Joel Johnson

"Technology Crisis": Videogame Soundtrack Sans Game

I've been enjoying the work of "Cicada" this morning, specifically his two albums "Technology Crisis" and "Technology Crisis II," both done with heavy 8- and 16-bit flavors, to give the impression of a videogame soundtrack. Both albums are online for free, but donations are of course appreciated. (I threw him some cash.)

Sample "Earth's Assault on the Central A.I.," the standout track on the first album, to see if you might enjoy the feel.

In an interview with Destructoid, Cicada said:

You mentioned it was 16-bit style, I'd like to clarify that I wanted kind of a fusion of 16-bit, 8-bit and modern synthesis sounds to create a weird, unique hybrid that stands apart from other game music. Technology Crisis II is also a bit cleaner sounding, as if it's on the "next gen" system from the first.

Artist Page [CicadaCom.com via MeFi]

Joel Johnson

I Made A Talking Head Video Review: Fujitsu Lifebook U810 UMPC

I thought I'd try my hand at a video review, especially since this little UMPC is cooler in person than in pictures or words. It is interesting how annoying I am in this; I'm hoping the more I do these, however, the less grating I'll get. But no promises! I may get worse.

That said, this isn't going to be the standard format—nothing is more boring than a talking head, but I wanted to see how quickly I could put something like this together. (Answer: It takes far too long!)

Also, I did curse in this, because I'm a child.

Joel Johnson

Sweet Spot: Where I Get to Go Eat Free Candy

Press events are usually a waste of time. I avoid them if I can. But while I'm typically lured out by free booze, the geniuses behind the "Sweet Spot" event went double-fisted: booze and chocolate. A group of confectioners gather every year to show off their latest goods to the press, inviting us in to stuff gooey sweets into our cavernous chonk-holes; to dribble wine down our shirts as we "notice the pairing of the cacao nibs with the sharpness of the wine," even though our mouths are still coated in the amniotic slime from a just-hatched marshmallow Peep; to discover how many ways companies can rebrand the flavor "mint"; to hear how healthful chocolate is—the darker the healthier.

Then they sent us home with like 20 pounds of candy. Normally I don't even take home the brochures from press events, but you can bet your ass I sweated that paper sack full of *trose treasures through a crowded subways and cold Brooklyn streets. And then went on a four day fast in penance. *

Unsurprisingly, the coolest candies were the ones being marketed to children. My cohort Kat and I, when not making our PR handler nervous from all our tittering and misfired jokes**, were completely enamored by the Mike & Ike's Spray, a sweet-and-sour solution of the familiar candy in a handy mister, perfect for hungry asthmatics. It's very addictive, not unlike Binaca and other flavor sprays. Shssmppfft. Slap tongue against roof of mouth. Repeat until container or pancreas is empty.

We also got a kick out of the Bubble Roll Message Maker, which works just like the squeeze tape labelers of old, but impresses letters onto a six-foot roll of sour gum. Take solace in knowing that I did attempt to imprint something puerile into my piece of gum before giving up and chewing a nice strip of "COCJJJJ." Replacement gum is available, so you don't have to buy a whole new gun. They also have another Message Maker that does emoticons, but it's not as fun, which is to say it's not as easy to write distasteful phrases. (You can buy a Message Maker online for $3.)

While we ate tons of decent chocolate (my personal poison), I also had to knock back a few "Sports Beans" from Jelly Belly to keep up my stamina. Each bean is filled with vitamins, electrolytes, and carbohydrates—and some have caffeine. They're not candy, sir! They're a performance-enhancing Extreme bean. We tried desperately to get the woman showing these off to acknowledge that these beans, like most energy drinks, mostly are just full of delicious, buzz-inducing sugar. She was firm.

There is also a new version of the Nestle Crunch bar coming out, called "Crunch: Crisp!" I begged the PR woman to explain to me the difference between crunch and crisp, but that got her flustered, so she just kept repeating "Crisp is crispy; crunch is crunchy." Things might have gone worse for her but Kat noticed a framed photograph of Stevie Nix in the fake bookcases in the fake living room of the demo area which sent our sugar-fired attention steaming stickily away from the crunch/crisp dilemma.

Finally, as something of a Peeps connoisseur, I must tell you two things: sugar-free Peeps made from Splenda are surprisingly close to the genuine article, although very expensive at $1 for three (they may also not "cure" like proper Peeps will do, but I did not have time to test); Peppermint Peeps are actually sort of gross.

* I actually don't eat that much candy these days, so I'm going to swipe a couple of chocolate bars out of the bag and give the rest away at Funde Razor.

** "The snap from the chocolate is how you can tell it is well-tempered," said one nice woman from Nestle. I held the chocolate to my ear. "This one sounds like a dick." She coughed. "But it's...square?"

Joel Johnson

ReMade: Recycling for Retail

Core77 points out a great program coming out of Western Washington University called "ReMade," which put industrial design students up to discovering ways to turn industrial and commercial trash into a salable, retail products. The sushi roller from bike spokes is cute, but I especially love the Exacto knife holders from toothbrush handles. How great would it be to see products on the shelf that aren't all identical? Who needs "available in five exciting colors" when you could choose from handles made from every toothbrush design in existence?

I'll say it again: landfill mining is the career of the future. It's like we've got a civilization's worth of LEGO bricks in a pile but can't be arsed to sort them into their proper bins.

The students made 20 each of their products and will displaying and selling them through the end of the year in Seattle.

