Ars Technica takes a long, scathing (and at times hilarious) look at the Maylong M150 tablet computer from China. It’s a $99 Walgreen special, but the price seems to be the only thing going for it. Maybe not one for your stocking this year? Maylong’s website doesn’t specify any details about the non-user-replaceable battery, but does say that it has a standby time of 2-3 hours. That’s not usage time, folks: that’s how long the thing will last in your bag after…
Read MoreMonthly Archives: November 2010
USB Electric Shaver – geek cutter, floating heads…
This USB Electric Shaver is perfect for those times when you’ve got to look good in the cubicle. Just hook it up to your laptop and one quick snizz later, you’ll be set. Of course you could do all this stuff back home before the working day starts, but where’s the fun in that eh? $28.00. Unfortunately, time is at a premium and you do not have the luxury of returning home for a quick shave. There is the USB…
Read MoreKinetic Road Machine – ride your bike indoors and beat the weather
This Kinetic Road Machine may be billed as a ‘trainer’, but we know it’s really just an excuse to get on your bike indoors without annoying the other half. It’s got all sorts of super tech to help mimic the sensation of really riding out on the open road, and if you combine it with one of these On the Road videos, you’ll almost feel the wind rushing through your Lycra and you’ll feel fitter for it too. Bonus! $369.99 and…
Read MoreHug-Me Monkey Foot Massager – toasty, cutesy, throbby…
This Hug-Me Monkey Foot Massager not only warms up your tootsies, but gives them a little electronic squeeze (i.e. a gentle pulsating massage) too. You can’t get much more loving from an inanimate gadget we reckon. And it looks so darn *happy*. £15.00. This cosy mains-operated fleece-lined foot massager keeps your feet toasty and warm while two intensity settings massage your feet. This is an ideal gift for any hard working feet on a winter’s evening. Tags: gadgets, hug-me+monkey+foot+massager
Read MoreEyelid Stickers – help you snooze while looking weirdly almost awake
These rather creepy Eyelid Stickers let you snooze at work while appearing fully…ahem…weird? Yeah weird, not so much awake. Anyway they’ve been around a while, but we thought they were a perfect gift to mention as we approach the festival season. $1.19 a pair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csN9g1whgQE This funny gadget let you sleep in office or during lesson. Can’t find any reason not buy one pair for your friends. Tags: eyelid+stickers, novelty, gadget
Read MoreHooeey Webprint – freeware lets you automatically save your web browsing trail as you go
The quirkily named Hooeey Webprint is a new freeware software and online service combo which automatically captures your web surfing history as you go. Think of it as a web bookmarking system on steroids. But wait, I hear you cry, you can already do that with default bookmarking or with tools such as Scrapbook or Evernote. Ah yes, dear reader, but this is an automatic service. No button pushing or logging in needed. Just fire up your browser with the Adobe Air…
Read MoreThe Adventures of Unemployed Man – genius comic, lovingly crafted
The Adventures of Unemployed Man comic looks like a genius idea. The title has been crafted with the same style and attention to detail as original DC super hero comics, but with awesome contemporary and poignant content. I so want to get hold of a copy of this. $10.19 from Amazon. [Via] Jobless crusader UNEMPLOYED MAN and his sidekick PLAN B embark on a heroic search for work—and quickly find themselves waging an epic battle against The Just Us League, a dastardly…
Read MoreSifonr – instant free video chat rooms for all
Sifonr is a new online service which lets anyone instantly create a video chat room for as many people as they want. Think of a mash up of Chatroulette with IRC, Skype and BitTorrent (yes the service also includes P2P file sharing). The idea of having a bunch of people on screen at the same time yabbering, sharing and all that may sound scary, but to some folk it’s clearly communication nirvana. A quick browse of the live rooms reveals a rather…
Read MoreMyth of a Germ Free World – the case against antibacterial soaps in the home
This Myth of a Germ Free World article is a dense but interesting look at some of the work being done to evaluate potential problems with the current craze for antibacterial soaps in our homes. I’ve long felt that this obsession with killing ‘all known germs’ etc is a terrible idea. Not only is it a futile exercise, but surely we’re at risk of breeding super bugs from the survivors? Worth a read. But are these antimicrobial chemicals, as commonly used by…
Read MoreFerret posts this week
Here’s a quick round-up of Red Ferret posts from the past week for those who missed them. Enjoy. Qualcomm MSM 8960 chipset announced – new super power smartphones on the way – Qualcomm has just announced its… Vuze Wrap 310 Video Glasses – at last, a pair of video glasses that look reasonably sane – These Vuze Wrap 310 Video Glasses… Cordless Carpal Tunnel Relief Wrap – remove pain from your wrist and restore joy to your life – The…
Read MoreRide On Police Motorcycle – catch ’em if you can, but catch ’em young…
This Ride On Police Motorcycle puts the scary back into child development. Whether or not you think your 5 year old should be hunting down villains is one thing, but giving them a working siren to play with indoors? Madness. Bonus points for kitting them out in one of those snazzy hard cop uniforms too. Nurse? More Ritalin over here please. $399.95. Its built-in rechargeable battery powers its 12-volt electric motor on smooth terrains such as sidewalks, patios, or driveways; a hand-throttle provides…
Read MoreNew light technology shows promise to kill MRSA and other superbugs
Dangerous superbugs like MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) and the somewhat lesser known bacterium Clostridium difficile (C diff) – both of which are antibiotic resistant and on the increase in hospitals -may be about to meet their match. A new lighting technology called the HINS-light environmental decontamination system (EDS) has been developed. This lighting system decontaminates the air and exposed surfaces, bathing them in a narrow spectrum of visible-light wavelengths. In clinical trials held in Glasgow, Scotland showed that the HINS-light…
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iRecovery Stick – retrieve lost data from your iPhone
The iRecovery Stick is designed to retrieve lost or hidden data from an iPhone smartphone. Plug the dongle into your computer, attach the iPhone and you’ll instantly be able to scan and recover text messages, phone call history, images, calendars, map history and suchlike. Sneaky Software Is Us. $199.99. Scanning takes approximately 20 minutes per GB, so depending on how much data is on your phone, the process will take a little bit of time. Once the data recovery process…
Read MoreTrex S929 Self Flying Helicopter – just press record and sit back…
This tiny Trex S929 Self Flying Helicopter takes the USB powered radio controlled aircraft market to a whole new place. Not only will it do all those clever flying things that normal R/C helicopters do, but if you press the record button while doing stunts, and then press play, the thing will fly itself and repeat the pattern exactly. Look Ma, no hands. $37.90. RECORD your Flying Behavior!! Helicopter can SIMULATE it to Fly!! – The World First Record-and-Fly Helicopter,…
Read More14,450 Gumball Machine – Gulliver called, he wants his sweet machine back
Hunting for the ultimate kiddie Death Star gift? Well look no further than this 14,450 Gumball Machine which has the ability to pulverise any child within a 15 metre radius. Overdosing on tiny sweet chewy things may not be an official national health problem at the moment, but it soon could be. Anyhoo, if you’ve got the space and the $3,900.00, it’s yours. It uses the Beaver mechanism–the classic zinc machined coin mechanism used in gumball machines since the 1960s–triple chrome-plated and…
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