Pivothead HD POV video recording glasses!

When I first heard about a new gadget, Point-of-View (POV) video-recording glasses, I thought the name they picked was rather strange – Pivothead. But after using a pair to shoot some HD video, I think the name is pretty accurate.  Pivotheadglasses are available with clear lenses so you look like you’re wearing old-fashioned black plastic frame eyeglasses. Or you can buy Pivothead disguised as trendy sunglasses with various color lenses. If someone is standing directly in front you, looking you in the eye, they will probably feel you’ve got a hidden camera in the center of your glasses. But from a few feet away,Pivotheadcan pass as ordinary glasses. The various models (Aurora, Durango, Moab and Recon) are only different on the outside. Inside each one features an eight-mega pixel Sony sensor, a four-element glass lens and 8GB of built-in storage. (There is no external storage, but a wireless option is coming.) The company says you can capture about an hour of video with the built-in 440mAh battery. Video modes include: 1080/30fps, 720/60fps and 720/30fps. Shooting video is really easy once you turn the camera on. There’s nothing to hold, you record whatever you're looking directly at. (All the controls are built in the frame and tiny LEDs let you know if you’re in video mode, still mode, etc. You can see these lights even when you’re wearing your Pivothead device. There's built-in optical image stabilization, which I definitely needed. I shot video as I left the dock, and drove my boat out into the Hudson River. With a fast moving tide, I swing my head quite quickly from side-to-side to avoid hitting anything, and you see it all happening in the video. (Don’t get whiplash watching!) You charge the glasses via a micro-USB port also built into the frame. The same cable is used for downloading files and adjusting settings. Most settings can be adjusted directly on the glasses. The blinking LEDs tell you the settings you’ve choosen, but I found it far easier to use the digital dashboard on my computer to set everything up. Once you have the Pivotheadset the way you want, your choices are sent to the glasses via the USB cable. The glasses feel well made and the video results are quite good. The MSRP is $349.00. I don’t know if discounts are available, since Pivothead is fairly new to the market. There is an external memory device coming. Info is at the company website

www.pivothead.com  

The Giz Wiz Using Pivothead Glasses:http://youtu.be/KewFRVb8jVM  

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/

Take your TV with you where ever you go.

I loved my Slingbox. That was until Belkin announced their new @TV Plus. Yep, it’s a new, improved way to stream video from your home cable box to your tablet, your smart phone, or your laptop. It can stream via Wi-Fi or via a 3G/4G cell connection. (But you better have an unlimited data plan for that!) It has no HDMI connection, but Component and composite cables are included. And it lets you connect and control multiple devices like your digital cable box, satellite receiver, or DVD player. More features than the Slingbox Pro-HD $149 vs. $299. @TV Plus is Wi-Fi enabled, so you're not limited by a wired Ethernet connection. I hooked my @TV Plus to my cable box and it works on my desktop, my Samsung Note and my Motorola Droid 4. A feature I just tried is really great! If you’re busy when something you want to see is on the air, you can record it TV directly to your mobile device. That way you can view it when you’re not near WiFi, or you’re not connected to your cell data network. I’m thinking it would be to ideal to record movies while you’re at home connected to your WiFi and then enjoy them on the road, or in the air. Other features include access to your local area channel guide and control of your at-home cable box remote on the go. It works with Mac and Windows PCs, Android, and iOS devices. There are no monthly service fees, but you do have to pay a one-time $14.99 charge for the @TV smart phone app. The tablet app is free. Depending on when you’re reading this, the smart phone app is free until midnight July 25^th, 2012. The @TV device itself just started shipping. Price: $149.99. It does say $179.99 at their website, but "street price" is expected to be $149.99.

http://www.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=662375

Let a traffic light tell your toddlers when to stay in bed and when it's okay to get out.

How about using a traffic stoplight to tell your young child when to stay in bed and when to get up? When a lot of people are almost doing that with the Stoplight Sleep Enhancing Clock. This is a fun and simple way to teach toddlers that green not only means “go”, it also means “it’s okay to get up and out of bed." At a very young age, toddlers know their colors. So they’ll also understand that red means stop and “don’t get out of bed, and don’t wake mommy and daddy”. The Stoplight Sleep Enhancing Clock has a real kid friendly design. It’s a nicely crafted sculpted figure in a cute little car parked next to a stoplight. The stoplight features red, yellow and green lights. The red and green lights are controlled by the alarm that parents can easily set. (But pay attention to that tiny green LED light, bottom right. When it’s lit, the digital clock is in the PM mode.) The digital clock can just use the traffic lights to let your kids when to stay and when to get out of bed, or you also use the optional alarm function. The yellow traffic light has it own switch and can be used as a nightlight, a nice touch. The company says pediatricians recommend this clock, which makes sense. I think it’s pretty clever. From reading reviews on Amazon it seems folks are using it for toddlers from about 18 months on up. A few commented that the construction of the clock is not great, but mine seems fine. (It is imported from China.) There’s a boy driving a car version and a girl driving a car version. On Amazon I also saw a version with a dog on a scooter, or a cat on a scooter version too. Cost is $39.99. 

An LED light, designed especially for kids, but I like it too!

The Nokero Ed is an all-in-one solar LED book light that provides over 15 hours of continuous light when fully charged, allowing kids to read, study, and learn by night. It’s powered by the sun (artificial light too) and a rechargeable AAA battery, Edclips easily onto books or homework folders, or it can sit on a flat surface to light a child's workspace. Ed is made from durable, child-friendly materials and has a flexible gooseneck with a powerful, bright LED light attached to the end. An “on/off” switch conserves energy whenEd is not in use. Also Ed is smart enough not to go on if it senses light. That saves energy too. To recharge, simply angle the solar panel toward the sun. For every hour of strong sun charging, Ed will run for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Spreading the Light: Through partnerships and collaboration with organizations focused on children and education, Nokero is bringing sustainable and nontoxic solar light to the millions of children around the world living without electricity. Ed is not only an everyday difference-maker for kids, but a means of teaching sustainability around the globe. And the price is right too! Right now it’s available on the company website for $6! Although Nokero loves the average consumer, the bigger plan is to sell these in large quanities to companies. The profts will enable them to offer free units to kids in third word countries who have no electricity. 

www.nokero.com

Two cheap gadgets to help keep you cool!

For the backyard!

Twist and Mist is an inexpensive handy way to stay cool. The 36” highly flexible tube offers a versatile outdoor cooling solution. You can wrap it around the backyard umbrella, lounge chair, etc. Then hook it to an ordinary garden house and cool off in the ultra-fine mist it creates. The company says it cools air up to 30 degrees, which could turn a hot environment into a comfortable one. Ideal for sunbathing, outdoor sitting areas, pet areas, and can even be used for watering plants. Just attach to an outdoor garden hose and place into the desired position. Under $8.00. It’s at the link below at Kmart and online at dozens of outlets.

http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_028W003124926000P?sid=KDx20070926x00003a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=028W003124926000

For jogging, biking, etc.:

Like to walk or job with a bottle of cold water? Then you should check out the Water Bottle Stick Ice Cube Tray. This neat silicone ice tray lets you make ice cube sticks that you can slide into the narrow neck of a water bottle. These are a clever way to keep a drink cold without spending time trying to get ice cubes small enough to fit into a bottle. The Water Bottle Stick Ice cubes slip right thru the neck of most any water or beverage bottle. Tray is approximately 8" X 5". Just $5. ThinkGeek.

www.thinkgeek.com