Feel Like Playing Doctor?

Knee Surgery
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

OK, here's one of those things that I came across while surfing and was not really sure what to do with. It's kind of gadgety, kind of odd and certainly interesting - so what the heck, I'm putting it here so that you can draw your own conclusions.

It's Virtual Knee Surgery! Why knee surgery? I haven't a clue. Think of it as "Operation" for grown ups. Something which I know will come in handy in the real world. "Quick, hand me the retractors, this man needs a new knee cap!"

At least it's free. Click on the headline for link.

Smartest Watch On The Planet?!?

Sky Time
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

At least its manufacturer claims so. From the website:

"This computer controlled analog and digital watch tells time in four simultaneous time zones. It predicts Sun rise, Sun set, Moon rise, Moon set and Moon phase for 500 preprogramed cities or any location on earth. There are 26 unique features built into this stunning time piece. These include Alarms, Stop watch, Counter and 24 hour time. You can have more computing power on your wrist than Neil Armstrong had on board The Lunar lander that took him to the surface of the moon."

The website is hysterical. It couldn't be more over the top - here's my favorite nugget:

"I think it was Galileo who said that the moon was the most unpredictable body in the heavens. Our mathematicians now agree with him."

Well, that's good to know. Anyway about $200.00 (a small price to pay for the smartest watch on the planet). Click on the headline for link.

I'm Ready For My Closeup

Samsung a970
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Behold the Samsung a970 swivel 2 megapixel camera phone. Expect it in the second quarter to come with that 2-megapixel camera, swiveling dual display, EVDO support, Bluetooth, MPEG-4 video support, stereo speakers and VOD.

Looks very cool, but why not a 3, 4 or 5 megapixel camera instead of that lousy 2 megapixel. No pricing yet. (Via Engadget)

Come Fly With Me

Parabounce
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Come Fly, Let's Fly Away....Nothing like a little Sinatra in the morning (or any time for that matter).

From the website:

"The Parabounce is 22' balloon filled with enough helium to launch a person in the air with the slightest push from the ground, the expereince of being able to rise and float in the atmosphere can now be experienced by eager riders all over the world."

The videos which accompany this site look very cool. Check it out for yourself, click on the headline for link.

More Phones With Keyboards

LG F9100
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Nobody wants just a phone anymore. The idea that all your phone does is receive incoming calls and allows you to make outgoing calls is practically primative. Instead, we all want phones that act as IM devices, email clients, games systems, music players, still cameras, video cameras and more.

In trying to accomadate our desires, the phone manufacturers have been experimenting with ways to incorporate keyboards into our phones. Because, let's face it, no matter how "smart" the software is, trying to type an email on a regular phone pad sucks.

LG's F1900 is aimed more at the power texter than the power user, which means that it sports a QWERTY keyboard and comes preloaded with AIM, ICQ, and Yahoo Messenger. It doesn't have Bluetooth, a large LCD screen, a built-in digital camera, or even a proper smartphone operating system. Available now from Cingular.

Another Sleek Asus Computer

Asus V6800V
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

With the launch of the V6800V, Asus claims it has produced the world's thinnest and lightest 15 inch laptop. It is just 0.9 inches thick and slips in at a proportionately bulimic 4lbs. or so.

The V6800V doesn't appear to be wanting for power either despite its waifish lines as it is based on the Sonoma edition of the Centrino chipset and therefore supports such recent notebook innovations as DDR2 RAM, PCI Express and SATA hard drives.

The fully customisable spec will feature processors beginning at 1.73GHz and hard drives at 60GB. At the top of the food chain you can crank up the clock past 2GHz and somehow Asus can squeeze in a 100GB hard drive (if you can afford the upgrade).

Both Sony and Apple had better watch out as it looks like Asus has finally started to understand the form and function combination that many of us seek.

My What A Big Camera Phone You Have!

Samsung SCH-V770
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

At CeBit which is winding down, Samsung announced their new 7 megapixel camera phone - the Samsung SCH-V770. The SCH-V770's has a 1/1.8 inch type CCD image sensor, 3x optical zoom lens, flash and manual focus control. It also has 32 megabytes of internal memory.

Um, is that a camera phone in your pocket or are you just glad to see me? No pricing or release date announced.

Sony Finally Offers Media Center Upgrades

Media Center
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Well, they say that good things come to those who wait and apparently Sony has finally got its act together and is now offering MCE 2005 upgrades for a whole host of its Media Center PC's, including the VGC-RA series and the PCV-RZ series. The best part is that the upgrade is only $9.95. Click on the headline to get to the Sony upgrade web page.

I just ordered mine and now I can't wait to get it!

Blown Away

gadget
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

"Sonic Devestator- This handheld space age weapon of the future is powered by (2) 9 volt batteries conatined within the handle. It is capable of emitting intense ultrasonic blasts from its output transducer. The sonic blast is capable of inducing intense pain and discomfort in humans and animals It is effective for approximately 20ft but some people are even effected at distances as great as 50ft. Some people are more sensitive to sonic waves then others. The batterys will last for nearly 20 hours of continuous operation before needing replacement."

Pretty cool. I once had a girlfriend who could do the same thing, though. Problem was, her batteries never ran out. About $300.00 assembled. Click on the headline for link.

Benefon GPS Phone

Benefone GPS Phone
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

I have never heard of Benefon or its products and they look to be European based (in fact there is apparently only a single distributor in the U.S.). This is the first combination phone and GPS device that I have seen. The map memory appears to be limited to 2MB and the maps must be from Genimap, almost certainly not enough for a whole lot of road navigation.

