@methodshop

Our friends over at GetUSB.info stumbled upon this one while researching another product. ACP-EP Memory has teamed up with the best snowboard companies in the industry to create the first and only authentic USB Flash Drive Snowboards. They've combined the graphics from actual Forum Snowboards like X-Games Snowboarding Star Eddie Wall's Signature Series Board.

With a cool rubberized feel, these snow board shaped UFDs also have authentic graphics. At the head of the board there's even a LED light to indicate activity.

• Forum Recon 2GB SnowDrive USB 2.0 Flash Drive
• Forum Eddie Wall 1GB SnowDrive USB 2.0 Flash Drive
• Forum Recon 512MB SnowDrive USB 2.0 Flash Drive
  

Capacity ranges from 512MB to 2GBs with 2 year warranty. Prices range from $20-$50USD respectively.


Features

• Forum Graphics w/ Rubberized texture
• Neck strap attachment on USB Drive
• USB 2.0 High Speed Interface (USB 1.1 Compatible)
• True Plug-and-Play connection for hot swap function
• LED indicates when drive is in use
• No drivers required for Windows Me/2000/XP,
• Mac OS 9.0 or later
• Size: 24mm (W) x 4.9mm (H) x 95mm (L)
• Backed by ACP-EP Memory's 2 Year Warranty

Is surfing not snowboarding more you style? ACP also makes USB surf boards. Check out the 2GB USB 2.0 Black Surfdrive.

GetUSB.info | methodshop

Do you have a ton of DVDs? Want to watch them on your iPod/iPhone/Apple TV? For years, the best DVD ripping program, Handbrake, was only available for Mac. But the unthinkable has happened. Handbrake was ported for Windows. You can download a PC version of Handbrake now.

If you are unfamiliar with Handbrake, it's a GPL'd multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 ripper/converter.

This methodshop.com page has Handbrake download links and a complete tutorial on how to use Handbrake.

Features:

• Can encode directly from DVDs (even encrypted ones) or from VIDEO_TS folders
• Supports AC3, LPCM and MPEG audio tracks
• Outputs MP4, AVI or OGM files
• Outputs AAC, MP3 or Vorbis audio
• Supports 2-pass encoding
• Supports encoding of two audio tracks
• Includes a bitrate calculator
• Supports picture deinterlacing, cropping and scaling

methodshop

Labels: ipod, tutorial

From our friends at How Stuff Works comes a great review of Panasonic's TH-50PX60U, a stylish 50-inch plasma HDTV that delivers great performance. This silver flat-panel set comes with a pedestal stand that can be removed for mounting the monitor on the wall, although a separately available bracket is required. The 16:9 screen is perfect for wide-format DVD movies and HDTV.

The native resolution is 1,366X768, and all images are displayed at 768p. A motion-adaptive 3-D Y/C digital comb filter eliminates dot crawl and rainbow effects, and the picture is further refined with several noise reduction and color management functions. The TH-50PX60U can display nearly 29 billion colors, so images appear very lifelike.

Stereo speakers are built into the area below the screen, and they deliver 20 total watts of audio output and can simulate surround sound. An SD memory card slot lets you view digital photos on the big screen. Convenience features on the TH-50PX60U are relatively standard for a large plasma HDTV, including an adjustable sleep timer, video input labeling, memory for the video settings for each input and closed captions.

Unlike some competing models, the TH-50PX60U does not offer any PIP functions such as split-screen or inset-window viewing, and it lacks a PC input. Another notable omission is a CableCARD slot. The TH-50PX60U does have an integrated QAM tuner, but you should check with your cable provider to ensure digital cable compatibility.

The front of the TH-50PX60U has quick-connect composite video and S-video inputs, while the rear panel has numerous additional inputs and outputs for use with associated components. The options include two more composite video inputs, two more S-video inputs, two component video inputs, two HDMI inputs, a composite video output and an optical digital audio output.

The TH-50PX60U comes with a universal remote control that includes DVD controls. As plasma HDTVs go, Panasonic's TH-50PX60U certainly delivers in the performance department, but it lacks some key features that are common in other models.

And if you want a kick-ass remote to run this and your entire system, check out this Harman Kardon remote.

read more | digg story | treblemaker.com

Labels: HDTV

From our friends at How Stuff Works comes a great review of Panasonic's TH-50PX60U, a stylish 50-inch plasma HDTV that delivers great performance. This silver flat-panel set comes with a pedestal stand that can be removed for mounting the monitor on the wall, although a separately available bracket is required. The 16:9 screen is perfect for wide-format DVD movies and HDTV.

The native resolution is 1,366X768, and all images are displayed at 768p. A motion-adaptive 3-D Y/C digital comb filter eliminates dot crawl and rainbow effects, and the picture is further refined with several noise reduction and color management functions. The TH-50PX60U can display nearly 29 billion colors, so images appear very lifelike.

Stereo speakers are built into the area below the screen, and they deliver 20 total watts of audio output and can simulate surround sound. An SD memory card slot lets you view digital photos on the big screen. Convenience features on the TH-50PX60U are relatively standard for a large plasma HDTV, including an adjustable sleep timer, video input labeling, memory for the video settings for each input and closed captions.

Unlike some competing models, the TH-50PX60U does not offer any PIP functions such as split-screen or inset-window viewing, and it lacks a PC input. Another notable omission is a CableCARD slot. The TH-50PX60U does have an integrated QAM tuner, but you should check with your cable provider to ensure digital cable compatibility.

The front of the TH-50PX60U has quick-connect composite video and S-video inputs, while the rear panel has numerous additional inputs and outputs for use with associated components. The options include two more composite video inputs, two more S-video inputs, two component video inputs, two HDMI inputs, a composite video output and an optical digital audio output.

