News & Features

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Score 'The Social Network'; You Get a Five Song Sampler for Free

News & Features

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Score ‘The Social Network’; You Get a Five Song Sampler for Free

Here’s a heads-up that you can download a FREE five-track sampler of music from the upcoming movie The Social Network, scored by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, by clicking this link. You can also pre-order the full 19 song soundtrack as a CD ($8.00), in HD Blu-ray Audio ($20.00), or on vinyl ($25.00). The Social Network soundtrack will be released digitally on Tuesday September 28th with physical formats to follow in October. You can pre-order standard CD, Blu-ray (audio only 5.1 surround and high resolution stereo) and 2 disc 180g vinyl formats now. All preorders include an instant 5 song sampler download…

Random Cool Stuff: Too Many Cats? Here Are a Few Ways To Organize Them!

News & Features

Random Cool Stuff: Too Many Cats? Here Are a Few Ways To Organize Them!

This summer my wife’s sister moved from New Jersey to Texas because her husband works for Exxon-Mobil, and in the process what started as ‘babysitting’ her 3 cats turned into getting them dumped on us permanently! So on top of our two terriers, without own cat we suddenly had a minor herd of kittehs! Here is one we actually just got rid of when our nephew returned from China and wanted the cat back with him at college: And yes, he is rather large – he’s actually bigger than either of our dogs! They can get out of hand at…

Random Cool Stuff: ABC's for Baby Gamers!

News & Features

Random Cool Stuff: ABC’s for Baby Gamers!

How young is too young to start indoctrinating your children in the ways of the gamer? NEVER too young! So instead of reading ‘Chicka Chicka ABC’ or ‘Goodnight Moon’ to your toddler, tuck them in with the ‘Gamer’s Alphabet’! Anyway, ElJeffe at the Penny-Arcade forums talked about his book and how he created it: Okay, here’s the Gamer’s Alphabet. First, this is roughly how I made it. Instead of using adhesive paper, I used plain, sturdy printer paper and spray-on glue, because I couldn’t find any adhesive paper that didn’t suck for printing. Also, the instructions make it sound like…

Duracell myGrid Makes Cordless Charging Easy, Simple and Fast

News & Features

Duracell myGrid Makes Cordless Charging Easy, Simple and Fast

We have looked at a number of cordless charging systems over the last year or so, but now a heavyweight in the world of mobile-device power jumped into the field in a big way when they released their myGrid system. Duracell’s myGrid offers several different kits that let you simply set your device down and watch it charge up. With the myGrid… Cord clutter is a thing of the past. With myGrid, you can easily charge up to four mobile devices at the same time. Simply attach a Power Sleeve™ or Power Clip™ to each device and drop it onto myGrid…

Android on a Palm Tungsten C!

News & Features

Android on a Palm Tungsten C!

(image courtesy Dmitry Grinberg) Yes, Android has been ported to iPhones, but what about older devices? If you’ve got a Tungsten C, you can (theoretically) run Android 2.1 on it! Yes, a Tungsten C can run a higher version of Android than some official Android phones! This upgrade (if you can call it that) was done by Dmitri Grinberg, possibly the last major hacker/developer of the Palm OS platform. He’s claimed for some time to be working on “DGOS”, a pseudo-upgrade to Palm OS. Either to not endanger his DGOS project or because the Android port is so unstable, it…

Ford celebrating Vans and 8-Tracks

News & Features, Vehicles & Gear

Ford celebrating Vans and 8-Tracks

Ford Motor Company is celebrating a couple of milestones this week. The first is the 50th anniversary of the E-Series fullsize van, originally called Econoline. Second, and more importantly to some of us, is the 45th anniversary of its first offering of an 8-track tape player option in its vehicles. In 1965, car buyers were given a new option for factory sound systems. An 8-track stereo tape player was being offered in new 1966 model Mustangs, T-Birds and Lincolns. This new recorded music format was developed by Lear Jet along with the assistance of Ampex, Ford, General Motors, Motorola and…

Hey, Why Not? Help Send the Jason Parker Quartet to Iceland With 3 Mouse Clicks!

News & Features

Hey, Why Not? Help Send the Jason Parker Quartet to Iceland With 3 Mouse Clicks!