ReMade @ Western Washington University [Core77.com]

Joel Johnson

Walkman, Speaker Jewelry from Complete Technique

Boutique jeweler CompleteTechnique makes baubles out of iconic products, including this bracelet made from tiny speakers ($800), this Walkman necklace ($175), and the always classy AK47 pendant ($340). Of course the one I like the most is the most expensive.

Catalog Page [CompleteShop.us via Josh Spear]

Joel Johnson

LG SolarDOM Hybrid Microwave

It appears that "light-wave" is the term being used by LG to describe the combination of microwave and conventional ovens into one hybrid unit, and the "SolarDOM" is their latest and smallest. As its name might imply, the SolarDOM is a top, capable of being placed on a counter like other microwaves. (Previous hybrid ovens have tended to be more, you know, oven-sized.)

Appliancist explains the inner workings:

The compact light oven uses a Mega Heater System, which utilizes light waves created by a combination of different type of heaters - Halogen, Sheath and Ceramic, each with different heating depth ensuring that food is cooked evenly. Heat is circulated more efficiently because of the round cavity and the light reflector, which concentrates light waves on the food.

SolarDOM microwave - LG advanced light-wave microwave oven [Appliancist]

Joel Johnson

FujiFilm Tape Tracker for Forgetful Sysadmins

FujiFilm's new "Tape Tracker" is a GPS-broadcasting system stuffed into a standard half-inch data tape case, designed to be slipped into a case with data tapes to keep close tabs on physical backups when they go off site.

In addition to the device, Fujifilm Tape Tracker utilizes a secure, web-based tracking software application called FujiFind for managing one or several data tape shipments simultaneously, from any PC.  The Fujifilm Tape Tracker is up to 1,000 times more sensitive than conventional GPS receivers so users can track inventory through rural areas, cities, within transport vehicles and even inside warehouse locations.

Press Release [FujiFilmUSA.com via Engadget via SpaceMart.com]

Joel Johnson

Duncan Metal Zero Yo-Yo

The Duncan Metal Zero Yo-Yo is made of brushed aluminum and is available for $40, which may seem like a lot of a yo-yo, but is actually a decent deal for an all-metal model. A previous model was supposedly "anodized," but actually just had some sort of paint that would easily flake off. This latest model looks like it is just aluminum, no paint.

The older model was reviewed by a hardcore yo-er and got generally high marks, except for the whole paint thing.

All in all: this isn’t really a yoyo I would use for my competitions, but this would be a great yoyo for beginning yoyoers (just use Duncan pads) and a great yoyoer for intermediates (just use 2 baz’s or dif’s). For real advanced play, get a mkii or gear or business instead. This yoyo is a great addition to your collection, but it’ won’t be anywhere near my main player.

Duncan Metal Zero Review (pics) [TheYo.com, sort of via Uncrate]

Joel Johnson

Nokia N81 Reviewed (Verdict: "Sweet Agony")

Om Malik on the Nokia N81 music phone:

The device behaved like a 3-year-old throwing a tantrum. Unless this is an especially buggy device, N81 has to be one of the worst Nokia phones I have ever used and would be loathe to recommend it to anyone.
It is underpowered and the Symbian S60 OS behaves like Windows ME. Remember that piece of junk? Well this is worse. It takes more than 10 seconds to open a text message. Switching between applications is akin to me running - out of breath. One has to constantly reboot the phone to even make phone calls.

Review: The Sweet Agony That Is Nokia N81 [Giga Om]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Canon 40D DSLR with Kit Lens for $1262 or less, depending on how much you want to screw around with Dell coupons. [Slickdeals] Similar deal at Circuit City. [Dealnews.]

• Massive Swiss Army/Victorinox sale at Amazon. [Dealhack]

• Option GT Max 3.6 EDGE / UMTS ExpressCard Adapter for 1 cent (with service activation from AT&T) [Dealnews]

• Battlestar Galactica Season 1 5-DVD Set for $28, shipped. (Remember the good times!) [Dealnews]

• Refurbished KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer for $150, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot!: Belkin Mobility Kit for RoadyXT & Xpress for $25, shipped.

Joel Johnson

Sonicare FlexCare Review (Verdict: Best Yet)

The nut: The best Sonicare (and perhaps electric toothbrush) yet, but you'll have to slap down two bills for it.

You know what a Sonicare is, right? It's a fancy electric toothbrush. Well there's a new model, the FlexCare, and it's an improvement over the previous models in many ways. The handle is smaller. The brush heads are smaller, making it easier to get into deep territories of your mouth. The brush heads now no longer have any vibration equipment in them, which should make them cheaper to replace. And best of all, with the vibration assembly inside the brush handle, all that mouth goo will no longer pool in the top of the handle to fester.

In fact, the whole thing is as lot cleaner, especially with the addition of a UV sanitizer for the brush heads which I used exactly once before deciding I just didn't care. I mean, it's fine, I'm sure, but I rinse my toothbrush out well each time I use it and so far my face hasn't rotted off.

The battery lasts a long time, although I rarely had an issue with that before. Philips tells me that the new models are 77% more energy efficient that previous models. The motor is as strong as ever, though, or stronger. The new "Massage" mode delivers a series of pulses. Easier to call it "Face Rock" mode. I thought my teeth were going to turn to powder.

It's a total winner except for the price, currently $180. The Sonicare really is the best electric toothbrush I've used and this is the best model yet, but that's a significant amount of money. It's almost a Wii! So don't feel bad waiting for the price to fall if you're looking to upgrade from an older model. If money is no object, though, this is the Sonicare to get.