The TH-50PX60U comes with a universal remote control that includes DVD controls. As plasma HDTVs go, Panasonic's TH-50PX60U certainly delivers in the performance department, but it lacks some key features that are common in other models.

And if you want a kick-ass remote to run this and your entire system, check out this Harman Kardon remote.

read more | digg story | treblemaker.com

Labels: HDTV

Our friends over at GetUSB.info stumbled upon this one while researching another product. ACP-EP Memory has teamed up with the best snowboard companies in the industry to create the first and only authentic USB Flash Drive Snowboards. They've combined the graphics from actual Forum Snowboards like X-Games Snowboarding Star Eddie Wall's Signature Series Board.

With a cool rubberized feel, these snow board shaped UFDs also have authentic graphics. At the head of the board there's even a LED light to indicate activity.

• Forum Recon 2GB SnowDrive USB 2.0 Flash Drive
• Forum Eddie Wall 1GB SnowDrive USB 2.0 Flash Drive
• Forum Recon 512MB SnowDrive USB 2.0 Flash Drive
  

Capacity ranges from 512MB to 2GBs with 2 year warranty. Prices range from $20-$50USD respectively.


Features

• Forum Graphics w/ Rubberized texture
• Neck strap attachment on USB Drive
• USB 2.0 High Speed Interface (USB 1.1 Compatible)
• True Plug-and-Play connection for hot swap function
• LED indicates when drive is in use
• No drivers required for Windows Me/2000/XP,
• Mac OS 9.0 or later
• Size: 24mm (W) x 4.9mm (H) x 95mm (L)
• Backed by ACP-EP Memory's 2 Year Warranty

Is surfing not snowboarding more you style? ACP also makes USB surf boards. Check out the 2GB USB 2.0 Black Surfdrive.

GetUSB.info | methodshop

Labels: usb

Old-time audiophiles must be spinning in their soundproof graves. Thanks to hardware modifications and headphone amplifiers, the humble iPod is earning a place at the heart of the most expensive and exacting sound systems.

read more | digg story

Wish you could double the speed of your wireless router?

Although it's technically considered a router, the Linksys WRT54GX4 is much more than that. The Linksys WRT54GX4 Wireless-G Broadband Router with SRX400 is really three devices in one small box.

1. First, there's the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect to the network, as the name suggests, without wires.
   
   
2. Then there's the built-in four-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired Ethernet devices together.
   
   
3. Finally, there's the actual router that ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.
   

One of the features that makes this router so powerful is MIMO, "multiple in, multiple out." MIMO technology doubles the data rate that this router can transfer by overlaying the signals of two Wireless-G compatible radios. If you take a close look at this router, you will see multiple atenntas along the top. Using this router is like having 2 routers

Product Highlights:

• Works as three products in one: a wireless access point, built-in four-port full-duplex 10/100 switch and high-speed router
  
  
• Based on "multiple in, multiple out" (MIMO) technology that effectively doubles the data rate
  
  
• Features SRX400 technology that exceeds the capabilities of the traditional wired Ethernet 10/100 data ports
  
  
• Encodes wireless transmissions with industrial-strength WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) encryption
  
  
• Compatible with all SRX400-enabled devices and standard Wireless-G and -B equipment

methodshop.com

Labels: router

Are you into bird watching? Or maybe you like to snap pictures of topless celebrities at the beach? Regardless of your intentions, with the Pro Viewer BinoCam, you'll always take a crystal-clear shot no matter how far away you are from the action.

The Pro Viewer BinoCam is pair of binoculars and a digital camera all rolled into one. It features an 8X non-digital zoom with a 2.1 mega pixel camera capable of taking 1600 x 1200 pixel photos. After you snap the perfect picture, you can review it instantly with the BinoCam's built-in 1.5-inch full-color LCD screen. The BinoCam can also record 30 second AVI video clips.

Not interested in stalking celebrities? Of course, you can also take the BinoCam to the beach and watch the surfers ride the perfect wave. Prove to your friends you spotted whales on that last boat trip, or even assist the police by snapping Mel Gibson's license plate as he gets wasted and drives around California blaming the Jews for everything.

The Pro Viewer BinoCam combines powerful binoculars, a high-resolution camera and a camcorder all in one. It's all you need to catch the action... from a safe distance.

Specs:

• Image Sensor: 2.1 mega pixels
• Resolution: 1600 x 1200 (H); 640 x 480 (L)
• Interface: USB 1.1
• OS Support: Windows 98/98SE/2000/ME/XP
• Measures: 6 x 1.5 inches
• Weighs: 1.3 pounds
  

Features:

• SD Card Slot
• Magnification: 8X non-digital zoom
• Objective lens diameter: 32mm
• Focus Range: 18 meters to infinity
• Auto exposure
• 1.5" TFT Color LCD
• Note: Requires 4 AAA alkaline batteries (not included)
  

digg story | methodshop

Labels: camera

Like to smack penguins with baseball bats? Yes? Then here's a nice Christmas morning treat for the whole family. MethodShop has a series of Yeti winter games for your entertainment.

If you aren't yet familiar with Yeti Sports, then prepare yourself for one of the most humorous and addictive games on the Internet. Below you will find several variations of the Yeti game Pingu-Throw as well as some newer Yeti offerings. One of the more violent variants of Pingu-Throw, named "Bloody", features decapitation, spikes, a big spiky club and mines.

Should your Yeti catch the penguin at the right moment and angle, you might just hit one out of the park, or arctic continent. Good luck and Merry Christmas.

Yeti Games

• Yeti Pingu-Throw
• Yeti Pingu-Throw (Bloody)
• Yeti Pingu-Throw (Long Shot)
• Yeti Orca Slap
• Yeti Seal Bounce

Like to smack penguins with baseball bats? Yes? Then here's a nice Christmas morning treat for the whole family. MethodShop has a series of Yeti winter games for your entertainment.

