The Giz Wiz Show for December 31st, 2013, Netcast 1449. Leo Leaves The Giz Wiz & Chad takes over starting 2014!

The Daily Giz Wiz started with this post on my website:

On Monday, February 20th 2006, The Giz Wiz, Dick DeBartolo, and Leo Laporte, the Chief TWiT (Host of This Week in Technology) started a daily gadget podcast! Look for us on AOL Radio and iTunes! Or should that be "listen" for us. Monday through Thursday we'll talk about one brand new gadget each day, and on Friday's we go to the Giz Wiz Warehouse and talk about a strange gadget of the past!

We still do five gadgets a week, but  now it’s a weekly show. Here’s a look back at the very 1^st gadget we did! 

Scan here, there and everywhere! 

Planon has introduced the DocuPen RC800 color handheld scanner. It embodies all the breakthrough technologies of the previous DocuPen models and adds some neat new ones. The most impressive new feature is full color 24-bit scanning while keeping the device remarkably compact and light. It looks like a small windshield wiper but packs a ton of features. The RC800 can store 100's of pages into memory and it takes just seconds to scan a page. You have a choice of scanning modes: black and white, standard color or high 24-bit color and the resolution from 100 to 400 dpi. Now you can scan your letters, color documents, pictures and bring them into Paperport software (which is included with the Docupen). The DocuPen is different from other pen sized scanners in that it scans a FULL PAGE width. (Remember those first scanners that scanned just a column of newsprint?) This scans the entire page including text and graphics in as little as 4 seconds. Now you can scan anywhere. On an airplane, at the library, the bookstore and so on. Rechargeable batteries power the DocuPen RC800, and for the first time ever this new model takes TransFlash memory cards for unlimited memory! Under $300. Other models down to about $100. 

12/31/13 UPDATE: Planon is still producing compact scanners. The even produce a wallet-size scanner good for scanning business cards. There are models newer than the RC800, but that model is still available. Strangely, it now costs more than $300 on Ebay and Amazon. But never models are under $300. 

http://www.planon.com/ 

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1449. 

Hear the very first Giz Wiz show – I think it was less than ten minutes long!  www.twit.tv/giz1

My 3 biggest "as seen on TV" losers of 2013.

After I did a few videos of "as seen on TV" products, people started emailing asking me to buy and try more TV wonders. Fortunately these days you can see the ads on TV, but often buy them locally at stores like Staples or Bed, Bath & Beyond. You don’t have to send them and pay double shipping for two of something you not want one of!

Here are three “as seen on TV” products I consider real losers. 

And edited YouTube Giz Wiz video of these 3 losers is here:  

http://youtu.be/YrNHA5kyYLc  

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1449.

Here are the original products reviews and links to the full videos of each of the those loser “as seen on TV” gadgets.

You've probably seen the commercial for the Amazing Pocket Chair, it’s the chair that lets you sit anywhere! And it’s not only the chair “As Seen On TV”, it’s also the chair that fits in your pocket. That’s assuming you have a pocket about 10” deep and 6.5” wide; a pocket that can hold more than a pound and a half! Once the Pocket Chair is unfolded and locked in position (and wow, is that a chore – be sure the watch the video) you can then take a seat anywhere (along as it’s flat and smooth). But once seated, don’t move around, because the seat area is only 6” wide. The company says it’s ultra strong and can hold up to 250 lbs. But how comfortable is 250 pounds on a seat that’s 6” wide and 12” long. Also the chair is only about a foot off the ground once it’s assembled, so you have to lower yourself a lot to sit. It’s not that easy getting up and off the Pocket Chair either. The instructions include lots of warnings about ‘watching your fingers’ when you assemble it, not falling off it, or exceeding the weight limit which “may result in death or serious injury”. A fun chair indeed. I guess it is better than no chair, but watch the video and read the Amazing Pocket Chair reviews on Amazon before you decide. As one reviewer put it: “The Amazing part is that they sell it!” Me? I like the nice red color of the seat.

