Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m not a Trekkie by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ve enjoyed some of the Star Trek TV shows and movies (ok, really just TNG) and I have to admit I’m just a little sad to see that Star Trek: The Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton has closed. I don’t know how many times I’ve been on the ride, or ate at the restaurant, but whenever I was in Vegas for a trade show or vacation, I made sure to stop by. And while some parts of Vegas can be pretty tacky, I have to say the Star Trek: Experience was really first class, with loads of props used in the TV shows and films on display, and some decent interactive rides. (Consider yourself at a loss if you never experienced the transporter effect there.)

Unfortunately in the end a dispute over the lease between the attraction’s owner, Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., and the Las Vegas Hilton is what brought the decades old Star Trek attraction to a close. I’m not sure how they intend to re-purpose that space, since that part of the Las Vegas Hilton is saturated in a science-fiction theme, but I do know that Trekkie’s all over the world are pouring a Warp Core Breach on the curb in remembrance.

[ CNN - Star Trek: The Experience closing down ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’re a fan of heavy earth moving machinery, I’d suggest canceling that Disney World trip you have planned, and instead take the family to an even more magical place known as Diggerland. As far as I know it’s the only ‘theme park’ in the world where kids and adults can drive and operate real construction equipment including back hoes, dump trucks and all sizes of diggers. And surprisingly while you’d expect to find a park dedicated to heavy machinery in the US, it’s actually located in the UK.

But seriously, while I probably wouldn’t plan a family vacation around Diggerland, I still think it would be really cool to spend an entire day playing around with gigantic toys like these. (Legally, that is.) I mean how many times have you walked past a construction site at night and wondered if someone has left the keys in the ignition of that giant excavator? If I was the only one then I don’t think a place like Diggerland would exist.

[ Diggerland ] VIA [ LoL around the Clock ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m not going to defend some of Monster’s questionable claims or pricing policies when it cames to their ‘high-end’ audio and video cables. But one product they sell that I will recommend, particularly for travelers with a bag full of electronics, is their Outlets To Go compact powerstrips. They’re small, lightweight and even feature a circuit breaker to protect your gear if you happen to find yourself in a sketchy hotel room. Previously, the OTG powerstrips were only available in 3, 4 and 6 outlet models, but Monster has just introduced a new version that features 3 outlets plus a USB jack for recharging cellphones, MP3 players or even digital cameras.

The Outlets To Go 3 USB model has a suggested retail price of $29.99, and while you can get easily find a cheaper powerstrip on the market, you won’t find anything that’s easier to stash in your carry-on luggage.

[ Monster Introduces “Outlets To Go 3 USB” Powerstrip: A Must-Have Travel Companion for “Road Warriors” ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Luke Anderson

I have three different backpacks sitting in my closet. One is especially for trade shows (it has special compartments for my laptop, cameras and lenses), one I use for hiking, and another for other use. I like having all of them, as they each have their uses, however, they do take up a bit more room than I like. What I need is to get is one of these Go Anywhere Backpacks.

This might not have the most compartments or anything, but the Go Anywhere Backpack has the keen ability to fold up into a tiny ball when not in use. Seriously, this thing could fit in your pocket if you wanted it to. Now if I could just find a price.

[ Urban Trend ] VIA [ CoolestGadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While I think the concept of motorized luggage is kind of frivolous, there have been many times while traveling where I would have loved to have one. And while the LiveLuggage PA Series is the first power-assisted suitcase I’ve ever seen, it actually incorporates a lot of great ideas. Each of the large wheels features an electric motor which can make dragging the suitcase feel like you’re actually dragging a small backpack. But there’s no ‘throttle’ button on the handle. Instead, it uses sensors to detect when you’ve started to pull the suitcase at which point the motors will kick in making the job a lot easier. It also has what the company calls an ‘anti-gravity’ handle which causes the suitcase to lean back while you’re pulling it which places about 85% of its weight directly onto the wheels.

The motors are powered by a rechargeable 12V NiMH battery which will run for about 2 hours on a single charge. It does come with a built-in charger, but it’s also able to use the wheels as a generator whenever the power assist isn’t required. (Like when the suitcase is being rolled downhill.) Finally, when it comes to security the LiveLuggage includes a TSA approved tumbler lock which can be easily opened by security personnel, as well as a ‘Live Locator’ feature which is basically a unique serial number on every piece of luggage that makes it easier to identify the owner through the company’s database.

