1980s Hexagonal Drums November 23, 2005
READ MORE Digital Audio
We know you’ve got an old VHS tape with an ASIA music video laying around somewhere. Give it a watch and you’ll be back in love with hexagonal drumsets in no time. This site is completely devoted to hex drum kits and has galleries of all kinds of hexagonal drum kits and pads. Synth drums are like, totally awesome because you can program them to sound like a fake violin when you hit them. Reminds you of something out of a video game.
HEXAGONAL ROOM [Hexagonal Room via Distortion That Rocks]
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“Wretch Machine” All-Tube Synth November 23, 2005
READ MORE Digital Audio
They’ve already turned stomp boxes into butt probes. Now Metasonix, creators of agonizing-sounding audio gear, have turned their warped minds to synths. The result is the Wretch Machine, a truly analog synthesizer crafted from vacuum and gas-filled tubes, with glowing green bars as meters and joysticks for control. It’s due next year for $2500; until then, let your wallet and ears enjoy the last peace they’ll ever have. At least this one won’t have a “ream” knob like their last product.
Metasonix Unveils Wretch Machine Prototype [Create Digital Music]
Samsung Shows Smallest DMB Phone November 23, 2005
READ MORE Mobile phones
The features are pretty much the same as Samsung’s D600 phone, but the more recent SCH-B360 now has DMB (Digital Media Broadcasting) capabilities, letting you watch your fave TV shows. And what do you think this does? Well, I’ll tell you. Its diminutive size makes it the smallest DMB phone yet. Ok, so watching any of your programming on such a tiny screen doesn’t really make much sense, but when there’s a first involved, who really cares, right? Look for this phone early next year from SK Telecom.
Samsung SCH-B360 comes with DMB capability [Ubergizmo]
Specs and pricing for Samsung cell phones [Amazon]
Smooth move slick November 23, 2005
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The cufflinks version of a clip-on tie, but if you're desperate, dressed to the nines, and every place that could sell a cufflink is shut for the day, these emergency cuff links could definitely come to the rescue.
They come on a sheet the thickness of a piece of tinfoil, so it's easy to slide it in your desk/car glove box/briefcase. You might be thinking, ok, when would I ever need emergency cufflinks? But I bet James Bond would definitely approve of these. Especially after drinking all those martinis, his head would surely get a bit too fuzzy to always remember his cufflinks.
One of those things that you could probably live without, but it doesn't hurt to have.
They're £7.99, and you can get them here.
World’s Greatest… Radio Scanners November 23, 2005
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When was the last time you’ve seen a trucker pulled over for speeding?
The question never occurred to me until the summer of 2003, as I was preparing for the Gumball Rally, one of the spiritual descendants of the infamous Cannonball Run. I needed to know how truckers cruised at 85 miles-per-hour day after day, without police interference. Truckers, after all, can ill afford to be pulled over and ticketed—the fines are killers, plus their deliveries will be late. And late deliveries are the trucking industry’s biggest no-no.
I’d always assumed that truckers tipped each other off about speed traps via CB radio. But their secret weapon is the humble radio scanner.
After the jump: How to pick a scanner…
LG and Microsoft Launch Stand-Alone DVR November 23, 2005
READ MORE Home Entertainment
Hey TiVo, here’s some juicy competition for you. LG’s LRM-519 Digital Media Recorder is a Microsoft-powered DVR that has a 160GB hard drive, USB ports, 90-minute buffer, DVD burning capability (cool), and can play back audio and images from your PC. And like the Network ReplayTV of old, you can send video, audio, and pictures in either direction. The Microsoft Program Guide service is available through three subscription options: a one-month subscription for £6, a one-year subscription for £60 or a one-time subscription for £145. Plus, Microsoft is now offering £60 off the lifetime rate to get you interested. The product is going for £350.