If you aren't yet familiar with Yeti Sports, then prepare yourself for one of the most humorous and addictive games on the Internet. Below you will find several variations of the Yeti game Pingu-Throw as well as some newer Yeti offerings. One of the more violent variants of Pingu-Throw, named "Bloody", features decapitation, spikes, a big spiky club and mines.

Should your Yeti catch the penguin at the right moment and angle, you might just hit one out of the park, or arctic continent. Good luck and Merry Christmas.

Yeti Games

• Yeti Pingu-Throw
• Yeti Pingu-Throw (Bloody)
• Yeti Pingu-Throw (Long Shot)
• Yeti Orca Slap
• Yeti Seal Bounce

Labels: games, holiday

"Enjoy all of your movies, music, TV shows, video games, and even audio files stored on your computer's hard drive in enveloping 360º surround sound. JVC's RX-D702B sports 150 watts per channel of power and all the processing you'll need for dynamic home theater sound. And JVC packs this slimline receiver with advanced technologies that not only expand your entertainment options, but also make your system easier to set up and operate.

The 'D702B's digital video switching lets you hook up two high-resolution video components via HDMI connections for the best possible picture quality (HDMI is a digital output available on many HDTV tuners and high-end DVD players). And analog-to-HDMI video conversion allows you to send all of your video sources to an HDMI-capable TV using only a single digital cable. This greatly streamlines video switching and preserves maximum picture quality for every source in your system. And if your TV doesn't have an HDMI connection, component video conversion allows you to route all of your analog video sources to your TV using only one component video connection.

Here's a cool and unique feature for fans of computer audio. The 'D702B has the ability to receive music from your computer wirelessly. Just plug the included transmitter into a USB port on your PC or Mac®, and you can listen to your music library through the 'D702B and your best-sounding speakers, using iTunes, Windows Media Player, or almost any other music program.

A multibrand remote with glow-in-the-dark buttons makes it easy to operate your audio/video gear, even when the lights are low."

Source: Crutchfield.com

This product is available on Amazon.

read more | digg story

Are you into bird watching? Or maybe you like to snap pictures of topless celebrities at the beach? Regardless of your intentions, with the Pro Viewer BinoCam, you'll always take a crystal-clear shot no matter how far away you are from the action.

The Pro Viewer BinoCam is pair of binoculars and a digital camera all rolled into one. It features an 8X non-digital zoom with a 2.1 mega pixel camera capable of taking 1600 x 1200 pixel photos. After you snap the perfect picture, you can review it instantly with the BinoCam's built-in 1.5-inch full-color LCD screen. The BinoCam can also record 30 second AVI video clips.

Not interested in stalking celebrities? Of course, you can also take the BinoCam to the beach and watch the surfers ride the perfect wave. Prove to your friends you spotted whales on that last boat trip, or even assist the police by snapping Mel Gibson's license plate as he gets wasted and drives around California blaming the Jews for everything.

The Pro Viewer BinoCam combines powerful binoculars, a high-resolution camera and a camcorder all in one. It's all you need to catch the action... from a safe distance.

Specs:

• Image Sensor: 2.1 mega pixels
• Resolution: 1600 x 1200 (H); 640 x 480 (L)
• Interface: USB 1.1
• OS Support: Windows 98/98SE/2000/ME/XP
• Measures: 6 x 1.5 inches
• Weighs: 1.3 pounds
  

Features:

• SD Card Slot
• Magnification: 8X non-digital zoom
• Objective lens diameter: 32mm
• Focus Range: 18 meters to infinity
• Auto exposure
• 1.5" TFT Color LCD
• Note: Requires 4 AAA alkaline batteries (not included)
  

BeSocial: digg story | methodshop

Labels: camera

Have you walked past an Apple Store yet this month? If so, you might have noticed a 3D snowflake screen saver running in the display windows. The screen saver is called Snowfall and it was designed by Russell Warenboldt using the OS X Quartz Composer.

Here's a screenshot of Snowfall with a picture of my dog in the background. Snowfall is a beautiful screen saver. These pictures really don't do it justice. You'll just have to install Snowfall and see for yourself. Snowfall is free, but it requires....

Continue Reading>>>

Labels: apple, holiday, screen savers

Have you walked past an Apple Store yet this month? If so, you might have noticed a 3D snowflake screen saver running in the display windows. The screen saver is called Snowfall and it was designed by Russell Warenboldt using the OS X Quartz Composer.

Snowfall is free, but it requires Macintosh OS X Tiger. To install Snowfall, just copy it into your Screen Savers folder ~/Library/Screen Savers/. Then open the System Preferences panel to modify the options. You can pick a solid background color and turn on the stripes to make your screen look like wrapping paper. Or pick one of your favorite photos and adjust the speed and amount of snow displayed on your screen. Here's a screenshot of Snowfall with a picture of my dog in the background.


Snowfall is a beautiful screen saver. These pictures really don't do it justice. You'll just have to install Snowfall and see it for yourself.

You can download Snowfall here (Mac PPC, Mac Intel). Don't like Snowfall? Here's another winter screen saver called SnowSaver (Mac PPC). Both Snowfall and SnowSaver are Macintosh only. PC users should check out a screen saver called Let It Snow (PC).

digg story | methodshop

Labels: holiday, os x, screen savers

On Friday afternoon I heard a rumor that the "iPhone" was coming out on Monday, December 18th. It was an interesting rumor because most people thought that Apple would announce their mobile phone product at the January 2007 Macworld conference.

