Author Archives: Dan

Full Name: Dan Ferris Website:
Info: Dan Ferris is the Red Ferret’s Oceanic correspondent and Associate Editor based in Sydney, Australia. Despite not knowing Russell Crowe or Nicole Kidman, Dan has risen above adversity and now scours the world for interesting tidbits to write about. He spends far too much time photographing stuff and tinkering with computers.
Gadgets April 20, 2010 posted by Dan

SoundGraph FingerVU 706 – A dedicated widget screen for your PC

The FingerVU 706 is a 7″ 800×480 (16:10) external mini-monitor that connects over USB, but it’s not your run-of-the-mill external screen. For starters it’s a resistive touchscreen and it’s also a widget dock complete with its own user interface. It comes with a whole world of preconfigured widgets that show you weather, play music and videos, stream your RSS feeds, show the news and draw on the screen. You can add up to 625 widgets across 25 pages! The screen…

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SoundGraph FingerVU 706 – A dedicated widget screen for your PC
Gadgets April 20, 2010 posted by Dan

Spy-Point IR-C – Infrared game camera

I’m not quite sure what the fascination is with strapping cameras to trees and letting them take photos autonomously, but I’m willing to learn. This Spy Point IR-C is an 8 megapixel autonomous game camera with an IR motion detector built-in. Any thing that pops in front of it will fill the full blast of it’s 48 LED flash, and it can shoot colour stills during the day, or B/W stills at night. It can also shoot VGA .avi movies….

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Spy-Point IR-C – Infrared game camera
Gadgets April 16, 2010 posted by Dan

Portable Pen Tablet – A Tablet-free Computer Pen

This Portable Pen Tablet sounds great, but there’s no tablet. It works in couple of ways. You can clip the receiver onto the top of the page, book, whatever and it’ll record the pen’s position allowing you to draw as you would with a graphics tablet. Or, if the you can just use the pen and it will record whatever you draw, up to 100 Letter-sized pages, and output it as a jpg onto the PC when you’re done. US$99…

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Portable Pen Tablet – A Tablet-free Computer Pen
Gadgets April 16, 2010 posted by Dan

Customizable Plantar Fasciitis Nightime Therapy Brace

Plantar Fasciitis can be a real pain in the foot, especially first thing in the morning. This Customizable Plantar Fasciitis Nightime Therapy Brace reckons you can fix it while your sleep. The two straps adjust the amount of tension used to stretch the tendons, but the whole thing is soft like a slipper so you can still get up and walk around if you need to. It’s made of breathable material and comes in a bunch of different sizes, just…

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Customizable Plantar Fasciitis Nightime Therapy Brace
Gadgets April 16, 2010 posted by Dan

USB Notebook Crime Prevention Sensor – Be alert and then alarmed

Now when I first saw this USB Notebook Crime Prevention Sensor I thought it must radiate a crime-proof shield +5 or something, but alas no. It’s just a removement sensitive dongle to plug into your laptop. If the sensor gets unplugged it starts squeaking, loudly. So I guess people have to steal your laptop with this plugged in then … I’ve got no idea. US$26 Thanko USB Notebook Crime Prevention Sensor will protect your computer when left alone. Just plug…

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USB Notebook Crime Prevention Sensor – Be alert and then alarmed
Awesome April 15, 2010 posted by Dan

MAPfrappe – Compares maps with maps

Which is larger, New Zealand or the UK? Not sure if Turkmenistan is bigger than France. Fear not peeps, MAPfrappe can help. It’s a Google Maps mashup that lets you trace anything in Google Maps and overlay across another. It’s easy to use and may come in handy for school projects, or office arguments. This Google Maps mashup lets you see an outline of one part of the world overlayed on another part of the world. For example, you can…

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MAPfrappe – Compares maps with maps
Bizarre April 15, 2010 posted by Dan

Twirling Spaghetti Fork – Bigger sauce stains through technology

This Twirling Spaghetti Fork could well be the nail in your style coffin. In fact I’d say you would need more chic, style and suavacity than can be found at James Bond reunion to pull this off. If I were you, I wouldn’t bring it out until at least after the third date. The fork bit comes off and goes in the dishwasher and it needs batteries, dunno what type, does it really matter? �7.99 Candles, nice music and great…

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Twirling Spaghetti Fork – Bigger sauce stains through technology
Gadgets April 15, 2010 posted by Dan

Brill Razorcut Accu – Electric Push Reel Mower

At first glance an electric push mower like this Brill Razorcut Accu electric reel mower doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it does honest. The electric bit only turns the blades so they turn at the same speed all the time and aren’t reliant on the push of the mower to do the chopping. All you need to do is push it in the right place. The battery lasts for 30 minutes, enough for about 220 m2 (2,500 sq….

