHC units. There’s no mention of dollars and cents, but the whole colorful group should be on store shelves next month.

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Filed under: Storage

by Chris Ziegler, posted Sep 30th 2008 at 4:59AM
Let’s be straight: nothing says “I’m a successful businessperson” quite like a dock for your smartphone. You know, smack in the middle of that solid oak desk of yours — the one in the corner office. What, you say your fancy new blackberry Bold doesn’t have connections for a proper dock? Well, hell, you’ve got hair plugs, spray-on tan, and a house in the Hamptons you can’t afford, so why not take the charade to the next level? USB Fever’s fabulously generic $20 cradle for the Bold will at least charge the thing, but if you want to get all crazy and sync up with your PC, you’ve got to suffer the indignance of a USB cable (coiled for your convenience) flopping off the side. Should look real professional next to the red Swingline and that stupid “Teamwork” perpetual motion rowing thing of yours, sport. You know what we’re talking about.

[Via Gear Diary]

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Filed under: cellphones, Handhelds

It looks cute, its name is cute and it runs on electricity. What more could you want from a car? A place to dock your ipod perhaps? Done! According to Chrysler (via Engadget), production will begin on the GEM (Green Eco Mobility) Peapod sometime next year.

I love the look and idea of this car but I have a couple of problems with it: one, no-one’s spilling the price, which can’t bode well for the budget-conscious among us (and that’s all of us these days) and two: the glass-all-over doors look a little… exposing. Not to mention hard to clean.

Kanchana ’s recent article on Abunda Trade reminded me of NextWorth which actually pays you cold hard cash for your gently used ipod or iPhone or lets you trade them in for an upgrade. For example, you can get a trade-in value of over $200 for a 1st Gen iPhone (16GB).

Customers simply enter the model and condition of their current iphone or iPod online and a value is calculated based on the entered model and condition. Once the customer accepts the estimate, NextWorth sends a box, the customer sends the device and a certified check will arrive in seven to 14 days.

It certainly is safer than selling independently. If you’ve tried it, let us know.

FROM GAMERTELL - Nikkei, a Japanese newspaper, published a story stating that Nintendo is designing a DS with a built in camera, mp3 player and better Wi-Fi abilities.  It will supposedly be released in Japan before the end of 2008.
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Mitsubishi has just rolled out its new NR-HZ001 series of car navigation systems that will be fitted into the remainder of its 2008 lineup, featuring an integrated hard drive to store all your navigational data. One of the models will boast the ability to watch “full segment” terrestrial digital broadcasts, although that is not recommended if you’re driver - leave the watching to your passengers while you concentrate on the road. I tend to find that distractions such as in-dash DVD players and what-nots add to a less safe driving experience, as my roving eyes tend to concentrate more on what’s happening on the screen instead of the vehicles behinds’ that I am fast approaching.

These two models will be released this November 5th in Japan, with no word on a recommended retail price although pundits are pointing towards at $2,353 price point for the full segment model with the 1seg model going for approximately $1,900 or so. According to Eiji Nakayama, executive officer in charge of Automotive Equipment, “Even though the cost of car navigation systems is declining as a result of the emergence of PNDs, high prices will not deter consumers if a product has added value.” You, as a driver, do you think what he says holds water, or are you much more careful with your purse strings now that there is no $700 billion bailout plan that has left the US economy in tatters?

What makes this model stand out from the rest is the inclusion of the “Multi Relay Operation” that helps standardize the transition of multiple operation systems such as touch panels, remote control and voice recognition. Since the driver is meant to leave both hands on the steering wheel and not fiddling with knobs and switches, Mitsubishi clearly believes that voice input is the way to go when it comes to operating a navigation system while driving. Unfortunately, voice recognition in car navigation systems are still in its infancy stage as malfunctions due to misrecognition are frequent, leading Mitsubishi to standardize the transition of operation to enable passengers in the front passenger seat and backseats to take over operation from the driver. Neat - make sure you don’t go yapping if you’re driving this alone lest you end up in a ditch with an airbag in your face.

Source: Tech-On!

