Chew On This (Or I Must, I Must, I Must Improve My Bust)

Bust Up Gum
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Some things you just can't make up. And being the magnanimous guy that I am, I consider this post a public service announcement. From the article:

"A chewing gum produced by a Japanese company can say the manufactures help enhance the size, shape and tone of the breasts.

The gum B2Up is proving to be a big hit say Bust-Up gum, when chewed three or four times a day, the chewy also improves circulation, reduces stress and battles ageing.

B2Up contains the plant extract, Pueraria mirifica and works by slowly releasing the compounds it contains.

This they say helps to keep the muscle tissue in good order, Pueraria mirifica, also known as Kwao Krua, is a species found in Thailand and Burma, and has been used by indigenous hill tribe people as a traditional medicine for generations.

The plant's tubers contain a number of chemicals called phytoestrogens, including miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol, these natural compounds which create the effects of the female sex hormone oestrogen, as they are very close in chemical structure to oestradiol, the main human oestrogen.

B2Up says that it is the effect of these two chemicals, coupled with a third phytooestrogen isoflavone, which makes its gum work."

Feel free to insert your own straight line in the comments section. Click on the headline for article.

Have A Funky Easter

bunnies
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

I don't usually (in fact I never have) post links to flash animation sites, but in honor of the holidays, and given that I have been so busy playing with my new PSP (hands-on review to follow at some point), that I am posting this for your enjoyment.

Turn up the volume and click on the headline for link.

Free Software - Spell Check Everything!

tinySpell
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Here's a great little program that will let you spell check your typing even from within applications that don't have a native spell checker - tinySpell.

From the website:

"Occasionally you need to check the spelling of words in an application that does not include a spelling checker and you don't want to launch your word processor just for that. This is when tinySpell becomes handy. It is a small utility that allows you to easily and quickly check the spelling of words in any Windows application. tinySpell monitors your typing on the fly and alerts you whenever it detects a misspelled word. It also checks the spelling of every word you copy to the clipboard.

tinySpell installs itself in the system tray for easy access. It comes with an American-English dictionary containing more than 110,000 words."

Click on the headline for download page. Did I mention that it's free?

Codename "The Color"

Muro MR-200
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

I'm not quite sure why Muro felt it necessary to give its new MR-200 mp3 player a code name. It's not like this is some sort of "24" themed end of the world device which will require Keifer Sutherland to save us all at the last minute. Or is it?

"The color" measures only 60 x 38 x 17mm and packs a near-1-inch 65k color OLED screen for displaying MPEG-4 movies and JPEG pictures. Battery life isn't too shabby; some 13 hours per built-in li-polymer battery charge.

Next to MP3 and WMA, Ogg Vorbis is also supported. Direct-encoding can be done into WMA-format, while FM-tuner + recorder & voice recorder are also part of the deal. Of course, "the Color" also supports USB2.0.

Capacities and pricing not available yet. Keifer Sutherland sold separately.

End Of A Pick-Up Line?

cigarettes
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

"Got a light" may soon go the way of "want to check out my mood ring" as a pick-up line. What am I talking about?

Well, we all know that bans on smoking and tobacco advertising are spreading like wildfire. But that hasn't stopped inventors coming up with ways to make smoking easier. The latest is a self-lighting cigarette designed by Gashbam Enterprises of Israel that does away with the need for matches and can be lit on a windy day.

The cigarette has a tip anointed with sulphur and phosphorus. Striking the tip against a rough pad on the side of the packet ignites the cigarette, which is reinforced with slivers of bamboo or tobacco leaf to stop it breaking.

Just great, next they'll invent a pill that gets you drunk and eliminates the need for going to bars, and millions of guys who wear long gold chains and big collared button down silk shirts will spend the rest of their lives wandering the streets on New York like lost deers caught in headlights. Let's all hope that *that* day never comes.

iBeam Watch

iBeam Watch
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Here's a neat little gizmo that might actually make someone's life a little easier. It's a watch with a built in magnifying lens and light.

"By combining high-tech functions with a classic style, the patented iBEAM Optical Timepiece provides so much more than an ordinary watch. Built into the watch's face is an optically certified 5x magnifying lens that pops up at the touch of a button. This is especially handy when it comes to reading maps, menus, food labels, phone books, or even when you're partaking in your favorite hobby like coin or stamp collecting. You'll always have a magnifier on hand - or rather, on wrist!

