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.

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...

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I already own the original black OtterBox rugged Defender case for my iPhone because it provides drop, shock and bump protection, but I've never been crazy about the way it looks. Now Otterbox is offering the case - plus an iPod Nano 3rd Generation number - in pink to benefit the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. 10 % of the purchase price will be donated to the Cancer Crusade "to support access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer, with a focus on the medically underserved."

What's to Love:
- There are 3 layers of protection; a clear Polycarbonate sheet with high performance hard coating that offers chemical and abrasion protection.
- Hi-impact Polycarbonate skeleton.
- Silicone skin to absorb bump and shock. (Though the company specifies that these are not water-proof, my experience indicates they're water resistant.)
- All ports remain accessible through convenient Silicone plugs so you can sync and charge your iPhone right through the case.
- Included with the case is a holster style belt clip, for those who swing that way.

It's PINK!

And best of all, part of the proceeds go to support the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. There, I made it a guilt-free purchase. $49.95 at OtterBox.

If you've had the feeling that perhaps all’s not well with your monthly electricity bill, then there are two things you have to do. First, smack yourself for not making your home sufficiently energy-efficient. And second, get yourself the Cost Controller Power Strip to individually single out those appliances that are gobbling up electricity.

This power strip with surge protection displays the power consumption of each device (rating 8-1800W) connected to it in terms of kilowatt-hour via a large LCD display. So you can configure the strip to monitor energy consumption by the hour, day, week or month, and then determine the exact nature of the energy bleed. If you are still hungry for more statistics, use the strip to measure the voltage, line frequency, and power factor of the input power. A basic necessity for geeks, this one. Available from ComputerGear for $100.

Via The Red Ferret Journal.

In honor of the Big Day - of course, I'm referring to Mother's Day this Sunday - Sony Electronics is offering a special package for all of you out there who are gift-challenged; the Sony DCR-SR45 Handycam camcorder with the DVDirect VRD-MC5. Tape those priceless family moments with the Sony Handycam camcorder and then transfer them to DVD with the DVDirect VRD-MC5 recorder. The VRD-MC5 recorder can transfer home videos to DVD without using a computer from virtually any camcorder, VCR or digital video recorder. Tthe Handycam camcorder has a built-in 30GB hard drive for storage and up to 20 hours of recording time (LP). A big 2.7" touch panel LCD monitor keeps all the controls at your fingertips, while a 40x Optical/2000x digital zoom keeps all the action up close and personal.

As a nice little bonus: receive $180 in instant savings when purchasing them both together. Buy yourself a little something with the savings! We broke it down for you:

- HandyCam DCR-SR45: $499.99
- VRD-MC5: $229.99
- Total: $729.98

Instant savings: $180.00 when purchased on the same receipt. Available at Sony Style.

Those old clichés about sitting around playing video games being bad for your health may be overturned by new research into Second Life, the online virtual world with over 10 million addicts - I mean, users - worldwide. According to research from Stanford University, having an avatar who is thinner/more attractive than your real self is good for self-esteem because you think you look that good in real life, too. Even more interesting, if you exercise in Second Life, the study found that could motivate you to do the same in your real, first life.

Or you might just choose to chow down and do all your socialising via your PC from now on . . . (which wouldn't be that much of a stretch for me, I must admit).

Via Techdirt.

Did you know the average person spends about 47 seconds brushing their teeth, less than half the 2 minutes dentists recommend? Or that you can brush too hard, which can contribute to early gum recession? Scary stuff.

Now, this may not seem like a perfect gift for Mother's Day but if you consider that the "mouth is the gateway to health" and that moms don't spend money on themselves, it makes sense.

The new Oral-B features Smart Technology which enables the brushhead, handle and visual display to work together to give you visual cues that help you brush better. The brushhead and handle, which are embedded with microchips, communicate with the wireless display to signal when you are brushing too hard, when to move to the next quadrant of the mouth, when you have brushed for two minutes, and when it is time to replace the brushhead.

At first, I was discouraged by all the pieces (it comes with a unit to attach to a wall) and the instructions, but it's actually an easy one-step process, and since the display unit is wireless, you can put that anywhere.

Oral-B Triumph with SmartGuide is available for $149 at Amazon.

Just throw in some Godiva chocolate and you're golden.