05.14.2008
SmartCapture Lite - Tiny USB device captures and shares video
If you take tons of video, as I do, and want to send it to all the relatives, or are making funny YouTube videos to embarass your friends, then you'll love this SmartCapture Lite ($99) which digitizes and compresses the data, making it simple to transfer to your PC or laptop. The size of a USB stick, SmartCapture Lite comes with its own playback software, weighs less than 0.3 oz. and does not require an external power source.
By far the best feature is the one-click settings for popular Apple TV, iPod, iPhone, Sony PSP, and more. High quality and low bitrate video make uploading videos to your favorite site easy.
Posted by Evan
Category:
devices
| peripherals
Tags: video
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05.14.2008
Young woman wins award for stair aid for elderly
My home town of Sheffield, England has become the unexpected new home of young women with quirky yet ingenious design ideas. A couple of months ago, I shared Rachel Gilbert's design for feline false teeth with Popgadget readers, and now I've just read about Ruth Amos, an 18-year old student from Sheffield who has invented the StairSteady handrail, a simple but brilliant idea.
The StairSteady is a rail that attaches across any flight of stairs and moves in front of you as you walk - so that someone with problems staying upright can hold on to this to help them get up and down stairs safely. It costs £329.00 ($642) plus the cost of fitting, so it isn't cheap, but it is a lot more affordable than moving to an apartment because you're scared of falling over!
Miss Amos told the BBC that she was inspired to create the device to help the father of one of her teachers - who had suffered a stroke.
When I was 18, pretty much all I cared about was where I'd go to college and whether I'd over-plucked my eyebrows (I invariably had). Something tells me she'll go far...
Posted by diane
Category:
current affairs
| design
| devices
| home
Tags: assistive technology
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05.14.2008
Spoil yourself with Cake Royale flash drives
Okay, they've done it again. Created some more “foodie” flash drives, I mean. And this time around, it's a tribute to cakes – say hello to the Cake Royale Series of USB drives.
Targeted to budding geeks - age 14 upwards - the USB 2.0 series has some really gorgeous-looking cakes. Black Forest, Strawberry Torte, Fruit Plate Cake and the French Mille-Feuille. In case you're wondering where the USB tip is (I was too), the flash drive is actually the knob-like structure with the crown stamped upon it, and lodges itself completely into the body of the cake. The drives will be available in capacities up to 4GB sometime this month, no word on pricing yet.
Via Fosfor Gadgets.
Posted by kanchana
Category:
computers
| novelty
| peripherals
Tags: flash drive
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05.14.2008
Petite panda cell phone charm
Have you ever seen something that was just so darn cute that it brought tears to your eyes? I know it was probably something legitimately touching and precious like a baby consoling a grandparent or a puppy curled up next to a kitten that had you reaching for the tissues, but for me, what pulls at my heart strings are these adorable, adorable, adorable petite panda cell phone charms.
Yes, you read that right. A photo of a dozen variously posed 1.18" to 1.57" panda bear charms makes my eyes well up. Whether it's the fact that each one has a ring bolted into the top of its head so that it can dangle oh-so-callously from a cell phone, the powerlessness I feel in not being able to select which panda to save (Strapya World chooses one at random), or that the $3.11 handset accessories are currently sold out is to blame for the waterworks is something only my therapist can discover.
Posted by Jenn
Category:
accessories
| cell phones
| novelty
Tags: charms
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05.13.2008
Olympus mju cameras get a style upgrade (and I want one!)
When I saw that Olympus mju cameras now come with a choice of colorful skins, my heart started beating a little faster. You see, not only do I have an Olympus mju camera, but I'm frustrated by its limited (3x optical) zooming capabilities and will be looking to upgrade soon!
I'll have to be quick if I want one of these little beauties, though - the mju µ 1020 with three specially-designed skins is limited edition: only 5000 are available. Not only does it look good, it sounds like a darn good camera too, with a 2.7 inch LCD screen, 10.1 mega pixels, 7x optical zoom, 23 scene modes and the ability to shoot underwater. The bad news is they don't seem to be available in the US yet...
