Last updated Nov 25th, 2009 but we'll update this list as the new stuff replaces the old and crusty. We read and write reviews so you don't have to!

Smartphones

• The Best Smartphones: We like the iPhone, the Motorola Droid because it runs Android 2.0 operating system, and the Palm Pre for people who have stuck with Sprint. We do not like anything Symbian or Windows Mobile 6.5, for the time being. (But are excited for Windows Mobile 7.)

• Cheapest Android Phones: Droid Eris and HTC Hero.

• The Best Smartphones, By Carrier: We sorted out theses answers on Nov 24th, but this category moves quickly so stay sharp when researching.

• Best Windows Mobile Phone We Wish Didn't Run Windows Mobile 6.5: The HTC HD2

• Best BlackBerry: If you're into phones with exceedingly reliable push email, the Bold 9700 is your phone. (We don't like Blackberry's touchscreen interfaces, so the Storms are no good.)

• Non-Smartphones: You mean dumbphones? No thank you.

Computers

• Netbook: If you must get one of these small, cheap and utterly slow machines, the HP Mini 311 with ion graphics is a good one.

• Netbook for Hackintoshing: Dell Mini 10v (and it must be the v) is the top choice. Here's our guide to making it run OS X.

• Laptop: Our bias for OS X and Windows 7 becomes apparent in our choice of hardware that can run both without hacking. Macbook Pros. (Plus, we like unibody construction.)

• Best Non-Apple Laptops: Dell's Adamo XPS may not be fast but it is "insane," raising the bar on design and quality outside of Cupertino. We also like Thinkpads in general, like the X series and the new multitouch t400s. (It's probably also worth noting that Asus and Toshiba recently came out on top in reliability.)

• Gaming Laptops and Desktops: Our friend Will Smith at Maximum PC likes these two laptops and two desktops. I personally like Xbox.

• All in One: We like the iMac, the HP Touchsmart and although we haven't used it yet, the Sony Vaio L because it can double as a TV even when the PC is off. The PCs here have infrared touchscreens, so they do multitouch, but in a really shoddy way.

• MIDs: We hate MIDs. Always have, always will. Intel said they had the tech to make them; but the world never had the need. It either fits in a backpack and lets you do real work on a real screen and keyboard, or it fits in your pocket. There's no real need for anything inbetween.

• Operating Systems: Windows 7 or Snow Leopard

• Network attached storage: We like the HP Mediasmart series with upnp, iTunes and Time Machine servers among other things. But the Iomega NAS is only a little less fancy and costs half the price.

Audio

• The Best receiver under $1000: We haven't tested one in awhile, but we're going to go out on a limb and say we like Onkyo, Denon, Yamaha and Pioneer gear. While some of our own testing is in progress, we'll go with what our friends at Sound and Vision like: The Onkyo TX-SR706 7.1 receiver with 4HDMI ports and THX certification for $900.

• The Best High-End Portable Media Players: Zune HD and the iPod Touch. We Like the Zune pass system a lot, which allows you to keep 10 songs a month out of your unlimited downloads, even after you stop subscribing. But the iPod Touch's large app library makes it a powerful little computer.

• Best high-capacity media player: iPod classic is pretty much the only one left, since Zune has been discontinued and Archos is a mess.

• Flash Media Drives: We've always loved the screenless shuffle's utility, but there are other drives to be had with more functionality for cheaper. Especially now that the buttonless iPod shuffle is sort of annoying to use. We like the Sandisk Sansa Clip+.

• Surround Soundbar: There's only one series of soundbars that uses cold war submarine tech to bounce soundwaves off your walls for surround, and they're made by Yamaha. I tested the YSP-4000.

• iPod Speaker Dock: JBL OnStage 400p (A winner from last year — I'm almost certain we should be retesting this category)

Video

• Best HDTV under $1000: Panasonic's X1 series plasmas, and four more here.

• Best HDTVs, period: Here.

• 1080p Projectors Under $1000: The Vivitek H1080FD is one we like, although we have not tested many.

• Best Monitors: If your'e a Mac user, the 24-inch Cinema Display has a built in magsafe adapter. The Asus 23-inch VH236H is good deal at about $230, but Samsung and Dell are our solid choices for monitor brands, as well.

• The Best Pocket Projectors: There is no such thing, friend. Wait a generation or 3.

• Blu-ray player: The LG BD390 with WiFi with Netflix and DivX playback is awesome, but we'll never leave out the PS3!

• Media Streamers for People Who Hate iTunes or Love Piracy: The WDTV Live is a good one for people who like it easy, but hackers will probably choose Popcorn Hour, both which did well in our battlemodo. (Stay tuned, cuz that $99 Asus O!Play may soon be the champ.)

Cameras

• Best Entry-Level Video-Capable DSLR: Canon T1i

• Best Midrange DSLR: The Nikon D90 has the same sensor as the D300 at a better price.

• Best Prosumer DSLRs: The Canon 7D is great at shooting video and has great low light performance for an 18MP camera.

• Best Flash Camcorder: The Flip Ultra HD.

• Best Quality Point and Shoot: We like the Canon G11 (which is pretty big, but pretty wonderful.)

