Gadgets Blog

For those that are considering giving their young ones a laptop, Disney has gone in with ASUS to create two different Disney themed laptops.  There is basically a male and female version, the Princess Pink you see here and Magic Blue for the boys.  These kid friendly laptops allow for the kids to pick and choose a theme such as Hannah Montana or WALL-E.  Don’t worry, there are features that make this laptop a little more likely to survive being abused by the kids ranging in ages from 6-12.  It has a spill-proof keyboard and ShockShield protection that will save data in a fall.

These ASUS MK90 and MK90H have a total of 40 parental control options, so you can attempt to protect your kids from their never ending curiosity.  These also come with a software bundle that will include Disney brand media-management software (Disney Mix), photo software (Disney Pix) and then other things such as games and widgets.  As far as the machine itself goes, it runs on an Intel Atom N270 processor, with 1GB of DDR2 Ram.  It also includes a VGA port, 3 USB ports and an 8.9-inch LED backlit screen with a 1,024 by 600 resolution.  As well as a multi-card reader, a 0.3 MP webcam and a battery that is said to run for up to 5 hours.  You can pick them up in late July for $349.99.

Source: Newlaunches

If you’ve ever had that creepy feeling that someday robots will be mothering all of the children of the world, well then you really won’t like this new device.  It takes baby monitoring to the extreme and monitors more than just whether or not the baby is crying.  It also makes sure that the only thing you’ll be picking up is the sound of your child, it has a zero interference guarantee.  No only else will be able to pick up on what’s being played through the monitor either, since the connection is actually encrypted.

It’s definitely a gadget to pick up for the overly careful parent.  It monitors the humidity in the room and lets you know when it’s too dry in the room, which could irritate a child’s throat.  It also has a temperature sensor to make sure the baby stays comfortable.  The creepy part is that it has “specially selected lullabies” to help put the baby to sleep.  The only way they could weird me out further is if the lullabies turned on automatically at optimal moments.  The base unit also has a night light.  It features rechargeable batteries that last 24 hours and the device has a range of about 900ft.  You can purchase the device for anywhere from $150 on up to $200, just depending on what retailer you go to.

Source: OhGizmo

I’m surprised that no one has covered this already, but Kingston has some new Flash drives that come in 32GB, 64GB, and a whopping 128GB!

I’m told that the DataTraveler 200 is the very first 128GB flash drive on the market. Of course, I always get suspicious when something says “world’s first” on it. Usually it ends up not being the world’s first of anything, but just the company who could spend the most money on promotion.

One of the things that make these flash drives unique is they don’t have any easy-to-lose caps, but the USB end can retract into the housing itself. They also come with Password Traveler security software for Windows computers, and are Windows ReadyBoost compatible.

The prices might dent your wallet. The 32GB sells for $120, the 64GB sells for $213, and the big ticket item, the 128GB for $546.

So is this the beginning of a new age of flash drives? Who knows? I can honestly say that they are getting to the point that they are tiny portable hard drives. If you head over the Kingston site, you won’t see any information about these particular hard drives, but you will see a lot of info about other types.

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Someone must be in the mood for Atari 2600 nostalgia because I found not one, but two, products that hearken back to the age of extremely low resolution video gaming.

The first is an iPod dock that looks like the base station for the 2600. It has the on/off switch, but it doesn’t have any of the switches in the other areas. Looks like the iPod goes where the cartridge used to go. No real complex tech going on here.

The same applies for the 2600 cartridge wallet. If you look close, you can see the crease in cartridge, and you can open it up for a place to stash your cash and business cards. Why they chose to use E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial game, I have no idea.

For those of you who don’t know the history of this game, Atari spent more money making and promoting this game than their original console. They even had an ad which had E.T. dressed as Santa Claus, but the game was a complete bomb. I’ve heard that there is some landfill in the desert that has the one million E.T. games that just wouldn’t sell. As someone who once borrowed the game, I can tell you that it was rather lame.

Sadly, my sources don’t seem to have prices on these products, but hey, everyone loves the 2600.

