Gadgets Base

by Darren Murph, posted May 30th 2008 at 5:46PM
If you’re anything like our boy Ryan, you’ve been wearing that Wii Fit out ever since you took delivery. Unfortunately, you’ve probably been doing a bit of unintentional jogging when logging miles back and forth to the local mini-mart for batteries. If you can’t seem to keep your Wii Balance Board charged, Nyko has introduced a novel solution: the Energy Pack for Wii Fit. Our pals over at Nintendo Wii Fanboy were able to get ahold of this very unit and put it through its paces, and generally speaking, they were quite impressed with the $20 peripheral-for-a-peripheral. Head on over for the full writeup and a smattering of pics.

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Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

by Ryan Block, posted May 30th 2008 at 4:07PM
Watch out, everybody, the Optimus Popularis has gone from foam mockup to proper-looking prototype. (We’re really digging that full-length display in the space bar.) With any luck, we won’t have to watch this one develop over the course of 2-3 years like we did the Maximus — and with a little more luck, this one will be easier to type on, too.

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Filed under: Displays, Peripherals

Maybe because it’s spring, season of green, here in the Northern Hemisphere. Or maybe because of climate change or the parlous state of the world’s finances — unless you’re a citizen of, say, Saudi Arabia. But the sudden interest in ecoproducts and other greenmatter is pretty astonishing.

Here’s an entry that could hardly be more homely. Blogger DLTK lists 101 things to do with an empty cardboard toilet paper roll.

Most of these are kid items, like making bowling pins for a birthday party game. But a few are suitable for a kid-free household that’s nonetheless undergoing both greenmindedness and frugality.

For example, pencil cups. Wreaths (using 14-16 rolls per each, which is a lot of TP for a kid-free household. My condolences.)

Or what about holiday-themed napkin rings? Although that raises a perhaps insoluble issue in parts of the world overrun with applicances. Which is more ecologically sound: paper napkins? Or cloth napkins that must be laundered in hot water (and possibly, horrors, dried in a fuel-slurping dryer)?

by Darren Murph, posted May 30th 2008 at 6:30PM
With all this hubbub floating around about the elusive 3G iphone, let us not forget about the latest touchscreen smartphone to land at AT&T: LG’s Vu. After getting official earlier this month, we were able to sit down with the Mobile TV-supporting handset and form a few opinions of our own. Here, however, we’re interested in your take — do you feel the $549.99 (or $299.99 on contract) price tag is reasonable for what you get? Are you pleased with the hardware / software? Are you feeling buyer’s remorse like never before? Go on and spill it, we’re all friends here.

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Filed under: cellphones

I don’t know about you, but I’m all thumbs when it comes to mp3 player technology. I know that most MP3 players have some iTunes-like program to make music downloading and syncing easy, but I’m just not down with that.

So wouldn’t it be easier if I was to buy my MP3 Player with tunes already programmed into it? This is the idea behind the REDI, a 1GB MP3 Player that comes preloaded with about 250 tracks, or six hours worth of music.

For example, one of the REDI models comes ready for exercise with the “Ultimate Workout Mix”. I’m not certain what songs are on this model, but I’m thinking that “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John has to be there somewhere.

You can also get the REDI in eight other editions, including the Golden Classics, Rock N’ Roll, and R&B Collections. Every one of these editions come with a USB mini jack, so you can still upload, erase, and download tunes as much as you like. There is also an FM tuner, as well as an LCD display.

Now, if only they would make MP3 players that come preloaded with music that you get to choose. Perhaps that is another brand. You can still purchase any of these versions of the REDI at Best Buy or off of the company website for about $39.99.

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Nike did it with the Nano, now bicycle manufacturer is tinkering with the idea of making your iPod a cycle computer.  Bringing much of the same functionality as the Nike+ unit, Cannondale envisions a docking unit on the bike but with some surprises.

Yeah, you’ve got a rear view camera on your Escalade, but on your bike?  Cannondale’s concept puts rear view on your ipod as well as speed, distance and other basic functions.  It seems even a power base (perhaps powered by your cycling) is there as well.

The design comes to Cannondale from Barcelona’s D-Tank and is currently not pointed at production (awwwww).  The design uses some really interesting concepts like a maintenance free shaft-drive propulsion system (I really dig alternate means of transferring power from crank to wheel) and a bike that is geared for non-cyclists (shockingly, almost a new concept to jaded industry insiders).

