The Giz Wiz for the week of October 16th, 2012, Show 1386

Something new and clever from Duracell Powermat. 

It’s called the 24-Hour Power System. This new system allows users to use their smartphones all day, without having to worry about battery life. Thankfully, it’s not only for the iPhone, which so many gadgets are. Now that Samsung has sold millions of Galaxy S3 units, it has it’s own Powermat case. The Powermat 24-Hour system has three components. A much slimmer-than-before wireless charging case for the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S3, a Backup Battery, and a sleek Powermat base. It’s easy to drop your phone and backup battery  – or just one of them on the two-device Powermat base. There are no wires to connect. When you lay it on the base, you’ll hear a mini-chime and small LED light will come out to confirm the device is now being charged. But wait there’s more! The 24-Hour Power System can also be charged at a growing number of Duracell Powermat Wireless Charging Hot Spots. They’re being installed in key locations like Madison Square Garden here in NYC. But, you probably won’t have to find a Powermat hot spot because the 24-Hour Power System includes portable backup battery that doubles the battery capacity for most smartphones. The 1850 mAh battery features a light-up ‘power indicator’ that shows the remaining power so you know when to recharge. The battery has two recessed cables, a micro USB, and a 30-pin iPhone cable. I assume they’re working on a unit that will have the new Apple iPhone connector. As an extra benefit of the wireless charging case is that it’s also protective and decorative. They’re available in black, white and pink at retail, and also in blue, green, red, and silver online. The sleek charging Powermat that can charge two smartphones simultaneously (in their Powermat cases), or one smartphone and one portable backup battery. It’s available in black or white The Duracell Powermat 24 Hour Power System retails for $99.99. Additional wireless cases retail for $34.99 and additional backup batteries retail for $49.99. 

www.DuracellPowermat.com

The 24-Hour System is under $90 here on Amazon: (I haven't shopped here.)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0082YVBO0/?tag=twnene-20 

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SWITCH60 - it's the first liquid-cooled LED light bulb and it's dimmable!

When I first saw this bulb I thought: “I’d use this bulb without a lampshade so people can see how high tech it looks!” The SWITCH60 is a 60-watt equivalent bulb that uses about 12 watts of energy. (The 100-watt equivalent version uses 21 watts.) There are plenty of LED light bulbs out there already, but what makes this one different is that the bulb is filled with liquid silicone. That means it can stay cooler than other LED light bulbs - up to 40% better performance than air-cooled LED lamps, says the company. The SWITCH60 could pass for an incandescent bulb if it was under a shade. By now we’re probably all using energy-saving CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs – yeah, the ones with strange shapes. They are super energy-efficient but most of them produce a fairly ugly bluish-tint light. LED lamps give off a much more pleasant light, but they tend to produce heat, especially the brighter ones that use more LEDs. Heat can shorten the life of the tricky electronics within the bulb. That’s what’s unique about the SWITCH60; the liquid-cooling silicone inside helps keep the 10 LED’s cool. (There are 12 LED's in the 100-watt version.) Although it looks similar to the shape of a 60-watt incandescent bulb, it is much heavier. (9.9 ounces on my Ultra-Ship Scale.) A advantage of this bulb is that it can be used with just about any dimmer. Some LED bulbs can’t be dimmed at all, or require special dimmers. In case you’re wondering (I was) if the bulb breaks, it won't explode. The company says silicone is used in certain food and cosmetic products. It’s a completely safe, food-grade product, non-toxic and non-staining.” And there’s no mercury in this bulb, which can’t be said about CFL bulbs. New technology isn’t cheap. SWITCH bulbs will retail for between $40 & $60 depending on wattage. There are 40, 60 and 100-watt versions. They’re in commercial installations now and coming in about a month or so, to the consumer market. 

http://www.switchlightingco.com/

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From the folks who designed the original iPod, the Nest Learning Thermostat.

