Gadget Dose

ITs gonna get cold soon - and most digital thermometers wont handle below freezing temps - these however are made for just that job.

This temperature and humidity sensor can transmit data in even the coldest temperatures. When used with 2 AAA lithium batteries (not included), this sensor can transmit temperature and humidity data up to 100 feet, and will operate even at -40 degrees F. Has an easy-to-open battery cover and can transmit on one of three different channels.

Lets hope none of us sees -40 this year!

Billed as everything from a robotic desk lamp to a room guard - this snakelike remote controlled invention from the folks at Wowwee is an oddity. It not only acts as a r/c toy but it is capable of autonomous movement. Packing an IR radar sensor - light intensity sensor - speakers and boat loads of animated led’s. I;m not sure if its more disco ball or pseudo snake.

It can “see” as far as tracking and following light - so you could whip out that old laser pointer and have it follow the dot. The animated led’s have multiple patterns and sequences that change depending on the things “mood”.

While we’re at it did we mention its also an alarm clock? And you can attach an mp3 player to it and it becomes a speaker. Its also a dessert topping and a floor wax.

ok Im kidding about the floor wax

Supposedly it has mount points so if you set it up to patrol your room - not only will it track and follow intruders - you could mount soft projectile launchers to it and it will shoot the intruder.

Tell me thats not the best way to keep the dogs out of the kitchen eh?
With the remote you can also program up to 40 movements for some motion direction fun.

So what do we have here? I dunno exactly, its a bunch of unrelated technologies tied together in a weird but fascinating toy. I’m certainly interested in its hunt and shoot mode. I’m sure cats everywhere are not looking forward to this thing though.

Pretty fair price at $99.99 - Certainly would make a great Christmas gift ( yeah, I know its already time to start thinking of that )

You can get one from the manufacturers site HERE

This is evil genius - Introducing Echo Bot, the bug-eyed alien with a message. What message? That’s for you to know and passers-by to find out, because this wacky thingamabob is actually a stealth voice messenger that can insult, serenade or freak-out anyone who triggers its motion sensor.

For the office or elsewhere this is sure to freak out and eventually annoy all that come into contact with it.

Simply record your message (up to 10 seconds) in Echo Bot’s rear mic, position the strange little critter wherever you fancy and wait. As soon as an unsuspecting victim passes within a meter of Echo Bot’s eyeball sensor, the recording is activated. ‘Hey, get away from my desk, loser!’

Irresistible ! The folks at Firebox have sold out of the things - you can find ‘em HERE
in singles and packs of 6 - I don’t know if they ship to the states ? If anyone knows of these things carried in the US market - let me know. I’ll bet ThinkGeek will be carrying these before long.

Todays gadget ins’t complicated and it sure isn’t expensive. Its pure light up retro fun.

Experience a burst of fun cosmic color with this retro-looking satellite loaded with 24 LED lights.

* Built to resemble the early satellites in the U.S. Vanguard satellite program
* 24 bright red, green and blue LED lights
* 8 dazzling display options
* Realistic red “engage” switch to cycle through all 8 displays
* Desktop size

Choose light patterns that relax, engage and focus your mind – and watch this satellite illuminate the night.

How could you not like a led covered satellite with a realistic red engage button?

For $39.95 I like it - I like it alot

Find ‘em HERE

If you are like me, you can find a million reasons to want to know just exactly what the weather is doing outside right at this moment. How cool would it be to be equipped like the local news station and be able to broadcast all that data live ? Sure, there are many such solutions on the market but most of them are very expensive and far out of the consideration of all but the most avid enthusiasts. This wonderful gadget brings the price into a much more reasonable range ($129.95)

This full featured weather station allows you to turn your TV’s screen into your very own local personal weather station. It analyzes 11 weather conditions in your own backyard and transmits big, easy-to-read data to your TV screen. It produces a forecast based on trends over the last 72 hours. Using wireless transmission and easy installation, the receiver plugs into any television, receiving info from sensors around the yard that transmit up to almost 200 feet.