Product Page [Sonicare.com] [Amazon]

Previously: Ultreo Ultrasound Toothbrush Review (Verdict: Not Recommended) [Gadgets.BoingBoing.net]

Joel Johnson

Wingscapes Birdcam Review (Verdict: Sort of Awesome!)

The nut: A finely-built piece of hardware that is a treat for bird lovers. Or those who generally love to spy on things.

What you see above is an excerpt of about 150 images taken by the Wingscapes Birdcam, a ruggedized outdoor camera with a motion sensor, designed primarily to capture images of birds. If you can't make out any birds in those images, that's because there aren't any—it was taking pictures of my tomato plant waving in front of it. Despite this, I still think the Birdcam is top-notch.

I can't blame the Birdcam for user error, which is exactly what happened. And the pictures themselves look sharper than I'd expected, even if they are all of a pile of forlorn cracked corn. If I'd anticipated the tomato plant as a problem, I could have even turned down the motion sensor sensitivity. There are tons of options for tweaking, from image and video quality, focal distance, and shot delay. There's even a built-in laser guide to help you figure out exactly where you'll be shooting.

There's also fully-automatic modes that work fine if you're not interested in tweaking. You'll probably get the best results if you take the time to learn what the Birdcam can and can't do. As Wingscapes gently puts in the manual's introduction, using the Birdcam "requires some artfulness on the part of the user."

It's built tough, too, and weatherproof. It comes with all the stuff you'll need to use it, too, minus batteries and an SD card. (It has some internal memory, but not much.) It better for $250, which is a lot of scratch for a relatively low megapixel camera. (2,048 by 1,536 pixels for stills, 640 by 480 for video.) But for birders, or people like me who just get a kick out of snapping the squirrels that hang out on my porch, that doesn't seem like a bad deal at all for something this well made. But like any camera, don't buy it and expect it to start taking beautiful pictures for you automatically. Especially if you have tomato plants.

I'm pleased to hear that one my favorite Brooklyn bloggers "City Birder" has a Birdcam, too, and has been experimenting with his for a while. I plan on playing with this one some more around the house, but he'll actually get out into the park and do some real testing.

Product Page [Wingscapes.com]

Joel Johnson

Sleeptracker Pro Review (Verdict: Works but Expensive)

The nut: It does what it claims, but the new software features aren't very useful. The new vibration function, however, is. For people good at sleep, but awful at waking.

The Sleeptracker Pro watch uses a built-in accelerometer to guess when your are most close to waking while asleep, then gently nudges you with its vibration or beeps to wake you. By catching you at the right point of your sleep cycle, rather than at an arbitrary time you set before you went to sleep, the Sleeptracker aims to help you wake refreshed.

I haven't been using the Sleeptracker Pro for very long—about a week, and not every night—but I've already been surprised at how well it works at waking me up at a point where it doesn't feel like I'm about to have a heart attack. So that's an improvement right there. I have the privilege of being able to set a fairly large window for it to wake me within. I gave it a full hour window, although it will go as large as an hour-and-a-half, and as narrow as twenty minutes.

Because you have to set that initial window, I wasn't able to just slap it on my wrist and crash out the first time I used it. In fact, because I needed to thumb through a manual to figure out what to do, I put it aside for a few nights before I was ready to futz with it. Because it's a watch and not something with a larger screen, this is more difficult than it might have to be. The stilted, overly technicaly language in the manual doesn't help.

(The whole setup process could be humanized simply by asking three questions: "Roughly when do you want to wake up?"; "Okay, so somewhere between 6 and 7 AM?"; "Let me know when you're going to sleep!" Hard to do on a watch, unfortunately.)

Once configured, though, using the Sleeptracker was as easy as holding down the "Down" button to indicate I was going to bed. In the morning it would wake me—at least when I wouldn't wake myself a few minutes before it did. Something about anticipating being woken by a new clock made my body's internal clock more sensitive.

The Sleeptracker Pro is ugly. You could wear it all day if you wanted to—it works just fine as a regular watch—but you won't because it's orange and because its small LCD window on a moderately large face makes it look cheap. On the other hand, the orange highlights make it easier to pick out on a cluttered desk in the twilight.

The "Pro" in Sleeptracker Pro indicates a few upgraded features from the previous (and still available) model, most notably bundled software that allows you to download and compare your sleep history to track how restless you may have been in the night. But because the Sleeptracker Pro only has enough storage inside for one night's data, if you miss a night you're out of luck. I also didn't find the provided data to be all that interesting or useful and the included software was unattractive visually and experientially.

That doesn't matter much, though, because the Sleeptracker Pro is only $30 more than the $150 Sleeptracker Standard, and it's worth $30 alone to get the vibration feature, which the cheaper model does not have.

One morning the Sleeptracker went off on my desk. I'd forgotten to wear it. Apparently Sleeptracker does not do any baseline movement monitoring to tell if it's on your arm or if you are dead.

The way the USB connects to the watch is kind of neat. Rather than having a standard mini USB port on the side that would compromise water resistance—and you definitely want a watch that wakes you from sleep to resist morning showers—there are three small discs on the bottom of the watch. The included cable has a USB port on one end for your computer and a three-tooth clip on the other. Syncing doesn't happen automatically, though. You'll have to switch the watch to data mode, attach the clip, open the software on your Windows PC, and press a sync button. It's a hassle.

Would I buy one? For the average person, $180 is too much for an alarm clock, no matter how personalized and feather-like its touch. But if you are the sort of person who always seems to wake up in a blur, it might be worth a shot. Waking up well is important. Frames your whole day. You could also try going to bed earlier, not setting an alarm at all, and telling yourself roughly when you're like to wake up. You might be amazed at how accurate your brain alone can be.

