Gadget Dose

Its been a couple weeks since I found a gadget fun enough to put up for a Friday. This gadget qualifies nicely though. IT was featured on the Today show - and gets rave reviews from every buyer.

Full sized guitar - with 4 buttons on the fretboard to make playing a cinch for even a first timer. You can use it like a regular guitar - OR - hook it up to your mp3 / music player and play to your tunes! You can also have it play background rhythms so you can concentrate on the solo parts.

The pitch and tempo are adjustable for tuning to just about any song.

This is a great way to introduce a child to guitar - or heck just give the thing for the pure joy of playing. I gotta admit - even though my kid and I can play basic acoustic guitar - I’m thinking of getting this purely for its fun value.

Well, that and the excellent price - How could you go wrong for $27.96? Grab one at Discovery before they’re gone!

Captured inside the Sun Jar are a highly efficient solar cell, a rechargeable battery and low energy LED lamps. When the jar is placed in direct sunlight the solar cell creates an electrical current that charges the battery over a few hours. This energy is then used at night to power the three LED lamps inside the jar.

The light is diffused by the frosted jar and gives the appearance of sunlight.
Designed to look exactly like a mason storage jar there are no visible wires,controls, or electronics. It switches itself on and off automatically using a light sensor inside.

So it literally captures and stores “sunlight” in a jar.

Grab yourself one for only $34.99

Now that schools back on, its a great time to start thinking of how to keep track of classes and lectures. This DVR from Sony can record up to 130 hours, and also is smart enough to stop recording during quiet pauses. You can also hook this up to your pc and edit your recordings or even turn them into a podcast.

To make it even more attractive - its now 23% off at $53.99

Grab one at Amazon

Heres a somewhat silly - somewhat cool gadget. They make a usb memory stick version and another version with mini tools and a flashlight. I could see both being useful in many situations. You’d sure be prepared for anything at a LAN party.

memory choices are 512 megs / 1 gig / 2 gig / 4 gig

The manufacturers page is HERE

Football time is here again and this little gem promises to make keeping track of scores a snap…

Wireless scoreboard delivers up-to-date game stats for every NFL® team. Every team. Every game. Every quarter or inning. Scores are received wirelessly via satellite signal, with updates every 15 minutes—no TV, PC or subscription needed! Just choose the game you want to feature, and keep track of the rest of the league. Shows schedules, standings and scores for your favorite teams. Automatically displays relevant stats during the regular season and playoffs, plus preseason and off season.

Any football fan would love this for a gift - You can grab one for $99.00 over at Brookstone

Super Realistic looking candles - they flicker, have a wax coating and you can blow ‘em out. - if you put these a bit above eye level you could fool anyone. Nice and safe - they run on 2 AA batteries - (that are actually included) and when you want to turn them back on - blow them on.

Nicely priced too - $11.99 for the 4″ model , $14.99 for the 6″

Grab ‘em at the ever cool Thinkgeek Shop

This gadget marks the last of the summertime gadgets here at the Dose - its somewhat of a crossover device though, as it runs on 3 AA batteries - it can light up any body of water. So yep, you could use it in a pool. However it works in hot tubs - ponds - heck, even the bath tub.

A floating disco ball designed with the pool or spa in mind. Get your groove on as colorful rays of dancing light bring an exciting party atmosphere to your backyard. Engulf your entire pool in a dramatic light show of patterns and colors. New for 2007: Includes a color lid and batteries.

Can’t really go wrong for the price either - $19.99 over at Amazon

Summer is rapidly winding down so I thought I’d try and get this one in before the leaves start turning.

The Rainbow Fountain shoots continually changing color-lit water. This innovative product runs off water pressure - a garden hose or the pool return line provides all necessary power. Very easy to operate. No batteries or electrical power required. Tuscan-inspired base lends European sophistication and drama. For use for in-or above-ground pools.

Can also be used in fish ponds or decorative waterfalls.

Grab one here at Amazon for $61.99

On the Desk–MX Air is a high performance cordless mouse with laser-precise tracking, ultra-smooth scrolling, and a convenient rechargeable Li-ion battery.
In the Air –Simply pick up MX Air and point. Freespace technology transforms your motions into natural and responsive cursor control

Perfect for controlling your home theater pc, doing presentations, gaming, or just showing off from 20 feet away. Works with XP and Vista.

At $149.99 it isn’t exactly cheap - but its still affordable if you need that kind of distance control.

Grab it at Amazon

Called atomic because it sets itself via radio frequency - connecting to the US atomic clock in Boulder Co. Which means all you have to do to set this clock is to tell it which timezone you are in and it takes care of the rest- every evening it will connect to the time server and sync to the exact second.

I have a similar clock and on a couple AA batteries will run for more than a year and always is perfectly accurate.

The moon phase indicator is a bonus - it also tells you the temperature indoors - and outside (remote sensor)

Right now it lists for $39.99 at Amazon - but if you look down to the buy it used and new - you can find e’m for 16 bucks. Im not sure how long that will last though.

Product link The Weather Channel WS-8117CTWC Atomic Digital Wall Clock with Outdoor Temperature

Almost all cordless phones come with a jack on them for just this kind of thing. For the price ($10.99) you can turn you regular phone into a hands free version, letting you do work or goof off while talking.

You can Grab one at Amazon.

Have a time where you are going to be insanely bored? This odd device might just be your best friend.

First step, draw frame one. Next step? If you guessed draw frame two, you are correct. Lucky thing, though, the Dot Creator will let you copy an entire frame, so you don’t have to redraw the entire picture each time. Then frame three, then four, etc. Animate it and watch your hero run, or your spaceship blast off, or your fist give someone the middle finger.

Oddly cool though admittedly completely useless

found at Thinkgeek

If you have a wireless network - 802.11g in this case - you can expand its range with one of these.

Basically they act as a repeater and improve on your range by receiving your current signal and duplicating it. (interesting fact) If you have a couple Linksys access points you already have this feature - you can enable it in the web based admin menu.

Note - that the encryption is limited to 128 bit WEP - which is a good bit short of the best encryption (WPA). That may not suit you if your signal can be “overheard” locally.

Still - if you want to extend your range without going into pre-draft 802.11n spec - then these will fit the bill.

Manufacturers page

I dunno - us guys have a couple big weaknesses - one would be wooden boxes, or heck, any variety of box. Another would be watches.

This particular watch will give you flashbacks to the 70’s. It’s a “drivers” style watch - Using a unique front display for easy viewing while “driving”….the Drivers style watch was recently re introduced by Addidas and TokyoFlash…. creating a frenzy of collecting activity and once more confirming the cult status of this ultra cool design.

I dunno about cult status - but I think I found my next watch. - You can find this one and others like it at the LED Watch Shop - this ones going for $80

This is for us goofy Doctor Who fans that aren’t happy just owning a sonic screwdriver

You get a 5″ Doctor Who (the 10th Doctor) and a 2.5″ K9. Both figs are cool enough alone, but the K9 isn’t your normal action figure - it actually has action. It’s remote control!! AND, there’s a button on the remote which will cycle through several K9 phrases and sound effects. “Affirmative, Master” and “Bleep bloop bleep.” You know, all your favorite K9 sayings.

$39.99 at Thinkgeek