1st Nest Learning Thermostat upper right, Gen 2.0 lower leftLess than a year after the launch of the Nest Learning Thermostat, the company announced the next-generation 2.0 model. The new version is 20 percent slimmer and is now compatible with 95 percent of low-voltage residential heating and cooling systems. It uses version 3.0 of its software, but don’t worry if you have one of the earlier units. The 3.0 version works for new and existing customers and offers more features to better balance comfort and energy conservation. The second-generation Nest Learning Thermostat is 20 percent thinner and has a new all-stainless steel ring that blends into any décor. One new feature is Enhanced Auto-Away which can turn down heat or air conditioning as soon as 30 minutes after you’ve left the house. (Motion Sensors in the unit can figure out when you leave.) The company found that more than 90 percent of connected Nest owners use the remote control feature, so in addition to support on computer web browsers, apps for iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones, Nest now supports Android tablets, including Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire. The second-generation Nest Learning Thermostat is available just about now, October 16th, 2012, or in the next week or so. Available at Amazon, Apple’s online store, and Lowe’s stores. Nest Software 3.0 is already being rolled out automatically to existing customers. The original Nest Learning Thermostat now has an MSRP of $229.00 (U.S.) and is available at Lowe’s while supplies last. The new second generation Nest model is only $20 more, with a MSRP of $249. Much more info at the company website:

www.nest.com

It's here on Amazon. I haven't shopped at this link:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009GDHYPQ/?tag=twnene-20

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Leo's "Crap From The Sky Mall Catalog!" Pick Of The Week!

The toilet seat that automatically raises and lowers!

Here’s the description on Sky Mall: Some men have a hard time remembering to put the toilet seat down after use. Now the iTouch Sensor Toilet Seat is good news for your household. It raises the lid automatically as you approach the toilet. Wave a hand over it one more time and the seat rises. Then both the lid and seat close automatically 15 seconds after you step away. The unit is easy to install and because it's touchless, it helps prevent germs and bacteria from spreading. Includes adjustable sensor range, lithium battery, and adapter for recharging. $159.99!

And how did it work? Actually it didn’t work much at. Leo walked into the Ladies Room at TWiT, after making sure no one was in there, where the staff had installed the iTouch Sensor Toilet Seat. Leo stood in front of the sensor seat. After about 20 seconds, it slowly raised up. It stopped half way up. After about 30 seconds Leo left the bathroom but the toilet seat never came back down. So this was not a good investment of $159.99! It was kind of money flushed down the toilet.

http://www.skymall.com/shopping/search.htm

I see for $30 less on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=itouch%20sensor%20toilet%20seat

Leo gives us a Bonus Gadget! But is it for the birds?

The other mail order gadget Leo showed was Perfect Polly – the plastic polly with real looks and sounds. It's an "as seen on TV" gadget, so you know it has to be good! Guess what? Perfect Polly proved to work way better in its own way, than the toilet did. Someone in the studio had a real bird, and the real bird actually interacted with the plastic, battery-operated one! It was quite amazing, so be sure to watch this episode. Leo said Perfet Polly was cheaply made, but it did work pretty well. At $14.95, plus S & H, this was definitely the better deal! 

http://perfectpollypet.com/

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What new crap should Leo buy and demo on The Giz Wiz? Don't miss your chance to vote!!

Gadget Warehouse Time!

This week’s warehouse gadget is another “Viewer Video of the Week!” 

Learn how to submit your own video at the bottom of this column.  

Back in 1999 Jasen from Dayton, Ohio needed a digital camera with unlimited memory. His choices were few back then, but he decided on the Sony Digital Mavica FD-73 because it had unlimited memory. How so? It recorded digital images on floppy discs! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9ByJ145-GY

Here are the amazing specs on this camera:

Product Features 0.3 megapixel sensor is great for emails and posting on the web 10x optical plus 2x digital zoom lens with autofocus Images recorded on floppy disk; 1 disk holds 10 images at default resolution 3.5 inch floppy disks can be read by any PC or Mac with a floppy drive Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery and AC adapter included

And our producer, Jason Howell, has a Sony Digital Mavica story too! 

When I moved to SF in 1998, my first job here was for a company called Metro Rent and part of my job was walking around the city snapping digital photos with these floppy disk cameras taking pictures of rental buildings. My first digital camera experience.

Jason H

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! 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. 

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. Low production value is fine. Even welcomed; so our stuff doesn't look too bad by comparison. We've set the bar low. Don't trip over it.

All show submissions go to gizwiz@twit.tv

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