With these "tech" gloves, you can leave them on and still use all your touch screen devices.

So what’s a touch screen-lover to do in the cold? You probably already know that regular gloves will not let you operate a touch screen device. They keep you warm, but they create a barrier between you and your touch-screen device. That’s where Agloves are different. These “tech gloves” can be worn while you use any of your touch screen phones, cameras, multimedia devices, etc. Why? Because of silver. Silver is the most electrically conductive element. Agloves are made with silver-coated nylon fibers knitted into a comfortable fabric that puts the conductivity back in your touch. (The company says silver is the most electrically conductive element.) Agloves’ silver fibers are not restricted to two or three fingertips. They’re knitted into the fabric of the whole glove so all ten fingers can be touch-screen ready. This is important because it provides greater surface area for the natural bioelectricity in your hand.  If the tips of your fingertips are not conductive enough due to dryness and cold, the bioelectricity from the palm of your hand flows through the super conductive glove to your fingertips to maintain your connection. And a great little side benefit, no fingerprints! I used these gloves down by the Hudson river with a stiff wind blowing. Down to about 40 degrees they’re nice and warm. Below that, you might want use these as liners, under other gloves. (But you'll have to remove the top gloves when you need to use the touch-screen.) Under $18. For now, they’re only available on the web. 

www.Agloves.com  

See or Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1248

Panther Vision updates their very popular LED reading glasses.

I love my Panther Vision LED lighted reading glasses. They’re great for working on projects in dark corners, or under furniture. Or for when the lights go out. Well now they have a new version called LightSpecs. Panther Vision says these are the most durable and brightest lighted reading glasses available! I can vouch for the fact that they are indeed bright, and they do feel sturdy and well made. Since you wear them exactly the same way you wear regular glasses, they shine lots of ultra bright light where ever you look. You can read or work in bed without disturbing your partner -- repair small parts or build a model -- great for sewing, crafts or home improvement projects. And your won’t disturb your seatmate when traveling by plane, train, bus or car. Unlike the earlier version glasses where the battery compartment and LED light was added to the outside of the frame, this new version has the two ultra-bright LED’s hidden inside the eyeglass temples. Really nice! LightSpecs are available in diopters from 1.00 to 3.00 in .25 increments so you can get the EXACT magnification needed. The company says you can expect 50+ hours of battery life. Yes, batteries ARE included, and they’re easily replaceable with no tools needed. Prices range from $24.99 to $29.99. One website sells them for $24.99, and offers free shipping over $25! That annoys me! For the penny, they won't ship them for free!? Okay, I’m not mentioning their website here! Do a web search for the lowest price. And if you see similar lighted glasses from Foster Grant, it’s okay, they’re licensed from Panther Vision. 

www.panthervision.com 

I did a podcastof this gizmo. Hear or SEE it here: www.twit.tv/dgw1228

Really old tech comes back to life with a new high tech use.

The pop-up Wired Store at 4^th Street & Broadway, NYC (open until 12/26/10) has a lot of fun gadgets, gizmos, demos and displays. One of the most unique is the USB Typewriter. It’s a mash-up of new innovation and way old technology. Are you old enough to have owned an old fashioned manual typewriter? Or do you currently own one because you can’t stand to part with it? Guess what? You can now use old typewriter as a keyboard for any USB-capable computer, such as a PC, Mac, or even iPad! At the Wired Store I typed on an iPad using an old manual Royal typewriter keyboard! The USB Keyboard is available three ways. There’s a kit to convert your own manual typewriter into a USB-ready keyboard. It comes with two blank PCBs and all electronic parts (unassembled), so you can have the knowledge and satisfaction that come with wiring up this fun electronics project by yourself. It should take an experienced solderer roughly 3 or 4 hrs to assemble the electronics, and another 3 hrs to install them on the typewriter. That’s NOT for me, but it only costs $59.00. If you already have your own favorite old typewriter it can be made into a USB typewriter for $399. (It takes about a month for the conversion, so it can't be a Holiday gift.) Or, for $699 you can pick out one of their old manual typewriters and have the whole thing delivered to you, ready to type! 

www.usbkeyboard.com

 Dick De, USB Keyboard Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We1dt0zNU8A  

Info on the Wired Store: http://www.wiredstore.net/

Hear or SEE this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1239.

You've heard of road rage. What about wrap rage?

Don’t you hate trying to open those sealed plastic packages with the edges that seem like they’re welded together? OpenIt! is a big help. We reported on the first version a couple of years ago, but now there’s a new, improved version. The original was a four-in-one and the newer one is a five-in-one. OpenIt! features a set of incredibly sharp blades that will cut through the toughest plastic packaging. The company says it will cut like a hot knife through butter. I don’t quite agree with that, but it sure will make your life easier!  Its recessed blade design protects your hand from plastic "shards" as you cut. There’s also a built in retractable utility knife to slice open CDs, DVD’s, and boxes. (But use the blade with care. It is not replicable.) And once you get the kid’s toy out the plastic tomb, you can open the battery compartments with the concealed double-sided screwdriver – slot and Philips. You can even crack open a cold beer with the built-in bottle opener. That’s the newest addition. But although you can probably live without that, the whole design is new.  It’s smaller and easier to grasp. My estimate is that it’s about 20% smaller than the original. And now the hidden screwdriver is removable. In the older model, it folded out and you had to use the whole device to turn a screw, which was a bit awkward at times. The cardboard back on old packaging used to be scored for easy removal, but it’s not on the new package. But someone told me to squeeze the package to pop it open. Price is about the same, anyway from $10.99 to $12.99. The new one is the 5-in-1.  It's also at Bed Bath and Beyond,Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Walgreens, and Kroger as well as Amazon.com. At the company website, the older 4-in-1 is on sale - 2 for $14.99.  

www.enjoyzibra.com/openit     

See or Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1224

Is your cell phone another place for germs to socialize?

Violight says your cell phone is probably one of your most often touched electronic devices; you use it everyday wherever you are. The warmth of your phone creates the perfect environment for germs to live. That means many germs are lurking there! One report said your cell phone could have more germs than your toilet seat. Ugh! Not to fear! Now you can sanitize cell phones and other small devices like Bluetooth headsets, earbuds, and MP3 players in just minutes with the Violight UV Cell Phone Sanitizer. The company says germicidal UV light eliminates 99% of germs and bacteria. (UV light is widely used in hospitals to kill germs.) Place your cell phone is the Violight Phone Sanitizer, slide the top on and it works automatically. With dual UV bulbs it sanitizes your device in less than 5 minutes and then shuts off automatically. There are two safety switches so it only operates with the cover in place. You also get an accessories basket to sanitize small devices like headphones, MP3 players, and cell phone headsets. It works on 3 AA batteries so you can operate it anywhere. (Batteries not included.) It won’t work on flip or slider phones, but it will work for cell phones with the following maximum dimensions: 3 L x 0.75 W x 5 H inches. Remember this is a sanitizer, not a washing machine. At a recent demo I heard one reporter remark: “I can still see fingerprints”. It doesn’t remove fingerprints, but the ones that are there should be “germ free” fingerprints! Under $50. If you do a web search you’ll probably find it for less. 

http://violight.com/viuvcephsa.html