Charge your cell phone and exercise at the same time!

Daily Giz Wiz, Monday January 18^th, 2010, Netcast 1006

CES had a lot of “green products” on display. The YoGen by Easy Energy was one of them. It’s a slim pocket-sized, hand powered electric charger that the company says produces a previously unmatched level of charging power when driven by the repeated pulling of a cord. A spokesman at the booth said it generated 5 watts of charging power, which is pretty much the same as your AC charger at home produces. The “Yo” part of the name came about because the way you use the device is sort of like using a Yo-Yo. The “Gen” part of course is for generator. Once again, quoting the company: The YoGen represents a major break-though in hand-powered chargers in that it offers an industry leading ratio of power output to input effort and that its ergonomic design allows for extended charging effort with minimal operator fatigue. When the user repeatedly pulls the YoGen’s T-handle, an internal alternator spins continuously, generating power to recharge the batteries of your cell phone or any other like-sized portable electronic device.  (Back to me.) There are several versions available depending on what you want to charge. The YoGen device is the same but you should order a package that includes the proper tip for your phone or iPod. Each package includes tips for four devices. It also comes in various colors, but I like the clear plastic model so you can see the inner workings. There’s a green LED that glows when you are sending charing power to your device. The only switch on the YouGen is one that lets you custom tailor the output of the YoGen to the gizmo you’re charging. You try either the "up" or "down" position to see which appears to be generating more power. $39.99.

Gadegt: http://www.easy-energy.biz/yogen.html

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1006

You asked for more of those “mail order bargains” I have in Dick’s Gadget Warehouse….so here’s another one!

Friday, January 15^th, 2009 Daily Giz Wiz 1005

Why are we giving away GIANT DESIGNER 5 PIECE LUGGAGE SETS for only $9.95? This is not a misprint! -----  

Yes, this is how so many of those “mail order scam ads” of the 70’s & 80’s started. You still got something for your money, but nothing like what the photo promised. Or what the glowing copy led you to expect when your package arrived. Here’s more copy from the ad:

Hard to believe, but true. As part of a nation wide publicity campaign, the New York firm of Peabody & Wright, Ltd. will distribute one million nationally advertised GIANT Designer 5 piece luggage sets for the astonishingly low price of of only $9.95 plus shipping and handling to the first one million persons who write to the company address. (Only one million people?)

These are the most expensive and fastest selling luggage sets ever sold by this New York company. (and how much would you want to bet it's the only luggage set ever sold by this company!)

Each set consists of: Expandable folding garment carrier with 2 sturdy handles. Super roomy Pullman to hold an entire vacation/business trip wardrobe, with convenient full length shoulder strap, toiletry kit/super-cushioned cosmetic case.

These will not be sold in any store! (That's because in a store you would see that they were just just thin nylon shells!) Each piece is covered by the company's full one year money-back guarantee and will be replaced or refunded if it ever fails to function. There is a limit of 3 sets per address at this low price but if you send in your request early enough you may request up to six!  (And I bet if you said you needed 12 sets they would say, "oh, okay!")  

What you received via a uniformed employee of the government (the mailman)  was 5 flimsy nylon shells. They arrived rolled up in a small reinforced paper envelope. That's when I knew I was in big trouble! I used to say: "Don't throw out the pape envelope. It could be the 6th piece of this cheap luggage set.

While $9.95 + $5 shipping doesn't seem like a lot of money, but don't forget this was 30 years ago! Even in today's money I sure wouldn't pay $14.95 for these nylon shells! They might good for the TSA personnel at airports. They could practically see through them without bothering with the xray machine! 

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1005    

Forget Baby’s First Words. Here’s Baby’s First Gadget!

