Gadgets Base

We’ve talked a lot on Popgadget about desirable laptop bags (I even bought one based on a colleague’s recommendation, and I couldn’t love it more - Lexie Barnes, if you’re interested).

But you don’t hear us talking much about camera bags, mainly because there don’t seem to be that many that deviate from the standard plain black canvas design (blah).

So this retro, bowling bag-style camera bag from Acme Made caught my eye at once. It’s designed for digital SLR users (although old-school non-digital SLRs will fit in just fine), and features a quilted satin lining and pockets for memory cards or other accessories. It’s made from high-quality polyurethane and the red version shown above will be available in November, with navy and black bags out by Christmas. They’re expected to cost just $40 each.

Via Boing Boing gadgets.

Image: Acme Made

There are times where I am sitting around working, and I lose track of the time. So I check the time on my clock, and the clock is facing the other way. Wouldn’t you know it!

It appears that Aurora has figured out a solution to this time-telling dilemma by creating a clock that changes color every hour. It has twelve colors that represent the hours of the day, and it might take a little while before you learn what color is what hour.

So, the color won’t tell you the time to the exact minute, but it will give you a broad sense of what time it is. I’m not certain if the colors gradually change, or if it just changes like a traffic light on the hour.

Personally, I would prefer the gradual change, and then get used to sensing the time by the minute once I get used to the color shades. By the way, the LCD display is backlit by whatever display color is on the exterior.

The Aurora Color Changing Clock has a translucent rubber housing, which allows the lights to go on and off with a tap. The alarm clock will flash when it is time to get up.

So if you like the idea of this chameleon of a clock, feel free to get it at the London Science Museum online store for about $26.

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It looks like the detail floodgate has opened up for the soon-to-be released T-Mobile blackberry Pearl Flip 8220.  Although, it is not coming in as low priced as we had hoped for.  All things considered, it does seem to be pretty fairly priced, and in fact, it seems to be a little better than the deal that Rogers currently has for the same model.

The pricing with T-Mobile here in the US will, as usual, vary depending on contract length.  Those willing to accept a two-year agreement can expect to pay $149.99, however a one-year agreement adds just an additional $50 to make it $199.99.  That pricing is for new customers and both come after a $50 mail-in-rebate, but those rebates seem to be pretty standard nowadays.

As for current customers who are able to upgrade, they can expect to pay $167.99 and $217.99 for a two-year and one-year agreement, respectively. Similar to the new contract pricing, this pricing also comes after a $50 mail-in-rebate.

Finally, for those looking to purchase the Pearl Flip outright and not be attached with any agreement will have to part with $349.99.

Now, as far as availability is concerned, it looks like the Pearl Flip will be available from T-Mobile as early as October 15. Of course as we learned yesterday it is expected to be available at Best Buy beginning October 26.

With T-Mobile picking up some decent handsets lately it is becoming harder for me to not jump back to them, the G1 along with a Pearl Flip for my wife would make for a nice family plan, but sadly I must continue to resist as I am still tied into a contract with AT&T.

Via [CrackBerry]

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Sarah Palin had at least 10 other secret email accounts aside from the one that was hacked into last month, according to an ITS technician who worked with a Palin aide to set them up.  The McCain campaign admits this but, of course, put their own interesting spin on it.

“As a champion of government accountability and transparency, Governor Palin was exercising an abundance of caution to ensure that all state and personal business matters were being kept separate,” said spokesperson Meghan Stapleton. “Governor Palin is committed to serving with the highest regard toward ethics”

Keeping state and personal business separate?  Then why did the hacked account contain family photos, personal correspondence and official state correspondence regarding pending legislation?  That’s the complete opposite of separation.

Interestingly enough, the accounts were set up at the height of “Troopergate,” the name given to the scandal involving allegations that Palin tried to pressure officials into firing a state trooper who just happened to be divorcing her sister.  One can assume they were meant to be used to hide potentially incriminating information from investigators.

The McCain camp ordered the accounts closed once the news of the hacked account broke.  However, Ryan Gattis, the ITS tech, says the accounts were archived which means they can still be accessed.