Source1 and Source2

Some of you might remember the Knight Rider GPS from Mio, but most drivers aren’t all men of action like David Hasselhoff. Some of us are the average working class guy like Homer Simpson.

Perhaps this is why TomTom invented the voiceskin of Homer Simpson for their GPS. Instead of a robotic, ersatz voice box telling you where to go, why not the most beloved cartoon dad of the last 20 years?

Homer says things like “whoo-hoo, you have reached your destination” and “at the end of the road, turn left, then take the motorway, hee-hee-hee”. I imagine that the studio had Dan Castellaneta in a recording studio for a day to make these vocal recordings. I hope he was sufficiently compensated, because I once heard that the Simpsons cast make about one million per episode.

Let’s hope that Homer’s directions are clear enough not to get you lost, or that kind of defeats the purpose of having a GPS. I’m wondering how long it will take before hearing Homer’s voice becomes annoying. Personally, I would prefer Marge’s voice, as it would be nice and soothing. I would imagine that Bart would deliberately get me lost.

Well, if you want to try this out, it only costs about $13, and is available at the TomTom site.

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It’s that time of year again when us Dad’s should get spoilt rotten. If you’re stuck for what to buy your pa for Fathers Day check out our suitable coolest gift ideas.

If you buy anything from Think Geek, use the code DAD to get FREE shipping.

SoapJet Spray Nozzle - $8.99

SoapJet is the revolutionary new spray nozzle that gives you the power of a car wash in the palm of your hand. The secret to the SoapJet is it’s patented technology that combines soap and water outside the nozzle for total control. Ordinary soaping nozzles and brushes flush soap out by forcing water through the soap reservoir. This leads to either not enough soap or too much soap and it can even flush out all of the soap in a just-filled reservoir in a matter of seconds!

The SoapJet Spray Nozzle is available from Amazon for $8.99.

PIZZA BOSS 3000 Pizza Slicer - $14.99

Real men don’t use wimpy dimestore pizza cutters! Show that pizza you mean business with our new Pizza Boss 3000. Watch it blast thru pepperoni, extra cheese, even those hard-to-cut anchovies.
It’s built from tough engineering-grade plastics and comes equipped with a laser-etched stainless steel blade with a removable shield for easy clean-up. Most importantly, it’s really really cute and perfect for Fathers Day!

The PIZZA BOSS 3000 Pizza Slicer is available from perpetual kid for $14.99.

MagnoGrip - $14.99

The MagnoGrip is a magnetic wristband guaranteed to securely hold nails, screws, drill bits, fasteners and tools. It allows professionals and do-it yourselfers to finish jobs in less time and with less frustration. The magnogrip is built to handle the most rugged of jobs. Its fabric construct consists of durable heavy duty canvas, industrial grade velcro and high-powered magnets that are strong enough to hold a hammer.

The MagnoGrip is available from Think Geek for $14.99.

Bringing the Bacon Wallet - $22.99

The irresistible allure of bacon has crossed over into the fashion world!
This embossed vinyl wallet with printed design is sure to make a bold statement when you take it out to pay for something.
Each 4.24 inches long x 3.75 inches tall faux leather wallet has plenty of pockets for your cold hard cash and credit cards.

The Bringing the Bacon Wallet is available from perpetual kid for $22.99.

The Best Nose Hair Trimmer - $24.95

This nose and ear hair trimmer was selected best by the Hammacher Schlemmer Institute after extensive testing of trimming ability, comfort, design and features, and ease of use. Unlike lesser trimmers that leave behind hair clippings, this one has an integrated vacuum system that collects hair as it cuts, and it has two hypoallergenic blades angled 60° from vertical which improve cutting performance to provide a better, faster trim without plucking or pulling.

The The Best Nose Hair Trimmer is available from Hammacher for $24.95.

Digital Measuring Tape - $24.99

The Digital Measuring Tape features a large easy-to-read display that is capable of memorizing your measurements with the push of a button. It can give measurements in either feet and inches or metric units and will even display fractions of an inch (as small as 1/16th) just like a standard tape measure. There is also a setting for adding the case length for taking inside measurements.