Well, a new product called the iPhone did indeed come out today but not from the company that everyone thought. Linksys announced the iPhone in this press release, not Apple. So what the hell happened? For almost a year now people have been speculating about the possibility of Apple releasing a communication product called the iPhone. But apparently Linksys, a unit of networking equipment maker Cisco, already owns the "iPhone" trademark. According to BusinessWeek.com, a company called Infogear registered the "iPhone" name in 1996. Cisco then absorbed the "iPhone" trademark when it acquired Infogear in the year 2000. Oops. Score -1 for the bloggers. We really should have picked up on that little tidbit months ago.

Just like the rumored Apple version of the iPhone, the Linksys iPhone a Web-enabled telephone handset is compatible with all major Internet chat services including Skype, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, QQ, and ICQ.

So if Apple really has a mobile phone product in the works, they obviously can't call it the iPhone. What about a variation of a name they already own like iChat Mobile? While the name of this product may still be in question, a trail of clues about an Apple phone product have been popping up all over the Internet for over a year now:

• In June 2005, the source code of an iTunes update contained multiple references to an Autofill phone playlist function.
  
  
• Apple has owned the domain iphone.org since December 1999. It redirects traffic to apple.com.
  
  
• In March 2006, a source at BenQ, a Taiwanese phone manufacturer confirmed that an Apple phone product was in the works. Why would BenQ leak info about an Apple phone to the media? Sour grapes. Hon Hai Precision, a competitor to BenQ, allegedly won the phone contract with Apple.
  
  
• Apple's CFO, Peter Oppenheimer, might have let the 'cat out of the bag' on an Apple analyst 2006 Q3 conference call when he said the following: "As regards cell phones, we don't think that the phones that are available today make the best music players. We think the iPod is. But over time, that is likely to change. And [Apple is] not sitting around doing nothing."
  
  
• According to analysts, Apple is rumored to be ready to release an Internet phone product at the January 2007 Macworld conference. "From a technical standpoint, the phone is pretty much done," said American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu. "It's a big endeavor and we believe it's beyond speculation." Apparently the rumored existence of an Apple phone has morphed from a question of "If" to "When."

Here's the official Linksys press release on the iPhone.

digg story | methodshop

Labels: iphone, linksys

On Friday afternoon I heard a rumor that the "iPhone" was coming out on Monday, December 18th. It was an interesting rumor because most people thought that Apple would announce their mobile phone product at the January 2007 Macworld conference.

Well, a new product called the iPhone did indeed come out today but not from the company that everyone thought. Linksys announced the iPhone in this press release, not Apple. So what the hell happened? For almost a year now people have been speculating about the possibility of Apple releasing a communication product called the iPhone. But apparently Linksys, a unit of networking equipment maker Cisco, already owns the "iPhone" trademark. According to BusinessWeek.com, a company called Infogear registered the "iPhone" name in 1996. Cisco then absorbed the "iPhone" trademark when it acquired Infogear in the year 2000. Oops. Score -1 for the bloggers. We really should have picked up on that little tidbit months ago.

Just like the rumored Apple version of the iPhone, the Linksys iPhone a Web-enabled telephone handset is compatible with all major Internet chat services including Skype, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, QQ, and ICQ.

So if Apple really has a mobile phone product in the works, they obviously can't call it the iPhone. What about a variation of a name they already own like iChat Mobile? While the name of this product may still be in question, a trail of clues about an Apple phone product have been popping up all over the Internet for over a year now:

• In June 2005, the source code of an iTunes update contained multiple references to an Autofill phone playlist function.
  
  
• Apple has owned the domain iphone.org since December 1999. It redirects traffic to apple.com.
  
  
• In March 2006, a source at BenQ, a Taiwanese phone manufacturer confirmed that an Apple phone product was in the works. Why would BenQ leak info about an Apple phone to the media? Sour grapes. Hon Hai Precision, a competitor to BenQ, allegedly won the phone contract with Apple.
  
  
• Apple's CFO, Peter Oppenheimer, might have let the 'cat out of the bag' on an Apple analyst 2006 Q3 conference call when he said the following: "As regards cell phones, we don't think that the phones that are available today make the best music players. We think the iPod is. But over time, that is likely to change. And [Apple is] not sitting around doing nothing."
  
  
• According to analysts, Apple is rumored to be ready to release an Internet phone product at the January 2007 Macworld conference. "From a technical standpoint, the phone is pretty much done," said American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu. "It's a big endeavor and we believe it's beyond speculation." Apparently the rumored existence of an Apple phone has morphed from a question of "If" to "When."

Here's the official Linksys press release on the iPhone.

digg story | methodshop

Labels: iphone, tech news

Who is the best-known hip-hop artist in the fictional land of Chub City? Chub C of course. At least that's what it says on the box. Just don't tell Hype. He's the white version of Chub C (a la Eminem). What the hell am I talking about? That's a good question.

Both Chub C (black) and Hype (white) are interactive toy characters called i-Playaz from a company called Jada Toys. i-Playaz connect to any music source including your iPod, CD player, computer or even an old school Sony Walkman. Just plug in an i-Playaz character and play some music. The i-Playaz characters will then dance to the beat and even play your music through a built-in speaker in their heads. There's also an audio output if you want to connect better speakers to your i-Playaz character.

When I first got Hype in the mail, I was already on my way out and brought the box along with me to a bar down the street. I figured I'd just test him out for this review when I got home. But while I was waiting for some friends to show up, the people at the bar kept asking me what was in the box. I was curious to see what my i-Playaz could do anyway so I took Hype out of his box and set him up on the bar. With his sideways hat and flashy bling, it's no wonder that everyone at the bar started calling him K-Fed, after Britney Spears wannabe hip-hop ex-husband. If you know someone who is trying to pull off the K-Fed white hip-hop thing, Hype will bring you and your friends hours of entertainment.

