It’s not a gadget, but a clever web service I think fills a real need.

Wednesday, December 1^st, 2010, Netcast 1233 

During the holiday season Wired opens a holiday store in NYC. This year’s location is at 4^th Street & Broadway in Manhattan, the old Tower Records location. The store doesn’t actually sell anything, but you get to play with new gadgets, relax, see fun art installations; and if you see something you want to buy, you can go to http://www.wiredstore.net/ . It’s open Wednesdays to Sunday till December 26^th, but check the website for all the details. At the store preview event, I met Robin Smith who has started a unique service called the WeGoLook Report. It took Robin about a year to assemble a stable of some 7,000 GoLookers across the country. And what do they do? Suppose you’re bidding on or buying something online that you have never seen in person? Do you want independent confirmation that the item actually exists, and of the seller's claims about the item? Then your WeGoLooker will do the following: Arrange to view item or property, confirm existence of item or property, provide location of item or property at time of inspection, confirm brand, manufacturer, model number, serial number, VIN number, or other markings on item as requested. And finally they’ll shoot 10 digital photos. If you want, you can upgrade your report with optional items like videos, dimensions, a working demonstration, etc. If you’re serious about buying something pricey on the Internet, this is a good investment. Prices start at $49. Another service they provide has to do with dating. I don’t know how a possible date would feel about this, but you can arrange for a WeGoLooker to meet someone you’re thinking of visiting in a different city to make sure they look like the photo they posted or sent you! You can read all about Robin’s service at her website: 

www.wegolook.com 

Hear or SEE this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1233  (Show link becomes live about midnight for the next day’s Netcast.)

Turn the Table Tuesday. No, it's not a new cell phone, headset, or camera. It's a new Tablet!

TTTT, November 30^th, 2010, Netcast 1232 

Yes, Leo got a new tablet computer, the Samsung GALAXY Tab. It features a 7-inch TFT-LCD display and it’s powered by the new 2.2 Android Operating System. Right out of the box Leo likes the bright, beautiful display and the smaller size of this tablet. Here’s another device that Leo can use to communicate via e-mail, voice, video call, SMS/MMS or social network! It can be used for watching films, viewing pictures, e-reading or sharing documents. With Adobe Flash Player 10.1, the Samsung GALAXY Tab supports seamless viewing of web content. A feature Samsung calls 'Media Hub’, is the TAB's gateway to films, videos, and music. With 3G HSPA connectivity, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 3.0, Leo can stay connected – as he must always be! For voice telephony, the Samsung GALAXY Tab can be used as speakerphone, or as a mobile phone on the move via Bluetooth headset. I don’t think Leo is planning on using his TAB for calls. A Cortex A8 1.0GHz application processor powers it, and HD video content is supported by a wide range of multimedia formats like DivX, XviD, MPEG4, H.263, H.264 and more. But wait, there’s more! A front-facing camera allows face-to-face video over 3G, and the rear-facing camera captures still images and video that can Leo can edit, upload and share. I assume we’ll be seeing Leo posting video & pics from his new, impressive Samsung GALAXY Tab! And the price? $399.99 with a two-year Sprint contract. Yes, less than the iPad by about a third. (Although I played with the Tab at the press preview, I don’t own one. So the specs here are from the Samsung press info.) But Leo’s favorable review is his own! 

http://now.sprint.com/tab/?ECID=vanity:tab  

Hear or SEE this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1232

Wave your hand and get a paper towel cut to the exact length you want.

Daily Giz Wiz, November 29th, 2010, Netcast 1231

The CLEANCut Touchless Paper Towel Dispenser just might change the way you think about paper towel dispensing forever. This device is a sanitary, no-touch paper towel dispenser that uses any brand of store-bought paper towel. Its clever operation uses LED Breaking Beam Technology and a self sharpening blade to cut paper towels to any length - regardless of the perforation. Save money by using the length you need, keep your family healthy by not spreading germs, and keep your counter clutter free! The CLEANCut Dispenser operates on a low voltage power adapter that plugs into a standard 120V outlet. It’s designed for under-cabinet mounting; installation instructions are included. Retail pricing is between $139.95 and $159.95. It’s available in Black, White, and Stainless Steel colors. Retailers Brookstone, Hammacher Schlemmer, Chefs Catalog and Amazon have the product available online. And it’s available at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I shot a video using this device at a trade show this past summer. And there's a demo at the company website.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MADMaddest?feature=mhum#p/u/14/-VOpTWzqM5A

Company website: http://www.cleancutdispenser.com

Hear of SEE this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw2031  (The program link goes live about midnight, so please check back if it comes up "page not found".)

What’s that noise in Dick’s Gadget Warehouse?

Daily Giz Wiz, Friday, November 26^th, 2010, Netcast 1230

It was back in 1998 that JVC introduced a knock-out boombox. It was the oversized JVC Urban Assault Kaboom. This was an awesome machine that put out 26 watts of music per channel! It had twin 6.5-inch super-woofers with independent volume controls, an auto-reverse cassette transport and a sturdy shoulder strap. The reason it had to be sturdy? This bad boy weighed 21 pounds! There was something in the instruction book that really stuck in my mind because it was pretty funny. “The system has two handles, one on each end. Be sure to carry the unit using both handles. Because of the length of the unit, if you carry it by just one handle, the other end will drag on the ground.” How long was the Kaboom Box?  Over 2 feet, coming in between 27 & 28 inches. The unit came with a remote control that conveniently stored in the shoulder strap. It operated on AC, on 12 volts with the car cord – or if you wanted even more weight, you could power it with ten D batteries! But guess what? The JVC Kaboom is back and updated for the digital age. (Model RV-NB50, shown in the photo) It now includes a built-in iPod dock and USB Host for playback of music files stored on a USB mass storage device.  In addition, there’s a CD player that can handle MP3 and WMA file playback. The weight’s come down a bit to about 15 pounds, but price hasn’t. It still retails in the $240 to $300 range! 

See or hear this episode: www.twit.tv/dgw1230

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Daily Giz Wiz, Thursday, November 25^th, 2010, Netcast 1229

Turn ordinary coffee into café latte or cappuccino.

The new Capresso Froth Pro is designed to create thick, rich frothed milk for cappuccinos, steamed milk for café lattes, and frothy hot chocolate. It’s real easy to do with the touch of a button. There are three temperature settings – hot, warm and cold. Capresso says the warm button might be used to make hot chocolate for the kids, while the hot button would be used to make hot chocolate for the adults. This stand-alone appliance is an ideal complement to any coffee maker or espresso machine. Or use it to satisfy the hot chocolate lover! Just put in the ingredients, hit the button and the rest is automatic. The Froth Pro features a black pitcher and black base with stainless steel accents and illuminated touch pad buttons. The buttons glow blue and look really high tech. The smart design includes dual auto shut-off for safety and a storage compartment in the bottom of the base to hold the two frothing discs and one heating disc that come with the unit. When you first use the unit you’ll find you have a pull up firmly to release the disc that’s installed when it ships. Be brave, the disc is stronger than it might look. Outside of that, everything’s perfect. The cup hanldes 8 oz for frothing or 12 oz for heating without frothing. Under $60

http://capresso.com/water-kettle-frother-frothpro.shtml 

See or Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1229