A very neat concept from a company that continues to push the edge.

Read [Cannondalecommunity]

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I couldn’t resist reporting on this one. After all, I love the Wii, and everyone loves Asus.

Asus recently demonstrated a pair of controllers at a recent tech fair in Taipei, and it caused a stir amongst gadget blogs everywhere. The purpose of these remotes appear to be advanced gaming controllers. I have included a video of it in action at the end of this article.

The controllers bear a strong resemblance to a certain Nunchuck belonging to a certain console system whose last name rhymes with Mii. I suppose that there could be material for a lawsuit here from Nintendo. Yet unlike the controller for the Wii, the Asus controller uses two Nunchucks, and they are not wired together. Not only that, but these Asus controllers are bright orange instead of Wii white.

Another lawsuit could be filed by another video game console company: Sony. You may notice that the button configuration on the Asus remote on the right resembles a playstation controller. I doubt there’s a case for this either.

It appears that the pictures show a bundled USB key, so I’m guessing these controllers can be connected to any PC. The wireless controllers don’t have a scheduled release date, but they are rumored to be priced at about $70.

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Rumors are flying fast and hard as we all gear up mentally for the big Apple party coming June 9 at 10 am.  One I really like is the idea of 2 iPhones being introduced.  Isn’t it more like Apple to whip out something they’ve undersold and surprise us?  Apple knows we love surprises and I suspect they’ll not disappoint this year.

Back in December I squawked about why an iphone Nano makes lots of sense for Apple, AT&T and consumers.  The family line that helped make the ipod such a raving success could do the same for the iPhone and give us a more comfortable feeling about Jobs claim they’ll hit their target numbers.  A down market iPhone Nano, selling for $199 would sell off shelves faster than water jugs at the start of Hurricane Season (coming Sunday to a coastal town near you).

We know many of us would pay the $499 for a 32GB 3G iPhone replete with GPS, WiFi, App Store and loads more (surprises!).  But how many more of those tempted by the iPhone would spring for a knocked down version that yields the touch love along with a simple to use UI?  Maybe through the App Store, you can add functionality?  Spec your own phone, how cool would that be?  Surely Apple and AT&T are licking their lips at that thought.

The possibility is there, the opportunity is there, so what is missing?  Does Apple believe moving down market will hurt their iPhone Pro (3G)?

Here’s to being surprised.  How surprised would you be if Apple trots out 2 phones?

Read [Popular Mechanics]

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If you can’t handle having a radio in the kitchen that stands out a bit too much, you might want to check out these Dualit radios.  Looking very much like a retro toaster and made solely for your kitchen it keeps you entertained while stuck washing the dishes.  The radio features both FM reception and DAB and with each mode it has 5 different presets.  Even though it is a kitchen radio, it features an alarm and a snooze.  I don’t know, in case you fall asleep waiting for the water to boil.  That or, you could take the kitchen radio outside of the kitchen.  I know, that’s just crazy talk, no one would ever do that.

It also has an AUX IN so that you can hook up your ipod and not have to listen to any obnoxious commercials between your favorite songs.  It comes in cream, polished (silver), red and black.  Most of them are currently sold out but there is rumor of them coming back into stock and at about half the price they are set at now.  It is currently being sold for just over $295 and supposedly in July it will go down to right around $170.   Which isn’t exactly a steal, but I suppose it is a bit cheaper at least.

Source: shinyshiny

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by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted May 30th 2008 at 8:56AM
It’s looking like Google will do what it can to provide an application store on Android-based handsets (see that “Market” icon above?). As project lead Andy Rubin mentioned at the Google I/O developer conference, “It would be a great benefit to the Android community to provide a place where people can go to safely and securely download content and where a billing system would allow developers to get paid for their effort”. So, two things of note here: 1) He wants to avoid malware and untested apps bricking people’s phones, and 2) Google would like a little side action on your transaction. Given the open nature of Android, we fully expect many people to find all sorts of random apps online in the dark alleys of the Intertrons, but a sanctioned store like this seems like a no-brainer for those on the straight-and-narrow.

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Filed under: cellphones