Share your tunes with up to 3 others, using 3 headsets.

The Boostaroo may be just what you need. I thought this device was long dead. It’s been in the warehouse for about 15 years. But it turns out the company is still in business, and still making the Boostaroo. It has been improved a bit, and it looks a little different with a see-through (translucent) plastic housing. Something that was missing from the original that’s incorporated now is a simple LED to let you know the unit is on. On the original model, if you forgot to shut it off, you would soon find the batteries – 2 double AA’s -- dead. The Boostaroo is a headphone audio amplifier that will double the available volume of your portable audio player. (With no more than 1% harmonic distortion according to the company.) Plus, it separates the signal into individual stereo channels to drive 3 separate headphone sets or portable speakers. The audio splitter lets up the 3 listeners share one stereo audio source. But don’t try to run in different directions because you all have to remain within the cable length of the headphones connected to the Boostaroo. Flexible output compatibility lets you use either (almost) any brand of headphones or mini-speakers. (There’s more about compatibility at the company’s website.) The input is flexible too. You can connect CD players, computers, PDAs, MP3 players, games --- anything that uses a standard 3.5mm audio jack out! Cost is under $30.

www.boostaroo.com

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw960

A camcorder for less than $40. And it shoots good video too.

The SNAPP CAM3000 from Coby Electronics is a pocket-sized digital camcorder shaped very much like the Flip. You can use it to shoot video, take pictures, and play back your files on the built-in color 1.5" LCD screen. There’s a tiny bit of built-in memory, 32MB, but you’ll most likely just be using the built-in SD card slot. It can handle SD/SDHC cards up to 8 GB. That should give you more than 2 hours of recording time. But how does it record? Actually for the money – the results are amazing! You can see for yourself at the link below. When a friend who does PR for Coby said she wanted to try their new under $40 camcorder, I thought: “Under $40, this must be junk!”. Surprise, it shoot very decent video. This is a great camcorder for the kids. You can find it for as low as $29.95 if you do a price search on the web. That way the kids can have their own camera and they’ll leave yours alone. It ships with ArcSoft video editing software and YouTube uploader. I didn’t use the software but uploaded the video to YouTube from putting the SD card from the Coby directly into my computer’s card reader.  A USB cable and hand strap are also included. It runs on 4 AAA batteries which are also included.  Here from Coby are the specs: 1.5" TFT LCD Full Color Display / 1.3MP CMOS sensor(1280 x 960) with LED for low-light situations/ 4x digital zoom – (you can’t an optical zoom at under $40!)/ 32MB built-in memory, SD/SDHC card slot expandable up to 8GB/ 4 X "AAA" batteries (included) with over 4 hours of battery life / ArcSoft Media Impression for video editing and uploading to YouTube / Video resolution: VGA(640 x 480) @ 30fps, AVI fle, codec: Motion JPEG / Connects easily to computer for use as a webcam (driver included and installation required). Here’s a short piece of video I shot with the Coby right out of the box. I'm not using the zoom, but actually moving closer to this great little squirrel!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QhKUFWyubU&feature=channel

And another of my outdoor backyard railroad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic3DtP9YfhU

I haven’t shopped here, but this place sells it for $30.52

http://www.amazon.com/Coby-CAM3000-1-44-Inch-Digital-Camcorder/dp/B002DW96R6

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw938

Kids can now "print" their own toys -- ones they design!

I know, how can  a kid “print” a toy?  Well it’s a new creative activity for kids called Printies. Kids design their pet online, picking out eyes, clothes, colors, and things like that. Then when they’re happy with their design, they print it on the Printies fabric sheet. On the first pass, the front of the toy is printed. Then the sheet is turned over and on the second pass through the printer, the back of the toy is printed. Each pre-sewn sheet is 100% soft cotton but works just like paper in any inkjet printer! The kit includes plain paper for testing the correct printing procedure and an on-screen video takes the kids – or you – through the process. After it’s printed, tear it out, stuff it and seal it shut with a pair of shoes! There’s no sewing, no gluing, no cutting – and best of all for parents, no mess! You do need a color inkjet printer & an Internet connection. The Printies Pet Designer Includes:  Patent Pending Printies Fabric sheets to make four Printies. 4 Pairs of shoes  / Stuffing for 4 Printies and stuffing tool / Sample Paper / Stickers / Exclusive access to the Printies Pet Design Studio online. Each kit (there are 3 varieties) makes 4 Printies! Age 6+. Under $20. There's a demo at the company website:

 www.myprinties.com

 Hear this Netcast www.twit.tv/dgw939

How far has technology come in just 7 years! Check this out!

The press release given out at CES 2002 said it all! Introducing the San Disk Cruzer -  carry data, pictures, music from your computer in the dorm to the computer at home in your pocket! The Cruzer fills a void in the portable storage market that neither floppy disks nor CDs can address. The all-in-one unit plugs directly into the industry-standard USB port that is built into desktop PCs and without any additional components necessary. It's powered right from the USB port! The Cruzer is created for today's active, on-the-go lifestyle. Plugs into any USB port (PC or Macintosh). Push the button one way, a USB port pops out. Need more memory, push the button the other way, a removable card comes out which you can replace with a larger memory. Cruzers initially will be available in four capacities -- 32, 64, 128 and 256MB. Check out these amazing stats from a mere 7 years ago: Consumers can store 35 to 70 songs (depending on compression scheme used) on a 128MB Cruzer - or at least 64 high-resolution images on a 64MB Cruzer. More than 40,000 pages of double-spaced text could be stored on a 32MB Cruzer. As higher capacity cards become available users will be able to upgrade their Cruzers to these higher capacities. True "Plug-and-Play" operation when used with Windows with no cables, external power or drivers required.  Ready to hear the prices back then?? It is expected that the Cruzer will be available early in the second quarter of 2002. The device is expected to sell, depending on capacity, at prices ranging from $59.95 to $199.95. It is expected that the 128MB Cruzer will sell for $99.95. 256MB $199.95!

www.twit.tv/dgw940

The SafetyGate - a way stop tools from dangerous restarts after power is turned back on.

The company, Safe Start Systems, says they’ve put 10 years of research and development in helping provide electrical safety gadgets for the home. The result is the patented SafetyGate. This is a simple, inexpensive safety device that prevents home appliances and tools from dangerous restarts after a power outage, breaker trip or accidental removal from the wall outlet. You know the story. You’re doing a lot of drilling so you lock the drill on “on”. A fuse blows or a circuit breaker shuts off. You go to fix the problem and forget the drill is locked “on”. When the power comes back on, the drill springs into action without supervision. SafeStart Systems says that there is no other safety product like theirs in the consumer marketplace today. Evidentially thousands of kids are injured each year when appliances restart after power is restored to the place they were plugged in. An important note: Some electronics do not have a "true" or "hard" on-off switch. Even though you may have it in the off position, it still may be using power. If this is the case, your SafetyGate will refuse to reset because it is still seeing a power draw. (You can tell from the pilot LED on the SafetyGate when power has been restored to the line.) Luckily the solution is simple: If your equipment does not have a hard switch, simply use it with a power strip that has an on/off switch. Attach the SafetyGate to the power strip's plug and plug your most electronics into the strip. You now can protect several pieces of equipment with a single SafetyGate. When you experience a power loss and the SafetyGate is lit, simply turn the power strip switch to "off" and then back "on" when you are ready. There are two models. Safety gate for mixers, blenders, toaster ovens, electric knifes, etc.  $18.95 + S&H. And coming soon: SafetyGate for drills, hedge clippers, power saws, etc. $23.99 + S&H.

www.Safestartsystems.com

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw941