By David Ponce

Because it’s well known that terrorists will openly talk about their plans on Twitter, the DHS and CIA monitors the service for keywords. This practice has led recently to the unfortunate detention and immediate deportation of two Brits visiting the States. And what were the evil, offending tweets that had them explaining themselves for 12 hours? Leigh Van Byran said:

“free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America?”

Destroy… as in “get trashed and party” as he explained to the Daily Mail. And Emily Banting offense? A Family Guy quote!:

“3 weeks today, we’re totally in LA pissing people off on Hollywood Blvd and diggin’ Marilyn Monroe up!”

So watch out, what everyone knew has been confirmed. A sense of humor is an automatic disqualification for anyone working at DHS, as is common sense, logic and any of the skills that everyone outraged at this story clearly has. And the message is clear: foreigners, watch what you say online. The dumbest stuff will come back and bite you.

[ The Daily Mail ] VIA [ DVice ]

By David Ponce

Last time we looked at a Dell Vostro 3450 , the thing was selling a little over $1,000 even after rebates. No longer, as today’s $218 off deal puts the 3450 at $665. For this price, there’s a Core i4-2430M 2.4GHz Dual-core processor with 4GB RAM, 750GB HDD, Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Reader and Windows 7 Professional 64-bit OS..

As always, shipping is free.

[ $218 Off On Dell Vostro 3450 ] VIA [ LogicBuy ]

By David Ponce

We’re big fans of simple elegant design, whether its in consumer electronics or mundane everyday household items. Like the good old whisk. There’s nothing wrong with it, really, other than the fact that it takes up a bit of room in storage. So if you can keep things cheap and simple, why not improve on that? The preposterously named “Joseph Joseph Twist™ 2-in-1 Silicone Whisk” lays flat for easy storage, but becomes a regular balloon whisk when you turn the base of its handle. And it’s $10.

Ships in March 2012.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Gizmodo ]

By David Ponce

The above watch is a concept over at Tokyoflash, and like some previous such concepts, it might one day make it to market. This one however seems to one-up all of the Japanese company’s designs in terms of unreadability. See, to tell the time, you actually have to solve a Sudoku puzzle: each missing digit is the time. So by the time you’ve solved it, it won’t even be the time it was when you started trying. We’re not sure at this point how they plan to deal with this, or even how long it can take to solve a Sudoku puzzle because numbers scare us. But you can head over to their design blog and give you input as it might actually affect whether and how the watch is developed.

[ Sudoku Watch Design Blog ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]

By David Ponce

The main reason Kodak recently filed bankruptcy is that when they finally decided to try and be competitive in the digital camera market, that market itself started dissolving right before their feet; it was too little way too late. But how is this true? Well, it’s simple: smartphone cameras are quickly making standalone point and shoots obsolete. Many people consider these pictures “good enough”, so it’s becoming harder for new arrivals on the market to stand out. Sony’s idea with the Cyber-Shot DSC-TX200V? Make the case out of glass (to match your smartphone, perhaps?) and slap a half grand sticker price on it. Yeah, as in $500. Sure, it’s got lots of features, which are detailed after the jump. But… really, Sony? For a couple hundred more you can get into entry level dSLR territory…

In any case, we’re not judging if the point and shoot still has a place in your heart. If that’s the case, keep reading for a full list of specs.

Read the rest of this entry »

By David Ponce

Try for a second to get past its strange appearance; this is an actual working electric bicycle with decent specs. On a standard configuration you will get 40 miles per charge. An upgrade doubles that. And the standard configuration charges the battery back up in 4 hours, the upgrade cuts that down to 1. The 1 meter sq. (36 inches sq.) device weighs 120 lbs and can carry a rider tipping the scales from 90-300 lbs. It goes up to 28mph to 35mph, a speed which is electronically limited depending on regional moped laws. The all aluminum construction features a glove box, a cargo bay, an all LED dot lighting system with hazzards. And the list goes on. This thing is pimped out.

And it’s expensive. At $4,000 to start, this isn’t an impulse buy, but damn if you won’t be the coolest kid on the block riding around on this thing. And it does appear like it will be available this year.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Technabob ]

By David Ponce

One Barry Shields over at Etsy spent one month making this coffee table modeled after the Star Trek Enterprise NCC 1701-C. It looks good. It’s a Star Trek related item and we know we love us some trekkie stuff. That should be enough to sell this… if it weren’t for the $3,100 price tag. It is a one of a kind though, which surprisingly hasn’t sold yet as of this writing despite the mounting amount of press it’s getting. This is what Barry has to say about it:

The glass is cut to look as though its in motion and the base was designed to portray the ship in orbit over a planet. It has a beautiful rubbed poly finish coat for complete protection for many years to come. Its solid, sturdy and you CAN put your feet up on it after a long day at the office. This is a one of a kind! You will not see another one like it. Glass dimensions are 34″ x 54″ x 17″ tall

[ Product Page ]

By David Ponce

The best way to travel is light. No checked baggage means less time to get on your plane and less time leaving the airport at your destination. The only drawback is the TSA’s no fluids regulations that make it impossible to bring things like shampoo or shaving cream with you. You can always hope the hotel you’ll stay at has these, but you usually end up having to visit a convenience store and stock up. It’s stupid. But these travel sheets from Travelon might offer an alternative. They’re dry and packed with different kinds of products that become usable once you add water at your destination. And they’re clearly not subject to 3-1-1.

They’re not a new product, but it’s the first time I see them and will likely be placing an order. At $5 for 50 sheets of either body wash, conditioner, shampoo and a few others, it’s a steal.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Digital Trends ]

By David Ponce

Looking like it should be holstering pistols, the The MoneyMaker Multi-Camera harness lets you pack a different kind of heat. Photographic heat. (Lord, that’s the worst joke of the week, someone shoot me.) The two shoulder straps let you carry a camera on each side while a D-ring on each allows you to string yet another thinner strap to your front. So you end up with a camera on each side and one in front. I’m assuming that professional photographers would like something like this, what with them spending an entire day shooting a wedding, getting tired and things like that. “The cameras are kept inline with the body and the weight centered over the upper back and shoulders taking strain off the lower back. ”

The MoneyMaker is made from oil tanned, top grain leather and the asking price is $175.

Now, I’d really like it if someone could tell me in what situation three different cameras might be needed.

[ Product Page (Caution: auto-playing video) ] VIA [ Wired GadgetLab ]