Weekly Daily Giz Wiz Week of February 6th, 2012 - Netcast 1351

For Valentine's Day – You and your loved one can wear your hearts on your chest.

This is a fun tech gadget from Think Geek. They say that after extensive study at ThinkGeek labs they’ve determined that people feel best when they are in close proximity to something that they adore. So they’ve created this the clever 8-Bit Dynamic Life Shirt to illustrate their findings. (It’s not a bad marketing ploy, either!) Here’s how it works: buy one of these red glowing heart shirts for yourself, and gift one to your significant other (boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, fembot 2000, etc...). During your normal activities when you’re apart, two and a half pixelated hearts will light up on your shirt. But when you get within hugging distance of your significant other who is wearing the matching shirt, the hearts on both shirts start to light up until their fully powered up. Go too far astray from the source of your affections and you'll drop back down to two and a half hearts again. Think Geek says the range for both t-shirt to have a full heart light-up is 5 meters, or about 16+ feet. My apartment isn’t big enough for the shirts to be that far apart, but they should work great in bars, dance clubs, big offices, football stadiums, etc. They sell for about $18 to $25 depending on size. You need to have two of them to work properly, but there are two work arounds. You could buy one and secretly push the “test” button on the shirt you're wearing when your loved one approaches. Or you can buy a transmitter pack for the person who doesn’t want to wear the glowing heart shirt. When they get within range, the one 8-bit Dynamic Life Shirt will light up. But the transmitter pack cost only about $5 less than the shirt.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/interactive/a090/?srp=9

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1351

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

Video of the week - Singing in the shower just got easier.

Now you can sign in the shower to your own music with the new iShower. It’s from iDevices, creator of the iGrill. The young lady in the video is Maxim Magazine’s “Hometown Hottie”, Mayra Tinajero. iShower plays music via Bluetooth and it can remembers 5 Bluetooth Paired devices. It not only lets users enjoy their favorite music in the shower, but in any environment that would potentially harm their device like the beach, pool, lake, etc. The Bluetooth enabled music player can be kept in a safe place up to 200 feet away while broadcasting the music to the iShower. The shower mounting can stay installed while the iShower is easily detachable. Controls on the iShower, include play/pause/forward/rewind & volume functions. The company says you can expect about 15 hours of streaming audio on 3 AA batteries, which are included. The iShower also has a time of day display to help you know if you can linger in the shower, or how to cut it short and head out to work. Installation requires no tools. The built-in hanger can also act as a stand for the unit. $99.99.

www.ishowerinc.com

Giz Wiz video shot at CES 2012: http://youtu.be/8kBGd3KgckA

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1351 

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

An AC Outlet with built-in USB Ports - how clever is that?

Power2U AC/USB Outlet. Never lack for a USB charging port again. Now you can charge and/or power up to four devices at once when using the USB 3.0/2.0 ports and standard three-prong outlets. A perfect way to eliminate unsightly clutter created by multiple cables and bulky power adapters. These are the 1st and only UL listed dual-socket wall outlets with 2 integrated USB Ports. Ideal for homes with users of multiple USB chargeable devices, the Power2U AC/USB Wall Outlet is a basic "DIY" install on any 15Amp circuit with a 16 cubic inch electrical box. It will blend seamlessly into the wall as a standard power outlet. A "straightforward" rated "how to" video demonstrates how the Power2U can be installed in as little as 20 minutes on the company website. And here are a couple of other nice features. When you unplug your charged USB device, phantom power is automatically shut off. Spring-loaded safety shutters close and turn power off to the USB ports when a connecting cable is removed. And the Smart Power design only outputs enough charging power required by the attached device. The company cautions that the Power2U AC/USB Wall Outlet is the first fully UL Listed and approved product of its kind! Beware of knockoffs and other similar in-wall solutions, which misrepresent or do not have verified UL approval. And some really good news. As I'm writing this I get word of the company saying that the price of the Power2U Outlets have dropped 25% in price. The new “street price” is under $23. (Do a web search for the lowest price.) At the manufacturer’s website, they usually charge “list price” so as not to tee-off any of their retailers who wish not to give discounts. I notice however, that if you order two of more there, they are $22.99. Here's the company website: (Other World Computing): 

http://tinyurl.com/8x4o6bn 

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1351 

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

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

Leo said truckers often ask him to recommend a decent Bluetooth headset they can use on the road. Leo’s suggestion is the Roadwarrior, named because it has a big fan base among long-haul truckers. Unlike most over-the-ear headsets, the Blue Parrott B250-XT features a professional grade, noise canceling microphone to effectively block out road and engine noise. Leo said the noise-canceling mic really works well. As a demo he recorded his own voice onto his answering machine while using the Roadwarrior headset in his Mustang. At first the windows are closed. Then he opens the window as he continues to talk. Even though Leo says there is now a lot of road noise, you don’t hear any of it on the recording. Then Leo turns on the radio, and you don’t hear that either! This new model Blue Parrott B250-XT  is an enhanced version of the popular B150 Wireless headset. Simply pair the headset to your Bluetooth enabled cellular phone (or computer) and you'll be handsfree and wirefree! Leo also liked the “gooseneck” microphone boom that puts it right in front of your mouth. The concave single ear cushion (two ear cushions is illegal) helps block out the sounds around you so you can hear your caller better. You'll get 16+ hours of talk time out of a full charge and up to 150 hours standby time. Volume, mute, call answer/end buttons on headset. Includes both Auto (DC) and AC charging cords. 128-bit secure digital encryption for privacy. MSRP is $119.99, but Leo got it on Amazon for about $72. I’m sure if he bought it here, but it’s also $72 here:

http://tinyurl.com/72csa3e  

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1351

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

Back To Dick's Gadget Warehouse!

I have pads of all kinds at Gizneyland. Legal, regular, leather bound and of course, my wood pad. Er? Wood??  Yep.  It came from a company called Marmwood. It was started by Tom Marmalich in 1993. Woodworking was always Tom's lifetime hobby from childhood days. One Christmas Holiday required a special gift for his wife Leila. A checkbook cover made from a solid block of walnut wood seemed like the perfect idea. Tom developed a unique wood- working technology that turned thinly cut wood into a flexible wood fabric used to create covers for portfolios, checkbooks and other business accessories. Changing checkbook covers from a solid block of wood to a flexible wood - fabric was a significant challenge. It became a patent and Tom’s core business. I showed one of this products in the mid-1990’s on CNBC’s Steals & Deals. Even Tom’s business card is wood veneer. I lost track of Tom, so I did a web search this past week. The first entry said that in the mid-90’sTom Marmalich moved the operation of his newly formed flexible wood products out of his home, hired a couple of employees and moved into a small industrial space in Newbury Park. Things were looking up. Then came a painful car accident. Followed by bankruptcy. … But I keep searching and found this website: http://www.marmwood.com/  The website mentions Tom’s name, so he has a new company with a different focus, but still wood based. They sell more business to business and fund raising products. Check all the details at their website : 

http://www.marmwood.com/

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1351 

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