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Millions of disgruntled Facebook users are calling for a boycott. The reason is the popular social networking site’s new design, which changed user profiles from an all in one page to a tabbed interface.

Several Facebook groups have sprung up to protest the change. One, called “1,000,000 Against the New Facebook Layout,” has nearly 3 million members, while two others, “Petition Against the New Facebook” and “I Hate The New Facebook” have over a million members each.  Even though it’s extremely likely that the memberships of all three groups overlap, the numbers are still impressive.

“The goal is to send a strong signal to Facebook. For every person that takes the time to join this group, there are more out there who are upset,” said Jessica Fishbein, one of the administrators of the “1,000,000 Users Against the New Facebook Layout” group and a Facebook user for about two years.

Users say they dislike the new tabbed interface because it’s clunky and forces people to click around to find the information they’re looking for.  They also prefer the former interface’s more discreet feel and subdued presentation.

Facebook claims it has been monitoring the groups and tracking the complaints, but some group administrators say they haven’t heard a word from the site.  Facebook also claims it is receptive to member feedback.  Whether they get the message about the new layout remains to be seen.  Similar boycotts by eBay sellers, irate over the auction site’s new policies which they claim are anti-seller, were unsuccessful in bringing about any change.

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Recently at ShowStoppers in NYC, Gadgetell got a chance to talk to Schlage.  What was Schlage, a lock company, doing at an electronics trade show?  They were showing off their “Schlage LiNK” locks and deadbolts.  The locks bring something new to the table—web connectivity. 

Personally, I have been locked out of my house more times than I care to remember.  If you have this lock installed, you can use your phone to connect to the web and unlock the door through a web interface.  Don’t worry, the lock can still be unlocked by a standard key or if you use the lock’s number pad with a code.

Different codes for different folks

A web interface may seem like overkill for something like a lock.  However, the Schalge LiNK will allow you to have the lock respond to different codes at different times of the day.  You can give out these codes to service folks while keeping your door locked to the general public.  If you’re the paranoid type, you can even track when the door was locked or unlocked. 

The catch

The catch is the service is not free.  You pay $199 or $299 for the lock or a kit and then you must pay an additional $12.99 per month for the web service.  I asked the rep if Schlage had a free local web interface, like if you wanted to run a home server that you could connect to only if you hooked into your home network.  Unfortunately, the Schlage does not offer that kind of free solution.

This is an interesting marriage of old technology and new technology.  I wonder when my armchair will be connected to the Internet with a stat tracker for fantasy football. 

Product [Schlage LiNK]

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Since young I was always taught to reduce the use of plastics and styrofoam containers/cups as those are non-biodegradable, not to mention that turtles often mistake them for jellyfish only to be conned into swallowing plastic bags, leaving them to die shortly thereafter. Biodegradable plastics are the way to go it seems - but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue living out other green lifestyles.

Thanks to an additive that slowly breaks down the disposable plastic items that we use, plastic can be biodegraded and become part of the soil that nourishes the plants that keep our planet’s atmosphere in balance. The addition of this additive turns ordinary plastic into oxy-biodegradable plastic. BioGreen Products sells disposable items made of oxy-biodegradable plastic.

Hopefully oxy-biodegradable plastics will become the norm in the near future for the sake of our planet and our children’s future.

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I have to say, sometimes people scare me, or in this case specifically some parents scare me.  I keep waiting to listen to the news to hear about a child sent to school in a giant roll of bubble wrap.  There are just some parents that see danger lurking around every corner even with the smallest of things.  One thing I never ever even considered dangerous was a dimmer switch.  I mean seriously, who finds a dimmer switch dangerous?!   At first I prayed that the Electro Puff Lamp Dimmer was just a bizarre concept design, but no such luck.

Someone actually paid to have it manufactured and some crazy parents I’m sure are snatching them up.  The switch works by you gently tapping it and it will change the light to a different level of brightness.  The puff is made from recycled carpet fiber and conductive yarns.  It also is stain-resistant and antimicrobial, which is good since this is meant for people with kids.  It’s safe for ages 8 and up and you can pick it up at the MoMA Store for $35.

Source: OhGizmo

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