By Evan Ackerman

We got our first peek at the Pogoplug at last year’s CES, and it promised to be an impressive little thing: plug a USB hard drive into one end, your network into the other, and all of a sudden you’ve got a locally mountable networked drive with web sharing. Potentially, this is super convenient, but if you’ve ever tried to set up all that stuff yourself, it seems like one of those things that’s going to be either a major headache, or impossible, to get working.

Cloud Engines sent me a Pogoplug (and some microwave popcorn) to play around with a while ago, and I’ve got my impressions for you, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

By Chris Scott Barr

Just when you thought that everyone had ran out of jokes about the iPad’s name, another one surfaces. This time the joke is a case for the device, dubbed the iMaxi. You’d never guess what it looks like.  The Etsy seller’s description sums things up best:

Plus, the iMaxi’s Velcro-latched, advanced wing design wraps snugly around your device, so your iPad always stays where it should. Best of all, it shields it from all those unsightly and embarrassing data leaks that would make any motherboard worry.

Oh iPad humor, you will never cease to make me laugh. You can pre-order one for $30 through the end of the month, but they’ll go up by $10 after that. Did I mention that they’ll make the interior red if you ask nicely? Yeah, that’s just wrong.

[ Etsy ] VIA [ GeekSugar ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Now I use Google Maps on my iPhone as much as the next person, but sometimes finding directions on a touchscreen, aqua-phobic, battery-sucking device isn’t the most convenient way to find your way around a strange city. A while ago we brought you the fabMAPs from Rand McNally which were crumple-friendly maps printed on microfiber cloth, but I think I prefer these Crumpled City maps created by Emanuele Pizzolorusso instead.

Unlike a traditional paper map which can be awkward to deal with, the Crumpled City maps can be easily crammed in your pocket, backpack or their own carrying pouch, without having to worry about properly re-folding it along the crease lines. And since the Crumpled City maps are printed on Tyvek, an engineered fabric used as a moisture barrier in house construction, they’ll easily shrug off the worst mother nature can throw at them. Best of all, they’re not just a design concept, but are actually in production and will hopefully be available in London, Paris, New York, Tokyo and Berlin versions soon.

[ Emanuele Pizzolorusso - Crumpled City ] VIA [ Cool Hunting ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The Bugatti Veyron’s million dollar price tag is somewhat justified given what the car is capable of, but I’m afraid I can’t say the same for this ‘Bugatty’ car-shaped cellphone. I mean it’s got all the basic features one would expect to find in a candybar touch-screen cellphone these days, but $200 for a run-of-the-mill, quad-band, gray market handset that doesn’t include a warranty whatsoever is asking a little much. In fact if the price tag doesn’t scare you off, the warning posted by UCables right on the product page should:

Warning:
1. China Mobile Phones does not come with CE certification marking. Any purchase is at your own risk.
2. You solely accept the full risk of any package (or part thereof) being detained by customs for whatever reason and acknowledge and agree that you will not hold IPmart liable for such packages or loss, for whatever reason being unable to be delivered to you.
3. You will also not hold IPmart responsible if the mobile phone does not work within the network coverage of your mobile phone service provider.

So in other words, proceed with caution.

[ 'Bugatty' Car-Shaped Cellphone ] VIA [ GadgetReview ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The need for a construction-site-friendly MP3 player is still questionable in my opinion, but Ryobi’s new Durashot digital camera, also from their TEK4 Electronic Tools line, makes a bit more sense. It’s an 8MP behemoth that will dwarf your average P&S camera, but the fact that it’s impact resistant and dust & water proof means it should be able to survive the daily rigors of life on a construction site.

The 3X optical zoom lens has what looks like a sturdy metal sheath, so it’s never exposed to the elements, and won’t get damaged if the camera is dropped while it’s extended. All of the function buttons, including the shutter, are large and easy to operate, even while wearing work gloves, and I’m going to assume the 2.5 inch LCD display is as protected as the rest of the camera is. It’s also got a voice memo feature for attaching a verbal description to any photo, and the ability to capture 640×480 video at 30fps to really get your point across, and is available from Home Depot for $199.

[ Ryobi TEK4 Durashot Digital Camera ] VIA [ Meandering Mind ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Today we’re throwing around overly cute floppy disc pillows, but tomorrow it will be DVD pillows, followed by Blu-ray pillows, then probably platter-based hard drive pillows, and so forth. You get the picture. I just wish these little guys (they’re just 7x7x3 inches in size) had matching VHS cassette and Laserdisc pillows so I could complete the set. $18 each from ShanaLogic.com.

[ Mini Floppy Disc Pillow ] VIA [ GeekSugar ]

By Andrew Liszewski

You might think that writing about a gadget designed to carry plastic bags is indicative of a slow news day, but innovation doesn’t always involve high-tech electronics. It can be something as simple as the Yoke Shopper, which is nothing more than a plastic clip with a retractable strap that allows you to carry up to 22 pounds of grocery bags over your shoulder, like a messenger bag. No more putting the groceries away with sliced and sore fingers when you get home. Of course using re-usable shopping bags instead of plastic is always preferred these days, particularly something like this, but from time to time those plastic menaces are the only option you have. ~$20 from Gizoo.

[ Yoke Shopper ] VIA [ Coolest Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Today Wacom unveiled a “newly-redesigned” Cintiq 21UX, and while it doesn’t look considerably different than its predecessors, there are a few interesting updates to note. First off, the 21.3-inch LCD tablet can now detect 2048 levels of pressure, and that in conjunction with the stylus’s new Tip Sensor means you’ll have more control over pressure-sensitive tools, and you won’t have to press as hard, which is nice if you go through stylus tips as often as I do.

But the biggest addition is a pair of rear-mounted Touch Strips on either side of the display which work with a set of Toggle Buttons on the front, allowing you to quickly switch between up to 4 different application-specific functions, theoretically making your productivity skyrocket. $1,999 available from Wacom sometime in April.

[ Wacom Cintiq 21UX ]

By Chris Scott Barr

One thing that Apple has touted from the beginning with the iPhone is that it is great for gaming. I agree with that on some level, but the lack of a d-pad and physical buttons will always hold it back. One company has been hard at work on a solution that will give your favorite phone the features it needs to really let you enjoy games on it.

The iControlPad has been in the works for a little while now, but the developers have announced that they are finally going into mass production. The unit will give you four buttons, two analog sticks and a d-pad for all of your gaming needs. One model will even give you an internal battery for juicing up your iPhone. The only bad thing (for some people) is that it looks like you’ll need a jailbroken iPhone for it to work.  There’s no current word on pricing.

[ iControlPad ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]