• A Camcorder We Like: We haven't tested any in awhile, but we tend to like DSLRs that shoot video or cheap flash camcorders. If you must have a camcorder, our friends at CamcorderInfo liked the Panasonic HDC-TM300 for ~$1000.

• Best Point and Shoot: We like the Canon S90, even though we're sure there are slimmer cameras. This uses the same sensor as the G11 and a faster lens, so it takes great shots for a slim.

• Best Rugged Cameras: The Pentax W80 is the best all around camera because of it's depth and temperature ratings and size. The Lumix has the best picture quality but is a bit of a wimp with low thresholds for dives and temperatures. Canon's the best for water only because of its huge nose. And the outstandingly rugged Olympus has a fatal flaw, which is its terrible video.

• Best Helmet Camera: We love the GoPro Hero HD Wide because it mounts anywhere, is really waterproof and lives in a protected case. Plus, 1080p for $250 bucks.

• Best Slow Motion Pocket Camera: Casio EX FC100

Random Stuff

• The Best iPhone Apps: Here's our monthly list of iPhone Apps, as well as our weekly roundups of the best new releases.

• The Best iPhone GPS Apps: Motion X GPS is our favorite value GPS app, but ALK's CoPilot is another cheap champ. Navigon is still the classiest, but it costs a lot. (We're hoping for free Google Maps with Navigation to come to iPhone.)

• The Best Android Apps: There aren't as many Android apps out, but here are the ones we think are worth checking out.

• Ebook reader: Until we review a Nook, the Kindle 2 is still king.

• USB drive: The Patriot Xporter is fast, but if you have cash to spare, the Corsair Voyager GT is slightly faster and has 128GB of space.

• The Best Video Game Console: Xbox 360

• The Best Video Service: Anything, really, combined with Hulu and Netflix (for free old stuff).

• Best mid-tier office chairs: Herrman Miller Setu and Steelcase Cobi.

• Vacuums: We will always be loyal to Sir James Dyson because he tried to sell bagless vacuum tech to big vacuum corporations and they shut him down motivated by the profitability of bag sales. Then he started his own company. His machines are loud, but you can't argue with their industrial design. Here's his latest handheld and ball vacuum.

• Routers: D-Link Dir685. I know it has a digital picture frame built into it, but it also has a HDD and a bittorrent client. And Jason says it's been more reliable than the top line Linksys he tested it against. I also like the Time Capsule, but haven't yet tested the one with 2x the wireless performance.

• The Best Headphones: For in ear buds, we like the Shure SE110/SE115, Ultimate Ears Metro.fi and Etymotics hf5 won our tests. (The Last updated August 2008, so look for updates to winners.) We like the Klipsch Image S4i earbuds for people who want to use the iPhone's voice control or iPod shuffle's Voiceover function. For Bluetooth stereo headsets, we like the Motorola s305.

• Rechargeable Batteries: Duracell destroyed Energizer, and kept up with the legendary Sanyo Enerloops.

• Mice: For gaming, the Microsoft Sidewinder X8. The Logictech MX1100 for regular mousing. And the Magic Mouse is not amazing, but it's pretty good if you have a Mac—the best mouse Apple has ever made.

• Keyboard: We like the Logitech DiNovo.

Suggestions? Requests for review? Leave em in the comments or email us!

According to Ron van der Ende:

I collect old doors and stuff. Old painted wood that I find in the street. I take it apart and skin it to obtain a 3mm thick veneer with the old paint layers still intact. I construct bas-reliefs that I cover with these veneers much like a constructed mosaic. I do not paint them!

I want some of these so badly. [Ron van der Ende via Motherboard via Obsolete]

According to the witches and wizards at NEC Electronics and Onryoku Hatsuden, their new remote generates electricity when the users clicks on any button. They are planning to see the first production remotes in 2011. [Aiajin via Crunchgear]

The manufacturer says that, by projecting a light moving in circles on your bedroom ceiling, this magic egg will make you fall asleep. The Great Zamboni agrees. I have serious doubts. [Techdigest]

Let's just get this first one out of the way: Not only does the Head Spa Massager look like someone in the 1970s designed it in a future-Sparta fashion, but it's a massage helmet. You look ridiculous, and it can't even secretly double as a sexual aid.

This handsome silver fox has it going on. I mean, he's talking to a sexy lady, and a power call could easily come through his Bluetooth earpiece at any moment, right? Nope, he fooled you! He's hard of hearing, and that's just his Stealth Secret Sound Amplifier. (I laughed when I first saw this, but now it just makes me sad.)

Every cyborg I know of has a head-mounted camera, and since this 5-megapixel Digital Camera Swim Mask is only good for 15' depth (that is, snorkeling or swimming pools), you might as well make the most of it and wear it on dry land too! Even has a cyborg-friendly LED that shines inside the mask, to let your friends know who's part robot tell you when you're shooting.

If sci-fi tells us anything, it's that the bionic man (or woman) has great posture. Thankfully, the Posturetek Biofeedback System—it's a shirt, but they call it a system—"senses incorrect posture and gently encourages posture correction." My assumption is that it doesn't use sharp spikes or electric shocks, but it's still a tad sinister.