Product Page [Sleeptracker.com]

Joel Johnson

Gallery of Rare Japanese Nissans

A lucky joe got to tour Nissan's private Zama storage facility, full of rare and one-off cars from the auto manufacturer spanning several decades. He was nice enough to take dozens of pictures and put them online.

Whether you like Nissan's more recent racers or like looking at the odd old firetruck from 1950, there should be a little bit in there for everyone.

Zama storage facility & Autech HQ visit [TwinTurbo.net] (Thanks, Michael!)

Joel Johnson

LEGO Air Conditioner Model by Nathan Sawaya

LEGO craftsman Nathan Sawaya built this scale air conditioner for an Bryant Air Conditioning convention in Las Vegas. (Oh, the poor nipples of all those booth babes.) It even sort of works—or at least has a working fan.

Project page [BrickArtist.com via Gadget Lab via Neatorama via MAKE]

Joel Johnson

Hey TiVo, Ditch the Subscription!

I don't own a TiVo. Besides dinking around with some at trade shows, I've never even used one. I hear they're fantastic. The company's announcement today of a temporary reinstatement of its "Lifetime Subscription" for $400 makes me wonder: why does TiVo charge a service fee at all?

I understand that it takes time and money to build (or license) program data, but it's the sort of information that scales. Once the program guide is built it can be replicated for almost no cost, no matter how many more TiVo units are activated. Instead, the company charges hundreds of dollars over the lifetime of the device for the very data that makes their machines work. In their business model holding the reins of the data makes their product more valuable, but it actually makes their product less valuable to buyers.

Since the main competitor to TiVo is not other third-party DVR manufacturers but the set-top boxes licensed by cable companies for a monthly fee, it would seem like a smart way to differentiate their product. As it stands now, every time I consider buying a TiVo I have to ask myself if I want to pay several hundred dollars up front as well as several hundred dollars over the use of the device. And as good as their interface may be, I don't. I suspect most of their other potential customers feel the same way.

Even the terminology "lifetime subscription" is offputting. Who wants to commit to a product platform for life? Obviously, you can stop using your TiVo whenever you like, but my point is that the term "lifetime," while meant to imply a simple amortization, also implies a heavy, lifelong commitment. Appealing to true believers, perhaps, but not new converts.

Joel Johnson

Streamlined Gadgets and Vehicles

The latest Oobject gallery is full of streamlined "World of Tomorrow" gadgets and vehicles, including this "Streamliner" meat slicer from 1942. I bet that sucker still works. On the right, an air compressor manufacturer by American company "Spray-It" in the '40s.

24 sky captain gadgets & vehicles [Oobject]

Joel Johnson

Twist 'n Shot Jello Shot Glasses

"Twist 'n Shot"* cups are designed to make it easier to remove Jello from a cup when making shots. A small lip of plastic rests inside, dislodging the gelatin when turned. You can get a twenty pack for $14 plus shipping, or buy in lots of 60 or 200. (Let's call those the "Frat Packs.")

Product Page [TwistNShot.com via Thrillist]

* Does anyone else go bonkers when there is no trailing apostrophe on abbreviated "and"?

Joel Johnson

G.I. JOE Sigma 6 Vehicles Are Neat

The toy vehicles available in the new G.I. JOE "Sigma 6" line, even if they borrow freely from anime and sci-fi, are really cool. I would have been ecstatic to let my Joes bop around in them as a child.

See how much better your fighting vehicles become when you make Jack Welch a general?

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Black & Decker FreeWire X10 Home Automation Kits starting at $10, plus $10 shipping. [Dealnews]

• Esphera 360 3D 9" Spherical Jigsaw Puzzle (it's a globe) for $29, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot!: InFocus IN1 Gaming Projector for $505, shipped. (Why isn't that thing 720p, damn it?)

Joel Johnson

Roomba, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?

I own two Roombas. Rather, I own two Roomba husks. Yesterday, my pink one, long the workhorse even if it was older than my grey Discovery, decided that it would rather not turn off its brushes—ever. I even turned it off and they continued to whirr until I removed the battery.

That battery is the only good one I have, in fact, after having burnt through at least two others between the two Roombas in the past. The replacement batteries are about $35 a pop, but they do such a bang-up job with pet hair that I was loathe to live without one.

But now I'm not so sure. My grey Roomba acts like it's taking a charge, but I just tried to run it and it's dead, too. Both are outside of the warranty; I've had them both for about two years.

I'm left with a tough choice: do I spent another $200 or so on a new Roomba that will almost certainly give up the ghost in another year or two? Or do I finally accept that floor cleaning robots, while useful, are just too susceptible to the very dirt and grime they're meant to clean to be worth it?

You know what's the worst part? My floor's too dirty to use my Scooba, which has been sitting unused for about six months while I waited on a battery and firmware replacement. $200 will buy me a nice broom and a badass mop.

Joel Johnson

Connect IO Intelligent Oven with Built-In Fridge

These ConnectIO "Intelligent Ovens" may be old news, but I just realized how they work. It seemed rather useless to me to be able to connect to your oven via your phone or internet to turn it on—pre-heating doesn't take that long—but it turns out the nicer models in the series actually are refrigerators, too, allowing you to leave food in them all day and then remotely start cooking when you're on your way home. (There are lower end models without the fridge, too, but that seems silly.)

They're completely unnecessary, of course, and expensive at $9k, but at least I get what they're trying to do now, even if I don't think it's worth $8k or so to save yourself a few minutes here and there.