Full Review: i-Playaz Interactive Hip-Hop Toy

---

Labels: speakers

Who is the best-known hip-hop artist in the fictional land of Chub City? Chub C of course. At least that's what it says on the box. Just don't tell Hype. He's the white version of Chub C (a la Eminem). What the hell am I talking about? That's a good question.

Both Chub C (black) and Hype (white) are interactive toy characters called i-Playaz from a company called Jada Toys. i-Playaz connect to any music source including your iPod, CD player, computer or even an old school Sony Walkman. Just plug in an i-Playaz character and play some music. The i-Playaz characters will then dance to the beat and even play your music through a built-in speaker in their heads. There's also an audio output if you want to connect better speakers to your i-Playaz character.

When I first got Hype in the mail, I was already on my way out and brought the box along with me to a bar down the street. I figured I'd just test him out for this review when I got home. But while I was waiting for some friends to show up, the people at the bar kept asking me what was in the box. I was curious to see what my i-Playaz could do anyway so I took Hype out of his box and set him up on the bar. With his sideways hat and flashy bling, it's no wonder that everyone at the bar started calling him K-Fed, after Britney Spears wannabe hip-hop ex-husband. If you know someone who is trying to pull off the K-Fed white hip-hop thing, Hype will bring you and your friends hours of entertainment.

Full Review: i-Playaz Interactive Hip-Hop Toy

---

Labels: hip-hop, speaker

Want some positive blogger buzz about your product or service? Maybe you should just buy it like Bill Gates. To help promote the Zune and get some positive Microsoft buzz, Gates coughed up a dozen round trip plane tickets to Redmond, hotel rooms, and Zunes (of course) for a group of gadget and tech bloggers. He then hung out with the bloggers for an hour and answered one question from each of them. Once you factor in the total cost of this stunt, I wonder how much Gates paid per letter for a handful of blog posts?

So what did Microsoft get in return for all of this? Were the bloggers wooed by Bill's big wallet? Yep.

• Check out the tech-news search engine Techmeme.com. Today their homepage was practically a mural to anything related to Bill Gates, the Zune or Microsoft in general.
  
  
• While most reviewers are panning the Zune, blogs like TechCrunch [see post], Micro Persuasion [see post], and GigaOm [see post], are restricting their Zune coverage to DRM issues or posting "feel good" pieces about Microsoft.
  

Honestly, my criticalness against these other blogs is probably part jealously. Why wasn't MethodShop.com invited out to Redmond? Oh well, I'm an iPod guy anyway and we're too small of a blog to make much of a dent for M$. But I do give some of these bloggers credit. Most of them (not Ryan) were upfront and disclosed that Gates gave them free Zunes and paid for their flights out to Microsoft headquarters.

But on the other hand, should corporate blogs like Micro Persuasion and GigaOm, who have venture-capital financing and/or big name PR firms, really be accepting free stuff and sacrificing their objectivity?

How cheap are your personal ethics?

digg story | methodshop

Labels: bill gates, microsoft, zune

Want some positive blogger buzz about your product or service? Maybe you should just buy it like Bill Gates. To help promote the Zune and get some positive Microsoft buzz, Gates coughed up a dozen round trip plane tickets to Redmond, hotel rooms, and Zunes (of course) for a group of gadget and tech bloggers. He then hung out with the bloggers for an hour and answered one question from each of them. Once you factor in the total cost of this stunt, I wonder how much Gates paid per letter for a handful of blog posts?

So what did Microsoft get in return for all of this? Were the bloggers wooed by Bill's big wallet? Yep.

• Check out the tech-news search engine Techmeme.com. Today their homepage was practically a mural to anything related to Bill Gates, the Zune or Microsoft in general.
  
  
• While most reviewers are panning the Zune, blogs like TechCrunch [see post], Micro Persuasion [see post], and GigaOm [see post], are restricting their Zune coverage to DRM issues or posting "feel good" pieces about Microsoft.
  

Honestly, my criticalness against these other blogs is probably part jealously. Why wasn't MethodShop.com invited out to Redmond? Oh well, I'm an iPod guy anyway and we're too small of a blog to make much of a dent for M$. But I do give some of these bloggers credit. Most of them (not Ryan) were upfront and disclosed that Gates gave them free Zunes and paid for their flights out to Microsoft headquarters.

But on the other hand, should corporate blogs like Micro Persuasion and GigaOm, who have venture-capital financing and/or big name PR firms, really be accepting free stuff and sacrificing their objectivity?

How cheap are your personal ethics?

digg story | methodshop

Labels: ipod, zune

Let's face it, the traditional "office toy" needed an upgrade. Gone are the days of stress toys and metal balls on strings. The new rage is to add USB to anything and plug it into your computer.

What office would be complete without a USB fish tank? The USB Mini Desktop Aquarium is the home to some very low maintenance tropical fish. These fish won't starve or make a mess. They just drift around in the tank thanks to a small motor that generates a current. The aquarium is equipped with a high-intensity blue LED that illuminates the tank in dark environment. Both motor and LED can be independently switched off.

The LED and the water-current motor can be powered by USB connection or batteries. The package comes complete with the tank, two fish, and USB cable. Operation is simple! Just add water to the tank, connect the cable to your computer, and enjoy the aquarium.

• Can also be powered by 4 AA batteries (not included) for non USB operation
• Both the motor and the light can be switched on and off independently
• Each fish has a hinged tail for a more life-like appearance
• Includes: tank, two fish & a USB cable
• Unit Dimensions - 3.75" (w) x 3.5" (h) x 2.5" (d)

What makes this gadget stand out is the little details. The tails of the fish constantly move, making them look alive. The blue light of the tank is soothing and adds to the realism. Even better, the aquarium doesn't have to be cleaned and the fish don't have to be fed. Plus the USB Mini Desktop Aquarium lists for under $10. Not a bad upgrade for your boring desk.

digg it | methodshop

Labels: usb

Want a good laugh? This video clip from a local cable show has a rare demonstration of Apple's 1984 Lisa computer as well as some sexy 1980s hair styles. In the video, some guy named Alfred takes the $10,000 Lisa computer for a test drive. Yep the Lisa sold for $10,000. Pretty expensive for a clunky word processor. In case you are wondering, the Lisa would cost about $19,500 in 2006 dollars. Another funny thing about the video is the TV host. For some reason she talks like a robot. She's also wearing a pair of over-sized 1980s eye glasses that probably have more glass than an automobile windshield.