Thursday, January 14^th, 2010, Netcast 1004

If I were a baby I’d want this. Even as an adult, I find it a lot of fun. (But the bib doesn’t fit. Yes, I tried it!) It’s the Illuminated JetBib from ThinkGeek. When you can’t get your baby to eat, what’s the ploy every parent relies on for food delivery! Yes, the airplane!  ThinkGeek has updated that airplane with a Jetliner they call OmNomNom (sound familiar?). It has LED’s and a sleek yellow and blue body. This is the 2010 way to transport your delicious deliveries from the land of Gerber to your baby. There are flashing red lights on the tips of the wings of the airplane spoon. The LED lights in the bib are motion activated, causing the sides of runway to illuminate. It’s designed for ages 12 months and older. ThinkGeek says it will keep baby’s attention and makes mealtime more fun. The Lighted LED jet plane has an on/off switch and three spoon attachments. The spoon attachments are dishwasher safe, but the airplane is not. The bib and airplane are washable with a damp cloth. Button cell batteries are included and are replaceable in the plane, but not replaceable in the bib. However since LED’s use a tiny amount of power they should last a long time. $19.99, plus shipping.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/geek-kids/1-3-years/c682/

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1004

If today’s gadget looks familiar it’s because it was the choice for our last “What The Heck Is It?” game.

Wednesday, January 13^th, 2009, Netcast 1003

It looked exactly like a heart, and that’s what it’s supposed to look like. It’s to remind people to help their heart in an emergency by carrying what could be “life-saving" aspirins wherever they go. I met the woman who started the Aspirin Pod company. She lost two loved ones to heart attacks in a single month. She said they might have survived if there was aspirin immediately available. So she made it her goal to make more people aware of the value of aspirin in preventing heart attacks by coming up with an easy way to carry them any place you go. I hope you'll check out her website and purchase a few for yourself, family and friends. She is doing all this on her own (and her family's) funds and is very sincere in making it work. And it’s not just to help her, you could help yourself and others and maybe save a life! Even your own. For just about three bucks, you can buy an Aspirin Pod and clip it onto to purse, backpack, belt loop, etc! Again, it could save your life! I’m not a doctor, but it is generally recognized that aspirin can be a life saver in the event of an on-coming heart attack.

Full info is at: www.aspirinpod.com

But four Aspirin Pods for under $12 here: http://www.aspirinpod.com/cart.html 

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1003

Leo gets some dynamite help from his mom for this Turn TheTable Tuesday.

TTTT, January 12^th, 2010, Netcast 1002

So Leo gives an NPR Radio by Livio to his mom for Christmas. And on this Tuesday he figures he doesn’t even have to bend down to look under his desk for a gadget, He can call his mom and let her fill in for him. So he called Mary Laporte and patches her into the Skype feed. Mary said she was nervous and afraid she couldn’t do a good job. Truth is, she did a wonderful job! It wouldn’t surprise me if Livio didn’t want to hire her a spokesperson! The Livio Radio lets you tune into thousands of radio stations from around the globe. Mary said after a short bit of time she was able to start selecting favorites from over 16,000 Internet radio stations. There are a couple of different models of the Livio Radio. What sets this one apart is the exclusive NPR menu. It allows users to easily find, search and bookmark NPR stations, podcasts, and content, by topic or by program. But wait, there’s more! Livio helps local stations continue this tradition by making a donation to NPR when you buy one of these radios. Here are some more features via the company’s website since I don’t own one of these radios. The Livio works independently from a computer, using either a wired or wireless Internet connection and it automatically updates with new stations and features. You can play the Livio through its own speaker or through your home stereo system via the audio out jacks in the back. It includes over 16,000 Internet radio stations through Reciva and there are no subscriptions or fees. The cost? $199.99. Mary said she had no idea Leo paid that much money, but that she LOVED the gift. I’m sure we’ll be calling Mary again because she was great!

Leo asked listeners if they had Internet radio suggestions for his mom. If you do, send them here: mary@twit.tv     

Info on the radio:  www.livioradio.com/npr  

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1002  NOTE: Because the TWiT crew is just getting back from CES, DGW 2002 will probably go up late on Tuesday!