No money involved, and you just have to enter a name and email. I have talked about the Jason Parker Quartet quite a bit in reviews of their music as well as praising their business ethics and pay-what-you-want practice. Now they have made it on to a list of bands nominated to be sent to Iceland to represent Seattle. Voting is open, and it is quick and easy. Naturally if you live in Seattle or know any of the other groups you might have already voted, but otherwise here is a chance to support a great band that is doing…

Ooma Rolls Out Cheap iPhone VOiP Plan

News & Features

Ooma Rolls Out Cheap iPhone VOiP Plan

Thanks to Ooma, my home phone system now costs me a grand total of $0.00 each month. I liked the original Ooma system quite a bit, and I LOVE the new Ooma Telo I reviewed early in the summer. One of the best new features of the Ooma system isn’t exactly part of the Ooma system. A few months ago the company rolled out an iPhone app. What makes this app so special isn’t that it runs in the background on iOS 4.0, although that DOES make it quite useful. No, what makes this iPhone app so special is that…

A Smartphone User's Worst Nightmare...

News & Features

A Smartphone User’s Worst Nightmare…

(image courtesy Foxnomad) Warning: The image in this post may be very disturbing for iPhone owners everywhere. It’s a nightmare for any smartphone user, really. The devices are so powerful, yet so, so fragile… This is my coworker’s iPhone. I don’t know all the details, except that he dropped it while it was out of its bumper case. While neither of us are physicists, we theorized that had it had the bumper on it, the damage might have been less severe (or nonexistent). Luckily for him, the camera still works so he won’t need to run out and replace the…

XtremeMac Reveals Tango TRX Bluetooth Audio Solution for iPod, iPhone and iPad

News & Features

XtremeMac Reveals Tango TRX Bluetooth Audio Solution for iPod, iPhone and iPad

XtremeMac has just unveiled their new Tango TRX high-fidelity wireless audio system for iPod, iPhone and iPad. The Tango TRX offers – superior sound quality, wireless audio connectivity, sleek design and an exclusive app to create a unique and powerful listening experience. Using the latest Bluetooth technology for wirelessly streaming high quality audio the Tango TRX has two midrange drivers, two dome tweeters and a downward firing subwoofer. But that is only part of the story… A free app from XtremeMac integrates with the unit to enhance both control and functionality. With the app you … can control music directly…

Child-in-the-Road Decal: Safety Enhancement or Recipe for Disaster?

News & Features

Child-in-the-Road Decal: Safety Enhancement or Recipe for Disaster?

This weekend on CNN, I saw a bit about a new safe driving initiative in Canada. The basis is to have an extended road decal that has a faux 3D appearance to look like a child chasing a ball into the road. The goal is to have you slow down in high-accident areas and hopefully reduce risks. But as the report indicates, my first concern is over the potential that the same drivers who are taking risks now will become desensitized to these decals and will end up mistakenly end up hitting an actual child at play. Check out the spot:…

The Rubber Band Gatling Gun

News & Features

The Rubber Band Gatling Gun

Oh the damage you could do if you had a Rubber Band Gatling Gun from Gadgets & Gear! Not for children and not for the faint of heart, this aluminum beast of a rubber band shooter will set you back $499, but it will give you bragging rights the likes of which have never been seen! Each handmade Gatling Gun is made of CNC machined parts, and it weighs a hefty 20 pounds. It can shoot 100 rounds of rubber bands, and it comes with two pounds just to get you started. A mounted flashlight on the top should come…

Amazon Kindle Plays Rough

eBooks, News & Features

Amazon Kindle Plays Rough

Looks like Amazon isn’t taking the iPad/Kindle rivalry lightly. In fact, they are actively playing it up in their latest commercial! Let’s look at where Amazon really came out swinging: •Showcasing how nice the Kindle is in daylight versus the iPad. •Having the kindle user be a hot girl, while the iPad user was a fairly average guy. •Implying the Kindle user was smarter and better with money-she knew her device worked well in the sun and was cheaper, while the iPad guy seemed clueless. This is a far cry from those earlier surreal fantasy style Kindle ads, and I…

Maybe It's Time to Revisit the DutchTub

News & Features

Maybe It’s Time to Revisit the DutchTub

Yesterday was a cold, damp day here in the northeast., and tomorrow looks like more of the same. This is the type weather that makes you want to do anything you can to warm up, which prompted my wife Elana to say, “This is when you want… no, you need a hot tub.” Of course, the problem is that the place where we would like to put it is nowhere near an electrical outlet. Luckily there is a solution. photo courtesy of BizIvy photo courtesy of Design Crack The DutchTub, which we first heard about year ago, is a self-contained hot…