Also discreetly hidden in the watch's casing is a high-powered LED flashlight. This light turns on and off with a touch of a button, and is excellent in cases where light is needed most, such as theater aisles, walkways, stairways, alleys, and car interiors."

About $100.00, click on the headline for link.

Gifts That Say "I Really Want To Break Up With You"

Levels Earrings
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

From the website:

"With this stylishly kinetic jewelry, the wearer is the center of their own solar system, with the bubbles of these real working levels floating softly around them. You can take them off and use them to hang up a painting or install a bookshelf, but they'll look so good you'll have them on again as soon as your task is complete."

Nothing quite says "I Love You" like a pair of these. About $60.00. Click on the headline for link.

Will Tablets Ever Take Off?

Toshiba R15-S822
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

I was an early adopter of Tablet computers. I spend so much time with a pen in my hand that I thought it made a whole lot of sense. I first owned a Toshiba tablet and then sold it for a Compaq tablet (which I then sold to get an Apple). Anyway, my problem with the Tablets were that they were a bit heavy and no matter how good the handwriting recognition was, I could still type faster. Toshiba has just released its R15-S822 claiming:

"The Satellite R15 Tablet PC combines advanced notebook power with the practicality and comfort of pen and paper. Take notes, write emails without your keyboard. Browse the Web with a pen. It's a more intuitive way of computing!

With a simple twist and click, you can use a pen with hyper-precise digital ink to take notes. View the ample-sized 14.1" diagonal swivel screen in a way that's more like the way you normally read books and watch TV. You can even get creative by sketching out ideas or creating digital art right on the screen. The Satellite R15 is state-of-the-art with built-in optical drive, integrated wireless, the Intel Pentium M Processor, and the Toshiba Shock Protection System to provide higher impact protection and reliability for key hardware components."

It has nice specs, including a 14.1" screen and is selling for $1599.00. I still think that it is a bit heavy, though. Click on the headline for link.

What's The Recipe For Ice Again?

Google Mobile
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

From the website:

"Google search, in the palm of your hand.

Google Mobile makes it easy to access online information - over 8 billion pages and a billion images - on your cell phone or mobile device.

Search the Web: At the grocery store and need to find the ingredients for chicken salad? Just query "chicken salad ingredients" on your cell phone's mobile Web browser to search through more than 8 billion pages for the recipe that will wow your taste buds.

Search Images: Is that the Empire State building or the Chrysler building? Search more than a billion images and get the one you need on your phone with Google Image Search."

Click on the headline for link.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Samsung Long Range
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Imagine this - a portable phone that you can use outside your house and down the block. So far so good, right? Now imagine that you can take your portable phone into your car, drive to the park and pick up pizza.

I know what you are thinking, "hey, gadget guy, why do I need a portable phone which could do that, I already have a cell phone." I agree. I don't have a clue why you might want a portable phone with a 30 mile radius as opposed to a cell phone with cross country roaming, but who am I to judge?

About $300.00, click on the headline for link.

Camcorder Phone

Camcorder Phone
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Quiet on the set! And Action! Wait, I got a call coming in on camera one, everyone take a break.

Pantech & Curitel is set to release the PH-L4000V, a uniquely designed camcorder phone. From the website:

"It also adopts a swiveling folder which offers much convenience in shooting video or still images. It comes with the tripod compatible with the international standard that prevents shaking, the company added.

PH-L4000V with a 2.14-megapixel camera module is a big step forward in the evolution of camera phones which have been thought of being suitable only for snap pictures. With enhanced camera system such as auto focus and 2x optical zoom, the handset is also enabled with FM radio, MP3 player and TV-out. "

Certainly looks interesting. No pricing yet (or even work if it will be released in the United States).

How I Felt The Last Time I Ate Taco Bell

Roller Cycle
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Not quite, but not too far off. Anyway, here's the Roller Cycle - a "personal power accelerator". Looks more like death on wheels to me, but hey, what do I know?

The Roller Cycle uses a 1.5 horsepower engine that can travel at speeds up to 25mph!!! It can travel over any terrain, this in due to the rear propulsion that's given to the user. The user simply uses the freedom of their feet to steer the Roller Cycle.

Nothing is attached to the skater, except a safety switch which is similar to the ones that are on jet skis that cuts the motor when the rider falls off. Simply squeeze the throttle and your off.

Only $449.00 (supplemental disability insurance is extra). Click on the headline for link.

Destined For Failure

Gizmondo
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Ok, while I'm anxiously awaiting my PSP this week, might as well talk about another new game/everything player - the Gizmondo.