The Digital Measuring Tape is available from TG for $24.99.

Mr. Beer Premium Edition Home Microbrewery System - $39.99

In just 14 days, beginning and advanced brewers alike can enjoy a glass of premium, handcrafted beer with this home-brewing kit. The 2-1/2-gallon brew keg features a pour tap and wide-mouthed lid for easy cleaning by hand. Included with this microbrewery kit are a can of West Coast Pale Ale mix, which produces a mild, full-bodied beer, a single-use packet of booster, which contains all-natural carbohydrates that enhance flavor and boost alcohol content, and brewer’s yeast. The beer-making ingredients are simply mixed with water, left to brew in the keg at room temperature for a week, and then put into the kit’s eight one-liter PET bottles for another week, during which time natural carbonation takes place.

The Mr. Beer Premium Edition Home Microbrewery System is available from Amazon for $39.99.

Men’s Extended Reach Body Hair Groomer - $49.95

This electric body hair trimmer’s hinged handle extends up to 3″ and locks into place at six different angles, allowing you to trim unwanted hair in hard-to-reach areas in the middle of your back. The six handle positions allow you to hold the shaver foils flush against the skin and accommodate the contours of shoulders, legs, and underarms. The hypoallergenic foils gently capture and lift hair before the blades cut it below the surface, resulting in a longer-lasting, smoother shave without the irritation common to straight razors.

The Men’s Extended Reach Body Hair Groomer is available from Hammacher for $49.95.

Stainless Steel Wallet - $89.95

Woven using 25,000 stainless steel threads that are three times thinner than a piece of paper –.001″–this is the only wallet with a hand as smooth as silk and the strength that surpasses leather. Impervious to stretching or staining, and without sharp corners or the inherent bulk of other wallets, the stainless steel is the same metal screen found in the architecture, aerospace, and automotive industries, resulting in a thin profile that allows it to fit into a front pocket.

The Stainless Steel Wallet is available from Hammacher for $89.95.

The Energy Detective - $149.99

Did you know that most households pay thousands of dollars a year for electricity? Yes, thousands! The Energy Detective (TED) can help you save 10-20% on your electric bill - hundreds of dollars - and the more you save, the more you help your neighbors, the community, and protect the environment.

The The Energy Detective is available from Think Geek for $149.99.

A cooler is not usually something to get excited over, they keep things cool, but not much else.  Well this little cooler not only has a side to keep your items cool, but it stretches out to give you a flat surface to prepare food on.  It’d be a great addition to toss in your vehicle when you’re headed out to go camping for the weekend.  Especially since the cooler itself is waterproof, despite that it is a canvas bag.  Then it also allows for room for just general supplies that don’t need to stay cool.

On the cooler side of things it will hold a total of twenty 12oz cans, giving you plenty of space to stash a little beer and go fishing.  It also has a couple smaller pockets on the bag, so you can divide out small items that don’t need to stay cool.  It is a little pricey at $44.96 from Amazon.  However, that extra preparation table would be nice to have handy.  Especially if you’re not fond of preparing food directly on a picnic table.

Source: GadgetGrid

This is just a quick reminder to any UK folk who haven’t yet entered our latest contest to win an excellent 42″ LF7700 LCD TV. The contest closes at 12.00PM GMT.

Full rules here and it should take you less than a minute to enter, good luck.

If you’re a camper looking for a better, more portable way to bring along a BBQ grill to that campout or to the beach without cooking over a live campfire, you may want to try this “Notebook” BBQ grill.

Built like a folding chair, but with a handle like a briefcase, this Notebook grill is made of study metal and comes with a built in grill rack. Grillers simply unfold it, fill it with charcoal or wood, and light her up. And the Notebook grill if far better than those cheap temporary models made out of bakers aluminum which can be tossed away afterwards, but are so fragile they bend out of shape - not to mention meat that sticks to the chicken wire style grill rack.

The Notebook Grill is a real grill that you can use over and over, and yet fold and put away in the back of the pickup truck.

Cost is about $50 US from GadgetShop

Hat Tip - Book of Joe