Are you reading?

By Andrew Liszewski

At some point along the way the development of GPS devices split into two distinct paths. On one side you’ve got complicated touchscreen devices with maps of every road on the continent that can plan out the easiest route from point A to point B, and on the other side they’ve actually been simplified to what are essentially glorified compasses, like the GD-101 from GlobalSat.

It forgoes the colorful touchscreen for a simple monochrome LCD display that features a digital arrow capable of pointing in one of 16 different directions. The idea is to set a destination you’d like to remember, like where you parked your car, and the GD-101 will easily guide you back, complete with detailed info on how far away you are. And it’s not that I think these types of devices are a bad idea or anything, I just think they could benefit from a price tag of around $30-40, instead of the roughly $80 they’re currently selling for online.

[ GlobalSat GD-101 ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

Related posts

• Tree Camera doubles as really cute MP3 player, doesn’t take stills (0)
• NEC (0)
• GPS homing device gets you back where you started, nowhere else (0)
• FC Mobile II Portable NES Adds Bundled Accessories (0)
• DIY E-Reader Won (0)

By Andrew Liszewski

For some people, taking a sports car like a Lamborghini Reventón for a test drive is the ultimate dream, but I’m sure there are others who are more thrilled at the prospect of watching Searching For Bobby Fischer or seeing Garry Kasparov challenge IBM’s Deep Blue again. And oddly enough, Lamborghini has just the thing for that latter group as well.

This silver chess set by Tonino Lamborghini (son of Ferruccio Lamborghini) comes packaged in a well-appointed wooden case complete with protective storage slots for the pieces that are actually differentiated on either side of the board by their high-polish or matte finishes. And given the Reventón’s $1.6 million price tag, $395 for this chess set seems like quite the deal.

[ Tonino Lamborghini Silver Chess Set ] VIA [ Cool Material ]

Related posts

• [CES 2009] Hands-On With Kodak (0)
• Vacuum Tube Chess Set (0)
• Super Mario Chess Set (0)
• Shuttle XPC Barebone SX58H7 wants a piece of your Core i7 (0)
• Phantom Chess Doesn (0)

By Andrew Liszewski

I doubt anyone will realize this innocuous-looking keychain is actually capable of recording 640×480, 29fps videos or 1280×960 stills while it’s hanging from your keys. But something tells me they might get suspicious when you’re constantly holding it at weird angles trying to get the lens pointed in the right direction. The keychain’s got 4GB of internal memory, which is enough to store 65 minutes of video or about 3,000 photos from the 1.3MP CMOS sensor, and it charges and syncs to your PC via a simple USB cable. However, I think the $177 price tag from Geek Stuff 4 U is a bit steep.

[ Key Holder Spy Camera ] VIA [ Akihabara News ]

Related posts

• Vodafone Updates Touch Pro2 to WinMo 6.5 (0)
• Verizon’s Pantech Razzle TXT8030 in authorised photos (0)
• Verizon’s Motorola municipality in springy photos, MotoBlur confirmed (0)
• Verizon’s Motorola municipality in springy photos, MotoBlur confirmed (0)
• USB extension cable arrives with inline card reader (0)

By Chris Scott Barr

There are certain things that a person can wear that will instantly earn them the label of “dork” or “nerd.” The pocket protector is a perfect example. Sure, it can be argued that it is a very important accessory for those who carry a multitude of things in their shirt pocket. However, it still looks stupid. The same holds true with this CVFR-S09 Solar Vest.

This vest is equipped with four solar panels which can be used to charge a number of different gadgets. The panels are even removable so that you can set them in the window while you’re inside. The fact that I can hold up to 8 gadgets in my pockets and recharge each of them (one at a time) might seem cool, but it’s not something I’d be caught outside in. For crying out loud it has the words “SOLAR VEST” sewn in the back of it. It might as well say “KICK ME” instead. The $140 price tag doesn’t even justify it as an impulse buy.

[ Chinavision ] VIA [ GeekAlerts ]

Related posts

• Belkin Announces Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit (0)
• Bed Bunker Is Perfect For Post-Apocalyptic Planning (0)
• Add A HUD To Your Old Clunker (0)
• [CES 2009] PowerFilm Charges Your AA Batteries, USB, Military Base With Solar Power (0)
• [CES 2009] Krown Sign Language Translator (0)

By Andrew Liszewski

I always thought that diving itself was supposed to be an enjoyable activity, so I’m scratching my head as to why anyone would need to bring along some other form of entertainment while down there. But that’s exactly what the iDive300 deep dive waterproof case is for. It’s designed for the iPod, iPod Touch and the iPhone and allows you to watch movies or listen to music (with an included pair of over the ear speakers) at a depth of up to 300 feet underwater. And while down there you’ll still have control over your media thanks to a set of waterproof buttons on the side of the case.

With a price tag of $349.99 the case is kind of hard to justify, even if it does make decompression stops a bit less boring, but it does come with peace of mind thanks to a replacement warranty for your iPod or iPhone should anything ever happen to them as a result of the iDive300 failing.

[ iDive300 ] VIA [ bookofjoe ]

Related posts

• Yamaha TSX-W80 Alarm Clock With Wireless iPod Cradle (0)
• SoundClip Pumps Up Your iPhone (0)
• Scosche passPORT Home Dock Released (0)
• Combi iPod Bouncer Forces Your Musical Tastes On Your Kids (0)
• Athena Sofa With Integrated PC Means You May Never Have To Get Up Again (0)

By Andrew Liszewski

With a price tag of $4,995 we’re not going to be seeing one of these in every home in America anytime soon, but the Desktop Factory proves that the cost of owning your own 3D printer continues to drop. One of the reasons the Desktop Factory is so ‘affordable’ is because it uses an inexpensive halogen light source and plastic powder instead of UV and polymers, which also means the cost of the build material is expected to be about $1 per cubic inch. And the parts can be sanded and painted as soon as they’re finished, without the need for a chemical infiltration curing or strengthening process.

Now given the Desktop Factory is roughly the size of an early laser printer (25×20×20 inches) it will easily fit on any desk, but your 3D creations will be limited to 125ci or roughly 2 liters in volume. So while you won’t be printing out body panels for your home-made Enzo, your bootleg action figure business will be booming.

[ Desktop Factory ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

Related posts

• USB Dust Vacuum Mouse (0)
• There (0)
• MSI announces Wind NetTop D130 — the desktop with Nordic styling (0)
• GlobalSat GD-101 Is Another Glorified Compass (0)
• DIY E-Reader Won (0)

By Andrew Liszewski

Buffalo just upped the capacity of their itty-bitty 5mm Thumbkey USB flash drives from 8GB to 16GB, making them the perfect way to easily lose a big chunk of data. The drives should be available from Geek Stuff 4 U in black, red or white sometime near the end of June with a price tag of about $136. Expensive yes, but a ridiculously easy way to increase the storage space on your netbook.

[ Buffalo 16GB 5mm Thumbkey ] VIA [ Akihabara News ]

Related posts

• Sirtified throws up hand USB flash drives (0)
• Transcend JetFlash V70 Anti-Shock And Eco-Friendly USB Flash Drives (0)
• Resident Evil 5 Chainsaw USB Flash Drive (0)
• Microsoft Considers Shipping Windows 7 On USB Flash Drives (0)
• Microsoft Considers Shipping Windows 7 On USB Flash Drives (0)

By Andrew Liszewski

On one hand it’s nice that this funky looking CD player is completely solar powered, but on the other hand, who really uses a CD player any more? The base of the player hides its rechargeable battery, and after leaving the included solar panel out in the sun for about 4 to 5 hours you can expect to get about 10 hours of playtime. And in addition to traditional CDs it will also play MP3 files burned to a data disc, so it’s not completely outdated, but with a price tag of about $137, it’s still a tough sell.

[ Solar CD/MP3 Player ] VIA [ Apartment Therapy Unplugged ]

Related posts

• [CES 2009] Krown Sign Language Translator (0)
• SOLAR ChumAlong Charger Features A Built-In Tracking System (0)
• Solar Arcadia deals solar iPhone cases (0)
• Scosche unveils solar-powered solCHAT Bluetooth speakerphone (0)
• Hybrid Technologies becomes EVII, adds two electric beasts to its conceptual stable (0)

By Chris Scott Barr

I’ve spent many hours running ethernet cable throughout various buildings. It’s not the most fun thing to do in the world, especially when you’re crawling around in spaces filled with particularly itchy insulation (asbestos anyone?). I’ve seen companies offer networking over powerlines, and while it’s always sounded like a convenient solution, I’ve been wary of actual speeds achieved by such devices. Belkin’s latest offering sounds like it might just be fast enough to be worth checking out.

The first major concern with any powerline networking system is how much bandwidth is lost over a distance. Well Belkin’s new Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit promises 1000 Mb/s speeds. Even if you lose a good part of that bandwidth, most network cards still only operate at 100 Mb/s. If this device holds up to its claims (and can provide a more reliable connection than wireless), it might be worth the $150 price tag.

[ Belkin ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]

Related posts

• Solar Vest Certainly Makes A Fashion Statement (0)
• Panasonic set to unveil powerline networking prototypes aplenty at CES (0)
• Hybrid Cinema Rig Holds Your DSLR Like The Pros (0)
• Belkin’s $1,500 FlyWire delayed again, now slated for August release (0)
• Belkin’s $1,500 FlyWire delayed again, now slated for August release (0)

If you’re in the market for a new laptop / netbook, you might want to add Acer’s just-released Aspire 3935-6504 to the list of potentials. The early reviews are in, and it looks like Acer’s got an aggressively-priced winner on its hands. Laptop Magazine calls it “one heck of a bargain,” noting particularly its sleek and sturdy design, backup and power saver buttons, full-sized keyboard, and the appealing $900 price tag. PC Magazine went so far as to give it the Editor’s Choice award for budget laptops, lauding also its eco-friendly credentials and impressive battery life (4 hours and 50 minutes, by its metric). Both sites bemoaned, however, the lack of HDMI and eSATA ports and its inability to run games as well as competitors like the Dell Studio XPS 13 or HP Pavilion dv3z. Providing a less enthusiastic tone is Computer Shopper, who seems to take more of an issue with its gaming deficiencies than the other two reviewers. Still, the site recommends it for those consider style, portability, and price tag the main selling points. Check out the read links below for more thorough dissection.

Read – Laptop Magazine
Read – PC Magazine
Read – Computer Shopper

Related posts

• HP Pavilion dv2 review roundup (0)
• HP Mini 2140 reviewed, very loved (0)
• Philips GoGear Spark gets reviewed: a diamond in the rough (0)
• HP’s 12.1-inch Pavilion dv2 with Blu-ray — don’t call it a netbook (0)
• Gateway unveils 14-inch TC7306u and TC7307u laptops (0)