By Chris Scott Barr

If you’re an artist that enjoys working on the digital side of things, there’s a good chance that you’ve encountered a Wacom tablet of some sort. Since most of my work is done with a pencil or pen anyway, transitioning to a tablet was a natural step. I’ve been using them off and on for the last 6 years or so. The most difficult barrier to get over is always the disconnect one feels when drawing on one surface, while seeing their work on another. Of course, that’s what the Cintiq line is for.

The Cintiq line is Wacom’s own brand of LCD monitor, which also happens to be a fully-functional drawing tablet. Since it’s introduction years ago, digital artists everywhere (myself included) have drooled over the idea of using one. Recently I was able to spend a few weeks with the latest Wacom Cintiq 21UX.

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By Andrew Liszewski

If messenger bags, backpacks, purses, fanny packs, cargo pants, vests or pack mules aren’t your thing, but you’ve been desperately trying to find a way to carry all the crap you can’t leave your house without, why not consider a bandolier! I mean if they’re good enough for a Wookie they have to be good enough for a human right? The KangaTek’s got four zippered pockets so stuff doesn’t fall out when you’re fleeing imperial stormtroopers, and the neoprene material is water resistant should you find yourself trapped in a trash compactor. Available from the company’s website for just $39.99 in your choice of four different colors.

[ KangaTek Bandolier ] VIA [ 7Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Designed by a Canadian landscaper who suffered long-term injuries after having to heft a 22-pound trimmer for years, the Portable Support Tool Balancer might look a little unorthodox, but the harness will apparently reduce 95% of the weight of a heavy tool by transferring the load to the entire body. The swiveling spring loaded reel that hovers above the user’s head provides the lift for probably any kind of tool you can attach to it, and besides providing relief for arms and shoulders it also facilitates a bit more finesse since the operator can more easily move the tool about. Not particularly important for an activity like shoveling, but definitely appreciated when it comes to something like hedge trimming.

At the moment the Portable Support Tool Balancer is only available in a limited production run, but it recently appeared on the Canadian version of Dragon’s Den so hopefully it will soon be more readily available for purchase.

[ Portable Support Tool Balancer ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Designed to serve as a cheap, compact (slightly larger than a quarter) and durable wireless beacon for those who enjoy geocaching, Garmin’s new chirp sells for just $22.99 and provides a remote way to pass on clues, coordinate data and even a confirmation that a geocacher is close to the actual cache, whatever it may be. Assuming of course that everyone in the hunt is using a compatible Garmin GPS device which is required to access or program the chirp’s secrets. With its waterproof housing and battery life rated for an entire year the chirp can run autonomously for longer than most geocaching adventures require, and organizers of the hunt will also appreciate that it keeps track of every visitor to successfully find and access its data.

[ Garmin Chirp ] VIA [ SlashGear ]

By Andrew Liszewski

We haven’t had a Fish Tank Friday post in many moons, but every once in a while we come across a design worthy of our attention. Anyone with pets will admit they’ve been guilty of pampering their animal sidekicks, and I assume the same goes for fish owners. So instead of the traditional bowl or even rectangular tank, why not really spoil them with this split-level Archiquarium made from white and black Corian that also features panoramic windows for viewing the fish from almost all sides. It was recently unveiled at the Hem 2010 home fair in Stockholm, and is slated to go into production soon.

[ Archiquarium ] VIA [ Cool Hunting ]

By Andrew Liszewski

You don’t get to play with your carefully crafted Mii, but Mattel’s Sonic Slam game lets you safely play a round of tennis indoors or out without the need for a Wii or a gaming console of any kind. It comes with two string-less rackets that feature built-in motion sensors and speakers so they can let you know when it’s time to swing. Basically you just have to listen for the returned ball to bounce and then time your swing motions properly. There are other game modes including hot potato and a singles match which has you playing against a virtual wall, and since it’s designed for kids there’s plenty of flashing lights and cartoon-y sound effects. $34.99 available directly from Mattel.

[ Sonic Slam ] VIA [ GadgetGrid ]

By Chris Scott Barr

The gaming world rejoiced when Netflix finally started streaming to first the Xbox 360, then PS3 and Wii. Unfortunately for owners of the latter two consoles, you were tied down to a disc if you wanted to take part in the service. Well for the PS3, you won’t have to mess with that much longer. Starting October 18th, you’ll be able to ditch the disc and stream your favorite movies and TV shows from Netflix.

That’s not the only new thing coming to the PS3. Apparently you’ll be able to stream some shows and movies as 1080i and/or have 5.1-channel surround sound. That’s something that not even the 360 can boast. Don’t worry though, it will be coming sometime in the future, though the company hasn’t said when.

[ Netflix ] VIA [ Engadget ]

By David Ponce

Last time we looked at Dell’s IPS panels was for the much larger 30 inch model. It was also much more expensive, clicking in at a healthy $1,349. Today’s deal does away with 6 inches, but sheds an also very healthy $850 off its bigger brother. You see, for $499 after a $100 rebate, you get “[a 24-inch IPS LCD panel with] 1920×1200 resolution; 6ms response time; wide-gamut IPS panel; 400 nits brightness, built-in memory card reader & USB 2.0 port. [It also] accepts HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI-D inputs.”

[ Dell's 24 Inch U2410 IPS LCD Panel For $499 ] VIA [ LogicBuy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m still not entirely sure why anyone would ever need a radar detector, but Cobra, one of the biggest names in the biz, now has a model that plays nice with the iPhone. Actually it’s kind of beyond just playing nice, since most radar detectors I’ve ever seen only use a set of blinking LEDs or sound alerts to keep you notified. The iRadar on the other hand uses the iPhone (via a Bluetooth connection) as a touch-friendly UI for changing the settings on the device or of course notifying you of known speed traps, redlight cameras or ‘dangerous intersections.’

It also facilitates history logs for remembering where previously detected traps or areas of concern have been. But if you don’t have an iPhone or forget yours one day, the Cobra will work as a standard, though less fun, radar detector. $169.95 available now.

[ Cobra iRadar ] VIA [ I4U News ]