Earlier this month, we posted a review of Cloud Engines’ Pogoplug, a piece of hardware that takes USB hard drives and makes them network accessible (among other things). Iomega has come out with another option for centralizing your storage, called the iConnect. Like the Pogoplug, the iConnect lets you plug in standard USB drives, and then puts them on your home network. Plus, it throws a whole bunch of other cool stuff into the mix, like wireless access and printer networking. Read the review, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
If Apple learned nothing else after releasing the first two versions of their iPhone software, it was that users wanted copy and paste functionality. It seems like everyone and their brother myself (and my brother) voiced their frustration at Apple’s apparent disregard for a feature that everyone clearly wanted. Thankfully, such a stink was raised that Apple, along with every other mobile OS provider, now knows better than to leave it out from future software.
Unfortunately, Microsoft didn’t get that memo. It has been confirmed that Windows Phone 7 Series will not allow users to copy and paste. It is their firm belief that most users don’t really need clipboard functionality. You’re right, I don’t need clipboard functionality; then again I don’t need a smartphone. I do, however, want a phone that has a touchscreen, can run variety of software, play music, and let me copy and paste.
My daily routine doesn’t require me to wear or even own a pair of cufflinks, but I’m sure the day I do need a pair these mechanical versions from watchmaker Romain Gauthier will be well out of my price range. The cufflinks will be officially unveiled at this year’s Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show in Basel, Switzerland, and feature a mechanical pushpiece locking and unlocking system comprised of over 45 micro-components. Not only are they easy to put on, but apparently the mechanics also serve as a safety system ensuring the cufflinks won’t accidentally fall off while worn. They’ll eventually be available in 3 different finishes including a mix of gold and titanium and straight-up titanium, and that alone should give you a rough idea of what their price tag will be like.
If it wasn’t pushing 60°F where I live, I’d be all over this Yoshi tongue scarf, created by Etsy seller ShadowsInTheNyte. It’s 72.5 inches long, made from 100% acrylic yarn and features Yoshi’s head on one end, from which his red tongue protrudes. Normally the scarf is $45 but since it’s been making the rounds online over the past few days it’s already sold out. So here’s to hoping more are on the way. (Insert that Yoshi sound effect that’s easy to mimic but impossible to type.)
Always wanted a bear skin rug but were worried about the wrath of PETA? Or maybe you just haven’t been able to nail down a single motif for your living room renovation? Either way, Lise Lefebvre’s Barenjager or ‘Bear Hunter’ rug is an almost stylish cross between having a rustic bear skin on your floor, or an elaborate Persian rug. The carpet itself is made from wool, while the bear’s head is a combination of wood, glass eyes and a plastic mouthpiece complete with faux teeth. There’s no pricing info on her site though, which in this case means it’s probably not for sale.
Yesterday Sony announced a couple of new cordless headphones for privately enjoying your home theater setup, and the MDR-RF4000K, pictured above, is definitely the more interesting of the two. The headphones use a secure digital RF signal which provides a decent range of up to 30 meters or around 100 feet, and their foldable design allows them to sit inside a slim storage case which also doubles as a charging cradle.
Sony’s headphone design team has never had a problem with styling, so the MDR-RF4000Ks look great as usual, and the 40mm long-stroke diaphragm ensures they should sound great to the consumer-level audience they’re targeted towards. A built-in NiMH battery is good for about 7 hours of continuous use on a single charge, but if they die in the middle of a flick you can switch to using a single AAA battery which is good for another 10 hours of listening pleasure.
Not pictured is the MDR-RF810RK headphones which Sony also announced yesterday. They’ll probably end up being the more affordable of the 2 (official pricing wasn’t released) since they use an analog RF signal instead of digital, but that also means you get a range of 100 meters or around 330 feet instead. They also feature a NiMH battery which actually provides 13 hours of use per charge, or about 28 hours when using a single AAA battery. Both headphones are expected to be available starting in April of this year.
We’ve got robotic rovers crawling over the surface of Mars (at least we did) and put 12 men on the moon, but it took an inventive mom from Minnesota to come up with a sewing needle that’s dead-easy to thread. Pam Turner’s Spiral Eye Needles feature a simple yet clever design that makes getting a piece of thread through the eye seem like child’s play. (Note: if you buy one please don’t let your child play with it!)
They can be ordered in a variety of different sizes starting with a Size 4 Sharp Standard Needle up to a Size 26 Tapestry Needle for cross stitching, all for $5.50 a piece. Now I’ve never bought a needle in my life, so I don’t know if that’s expensive or not, but I’ve threaded enough needles to know they’re worth every penny.
If you’re not suffering from iPad fever, there’s a good chance you still have your eyes on an e-paper based book reader, and the Spring Design Alex we first brought you back in October, and spent some time with at CES, is now officially available for pre-order for those of you who’ve been patiently waiting.
But for those of you who’ve forgotten, your $399 gets you an Android-powered eReader which features a full color LCD display in addition to the primary e-paper one. You might think the dual displays would make this particular reader an unwieldy beast in your hands, but at CES we were pleasantly surprised to find the device struck a wonderful balance between size and the usability of that second LCD touchscreen. The Alex will ship no later than mid-April which is merely a month away, so keep your eyes on the yet-to-be-updated Spring Design Shop page for your chance to order one.
Rather than being powered by a conventional engine, someone decided that it would be a good idea to install itty bitty rocket engines on the tips of the blades of this helicopter to power it. And the really scary part is that it works. Very well, in fact. The hydrogen peroxide rockets (the same things that power most jetpacks) produce no pollution and are supposed to be significantly more stable than their conventional counterparts due to the lack of, um, an engine. In fact, there’s really nothing to the helicopter at all apart from a seat and some big fuel tanks. Called the Dragonfly, it can stay aloft for 50 minutes and has a maximum speed of 40 mph. The Dragonfly has completed a successful series of flight tests and obtained its airworthiness certificate last November, so it’s currently on track to be for sale sometime this year.
This is actually not the craziest thing you can do with a rocket propelled airfoil. The craziest thing is to use model rocket engines, one blade, and then just forget the rest of the helicopter. Check that out along with an article on monocopter UAVs over on BotJunkie.
Related Tags: External Hard Drive, hard drives, iomega, Network, USB
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