Microsoft’s Stand-Alone DVR Drops [Zatznotfunny]
Tacky USB Xmas Accessory #1 November 23, 2005
READ MORE Gadgets , Peripherals
Oh, ho, ho. Here’s the ugliest little USB desk ornament I’ve seen to date. Of course, I celebrate the Festival of Lights, but I can still comment on tacky snowmen with pink hat and scarf combos. However, if it does float your boat, the snowman actually flashes different colors and the Christmas tree plays a nice holiday tune to annoy just about everyone around you. Just £6 and you too can join in the holiday cheer.
Frosty the pink USB Snowman [Shiny Shiny]
FREE computer! Need I Say More? November 23, 2005
READ MORE PC
Forget the £60 laptop. The free iT does it one better. A stripped-down PC from Hong Kong-based website Asiatotal, the iT will be given away for free to small businesses and those of you in the lower income bracket. It comes with a keyboard, mouse, a 7-inch LCD monitor with speaker, smart card reader, mouse pad and all necessary cables and the entire thing is financed by sponsors. Why, you may ask? There are 14 “hotkeys” on the keyboard, and every time you press one, you’ll be directed to a different sponsor’s website. Of course, if you need a free PC, are you really going to buy anything from the sponsors? Chew on that, why dontcha’.
PC for free! Yes it’s true [Techticker]
10 Worst Gadgets of 2005 November 23, 2005
READ MORE Gadgets
If you couldn’t get your hands on an XBox 360 and plan on doing some tech shopping this weekend, PC Magazine wanted to warn you against some of the bad, bad things we’ve all come across this past year. It’s no wonder the Oakley Thump 1, MP3 sunglasses are first on the list. I mean, just look at the ad. Not so appealing. And for £260, it’s a shame to hear that the earbuds are ill-fitting and chafe and the glasses feel pretty flimsy. But check out Thump 2 if you’re really interested in this design—still not great, but certainly better.
Another dud on the list is sadly the long-awaited Motorola ROKR E1. You know it sucked, but it’s just so sad it took about 3 minutes for us all to figure it out. Unattractive design, slow music transfer speeds and limited storage made this hyped up iPod phone a real downer.
The last of the 10 we’ll comment on is the PepperPad, a Tablet PC-like pad, this looked so good at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show, but showed only an expensive price-tag, terribly short battery life and a small LCD screen that you wouldn’t want to look at anything on for very long.
Other picks include the Samsung Digimax V700 digital camera, Sony S2 Sports Network Walkman NW-S23 and Voodoo Doll D210.
Ten to Avoid—the Worst Products of 2005 [PC Magazine]
At 65ins - Size Matters November 23, 2005
READ MORE Home Entertainment , TV
This big boy has been trawled around the world’s consumer electronics shows and while no longer new, it now has an arrival date. Next month. Yes, for the trivial sum of £12,500 inc VAT and delivery, you too can get the peepers burned out of your head with 65in of skinny LCD goodness. The 65in LC-65GD1E High Definition Aquos LCD TV, as it is known among Sharp’s tech-heads, offers a top resolution of 1,920 x 1080, which means it is all ready for the HDTV and movie content that is still, well, not available. Unless of course you count some US porn movies, which have slipped in ahead of Hollyweird in using HD cameras to capture the, erm, ‘beautiful act’.
iPod shortages on the way November 23, 2005
READ MORE Digital Audio , Gadgets , Portable Media
Like its any surprise but we just thought you should know that iPods will very likely be in short supply for the Silly Season. ASfter all, it's not as if Apple hasn't had since last year's shortages to prepare or anyhting. US retailers are already reporting a shortfall and expect the situation to get worse not better. Why should this matter in the UK? Well, the lion’s share of the devices goes to the US and if they ain’t getting enough, you can be damned sure that second-class customers in stuffy old Europe won’t be getting them either. Those warning us, and complaining, about the shortages are retailers - both big and small which means it's probably true. I wonder if those same shortages will apply to Apple’s own 130 or so global stores? More here
Waterless washer November 23, 2005
READ MORE Gadgets
It might seem like Washer Machine Week here at the old Giz, but we’re a smelly bunch of scribblers and cleanliness is next to Godliness, after all. Or something like that. How does a washer machine without water grab ya? Two Singapore students have invented a machine that uses negative ions and compressed air to gather dirt into an easy to clean clump. Looking like a radiator, this device can allegedly clean clothes in a matter of minutes. Which is great. But, while the tree huggers are dancing for joy and calculating how many gallons of Mother Earth’s sweet natural juices they can save, there is a hitch. Excuse the dose of realism but, this is only a prototype. And, if you think big manufacturers of water-guzzling washer machines are going to promote something that could hurt their profits you might just need to stick your head in this device and ionise that naivety right out. Trust us, you’ll feel better for it.
gadgets innovation technology home
Halo Breast “Exam” November 23, 2005
READ MORE Gadgets
We know that you all have Xbox on the mind, but this is not the rumored Master Chief lawsuit stemming from that Whitesnake concert “free breast exam” incident back in ‘82. This is actually the Halo breast papanicolaou (pap) testing system developed by NeoMatrix, LLC. It uses suction devices to extract nipple aspirate fluid from the breast to be analyzed for the presence of various types of cells, including malignant ones. This contraption recently received FDA approval and will help the fight against breast cancer.
The Halo Breast Pap Test System (Possibly NSFW) [Medgadget]
iPod Video Belkin Kickstand Case November 23, 2005
READ MORE Portable Media
Get ready for this, the biggest shocker of the day. It’s something NOT Xbox 360-related and it is actually an innovative iPod Video case that has me intrigued. Are you amazed yet? I know I am. At first this case would appear to just be a mild-mannered iPod case that features matching colors (black or white) a plastic screen protector, etc. But with a simple flip, it’s able to prop up the video iPod and remove the plastic screen protector for a hands-free clear video viewing experience. This is available for $26.
Belkin kickstand case for video iPod [Popgadget]
Mimobots goSeries November 23, 2005
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The previous set of Cosmos Mimobots were cute enough to kill kittens and puppies. That’s why the goSeries, along with having the ability to make sad clowns happy again, has its own backstory:
we are peaceful and joyful creatures essentially made of electronic silicon providing us with an extraordinary ability in memory. we love to live excessively and to embrace all pleasures that blõôh, friendship, and our electronic components can offer.
As usual, these were designed by a serial killer—the famous graphic designer Yahid “Serial Killer” Rodríguez to be exact—because only someone who aspires to be Manson could craft something so disturbingly adorable.
The goSeries comes out in December pre-loaded with mini-games from Peskimo, and is available in 256MB, 512MB, 1GB and 2GB capacities—but only in limited quantities of 250 to 500 units (the Cosmos series is nearly sold out). They are all hi-speed USB 2.0, and prices range from $69.95 to $189.95 depending on the size.
Mimoco [Product Page]
LaCie Lego Bricks November 23, 2005
READ MORE Storage
Damn you, LaCie! These Brick Desktop and Mobile hard drives in the shape of Lego blocks are irresistible to the child and tinkerer in me. Designed by Ora-Ito, who has done crazy beautiful work for LG, Toyota, Swatch, and others, these stackable drives come in red, white or blue. The desktops range from 160-500 GB ($119-$399), and the mobile versions are 40-120GB ($119-$329). The red 250GB desktop brick is in stock now, the rest of the desktops are up for pre-order and ship in December. The Mobile versions come out in January.
But don’t go dropping your ducats just yet, because LaCie says this is just the first of several HDD products from famed designers that the company is introducing in the next 6-12 months.
Lacie Lego Bricks [Product Page]
LaCie Dual Format External Drive November 23, 2005
READ MORE Storage
This is the Ethernet Disk mini, an external hard disk drive that features both USB and networking capabilities. With the ever growing popularity of media centers, having a networked drive like this is nice to share all of the essential files between the various machines on the network such as a laptops, desktops and the media center. This could also fit in nicely in a small business environment where files need to be shared on a regular basis. This drive is available in a 300GB model and feature USB 2.0 and a 10/100 Ethernet connection.
LaCie Ethernet Disk mini [ExtremeTech]
Options and pricing for LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini [Amazon]
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Editor and Contributor | Martin Lynch
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