Warning: There is a very long 5 minute introduction before the Lisa demo clip. Alfred, the guy giving the demonstration in the video, is now a YouTube director and loves to suck up to his subscribers. He also apologizes for his 1984 haircut, suit and a recent nose surgery. But once the actual demonstration clip starts to play, you will probably enjoy it.

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digg story | methodshop

Labels: apple, lisa

Most of us simply accept that when we go on vacation, the TV programming we watch in our living room is inaccessible. Most of us understand that when we're not at home, we can't watch the premium channels we pay for. Apparently, most of us are lacking in imagination.

It's not a new concept, but Sling Media has packaged it up real nice, simplified it and given it a name: "Placeshifting" technology grabs your television signal and sends it anywhere in the world. Find out how the Slingbox lets you "take your TV with you."

Slingbox is a set-top box that connects to your TV (or any other video-output device) and streams the signal to another machine in real-time -- there's no recording involved. This machine might be your computer in your home, in which case Slingbox streams the signal via your home network. It might be your Web-connected laptop or cell phone located anywhere in the world, in which case Slingbox streams the data via the Web. You can control the video that appears on your screen just like you were watching from home.

Slingbox works in conjunction with the SlingPlayer software you install on your computer. Together, they "sling" NTSC video data to another location. It works with regular TV, satellite TV, cable TV, a DVD player, DVR or camcorder. If it's NTSC (the video broadcast standard in the United States), you can sling it. Sling Media will release a PAL/SECAM-standard Slingbox in 2006 (PAL and SECAM are the dominant standards outside the United States). See How Video Formatting Works to learn about NTSC, PAL and SECAM formats.

The coolest part of the Slingbox setup is that you can fully control the video source from your computer. The SlingPlayer has thousands of remote-control codes built in, and you can chose a virtual remote that looks just like the remote sitting on your coffee table.

Sitting in your office or in a WiFi coffee shop on the other side of the world, you can change the channel on your TV, fast forward through programs on your TiVo and adjust the contrast of your TV picture. There are no subscription fees, just a one-time purchase price for the hardware and software. You can install the SlingPlayer software on as many devices as you want, but only one device can access the Slingbox at a time.

To sling your TV programming, you need the following equipment in addition to the Slingbox:

• A video source
• A computer running Windows 2000/XP/MCE (no Mac or Linux support yet) or a Web-enabled cell phone running Windows Mobile Platform 4.0 or 5.0
• A broadband router
• A high-speed Internet connection (for watching your TV away from home)

For those who just can't get enough TV, this is basically one of the coolest gadgets in the world.

read more | digg story | treblemaker.com

Want a good laugh? This video clip from a local cable show has a rare demonstration of Apple's 1984 Lisa computer as well as some sexy 1980s hair styles. In the video, some guy named Alfred takes the $10,000 Lisa computer for a test drive. Yep the Lisa sold for $10,000. Pretty expensive for a clunky word processor. In case you are wondering, the Lisa would cost about $19,500 in 2006 dollars. Another funny thing about the video is the TV host. For some reason she talks like a robot. She's also wearing a pair of over-sized 1980s eye glasses that probably have more glass than an automobile windshield.

Warning: There is a very long 5 minute introduction before the Lisa demo clip. Alfred, the guy giving the demonstration in the video, is now a YouTube director and loves to suck up to his subscribers. He also apologizes for his 1984 haircut, suit and a recent nose surgery. But once the actual demonstration clip starts to play, you will probably enjoy it.

If you pay close attention, you will see the cursor switch to the hour glass quite a lot. Every time Alfred opens a window or document, he has to wait several moments for the Lisa to catch up. Good thing he's such a good talker and can fill the time blabbing with the robotic female host. You can see the video here.



Highlights of the Lisa demo include such state-of-the-art innovations as the floppy disk, digital clock, calculator, graphical user interface, icons, pull down menus, and a rodent input device called 'a mouse'.

If you want to copy this video off of YouTube and save it on your hard drive, then check out this tutorial: Copy Videos Off YouTube. Enjoy!

You can also read this article on USA Today.com

digg story | methodshop

Labels: apple, video

Know someone who needs to spend a little more time outside and away from their computer? Maybe a techie gift for the outdoors might do the trick. The Arbordale Solar Birdfeeder is just your average run-of-the-mill birdfeeder by day. But at night, this birdfeeder provides a soft, warm amber glow to its surroundings.



Thanks to several solar panels that capture energy during daylight hours, three amber LED lights illuminate your outdoor space while not adding a single cent to your power bill.

Constructed of durable aluminum with clear glass panels, the feeder holds a generous 3-1/2 pounds of seed. A removable top ensures easy filling and the Arbordale Solar Birdfeeder hangs easily on the nearest tree branch or shepherd's hook from a steel chain.

This birdfeeder is a fun way to add a touch of tech to your outdoor space and give the birds something to ponder during their next free meal.

digg story | methodshop

Labels: solar

Know someone who needs to spend a little more time outside and away from their computer? Maybe a techie gift for the outdoors might do the trick. The Arbordale Solar Birdfeeder is just your average run-of-the-mill birdfeeder by day. But at night, this birdfeeder provides a soft, warm amber glow to its surroundings.



