Author Archives: Nigel

Full Name: Nigel Powell Website:
Info: Nigel is the managing editor of the Red Ferret, as well as a freelance columnist for the Sunday Times newspaper in London. Loves tech and fancies himself as a bit of a futurist, but then don't we all?
Bizarre March 4, 2008 posted by Nigel

The Paparazzi Experience – make your own sad celebrity scene for one

The Paparazzi Experience promises to deliver real photographers roaming, shooting, mobbing, pouncing and generally acting like real live paparazzi pigs at your private or public event. For a little extra dosh you can get a real live gang of screaming fans too. Oh hold me sweet, for my legs are weak with desire.  A team of stylised photographers await the arrival of your guests and then pounce! Amidst the jostling and chaos and confusion, your guests are ushered into the event where…

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Gadgets March 3, 2008 posted by Nigel

Bike Cuffs – secure your bike with heat treated mega handcuffs

Bike Cuffs. A new take on bicycle security combines a traditional shaped handcuff motif with hardened laminated steel and a drill proof locking system. Well it will probably keep opportunism thieves at bay, but we suggest you use additional safeguards if your precious is worth more than your car. Or you live in New York. £79.95 ($158.60).  Thanks to a hardened pivot link, wannabe crooks can’t use leverage to defeat the cuffs. What’s more, the heat-treated, patented lock core is virtually…

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Gadgets March 3, 2008 posted by Nigel

Superheated Steam Cleaner – 1200 watts of dirt dissolving anti bacterical cleaning power in your hand

Superheated Steam Cleaner. Add anti-bacterial cleaning solution, water, and press the trigger. Result? A jet of super hot pressurised steam which will dissolve everything in its path. Why they didn’t use this in the Cloverfield movie I don’t understand. Anyhoo, say goodbye to streptococcus and hello singed cat. $99.95.  Just aim the nozzle, press the trigger, and a powerful stream of pressurized steam makes dirt, grime and crud disappear from grills, stove tops, toilet bowls, lawn mowers, car interiors, shower doors, tile walls…

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Gadgets March 3, 2008 posted by Nigel

Tabletop Induction Cooker Hob – no flame, no lingering hotness, just cooking

Tabletop Induction Cooker Hob. Small, discreet, high tech and black. How else do you want your steak, sir? This small induction hob uses magnetic wizardry to heat up only when a saucepan is placed on the ring, so you don’t have wasted energy, risk of burning and dodgy flames swirling all over the place. The downside is you have to use proper metal pots, no copper, ceramic or glass utensils will work. Hey, it’s a small price to pay for…

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Bookmark This! March 3, 2008 posted by Nigel

Visual Thesaurus – interactive graphical dictionary and thesaurus for wordsmiths

The Visual Thesaurus comes in two flavours, online and standalone program, and lets you track the connection and meaning of words via an artfully designed graphical Java Applet interface. As per other visual products, this one relies heavily on the simple node point/line metaphor and while it initially looks attractive, I’m not really sure whether it adds value or speed to the word hunting task. And is it worth $2.95 a month subscription when you can use Thesaurus.com or the pure Roget’s…

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but is it art? March 3, 2008 posted by Nigel

Pivot Stick Figure Animator – free fun figure animations

Pivot Stick Figure Animator. Fun, free and easy way to create your own stick figure animations like wot all those clever artistic types do. There’s an MSN Group to help you build and show off your creations too. So no excuses.  Pivot makes it easy to create stick-figure animations. You can build your own stick figures and load your own backgrounds. The animations can be saved as animated gifs to be used on web pages. An example animation is included. Tags: pivot+stick+figure+animator,…

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heh heh! March 3, 2008 posted by Nigel

The Cart Whisperer – Verisign viral video tickles

Liberty Fillmore, Cart Whisperer. Well it made me laugh.  The VeriSign campaign is aimed at highlighting the pain companies experience as they try to understand why consumers fill online shopping carts, only to abandon them before buying. In the face of an uncertain economy, online retailers are clamoring to find ways to turn shoppers into buyers. At stake are hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenues lost to abandoned carts. Tags: cart+whisperer, versign

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Gadgets March 1, 2008 posted by Nigel

Stand-Up Fisherman’s Kayak – OK, OK, we fish surrender

Stand-Up Fisherman’s Kayak. Outrigger system means you can paddle to your fave fishing spot, then perch precariously on your feet while trying to hook something small that’s won’t jerk you mercilessly overboard, Jaws style. Good luck with that, dude. $1,899.95.  This is the only kayak available that uses a patented extendable outrigger system to stabilize the craft, enabling outdoor enthusiasts to fish from a standing position. Made of durable polyethylene with stainless steel and aluminum hardware, the kayak has two independent outriggers that pivot outward…

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Gadgets February 29, 2008 posted by Nigel

Ultra Thin Credit Card Voice Recorder – 1 GB of storage in the palm of your hand

Ultra Thin Credit Card Voice Recorder. Apparently this skinny voice recorder will only be sold to people who weigh under 130 pounds in order to keep the design pure and free from over-weight pollution. Nah, just kidding. But you do need skinny fingers to operate those little buttons all right. $69.99.  This credit card size digital voice recorder measures in at just 6.5 millimeters in thickness and features 1GB of built-in storage, a flip-out USB connector, and flush-mounted controls. It can…

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Gadgets February 29, 2008 posted by Nigel

i-Buddy – USB powered Windows Live Messenger desk bound avatar

i-Buddy. This three inch tall USB powered gidget responds to Windows Messenger messages by flapping wings, twisting its body or pulsing lights according to the emoticons used. Obviously comes from the Nabaztag school of computer accessories, which means that it could rapidly become very annoying in the right circumstances (like the middle of a heated IM row). Around $32.00.  i-Buddy is specially designed for Windows Live Messenger (MSN Messenger) users. It is a physical representation of your buddy. You can…

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Gadgets February 29, 2008 posted by Nigel

Motion Sensing Mirror – just a small wave to light up your life…and face

Motion Sensing Mirror. Twin sided magnification mirror lights up at the wave of a hand. Such raw power we have, don’t we? With all these things at our beck and call. What a mighty species. $179.95.  This patented two-sided lighted vanity mirror employs a motion sensor to detect when your hand waves in front of the base, allowing you to turn it on and off when your hands are wet, lotioned, or when your nails are freshly-polished. The mirrors durable…

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heh heh! February 29, 2008 posted by Nigel

Electric Police Car – Car 54, where the heck are you?

This Electric Police Car just has us creased up imagining the chase scenes. Tom Cruise leaning out the side, trusty firearm in hand, villains screaming away on their Segways. All in super–real slow motion. Beautiful. Max speed 40 km/h, max range 80 km/h, charging time 7–10 hours.  350kg Motor power: 3.0kw Non-brush Battery: 48v 190Ah Max. Speed: 40km/h Loading capacity: 680kg Travel distance: = 80km Climbing ability: 25° Charging time: 7-10 hours. Tags: electric+police+car, ecological, hill+street+green

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Bookmark This! February 29, 2008 posted by Nigel

Booklet Creator – create simple booklets from standard PDF documents

Booklet Creator. Fab little free online application that lets you create foldable booklets from any PDF document. Upload your file, and print on both sides of the paper to make the end result. Don’t forget your stapler!  Then you print out the document chosing “Print on both sides” in your printer preferences. If your printer can’t print on both sides automatically, print the odd pages first (Acrobat Reader has such option in printing preferences), then put the printed paper back…

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