Product Page [TMIO.com]

Joel Johnson

State of Car Safety Art

Ignoring the alarmist headline, Matthew Phenix's overview of some of the latest safety features to be found in cars. Not just in high-end models, either.

Several cars now have lane-departure warning systems, and a Honda I drove in Japan went as far as to physically steer the car back into the the lane if it strayed (a device tested by driving the car around a high-speed oval with no hands on the wheel). Infiniti now has a system that uses a quartet of little cameras to synthesize a 360-degree overhead image of your car on the in-dash LCD, so presumably you no longer have to look out those tiresome windows during parking maneuvers.

Is Safety Technology Replacing Common Sense? [Autopia]

Joel Johnson

$200 Everex Wal-Mart PC Reviewed (Verdict: Worth $200!)

Rob Beschizza has given the Everex gPC a once over, finding the $200 Linux PC to be perfectly useable for most day-to-day tasks.

Screen fonts don't look too great, either, with blurry smoothing and poor typeface selections. Changing themes helped: "Bling," included alongside the default Green gOS default, has a more conventional, less Web 2.0 look.

But these are minor annoyances, and the gPC looks like a fantastic deal. My first impression is of a serviceable desktop PC with bulletproof security and a pleasant, simplified feel. For those wanting to do more with their computer than surf the web, check e-mail and basic productivity, however, it's obviously not of much interest — unless, of course, you're going to do something clever with it.

I've seen people pay more than $200 just for a PC case.

Hands-On With Everex's $200 gPC [Gadget Lab]

Joel Johnson

Dragon Lasers 250mW "Hulk" Reviewed (Verdict: Lasery)

Dragon Lasers sent me the same 250mW "Hulk" green laser that Oh Gizmo has reviewed, but unlike Evan Ackerman I've been somewhat frightened by the thing, having once popped the side of a couple of buildings in Manhattan (taking care to avoid any windows) before panicking about getting taken out at the knees by federal agents. And really, how do you review a strong laser? Evan took the only way I could think of so far, too: taking lots and lots of shiny pictures.

Tomorrow is going to be "Reviews Catch-Up Day" on Boing Boing Gadgets, so I'll try to think of something clever to do to show the Hulk off. If nothing else, I can shoot some video. (Crap! Ackerman already did that, too! I'm at a loss.)

OhGizmo Review: Dragon Lasers 250mW Hulk [OhGizmo]

Joel Johnson

AT&T Appeals to Sneaker Culture

The latest of the AT&T spots with the revolving backgrounds are a direct appeal to sneaker culture, including recreations of famous sneaker stores across the globe, from Alife NYC, Undefeated in LA, Motive807 in Austin, and Solebox in Berlin. I'm only a dabbler in sneaker culture—I buy most of my shoes online and won't pay over $100, but I must cop to owning several pair—but I dig the commercial. AT&T is acknowledging part of their audience without trying to act like they're part of it.

AT&T understands Kicks [FreshnessMag.com via NiceKicks.com]

Previously: Wes Anderson's AT&T Commercials [BBG]

Joel Johnson

Bakoda Flask Pack for Snowboarders

This "Flask Pack" from Bakoda is just a simple flask in a neoprene casing, but it looks so much cooler when shown attached to a snowboard binding. The idea? To keep four ounces of your favorite booze easily accessible when you're on the slopes. It's easier than attaching a St. Bernard to your back, perhaps, but not nearly as fun.

The Bakoda Flask Pack is $25, plus shipping.

Catalog Page [Tactics.com via Oh Gizmo!]

Joel Johnson

Periodic Table Shower Curtain

This "Periodic Table Shower Curtain," available on Amazon for $31 plus shipping, is perfect for anyone made of elements who takes showers periodically.

Catalog Page [Amazon via MAKE via 60 Second Science via Geekologie]

Joel Johnson

The Lingering Typewriter

Reuters is running a small piece about the continuing (yet still declining) market for typewriters, still used by some organizations to fill out forms or by writers who still love the old machines.

Chuck Dilts, 43, an editor of "ETCetera, the Journal of the Early Typewriter Collectors' Association," estimates there are about 600 serious collectors in the United States.

Dilts and a partner run a typewriter museum in Southboro, Massachusetts, which features about 800 models.

Collectors generally look for typewriters made before 1920, when the machines became more standardized, Dilts said. "For me, chasing them down is a lot more fun than actually getting them," he said.

There is practically no collector interest in typewriters built after 1956, when they became electric.

Typewriter's last word not written yet [Reuters.com]

Image: Reuters/Shannon Stapleton

Joel Johnson

History of Atari Retrospective

Atari is turning 30 this year. It's also, in its current incarnation as a games publisher, about to die. Again.

Rather than focus on the sad state of a once legend, soon to be relegated to bankruptcy courts and nostalgic t-shirts, remember fondly Atari's golden years in Gamasutra's twenty-page retrospective of the company. (And it only spans the years '71 to '77!) It is almost certainly more than you ever wanted to know about Nolan Bushnell's influential company.

The History of Atari [Gamasutra.com]

Previously: Atari 2600 (VCS) 30-Year Anniversary [BBG]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Philips Norelco 7240XL Cordless Rechargeable Shaver for $33, shipped. (Regular is $65.) [Slickdeals]

• Asus Eee Sub-Notebook for $400 again, this time at Buy.com (Anybody get one of these yet?) [Dealnews]

• iRobot Roomba 560 (one of the new models) for $280; Scooba for $200, plus shipping, or in-store pickup at Linens 'n' Things. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot!: Invicta Stainless Steel Racing Sport Chronograph for $95, shipped.