Thanks to several solar panels that capture energy during daylight hours, three amber LED lights illuminate your outdoor space while not adding a single cent to your power bill.

Constructed of durable aluminum with clear glass panels, the feeder holds a generous 3-1/2 pounds of seed. A removable top ensures easy filling and the Arbordale Solar Birdfeeder hangs easily on the nearest tree branch or shepherd's hook from a steel chain.

This birdfeeder is a fun way to add a touch of tech to your outdoor space and give the birds something to ponder during their next free meal.

digg story | methodshop

Labels: birdfeeder, outdoor, solar powered

BeoLab 4 is their name and, of course, it's gotta be a 'Bang & Olufsen'.

These pyramid-shaped loudspeakers have built-in amplifiers and support wireless audio delivery. The speakers retail for about $1200.



read more | digg story

It may not be the wisest of moves buying other people spy equipment but hey if you’re married to 007 and are stuck for a gift then check these out:

GPS Tracker

We wrote about this exceptionally cool GPS tracker earlier in the year and it became our first ever Digg front page (which meant lots of traffic and new readers (thank you Digg)).

Once the tracker has done it’s travels and it’s back in your possession you simply connect it to you PC and download the data. This data can then be plotted on Google Earth, Mapquest, maps.google.com and Virtual Earth to show exactly where it’s been, how long it took and how it got there.

I just think this is so cool (may of said cool a record number of times in this post) it obviously has the spy functionality of tracking somebody else but to me it is even more useful for tracking your own holidays and backpacking adventures. So not only can you bore visitors with your holiday snaps you can also show them exactly where you went.

Available from from TG for $249.99.

For a larger selection of ideas go to Spy Gadget Gifts.

Looking for a creative way to wind up and manage your headphone cables? The Tetran is a cable wrap for iPods and other portable media players that allows users to wind an earphone cable around Tetran's body and use her mouth as an earbud holder. Spikes prevent Tetran from rolling away, and a removable ball-bearing style chain is included for attaching Tetran to a belt loop, cell phone strap, or key ring.

According to Tunewear, the product's manufacturer, Tetran's 23 rubber spikes can also massage neck, hands, and feet. Really? Sounds like fun but I think I might pass on that idea. Call me crazy, but I don't really want people massaging their feet with the thing that's used for holding my earphones.

The Tetran Headphone Cable Winder is a cute and colorful way to manage your earbud cables and accent your lifestyle. It's available for $9 from Amazon.com. If the Tetran is a little too cute for you, there's always the cheaper and simpler SmartWrap ($5). The SmartWrap works just like the Tetran, just without the cute spikes. Snap your earphone cord through the top fastener and wrap the length of your cord around the midsection, until you have the desired length.

digg story | methodshop

Is a weak arm or physical stamina keeping you from taking your Nintendo Wii gaming experience to the next level? Perhaps you should look into getting the Nintendo Wii Nunchuk Controller. This accessory adds even more innovation to the next generation of gaming and does it all with less physical movement.

Contoured to perfectly fit a players hand, the Nunchuck controller builds on the simplicity of the Nintendo Wii Remote controller. The Nunchuck contains the same motion-sensing technology enabled in the Wii Remote but also includes an analog stick to help assist in character movement. This analog stick can be a godsend if you feel like physical motion is keeping you from your optimum gaming performance (see video called Crazy Girl on Wii).



Many games will allow you to control your character's movement with the Nunchuck in your left hand, while your right hand is free to execute the action movements with the Wii Remote. For example, the Nunchuck comes in extremely handy for games like Wii Boxing. You can use the Nunchuck to hit with your off or weaker hand, while you use the Wii remote to punch and jab with your primary hand. Hardcore gamers may even want to use two Nunchuck controllers to gain a competitive edge.



Rather use the Nunchuck in your right hand? No problem. Because the Wii Remote and Nunchuck controllers are only relatively dependent on each other, players are free to hold them in whichever hand is most comfortable. The ambidextrous nature of the Wii controllers grants accessibility seldom seen in previous game controllers.

Also, the Nunchuck controller doesn't need its own power - it plugs into the Wii Remote controller when it's in use. So there's no worry about charging up or expensive batteries.

Adding a Nunchuck to your Nintendo Wii system will definitely help you open the doors to the next level of gaming. Just be careful you don't accidentally smack your wife or punch your dog while using your Wii controllers like these guys.

digg story | methodshop

Is a weak arm or physical stamina keeping you from taking your Nintendo Wii gaming experience to the next level? Perhaps you should look into getting the Nintendo Wii Nunchuck Controller. This accessory adds even more innovation to the next generation of gaming and does it all with less physical movement.

Contoured to perfectly fit a players hand, the Nunchuck controller builds on the simplicity of the Nintendo Wii Remote controller. The Nunchuck contains the same motion-sensing technology enabled in the Wii Remote but also includes an analog stick to help assist in character movement. This analog stick can be a godsend if you feel like physical motion is keeping you from your optimum gaming performance (see video called Crazy Girl on Wii).



Many games will allow you to control your character's movement with the Nunchuck in your left hand, while your right hand is free to execute the action movements with the Wii Remote. For example, the Nunchuck comes in extremely handy for games like Wii Boxing. You can use the Nunchuck to hit with your off or weaker hand, while you use the Wii remote to punch and jab with your primary hand. Hardcore gamers may even want to use two Nunchuck controllers to gain a competitive edge.



Rather use the Nunchuck in your right hand? No problem. Because the Wii Remote and Nunchuck controllers are only relatively dependent on each other, players are free to hold them in whichever hand is most comfortable. The ambidextrous nature of the Wii controllers grants accessibility seldom seen in previous game controllers.

Also, the Nunchuck controller doesn't need its own power - it plugs into the Wii Remote controller when it's in use. So there's no worry about charging up or expensive batteries.

