By Andrew Liszewski

If you spend your days shooting RAW images on a large sensor DSLR then 128GB of storage on a single SDXC card will certainly be handy, but not life changing. However, if you prefer to go all Ansel Adams with just a compact P&S capturing JPGs, then 128GB of storage is going to go a long way. In fact depending on how prolific you are, you may end up replacing the camera well before you need to delete a single shot.

The Class 10 rated card boasts a minimum read speed of 20MB/s (though write speeds are a bit slower) and come with Lexar’s Image Rescue software which can recover files off a card even if it’s become corrupted. Not exactly reassuring when a memory card manufacturer includes recovery software by default, but losing 128GB in one fell swoop would definitely suck. Not surprisingly early adopters will be paying a premium for the 128GB card, $329.99 to be exact, though a more affordable 64GB version is also available for ‘just’ $199.99.

[ Lexar Professional 133x SDXC Card ] VIA [ SlashGear ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Are you one of those people who is always chipper first thing in the morning? I can say with confidence that I am not. Thankfully, I work a late shift, so I rarely see mornings these days. And yes, for some reason waking up in the afternoon is much easier, despite getting the same amount of sleep. Anyway, if you love mornings as much as I do, why not get a toaster that feels the same way?

This Pop Art Toaster is a novelty at best, but it may serve to put a smile on your face. You see, whenever you put in a piece of toast, it get a happy little picture or phrase burnt into it. Things like “Bite Me” or “Ugh” are sure to mimic your own feelings. If you’re actually having a good morning, you can take out the templates for plain, boring toast. Buy one of these for $45 and ThinkGeek will even throw in a USB-powered cup warmer. Because nothing starts the day off wrong like a cold cup of Joe.

[ ThinkGeek ] VIA [ Coolest-Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m having a little trouble seeing why the Laundry Pod is better than just hand washing a couple of garments in your bathroom sink, but as an alternative to using a washing machine when you don’t have enough laundry for a full load, I guess it has merit. If you’ve ever used a salad spinner you pretty much get the idea of how the Laundry Pod works, and except for a larger capacity and a handy drainage tube, I don’t really see a difference between them.

The Laundry Pod can handle up to 6 garments at a time, presumably a mix of larger and smaller items, and once you’ve filled it with water and detergent you simply have to turn a crank on top for 2 to 3 minutes to clean a single load. The same process is done for rinsing, minus the detergent, and then once again for the ‘drying’ mode which is really just for wringing out as much water as you can before hanging them to dry. It’s probably a lot more useful when camping or traveling as a means to clean clothes between visits to a laundromat, and is expected to be available sometime in the late Spring.

[ The Laundry Pod ] VIA [ re-nest ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It’s hard to believe, but even an adorable see-through teddy bear filled with human blood wouldn’t be enough to make hospital visits any easier for me. I’m sure it has something to do with a childhood trauma (possibly that time when I was 5 years old and stubbed my toe while General Hospital was playing on TV) but it will take a lot more than this disturbing cousin of Winnie the Pooh to calm my nerves. It was designed by UK-based Dunne & Raby for an exhibition at the Science Gallery in Dublin a couple of years ago, but its creepiness will live on for years to come.

[ Dunne & Raby - Teddy Bear Blood Bag ] VIA [ I New Idea ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Yesterday I may have been lamenting that Winter seems to be dragging its feet on the way out the door, but after discovering this amazing Bender Bending Rodríguez toque, I’m now content to have the cold weather stick around for a few more weeks. It was crocheted by Flickr user ‘cheewawamomma‘ and after perusing their photo gallery it’s safe to say they have near Jedi-like skills when it comes to using a crochet hook. Color my shiny metal ass thoroughly impressed, and jealous of Flickr user ‘wa2wider‘ who snapped the above photo.

[ Flickr - wa2wider - Bite My Shiney Metal Ass! ] VIA [ Illuminations and Other Stuff ]

By Chris Scott Barr

When you’re in the market for a a notebook mouse, you have plenty of options to choose from. However, when you really start looking closely, you’ll find that most of them are very similar. Sure, one might have an extra button or two here, or maybe a slightly different shape. Rarely do you find one that’s truly different. The Smartfish Whirl would be one of those rare devices. Today I’ll be sharing my review of the Whirl.

First Look

When first observed, you might think that the Whirl was an ordinary notebook mouse, sitting on top of something. Upon closer inspection, you’d find that the thing it’s sitting on is actually a part of the mouse. The plastic stand is what makes this mouse different from pretty much every other one on the market. The stand is only connected at a small point at the bottom of the mouse. The mouse is able to pivot on this point, providing a unique mousing experience.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Andrew Liszewski

If you think your PC or console gaming exploits are worthy of sharing with the masses, but don’t know the first thing about capturing video, Roxio’s got you covered. The company is already well-known for their user-friendly video capture and DVD creation solutions, and have now created the Game Capture which will let gamers share their expletive-laden clips of pwnage and impressive feats of button mashing on YouTube, Facebook and other online communities.

It’s available as a software-only ($49.99, available Q2) PC version that’s able to capture gameplay at full screen resolutions, or a hardware/software ($99.99, available March 24) combo for consoles. The only catch is that when it comes to consoles the hardware, which connects to your laptop via USB, only records at 480P. That’s fine for the Wii which maxes out at that res, but kind of lacking when it comes to the hi-def capable Xbox 360 and PS3. Both kits also include editing software for adding transitions, overlaid graphics and even voiceovers, and will even hold your hand when it comes to the online uploading process.

[ Roxio Game Capture ] VIA [ Joystiq ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The market for racing game simulator seats is getting a little crowded, but Playseat has managed to create something relatively unique with their F1 model, which now comes in a special edition version featuring the Red Bull Racing team’s livery. As the name suggests, the F1 seat accurately reproduces the position that drivers use in Formula 1 cars, with the seat angled back and the pedals elevated. I’m not entirely sure if the setup warrants the $1,300+ (£819) price tag given it doesn’t include any of the necessary gaming hardware like a wheel or pedals, but if you’re hooked on driving the Red Bull X1 prototype in Gran Turismo 5, you’re doing yourself a great disservice by not ordering one of these.

[ PR - Playseats launches the new Playseat F1 race game simulator ] VIA [ Born Rich ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The idea of having all of your files available on any internet connected PC is certainly tantalizing, but paying some cloud-based service to store your hundreds of gigabytes worth of digital crap isn’t. So the iTwin USB device basically turns your own PC, and all of its connected storage devices, into a secure cloud-based storage center, without the need for messing with complicated software or settings.

It looks like a double-ended USB flash drive, but instead of storing any files the iTwin breaks apart in the middle and creates a secure (using AES-256 hardware-enabled encryption) online connection between the two computers each end is connected to. Its one-time price of just $99 is cheaper than paying an annual fee to an online cloud-based solution, though you will have to factor in the cost of keeping your home PC powered up and online whenever you want to access files remotely. But admittedly if it works as easy and effortless as they claim, it could be an ideal solution for less tech-savvy road warriors who like their laptop to stay synced up with their computer back at the office.

[ iTwin ] VIA [ Digital Trends ]