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Brill Razorcut Accu – Electric Push Reel Mower
Gadgets April 15, 2010 posted by Dan

Four Port USB Device Server – Shares USB over LAN

This 4 Port USB Device Server is like an instant NAS, just add hard drives. It connects to your LAN over 10/100/1000 Ethernet and lets you share up to 4 USB things including printers, scanners, storage or USB fishtank. Only one PC can connect to it at a time, but it’ll do transfer speeds of 28MB/s over Gigabit LAN. May also come in handy when a USB cable just can’t make the distance. The server needs power and comes with…

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Four Port USB Device Server – Shares USB over LAN
Gadgets April 14, 2010 posted by Dan

3W High Powered Handheld Cell Phone Jammer – For the anti-social one in your life

Yes I know it looks like a packet of cigarettes, but this 3W High Power Handheld Cell Phone Jammer means business. It can jam all the major mobile phone frequencies, including GSM 900/1800, 3G, CDMA GSM, DCS and PHS. Just for laughs it also blocks the L1 frequency from GPS satellites. Now although it says it’s high power, and 3W is fairly high powered for a handheld transmitter, the range maxes out at about 20 metres. It also has a…

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3W High Powered Handheld Cell Phone Jammer – For the anti-social one in your life
but is it art? April 14, 2010 posted by Dan

Segway Junkyard – Spruce up that ol two-wheeler

I was looking for something completely different but I couldn’t resist blogging this Segway Junkyard custom shop for Segways. Whether you’re just looking for spinning rims, a new Segway trailer or a complete Jeepney make-over they seem to be able to help. They also do mods for people who play Segway Polo, whatever that is. They’re in San Francisco. We have a full line of Customized Segway PT Parts and Accessories and are constantly expanding! In addition to being a…

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Segway Junkyard – Spruce up that ol two-wheeler
Bizarre April 14, 2010 posted by Dan

USB LED Message Fan – Classy with a capital c

This USB LED Message Fan uses the ol’ persistence of vision thing to get your message across and broadcast a 16 character message to the office. It’s also a fan, so it’ll keep you cool. Or something. All you need is 8 more and you can hack them to display your tweets. Or not. US$16. Hard to say the words? Make them appear in the air. Customize your messages like “I Love U”, “Sorry!”. Just turn it on, then your…

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USB LED Message Fan – Classy with a capital c
but is it art? April 13, 2010 posted by Dan

Uni-Ball Kuru Toga and the Sakura Electric Eraser – Self Turning Pencils and Mechanical Erasers

No it’s not the name of a new steampunk novel, these are actual products. Uni-ball make a self turning mechanical (clutch) pencil called the Kuru Toga. The mechanism keeps the lead rotating so you don’t end up with a stupid chisel point that shatters when you pick it up and use it incorrectly. US$6.75 The Kuru Toga, on the other hand, has a core rotation mechanism that continually rotates the pencil lead as you write. The lead is twisted through…

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Uni-Ball Kuru Toga and the Sakura Electric Eraser – Self Turning Pencils and Mechanical Erasers
Gadgets April 13, 2010 posted by Dan

Halo Headphones – Headphones for sweaty people

These Halo Headphones look like they may solve a whole world of problems for people who exercise and enjoy a bit of music. They’re a sweat band with removable high-fidelity earphones. The sweat band keeps them in place during hard workouts and the cable exits the band at the rear so it’s so it’s not all up in your face. The sweat band can be removed and washed of course and you can buy different styles. The makers reckon you…

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Halo Headphones – Headphones for sweaty people
Gadgets April 12, 2010 posted by Dan

Gear Shift FM Radio – Fully synchronised stations make downshifting easy

If you feel that you still need a dedicated FM radio, but one that speaks of your individuality and love of life then Brando can help. This Gear Shift FM Radio oozes style and sophistication as well as providing tactile feedback as you switch it on, change stations and adjust the volume. Runs on a pair of AAA batteries, or a 3V wall wart (not included). Oh and whatever you do, make sure you get this, and not this, or…

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Gear Shift FM Radio – Fully synchronised stations make downshifting easy