Dan, Author at The Red Ferret Journal - Page 69 of 78The Red Ferret Journal

Gadgets March 17, 2009 posted by Dan

Aegis Mini Ultra portable HDD – 240Gb 1.8″ USB Hard Drive

I’ve always been fascinated by the term “ultra portable”. Surely something is either portable or it’s not? Whatever you think, this Aegis Mini 240Gb HDD from Apricorn (love that name) is absolutely portable. It’s the latest addition to the Aegis Mini line-up which includes 80Gb and 120Gb models. The Aegis uses a 4200rpm 1.8″ drive with a 16 point omni-directional shock mounting system which means it should be ok if it gets bumped around. It weighs about 110g and is…

Bookmark This! March 16, 2009 posted by Dan

Google Mars – never get lost on the Red Planet again.

First there was the internet for space, now we have Google Mars. With all the activity on Mars these days, leave it to Google, to put it all together in one easy-to-search package. There is a complete map of Mars to study with a choice of an elevation relief map, a visible (black and white) map showing Mars as the satellites see it and an infrared map. I had a quick look around and found the “face on Mars” but…

heh heh! March 16, 2009 posted by Dan

Building a Better Mousetrap with Peanuts and Flash Guns

I spotted this delightful Better Mouse Trap article over at the Strobist blog. The gist of the story is a pesky mouse had been busy tormenting the designer of a range of high-end remote flash gun triggers. Being of the engineering persuasion he sets out to a) test some equipment, b) snap some pics of the critter in the act and finally c) catch the critter. Best of all, unlike squirrel-a-pault it does have a happy ending. Imagine that you…

Gadgets March 13, 2009 posted by Dan

Lay-Z-Spa – your spa, where you need it

The Lay-Z-Spa is a portable and inflatable outdoor spa. It can heat the water up to 40�C, has a built-in air pump to blow up the spa and to provide millions of tingly bubbles via the 80 microjets. For the clumsy and/or absent-minded there’s also a residual current device to protect your guests on the off chance someone drops a martini shaker or toaster into the spa. It also comes with a cover so you can keep the critters out…

Gadgets March 12, 2009 posted by Dan

Solar Driveway Markers – never drive into your pond again

Now apparently, in some parts of the world, there’s this weird stuff that falls out of the sky. It’s like rain, but frozen and if enough of it falls you can’t see anything on the ground. I know it sounds crazy. In my neck of the woods, the only thing we have to worry about is knocking the spiders out of our boots. Well, if any of it was true, then these Solar Driveway Markers would sure come in super…

but is it art? March 12, 2009 posted by Dan

The Crisis of Credit Visualized – the financiapocalypse explained in 11 minutes and 10 seconds

This Crisis of Credit Visualized, is a brilliant, short animation that explains the heart of the world-wide financial collapse. Funny, moving and painful. Yeah, maybe just painful. [Via Flowing Data and Information Aesthetics]. The goal of giving form to a complex situation like the credit crisis is to quickly supply the essence of the situation to those unfamiliar and uninitiated. This project was completed as part of my thesis work in the Media Design Program, a graduate studio at the…

Gadgets March 11, 2009 posted by Dan

AX10 Scorpion – rock crawling on a smaller scale and budget

For the uninitiated, Rock Crawling is a sport involving high-powered and expensive machinery (usually 4WD vehicles) slowly pushing and pulling themselves up insanely steep hills and boulders. Axial Racing have shrunk rock crawling to 1:10 scale and come up with the AX10 Scorpion, a remote control, scale model of a rock crawling truck. It’s sort of unique in that it’s one of the first dedicated rock crawling R/C kits, all you need to do is build it and add your…

