The ThrustPac is a gasoline powered wind turbine which you strap to your back and which pushes you forward at a rather fast clip. So you get to go 35 mph on your bike at around 150 miles per gallon. Innovation thy name is wind power. Priced from $895.00. You put it on like a backpack and slip the CONTROL GLOVE onto your hand. Pull on the over the shoulder starter and control the speed by bending your finger to…
Read MoreMonthly Archives: January 2007
U-Do – avatars for ringtones
U-Do. Create your own ringtones with avatars attached. Why? Er…well perhaps people like looking at avatars on their handsets. Did you ever think of that? Creating U-DOO characters is absolutely free, and it is also free to email them to your friends and publish them to your MySpace page. If you want to download U-DOO ringtones to your phone, we require you to subscribe to a service that has been approved by all of the major wireless carriers (Cingular, Sprint,…
Read MoreBlogMailr – blog from your email program
BlogMailr. Free service which lets you post to your blog from any email client. Uses the Metablog API, so works with most blog tools such as WordPress. Interesting idea, created more as a demo platform for Telligent email gateway tech than anything else probably. When you send an email to @blogmailr.com we first check to ensure that you are on our approved list of senders for the address you are emailing – yes we know the from address can be spoofed, but it’s step 1….
Read MoreWire-Free Timestation Door Chime – ding dong brrrr
The Uni-Com Wireless Timestation Door Chime. Look Ma, just what I need on my wireless door bell, clock, calendar, birthday reminders – birthday reminders! – indoor temp and countdown timer. Don’t know how much time you spend hovering next to your door bell, but life’s just too short for us to follow suit. £7.49. Large LCD display • Displays digital clock, calendar, alarm clock, birthday reminders, indoor temperature and countdown timer • Operating range: up to 50m • 8 selectable…
Read MoreRemote On/Off Switch – convert your light switches to lazy
The Remote On/Off Switch is very swish in its ‘elegant Lucite box’ and works from 100 feet away to switch off your lights remotely. Just attach the remote component to your light switches first, OK? Mind you, at $120.00 a pop, this is some expensive couch potato vibes you’re giving me, Gramps. The wireless switch can control any light fixture you choose, and you can set it anywhere in your house. Simply attach the remote component to your light fixture,…
Read MoreJukeDock – iPod kitsch chic comes to town
The Pressure Drop JukeDock is definitely something you’re either going to love. Or hate. No mid-way, maybe yes, maybe no kind of emotion on this one. Oh no sirree. Design considerations aside though, it’s got a fairly reasonable spec and comes complete with a remote control. $99.99. Your iPod is capable of audiophile-grade sound, when it’s connected properly Other docks modify the audio signal to change volume for you, degrading audio quality with faint whines, clicks, and buzzing # JukeDock’s…
Read MoreSnoWonder – fake snow without the brrr
SnoWonder is apparently visually identical to snow, so those of you suffering from the effects of global warming now know how to get your seasonal fix on demand. Just add water to the powder and within 30 seconds, poof, a blizzard in the bedroom. A bucket full of the stuff starts at around $6.95. Ho ho ho! SnoWonder is the most amazing man-made snow on the market! It is visually identical to real snow. If you pour a bowl…
Read MoreHow to Mend it – free repair help for appliances
How to Mend It. How to fix your appliances if they go wrong. Or rather the site offers you a location where you can ask how to fix your device. The interface is a bit clunky and the responses a bit patchy, but it’s worth adding to your bookmarks just in case. I think. Use how to mend it .com to find out how to mend vacuum cleaners and mobile phones, cars and DVD players, computers and tumble dryers, televisions…
Read MoreZedFiles Project – Open Source Software Suite
The ZedFiles Project is an Open Source suite of ‘integrated desktop and content management applications’ for Windows. Basically it’s a package of a whole range of the coolest and most useful Open Source stuff – like Firefox, VLC Player, AbiWord etc – which can be downloaded in a single folder. Nice one! The ZedFiles Project…has grown into a comprehensive Open Source Software Suite of fully integrated desktop and content management applications compatible with Microsoft Windows operating systems. It includes a…
Read MoreMaplins USB Can Inverter – power from your car’s cup holder
Maplins 150W USB Can Inverter. Is this a can inverter or a car inverter? Whatever. It takes 12V DC in from your car lighter socket, outputs USB charging for your devices and features a standard UK plug socket for your other small appliances. Is that useful? Probably yes. £29.99. 3 pin socket USB charging point- ideal for charging your iPod! Brushed aluminium finish with soft-touch trim Slots into your car cup holder DC plug includes a spring tension switch to allow for…
Read MoreNoisy Phone – loud, so loud
The Noisy Phone. Fed up with the too quiet ringtone on your home phone? Then you need something like this. Call comes in, ears dissolve in a tornado of 83 decibels of sound. How loud? About the same as the scream of an electric drill right next to your ear. LOUD! The strength is adjustable thank goodness, and it comes with a bright red flashing light call indicator too. £89.95.
Read MoreGateway notebooks – surprised R Us
The good folk at Gateway Computers have sent The Ferret one of their new Core 2 Duo laptops to check out, and we’ve got to say we’re rather pleasantly surprised. More later when we’ve taken a long hard look at the thing in earnest, but first impressions are definitely positive. There are a few interesting facts. First, it’s actually a decent looking box (we remember the day when Gateway stuff was uniformly hideous), it’s very good value for money (think £699.00…
Read MoreInsect Lab – dead bionic insects as art?
Insect Lab. Artist Mike Libby has made a name for himself through adding mechanical and electronic parts to the cadavers of deceased insects. It’s kind of weird, and almost, but not quite, macabre. Think of him as a kind of cross between Dr Frankenstein and Prof Taxidermist. Anyway, we know nothing about art, so we’ll shut up now. Prices vary from around $200.00. Insect Lab is an artist operated studio that customizes real insects with antique watch parts and electronic components. Offering a variety of…
Read MoreTiny Apps – joy is small useful stuff
Tiny Apps. We’ve mentioned Tiny Apps before, because we simply love the site. Lots and lots of little applications and utilities for all sorts of things. Browsers, editors, optimizers, you name it. What’s good about small computer applications? They’re fast and really simple to use and install. And did we mention they’re almost all free? Check out Easy Thumbnails as a great example of the genre. Bookmark! Welcome to TinyApps.Org, a guide to very small software for your PC. Virtually all of the…
Read MoreJotle – Google Maps + Flickr + Wikimapia + ?
Jotle. A combination of Google Maps, Flickr and Wikimapia. Oh and YouTube. So basically it suggests photos and videos for locations that come up on the map. Quite an interesting app, but there are a few of these out there, so it’s not totally alone. Worth a look. [Thanks Michael]
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