With a price tag of $1,365.25 I suspect the LiveLuggage PA Series will probably only appeal to the most frequent of travelers who are worried about what hauling their regular suitcase is doing to their spine.

[ LiveLuggage ] VIA [ Computerworld ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I always thought a trip to the zoo was all about looking at exotic animals, but I guess I was wrong. This Fall the London Zoo will start offering its guests a handheld device called the Node Explorer (for a small fee) that will allow them to participate in an interactive adventure as they try to locate a missing zoo keeper. (It was the tiger, in the library, with the candlestick.) As they work to complete the various challenges and quests that make up the two and a half hour adventure, they’ll also be learning about the Zoological Society of London and its conservation mission.

Of course the gadget crowd will really only be interested in the Node Explorer itself. The handheld device is powered by an AMD Au1200 400MHz processor with integrated hardware video decoding and features a 320×240 TFT transflective touch screen display that’s specifically designed for use in direct sunlight. Content is either stored on an SD card or streamed via a wifi network, and is automatically triggered based on the location of the Explorer thanks to the built-in Fast Fix GPS chipset. On a 3 hour charge the device can provide an impressive 8 hours of continuous video playback, and not surprisingly it’s not only splash-proof, but is also easy to clean and disinfect.

[ The Zoological Society of London partners with Node to launch a ground breaking location based media exhibit ] VIA [ Shiny Shiny ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I learned a long time ago that the most important accessory I need to pack when traveling is a power bar. It doesn’t matter if I’m in a hotel room, in an airport or sitting in a convention hall, the number of power outlets available always seems to be ‘n-1′ where ‘n’ is the number of gadgets I need to charge or power. Thankfully there are now quite a few different compact power bars on the market, like the Portable Power Outlet from Kensington. But what I like most about Kensington’s offering is that it includes 2 USB ports in addition to 3 standard power outlets. That allows you to charge devices like your iPhone, iPod or Zune without having to pack their own power adapters. The Portable Power Outlet also features built-in surge protection with a status LED to protect you against power spikes, and a short extension cord which wraps around the body keeping it compact when not in use.

It’s available on the Kensington website for $24.99.

[ Kensington Portable Power Outlet ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]

By Andrew Liszewski

A new division of Greyhound Lines Inc. called BoltBus has recently started service between Boston’s South Station and New York’s Penn Station. (As of April 24.) Besides having fares as low as $1 depending on how far you’re going and when you book your trip (at least one seat on every bus will cost $1) the BoltBus fleet also features free wi-fi and 110V sockets on the back of every seat. So those of you who are dependent on your electronics while traveling will be able to keep in touch with the office without worrying about your batteries dying.

BoltBus has also taken a standard coach seating configuration and actually removed seats so that each passenger has an extra three inches of legroom. That might not seem like much, but to those of us over 6 feet tall, every little inch helps. On their website the company admits that the wi-fi technology they are using is relatively new and there are certain spots along their route where it may be unavailable. But even with the occasional dead spot, it’s still far better than the standard Greyhound amenities like soiled seats, sketchy passengers and that smell you just can’t put your finger on.

[ BoltBus ] VIA [ Boing Boing Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

When it comes to ferris wheels, it doesn’t get more iconic than the Pacific Ferris Wheel at the Santa Monica Pier. But what goes up must eventually come down, and in this case the old ferris wheel came down to make way for a new energy-efficient model that boasts 160,000 animated LEDs. The new wheel, which cost the city $1.5 million, made its debut over the Memorial Day weekend and will continue to use the solar panels that powered the old wheel which was erected in 1996. And speaking of the old Pacific Wheel, it was actually disassembled and put up for sale on eBay, where it was bought by an Oklahoma City real-estate developer for $130,000. He plans to incorporate it into a mixed use residential community, and half of his winning bid will be donated to the Special Olympics of Southern California.

[ Inhabitat - Santa Monica’s New Solar Powered LED Ferris Wheel ]