Snore correction makes up approximately 94% of SkyMall revenue, but only one, the SnorePro Snore Relief Device, attaches to your wrist and sends a "biofeedback digital pulse" when the log sawing kicks in. (Can you imagine having a business card with the word SnorePro emblazoned on it? Would that be awful or awesome?)

When you embark on the man-machine merger, it makes sense to complement some of that silicon with silicone, if you catch my drift. Hell, you got so much going on, nobody's going to notice that you've shoved some Body Figure Enhancing Pads down your pants. Well, they'll notice, but not in a bad way.

What good is the cyborg life if it doesn't permit you to jump higher, run faster, have more energy, appear 2" taller and "look like a million dollars"? The Gravity Defyers (spelling lessons sold separately) have been tempting travelers for ages with those very promises. Besides, its patented spring-loaded sole is found on no other shoe in the world pretty much ever, for some reason.

Locutus of Borg wasn't much of a jumper—his footwear of choice skewed toward the comfort-illumination lines. That's why he swore by the Brightfeet Lighted Slippers. They're just the thing to slip on when you're making the midnight trek from the regeneration chamber to the cube pissoir.

This week, Gizmodo is exploring the enhanced human future in a segment we call This Cyborg Life. It's about what happens when we treat our body less as a sacred object and more as what it is: Nature's ultimate machine.

Here is a list of the tech deals—doorbusters are marked with an asterisk.

Cell Phones

TracFone LG Bluetooth Camera Flip Phone – $19.99

Wireless Bluetooth Headset – $7.99

Computers

Delstar 7 Inch Wireless Netbook 05 Windows CE – $119.99 *

Digital Cameras

Kodak CD80 Digital Camera Bundle – $79.99

Samsung SL40 Digitial Camera – $79.99 *

Sony W180 Digital Camera – $99.99

DVD Players

Magnavox DVD Player w/VCR – $49.99

Memorex 1080P HDMI Upconvert DVD Player – $29.99

Sylvania 7 Inch Portable DVD Player – $49.99 *

Electronics

Cobra Radar Detector – $29.99 *

Cobra Two Way Radio Pair – $19.99 *

Coby 7 Inch Digital Picture Frame – $29.99 *

Emerson 3-Handset DECT Phone Bundle – $39.99

GPX 2.1 Channel DVD Home Theater System – $39.99

iHome Dock – $9.99

iHome PC Accessories – $9.99

Jazz T20 Camcorder – $19.99

Phillips 4-Device Remote Control – $9.99

SmartPants 8.5″ Digital Photo Frame – $49.99

Sony Earbuds – $4.99

Games & Hobbies

48″ Air Powered Hockey Table With Electronic Scoring – $39.99 *

Bowlercade With Electronic Ball Return And Scoring – $59.99 *

GPS Navigation Systems

Magellan Roadmate 1220 GPS Navigation System – $84.99 *

TomTom ONE 130 GPS – $79.99

TomTom XL325S GPS Navigation System – $99.99

MP3 Players

Element 2GB Stick MP3 Player – $9.99 *

Sylvania 4GB MP3 Player – $19.99

Televisions

Element 26″ LCD HDTV – $249.99

Panasonic 42″ 720 Plasma TV – $549.99

Sony Bravia L Series 32″ Class 720p LCD HDTV (Model KDL32L504) – $379.99 *

Video Games

$25 Nintendo Gaming Coupon w/Any DS System Purchase – $0.00

Brutal Legend For PS3 – $39.99

Brutal Legend For XBox 360 – $39.99

Dirt 2 (PS3) – $39.99

Dirt 2 (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Dragon Age For PS3 – $39.99

Dragon Age For XBox 360 – $39.99

for PS3 – $199.99

Halo 3 OSDT – $39.99

High School Musical 3 Dance Bundle – $9.99

Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Nintendo DSi Bundle w/5 Pre-Installed Games – $169.99 *

Nintendo Wii – $199.99 [Uh, isn't this the everyday price?]

Rock Band 2 Special Edition (XBox 360) – $99.99

Sandisk 4GB SD Card – $8.99

Select Wii Games – $9.99

Select Wii Games – $29.99

Value Video Games – $14.99

WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2010 PS3 – $39.99

XBox 360 Elite Bundle w/Halo 3 OSDT – $299.99

[BlackFriday.info via Crunchgear]

Create your visions of what powers our day-to-day devices, and send your best entries to me at contests@gizmodo.com with Inside Gadgets in the subject line. Save your files as JPGs or GIFs, and use a FirstnameLastname.jpg naming convention using whatever name you want to be credited with. Send your work to me by next Tuesday morning, and I'll pick three top winners and show off the rest of the best in our Gallery of Champions. Get to it!

They're an early precursor of the IUD, called a stem pessary. And yes, they were as dangerous as they look. Condoms seem, like, cuddly by comparison. See more of the horrible evolution of anti-pregnancy technology at Newsweek, just be warned you might instinctively clutch your own private parts in fear: [Newsweek]

I just saw a selection of 30 dumb inventions in Life, and I couldn't resist picking my favorite ten. These things are so damn stupid they became obsolete before even becoming real products. It was hard to choose. After all, how could I leave out scientology nutcase L. Ron Hubbard and his Hubbard Electrometer, which in 1968 made him reach the conclusion that tomatoes "scream when sliced"?

See? Really hard.

Then I thought that these all looked weirdly familiar. I searched in Gizmodo, and instantly found their modern counterparts. Some of them make sense now, with current technology. Others, as you will see in the gallery, seem equally goofy. All of them, however, we can live without. Enjoy:

Clearly, humans are the only animals that trip twice over the same stone.

If you are serious about staying off your feet on the weekends, you are going to need a serious home automation system. And they don't get much more serious than TrueImage Control from Savant. Unlike traditional systems, TrueImage simplifies your interface by allowing you to interact with actual photos of individual rooms instead of confusing menus:

Savant's TrueImage technology gives you fingertip control via a simple tap on a wide angle image of each room in your home. Each touch allows you to dim and turn on/off lights, lower or raise shades, even turn on/off your audio and video components. Instead of interacting with confusing icons, TrueImage allows you to simply touch the actual light or shade in that room. Not only does the light in the room turn on or dim (if you press and hold the represented light), but it also illuminates on the touch panel confirming your command.

[Savant via Link]

Wheelchairs are one thing, but nothing blends man, machine, lazy and nerdy like The Hubo FX-1 chairbot. Hit the link to see it in action. [Link]

Maybe you are too lazy to get up, maybe you are too drunk, either way those beers aren't going to get themselves. Fortunately for you, it only takes a little effort with the control pad on the RC Cooler to transport ice cold beverages wherever they are needed. [Firebox via Link]
Dogs are great, but instead of playing with them, maybe you want to spend the weekend sitting on your ass drinking beer out of a remote controlled cooler. This Automatic tennis ball fetch machine would allow you to do both. [Hammacher Schlemmer]
It's Sunday, the game is on, and you are far too comfortable to get up and go all the way to the bathroom. If you are not quite ready for an adult diaper, there are several handheld toilet designs on the market that would eliminate at least half of your problem. [Biorelief]
You're sitting down and seconds are all the way over there. A fork with a telescopic handle will help you get more food without getting up. [Prank Place]
Your cellphone is ringing, but it's just out of reach. Neodymium magnets, some of the most powerful made today, could help you bridge the gap. Of course, your kitchen sink might come along with it. Oh, and it can also chop your fingers off (NSFW).

This weekend, I scored big time. First, I found a red Gone-with-the-Wind-ish petticoat in a vintage shop. Then, I arrived home to find the Sqweel – a brand new, pre-release, revolutionary, wow-factor sex toy – waiting for me in a stack of mail. The good news? The Sqweel is orgasmic-ly awesome. Even better? As of 12:01am today, it is officially available to the rest of you.

How Does It Work

As the name suggests, the Sqweel merges the wheel (one of humankind's greatest inventions) with sex (one of humankind's greatest pleasures). Except instead of typical wheel spokes, it turns a series of tongues – 10 tongues, actually – using 3 speeds. Let me repeat: there are TEN TONGUES. It's like group oral sex with everyone somehow fitting in between your legs. Or oral sex with an extremely talented and eager lover.

The Sqweel is a remarkable sex toy designed by an Irishman (and animator) named Trevor Murphy who won LoveHoney's Design a Sex Toy competition a few years back. This fact gives me tremendous hope that other animators, engineers and people who sit with their computers or graphics tablets all day will soon turn their talents to advance sex toy design and innovation. If not for me, then for the love of sex. Please?

Though not a vibrator, the folks at LoveHoney suggest (and I agree) that while vibrators can certainly contribute to highly pleasurable sex play, there's something to be said for non-vibrating play that promotes slow yummy build-up, much as oral sex does, and that perhaps leads to an orgasm that leaves one feeling that curious mix of satisfaction and craving more.

The Rundown

These are the key points about the Sqweel, aside from the 10-tongue 3-speed yum:

• Materials: The tongues are made of silicone (easy to clean, non-toxic awesomeness) while the black compartment is made of soft plastic.

• Hygiene: The tongue component can be removed from its holder for easy cleaning of both parts.

• Power: What does it run on, you ask? (Aside from the Grace of the Sex Gods). Three AAA batteries. I would have preferred AA batteries rather than the AAA batteries that few people keep lying around the house (whereas, if needed in a pinch, AA batteries may be scrounged from TV remotes or Flipcams).

• Cost: At £34.99 UK pounds (and yes, they ship to the US in only a few waiting-with-bated-breath days), I find the price fair even after the conversion to USD. Especially if you want to switch out your vibrator from time to time, gift your partner with a tongue that doesn't stop or give yourself a break from lockjaw.

• Endurance: No more lock jaw! Or at least you get a break. The Sqweel is not intended to replace oral sex, nor should it (after all, oral sex can be lovely, intimate and passionate). But it may offer an occasional alternative, or complement, to oral play, which is especially useful for partners whose tongues, jaws, necks or lower backs get sore from extended oral play.

• Single or doubles? Both. The Sqweel can easily be used privately or with a partner. It's comfortable to hold in one's own hand during self-pleasure of one's outside parts (please do NOT try to insert all the way in the anus, lest I recount one man's salad tongs incident). When pleasuring your partner, it's not so bulky (only 4.5 in X 4 in X 1 inch at its thickest) as to block your view.

• Education: Similar to the Sasi, which also mimics oral sex, women who would like to learn to orgasm from oral sex may find it helpful to practice with the Sqweel.

• Lube: Due to the Sqweel's silicone components, silicone lube is a no-no. Instead, try a water based lube applied directly to your or your partner's body as: (1) there are too many tongues to put lube on every single one and (2) I could easily see the globs of lube go flying as the tongue spokes go round and round and no one needs lube on their ceiling.

• Convenience: Now you can provide your partner with oral pleasure via the Sqweel while simultaneously kissing each other, sitting back and watching, talking dirty, or breathing warm air on your partner's genitals.

• Conversation: If your partner is using the Sqweel on you and you ask him or her a question, your partner can actually answer you rather than making that awkward "mwawahwah" sound that people make when they try to speak while performing oral sex.

The Experience

I found that holding the Sqweel steady and straight (aimed perpendicular at one's body) was the best strategy – leaning it to one side or the other, as one might do with a typical vibrator, sometimes caused uncomfortable feelings due to the toy's edges pressing against fairly sensitive parts. Try exploring the low, medium and high settings – for example, using the low setting to build arousal and the medium or high settings to up the intensity or as one approaches orgasm (if that's your thing). You might even try turning the tongues upside down for a modified version of Sqweel play stimulation.

In regard to positions, one can lay back and enjoy self-directed or partnered stimulation OR you can prop it like some do with the Fleshlight (e.g., between sofa cushions, between the mattress and box springs or in a sneaker). The Sqweel can be used to stimulate men's or women's genitals though I don't recommend it for internal anal stimulation lest it possibly get "lost" (and not lost in translation, which I just watched again late last night).

Please be careful how you hold it! In some hand positions, one's fingers can get caught in the compartment and stop the movement of the tongues. This happened to me once or twice. It didn't hurt, but just wanted to throw that out there in case you are used to moving your hands along with your toy of choice. Or if you have particularly long labia or hair down there that may possibly be an issue too.

The future

The folks at LoveHoney have said that they are planning to roll out different "attachments" in time – so if you decide to try to Sqweel, there should be even more to come. Personally, I would like to see a Sqweel iPhone app. It doesn't have to vibrate like the fancy MyPleasure MyVibe app, it just has to have a great visual of rotating tongues in which the user can control the speed of vibration.

As it is, however, I love it. It's yummy. The Sqweel is a very innovative sex toy. If you try it, please let me know what you think – I always enjoy hearing and learning about others' perspectives and experiences with sex and, in particular, with sex toys.

10 tongues. TEN. The only thing better would be 11. Or 10 plus chocolate.

Silicone material

Comes apart for easy cleaning

Unlikely to produce Fleshlight-furniture-ish shame spiral during use, storage or cleaning

Comfortable to hold

Easy to store in a nightstand or sock drawer

Requires three AAA batteries (a con in my household given that I mostly keep AAs on hand, but may be fine in yours)

Looks like a tape measure

Only 3 speeds. Given how women and men vary, I'd have gone with 5 or 7.

Dr. Debby Herbenick, author of Because It Feels Good: A Woman's Guide to Sexual Pleasure and Satisfaction, is the Associate Director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at Indiana University (IU) where she is a Research Scientist. She is also a sexual health educator at The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction where she writes (and hosts audio podcasts of) the Kinsey Confidential column and coordinates educational programming. She has a PhD in Health Behavior from IU, a Master's degree in Public Health Education (also from IU) and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park. In addition, she is certified as a Sexuality Educator from the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists.

Debby writes regular sex columns for Men's Health magazine, Time Out Chicago magazine, Velocity, Cheeky Chicago, Psychology Today and she has also written for Glamour magazine.

I may have an original 1984 Macintosh on my work desk, but I will never ever get a tattoo of it. EVER. A ZX Spectrum, on the other side, is a very likely possibility. It just depends on the amount of Zacapa rum and Margaritas this weekend.

Note to the VHS tattoo dude: If you are going to drill a video tape into your skin for the rest of your life, at least pick a Sony Beta. [Obsolete]

Truth be told, seeing an image of the Sinclair Sovereign on Boing Boing Gadgets this morning sparked a wave of nostalgia among those of us here who are old enough to remember the nutty little company. For those of you who are unfamiliar, allow me get you up to speed.

Clive Sinclair is one of those obsessive tinkerers that has his hand in various and seemingly unrelated kinds of gadgetry. Kind of like a predecessor of the James Dyson types we hear a lot about today. As mentioned earlier, Sinclair developed the first pocket calculators starting with the Executive model in 1972, but he also single-handedly launched the personal computer industry in England with his ZX Spectrum ten years later. The Spectrum ran on a 3.5 MHz Zilog Z80A CPU, with 16K-49KB of RAM and eye popping 256×192 resolution. Not powerful by any stretch of the imagination, but it was affordable and easy to operate which made it attractive to a mass audience. Eventually, it earned Sinclair a fortune and a knighthood from the Queen for his service to British industry.

Sinclair's obsession with making gadgets smaller extended to several other product categories including mini TVs like the MTV-1, radios and, most recently, electric vehicles like the underwater SeaScooter for divers and the ill-fated cross between a Segway and a scooter that was the C5.

Perhaps the only thing more interesting than his inventions is Clive Sinclair the man. Not surprisingly, he is a brilliant mathematician who has spent part of his later years using this skill to become a champion poker player. Sinclair is also a member of the British chapter of Mensa, serving as chairman of directors for the organization from 1980 to 1997. His Wikipedia article even claims that he doesn't use the internet despite being a major figure in the history of computing. I suppose that means he probably wont read this, but I still want to acknowledge him and his [ongoing] work.

The 8 bit Spectrum was released in 1982 and was the British equivalent of the C64. It spawned hardware and software, like the Commodore, but looks a hell of a lot better.
This pocketable TV didn't actually fit in pockets, but was an insane attempt to do what was impractical at the time with the day's modern tech. Took 10 years to develop and the screen was 2 inches big. A child of the 70s. [Giz]
Sinclair's first calculator—and one of the world's first pocket sized models—is almost as gorgeous as the famous Dieter Ram's designed Braun now mimed in the iPhone UI. The model had a fatal flaw which caused it to fuse in the on position. Oops. [Sinclair Planet]
The C5, much like the Segway, was meant to revolutionize the way we transport ourselves in meatspace. It bombed, being little more than an electric tricycle. [Planet Sinclair]
The last product released by Sinclair is a bicycle that folds up more compactly than even other folding bikes. Weighs under 15 pounds and folds up in seconds. [a-bike]

Chuffzilla: Whubble was genius.
LastVigilante: All the normals, XKCD, Toothpastefordinner, etc. But for web design nerds, definitely The Brads.
cheese1756: XKCD of course.
berbar: I like this one.
sbarstow: This one is pretty fantastic as well..
Copernik
Eli Cochran
ripfire: Penny Arcade
infestacool: [www.questionablecontent.net]
SjN: Dresden Codak. You guys really need to have a look at this webcomic, its one of the most awesome things I have read in a long time.

The strip boasts of a love for detail and a fascination for robots w/ future.

It has new replaceable motor with electronic feedback control, which in theory will give you consistent speed under pressure. The speed range goes from 5,000 to 35,000 revolutions per minute, and it has the obligatory backward compatibility with all your existing Dremel tips. [Dremel via ]

Outside it looks like a normal peephole. Inside, the $160 device gives you two kinds of view: Regular and zoomed, which can be switched with a single front button. According to the manufacturer, it runs on two batteries for up to 1700 peeps. [Bold Technology via Red Ferret via Unplggd]

It works great, apparently. The backpack itself is mounted on rails, so it moves up and down when its wearer moves. The movement generates enough electricity to power your gadgets, and the design actually relieves stress from the user. [Lightning Packs via Defense Tech]

You know, I see a comfy carpet like that and I can only think about two people on it. Clearly, not the ideal scenario to tune to any station. [Florian Kräutli via Hometone]

All you have to do (eventually, when the site's launched) is fill in details like brand preference, your budget and Measy will throw a bunch of questions about the product category at you. For TVs, you'll get questions about viewing angle, but for cameras, they'll ask about picture quality and whether or not you can record video.

It's a smart idea, and as long as the questions are thorough and the database of products is complete. On the other hand, we've answered quizzes before, and they told us we were more like Elliot from Scrubs, when we are clearly more like Turk. [Measy via Tech Crunch]

The Yoke Shopper secures several shopping bags and allows users to sling them over or across their shoulders. Obviously, this frees up your hands and prevents the handles from digging into your skin. Although, if you are a big eater you will probably have to strap a few of these things on—which will just end up transferring the pain from your hands to your shoulders and lower back. [Yoke Shopper via Red Ferret]

Lighting a charcoal grill is a pain in the ass—pure and simple. A chimney works well, but this hot air starter works faster (60 seconds to be exact). The device doesn't use lighter fluid, instead it heats up air to 1,290 degrees Fahrenheit. If 60 seconds isn't fast enough for you, there are other, considerably more dangerous alternatives. [Hammacher via Link]
Nobody wants to wait for a bottle of wine or beer to chill properly, which is why gadgets exist to expedite the process. The Cooper Cooler claims to chill beverages 90 times faster than a refrigerator. That means a bottle of room temperature white wine will chill to 43 degrees in less than six minutes. A bottle of beer or soda will be ice cold inside a minute. [Wine Enthusiast]
If you don't like waiting for programs to load enough to drop tens of thousands of dollars on a SSD, look no further than Fusion-io's ioDrive Duo. It's the fastest storage drive on the planet with insane 1.5GB per second sustained read speeds and 1.4GB per second sustained write speeds. [Fusion-io via Link]
Dead batteries aren't something you want to mess around with when you really need a flashlight. The 5.11 Tactical series UC3.400 LED can shine at a super-bright 90 lumens for 90 minutes on a charge that only takes 90 seconds. [5.11 Tactical via Link]
Manually loading pictures and video to your desktop and/or various social networking sites is a waste of time. Eye-Fi's line of wireless SD cards cut out the middleman by automatically delivering media to the computers and websites you specify over a Wi-Fi connection. [Eye-Fi]
The Taipei 101 skyscraper has 101 floors above ground and 5 floors below. Needless to say, you are going to need a pretty fast elevator in order to avoid standing in a cramped space for an extended period of time. It just so happens that the Taipei 101 has the world's fastest elevator—capable of traveling between floors at 37.7 mph. Hit the following link to see just how fast that really is. [Link]
Even if you could satisfy a woman, chances are it would take considerably more time and physical effort than you are able to spend. Fortunately, Suart Meloy has himself a real-life orgasmitron. The implant is attached to the nerves in your spine responsible for sexual pleasure. Simply clicking on a remote control should result in near instant orgasms for both men and women. [io9 via Link]

UPDATE: Remember—text is fine but we're looking for PICTURES here if you can take 'em.

[Solar Vest via Chinavision]

The GoGoStand is a plastic card as small and thin as a credit card, which can fold easily to support your favorite gadget, then easily unfold again to get back into your wallet. At $5, it is not as cool and free as my favorite DIY cardboard iPhone dock, but this one is truly portable. [GoGoStand]

The key for this magic trick is physics and PCM—phase change material—an extraordinary substance used in construction and winter clothing. PCM is capable of storing and releasing heat or cold.

In its original state it is a solid but. Then, when it receives heat, it absorbs it like a sponge liquifying into a gooey wax. As the PCM solidifies it releases the energy at a steady pace, keeping any liquid or room at the perfect temperature. In houses, they achieve this by filling hollow walls with PCM, which absorbs heat from the sun, and then releases it as the atmosphere cools down, keeping the room at a perfect temperature.

The perfect mug follows the same principle: It is made of hollow ceramics. Inside there's an aluminum structure—as you can see in the image above—which gets filled with PCM. When you pour in your hot coffee, the heat gets absorbed reaching your personal optimum level based on the amount of PCM in the cup's interior. According to Klaus Sedlbauer, head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics, you can customize this on manufacturing. Their perfect cup, however, keeps it at 136.4 degrees Fahrenheit:

Warm drinks — like coffee or tea — are best enjoyed at 58 degrees Celsius. In order to reach and maintain this temperature, we fill the mug with a type of PCM that becomes a liquid at exactly 58 degrees Celsius. Under ideal circumstances, the optimal temperature can be maintained for 20-30 minutes.

I don't know about you, for for me they are not putting this into the market soon enough. [Spiegel]

Ah, Don Draper, how much I wanted to be like you. A creative mind at a top banana, zowielala company in New York, drinking 12-yo single malt scotch at work, going to great restaurants and fancyschmancy clubs, having love affairs left, right, and center, with your perfectly cut 50s suits.

I need to buy one of those suits.

Mad Men Season 3 starts on August 16. If you haven't seen it yet, you have two days to get up to speed. But if you don't fell like it, you can watch these shorts showing the retro tech in the series, from the passive exercise thingamajig to the first copier, cameras, and lots of old clickityclack electric typewriters with IBM keyboards. [Mad Men—Video compilation by Spencer Lund based on an idea by Joel Johnson]

The cool thing about Mad Men's perfect production and attention to detail is that they get all their stuff right. The other is that you get to see a lot of new products that were invented around that age, like the passive exercise machines you now see in endless infomercials. Even better, you can see their genius as they created the need for those products using their black magic powers.

Here you have an IBM Selectric II typewriter. At the time, its optional correction feature was a godsend for office workers all around the country and the world.

I wonder what they would have said about projectors is cameras back then. Although knowing how cool they were, they probably wouldn't have batted an eyelid, and just came with a cool name for it. And then proceed to use it to record their sex antics.

No solid state flash recording. Just pure, unadulterated, silver-based film goodness with no sound.

Back then, copiers were wonders of technology. They probably invented buttxeroring too.

And finally, a small compilation of various tech objects from the series.

The new bike design has a built-in locking system that can only be activated and opened by the owner's fingerprint. The computer-equipped machine can also monitor the amount of calories burned. Made of carbon fiber, it will even have a battery that will assist you when going up a steep hill, as well as puncture-proof, self-inflating tires.

Unfortunately, for now it is just a concept, even while Boardman believes "it could be built now if there was a will. All the technologies are already there, it's just that nobody's put them all together before." The future is not coming soon enough. Heck, I would be glad if the weekend came already. [Daily Mail]

Sketch-3D is an interactive, integrated software/hardware system that enables users to create their own anaglyphic 3D drawings. By using a ubiquitous interface metaphor (the "Etch-A-Sketch "), Sketch-3D allows anyone to participate in generating stereoscopic imagery in a way that is simple and engaging. In addition to the personal experience, Sketch-3D can be scaled to work with any output device from large scale projection to plasma displays to an integrated LCD. This versatility allows for Sketch-3D to be tailored to fit a wide array of installation environments.