Joel Johnson

Bit Cover for Drilling Through Carpet

This "carpet cutter and drill guide" will probably be useful to nearly none, but I get a kick out of discovering products so highly specialized. This little bit cover will cut through carpet cleanly, preventing severed fibers from wrapping around your bit, making it easy to drill through a covered floor to install a wire, cable, or surreptitious fiber optic spy camera. It's available from a specialty shop that makes gear for those in the telecom industry and sells for $32.

Drill Snag-Free Holes Through Carpet [ToolMonger.com]

Joel Johnson

"Bindeez" Bead Toy Holds Mind Altering Surprise

An extremely popular toy in Australia, the "Bindeez" bead pen, has been banned across the country after it was discovered that the beads, if ingested, metabolize into gamma-hydroxybutyrate, known on the street as "GHB." GHB causes a feeling of euphoria in lower doses, but can cause a loss of consciousness at higher doses.

I've heard it can also cause you to periodically nod off into a nightmare zone, only to return from your momentary terror with no memories of the experience besides an aftertaste of panic, which fades quickly enough in the alcohol-like euphoria to make you forget that the next descent into the punk-and-bloat dimension is just seconds away.

Anyway, they'll be off the shelves soon if they aren't already. Buy now!

Bindeez toy recalled over drug fears [News.com.au via Consumerist]

Joel Johnson

Nokia's "Haptikos" Tactile Touchscreen Previewed (Verdict: Profoundly Good)

Red from the Red Ferret Journal got his hands on a demo of "Haptikos," a haptics touch feedback system from Nokia that makes typing on a touchscreen keyboard feel something like the real thing.

The problem in perfecting the tech – codenamed Haptikos, meaning ‘to touch’ – lies in how our fingers experience a key press. We actually feel two movements, in and out, and these movements and the associated audio have to be perfectly attuned to the speed and responsiveness of a real keyboard. In use, the touch feedback on the demo device was near on perfect. Each press of a key returned a clunky click and tactile snap on the touchscreen, which made typing feel incredibly responsive and very usable on the smooth screen surface. In fact it was hard to remember that you were using a touchscreen keyboard.

Relatedly, Crave.CNET.co.uk is claiming they've confirmed that Apple is building a tablet PC. Presuming that's true, I wonder if an Apple tablet will forgoe a keyboard entirely for something similar. Apple has already filed a patent for a similar system, although theirs actually involves manipulating the physical surface of a display.

Nokia perfects the clicky tactile touchscreen - iPhone gnashes teeth, swears revenge [RedFerret.net]

Joel Johnson

Ann Smith's Recycled Gadget Creatures

Ann Smith creates sculptures from old gadgets, then uses stop-motion photography to animate their motion. Wired has a small gallery of some of her lovely creations.

Tossed-Out Electronics Are Reincarnated as Stop-Mo Animal Bots [Wired]

Joel Johnson

Tesla CD Turbine vs. Pumpkin

Despite being cracked and losing air, Mr. Fix It Rick's Tesla CD Turbine was still able to be used to carve a pumpkin at speeds nearly as fast as those that could be reached with a knife. (But it's not about speed! It's about making a turbine out of old CDs that can actually be used to do something.)

Joel Johnson

Split Thump: Oakley Still Making Jerk-Ass MP3 Player Sunglasses

The Oakley Thump was never an awful idea—stashing an MP3 player in a set of sunglasses makes some sense. They're already on your head, right next to your ears... But they've an obvious downside, too: you have to have your sunglasses on any time you want to listen to music. That alone should be enough to convince Oakley to price them as a niche oddity, perfect for landscapers and vampire hunters.

But they're still selling them for ridiculous prices! The new "Split Thump," which isn't quite out yet, is $400 for a 2GB player. Since sunglasses are basically disposable goods and should never be sold for more than $20—even sunglasses manufactured from "O Matter" and "Plutonite" with "High Definition Optics"—that puts the MP3 player at around $380 by my estimation. And a 2GB MP3 player is worth about, oh... $50 these days (and that's with a strong tailwind.)

On the upside, these Thumps don't look quite as embarrassing as the previous models. That's something.

Product Page [Oakley.com via Gadget Lab via Gizmodo]

Joel Johnson

Phase: Guitar Hero Creators' iPod Game

Guitar Hero and Rock Band developers Harmonix have released a new game for the new iPod nano and iPod classic (and 5G iPod). Called "Phase," it's quite a bit like a simplified version of Guitar Hero that uses your own music as the source tracks, challenging you to press buttons in sequence.

Since the rhythms are probably selected somewhat at random—it might get the tempo right, but I doubt it's picking out actual melody lines, for instance—I doubt it's quite as involved as full-fledged rhythm games, but it's only $5, so...

It's looks fun, but where are the offical iPhone/Touch games? (There is a free game called "Tap Tap Revolution" that is pretty great, if you want a similar experience on your hacked iPhone.)

MTV/Harmonix Phase [iLounge]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Garmin Nuvi 650 for $308 shipped at Costco. (About $90 off.) [Slickdeals]

• Amazon has Asus Eee PC 4G 701 in stock for $400. It is difficult for me to resist. [Dealnews]

• I'm going to lose my homebrew cred for suggesting this, but the "Mr. Beer" Deluxe brewing kit is on sale at Amazon for $20. Hopefully the recipient will catch the bug and then you can buy them a proper starter kit for not much more. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot! was a USB Massage Ball. It's already gone.

Joel Johnson

Google Phone: It's "Android," a Mobile OS, Not Hardware

Video: Android team members talk about the impetus behind the platform.