The sensors that are mounted outside include a temperature sensor and radio transmitter, wind sensor and rain sensor. This allows you to track the temperature inside and outside, wind chill factor, wind direction, wind speed, barometric trend, rainfall, humidity and more. The measurements from those sensors are transmitted up to 60 meters (196.85ft) to the indoor receiver for display.

The indoor receiver plugs into any TV and displays current weather data from sensors you have placed around your yard. The receiver is powered by an AC adapter (included) and connects to the TV using the RCA video cable that is included.

Keep in mind that the RCA cable will limit which TV’s can actually get the signal natively. For example that spiffy new HDTV plasma screen is probably not going to work, but we all have older analog TV’s sitting around that will work fine. Grab that old 13″ color out of the attic and dedicate it to being a weather station.

Put this is the kitchen and nobody in your family will have an excuse for getting caught wearing shorts in a snowstorm. It’s fun to watch and informative.

Now when your friend says “man, it was really windy last night” you can add- yeah, we clocked winds at 45.3 miles an hour - and did you notice how low the dewpoint was?

# Displays wind speed and direction, wind gust, wind chill
# Displays forecasts for next 12hrs based on trends over last 72hrs
# Displays rainfall, date and time, barometric pressure, barometric trend over last 24hrs
# Displays temperature alarm, indoor and outdoor temp, indoor relative humidity
# Temperature range minus 40°F to 140°F ( minus 40°C to 60°C)

With the temperature alarm feature you could set it to warn you of impending frost so you could go out and cover your sensitive plants - or set it to warn at freezing, so you can go and find where the heck that ice scraper has been all summer.

If you think this is just a little too low tech for you and want something with more advanced pc readable stats and trends - check out the Honeywell Weather Station that also features a public alert which will let you know when theres a hurricane or tornado warning in your area.

I must have died and gone to heaven , here is an all inclusive machine that creates mini doughnuts.
Funny, Firefox wants to correct my spelling to dough nuts, that just doesn’t read right.

Anyways - this thing would be cool in so many circumstances, Sunday morning breakfast - turn this puppy on and it keeps feeding you freshly made doughnuts until you just can’t eat anymore. Imagine handing out warm freshly cooked circles of goodness on Halloween.

Of course no gadget would be complete without doing something unintended by the manufacturer… Yup, I’m thinkin meat filled doughnuts - maybe swap out the oil for bacon grease and sprinkle in some crumbled bacon into the dough…

Oh yeah, high cholesterol meaty doughnuts would be the perfect snack for watching football and of course would be washed down with plenty of beer.

The Dough-Nu-Matic automatically forms, fries and drains delectable mini-doughnuts in just 50 seconds! Great for large parties and ideal for fundraisers since this machine makes easy-to-sell treats for pennies apiece. Makes a dozen doughnuts in under six minutes. Just add dough and the dough-Nu-Matic does the rest. Enclosed oil fryer keeps cleanup to a minimum. Dials adjust cooking temperature. Includes 90-day warranty. 14″ H x 22 4/5″ W x 6 9/10″ D.

Oddly the product is not available for shipment to Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico. Apparently there must be a law against automatic doughnut machines? IT also cant be exported - so you canadians have to stick with your local doughnuts eh?

Price is $129.99 you can find ‘em HERE

If all this talk of food and frying has got you hungry - you may want to also check out the Deni Multi Fryer we linked earlier this year.

Once in a while you find something like this gadget, in design and function simplicity shine right through. What this nondescript little black box does is plug into a phone line (your home phone) and allows you to dial in with your cell phone and turn on devices in your house. The genius of it is the cellphone as a controller - I mean, wherever you are you probably have your cell. Even if not, theres probably a phone nearby. So call your house from the office - turn on the lights in the driveway - and you can even control thermostats with the thermostat module.