Besides the pretty cool convergence factor, I thought that the idea of being able to send an emergency message with your location to a predefined number was an excellent safety feature and being able to let other Benefon users find you and you them could be fun. I just like the idea of being able to integrate the GPS and phone into a single unit. Now, if only they could integrate pocket reader functions for my prc files and an mp3 player for my music then I'd be happy. Oh yes, and a toaster too. After all, who wouldn't want a nice piece of toast while hiking? Click on the headline for link.

Kyocera Gamepad

Kyocera KX5
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Here's one of the more interesting docking connection for phones. Kyocera has partnered with Alienware and they have developed the Gamepad for the new Kyocera KX5. It looks kind of cool, but I don't want to carry a pocketful of accessories for my phone. I'd like to see something like this built in - now that would make for a great way to kill time while on the train. No pricing or game lists yet.

BenQ Music Phone - For Music and Fashion Lovers

BenQ Music Phone
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Here's a sexy new phone:

"The cube-shaped BenQ Z2 is original and unique in design with five directional navigation keys and specially-designed numeric buttons, and provides a different variation to those designs currently on the market. Outfitted with exchangeable shells, the BenQ Z2 allows the consumer to change pearl white, mustard green, sapphire blue, to sparkling pink casing depending on their different moods or to match what they are wearing."

What kind of mood calls for mustard green? What the hell is mustard green anyway? Anyway, the BenQ Z2 is equipped with powerful MP3 functions and 3D surrounding sound. Consumers can choose between six equalizers, including Normal, Bass, Rock, Fashion, Jazz, and Classic. A choice of three different modes of playing, including Repeat 1, Repeat All, and Shuffle, are also sure to satisfy the most capricious music lovers. The BenQ Z2 also supports the ID3 V2 function, which allows easy reading of the music lyrics on its 1.5" 262K color TFT display. And for those consumers who enjoy listening to the radio, the BenQ Z2 also has an embeddded FM radio which allows for programming of 20 radio channels.

Oh yeah, camera too. Should be available next quarter, no pricing, but it won't be cheap.

Everything Old Is New Again

Zaurus SL-C1000
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Is this the future (again) of PDA's? Back in the late 80's and early 90's the Sharp Wizard PDA's were the de facto standard for PIM. But as Palm and Handspring really started to catch on, the Wizards became relegated to nothing more then glorified electronic address books since the ability to add software was limited.

But, Sharp never left the PIM arena and continues to march to the beat of its own drummer. This device is Linux based and the SL-C1000 looks to have similar specs to its cousin, the SL-C3000 but without the hard drive. It should have about 8 hours of battery life and 52MB user-area RAM. No pricing available, probably will not be released in the U.S., but should be available in Japan later this month.

Hit Me With Your Rhythm Sticks

rhythm sticks
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Hit Me! Hit Me! Not too slow now, quick, quick quick. Hit Me! Hit Me!

Wow, I still love 80's music. Anyway, from the website:

"Each of these wicked drumsticks a.k.a Rhythm Sticks has a speaker in its base, and when you 'hit' the air with them, they make a great drum sound!"

Switches on the sticks let you choose between a classical drum beat or an electronic drum beat. About $21.00, click on the headline for link.

Making The Band - The Internet Edition

New Kids
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Have you perfected walking around like a drunk (see below)? Then, you might be ready for a career as a music producer! Choose your band members, their instruments, the lighting and background. Wait for MTV to call, then blow them off! Hire Lizzie Grubman to do your PR.

This is one of the greatest time killers out there. Start playing and get nothing done at all today. Really. You'll see. Just click on the headline for link.

Monday Morning Distractions -- Intoxicated Walking

So I celebrated my birthday this past weekend, and on Saturday night, let's just say that I didn't meet a drink that I didn't like. In honor of my overindulgence is this week's Monday Morning Distraction in which the goal is simple - stay on your feet, despite the fact that you are ummmm, hammered. The directions are in German, but basically, just use your mouse to keep from tipping over. I scored pretty well, but that was probably because of my recent practice. Enjoy. Click on the headline for link.

Sneak Pictures - Make Millions

Spypen
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

What's that Ms. Hilton? Dropped your fork? Let me look under the table and find that for you. Click, Click.

Hello, Playboy? I have some pictures for you - for a price of course.

From the website:

"Just like James Bond, this incredible digital device gives you the ability to do what no other pen is capable of. Go to a board meeting and snap a few candid shots in secret. Do your own investigation by taking snap shots of secret documents. Take photographs of a competitor's products at trade shows or retail stores. Sneak it in where cameras are not allowed like art museums and opera houses. 2MB memory is capable of storing up to 36, 160 x 120 pixel images. Even has a voice function that lets you how many images have been taken and when you power on or off. Includes software and serial cable (RS-232) for downloading images to PC. It also has a built-in pen so you can actually write when the need arises."

About $70.00. Click on the headline for link.

TunePlug USB Drive

USB Thumb Drive
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Here's an interesting way to distribute some music from new artists. TunePlug-a reusable USB Flash Drive that will feature 10 complete albums from 10 leading Magnatune artists as MP3 files.

All music tracks on TunePlug are provided in MP3 format by Magnatune and can be played on any computer or portable music device. Branded with Magnatune packaging, the TunePlug connects to any computer though its USB port and can be used like any hard disk to store and transfer files. Prices for TunePlug are $19.99 for the 64MB; $29.99 for the 128MB; $49.99 for the 256MB; and $69.99 for the 512MB.

Magnatune is an independent, online record label that hand selects its own artists, sells its catalog of music through online downloads and print-on-demand CDs and licenses music for commercial and non-commercial use. It certainly is a unique way to get its artists increased exposure.