While this hot shoe mountable laser scope may look like a ridiculous add-on suited for die-hard FPS fans, it probably does make it easier to track and photograph a moving subject when you’re not looking through the limited frame of your SLR’s viewfinder. Powered by a single CR2032 watch battery the scope doesn’t actually project a laser dot on your subject as if you were a sniper, but instead projects either a red or green reticle (point, circle point, circle cross or cross) onto the sight. It is a bit overkill since a reticle printed onto the scope would more than suffice, but I guess the illumination does make it easier to use at night. $39 from Brando.
I can’t say I’ve ever had an issue propping up my iPhone that wasn’t easily solved with a pile of laundry, but if you can’t live without some engineered means of holding up your iPhone or iPod Touch then the iANGLE seems like a reasonable non-unitasking solution. When not in use for watching movies it doubles as a simple earbud wrap meaning you always have an excuse for carrying it with you. And since it’s made from plastic, it costs a very reasonable $9.99.
Well that didn’t take long! Yesterday we brought you a hands-on look at Sony’s new NEX-5 and NEX-3 interchangeable lens cameras, but the most important piece of information, their pricing, was a bit vague at the time. But here we are a day later and there’s already a pre-order page on the Sony Style website. The NEX-5, which is the ‘higher-end’ model, comes in at $699.99 with the 18-55mm E-mount lens or $649.99 if you go with the 16mm prime instead.
And those who don’t need full 1080P video recording, a magnesium alloy body, an IR remote and can settle for a slightly larger form factor can save about $100 by opting for the NEX-3 instead which is $599.99 with the 18-55mm lens or $549.99 with the 16mm. A bit pricey in my opinion, when you can get a prosumer-level Nikon or Canon DSLR with their massive selection of lenses for roughly the same amount of money, but still, a very nice compact alternative if you’re willing to spend that much dough.
I think we can all agree that flying is one expensive way to travel. Unfortunately it’s the quickest way to get around if you need to cross great distances. One of the worst things about taking to the skies is that you tend to get dinged by extra charges. The fees for your luggage can sometimes be avoided, if you know how.
If you want to avoid those extra fees, you have to arm yourself with knowledge. Namely, you need to know your airline’s policies concerning the amount of luggage you’re allowed to bring, and how much it can weigh. Going over these limits will cost you. I’ve seen small contraptions that let you weigh your luggage, thus letting you know if you need to redistribute the contents. However, these do add to the weight and take away some of your packing space. So why not build the scale into suitcase?
It made its first appearance at Toy Fair, but the C-3PO Bespin Backpack we brought you earlier in the year is now available for pre-order from ThinkGeek. Made from golden leatherette, Threepio comes with a mesh pouch with backpack straps for holding all of his appendages, and his torso features a zippered pocket for storing stuff inside him. It also turns out that his eyes light up and flicker, and he can actually be fully assembled into a 3+ foot tall protocol droid for all your human-cyborg relation needs. It’s expected to be available in limited quantities by August 25, just in time for the Star Wars Celebration, and will set you back $59.99.
It’s no surprise to see Sony wanting to grab a chunk of the burgeoning micro four thirds interchangeable-lens P&S camera market, but it is a surprise to see that their first two entries, the NEX-3 and the NEX-5, actually use an APS-C format sensor which is also used in a wide range of prosumer DSLRs.
Both of the 14.2MP NEX-5 and NEX-3 look amazing and are incredibly compact, an advantage they take from their P&S roots, while at the same time providing a photography experience and results akin to what you’d get from a full-sized DSLR. I had a chance to play with both of the cameras at their official launch this morning, so please take a few moments to check out my hands-on look after the jump. (Don’t let me dragging myself out of bed at 6:30am be in vain!)
How many hours per day do you find yourself staring at a screen of some sort? Be it a computer monitor or a TV, many people spend several hours a day looking at one. Personally, I will easily spend 10-12 hours a day doing so. I’m either working, watching a movie or playing video games, which takes its toll on my eyes. I do my best to take breaks to get away from the screens, but even that doesn’t prevent my eyes from hurting by the end of the day. So what can I do to help? The guys at Gunnar believe they have the answer.
I’ve seen Gunnar’s products before, but never really took them seriously. What are some tinted glasses going to do for me? After talking with one of the co-founders of the company, I decided I’d put them to the test. As a gamer and a working professional that spends most of his day staring a monitor, I figured that it would be worth it.
Congratulations are in order for Das, who was the winner in last week’s Samson Go Mic giveaway! What’s that, you’re not Das? Well don’t worry, we’ve got more stuff to give out in the future. Stay tuned for more free goodies.
The iPad can be a fun tool for doodling, but using your finger isn’t the most accurate way to do so. You can always buy one of several different styli on the market, but what’s the fun in that? Instead, you can watch the video above and make your own iPad stylus.
The method shown above can be applied to just about any similar object, but I would suggest using a metal pen if possible. If you simply attached the bare wire to the inside of the metal tube, you would eliminate the external wire. In all, you could have a stylus the size of a regular pen for just a few bucks. Not too shabby. Of course you could always go the sausage route.
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