You will need the control modules as well - so this box triggers control modules which then turn on your appliance. When you call in to your home phone, the X10 Telephone Responder picks up after 30 seconds. You will then hear 3 beeps. At this point you can press a number 0 - 9 that corresponds to each of the 10 devices available followed by * for on and # for off. A three digit security code can be set before access is allowed if desired. The Telephone Responder can also be set to flash X10 controlled lights or activate chime modules when the phone rings, great for when you are outside.

There are some limitations - some answering machines may get fouled up, and if you have voice messaging through a phone or VOIP provider - they will probably intercept calls before the 30 rings.

You can always get a second line dedicated to the Responder, yes it’s gonna cost extra but its cheaper than leaving a computer running 24/7 to do the same thing - and you don’t have as much access to a networked pc as you do with a cell phone.

The Responder is priced at $69.99 not a bad initial investment. Each X-10 module is only $22.99 - not too bad. The Thermostat modules vary in price, but most of the ones I’ve seen are pricey at between $150 - $250. Considering you can get a digital programmable thermostat for less than $40.00 (this one is an example)I’d probably go that way and set it to turn on your heat an hour or so before you leave work.

If remote control of devices is appealing to you check out the Remote Controlled Outlets - We use ‘em here for all power strips where standby on tv’s or stereos costs us while the devices are off.

Old razor getting you down? There comes a time in all razors lifespans when it is time to upgrade, even if your old one was you favorite for years. Thats the kind of spot I’m in - I love my old Panasonic electric - but its not holding as much of a charge and blades are almost impossible to find now. This model from Hitachi has my attention - its a wet/dry model so you can shave in the shower. If you do plan on shower shaving, go a pay a few bucks for a fog free mirror.

The batteris are Ni-CD and for a 1 hour charge they figure you’ll get a week of shaving out of it.

Like my old model - this razor uses a very high rpm - formerly touted as being sonic - 3500 rpm to be exact. Users new to this high frequency shave will need to get their skin accustomed to the unit. Expect a curve of about a week, however after that you’ll get a shave thats just as good as a blade.

Estimated life of the omni directional blades is 3 years, (keeping the unit properly oiled that is).

Here are the detailed specs -

The Hitachi Rotary Razaq SX110 comes with:
• Travel Pouch
• Power adapter
• Shaver oil, brush, and blade cleaner
• Instruction manual (Japanese)

Specifications:
• Color: Blue or Silver (default). Please specify.
• Power: AC100V 50/60Hz
• Rechargeable internal ni-cad battery
• Weight: 145g
• Size: 65 x 150 x 45m

Where can you get one you might ask? Japan. Don’t worry - I didn’t go and write this whole article only to tell you that you can’t have one …

You can get one online from the wonderful gadget store CScout HERE
Price is $149.00 - yeah, thats kinda pricey - so your probably gonna find this info on how to get some free food at your local restaurant useful.

Todays fun gadget is a 2005 Toy Innovation Winner In The Technology Category.

This X-UFO (from SilverLit) is a lightweight but extremely durable craft (built of carbon fiber and EPP foam) with four independently controlled motors that allow you to fly and hover in all three dimensions. The four blinking LEDs assist you with orienting your X-UFO. They will also indicate when your electronic gyro is at the optimum speed for maneuvering and, once you get the hang of it, they will also allow you to fly completely in the dark so you can startle friends, loved ones and pets. Incorporating the latest in miniature technology, amazing precision, and advanced materials.

So it not only can hover - and fly in all directions - it lights up too! The unit is powerful enough to fly inside or out. Note to the wise though, as I’ve found out with other R/C toys - keep it DRY! I found it takes about 6/10ths of a second for water to render your high priced toy useless.

The specs in detail are as follows.

* Range up to 300 feet
* Fly Indoors or outside in calm conditions
* Digital 4-Channel RC Transmitter
* Electronic Gyroscope Stabilized
* Extremely tough, resilient EPP foam body
* Carbon fiber airframe
* 3x Blue and 1x Red flashing LED Lights
* Flight time up to 5 minutes
* Individual trims for each motor.
* Quad motors, each independently controllable
* Three dimensional control: Take off, hover, descend, spin left, spin right, pitch forwards, pitch bacKwards, pitch left, pitch right.
* Factory assembled & Ready to fly
* Chargeable via included AC and Auto Adaptors
* 4 1.5V AA Alkaline Batteries Required for Transmitter (not included)
* Dimensions 49 x 49 x 7cm, 19″ x 19″ x 2.5″

With a flight time of 5 minutes - you do get a limited runtime to amuse and or terrify your pets. However with a reasonable charge time you can get back in action without much delay.

It’s a fairly high priced toy at $159.99 - and thats 20% off - You can find ‘em over at ThinkGeek

If you’re looking for something more outdoorsy,beefy and waterproof - check out one of our previous Friday fun gadgets - the Megatech Hydro Fly

This tiny little stealthy USB stick is packed with spying software - basically you plug it into any pc for a few seconds and it auto installs its payload - which is a spy software package that allows you to remotely monitor activity from any internet connected pc. It has a hefty load of capabilities (outlined below) - Mind you, there is a yearly charge of $14.95 for I presume the dynamic dns service needed to route one pc to another. The stick itself is $79.95 - which , for the capabilities is not bad.

Benefits And Features

• View and save an instant screen snapshot of the computer being monitored, any time.
• Monitor all web site access.
• Works with all browsers and web enabled programs.
• Monitor both sides of all “instant messenger” communications.
• Automatically translates frequently used Instant Messenger abbreviations.
• Works with all popular IM programs.
• Monitor all email access (SMTP, POP3, IMAP) to see who and when emails were
• received from and sent to.
• Monitor activities in real time, or retrieve activity logs from recent activity.
• Snoop-It Stick records everything, whether you are monitoring in real time or not.
• Store up to 12 months of activity logs directly on your Snoop-It Stick
• All program modules are updated completely automatically so you always have the
• latest version.
• Send the user a pop up message alert. A good way to tell them they’re busted!
• Turn off/on Internet access with the Snoop-It Stick locally or remotely.
• Set allowable times for Internet access.
• Prevent users from using certain types of Internet programs.
• Block access to specified ports.
• Block access to web sites.
• One click “Block Social Networking” option instantly blocks access to sites
• like MySpace.com.
• Completely secure. Only your Snoop-It Stick can access your computer or change the settings you have chosen.
• Works with Windows 2000, XP, 2003, and is Vista ready.

Quite impressive eh? Cheating spouses beware - not to mention corporations,bosses,dogs,cats, and the occasional gecko.

The manufacturers page is HERE
To go along with that you might want to get the worlds smallest video camcorder for when you confront whomever with all that incriminating data.

This candle captures the elegance of a real wax candle in a flameless, everlasting candlelight at the touch of a button. These are the world’s only remote-controlled battery-operated flameless candles. Using LED bulb technology, these electronic candles produce a soft flickering flame just like a real candle.

The remote can turn the candles on and off from 30 feet away and can be used on multiple candles. A kit of three candles is also available with a 6″ x 3″, a 9′ x 3″ and a 12″ x 3″.

Not a bad idea, instead of blowing ‘em out like the other LED candles we wrote about. I suppose since it’s a I/R remote - that you could also use a multifunction remote programmed to the candles….

Candles are vanilla scented - no idea how long that scent lasts , however I got a similar candle a couple weeks ago and it still has its scent. Smarthome also carries a fair assortment of other models of lighted (LED) candles and tealights.

** update - my bad - it was a late morning after a holiday - you can get these at Smarthome Singles for $39.99 and they also sell sets - offered at the same page.

One of my favorite places to go and gaze upon goofy gadgets ( Toys.brando.com.hk ) has just picked up ssomething I’ve been watching since it came out in Japan some time ago. Back then it wasn’t available for shipment in the states. Now everyone can enjoy this desktop space killer.

Its a small aquarium complete with fish (not real ones) that swim around the tank. Its powered by the USB connector on a 4 foot cord. You can also switch the light on via computer control too (blue led). As if this weren’t enough to get you to give away valuable desktop real estate - theres more!

With the enclosed software you can also feed and “play” with your fish - Feed / Medical / Play / Turn Light on /off. You fill it up with real water and a motor generates a real current.

Now thats probably enough for the goofy desktop toy enthusiast, but I’d actually take it a step further… You could hack the thing and put in real fish! - yeah sure - get that top off and put in a freshwater goldfish - or crayfish - or a small blue shrimp. All those do great in cold freshwater tanks. Here are the specs….

# Swimming fish with hinged tails and life-like motion
# Blue LED nightlight and water current
# Able to feed and play with your fish by using the interactive menu
# Plug and play
# No batteries required
# Compatible with Windows 2000/XP
# 4 feet USB cable
# Size: 11.2×11.2×8.8cm
# Weight: 343g

Youll need a usb port - and surprisingly 200 megs of hard drive space for the software …

A you can’t turn this down kinda deal at $23.00 HERE

And while your at it - you might as well hook up the scrolling usb message board to brag about your new fish tank.

Happy Friday!

How many times have you wondered what exactly your pooch or cat is up to while your away? Sure, you could set up webcams around the house - forward them to external ftp addresses and view them as webcams, but the hassle of that vs. the power requirements are restrictive.

This neat gadget from Tomy allows you to get a “pets-eye” view of fidos day. Just strap it around your pets neck and either manually take shots ( via the remote ) - or set it to go off in timed intervals. Just imagine the satisfaction of catching your dog in the act of chewing your slippers. Or if you have a cat- you can find out where he or she goes throughout their daily rounds.

Features and contents:
Wonderful Shot features:
• 3.5 megapixel camera
• 8 MB internal memory (good for 90 photos)
• Rechargeable battery (via USB)
• Timer: Every 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 minutes

Included in Delivery:
• Wonderful Shot camera
• Remote control
• “Bone” USB cable
• Collar clip
• Camera pack
• Weight: 38g.
• Manual (Japanese)
• Instructions in English

For $79.00 it isn’t exactly cheap, but if you have a little room on that Mastercard it seems reasonable. You can buy one HERE

While your at it you might want to get your dog or cat a cell phone so you can speak to them while your away…

and if you are looking for similar pet type gadgets theres an excellent online store Petgadgets

I know there are a lot of alternatives for listening to music in the shower, for instance there are speakers you can hang in the shower and connect to your mp3 player. To me this sounds like a recipe for disaster as the steam and moisture from your oh so hot cleanup will probably kill just about any mp3 player out there.

Those speakers don’t light up either.

With this gadget you can have your music and light up the shower a bit too.

Shaped like a computer mouse, the radio features a splash-proof body, a speaker with clear and crisp sound, and an easy hanging antenna. Also great for the outdoors and poolside parties. Available in Blue, Orange, and Green. Requires 3 AA batteries, batteries not included.

So in the morning you could listen to the news or your fav dj, and for that romantic evening tune in the some ambient music from pbs or such. Its self contained so no worries about steam. It probably won’t survive a fall into the bath though, so for that you might want to see my post on the radio bath tub rubber duck.

You can buy the mood light shower radio HERE for $17.95 - limited production so get ‘em while they last.

From the comfort of your couch or bed you can now change the colors or sequence of the LED light, speed of lights or turn off the lights and just have mister PLUS turn your fogger on or off!

Put this module in just about anything to achieve that mist effect with color changing lights, also good for Halloween - and its just about that time of the year when I’m gonna be keeping my eye out for Halloween goodness. I figure one of these hidden in a skull could be set off when you see the kids get near it.

Comes with a 1 year warranty and you can buy replacement disks for $4.50 when the unit starts to wear down.

Priced at $ 45.00 - discounts on multiples. you can buy them HERE