Google has announced its plans for the "GPhone," which isn't a phone at all, but instead a mobile open-source Linux-based operating system to be available on a variety of handsets, dubbed "Android." The "Open Handset Alliance," or OHA, a group of mobile hardware and software manufacturers who are participating in the Android project, includes HTC, Motorola, T-Mobile, and Qualcomm.

From the Android description page:

Android does not differentiate between the phone's core applications and third-party applications. They can all be built to have equal access to a phone's capabilities providing users with a broad spectrum of applications and services. With devices built on the Android Platform, users will be able to fully tailor the phone to their interests. They can swap out the phone's homescreen, the style of the dialer, or any of the applications. They can even instruct their phones to use their favorite photo viewing application to handle the viewing of all photos.

Software development kits should be out within a week; the first devices running the OS are expected in 2008.

I was going to assemble a list of links to other coverage, but there's really no way you're going to avoid cud being chewed over this on the internet today.

Project Page [OpenHandsetAlliance.com]

Joel Johnson

KSD Solar Diode Window: Keep Heat Where You Want It

These "Solar Diode" windows from Germany company KSD have apparently been around since the late '80s, but I wasn't familiar with them. The concept is simple: a layer of insulated glass reflects heat. The whole window is mounted so that it can be flipped around—towards the outside in the hot summer, towards the inside in the winter.

Of course they work best when installed in a home, not in an featureless wasteland.

A Window that Can Both Heat and Cool your Home [Freshome.com via Materialicious via Leed Pro]

Joel Johnson

DeLighTable: Touch-Sensitive Glow Table

The "DeLighTable" started as an art project but can now be commissioned for your living room for only $2,300—a fair chunk of change for home furniture, perhaps, but not outlandish for a bar or other public area where a fully waterproof, touch-sensitive, light-reactive table might entice customers to buy more drinks to light up.

Born Rich has a video of the prototype in action. Looks fun, if simple.

Touch-sensitive DeLighTable guised as slim coffee table [BornRich.org]

Joel Johnson

Gamerator: Arcade Cabinet + Kegerator Redefines "Homebrew Games"

Sweet Jumping Pac-Messiah, this is a thing of endorphin-dumping beauty: The "Gamerator," a full-size MAME cabinet with a refrigerated interior that holds a pony keg that releases a stream of malty beer from a tap in front. It's available for auction right now on eBay starting at $2k (including a full list of games for which I highly suspect the makers do not have the proper licenses; maybe they should remove the list from the auction.)

Time to stock up on Depends, friends.

(My winter project is still going to be a chest-freezer-based kegerator/homebrew fermenting cooler, but man. Now I feel like I'm going to have to nerd it up a notch.)

THE GAMERATOR: Arcade Cabinet / Kegerator Hybrid! [eBay via TheBBPS.com via Geekologie] (Thanks, Sir Pork of Musket!)

Joel Johnson

Kenwood Major Titanium Mixer; Your Top 5 Kitchen Gadgets

I'd hire a personal chef before I spent almost a thousand dollars on a stand mixer—especially when more-than-serviceable models from KitchenAid can be had for a quarter of the price or less—but this Kenwood Major Titanium "kitchen machine" is a good-looking, if spartan bit of a cooking gear. I thought you might like to gaze upon it, but I certainly don't recommend buying it.

It's also a good excuse to ask the question: What do you consider your top five kitchen gadgets? I'm in the process of retooling my kitchen, from stalwarts like a new cast iron skillet to a just-purchased juicer (I'm going to go hippie for a while) and it's got me thinking about what sort of machines are actually worth the price.

Here's my list, which I wouldn't suggest is universally applicable, but have stayed in regular rotation in my kitchen over the last couple of years:

• The aforementioned KitchenAid stand mixer. (Pretty much any model will do, but I suggest the grinder attachment with sausage stuffer for meat lovers.)

• The Fresh Roast Plus 8 coffee bean roaster – I can't say that the green beans I roast make the best coffee I've ever had, but I enjoy the whole process. (And the coffee I make is at least better than any off-the-shelf ground stuff and most commercial whole beans.) I do need a real burr grinder, though I've been afraid of dropping the cash for one.

• I hate the process by which the replacement CO2 bottles must be replaced (although I can't suggest a better way than the home delivery service), but I've used my Soda Club machine a lot. Not to make soda, but just to make carbonated water, with which a squeeze of lime is my inexpensive go-to summer drink.

• My Bodum Insulated Press Pot. There may be better french press pots out there, but the insulation means that I can actually have a second (or third) cup of coffee an hour or more after I actually brew it, unlike regular glass-walled pots that cool immediately.

Actually, that's about it for me! (Does that mean I need to buy that burr grinder?) I have some other gadgets that get a lot of use, but they're pretty standard stuff: corkscrews, etc. I'm actually curious how much I'll use the juicer I just got—I suspect I'll have a brief honeydew honeymoon and then leave it aside. And since one of you guys (Gregger) pointed out that you can still buy Dishmaster faucets, I've had my eye on them, but since I rent I'll probably leave that one in my dream kitchen for now.

Kenwood Major Titanium [Appliancist.com]

Joel Johnson

Golaces: Rubber Laces Turn Sneakers to Slippers

"Golaces" are rubber shoe lace replacements. Each end has an arrow-shaped tab that can be wedges into each eyelet, turning most shoes into simple slip-ons. They're only $10 for 16 (available in three sizes and many colors), but I'd like to see some in person or in more "real world" shots before I ordered any. I suspect they are a bit junky looking, especially if you're a sensitive sneaker dilettante like me.

