What do you call a gizmo that lets you carry stuff on your wrist? Read on.

Monday, February 1st, 2010. Netcast 1016

                                           It's called a Phubby. Okay, so you’re asking, what’s a Phubby? At CES I asked the same question. The Phubby is the wrist cubby. Just slip your hand through a Phubby  and it is ready to act as a cubby for your phone. You can slide your phone in and out of the concealed pouch quicker than the onset of a second ring tone. You'll always feel the phone “vibrate” when it's up against your wrist and it’s way never to have to search for the phone. Also you won’t misplace your phone or leave it behind when you leave a restaurant or anyplace where you normally put your phone down while you do something else. Because the Phubby holds your phone in place with a net fabric, I found I can use my phone while it was still in the Phubby. It looks a little weird when people see you talking into your wrist, but it’s possible! It’s also great for iPods, credit cards, keys, even cash. I wish I had one at CES because it’s ideal for noisy places especially if you’re expecting an important call. With phone on vibrate I would have been able to feel a call coming in no matter how loud the surrounding noise! It comes in many solid colors and patterns and it’s $12.95.

www.phubby.com

 Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1016

The Microsoft SPOT Watch Didn’t Really Hit The Spot!

Friday, January 29^th, 2010, Netcast 1015 Back to Dick’s Gadget Warehouse

This is Sunno Model which cost about $300.It was at CES 2003 that I saw my first SPOT Smart watch. They were called SPOT watches because they used Microsoft's Smart Personal Objects Technology. They could receive information like weather, stock reports, sports scores, horoscopes, etc. over the air via FM radio frequencies. It was an interesting technology, but I still liked my Timex DataLink better for my needs which included uploading info to the watch via USB. You couldn’t do that with the SPOT watches and they had a couple of other drawbacks. They were expensive and they were pretty large. You also had to subscribe to a monthly plan after you bought the watch. A neat feature of the watch was downloadable watch faces, which you could change at will. Companies making SPOT watch included Fossil, Tissot, Swatch,and Sunnto. SPOT technology was also included in some coffeemakers made by Melitta. You could see the day’s weatheryou’re your coffee was brewing. But not only are the watches gone, soon the service will gone too. Here’s info I found the web about the Spot watch service:

Smart Watches for MSN Direct have sold out and are no longer for sale.
While we continue to move forward with MSN Direct and seek out new opportunities for devices that would benefit from the MSN Direct service, we, along with our watch partners, do not have immediate plans to create a new version of the Smart Watch, as we are focused on other areas of our business. We will maintain support of our watch customers and continue to deliver information to Smart Watches, but we do not plan to increase our investment in the watch business going forward. Service will stop after 2012.

www.twit.tv/dgw1015

Here's a radar device small enough to fit in your pocket. I guess that's why it's called Pocket Radar!

Thursday, January 28th, 2010 Netcast 1014

How fast is your kid’s fastball? How fast is your favorite car going at that NASCAR event you’re at? How fast did the neighbor’s kid drive past your house?  It’s easy to find out with Pocket Radar. It’s about the size of a pack of playing cards, but this device utilizes a Doppler radar signal detection and processing system coupled with re-engineered microwave and antenna components to deliver the same powerful performance of traditional bulky radar guns! Designed to be used by both professionals and everyday consumers in a wide range of applications, from coaches clocking baseball pitch speeds, to athletes seeking improved performance, Pocket Radar forges a new standard in speed radar performance. Accurate to within 1 mile per hour, Pocket Radar is able to take 10,000 speed measurements using one set of AAA batteries. Its small size and easy-to-use point-and-shoot functionality means that Pocket Radar users can get right to the action, while others are still setting up and turning on their traditional, bulky radar speed guns. $249.99 But there is an introductory offer if you pre-order at the company’s website. You pay $199.99, so you’ll save $50. 

 www.pocketradar.com

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1014

If you have an iPhone, iPod or Nano, the iapeel may have eye appeal!

Wednesday, January 27^th, 2010 Netcast 1013

At CES there were dozens of companies selling designer iPod Skins to cover your iPod/iPhone/Nano, etc. But iaPeel is the only company I know of that lets you design your own skin, print it and apply it at home. All you need is a computer, the included software and an inkjet printer to produce your own photo-quality skins at home. There's a built-in alignment system that ensures a perfect fit every time. Just pull up the tabs on the back of your printed skin and your device fits right inside. No more worries about putting it on crooked. Plus, iaPeel skins are made from a durable vinyl material with high tech adhesive that leaves no residue. The company says you can create many different custom designs and swap 'em out to match your mood, without leaving any sticky stuff behind. I designed my own skin and it was fun to do. I didn’t even know my Lexmark printer could print on vinyl, but it did. Taking all the paper out of the paper tray, let me see the guides to print envelopes, 4 X 6 pics, and custom sizes Most likely your printer can do the same thing. But you have to order the kit that matches the device you have exactly, so check out the company website. Skin for more devices will be added as time goes on. You get the software and five blank skins in a pack for under $22.

www.iapeel.com

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1013

Leo finds another electronic gizmo to help him get in shape!

TTTT Tuesday, January 26^th, 2010 Netcast 1012

This gizmo is the The Fitbit! According to the company’s website, it accurately tracks your calories burned, steps taken, distance traveled and sleep quality. The Fitbit contains a 3D motion sensor like the one found in the Nintendo Wii. The Fitbit tracks your motion in three dimensions and converts this into useful information about your daily activities. (Leo says it more like a pedometer because it doesn’t know exactly what sort of activity you’re engaged in.) You can wear the Fitbit on your waist, in your pocket or on undergarments. At night, you can wear the Fitbit clipped to the included wristband in order to track your sleep. (Leo was impressed with how it tracked his sleep movements. He was particularly impressed that one night he fell asleep in under ten minutes.) The Fitbit has an OLED screen, which gives you some info on the go. After you download some software, it will send your daily results to your personal record on their website and charge the Fitbit when you put it back into its docking station. Or anytime you walk within 15 feet of the included wireless base station, data from your Fitbit is silently uploaded to Fitbit.com (You can read the FAQ or the short product manual to learn more.) The Fitbit is currently in high demand. (Leo said he waited almost a year for his, but that was most likely because it took far longer to get it into production than the company expected.) Right now they’re filling pre-orders, and will start shipping new orders on Feb 17th. They will not charge your credit card until they ship your order. The cost is $99 and there is NO monthly service charge to track your progress on the web.

www.fitbit.com

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1012