It can be used to play games, music tracks and movies. It can take and store digital photos and be used like a mobile phone to send text, multimedia and e-mail messages.

The phone service to enable people to send messages is being provided by pre-pay Vodafone accounts bundled in with the device.

It also works with GPS (Global Position System) so can also be used as a navigation aid or to support a variety of location-based services.

The GPRS and Bluetooth wireless data systems onboard mean that it can be used for multi-player gaming.

The game lineup leaves much to be desired and at $450.00 with the release of the PSP and continued competition from the Nintendo DS, this one might become heavily discounted very quickly.

Media Bliss?

LG PM70
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

A 4.3", 16:9 widescreen, 30 GB HDD and broad non-Windows Media format support, or in other words LG's new PM70 Portable Media Center.

Available with either 20 or 30 GB of hard drive space, the PM70 will support a smorgasboard of video codecs, including MPEG2; MPEG4; DivX 3.x, 4.x and 5.x; and XviD. In the audio department, Windows Media Audio is present, as is MP3, Ogg Vorbis, ASF and AC3 - very comprehensive. Last, but not least, BMP and JPEG photo viewing.

It also has USB 2.0 connectivity with support for USB Host 1.1, and a claimed battery life of 16 hours of audio playback or 4 hours of video playback. No pricing yet, should be available later this year.

Another Distraction While Driving

LG SV360
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

I'm still sorting through all the cool phones that were announced at the CTIA wireless trade show, that's why the emphasis on phones lately.

Here's LG's game-crunching SV360. It straddles a delicate line between devices; as a horizontal clamshell folded up, it seems a bit too large for its own good. But as a gaming device folded out, crank up the ATI Imageon 2300 graphics chipset, and it plays very decently. No QWERTY keyboard in this one, but two hand controls for the games. Once again no release date or pricing available yet. (Via Engadget)

Music Phone With Speaker

Alcatel OT-S853
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Alcatel announced the triband (900/1800/1900) OT-S853 mobile phone at CeBIT 2005. The new handset features include support for EDGE, Bluetooth, 262K TFT color display with 176 x 220 pixel, and MP3 audio playback. There's also an integrated 1.3 megapixel camera and FM Radio.

The audio control buttons are on the side for easy access. The most interesting feature is the large speaker at the top of the phone. I'm not sure if it is intended for music, but it sure seems that way. Release date and price not available.

Monday Morning Distractions - Super Lazy Edition

Busy day for me today so I won't have a lot of time for posting. Here's a game that is so insipidly easy that you'll keep saying to yourself that you won't play it again. And then you will. Over and over and over. Have a major project that you are trying to get out the door? That's OK, you have time for this game. On a very important conference call where there's a lot on the line? No problem, you can play this one while wheeling and dealing away.

Go ahead. I know you want you to. Click on the headline for link.

Your Powers Are Weak Old Man

Plasma Saber
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

And your wallet will soon be empty. Look, I liked the first couple of Star Wars movies as much as the next guy, but after the last couple I haven't exactly been pining away waiting for the next (and thankfully) final release. But if you are one of those people who seem to believe that the movies are more then entertainment and also somehow embody a philosophy of life then this just may be the gadget which completes your sorry existence.

From the website:

"We have over 14 years experience building and designing Plasma Sabers and we can assure you that our sabers are the most advanced designs in the world! The Plasma Saber blade is solid. It is a high power shock mounted neon type tube which contains a plasma gas which glows brightly when activated. The tubes are completely removable and interchangeable. The handles are crafted from metal. The Plasma Saber looks amazingly similar to the real thing when activated. You won't realize how true this really is until you actually hold it in your hand. The Plasma Saber beam can be seen very well indoors or in low light conditions outdoors. It is very bright. A special g-force sensor is used inside our handle to sense when the saber is swung. The sensor produces a wooshing sound as you swing it! Colors available are Red, Blue, Green and Purple."

Only $990.00! Almost the same amount as it would cost to take a family of four to see a movie and buy popcorn and sodas. Click on the headline for link.

Motorola Joins The Camera Phone Act

Motorola MS550
Originally uploaded by thegadgetguy.

Not wanting to be left out of Samsung, Siemans and Kyocera's campaign of new-fangled camera phones, Motorola has introduced the MS550 3 megapixel camera phone.

There are not a whole lot of details yet, but it appears to be a CDMA-based 3-megapixel slider with a flip-out 2x optical zoom lens, TransFlash/microSD slot, and even a proper looking flash. (Via Engadget)