Giz Wiz Pocket Chair Video: http://youtu.be/rmO2X1vQgnk

I’m having a lot of fun buying and trying “as seen on TV devices”. Several people asked me to get an Ear Vac and make a demo video. So I did. Ear Vac is a small, battery operated device to (in theory) gently suck the wax of your ear. It runs on two AA batteries, not included. Does it work? Watch the video and see a demo right before your eyes - and your ears! But first, here’s a description from Amazon:

North American Health and Wellness Cordless Ear Vac. Gentle and effective ear cleaner that is the safe way to clean your ears. Say goodbye to cotton swabs! Swabs push wax and debris further into the ear, which can damage eardrums. The Ear Vac gently draws moisture and debris from ears. Gentle suction draws dirt particles and moisture from the ear. Features: Safe and easy to use Quiet Motor Simple On/Off switch Silicone tips protect ear Removes moisture Requires 2 "AA" batteries- not included Includes: Cordless Ear Vac Ear Cleaning Device 4 x Hygienic silicone tips Cleaning brush. (And now back to me.)

Giz Wiz Ear Vac Video Demo: http://youtu.be/jFiE4rjIIME

This one is called Neck Magic Air Cushion in case you never got to see the late night commercials. Even though it’s a “as seen on TV” product, I got mine on Amazon. Neck Magic Air Cushion is supposed to relieve stiffness in your neck, head and shoulders. It works by using a strange device that goes around your neck, which you inflate with air. It smells awful, because of the rubber-type material it's made from, but the instructions say the smell will evidentially go away. I tried it, as you’ll see in the video. It did inflate and extend fairly easily when pumped, but not having a neck ache, I couldn't judge if it would reduce pain. It did induce pain when I pumped too much air into my Neck Magic Air Cushion. I strongly advise stopping the pumping action before you feel a lot of pressure on your neck. As you'll see the video, I couldn't talk before I released the air from the device. As you can imagine for $11.00 or so, you can’t expect much. Reviews on Amazon ranged from “this works” to “this is a total waste of money”. Out of 5 stars, it earned 2.5 stars from about 71 reviews. Here’s a bit more info from Amazon: An even, gentle stretch to help relieve neck, head and shoulder stiffness and stress! It can battle tight muscles, neck discomfort, tension headaches and more. Easy-to-use inflation bulb. 5 air chambers inflate up to 5 1/2" for a relaxing stretch. Adjusts to fit, approx. 9" diameter. It’s $15.55 at the link below and I have Amazon Prime, so I got mine into two days with free shipping.

Giz Wiz Neck Magic Video: http://youtu.be/48gDLMyEFf0

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1449.

A Gadget from CES 2013 I'm Still Waiting To See.

Here's my original report from CES 2013:  Left: Regular AA, Right: TethercellI met the creators of the Tethercell at CES 2013, and I think they have a great idea! One of the most popular batteries ever made to power devices is the AA. It powers many things, but we have almost no power over our AA batteries. That’s where Tethercell comes in. It will let you turn AA-battery-powered devices on and off remotely, put the toys and games “off” for periods of time that you set, turn on battery operated devices in other rooms from afar, and even make it so that only you can control the remote control! Here’s info from the company website on how easy it is (or will be) to setup a Tethercell. First, remove a single AA-battery from whichever device you choose. Next, make sure that Tethercell already has a AAA battery installed within it, then replace the removed AA battery with Tethercell. No matter how many AA batteries are required to run the device, you only need one Tethercell. After the Tethercell is snug in the battery compartment, turn on the device, fire up the Tetherboard app after downloading it free from the App store and you're ready to connect from any iOS or Android device that is Bluetooth Smart compatible. Now you can be alerted when battery power is low and know when it's time to replace your Tethercell's battery. Currently supported iOS devices: iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad 3, the newest iPod Touch, and the iPad mini. Android Devices to be supported in the near future: Samsung Galaxy S3, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, the HTC One X+ and the Droid DNA. These should out about mid-summer. Price estimated to be about $20 at 1^st, dropping to about half that once production is in full swing.  