Gadgets March 10, 2009 posted by Dan

USB Mic Pro – external USB mic with more

Most built-in laptop microphones are fairly ordinary, sound qualitywise. The USB Mic Pro aims to help you in this area by giving you a plug-in USB mic with a few options. To start with it has an internal omni-directional microphone on top of the dongle. There’s also an external 3.5mm mic jack for a long range mic and a headphone output so you can hear what you’re recording. Also pretty useful if the built-in mic or headphone jack on your…

but is it art? March 10, 2009 posted by Dan

Wallpaper Clocks – they’re so cute

Pop in and have a look at Vlad’s Studio and you’ll find some very cute wallpaper clocks for your desktop. They refresh every minute so you know what time it is. They will need a small app to tell the time, otherwise they’re just stylish wallpapers. The app is freeware for Macs, but not freeware for PCs. Very cute. Vladstudio and Softshape Development proudly introduce Wallpaper Clocks – desktop wallpaper which refreshes every minute to keep your time and date…

cool tech March 9, 2009 posted by Dan

e+lite – stash and forget emergency torch

I’m sure most of us have torches stashed either in the car, shed or in a first aid kit somewhere, with batteries slowly going flat and corroding the torch from the inside waiting for that emergency that never comes. Well the nice people at Petzl, purveyors of gravity-defying anti-death rock climbing gear and hands-free headlamps, feel your pain and they’ve come up with this. The e+lite is an emergency torch, designed to be stashed and ignored until that special moment…

but is it art? March 6, 2009 posted by Dan

Enlighted custom made lighted clothes – so where do you keep the batteries?

You’ll have to come up with answers for lines like that and more when you choose something from the Enlighted range of ready-to-wear and custom-made illuminated fashion. Everything from hats, bras and gloves to skirts, pants and body-suits. Comfortable, washable and with discrete electrical components the Enlighted range has been seen everywhere from music videos and Dancing with the Stars, to wedding dresses and motorcycle jackets. All prices are POA but who cares, now you can finally beat Tron-guy at…

Bookmark This! March 6, 2009 posted by Dan

Spreed – speed reading tutoring program

Here at Red Ferret, we’re not just about bringing you the latest and greatest gadgets and paraphernalia, we’re also about self improvement. With that in mind have a squiz at Spreed, an online, speed-reading system designed (like all speed reading tutors) to increase your reading speed and boost retention. There’s a whole page on the science behind Spreed but the upshot is this; printed pages aren’t designed for easy reading and data retention, they’re designed for aesthetics. Aesthetics are…

Gadgets March 4, 2009 posted by Dan

Bernzomatic Premium Lighter – for those hard to reach barbecues

The Bernzomatic Premium Lighter pretty much does what it says. It lights barbecues, hard to reach barbecues, hard to reach barbecues in the dark. It’s got a flexible neck, windproof flame, built-in LED torch, it’s refillable with a fuel window and when you’re done, you can kick back and open a beer with it. Gadgets were made to be enjoyed. Premium Flexible Lighter (BZLTR300) * Flexible Stem (for hard-to reach places) * Windproof Flame * Built-in LED Light * Comfortable…

Gadgets March 2, 2009 posted by Dan

Payload Specialists – scientific research rockets for hire

Payload Specialists is a personal space transport business that can shoot pretty much anything you want into sub-orbital space. They’ve got a few different rockets capable of reaching altitudes of 65,000 feet all the way up to 93 miles, carrying payloads of 20 lbs to 500lbs. Because it’s sub-orbital, anything launched will eventually return to earth, however payloads will experience weightlessness for 3 – 13 minutes depending on the type of rocket, before it all comes heading back home. The…

general February 26, 2009 posted by Dan

Yuma – rugged outdoor tablet netbook multipurpose ultra tough computer

Rugged PC makers, Trimble, have just released another go-anywhere PC. The Yuma is an outdoor, high reliability portable tablet PC designed for the more rugged and outdoorsy type jobs or for people who are a little more clumsy than most. The Yuma can survive most types of punishment. It has an ingress protection rating of 67, so it’s pretty much dust and waterproof and it can handle temperatures from -30�C to 60�C. It’s powered by the ubiquitous Atom processor with…

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