Prism from Mozilla Labs lets you convert any web application into a desktop accessible program, complete with its own icon and dedicated screen. Why would you want this? Well it makes it easier to access some types of web apps if you can use them in their own space, without having them displayed in a generic browser. Things like docs, control panels, accounting services, even web mail. Google Chrome has this feature and I love it, I immediately made Gmail into a…
Read MoreMonthly Archives: November 2009
ACTA – the secret copyright treaty which threatens the Internet…seriously!
(photo) The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (or secret copyright treaty as it’s being called) is as perniciously nasty a piece of proposed legislation as you’re likely to find anywhere on the planet. Ostensibly being created to defend the rights of copyright owners, this is yet another instance of stupid government serving the narrow agendas of greed of the massive entertainment corporations. This is not good law. Unless we all want the dead soul less hand of government stamping out our freedom…
Read MoreOmni Dual Saw – Dual bladed circular saw
This is one of those As Seen On TV specials but judging by the video and my own tenuous grasp of power tool usage, this is a pretty amazing thing. The Omni Dual Saw is part circular saw, part angle grinder and part electric carving knife. The Dual Saw has two, contra-rotating* circular blades that make pretty short work of anything including steel reinforcing bars, PVC pipe, timber and diamond plate all with the same blades. The dual blades reduce…
Read MoreEzy100 – Big button GSM phone
The Ezy100 is a simple, easy-to-use, easy-to-see, easy-to-hear GSM mobile/cell/cellular phone. From it’s high contrast, large font screen to huge back-lit keys you’ll never have trouble dialing in the dark. It has 120 minutes of talk time and 170 hours of standby and it works on GSM 900/1800. No Bluetooth, no wifi, just plain old cellular telephony. What’s that? You can’t hear the darn thing? No problem, this baby has a +100dB ringer and a boosted volume earpiece and it’s…
Read MoreuSmart M1C – The 4.8″ Netbook
This uSmart M1C 4.8″ netbook was spotted at a trade show in Hong Kong. That’s an HTC Hero next to it by the looks of things. It’s got the Atom Z530 processor, Intel GMA500 graphics, 800 x 480 resolution, HDMI support and what looks like the most bizarre keyboard layout I’ve every seen (click on the pic above to enlarge). It runs Linux/XP/Vista/Win7 but I’ll take the Vista spec with a shaker full of salt and it’s a prototype so…
Read More10 Port USB Hub – Get connected
It must be time for a new USB standard if people need things like this 10 Port USB Hub. It comes with it’s own power supply and there’s a port selector switch which allows you to disable the last 4 ports. Useful if you don’t want certain things to connect but can’t be bothered unplugging them. Priced around US$55. [Via Everything USB] Up to 10 USB devices can be connected to 10 port USB hub. Slim design, neat summary of…
Read More999.9 Gold Bar – What recession?
Yessir, Brando have done the impossible. They’ve perfected alchemy and are now selling 999.9 Gold Bars for US$29.90. No USB port, no batteries, just use them as a paper weight or a doorstop. Heck, get three and put them on your desk just for show. You can afford it. Might even make a good movie prop. In the time of recession, Nothing is better than Getting a 999.9 “Gold Bar” in Home & Office! This 999.9 Gold Bar style Paperweight,…
Read MoreNetBook Bag Round Up – Carry that netbook in style
You bought a netbook because it’s easy to carry and so it will always be with you, right? Well you probably should get a decent bag to carry it then shouldn’t you? Here’s a few we’ve seen about the place. If you’ve got a fave, drop us a link in the comments. [Photo from Flickr] Air Cube – Fits 10.2″ netbooks and is covered in large air cells like bubble wrap to keep your precious ‘puter safe. Comes in any…
Read MoreTrueCrypt – Turns any disk into a vault
TrueCrypt is an open-source disk encryption application that works for Windows, OS-X and Linux. It works by creating a virtual encrypted disk within a file and then mounting it as a real disk. You can write and read from the encrypted disk seamlessly as the encryption happens in real time, or on-the-fly so to speak. You can choose from all that’s popular in crypto this year, AES-256, Serpent and my fave, Twofish, and the makers claim that it will allow…
Read MorePlantronics Voyager Pro – One headset for two phones
The Voyager Pro UC from Plantronics is a nifty looking headset, designed to be used with a PC as well as a mobile phone. It works via Bluetooth and allows you to easily switch between phone calls on the PC to your mobile phone, presumably without having to reconnect. Comes supplied with a Bluetooth dongle for your PC and works up to 10 metres away. US$199.99 and available soon. Designed for mobile professionals in the office or on-the-go, this single…
Read MoreLED Laser Fingers – Jazzes up your jazz hands
Look, these LED Laser Fingers have about as much laser in them as I do, but that’s what they’re called ok? They push over the ends of your fingers for events like raves, concerts and poetry slams, whatever they are. You get 2 of each colour in a pack for a total of 8 and the three AG3 batteries last for 2 nights of partying. ~US$8 per pack of 8, with a minimum order of 4 packs. How would you…
Read MoreNature Mill Plus XE – Indoor compost bin
The Nature Mill Plus XE is an indoor compost bin. Unlike other kitchen waste disposal units, the Plus XE actually uses the natural action of microbes to break down pretty much any type of kitchen waste. Things like fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, dairy, meat, fish, pet waste, kitty litter, and cage beddings. The Nature Mill can take up to 55kg of waste per month, turning it into water vapour and awesome garden fertiliser. The unit has a filter…
Read MoreTriple 3.5″ SATA/SAS Hard Drive Dock – Storage problems solved
Now this is a good idea. Since optical media has pretty much failed to keep pace with our data storage needs, ditch the optical drives and replace them with a Triple 3.5″ SATA/SAS Hard Drive Dock. The dock takes up two slots on a desktop PC and has room for three 3.5″ SATA or Serial Attached SCSI drives, each in a lockable enclosure and the bay comes with an integrated, silent 6cm fan. You could probably turn this into an…
Read MoreRemote Control Tissue Box – For caring at a distance
I should have included this Remote Control Tissue Box in yesterday’s swine flu article. It’s perfect for transporting urgent supplies to a lurgy infected spouse or housemate. It has an 8 metre range and needs 6 AAA batteries. Priced around US$41 from GeekStuff. Need to wipe your nose, but you’re comfortably seat in your sofa and don’t want to stand up in order to take your tissue box? Don’t worry, this RC Driving Tissue Box is exactly what you need!…
Read MoreSensium Digital Plaster – in future world, sticking plaster make you better
The Sensium Digital Plaster is a wireless monitoring patch designed to provide a discreet wireless way to monitor a patient’s vital signs. The small plaster attaches to the body like an ordinary Band-Aid and delivers information on things like heart rate, temperature and perspiration for a period of several days after which it is thrown away. To give it that true Sci-Fi feel, the technology can also interface wirelessly to smartphones and PDAs which means your doc can be sitting at…
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