The Weekly Daily Giz Wiz takes a week off as Leo travels to Norway to photograph the Northern Lights! But in it's place is another eposide of "Not The Weekly Daily Giz Wiz". Link below. Our regular WDGW returns next week.

This was the 2nd epsiode of "Not The Weekly Daily Giz Wiz".

Basically, it's an hour long chat with the folks in the chat room - talking about, and answering questions about MAD Magazine, The Match Game and gadgets. There are some video clips in there too. The first "Not The Weekly Daily Giz Wiz" wasn't recorded, but the second one was --- and it's here: http://youtu.be/RmiZ0MxmC2o

Weekly Daily Giz Wiz – Week of April 16th, 2012, Netcast 1362

World’s First Battery Powered, Remote-Controlled, Cellular Shades. 

That’s what the folks call their new Serena Remote Controlled Shades. Want to lower the shades for the perfect movie-watching environment, or ensure privacy in the bathroom, or turn bedrooms into the ultimate relaxation chamber - all by remote control? Well you can, ---- otherwise that long lead-in would have been a waste of time! Lutron Electronics, known for its lighting controls is launching a new product in its shading category. Yes, shading, not shady. Lutron’s Serena is a low-cost, battery-powered, remote controlled, cellular shade system. Prices start at $299. I saw and played with them at Eco-Fest and asked why they were at a “green” event. I thought they were ordinary paper shades, but then the folks there showed the cellular construction that can help keep out heat in the summer, and hold in heat in the winter. Serena shades are available in three fabric styles, for three different levels of light to filter into a room—Single Cell Light Filtering, Double Cell Light Filtering or Single Cell Blackout. They’re available in more than 50 different colors, to match your shades with any your décor. Another interesting features is something Serena calls Triathlon power technology, which extends the shade’s battery life up to three years. The three-year figure is based on raising and lowering each blind twice every day. And it uses standard alkaline D batteries. The company says Serena blinds can be installed as quickly and easily as hanging a picture, with no damage to the walls. And since the batteries are right in the top of the unit, there’s no power wiring. If I recall correctly, all shades up to 3’ X 5’ custom cut to your exact measurements are $299, plus $15 for the remote. If you order more shades, one remote can control them all. Remotes can be IR or RF controlled. IR remotes (like the one your TV uses) are a low-cost way to provide remote control. Additionally, IR “codes” can be learned into some universal remotes—giving you the ability to control your Serena IR shades from the same remote you use for your TV. Our RF remotes have two benefits over IR. First, the flexibility of the Pico RF remote means you don’t need to point the remote at the shade. You can hold it in your hand, keep it docked on your table in a pedestal, or even mount it to a wall using an optional faceplate adapter and faceplate. Second, RF signals can go through anything that isn’t metal. 

Visit www.serenashades.com for more info or to order.

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1362

This link usually goes live Sunday, the day after we record this show.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK! Some gadgets can take a long time to the reach the market. Here’s a prime example.

As I was walking around Eco-Fest (in honor of Earth Day) I came across the nPower PEG. I knew the name instantly, and you might remember it too. That’s because I reported about it way back in January, 2009. Here’s what the gadget does. Using the energy you generate while walking, running, or biking, the nPower PEG stores it in an internal battery. The company say it’s the only product of its kind, and I would assume they’re right. Here’s how it works: place your nPower PEG vertically in your backpack, briefcase, or purse and go about your daily activities. As you move, your PEG captures and stores your kinetic energy, providing you with extra power where and when you need it. If you want to know exactly how much power you can generate while you’re on the go and off the grid, nPower offers these examples: Output varies by user, activity, and the device being charged. For example:

1 minute of walking = 1 minute of listening on an iPod Nano

11 minutes of walking = 1 minute of talk time during a 2G call on an iPhone

26 minutes of walking = 1 minute of talk time during a 3G call on an iPhone

nPower Peg is 10.5” (27cm) long and 2.125” (5.2cm) wide. It weighs 14oz. Inside is a 2000mAh lithium polymer battery. Ouput range is 5V DC, 500mA and is uses standard USB 2.0. Connectors: iGo cable and interchangeable iGo adapter tips, making the PEG compatible with over 3,000 hand-held devices. You can preorder one now, and Tim, the guy in the video, says it should (hopefully) be available in a month or so. I’d keep in mind it’s been in the works for more than three years. Cost: $169.99

http://www.greennpower.com/

The Giz Wiz Video of the Week: http://youtu.be/kb1CQMJBQy0

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1362

This link usually goes live Sunday, the day after we record this show.

