We made it to the 2nd Weekly Daily Giz Wiz! It's Netcast 1307 for the Week of March 28th, 2011

A whole new meaning to drinking glasses   

When I first got an email about these “drinking glasses” I started writing a Tweet about how stupid they were. But then I thought – “stupid” --- and weird – perfect for the Weekly Daily Giz Wiz. Eyeglass Straw Glasses come in various colors and some website show them in clear plastic. Basically you wear them like glasses (there are no lenses, just frames) - then anything you drink passes all around the eyeglass frame. One side of the frame has a long straw that goes into your drink and the other side has a short straw that goes into your mouth. If they were clear plastic, the effect would be better, but I didn’t have a choice when I ordered them. Mine were just a buck! I got them at www.1saleaday.com but it was just a 24 hour sale. I checked back a few times, but they’re gone. However they’re around the web at lots of places. One is listed below. They range in price from about $3 to $7 plus shipping. American Science & Surplus had them for about $3. I never bought anything here, but they seemed to have the lowest price. They're at this web address:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JP9I5I/ref=sc_plb_r_0_m_AZRTOP7JJB0T8_2?ie=UTF8&m=AZRTOP7JJB0T8&n=10218071&s=merchant&v=glance

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1307   

A Magnetic Telescoping Pick Up Tool - now with an LED light!

Here’s an easy way to end the aggravation of dropped screws, nail, paper clips and other small metal items. If you ever dropped a key down a sewer this could be a big help. It’s the Telescoping Magnetic Pick-Up Tool. It extends from about 7.5 inches to 32 inches and features a powerful magnetic tip and a bright built-in LED light to help you find objects even in poorly lit areas. Down on my boat this will be ideal to pick up metal object that fall into the bilge. The company says the magnet has a 6 pound capacity. I tested it up to about 3 pounds. The LED light has an on/off twist switch. It’s metal with soft grip handle. For some bizarre reason it has a pocket clip. I can’t image how or why you’d wear this in a shirt pocket. It’s powered by three AG13 button cell batteries, which are included.

There a video of The Giz Wiz testing it out here:

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

And it’s available here for under $7.00 + Shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Flashlight-Home-Telescoping-Pick/dp/B004K9CWSU

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1307  

Here’s a gadget I bought online and like a lot. Too bad it doesn’t work very well!

When I first saw the Meritline Mini Bluetooth Keyboard I thought it would be an ideal match for my iPod Touch. At about 2.5 by 4.5 inches it would make typing emails, chatting, and Tweeting a breeze. Here are some specs from the Meritline website: Compatible with Bluetooth 2.0 responsive, accurate standard QWERTY keys lay out. Built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery. Supports Apple iPhone 4.0 version.  Operating Distance: 0 - 10 m – about 30 to 33 feet. Battery Duration: Constantly use: about 50 hours Standby: 400 hours. Power: Charges by USB. Charging time: 2.5 hours.--- I bought mine a couple of months ago for about $22.00. There seems to be a new Apple version up there now for a few dollars more. Unfortunately my keyboard is problem plagued. When it works, it works great, but more often then not it keep losing the Bluetooth pairing in mid-sentence. And the problem seems to be getting worse. Online I read 15 reviews from other customers who bought the Meritline Mini Bluebooth Keyboard. The ratings seem to be either 1 or 5, not much in between. My guess is that there is poor quality control and the majority of units are fine, and many are faulty, like mine. If you do a web search for Mini Bluetooth Keyboard it seems this same unit is sold under many different names. I checked a few websites selling a similar looking keyboard and when you bring up the instructions, all of them are exactly the same. They don’t ever mention the name of unit, just how to use it. And they’re pretty barebones instructions. But then again, the keyboard is pretty cheap. In many ways! 

http://www.meritline.com/mini-bluetooth-keyboard-for-ps3ipadiphonesmart-phonepchtpc-black-color---p-47990.aspx?source=nextaghdac  

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1307  

Leo puts on his own Laser Show!

For this week’s Turn The Table Turkey Leo picks a high tech laser, the Wicked Laser E3. Not only is it high tech, but it’s a high-power laser available in a choice of high power colors - green, red, and purple. (I didn’t know there was such a thing as a purple laser.) The model E3 from Wicked Laser has a very thin profile and smooth aircraft-grade aluminum chassis. Leo was careful to point out that the E3 is a very high power laser and is illegal to own in many states. It could case damage to eyes, even to aircraft. A pilot in the chatroom as we were recording this show said it could deadly to a pilot, so this is NOT a toy and needs constant supervision. The high power (<200mW) of the E3 is 50-100 times as strong as any standard laser pointer. I had no idea that laser distances vary with choice of color. Visible beam distance: Red=8616 meters, Green=16474 meters, Purple=745 meters – according to the Wicked Laser website. There’s a website warning too. Never point at another person, animal, or vehicle. The fact that sale of this laser in many states is illegal gives you an idea of how dangerous it could be if used incorrectly. Leo bought it for his son, but he doesn’t let it leave the house.

http://www.wickedlasers.com/lasers/E3_Series-108-3.html?s=0

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1307

Before the Think Geek Spy T-shirt there was the Rollei A 110: A visit to Dick’s Gadget Warehouse ---

Back in 1975 the high-end Rollei A 110 was advertised as the world's smallest pocket camera. It used easy-to-load, and not-too-great detail 110 film cartridges. The back door popped opened to insert the film cartridge, no threading needed. In the closed position the metal case covered the lens and viewfinder so it could be safely carried in bags or pocket. When you pulled the case to the open position not only did the lens and viewfinder become available, it cocked the shutter, turned on the meter, and advanced the film. The lens was a Carl Zeiss 23mm Tessar with four elements with automatic aperture control from f2.8 to f16. An electronically variable shutter and manual zone focus complete the controls. Some 35 years ago, the Rollei A110 sold for $300. In today's dollars that's probably four times that amount!  The flash clicked on to the end of camera and used flash cubes. Of course flash cubes aren’t around anymore and 110 cartridge film hasn’t been made for many years. But a few places still carry outdated film. The link below takes you to a place that sells outdated 110 cartridges with the following warning:

“Some rolls may have great colors, some may have strange colors, some may have bizarre colors, some may have rotten colors, but none will have uninteresting colors. You have been warned.” 

http://www.frugalphotographer.com/cat110.htm

 The Rollei A110 took pretty good photos. The photos here are two examples of pictures I shot some 35 years ago. Strange - I can’t find some digital pictures I shot yesterday, but I was able to find photos from 35 years ago! Those are trains along the Hudson River.

See or hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1307