A new webcam system from Hovercam.

Hovercam’s Neo3 is a very unique webcam system. It not only lets you shoot close-ups of documents and objects, but it includes a second video camera.  This two camera system lets you do web or projector presentations showing your charts, visuals, etc. – while showing your face in any corner of the screen. I’m going to use the mainNeo3 camera to do close-ups of gadgets I talk about, while using the second video camera to show my studio guests. A nice thing about the Neo3 is it’s small footprint. It was easy to set up. Just plug in theHoverCam Neo3 document camera and connect the USB cable to the computer. You can also use the VGA cable to connect to a projector. Then you’re ready to show your presentation. If you’re using a projector, you don’t even need the PC. You can use the built in annotation tools to draw or write notes on your presentation as you talk. The Neo 3's fully adjustable second camera displays the presenter and materials at the same time. And the price is right! $299. There's a models under $220 if you don’t need the second camera setup.

http://www.thehovercam.com/products/neo3

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/giz1388

Good to have in an emergency!

The Wagan Power Dome NX is an all-in-one Emergency Power Source. Weighing about 18 pounds, it's portable and ideal to carry in the trunk of your car, or in the garage at home. This rechargeable power unit has 400 Amps of cranking power to help jump-start your car when the battery is low. The heavy duty negative and postive cables (red and black) and clamps are stored in the ends of the unit. If you need air in your tires, or an inflatable beach toy, there's a 260 PSI air compressor and a tire pressure gauge. If the power goes out you can use the 2 AC outlets to plug in lights, a small TV, electric drill, etc. up to 200 watts. (The company says up to 180 watts is better.) If you have a 12 volt device there's also a DC outlet. If you need to charge your cell phones there's also a USB charging port. But wait, there's more! There's a bright LED work light, that also has a blinking function. A red lens turns it into an emergency blinker. Then there's an AM/FM radio and an audio input jack so you can play your own tunes from your phone or MP3 player through the Power Dome NX stereo speakers. This is a great portable unit for use during emergencies or any time you need power away from an AC outlet. The internal battery can be recharged via by DC or AC with the included cables. Retails for under $100 on Amazon. For about $25 to $35 more you can get the Power Dome EX at Amazon. It offers 600 cranking amps vs. 400 for the NX, you get 400 watts of invertor power vs. 200 for NX and you just give up stereo speakers, for a mono speaker. It weighs two pounds more. The photo is the NX.

If you’re traveling anywhere with your dog in a car, camper or RV, you have to watch the temperature carefully if they leave them inside your vehicle. The inventor of the AnimAlarm, Victoria Davidson (from the UK), told me that temperatures in cars shoot up really fast in the sunlight – faster than most dog owners realize.(See the fact below.) AnimAlarm will alert you via text message to high and low temperatures that could drastically affect the well-being (and even the life) of your dog. AnimAlarm works on the mobile phone network, so you have to be sure both theAnimAlarm and your mobile phone have a signal to receive text alerts. If they are, there’s no limit on where you can be in order to receive an alert. But keep in mind, you’ll need someone close by to attend to an emergency with your pet in temperature extremes.AnimAlarm works on the GSM network. (Not 3G.) So you will need a SIM card, either pre-paid, or a contract one. I got to play with a unit, and it’s pretty easy to setup. When it sends you the temperature where the main unit is located, it also sends the amount of battery charge. That way you’ll know when it time to recharge. Right nowAnimAlarm is only available via the web. It retails for $179.00 and you provide your own sim card. You can order one through the company too. And you “meet” Victoria Davidson via my YouTube video, where I talked to her at the NY Pet Expo.  Company website:

www.animalarm.co.uk 

My chat with Victoria: http://youtu.be/_p-aWqH6Zic

Facts About Dogs and Hot & Cold Cars from AnimAlarm. 

Most people do not realize how hot it can get in a parked car. Research shows that the traditional remedies of leaving windows partially open or cranking up the air-conditioning before parking have very little effect on the interior temperature profile of the vehicle once stationary. With an external temperature of 25°C (77°F), the internal temperature of a car parked in the shade can exceed a fatal 33°C (91°F) and hit a horrendous 60°C (140°F) if left in full sunlight in a very short space of time. These temperature changes happen very quickly - typically 50% of the temperature increase occurs in the first twenty minutes after parking. So this can mean when it is a temperate 18°C (64°F) outside, in your car it can reach 34°C (93°F) in 20 minutes and a staggering 50°C (122°F) in a matter of an hour.

I did a Giz Wiz show with this product too. See or hear it: www.twit.tv/giz1387  

ThinkGeek introduces Mega Stomp Panic.

ThinkGeek calls their new Mega Stomp Panic an audio reality costume. And what exactly is an audio reality costume? Here’s how Think Geek explains it. “Traditional costumes are a disguise based upon VISUAL appearance. In a traditional costume you take the way you look regularly and cover it up with clothing, masks and makeup. The Mega Stomp Panic creates a costume using SOUND only. The sounds from the Mega Stomp are synchronized to your steps and stomps, giving the illusion that you are generating them yourself.” Now there’s an excellent chance people won’t really think you’re generating the sounds yourself, but using some clever electronic device. And that’s what Mega Stomp Panic is. Here’s how it works. Clip the control box/amp/speaker to a side pocket. Clip the mini control to your belt buckle area. Then walk. I found the sounds work better, and you look better, when you take exaggerated steps. With every step or stomp, the mega stomp senses your movement and plays the sound effect you've choosen to complete the audio illusion. You can sound like a robot, a zombie, a monster, or even a person walking and splashing in the rain. What makes the Mega Stomp Panic do that? A solid-state accelerometer senses the vertical movement of your body every time you take a step. If your body moves more, it assumes you have stomped and generates the sound you selected. There are nine sound banks effects including: Hydraulic Robot (robot walking, crushing things), Rainstorm (walking in puddles, splashing in puddles), Zombie Attack (squishy walk, dragging a dead limb, zombie attack RAWR!), Gigantic Monster (city-squishing monster walk, crushing buildings),   Gunslinger (walking with boots & spurs, shotgun pump & fire), Medieval Knight (walking in plate armor, swords clanging), Pegleg Pirate (every other foot is your peg leg!, pistol firing, swords clanging), 8-Bit Gaming Hero (video game walk, coin collecting, pew pew!), Steampunk Giant Robot (hydraulic robot walking, steam, crushing things). You can cover the Mega Stomp Panic electronics with a costume, but I like the look of high-tech dark blue LED lights on both units a lot. Think Geek warns that if you want one for Halloween, order right away. The first shipment is just arriving at the warehouse and they’ll be in short supply at first. $39.99.

 http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/ef56/#tabs

From the folks who designed the original iPod, the Nest Learning Thermostat.

1st Nest Learning Thermostat upper right, Gen 2.0 lower leftLess than a year after the launch of the Nest Learning Thermostat, the company announced the next-generation model. The new version is 20 percent slimmer and is now compatible with 95 percent of low-voltage residential heating and cooling systems. It uses version 3.0 of its software, but don’t worry if you have one of the earlier units. It works for new and existing customers and offers more industry-first features that help to even better balance comfort and energy conservation. The second-generation Nest Learning Thermostat is 20 percent thinner and has a new all-stainless steel ring that mirrors your wall color or pattern to blend into any décor. Now compatible with 95 percent of low-voltage heating and cooling systems, the second-generation Nest thermostat extends support to two-stage cooling, three-stage heating, and emergency heat for heat pumps, as well as whole-home humidifiers and dehumidifiers. One new feature is Enhanced Auto-Away which can turn down heat or air conditioning as soon as 30 minutes after you’ve left the house. (Motion Sensors in the unit can figure out when you leave.) The company found that more than 90 percent of connected Nest owners use the remote control feature, so in addition to support on computer web browsers, apps for iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones, Nest now supports Android tablets, including Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire. The second-generation Nest Learning Thermostat is available for pre-order. It will ship to U.S. and Canadian customers beginning in mid-October. In the U.S., it will also be available later this month (October 2012) at Amazon, Apple’s online store, and Lowe’s stores. Nest Software 3.0 is already being rolled out automatically to existing customers. The original Nest Learning Thermostat now has an MSRP of $229.00 (U.S.) and is available at Lowe’s while supplies last. The new second generation Nest model is only $20 more, with a MSRP of $249.

www.nest.com