Continue reading "Olympus mju cameras get a style upgrade (and I want one!)"
Posted by diane
Category:
cameras
| devices
Tags: skins
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05.13.2008
Casio launches new Baby G range for the fashion-conscious woman
In the last year, I've become increasingly obsessed with watches, especially huge chunky watches which provide a contrast with my oddly small wrists and hands (hey, it's the only part of my body which is oddly small, I'm flaunting it...)
So when I heard new watch news, in the form of a new addition to Casio's much-loved Baby G range, I was excited. And rightly so! Look how pretty they are:
These new watches are part of the The BG-2000/2001 series, and are designed to be easy to use, fashionable and funky. But I suspect that means they don't have as many specs as previous G series. I'm on my third Baby G at the moment, an eighties-style silver and pink squared-off design which, in customary Casio style, can tell me the time in two countries, time my every movement, wake me up in the morning and could probably bake me a cake if it really put its mind to it. I'm not sure I want to give all that up just so my wrist will look prettier... but I'm certainly willing to consider it.
Posted by diane
Category:
devices
| wearables
Tags: watch
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05.13.2008
MizPee helps you get back to basics
There can be no need as basic and as urgent as the need to satisfy the call of nature. Coming to the point, if you were ever (again) caught in a situation where your bladder wants to do the talking and the only problem is that you are out on the street, fear not as MizPee will help you squat in peace. MizPee is actually a service which lists closest and cleanest toilets, so you don’t have to waste painful moments looking for one yourself. So, provided you have an Internet ready device, you can query the site for nearby restrooms by entering information about your current location.
In return, you can help expand their database of loos by listing ones that are not on the site or by rating those already listed. After all, one good turn deserves another, eh?
Via Chip Chick.
Posted by kanchana
Category:
on the web
Tags: bathrooms
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05.13.2008
Keep on Talking -- Mini Battery Pack and Charger
I don't know anyone who couldn't use this mini battery pack from Kensington. Not only does it power and charge your iPhone or iPod, it's small enough to slip in your purse so you'll always have it with you.
It extends play time up to 30 hours of music (nano 3rd generation only), 6 hours of video, or 3 hours of talk.
The rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery pack comes with a retractable USB charging cable for recharging the battery pack, and the LED battery meter displays the remaining power level . If you let the battery pack run out you're on your own. $49.99 at Kensington or Amazon.
Posted by Evan
Category:
accessories
| devices
| portable media
Tags: batteries chargers
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05.12.2008
Sunbathe in style with a Penguin book chair
As I mentioned last week, I recently flew to Australia. While my countrymen and women back home in England are rejoicing at every weak spot of sunlight they get, for the last month I've been waking up to glorious warm, sunny days, even though it's almost winter in the southern hemisphere. (Yes, you should feel free to hate me).
So when I saw these fantastic deck chairs, I couldn't help thinking that one of these would be all I would need to make my happiness complete (apart from maybe a jug of sangria...)
They are each based on classic penguin book covers, and I think that I'd have to plump for the green one, for the simple reason that it's Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep - and sunshine makes me snoozy.
$107.98 from I Want One of Those.
Via Trashionista.
Posted by diane
Category:
home
| novelty
Tags: furniture
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05.12.2008
Now typing is addictive (and fun) thanks to Typeracer
Now here's a sport computer nerds, or anyone who spends all day at their computer, should excel at: competitive typing.
Thanks to a new site called Typeracer, you can practice your typing speed, and more importantly, race against others in real time! You type out quotes from films and can't move on to the next word until you've got the current one correct (annoyingly, I had no trouble with 'exponentially', but 'cooler' caused me to come unstuck... And yes, I was typing a quote from Juno.)
I'm sure Popgadget readers are much more handy with a keyboard than I am: my top speed was a distinctly average 43 words per minute. Give it a try, and let us know your wpm in the comments - if you can tear yourself away once you've started, that is!
Via Shiny Shiny.
Posted by diane
Category:
gaming
Tags:
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