It runs two applications over a Pico-ITX x86 SBC, a Windows Embedded Standard device. The first one is a service to connect the sensor interface—the three dials—with the main application. The main software is built using the Unity game development environment, with two software cameras that simulate the human eyes. Each camera then displays the Etch-a-Sketch line using red or cyan, which get masked by the classic funky 3D bicolor glasses. [o2 creative solutions]

The company will use solid gold to create the device, with 40 diamonds and rubies encrusted all across its surface. Hopefully, not in contact with the skin. The order will arrive in October in an armored car, despite it being prohibited to own sexual devices in Saudi Arabia. Happily, this is classified as a "medically certified device" in the US. Sadly, having it made of gold and precious stones won't help his peepee grow any longer. [Digital Journal]

For most of my adult life, I lived up to the modern stereotype of a geek by staying connected and staying inside and equally pale year round. And I regret it. I don't know why we live like this, when the gadgets are inherently meant to be used outside, capturing photos and videos of the best memories not in front of our Xboxes, and wireless speeds and smartphones are so good at keeping us in touch with work and loved ones while we're traveling. There's no excuse, if you love life.

Except, as I said, my excuse has been San Francisco. Because of the consistent climate, I just always tend to forget about any seasonal change. June hits and we have all these Apple keynotes and whatnot, and then July starts and finishes within something like, oh, 30 days and August will inevitably do the same. Then September happens, which is the spiritual death of Summer for everyone, student or not. I thought to myself, here you go again, taking things for granted. So I sought out the sun. Lisa plotted a vacation, to Kauai and Oahu. Hawaii was personal time. I was doing nothing but camping on the beach, jumping into lava formed tide pools and did not check my email or phone for 4 days. The world did not end. I surfed a little and visited friends like Philippe resting after his big race. I brought minimal technology along the way. I can't say it was good. Apparently, when I ditch the internet, I start binge eating to replace the stimulation of twitter and blogs and email. Once, I ate three meals in a row with major ingredients being SPAM (the meat) before 4pm one day. There was a second, non SPAM dinner after that. And two working days later, 4400 new messages. Christ alive.




I got back last Wednesday and immediately took off with some Gizmodo writers and friends to REAL Watersports at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to learn how to kiteboard, surf, drink a lot of sponsored beers (Heineken Light, thanks for the trip) and ultimately, test beach and water gadgets. And in the proper context of being outside, we realized that half of the gadgets we thought were cool were dumb, and half of the ones we thought were useless were totally impressive. You can't really test out waterproof cameras without spending time with them on the beach or in the ocean. Cases get beat up, lenses get smudged with grime and cam housings cause ridiculous amounts of glare out of the H2O. Nor can you do the same with Jetskis or metal detecting sandals. It's all more subtle than that, but I'll save it all for the reviews, which will come.

The reason the trip was sponsored is that we wanted to get some help from our friends. We invited Joel Johnson of Gizmodo/BoingBoingGadgets fame, John Mahoney from Giz and Pop Sci, and Seth Porges from Popular Mechanics, and invited them to bring as much gear as they could haul down. And Cape Hatteras was an incredible place. Basically, the area is a mecca for kiteboarding and surfing, with the outer banks being exposed to a shallow body of water to the west, almost 30 miles wide in some parts, calm but windy for kiteboarding, and the biggest surf breaks on the Atlantic coast on the other side of the island, which was walking distance away. When it came time to kiteboard, we got slaughtered. It's basically like wakeboarding on a boat while remote controlling a kite that's pulling you. And really, we're not the most athletic crowd, so that didn't help much. Also, it rained a whole bunch. One day, we only got into the water by borrowing some demo skimboards and surfboards from REAL and heading towards the Atlantic. The current was strong, but it was just so satisfying to finally swim in the Atlantic, after all these years. It's a little darker, but because of the gulfstream, a lot warmer. Can't say I missed my wetsuit all that much.

It was muggy, and the summer showers as relentless as the mosquitoes, things that I wouldn't have to deal with in the monotone climate of SF, but nothing compares to the lift of spirits I get spending time with the people who write for this site, eating bbq and testing tech. We all work remotely and generally only see each other when there's a, like, super-serious liveblog or CES show to cover. And I remembered not only how much I love this feeling of...well, summer, but how much different tech is in the context of the heat, the moisture and really the distraction of the real world.

'Till school starts we'll be running more stories about tech and summer. Sometimes involving the ocean sometimes the beach, sometimes just the most tangential of connections. It's already August, but I'll be satisfied if we can celebrate what's left of the most glorious time of the year and what it means to all of the tech nerds here.

Summermodo is a chance for Giz to get outside and test our gear where it belongs.

Or in other words: If they install this on the NYC subway, I would not spend a single cent on my Metrocard. It's a good idea, because most people will actually respect it. Another good thing: If something happens, people can run to the exit without having to go through gates:

Water is only a psychological barrier. Fleeing, panicking persons can escape through the gate without being hindered by any rigid media.

Clever.

An added advantage is that people in wheelchairs or carrying luggage can easily pass through them. Very clever. I hope they get popular. [Yanko Design via Dvice]