The Giz Wiz, May 28th, 2013, Netcast 1418

Giz Wiz Video of the Week - The Bestek Wall Charging Station.

If you have a lot of personal electronic devices to charge, you should check out the Bestek Wall Charging Station. It can charge up to 5 devices at once and offers 6 AC outlets. But wait, there's more! It even has a hi-low night light with its own switch. Here are the features as listed on Amazon: Six US 110V AC outlets: With a cumulative 1,875W of pure power, you can power your favorite devices such as vacuum cleaners, coffee makers, and more. / Four USB ports ( two with 2.1A, two with 1A): simultaneously charge four of your favorite techy goodies (including iPads and smart phones) / The power of peace of mind: ABS anti-fire base material; built-in fuse; over-load / short circuit / surge protection. 12 month warranty / Integrated blue LED nightlight with two brightness levels; LED power indicators for USB and AC output / Conveniently and securely charge your iPod or iPhone via the charging dock with protective security shield. The Bestek Wall Charging Station is under $20 at the Amazon link below. 

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

It’s here for under $20 at Amazon:

http://amazon.com/dp/B009DCNP9O/?tag=twnene-20  (This is a TWiT link. If you decide to buy one, you pay the normal price and TWiT gets a pittance.)

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1418

Cubes with a built-in brain!

Sifteo Cubes were a big hit a CES two years ago. Now version 2.0 is here. Each Sifteo Cube – there are three in a set – contains a 1.5” LCD screen that offers an amazing amount of play value. You can start playing fun games right out of the box. The Sifteo Cubes sense each other and your gestures. They display full-color graphics and respond to the way you hold or move them. And it’s all done wirelessly. Tilt, shake, and press them together for entertaining hands-on fun! Characters can run from one cube to another, roads from one cube continue on the next tube; there are all sorts of interaction. You can download additional games (for a fee) and add (optional) extra cubes to unlock new possibilities. The company says they’re recommended for ages seven to adult. Here’s what's Included in the kit: 3 Sifteo Cubes / Sifteo Base with speaker and USB port, pre-loaded with 4 game titles: Chroma Splash, Cube Buddies, Code Cracker, and Word Caravan. Free download of Sandwich Kingdom, an adventure quest where players explore the four corners of a playful fantasy world (limited time only). (That's one of my favorite games. Use one cube to 'shake' ketchup on a hamburger that's on another cube!)  Micro USB cable / 5 AAA Batteries / Soft carrying case. This much technology is not inexpensive. The kit is about $130.00 at Amazon.

Company website: www.sifteo.com

http://amazon.com/dp/B008X0ACP2/?tag=twnene-20

(This is a TWiT link. If you decide to buy one, you pay the normal price and TWiT gets a pittance.)

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1418

Viewer's Video of the Week -- I Invented This & How You Can Submit Your Video.

Below, read how to submit your video to The Giz Wiz Show. Win fame and a piece of crap from Leo too!

Viewer Video of the Week:  Steam Punk Numbers. 

From Brian Drake: 

Hi guys, here's my video submission. It's a steampunk lamp so people can read the address for my house at night as they're driving by. I shot it with the lamp indoors in order to quickly demonstrate how it looks in daylight and darkness. Hopefully the dark scene isn't too bad as I shot this with my iPod Touch and as you know it doesn't work all that well in low light.

I apologize if I appear awkward in the video, there just wasn't a good way for me to hold everything at the same time.

Brian Drake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpXPiDo1-Do

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1418

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 - (four maximum) 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! 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

Leo finds a brand new piece of crap for all to share!

I don’t think something that costs $400 and uses thousands of Legos can be called “crap, but I’m getting ahead of myself here. Somehow Jeff Needles, working at the Brick TWiT House as a summer intern for college credit, talked Leo into buying the LEGO Star Wars Death Star (10188) kit. Jeff said he’d build it in less than a week so Leo could show it on the Giz Wiz. Leo thought it looked great, so he bought it and Jeff built it. First, here’s the description from Lego: Recreate the action and adventure of the Star Wars movies with the ultimate Death Star playset. This amazingly detailed battle station features an incredible array of mini-figure-scale scenes, moving parts, characters and accessories from Episodes IV and VI on its multiple decks, including the Death Star control room, rotating turbo-laser turrets, hangar bay with TIE Advanced starfighter, tractor beam controls, Emperor’s throne room, detention block, firing laser cannon, Imperial conference chamber, droid maintenance facility, and the powerful Death Star superlaser…plus much more! Includes 24 minifigures and droids, plus all-new Dianoga trash compactor monster.

And now back to me! Follow the show link to see Jeff build it in record time thanks to time-lapse photography. And thanks to Jammerb, you can also see the Star Wars action figures standing, watching the construction! It is a very detailed model, with many working elements. It’s for kids 12 and up. It sells on Amazon for $399.97. It’s way more than $400 on many other sites. Is it worth it? Leo didn’t give a definite answer, but he was impressed with the detail and working parts of the model. If it’s any help, on Amazon more than 140 people give the LEGO Star Wars Death Star (10188) kit  four stars plus!

www.amazon.com/dp/B002EEP3NO/?tag=twene-20

(This is a TWiT link. Should you decide to buy one, TWiT gets a pittance.)

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1418

Back to Dick's Gadget Warehouse!

It’s not really a gadget that I found at the warehouse this week. But it was something important if you were one of the first to get on the Internet. It’s one of my CompuServe installation discs! Don’t remember Compuserve? CompuServe was the first online service to offer Internet connectivity, but it wasn’t cheap. It was about $10 an hour! During the early 1990s the hourly rate fell from over $10 an hour to $1.95 an hour. In April 1995, CompuServe topped three million members, which was the largest online service provider. However when AOL introduced a far cheaper flat rate, unlimited-time price plan of $24.95, it caused a significant loss of CompuServe customers. I was one of them that left CompuServe to go over to AOL. In 1997 AOL acquired CompuServe.

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1418

Our letter of the week:

Dear Lord High Viziers of the Gadgets, Eternal Rulers of SkyMallia and Keepers of the Crap,

A few shows ago, you featured the Bactrack Keychain Breathalyser.  Well, I was scouting around the InterWebNetSphere and found an iPhone version! I thought it might be interesting as not only does the TWiT staff like testing these gadgets (as shown by the Bactrack), with this version you not only can share your BAC with the world, you can see who else is flat hammered while you are. And privacy be gone!

Love the TWiT shows (I've been listening since 2010),

Jackson in New Zealand.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/12a6/