Adding a Nunchuck to your Nintendo Wii system will definitely help you open the doors to the next level of gaming. Just be careful you don't accidentally smack your wife or punch your dog while using your Wii controllers like these guys.

Review: Nintendo Wii Nunchuck Controller


methodshop

Labels: nintendo, review, wii

Looking for a creative way to wind up and manage your headphone cables? The Tetran is a cable wrap for iPods and other portable media players that allows users to wind an earphone cable around Tetran's body and use her mouth as an earbud holder. Spikes prevent Tetran from rolling away, and a removable ball-bearing style chain is included for attaching Tetran to a belt loop, cell phone strap, or key ring.

According to Tunewear, the product's manufacturer, Tetran's 23 rubber spikes can also massage neck, hands, and feet. Really? Sounds like fun but I think I might pass on that idea. Call me crazy but I don't really want people massaging their feet with the thing that's used for holding my earphones.

The Tetran Headphone Cable Winder is a cute and colorful way to manage your earbud cables and accent your lifestyle. It's available for $9 from Amazon.com. If the Tetran is a little too cute for you, there's always the cheaper and simpler SmartWrap ($5). The SmartWrap works just like the Tetran, just without the cute spikes. Snap your earphone cord through the top fastener and wrap the length of your cord around the midsection, until you have the desired length.

digg story | methodshop

Still wondering if all the iPhone rumors are true? There has been a trail of clues about the iPhone's existence all over the Internet for over a year now. But many people still remain skeptical. Perhaps the discovery of the iPhone patent application and a recent quote from Kevin Rose will make the skeptics iPhone believers.

First things first... the iPhone patent pictures. If you go to this page on the US Patent & Trademark Office website, you will find a patent filed by Apple Computer for a "portable computing device capable of wireless communications." The mystery device is also defined as a "cell phone" and "media player." Apple filed for the patent on August 7th of this year.

Although the patent page doesn't include any photos of the "iPhone," I was able to find several credible looking patent pictures on MYiPhone.com.

Now let's talk about Kevin Rose. Apparently Mr. Rose, the mastermind behind the mega-popular website Digg.com, has his own "deep throat" informer at Apple HQ. This is what Rose had to say after a couple beers in his Diggnation video podcast.

"I don't know if I should talk about this or not... I have a little bit of inside information on the Apple phone."

Despite his initial reluctance, he did go on to talk about the iPhone. According to Rose, the iPhone will come in 4GB and 8GB versions and will feature a touch screen and a slide-out keyboard. This seems to support the credibility of the patent images from MYiPhone.com. Rose also said the iPhone will be 'carrier independent' and support both GSM and CDMA phone standards. This means just about anyone can use an iPhone. To quote Borat, "Very nice.."

As you can probably tell, Rose was very forthcoming with iPhone details. But in my opinion, the coolest thing Rose said in his video podcast was about the iPhone battery. According to Rose, the iPhone will have two batteries - one for the MP3 player and one for the phone. Personally I've left my iPod on before and killed the battery. I absolutely wouldn't want that to happen to my cell phone. The two battery system should prevent such an occurrence. Excellent idea and kudos to Apple for such a smart and useful feature.

The phone is to (supposedly) be released in January.


digg story | methodshop

Still wondering if all the iPhone rumors are true? There has been a trail of clues about the iPhone's existence all over the Internet for over a year now. But many people still remain skeptical. Perhaps the discovery of the iPhone patent application and a recent quote from Kevin Rose will make the skeptics iPhone believers.

First things first... the iPhone patent pictures. If you go to this page on the US Patent & Trademark Office website, you will find a patent filed by Apple Computer for a "portable computing device capable of wireless communications." The mystery device is also defined as a "cell phone" and "media player." Apple filed for the patent on August 7th of this year.

Although the patent page doesn't include any photos of the "iPhone," I was able to find several credible looking patent pictures on MYiPhone.com.

Now let's talk about Kevin Rose. Apparently Mr. Rose, the mastermind behind the mega-popular website Digg.com, has his own "deep throat" informer at Apple HQ. This is what Rose had to say after a couple beers in his Diggnation video podcast.

"I don't know if I should talk about this or not... I have a little bit of inside information on the Apple phone."

Despite his initial reluctance, he did go on to talk about the iPhone. According to Rose, the iPhone will come in 4GB and 8GB versions and will feature a touch screen and a slide-out keyboard. This seems to support the credibility of the patent images from MYiPhone.com. Rose also said the iPhone will be 'carrier independent' and support both GSM and CDMA phone standards. This means just about anyone can use an iPhone. To quote Borat, "Very nice.."

As you can probably tell, Rose was very forthcoming with iPhone details. But in my opinion, the coolest thing Rose said in his video podcast was about the iPhone battery. According to Rose, the iPhone will have two batteries - one for the MP3 player and one for the phone. Personally I've left my iPod on before and killed the battery. I absolutely wouldn't want that to happen to my cell phone. The two battery system should prevent such an occurrence. Excellent idea and kudos to Apple for such a smart and useful feature.

The phone is to (supposedly) be released in January.


digg story | methodshop

In a world of boring shelf speakers that are as fascinating as the wires that connect them, the JBL Encounter draws people towards it with its innovative tongue-in-cheek design and then lavishes them with deep warm sound. JBL proves once again that they know how to box up a brilliant set of speakers. They appear as though they were intended to be fine decor while at the same time hold nothing back when it comes to pure crisp sound. Where most speakers seem to be designed to be hidden, the Encounter defies you to ignore them.

Space Monkeys, prepare for blast off. We took JBL Encounter into orbit and although we didn't reach Warp 11, the volume at least went that high.

Here's our full JBL Encounter 2.1 speaker review.


digg it | methodshop