The Giz Wiz, Week of July 16th, 2013, Netcast 1425

A Kickstarter project that raised almost a quarter of a million dollars!

I found this at another holiday gift idea show and this is a very different kind of gift. (This raised $248,000 on Kickstarter!) Aqua Farm provides the fish tank, food, plants, air pump, etc. You provide 1, 2, or 3 fish to start the cycle. The Aqua Farm kit lets you grow fresh produce right in the comfort of your own home - beans, basil, thyme, baby greens, oregano, mint, parsley, spinach and other delicious foods! Now, it doesn’t come with a mini rake or hoe! This closed-loop eco-system uses the fish waste to naturally fertilize the plants above. In turn, the plants clean the water for your pet fish. So you can enjoy your pet fish with virtually nothing to clean up. All the fish needs is food. The Aqua Farm kit includes: The Tank + Garden Top - Air pump to bring your nutrients up and oxygenate the water - 5 pots with pebbles (from which the plants will grow) - Organic seeds (mixture of various herbs) - Fish food and water conditioners to get started right away! Just add fish and watch your system take off. It's a beautifully simple & closed-loop ecosystem right on your table or counter. Complete kit is $59.99. 

Giz Wiz Video: http://youtu.be/TWa74zka2GY  

Aqua Farm website: http://store.backtotheroots.com/AquaFarm_p/aquaponics.htm 

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1425

Bring that old speaker system out of retirement and into the digital age.

If you like most gadget freaks, I bet youhave an old speaker system or sound bar you stopped using because you now like to stream your tunes via Bluetooth. Too bad those old speakers didn’t have Bluetooth. Well now they can! (Well the ones that offer an “aux” in jack can!) BlueFlame's Wireless Music Receiver is the way to make that happen. About the size of a pack of matches, you can use the BlueFlame Wireless Music Receiver to stream music from your Bluetooth enabled smartphone, tablet, MP3 player, etc. Set up was easy. First, you charge the device for about 2.5 hours. Unfortunately, it uses it's own special charging plug.) Then just plug the BlueFlame device into your speaker's “aux” jack. Pair it with your Bluetooth-enabled device, and you’re set to play your new tunes over your old speakers. There’s no app needed. The price is $29.95 at the company website, or at Target. For some reason, I couldn’t find it on Amazon when I searched on 7/15/2013. 

http://www.blueflamegear.com/products/bluetooth-receiver-2

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1425

Build them up, knock them down - without doing any damage at all.

Fun for kids! And me too!  Demolition Lab from SmartLab lets kids build, then wreck the structures they design. The building cubes click together in pretty much any order. (It’s actually more like building a house of cards with great graphics of building parts on them.) Once built, the kid inserts a blaster inside and then hits a button on the Detonator to demolish it. There's a $20 Demolition Lab Mega Smoke Stack Kit which comes with one Detonator that fires in many directions at once. The bigger Demolition Warehouse Kit is $40 and offers more play. It comes with 100 building cards, three Detonators and sound effects! There's a warning siren and the sound of the explosions. Aside from the fun, kids just might learn a bit about power, force, momentum and gravity! Kits are recommended for kids 8 and up. You can find them on line for pre-order now. They'll ship in the fall. 

Giz Wiz Video: http://youtu.be/9MwCtkyKaD8 

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1425

And now Leo's Crap! (Which is sometimes really good stuff! Sometimes.)

Those lighted Star Wars ice pops Leo was playing with – and eating – are from Think Geek. Here’s the info: Each Star Wars Lightsaber Ice Pop set comes with four saber hilts: two Luke and two Vader. Just add juice (or any delicious liquid) to the mold and pop the whole shebang in your freezer for 4 hours. Run a little warm water over the mold and the full saber can be removed and then inserted into the hilt. Activate your saber's LED for a light-up treat that screams awesome and tasty all at once. It's always time for Jedi refreshment when you have some Star Wars Lightsaber Ice Pops. May the Force-icle be with you! $34.99. 

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/eea5/?pfm=Search&t=star%20wars%20glowing%20lightsaber%20ice%20pop%20maker 

There are dozens of those light-up laces on Amazon. Just type “LED light-up laces” at www.amazon.com 

For the glasses, type: “light-up glasses” at the Amazon link and you’ll see a lot of choices.

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1425

Back to Dick's Gadget Warehouse! And how to submit your video for The Giz Wiz.

Here's the email we received from Luiz:

Hi:

I am in process to move back to United States and since I am packing some of my old electronics, I thought it would be nice to show some of my Archos gadgets. Here is the link. I know you guys were already missing my Brazilian accent. 

Side question, have anyone reviewed the Tile (thetileapp.com). It feels like it is almost like that bag location system, but with more uses.   Regards  Luiz P.                                    

Luiz’s Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX2V_STEbks&sns=em 

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1425

 +++++

 We'd love to include your video in an upcoming Giz Wiz Show. 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! Did 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! It can be something you just bought too.

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 bad by comparison. We've set the bar low. Don't trip over it.  

NEW! NEW! NEW! If we select and show your video on The Giz Wiz you will now be awarded with some sort of prize. It's Leo's way to get rid of all the "crap from Sky Mall" he's collected. So there's one more (so-so) reason to send in your video! 

All show submissions go to gizwiz@twit.tv

Letter of the week video, via Pete Costello

Shortly after watching the death Copter episode of The GizWiz show I happened upon yet another remote control aeronautical marvel. See it in this video: The DomiCopter. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=on4DRTUvst0

Thanks, Pete Costello, our man in the GizWiz Home Office, Cheesequake, NJ.