Gyration Announces M2000 Travel Air-Mouse September 28, 2007
By Shane McGlaun
Business travelers that give presentations frequently from their notebook will be pleased to hear that Gyration has announced a smaller version of its Air-Mouse called the M2000 Travel Air-Mouse. The M2000 is sized like a notebook mouse and uses 2.4GHz RF technology that is good for distances of up to 100-feet from the transceiver.
When used on your desk, the M2000 operates like any normal notebook mouse. Pick the mouse up and use it in the air and your hand movements turn in to cursor controls on the screen. Gyration says the M2000 will be available in Q1 of 2008 for $69.95 or you can buy it bundled with a small wireless keyboard for $99.95.
VIA [ Gyration ]
Navtones Pities the Fool Who’s Late with Mr. T
By Shane McGlaun
Owners of TomTom GPS navigation units that are tired of the plain, boring voices that the systems shipped with can now get Mr. T’s voice on their TomTom GPS system thanks to Navtones. Don’t miss a turn with Mr. T as your navigator sucka! I pity the fool who gets stuck in traffic.
If 80’s TV series stars aren’t your fist choice to tell you when to turn as you go about your travels, Navtones also offers Gary Busey, Burt Reynolds and Dennis Hopper celebrity voices along with a slew of non-celebrity voices to choose from.
The Premium celebrity Navtone voices cost $12.95 each and there are two versions available, one called funny and the other called standard. You can also buy both versions of one voice for $19.95 or get Dennis Hopper, Burt Reynolds, and Mr. T all for $29.95.
VIA [ Navtones ]
The Travel Hula hoop - You Know, For Traveling Kids
By Andrew Liszewski
I can understand the need for compact, travel-sized versions of various products for maximizing the room in your suitcase but does anyone actually need a collapsible hula hoop while they’re away from home? I guess someone on this planet at one point thought so since the Hoopnotica Travelhoop actually breaks down into 6 smaller pieces that should fit into any suitcase or duffel bag. That way you’ll never be sitting in a hotel room bored since you can break out and assemble your hula hoop which from what I remember provides about 37 seconds of non-stop entertainment.
And at $45.99 from Perpetual Kid is it not just cheaper to buy a new hula hoop when you arrive at your destination and then throw it away when you leave? What are they like $1 for a non-folding version? Maybe hotels can install vending machines with disposable hula hoops next to the ice machines on each floor.
Hardwood Mat For Office Chairs
By Andrew Liszewski
A lesser man would have made some joke about hardwood and the office but not me. You see I prefer to put forth the image of being a serious journalist even if I am writing this in my pajamas. And as I look down at my own carpet that’s covered in wheel tracks from my office chair I can’t help but think a mat like this would have been a good investment.
Most mats designed to sit under an office chair are made from soft plastic that warps and bends making them difficult to roll on. This one however is made from Asian hardwood that’s been finished with seven coats of scuff-resistant polyurethane and won’t warp because it’s about an inch thick. The mat also has two fold-out wings making it somewhat portable and the edges are contoured allowing you to roll your chair on and off with relative ease.
The Hardwood Office Chair Mat is available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $299.95.
[ Hardwood Office Chair Mat ] VIA [ Coolest Gadgets ]
Shoprider Flagship Combines Mobility With Style
By Andrew Liszewski
This may look like a concept car for commuting in a crowded city but it’s actually a top-of-the-line, all-weather electric scooter for people with mobility issues. The enclosed canopy means it can be used outdoors in all but the worst of weather conditions and even includes a wiper/washer system for maximum visibility.
The doors on either side are key locking but can also be removed for accommodating larger riders. (The Flagship can support a rider up to 350 lbs.) It’s even got front and rear suspension for those times when you’re cruising down a particularly bumpy sidewalk at the scooter’s 10 mph top speed.
The Flagship is available from Drugstore.com for $6,595.
[ Shoprider Flagship ] VIA [ ThisNext ]
GraGraph Home Richter Scale
By Andrew Liszewski
Since I’ve never experienced an earthquake I don’t see the need for your having a Richter scale measuring device at home but I’m sure if I lived on the west coast or in Japan it might bring me some type of comfort. While the GraGraph won’t predict or warn of an upcoming earthquake it will measure the intensity of one in real-time while sounding an alert for those people who don’t realize the earth is shaking beneath their feet.
Once the tremor has passed the GraGraph will announce the strength of the event and will also make suggestions on what you should do in the event the quake was particularly violent.
It’s currently available from EnekoShop for about $85.
[ GraGraph ] VIA [ SCI FI Tech ]
TEMPer USB Thermometer
By Andrew Liszewski
There are already USB GPS devices for tracking where you’ve been but here’s another device that will instead keep track of what the temperature was, if for some reason you need to know.
It’s capable of measuring a range from -20°C to 100°C or from -4°F to 212°F and the samples can be logged in a preset time interval from every second to every 12 hours. The data is recorded in a bundled simple spreadsheet application but it can easily be copied into Word, Excel or whatever database software you happen to prefer.
The TEMPer is available from USBFever for only $19.99.
[ TEMPer USB Thermometer ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]
Fishtank Friday: FishBird TankCage
By Evan Ackerman
If we keep fish as pets, why can’t fish keep birds as pets? While you’re pondering that, try and figure out who looks more confused in the picture: the fish, or the birds.
VIA [ Neatorama ]
still great, unrelated, Unrelated, Still Great
Tesco StickPhone Offers Global USB VoIP
By Evan Ackerman
Every time I go to the UK, I fall in love with Tesco all over again. All those tasty and cheap and sorta kinda healthy pre-made sandwiches… Mmm mmm good. But Tesco is good for more than sandwiches (and cheap wine); they’ve just launched the Tesco Internet Phone, which is a USB stick with a mic, earphone, and some VoIP software. You can use it to make phone calls from any broadband connected PC in the world, which I guess means that the software is all internal to the USB stick. The hardware is £19.97 (which includes 1gb of storage on the stick itself), and unlimited worldwide calling and voicemail is £8.50 a month. A UK phone number is required which could be a good thing if you’ve got annoying friends. Oh, and Tesco is set to open their first US stores in California and Arizona by the end of this year, hooray!
[ Tesco Internet Phone ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]
Flash Drives, Online Services, USB
Sim Card Spy Ear Remote Listening Device September 27, 2007
By Andrew Liszewski
Another day another covert gadget designed for spying on friends, family, co-workers and anyone else you just don’t trust. The Spy Ear though doesn’t require years of special spy training at MI6 to use. All you have to do is stick your SIM card into the device and call it from another phone. Once you’re connected you can just sit back and listen to what’s going on in the room where you’ve secretly planted it.
In theory since it relies on the GSM phone network the Spy Ear should work all over the world as long as the rechargeable batteries hold out and it’s in the range of a cell tower. Of course if you do plan to use the device internationally you might want to make sure you have a good roaming plan.
The Spy Ear is currently available from Brando.com.hk for $85.
[ Sim Card Spy Ear ] VIA [ GadgetMadness ]
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