Wouldn’t you like to know about a company whose website is: I Break Plates (dot) com?

Well, I’ll tell you about. At the Green Products Show I saw a youngish lady at one booth, which had broken plates on display. I asked if she fixed broken antique or heirloom plates. She said, “No, I break them even more!”  Huh? Actually, the idea behind the Broken Plate Pendant Company is really clever, and it can save a family from the sorrow of dropping and shattering grandma’s serving dish that’s been in the family for more than 100 years. Instead of trying to glue it back together, which never really works, you sent to the Broken Plate Pendant Company. There is will live life again in as it’s transformed into a renewed form. Artist Juliet Ames told me she breaks each and every cracked or chipped plate with love…and force…crafting them into a collection of inspired and versatile pieces. Did you break your Great Aunt Myrtle’s favorite serving plate? No bother! Send the shards her way and she can craft a number of wearable jewelry for family members. The man’s selection is far less, mostly cuff links, but it’s a way for the whole family to own a piece of family china that was accidentally broken. Most pieces I saw the Green Products Expo ranged in price from $25 to $65. You can check out the various options and get more info at the company website:

www.ibreakplates.com

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1362

This link usually goes live Sunday, the day after we record this show.

And now it's time for Leo's Turn The Table Turkey!

Leo finds another microphone. This 1 is quite unique – it records up to six conversations!

Microcone is a strange looking device and an innovatively way to capture group conversations. Using just a single microphone array device, Microcone can record individuals within six different directions on six separate audio channels, so you won't need to purchase multiple microphones or spend time setting them up for your groups. As well as providing a single, high-quality audio channel of the conversation, when used with multi-channel capable audio software, the Microcone provides a dedicated audio channel for each of the six recording directions. This audio is also complemented with information about when and where voice activity occurs in each region. The ability to produce multiple directional audio streams together with speech activity and location information even offers the ability to independently control levels for each person in a group. To control the microphone, you need Microcone Console, a simple software application included as part of the Microcone device driver installation on Mac OS X and Windows. Whenever you use the Microcone device as the microphone input in an audio application, the Microcone Console app allows you to control and visualise the Microcone audio processing. Leo mentioned the software was $5, but I think he might have been referring to another software app Microcone Recorder for Mac OS X 10.7+. It’s for recording group meetings and there’s no Windows version of that. Price, not cheap, but when you consider it’s six microphones, it’s not that bad. The Microcone is $365.00.

www.dev-audio.com

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1362

This link usually goes live Sunday, the day after we record this show.

Back to Dick's Gadget Warehouse for the 'lastest' RCA VHS player-recorder!

In February 1981 RCA introduced their new home video cassette recorder "convertible" model. “Convertible” as is only about 22 pounds for the recorder and tuner. The object was that you could sit the tuner/timer unit next to the player/recorder so your portable player becomes an in-home VHS recorder/player system. The VFP170 player weighed only 11 pounds, including battery, making it the lightest portable home recorder on the market in its day.  Retail priced at $1,400, the extremely compact VFP170 + TFP 1500 includes 14-day programming capability, electronic tuning, and such special effects as stop action, double speed, variable slow motion, frame advance and full function remote control. (THEY DIDN’T MENTION THE REMOTE WAS HARD WIRED.) The VFP 170 modular system consists of a programmable tuner/timer module (RCA TFP 1500), which is a separate six-hour recorder that can operate as a portable for over an hour using a built-in rechargeable battery. When both units are placed side by side, the VFP170 + TFP 1500 resembles a table model that is smaller than current VCR table models. Oh, did I mention that this VHS portable system does NOT include a video camera. But not to worry; about the same time RCA introduced deluxe color camera, model CC010, featuring for the first time an f 1.8 - 8x1 two speed power zoom lens. Optionally retail priced at $1,050, the CC010 color camera included an electronic viewfinder, fade in/fade out capability, power saver switch, boom microphone and automatic manual iris control.

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1362

This link usually goes live Sunday, the day after we record this show.