The StarCase Lock De-Icer

Friday, August 14^th, 2009, Netcast 895

This is what you want, the new safer version with LED flashlight!The Star Case Lock De-Icer was just what you needed for the cold winter months in the northeast! I needed it when I would go down to the marina on a freezing, windy day! The wind would blow water from the Hudson up onto the side of my (former) houseboat creating a sheet of ice over everything, including the door and the lock. The ice around the door could be chopped, but I still couldn’t get inside the houseboat because the lock cylinder was frozen so you couldn't get the key in. Enter the electronic lock pick. You pushed a button that extended a metal rod. Then it used battery power to heat up. You slowly worked the hot rod into the cylinder to melt the ice and make the lock work again. Lock De-icers are still made, but they’re safer now. On the one I have the heating element could easily be touched with your fingers, which would not be pleasant. The newer versions have a self-retracting safety shield to prevent accidental burns. The one below also has two ultra-bright white LED lights to illuminate keyholes. Mine is no longer made, but the newer version is at the link below. (I have not bought anything from this vendor, however.)

http://www.futurememories.com/fm-ps-ps3845bk.html

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw895

Would you believe that Vinyl is back in style?

Thursday, August 13^th, 2009, Netcast 894

Yes Vinyl as in records! Coming back too are those trusty turntables from the early days. (Vinyl sales have grown 15% year-over-year in 2007 and 89% in 2008. Recently, major record labels have re-mastered and re-released marquee titles with their original artwork and packaging.) One of the biggest name in turntable is back with the recently introduced Stanton T.55 USBturntable. It’s a reliable and user-friendly belt-drive turntable that features a straight tone arm, for superior tracking. Features include a USB and RCA output so you can easily use the deck to transfer the music on your vinyl records onto your PC or MAC to create music files for use with CDs or MP3 players. Also included is the software needed to transfer and edit the music files, so you can remove any pops and clicks that are common when playing vinyls. The T.55 USB comes with the professional Stanton 500.v3 cartridge for ideal sound quality and perfect compatibility. Not just a tool for vinyl transfer, this deck is also a perfect fit for the novice or intermediate level DJ. The Stanton T.55 retails for $199. (There is also the T.92 USB a professional-quality turntable featuring a high-torque direct drive motor for the ultimate in stability. It’s $299.)

http://www.stantonmagnetics.com/v2/prod_t55.asp

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw894  

Do you eat too fast? Here’s a gadget that will show you down!

Wednesday, August 12^th, 2009, Netcast 893

 For years we’ve been told that you if you slow down while eating you won’t eat so much. True or not here’s something that will slow down even the fastest eater and give them a bit of exercise at the same time! The Knife and Fork Lift is a combination of utensils and dumbbells! Yep you read that right! These dumbbell utensils can serve as a constant reminder that eating puts weight on and requires exercise to take it off. Lifting food with these utensils is like doing curls with dumbbells because each one weighs 1.5 lbs! So if you’re cutting a piece of steak you’re working with 3 pounds of stainless steel. Knife and Fork Lift’s inventor, Tom Madden says. “Everybody approaches it as a joke, but when you think about it, it does require you to eat more slowly.” Eating more slowly, say health experts, allows the brain time to register feelings of satiety, resulting in eating less. That’s when Tom came up with a knife and fork encased in a dumbbell-shaped handle. I ate with these things and you definitely feel you’re lifting some weight! They’re beautifully made and can be used a table centerpiece if you don’t want to actually use them. They can stand on end as a silent reminder to slow down and chew! Heck, there's even a medical warning about using them to exercise on the company website! $19.95, plus $6.95 shipping and handling.

 www.knifeandforklift.com

 Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw893  

It's the first ever Daily Giz Wiz Meet-up! Right in San Francisco.

On Tuesday, August 11th, I'll be live at TWiT Cottage to record Daily Giz Wiz episode #900! Then that evening, Leo Laporte, Dane Golden (Yes, that Dane Golden!) and The Giz Wiz will head into San Francisco for our very first meet-up!

PLACE: Jillian's Billiards in the Sony Metreon across from Moscone Convention Center. Accessible by car and Bart. Jillian's has lots of stuff going on!    http://sanfrancisco.jilliansbilliards.com/

TIME: We'll be coming from recording Daily Giz Wiz 900 in Petaluma. Dane said we'll arrive at Jillians between 6:00 & 6:30 PM. That way people coming directly from work won't have to hang around and can go directly to Jillians. Leo will join us a bit later because he has one more Netcast to record after the Daily Giz Wiz. There's no official end time, but if you need one, let's say 9 PM. That's 2.5 to 3 hours of rubbing elbows. It can go longer with no problem as far as Jillians is concerned.

Jillians / 101 4th Street / San Francisco /  415.369.6100  415.369.6100 Phone

This will be fun!  Dick De
I was here. And will there!

Please pass this info on to your friends. Or strangers, if you have no friends. But you will have friends after this meet-up! Follow me so you get new details as we quickly as possible: www.twitter.com/thegizwiz.

Eric Shank, inventor of those high tech Spy Gear toys from Wild Planet, will be joining us too. Now we need YOU!

Update on August 12, 2009 by The Giz Wiz

It's over, and it was great!

Food, drink, pictures, autographs, chats & not one bar fight. Well, not one big bar fight anyway! Thanks to everyone who dropped by! It was my first meetup & it was so much fun to meet the faces behind the names, and to just chat with fans of the DGW!

On this Turn The Table Tuesday, Leo talks about a product road warriors will want. It’s Verizon MiFi.

Tuesday, August 11^th, 2009, Netcast 892

Photo from our friends at Engadget showing iPhone so you can judge size of MiFi on left.WiFi, yes. But Leo also has MiFi from Verizon. Leo says Sprint offers their own version. MiFi is a tiny, battery powered EVDO modem a little bigger than a credit card and about ¼” thick. Put this device on the  desk in your hotel room and turn it on. It quickly find Verizon’s 3G network and lets you create a mini-Mi-Fi wireless network right there in your room. Browse the web with your laptop, iPod Touch or any other gadget that uses Wi-Fi. Leo loves this gadget a lot. Your friends within about 30 feet can access the Mi-Fi signal too. Battery life is about 5 hours in use, and then you simply recharge it. It's a cellular modem so you won't have the fast speeds you’re used to at home or your office. The card, depending on your plan, rebate, special offers, etc. can cost from about $50 to $100. And, of course, there are monthly access fees. The $40-a-month plan limits you to just 250MB (not for the business user!) But if you go up another $20, $60 will get you 5GB. Since you can share the connection with up to five devices, make sure you're not over generous sharing! If the slower speed doesn’t bother you and you travel a lot, this device can pay for yourself very quickly. Hotels often charge $10 to $13 per day for WiFi and often it's iffy in use. With MiFi you have Internet access anywhere you go. You’re your own “hotspot”! And Verizon is known as one of the better networks for coverage and service.

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw892