An amazing break-through for 2002! The San Disk Cruzer.

Dick’s Gadget Warehouse Friday, October 16^th Netcast 940

The press release given out at CES 2002 said it all! Introducing the San Disk Cruzer -  carry data, pictures, music from your computer in the dorm to the computer at home in your pocket! The Cruzer fills a void in the portable storage market that neither floppy disks nor CDs can address. The all-in-one unit plugs directly into the industry-standard USB port that is built into desktop PCs and without any additional components necessary. It's powered right from the USB port! The Cruzer is created for today's active, on-the-go lifestyle. Plugs into any USB port (PC or Macintosh). Push the button one way, a USB port pops out. Need more memory, push the button the other way, a removable card comes out which you can replace with a larger memory. Cruzers initially will be available in four capacities -- 32, 64, 128 and 256MB. Check out these amazing stats from a mere 7 years ago: Consumers can store 35 to 70 songs (depending on compression scheme used) on a 128MB Cruzer - or at least 64 high-resolution images on a 64MB Cruzer. More than 40,000 pages of double-spaced text could be stored on a 32MB Cruzer. As higher capacity cards become available users will be able to upgrade their Cruzers to these higher capacities. True "Plug-and-Play" operation when used with Windows with no cables, external power or drivers required.  Ready to hear the prices back then?? It is expected that the Cruzer will be available early in the second quarter of 2002. The device is expected to sell, depending on capacity, at prices ranging from $59.95 to $199.95. It is expected that the 128MB Cruzer will sell for $99.95. 256MB $199.95!

www.twit.tv/dgw940

Now kids can “print” their own one-of-a-kind stuffed dog, cat, bear, pony, etc.

Thursday, October 15^th, 2009, Netcast 939

I know, how can  a kid “print” a toy?  Well it’s a new creative activity for kids called Printies. Kids design their pet online, picking out eyes, clothes, colors, and things like that. Then when they’re happy with their design, they print it on the Printies fabric sheet. On the first pass, the front of the toy is printed. Then the sheet is turned over and on the second pass through the printer, the back of the toy is printed. Each pre-sewn sheet is 100% soft cotton but works just like paper in any inkjet printer! The kit includes plain paper for testing the correct printing procedure and an on-screen video takes the kids – or you – through the process. After it’s printed, tear it out, stuff it and seal it shut with a pair of shoes! There’s no sewing, no gluing, no cutting – and best of all for parents, no mess! You do need a color inkjet printer & an Internet connection. The Printies Pet Designer Includes:  Patent Pending Printies Fabric sheets to make four Printies. 4 Pairs of shoes  / Stuffing for 4 Printies and stuffing tool / Sample Paper / Stickers / Exclusive access to the Printies Pet Design Studio online. Each kit (there are 3 varieties) makes 4 Printies! Age 6+. Under $20. There's a demo at the company website:

 www.myprinties.com

 Hear this Netcast www.twit.tv/dgw939

The Coby CAM3000 SNAPP Mini Digital Camcorder/Camera

Wednesday, October 14^th, 2009, Netcast 938

The SNAPP CAM3000 from Coby Electronics is a pocket-sized digital camcorder shaped very much like the Flip. You can use it to shoot video, take pictures, and play back your files on the built-in color 1.5" LCD screen. There’s a tiny bit of built-in memory, 32MB, but you’ll most likely just be using the built-in SD card slot. It can handle SD/SDHC cards up to 8 GB. That should give you more than 2 hours of recording time. But how does it record? Actually for the money – the results are amazing! You can see for yourself at the link below. When a friend who does PR for Coby said she wanted to try their new under $40 camcorder, I thought: “Under $40, this must be junk!”. Surprise, it shoot very decent video. This is a great camcorder for the kids. You can find it for as low as $29.95 if you do a price search on the web. That way the kids can have their own camera and they’ll leave yours alone. It ships with ArcSoft video editing software and YouTube uploader. I didn’t use the software but uploaded the video to YouTube from putting the SD card from the Coby directly into my computer’s card reader.  A USB cable and hand strap are also included. It runs on 4 AAA batteries which are also included.  Here from Coby are the specs: 1.5" TFT LCD Full Color Display / 1.3MP CMOS sensor(1280 x 960) with LED for low-light situations/ 4x digital zoom – (you can’t an optical zoom at under $40!)/ 32MB built-in memory, SD/SDHC card slot expandable up to 8GB/ 4 X "AAA" batteries (included) with over 4 hours of battery life / ArcSoft Media Impression for video editing and uploading to YouTube / Video resolution: VGA(640 x 480) @ 30fps, AVI fle, codec: Motion JPEG / Connects easily to computer for use as a webcam (driver included and installation required). Here’s a short piece of video I shot with the Coby right out of the box. I'm not using the zoom, but actually moving closer to this great little squirrel!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QhKUFWyubU&feature=channel

And another of my outdoor backyard railroad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic3DtP9YfhU

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw938

Update on October 14, 2009 by The Giz Wiz

Don't how long this sale will last but Daily Giz Wiz fan psimac sent me a link to J & R Music. They are selling (more like fire-saleing) the Coby CAM3000 for $19.95!!!!!    

Amazon.com: Coby CAM3000 1.44-Inch TFT LCD Mini Digital Camcorder/Camera (Black): Electronics

GigaPan lets you take the ultimate panorama photo.

Tuesday, October 13^th, 2009, Netcast 937

Leo was off this week, delivery a keynote address in Dubai, so Alex Lindsay got to do the Turn the Table Tuesday. His pick: The GigaPan! I don’t have this device but Alex said it offered amazing results and is easy to use. He said it sets things automatically that would take a photographer endless hours to do – that assuming a photographer could do it at all! (Here’s some info from the GigaPan website: This gizmo is a unique robotic camera mount that empowers most small digital cameras with the ability to capture gigapixel images. It is easy to use and remarkably efficient. Simply set the corners of the panorama you want to capture using the LCD interface. The built in software works out how many photos your camera will need to take, hundreds or even thousands. Then the Epic begins snapping the photos, automatically organizing them in overlapping rows and columns. View list of tested cameras.

Compact enough to fit into a small camera bag and weighing only 3.5 lbs the Epic is versatile and travels well. You may attach a tripod for stability using the 1/4” tripod mount and level with the onboard bubble level. 

www. GigaPan.com

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw937

Today’s gadget was last month’s "What The Heck Is It?" gadget.

Monday, October 12, 2009, Netcast 936. 

SURPRISE!  Leo heads off to Dubai to deliver a keynote speech & Alex Lindsay hosts this week's Daily Giz Wiz. (Alex hosted almost all the TWiT show while Leo was off his ball!)

The g-Spout is a removable spout/strainer that attaches to a skillet, double boiler, bowl or can. It was a device I found at the Gourmet Show when I was out in San Francisco. The g-Spout was originally developed to encourage the environmentally responsible disposal of cooking grease and oil, and to help eliminate clogged drains and sewers. (I never could understand how my mother poured grease down the drain when we all knew how hard it became as it cooled.)  The inventor told me that customers found lots of new uses for the device. You can use it pouring cupcakes, muffins, and pancakes into pans without drips or baked on batter. For fancy desserts you can use it for drizzling chocolate, and caramel from a double boiler; straining fruit salad, vegetables or rice; even pouring sugar, salt or coffee. And of course, straining hot bacon or hamburger grease into disposable containers. You don’t have to worry about the heat from the pots or pans because the g-Spout is made of high temperature food grade silicone. And it’s microwave and dishwasher safe. Remember - removing the fat, oil, and grease is also good for your family's health. It's not limited to the kitchen either - it can be used in the garage, shop, RV, and even the craft room. $12.99 + S&H

www.g-spout.com

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw936