Week of January 29, 2013 Giz Wiz Show 1401!

Let There Be (Solar) Light!

The Luci LED inflatable lantern is great for emergencies. Luci Light is both solar-powered and waterproof. It only weighs 3.8 ounces and collapses for travel. It charges via sun or artificial light. Solar charge time is around 6 hours which will produce anywhere from 6 to 12 hours of continuous light. Unlike other solar power products, Luci incorporates the functions of a task light, flashlight and diffused lantern. It has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and is durable and reliable in extreme weather conditions. The three-way switch provides low, high and flashing light. It offers up to 1200 lumens of light from the 10 built-in LED’s. There’s even a built in loop so it can easily be attached to a wall or ceiling. Lucistrives for a higher goal too. It was created to empower the developing world through solar power, providing greater equity to those without access to electricity. It was designed to be independent of a power grid. The company says Luci is the solution where light is inaccessible or unaffordable. It’s a clean, low-cost, sustainable energy provider. So it provides a dependable solution where there are unreliable or no electrical services. You can buy one for $15.95 (plus S&H). If you’re interesting in helping people in regions of the world where there is little or no electric, Luci will soon offer a way for you to buy for yourself and pay for one for a person living beyond the power grid. It’s a great sharing idea.

http://www.mpowerd.com/luci-different

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/giz1401

I show host Rob Nelson the Luci as part of my "Offbeat Gadgets From CES" segment on ABC's World News Now:

http://abcn.ws/Ypt5GV

Coming summer '13 to a device near you. A remote control AA battery!

Left: Regular AA, Right: TethercellI met the creators of the Tethercell at CES and I think this is 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. Here’s more info: 

http://www.indiegogo.com/Tethercell 

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/giz1401

Is This Tech Watch Out Before Its Time?

This is one of those gadgets I wanted to love. Image having apps, phone, email, music, Facebook, etc. all on your wrist! It’s what the I'm Watch folks said their device could do. I was pre-approved to pick up a review unit at CES, and I did. When I got back to my hotel room I couldn’t wait to crank it up so I could proudly wear it. But when I opened the box I found a tiny screw at the bottom, not a good sign. I examined the watch and couldn’t figure where the screw came from. After I charged the I’m Watch and tried to put it on, the band fell in two. Turns out the screw I found held the watchband together. The screw was stripped, so there was no hope of putting the band back together, or being able to wear the watch. I started to explore it anyway. I paired it with my Samsung Galaxy 3, which took a bit of doing. One major drawback I quickly discovered is battery power. Even lying on my desk, the battery barely lasts from morning to night. It features a touch-screen face, but if you do some fast swipes with your finger to get to various apps, the watch will freeze until it catches up, or just crash. I had both happen numerous times. I made a couple of calls via the I'm Watch and it's quite something to dial a number on your watch and hear the phone ring at the other end. (You need glasses or good eyesight to read the keypad.) Unfortunately, the call voice quality is not good. Between the way-too-short battery life and the stalling, freezing and need to reboot the watch, plus the fact I couldn’t even wear it, I just gave up on it. For the record, it runs Android 1.6 (updated to 2.0) and has 128MB of ram. There’s a decent amount of onboard storage (for a watch) 4GB. It has a 1.54” screen with a 240X240 display. The idea of the I’m Watch is great, but it needs a lot of work, and a much lower price. The current price is $389.00. And remember it needs to be paired to a Bluetooth enabled Smart Phone for phone service and cloud storage.

www.imsmart.com/

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/giz1401

Leo's "Crap From The Sky Mall Catalog!" Pick Of The Week!

The results are in and so is the Human Slingshot! That's what folks voted on as the next thing Leo should buy from Sky Mall! Be sure to vote below on what Leo should buy next!

First here’s the info from the Sky Mall website:

The Newest Craze in Outdoor Games!

The Human Slingshot is a fresh new game, unlike anything you've seen and is guaranteed to be a big hit whether you're playing or watching.

It's an exhilarating, fast-paced game that involves four people slinging each other back and forth within a human sized stretchable band.

It's easy to learn and anyone can play!

Carrying bag included. 36"H x 48"W x 1/4"D .   $74.99

And Leo’s take? Leo loved this! He took it outside on the sidewalk and four TWiT folks played with it. He said it was a lot of fun and great exercise. Although Chad fell down, he seemed to enjoy it too. Leo said of all the crap he had ordered from Sky Mall, this was one of the best, even though it was expensive at $75, plus shipping and handling!

http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=204439178&c=#

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/giz1401

Vote on what Leo should order next!

Gadget Warehouse Time! And it's another interesting viewer's video! (Learn how to submit yours at the bottom.)

As usual, our viewer's video starts with an email to gizwiz@twit.tv. 

Here's the one we received about this week's video:

From: Rod Frank

To: gizwiz <gizwiz@twit.tv>
Sent: Fri, Jan 18, 2013 9:41 am
Subject: Gadget warehouse thing (for Jason)

This is my prized Coleco Adam.  Check it out, still turning CPU cycles!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHcIuc1ktn0

-Rod (San Diego)

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/giz1401

We love showing videos from our fans! We'd love to show one of yours too, but you need to send it to us first! Here's how:.

Want to be a part of The Giz Wiz Show? Then submit your own video! 

Here's what we're looking for:

Your home made Videos -- two to three minutes long - in the any of the following categories:

I bought a piece of crap! Did you buy something you ended up hating? We won't get you a refund, but we might be able to give a platform to vent your disappointment. Remember, "family friendly" language applies.

I Invented This! Do you invent something? (Or did a friend or relative invent something.) We can't market it for you, but we can help get the word out. Show us what it is, and how it works. Even if it's a prototype, you can get our (and the audience) reactions.

My Gadget Warehouse! Okay, so you don't have a warehouse. It doesn't matter. Just tell us about your favorite old gadget(s). When and where you bought it, and why you're still hanging on to it. 

My favorite gadget of all time! Show us what it is, tell us what it does and why you love, or loved it!

Post them on YouTube and send our producer, Jason, the link! We'll do the rest. (Or possibly nothing, but that's unlikely.) Remember, videos should be just 2 to 3 minutes long, 4 MAX! Low production value is fine. Even welcomed! That way our stuff doesn't look too bad by comparison. We've set the bar low. Don't trip over it.

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