Product Page [Golaces.com via Cool Tools]

Joel Johnson

Lancome "Le Magnetique": Magnetic Nail Polish

Makeup house Lancome has a new nail polish called "Le Magnetique" which is infused with metallic particles. Before the second coat of varnish dries, holding the bottle's built-in magnet over your nails will align the particles in a star-shaped pattern familiar to anyone who has played with magnets and iron filings.

That is how you do nerdy products for women! (Or, yes, men who wear nail polish.) Who gives a rat's ass about a pink product when you can get one with extra science?

Rumor has it that this is available at Nordstrom for $17, but I didn't see it on their website. You can buy it on eBay, but it's 44 bucks, which is a bit nutso.

Glamourous Nails with Lancome Magnetic Nail Varnish [Coolest-Gadgets via (the charming) All Lacquered Up]

Joel Johnson

Movie Treats Technology As Ordinary, Not Exotic

In a short write-up of the movie Reservation Road, Esquire's Mike D'Angelo highlights how the film's characters use technology in realistic ways, perhaps marking a long-waited-for shift in the way technology is presented in pop culture.

When Ethan wants to find out what the likely penalty would be for a hit-and-run offender, he actually does exactly what you or I would do: He Googles the hell out of it, in a scene that for once doesn't cough up the relevant info nugget at the very first keystroke. Later, he turns for emotional support to a chat group for parents of murdered children, pouring his heart out to strangers rather than to his wife and surviving child.

What's remarkable about this material, paradoxically, is how thoroughly unremarkable it is. Unlike The Net, You've Got Mail, Fear Dot Com, and various other labored pseudo-cyber-dramas, Reservation Road has no particular interest in being au courant.

Accidental Brilliance [Esquire.com]

Joel Johnson

Carnegie Mellon Takes Robo-Car Cup

The DARPA Urban Challenge, a competition for robotic cars that drive themselves, has finished, with a very impressive six cars completing the entire course. Carnegie Mellon's "Tartan Racing Team" took first prize. Danger Room notes that DARPA director Tony Tether is feeling the time for academics on the proving ground may be ending:

Tether couldn't have been more pleased with the race, calling it a "fantastic accomplishment," and saying that the technology for robotic vehicles was now just about ready for other companies and organizations to pick up the work in honing it further. "DARPA is an interesting organization," he said. "We really never finish anything. All we really do is show that it can be done. We take the technical excuse off the table, to the point where other people can no longer say 'Hey this is a very interesting idea, but you know that you can't do it.' I think that we're close to that point, that it's time for this technology to [be furthered] by somebody else."

Carnegie Takes First in DARPA's Urban Challenge [Danger Room]

Joel Johnson

Fisker Automotive Plug-In Hybrid Sedan Production Concept

Fisker Automative has shown off their concept for this four-door plug-in hybrid sports sedan, to be officially unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The first vehicles will be delivered at the end of 2009 with a starting price of $80,000. The tech inside, all new from the ground-up, sounds pretty impressive:

Performance details for the first car are impressive achieving 50 miles (80 kilometers) on a pure electric charge. Additionally, by further utilizing a gasoline or diesel engine offered by Fisker, one can extend the total range of their Fisker to more than 620 miles (1000 kilometers). The first Fisker will also deliver an extraordinary 100 miles per gallon - performance figures that will ultimately help to reduce the need for the importation of foreign oil.

Company Page [FiskerAutomotive.com via Yanko Design]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• LG Combo Blu-Ray + HD DVD Reader and DVD burner internal drive for $300. Not cheap, but cheaper than any other combo HD disc reader. [Dealnews]

• AC to car socket DC adapter for $5, shipped. Cheaper than another AC adapter if you've only got a car charger. [Dealnews]

• Swiss Army Climber II Pocket Knife for $12. Free Super Saver shipping from Amazon for orders over $25. Stuff those stockings. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot!: Refurbished SanDisk Sansa e250 2GB Media Player for $35, shipped. You can upgrade the memory via microSD which is around $15 for 2GB right now. These are fine little media players.

Joel Johnson

Video: Mysterious Murderous Rubber-Faced Axe Statuette

Chris writes:

I thought you might like this "thing."  My brother bought it at a yard sale about 15 years ago. He gave it to me. I wondered if you (or your readers) might know anything about it. It features an interchangeable rubber face. That's about all I know about it.

(The video is safe for work, but perhaps not safe for your soul.)

Joel Johnson

Gadget Bottle: Water Bottle with Nest for Your Stuff

The "Gadget Bottle" is a plastic water bottle with a recess in the front to hold a phone or MP3 player, held firmly by a rubber strap. The idea is to allow easy access to your gadgets while working out without having to put them in your pocket or carry them around separately.

You could do the same with a rubber band and another bottle, but the rectangular recess probably does help keep things in place. Plus they're only charging a $8.25 plus $2.50 shipping, so it's hard to smack them around too much, especially when I could see some people finding this quite handy. (Bonus: I'm all about reusable water bottles these days.) Good luck, BevyTech, LLC!

Product Page [GadgetBottle.com]

Joel Johnson

Video: The World Toilet Summit

National Geographic has a fascinating video from the "World Toilet Summit," a very real convention that brings together various technologies that might improve toilets and sewage systems around the world—presuming someone even has a toilet. (Much of the world does not.)

There are completely self-cleaning toilets (a model of which is pictured above). Toilet systems for trains. Giant public toilet compounds that harvest the waste as biofuel, heating showers. This is one conference I actually wish I had been able to visit.

Video: World Toilet Summit Under Way [NationalGeographic.com] (Thanks, Gabriela!)