Read[ZDNet]

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FROM GAMERTELL - Nintendo has finally confirmed that the new handheld, the DSi, will include a larger screen, built-in camera, and audio enhancements…
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If you’ve been feeling like your computer setup isn’t nearly intimidating enough, a hand grenade would probably be more than enough to make it seem more intense.  After all that online gaming, you need to feel all powerful behind your computer.  A wicked looking case and a glowing keyboard aren’t always enough.  Although, gaming mouses do have all those fancy extra buttons, they just aren’t nearly cool enough.  No, the world needs hand grenade mouses for all.

There aren’t a ton of details on the mouse itself, but it was a mod job which was posted online here by the modders.  The mouse is actually made out of an old grenade casing, so it gives a slightly more authentic feel.  However, being made out of the real stuff it’s not exactly made to be ergonomic at all.  It’s just meant to look cool.  The modders actually went through the trouble of wiring up the trigger to function as the left mouse button.  So overall it’s a cool mod, I just hope if you give it a try you don’t use your computer too much or your wrist will soon grow to hate you.

Source: Technabob

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It is amazing how many times I refer to the movie Minority Report when it comes to emerging technology. Hopefully we will never develop Precogs that can predict murders, but that gesture-based interface screen that Tom Cruise uses is something that I want.

It appears that an organization known as Fraunhofer HHI has made my dream come true with the iPoint Presenter. This interaction concept uses gesture based interface on a projected screen, and is ironically more advanced than the one used in Minority Report.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but Tom had to wear these gloves that emanated some weird blue light. The iPoint Presenter requires nothing more than a user’s bare hands, as the iPoint Presenter can sense the user’s gestures with its infrared eyes.

The interface is a lot like watching an iPhone touchscreen projected against the wall. For example, the user can expand a window by widening the gap between their finger and thumb. Speaking of the iphone, I can’t help but wonder why the iPoint is somehow related to Macintosh with the “i” in front of it. Maybe it wants to be a Mac product.

This interaction can apparently be used on many applications including “interactive POI/POS, games, photo viewers, even Google Earth”. The iPoint Presenter is a concept now, but it is one that I want to see in my house soon.

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It is amazing how many times I refer to the movie Minority Report when it comes to emerging technology. Hopefully we will never develop Precogs that can predict murders, but that gesture-based interface screen that Tom Cruise uses is something that I want.

It appears that an organization known as Fraunhofer HHI has made my dream come true with the iPoint Presenter. This interaction concept uses gesture based interface on a projected screen, and is ironically more advanced than the one used in Minority Report.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but Tom had to wear these gloves that emanated some weird blue light. The iPoint Presenter requires nothing more than a user’s bare hands, as the iPoint Presenter can sense the user’s gestures with its infrared eyes.

The interface is a lot like watching an iphone touchscreen projected against the wall. For example, the user can expand a window by widening the gap between their finger and thumb. Speaking of the iPhone, I can’t help but wonder why the iPoint is somehow related to Macintosh with the “i” in front of it. Maybe it wants to be a Mac product.

This interaction can apparently be used on many applications including “interactive POI/POS, games, photo viewers, even Google Earth”. The iPoint Presenter is a concept now, but it is one that I want to see in my house soon.

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I always go nuts over Halloween, I love all the spooky decorations and of course the candy. Now, I happen to be one of the weirdos that all year round I will leave out a small zombie on my desk. Just because it gets around to Christmastime does not mean I will put all things dark and spooky back in their box where they belong. Well it looks like USB Geek has decided to release yet another spooky item that I wouldn’t mind using all year. That or I suppose you could have a seasonal USB drive.

I imagine the USB Human Skull Drive would be better for people like me who would use it year round. It seems silly to use a USB drive for all of a month or so, then toss the USB drive into a box along with the rest of the Halloween decorations. The thumb drive I’m sure would also make a fun gift for science lovers as well. To pick one up it will cost you $19 for a 2GB drive.

Source: GeekyGadgets

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Why do I get the impression that this is just going to be Windows with some ‘cloud computing’ window dressing (pardon the pun)? Steve Ballmer says they’ll show it off at their developer conference this month.

Yup, it sounds like an attempt to cash in on the buzzword du jour. I’m not slighting ‘the cloud’. After all, we all already do so much completely online (ex: e-mail, address books, social networking, to do lists). I’m just wondering what an OS brings to the table, when all you really need is a good Web browser. Who cares about OSes any more?!

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