By Andrew Liszewski

It’s still listed as ‘Coming soon’ on the Belkin website so there’s no pricing info just yet, but if you’re tired of holding your iPhone during a 2-hour movie, the BodyGuard Cinema polycarbonate case features a kickstand allowing you to prop it up on any flat surface for comfortable hands-free viewing. And when it is available you’ll have your choice of a Black/Silver or Caviar/Silver finish.

[ Belkin BodyGuard Cinema ] VIA [ GadgetGrid ]

By Andrew Liszewski

In the olden days, bicycle dynamos were really only used to power safety lighting on a bike. But in these modern times a cyclist can be using everything from a GPS device to a cellphone to an MP3 player while they’re out for a ride. So the PedalPower+ system safely harnesses the power generated by an AC dynamo and turns it into a safe DC source where the current is regulated and the voltage is consistent enough for electronic devices to be recharged.

The PedalPowerr+ system uses either a bottle dynamo (pictured above) which is relatively easy to install, or a hub dynamo which will probably require the assistance of a bike shop since it requires a re-spoking. But it’s flexible and modular enough that it can also be adapted to a pre-existing hub generator if your bike is already equipped for power. And during the times when you’re not riding, the battery charging unit can be easily removed and used to trickle charge your gear until your next ride, or until the battery is depleted.

[ PedalPower+ ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Have you ever been out hiking and gotten stranded? I can’t say that I have, but I can only imagine that it would not be a fun ordeal. One problem you’ll no doubt run into if unprepared would be finding food. I’ve never attempted to forage for food, and really wouldn’t know where to begin. The smart move is to pack some kind of food in with your hiking gear. If you’re really smart, you might pack these HotCans.

These cans come in three flavors (Beef Casserole, Sausage and Beans, and Vegetable Chili) and heat up of their own accord. Just remove the lid, pop a few holes and wait for the steam to start rising. Who knows how tasty the meals are, but if you’re unable to get a fire going, any hot meal is going to be awesome. At $8 a can they are a bit expensive, but when you’re not hiking they would go nicely in your fallout shelter.

[ Firebox ] VIA [ RGS ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Yep, for just $24.95 from Vat19 you can split a single USB 2.0 port on your PC into 4 ports using this retro cassette tape USB hub. Unfortunately like real cassettes, flipping it over doesn’t give you an additional 4 more USB ports, so why would you opt for something like this? As one of the commenters on BBGadgets points out, it’s all explained in the FAQ:

Question: How is this different than a regular (boring) USB Hub?

Answer: The Cassette Tape USB Hub looks like a cassette tape. So, it’s awesome and not boring.

Can’t argue with that.

[ Cassette Tape 4-port USB 2.0 Hub ] VIA [ CrunchGear & BBGadgets ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Have you ever wondered how you could be easily identified as a giant douche at the next party you attend? As with skinning a cat, there are many ways to accomplish this noble title. My new preferred method is wearing this Portable Tap Dispenser. Granted, if you’re at a party with no booze and you walk in with a full tap of beer, you might be a hero. However, try walking into a kegger with an empty one and you’ll be douching it up in no time.

The best part here is that you’ll just get worse the longer you’re there. Just having this thing strapped to your back is bad enough, but when you roll up to the keg and start filling it up, you’ll definitely turn a few heads. Things will probably start heating up once you’re about 3/4 the way through your beer. By then you’ve no doubt got a good buzz going, and everyone at the party knows that you’re the one that spent 10 minutes filling up their stupid backpack with beer. They’ll be giving you crappy looks and telling you where you can shove that thing. To properly earn your new title, finish off your booze and head back for a refill. Trust me, it’ll be the best $35 you ever spent.

[ FunIdeas ] VIA [ FoolishGadgets ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Man, my 1.5TB drives sitting in my storage server are starting to look smaller and smaller all the time. We’re finally starting to see 7200 RPM 2TB drives, and now TDK is talking about 2.5TB. Apparently the company is putting their new 640GB platters through the usual tests. Once those are finished, they will be able to stack four of them up in a single 3.5-inch drive. Mass production should begin in November, with drives appearing on the market early next year.

TDK is also working on 320GB platters that will allow for 640GB 2.5-inch drives. We should see these on the market late this year, or early 2010. Sure, Western Digital has 1TB drives, but these based on TDK’s technology will actually fit in your laptop.

[ TDK ] VIA [ Electronista ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While this might look suspiciously like the same LED LEGO minifig keychains we brought you last week, I can assure you it’s not. For starters, this one stands over 7-inches tall making it completely incompatible with any LEGO set on the market. And while it does include a set of white LED lights in its right foot allowing it to be used as a flashlight, they’re not powered by disposable batteries. Instead, there’s a dynamo inside that can be used to charge a set of rechargeable batteries by simply cranking the LEGO fig’s left arm. ~$23 from Play.com.

[ LEGO: Dynamo Torch ]

By Andrew Liszewski

At times RFID technology gets a bad rap, but that’s because it’s not always the best solution for every situation. (ie Passports etc.) However, here’s one example where the technology really shines. Developed by DeWalt, Tool Link is a $1,120 option for Ford trucks that uses RFID tags to keep track of your tools so that you don’t accidentally leave one behind at a job site.

The system comes with 50 tags that can be attached to tools and hardware from any manufacturer, an RFID scanner plus software that runs on the truck’s in-dash computer, as well as a couple of RFID antennas located in the truck’s bed. Once you’ve created a database of your hardware the system can keep track of what items were in the truck at the start of the day, and what items are missing before you leave the construction site at the end of the day, before they go missing permanently.

[ Gearlog - It's 5 O'Clock. Do You Know Where Your Tools Are? ]

By Andrew Liszewski

As a prolific user of sticky notes at home and work I rather like this Memo Block created by Kakuzai. It’s an overly generous stack of sticky notes that features a wood texture printed on all the exterior sides so that it essentially looks like a block of wood sitting on your desk. The downside? That wood texture won’t stand out as much as the traditional yellow sticky notes do, and could even get lost if your desk happens to have a wood finish on top. Pricing and availability? Dunno and dunno.

[ Kakuzai Memo Block ] VIA [ designvagabond ]