By Andrew Liszewski

There will probably be more details on this once Hasbro officially unveils it today, but starting next Spring the toy maker will be selling this $30 ‘unneccessory’ (unnecessary accessory) for the iPhone and iPod Touch that will let users enjoy 3D content while looking through it like a pair of binoculars. The idevice slides into the bottom of the viewer and I assume it uses a split-screen methodology with each side providing a slightly different view to produce the 3D effect, since I doubt this $30 contraption includes a polarizer.

The My3D was apparently developed with help from Apple and besides being able to enjoy 3D movie trailers and other video content, you better believe it will be the catalyst for an avalanche of 3D apps like games, storybooks and even travel guides. So in essence we’re looking at the 21st century version of the Viewmaster.

[ Mac Rumors - Hasbro to Launch $30 'My3D' Accessory for iPhone and iPod Touch ]

By Ian Chiu

As with most things in life: BIGGER is BETTER when it comes to portable storage and no company knows that better than Seagate. They were the first to come out with single 3.5″ form factor monster 3TB hard drive and what better way to put all that space to use than in an external storage solution?!

With a very reasonable footprint that is no larger than previous models, the 3TB Seagate GoFlex Desk is a marvel of engineering. The ultra dense platters of the 3TB hard drive contained within gives this drive the potential to be just as fast as it is good looking. Sadly, its stock configuration is less than optimal as Seagate has hobbled it with the down right ancient USB 2.0 interface. Luckily, where it is a GoFlex drive the interface can easily be upgraded. When you combine USB 3.0 bandwidth with this drive, the potential of the GoFlex 3TB is fully leveraged. But you have to be willing to pay the price all that space and speed demand! Is this price worth it? Only you can answer that question for yourself. Everything USB has the full review.

[ Seagate GoFlex Desk 3TB External Drive Review @ Everything USB ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Apparently Audi of America made its first ever appearance at the recent SEMA show in Las Vegas, which is kind off odd since the luxury brand doesn’t exactly seem to fit that bill. But they were in attendance to show-off a handful of new accessories for their vehicles including these unique illuminated floor mats. Designed by the company’s electronic research lab in Palo Alto, California, the mats feature the vehicle’s nameplate backlit with LEDs, and owners will be able to choose the color, intensity of the glow and even custom graphics when ordering them as an ‘after-sales’ accessory.

I’m going to assume they’re completely waterproof and have some clever way to tie into the vehicle’s electrical system without needing to be plugged in to the cigarette lighter. And as for price, it wasn’t specified. But if you’re the type who thinks they need illuminated floor mats in their Audi, I’m sure the price tag won’t be a hindrance.

[ AutoGuide.com - Illuminated Floor Mats Unveiled at SEMA… by Audi? ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’ve been leery about handing over your $500+ iPad to your young’n, the Fable, from the same company responsible for the connected Vizit digital photo frame and wireless sharing service, could be just the thing you need. It’s billed as the world’s first tablet designed specifically for children, because apparently the Etch A Sketch never existed.

The Fable sports a 7-inch, hi-res LCD display and features a touch-friendly carousel navigation UI that will let kids draw, play games and share content over the company’s mobile broadband network. It will also of course serve as an eReader since Isabella has teamed up with children’s and educational content provider Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. And since it’s from the same company responsible for the Vizit, the Fable will also include a built-in camera allowing kids to shoot and contribute photos to their family’s collection.

Now besides the PR linked to below, and the mocked-up product shot you see above, there’s not a lot of info on the new tablet which is slated to arrive sometime in mid-2011. But given the Vizit frame requires a monthly/annual mobile data plan I’m going to assume the same will apply to the Fable in order to really take advantage of all its features.

[ PR - Isabella Products Announces Partnership with Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to launch the World’s First Children’s Tablet ]

By Andrew Liszewski

99% of the time an alarm isn’t a good thing. Whether it’s because of a fire, a robbery, or even having to get up in the morning. But the other 1% of the time, like when your car is reminding you to put your seat belt on, you should be happy to hear it. Apparently that’s not the case for everyone though, because someone has seen fit to make and sell a null seatbelt insert that tricks your car into thinking that every occupant has their seatbelt on, when they really don’t.

Yes, I can see the practical application if you happen to be transporting something heavy in the front seat that the car thinks is a passenger, but there’s nothing stopping you from doing up the real seat belt first before you put it in. A set of 2 is just $4.28 from BudgetGadgets.com, and if you’re thinking of ordering some I hope you enjoy your inevitable trip through your car’s windshield.

[ Seat Belt Null Insert ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

When it comes to your gaming PC, getting the most bang for your buck(explosion out of your dollar) is of the utmost importance. For many, this means overclocking components such as the CPU and video card, to milk every last bit of performance from the hardware without paying anything extra. The downside to this is of course the additional heat generated from pushing your hardware to its limits.

So how do you keep your rig running cool without breaking the bank? Obviously upgrading your stock cooling system is going to be your first line of defense against heat. Now do you go with air cooling, or a liquid cooling setup? These days, I’m all for the latter. For a minimal increase in cost, you can greatly reduce not only the temperature of your components, but the noise as well.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Andrew Liszewski

In an attempt to curb the use of disposable plastic water bottles, 3M worked with design firm IDEO, who you might remember were also responsible for those slick BBVA bank ATMs, to design a new type of home water filtration unit. What they came up with was the Filtrete Water Station which allows users to essentially bottle their own filtered water in re-usable containers.

Like the Brita, the Filtrete has a wide basin allowing it to be easily filled from a tap, but using 3M’s specially designed carbon filter it can top off 4 x 16.9oz BPA-free plastic bottles in just seconds, while still reducing the sediments and chlorine taste from the water. The station uses special valves so you can refill any number of bottles at one time, not necessarily 4 at once, and each bottle features a flexible handle which doubles as a leak-proof cap. The Filtrete Water Station was actually launched at Walmart way back in July with the full kit costing $37.44. Replacement filtersm which are good for about 100 gallons of water, are $10.88 while replacement bottle 2-packs are $14.88.

[ IDEO - Filtrete Water Station For 3m ] VIA [ designboom ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Most ‘sonic’ devices are designed to be tucked away somewhere unnoticeable so they can subtly annoy friends or co-workers. That’s definitely not the modus operandi for this Micro Sonic Grenade though. As you can see it’s got a tough rubber outer coating making it safe for tossing, throwing or whatever means you need to deliver it from afar since once the timer runs out (it can be set to 5, 30 or 60 seconds) this thing will ‘detonate’ with an ear-piercing 110-115 decibel siren. In other words you don’t want to be anywhere near it. And when your victim finally regains their faculties and inevitably destroys the grenade with a hammer and/or heel of their shoe, you won’t feel too heartbroken since it only cost you $9.99 from ThinkGeek.

[ Micro Sonic Grenade ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While some may still question Apple’s decision to go with a flat glass back on the iPhone 4, decal makers certainly aren’t complaining. The Sony Walkman decal we brought you a few weeks ago was perfect for those who like a little nostalgia, but this iPhone 4 default homescreen decal is really for those who like messing with other people’s minds.

Quite simply, it’s a decal of the iPhone 4′s default homescreen as it looks when you first power up the phone right out of the box. And while it won’t have that ‘glow’ like the real LCD screen on the other side does, it should be enough to warrant a few confused looks when people you think you’re using the phone backwards. The decal is 100% water and oilproof so you don’t have to worry about handling it carefully, and at one point it was available on Etsy for just $10, though it appears to be sold out at the time of writing.

[ iPhone 4 Default Homescreen Decal ] VIA [ Nerd Approved ]