UPDATE: It’s going to be 2014 in a few hours as I write this, and there is no sign of the Tethercell shipping yet. You can pre-order them at the company website, but the price is steep: $35.00 plus $12.00 shipping! There is no shipping date indicated, except to say your card won’t be charged until the Tethercell is shipped.

 http://www.tethercell.com/ 

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1449

Leo's final 'piece of crap'! (Chad take over hosting duties starting next week.)

On this show Leo introduced us to SAND from Brookstone. Here’s what Brookstone says about it. SAND is the packable, stretchable and just incredible stuff you’ll simply never put down. Unlike beach or play sand, SAND has special properties that make it soft and stretchy. Build something big, something small, let it flow through your fingers. You’ll be fascinated as it oozes, moves, and melts right before your eyes—just like a slow-moving liquid. Great for children and adults, at home or in the office, it won’t make a mess and never dries out. SAND is kinetic—that means it's designed to stick to itself but not to you. It flows through your fingers just like wet sand, but leaves them completely dry and mess-free. And no matter how you pull, stretch and separate SAND (even if some gets on the floor), it always recombines easily. No vacuum cleaners or mops needed. But here’s the best part: when you’re ready to break out the SAND again, it’s just the same as it was when it came out of the jar. And Leo’s take: It seems Leo (and most of us) were sort of under-whelmed by SAND. As opposed to the company saying you’ll never put it down, Leo was done playing with it quite quickly. Maybe we didn’t understand the wonders it can do, but from what we saw, it didn’t do much. About $12 to $30 depending on size and shipping costs. It’s also available on Amazon. Brookstone website: 

http://www.brookstone.com/kinetic-sand-by-brookstone?bkiid=SubCategory_Games___Toys_Desk_Toys_Sand_by_Brookstone|SubCategoryWidget|845812p&catId= 

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1449.

Back To Dick's Gadget Warehouse for a video "look" at the very 1st gadget I talked about on The Daily Giz Wiz.

Didn't you know I was going to turn right? Didn't you see my eyeglasses blinking?

I’ve seen a lot of weird inventions in my gadget life, but this is one of the weirdest. Directional Signals for your eyes and ears!! You wear them like regular glasses, except for a wire that leads down to the battery pack, and control buttons. Push the right top button to 'signal' a right turn in your right eye, the second button lights up your right or left ear so people behind you and see which way you’re going to turn. I think it sold for $12.95 some ten or more years ago. They’re no longer available, but the website that sold them is still around. They sell lots of ‘stupid' stuff. Matter of fact, it's an easy name to remember.

Giz Wiz You Tube Video: http://youtu.be/wZKmzTFqBJo

No more Turn Signal Glasses here, but they do have the 'Bacon Scarf' and lots more ridiculous stuff:

http://www.stupid.com/

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1449.

Letter of the week:

From: Pete Costello -- Here's  another place where your toys are at the forefront of technology. First it was your quadcopters that became a mechanism to deliver Domino's Pizza - (remember that video link I sent?) that later became an Amazon phenom idea in 2013. Well now we have that creepy remote controlled spider toy Leo was having trouble with a month or so ago. This time the toy takes a creep towed the dark side. Outfitted with some potent lasers and the toy becomes more than a sibling to sibling nurf projectile slinging annoyance. Have a look at the video with this link: 

http://sploid.gizmodo.com/spider-robot-with-death-ray-bring-us-one-step-closer-to-1491507101  

I'm keeping a hand mirror handy in case my brother learns about this and drives to my house from Pennsylvania to get even with me for some long forgotten prank I pulled 40 years ago!  Pete C