Acme Made Unveils New Sleeves and Covers for Kindle, NOOK and iPad

News & Features

Acme Made Unveils New Sleeves and Covers for Kindle, NOOK and iPad

Acme Made makes some gorgeous bags and device accessories and have now rolled out a new line of cases and covers for the Kindle, the NOOK, the iPad and more that all… provide users with highly protective and well-designed solutions for the growing audience of compact eReader and tablet users seeking fashion-forward protection. Here’s a quick rundown and the company’s description of each. The Hardback Folio- The Acme Made Hardback Folio offers a perfect blend of style and protection with a book-like protective cover and a removable, custom-molded silicone skin. The outer cover is crafted with classic book linen, providing…

Friday Funnies... Finally, the Limitations of the iPad Become Clear...

News & Features

Friday Funnies… Finally, the Limitations of the iPad Become Clear…

I now officially use my iPad for pretty much everything. I use it for reading. I use it for writing. I use it for gaming. I use it for email. I use if for calls (via Skype or the Ooma app). I use it in place of my MacBook Pro most of the time. I even used it to lead services and preach during Rosh Hashanah services and it worked beautifully. (If I were Conservative or Orthodox using electronics on the holiday would not be an option but I’m not, so it was. Being able to flick the screen instead…

OnStar celebrating 15 years of driver assistance, safety

News & Features, Vehicles & Gear

OnStar celebrating 15 years of driver assistance, safety

“You can always trust your car to the man who wears the (On)Star…” OK, I took a little poetic license with the catchy marketing tune from decades ago but full service gas stations where a driver can simply pull into and find directions or get a quick check under the hood have long disappeared from the American motoring landscape. Filling some of that void over the past 15 years has been OnStar, the driver assistance technology included in most (and now all) new GM vehicles driven off the lot.

An Exclusive First Look at the Newest SCOTTEVEST Women’s Items: the Women’s Lightweight Vest and the Go2 Jacket

News & Features, Travel

An Exclusive First Look at the Newest SCOTTEVEST Women’s Items: the Women’s Lightweight Vest and the Go2 Jacket

You know how you can see the most gorgeous ball gown on a hanger, and while you’re able to appreciate the materials used and the workmanship that went into the garment, there’s just no way to know how fabulous it could look until you finally put it on? That’s kind of how I felt when I opened a package containing prototypes of the two new Fall 2010 SCOTTEVEST women’s products — the Lightweight Vest (in a large) and the Go2 Jacket (in medium). I received a box containing both products in early July. I was told up front that the garments…

An Exclusive Look at the SCOTTEVEST Fall 2010 Men’s Line; Much Ado About Something

News & Features, Travel

An Exclusive Look at the SCOTTEVEST Fall 2010 Men’s Line; Much Ado About Something

I know that you all have been chomping at the bit to get more info on the upcoming SCOTTEVEST Men’s Fall coats, and guess what? In July I received a box full of them! I only had a few days to check them out and try them on, but that was long enough to know that this will not only be a very good fall season for women who have been waiting for their new SeV styles, but it will also be a very good SeV season for men as well. The designs that I received were just about finalized, but there…

Why You Should Buy the Apple Bumper Case and Why You Should Leave the Element Vapor 4 Case in its Box.

News & Features

Why You Should Buy the Apple Bumper Case and Why You Should Leave the Element Vapor 4 Case in its Box.

I’ve spent today with Daniel Lim (SlashGear); Andru Edwards (Gear Live), Jon Westfall (Android Thoughts), Steven Hughes (BHighlyMobile & Boston Pocket PC), Brad Sams (Neowin), at the Cedar Park, Texas location of ETS Lindgren. I’ll have a full article about the things we saw and what I learned about this fascinating company a little bit later, but I couldn’t wait to tell you about an experiment they conducted for me. As you may recall, Larry, Dan & I recently reviewed the Element Case Vapor 4. All of us agreed that it was easily one of the most beautiful cases we…

Vanity Sizing: You're Not Thinner / Fatter ... Your New Pants are Lying!

News & Features

Vanity Sizing: You’re Not Thinner / Fatter … Your New Pants are Lying!

A couple of weeks ago we were back-to-school shopping for our kids, and when looking at shoes we were concerned because my older son was outgrowing his size 13’s … meaning he was looking at the world of special orders, high prices and terrible selections. But as we discovered, the brand he owned tended to run small so he was able to grab a size 13 in another brand and was all set! Of course, we have all run into this before – one brand fits differently in different areas than another brand, so according to our various body shapes…