Joel, Author at Gizmodo | Page 93 of 253

USB Powered Ashtray

Smoking is nasty, but smoking next to your computer is ever nastier—there are million little crannies for smoke and tar to get stuck in and discolor. But if you’ve got a long walk to a window or something (which for smokers means greater-than eight feet, as a rule), you might think about investing in this…

Tech News Joel

NHJ Japan VHD-5000

NHJ Japan has upgraded its Digital Jukebox to include a 5GB hard drive, also upping the model number to VHD-5000. Otherwise, it’s mostly the same unit as before, still capable of playing OGG Vorbis and loading over USB 2.0. It’s about 280 bucks, though, so this Japan-only player may have middling success compared to other…

Tech News Joel

UV Deterrent Detergent

I could not be more white—albinos call me ‘cracker.’ Until I get into the sun, that is, when I flash to a ruddy hot pink, deepening to a festering, full-body boil. It’s obvious, then, that I would be intrigued by this development by a Australian company’s new laundry detergent ‘Radiant 3 in 1 Colour Care’…

Tech News Joel

Shut Up Already

Two designers have made these warning cards for obnoxious cell phone users, available in convenient PDF download-and-cut-out form. It’s a good way to make it clear to people they’re talking too loudly, and a good way to eventually get into a good, American fist-fight. Then someone can hand you a card that explains why they…

Tech News Joel

T-Mobile Launches CallerTunes

T-Mobile started their Ringback Tones offering—the ability to play custom bits of music or comedy clips (ach!) instead of a standard ring when someone calls your phone. This is what the person calling you hears, not your own Battle Hymn of the Retarded that plays every time your mom calls to remind you to it’s…

Tech News Joel

Bluebroc C-Station

Is an email from a company PR man that just reads “check this out!” and includes a picture of their product an attempt to be sly or just the output of someone else cursed with terminal laziness? After checking out the product, I’m going to go with the latter, as this Bluebroc C-Station set off…

Tech News Joel

Bluespoon AX Headset Reviewed

I was supposed to get one of these Nextlink Bluespoon AX Bluetooth headsets in to review, but something happened and it never showed. No problem, in this case—I’ll probably just buy one, even without trying it out. Bluetooth headsets are great in concept, but historically all the best-performing ones have been embarrassingly large—too large to…

Tech News Joel

Roku SoundBridge M500

Roku Labs has a new SoundBridge streaming media player called the M500, to be sold exclusively at Radio Shack (‘Making a token gesture towards our original mission since 1987’) until the end of the year. The M500 can do most everything its larger siblings can, including streaming WMA (included restricted), AAC (not restricted), and MP3…

Tech News Joel

Archos Gmini XS 200

When it comes to portable audio players, the difference between Apple and Archos is sort of like the difference between OSX and Linux. Both are powerful, but one hides or strips out its less-used features for the sake of approachability, while the other just lets it all hang out, even when it might make the…

Tech News Joel

Porsche-Designed Eton Radios including XM Model

I don’t have much in the way of details, but these two new Porsche-designed radios from Eton look nice, don’t they? The rightmost is clearly an XM model (Eton is also supposed to launch and XM/FM/Shortwave radio in the near future, as well). I’m having a hard time confirming any more details, though, because these…

Tech News Joel

Kaleidescape Sued By DVD CCA

Gah, my head asplode. The DVD Copy Control Association (DVD CCA) is suing a company called Kaleidescape that makes a high-end DVD jukebox for home movies, despite the fact that the DVD CCA has already sold Kaleidescape a license. It’s insane, but let me try to explain it a bit. Kaleidescape makes a DVD jukebox…

Tech News Joel

Volkswagen Westfalia Concept

Sister site Jalopnik has some pics of this Volkswagen Westfalia concept from Canadian design firm Verdier et Collaborateurs that will be shown off (presumably in real space) at the Detroit Auto Show next month. It’s not just slick-looking from the outside, but transforms into a portable living space even more advanced than the trusty Westfalia…

Tech News Joel

Sharp PA-VR10 Voice Recorder

Nothing could be less exciting than a voice recorder, I know, but I thought these Sharp PA-VR10 had a certain something. And before you try to nail me for only liking them for their whitebread iPod ways, let me point out what I really like is the transparent recessed plastic around the screen—I think that…

Tech News Joel

Elonex Soliton Safari Reviewed

Trusted Reviews take out the Elonex Soliton Safari semi-ruggedized laptop for a spin and it looks like quite an interesting machine—not one I’d buy, mind you, but one with an intriguing mid-way point between heavy, bulky, fully-ruggedized battle laptops and more attractive, luggable units. The Safari is Mil-Spec 810E—that means you can drop it two…

Tech News Joel

Sanyo Roborior

Sanyo has announced the ‘Roborior’ (Robot + interior), which from what I can parse from the mangled Japanese translation is a home protection robots that can monitor for intrusions and use a built-in Foma cellular phone to send out pictures and information to home owners. That’s all well and good except that it also appears…

Tech News Joel

iRiver iFP-900 and N10 Series Players Get US Launch

I’m starting a petition to extend the hours of the day to 32. Once we get 6 billion signatures, we’ll fire them into the sun. iRiver has announced two of their much talked-about flash players officially into the US market, the iFP-900 and the N10. Both are solid players, but a bit on the pricey…

Tech News Joel

Pretec i-Disk II 8GB

Not much to say about this Pretec i-Disk II 8GB that can’t be explained by the name. It’s here, it’s clear—get used to it. Pretec isn’t even making the flash drives yet—they enter production next month—so there’s no suggested price. My guess is ‘painfully, laughably expensive,’ but that’s how all these things are until they’re…

Tech News Joel

iPod Micro Mockup

And would you know it, two iPod Flash mockups in the same day. I’m still falling in the Gruber camp—I don’t think it’s going to happen, but a flash player built entirely around the scroll wheel interface itself is sort of brilliant. That said, I think the chances of Apple making a pendant-style player are…

Tech News Joel

Tight Pants Break Phones

Even in the midst of my second or third daily personal crisis of self, there is a certain satisfaction that comes from knowing I’m getting paid (or as we call it, “weighing it out”) to do a Google Image Search of the term “tight pants phone.” A survey of Swedish retailers has shown that tight-fitting…

Tech News Joel

iPod Flash Mockup

Here’s a mock-up (from TheMacMind.com if you couldn’t put that together) of what is reported to be the new iPod flash (or were before they got Slasdotted). I just don’t see it—an iPod with no screen? You’d just go through all the songs in order? Doesn’t sit right with me. Engadget is quoting $100 for…

Tech News Joel

Joel

USB Powered Ashtray

NHJ Japan VHD-5000

UV Deterrent Detergent

Shut Up Already

T-Mobile Launches CallerTunes

Bluebroc C-Station

Bluespoon AX Headset Reviewed

Roku SoundBridge M500

Archos Gmini XS 200

Porsche-Designed Eton Radios including XM Model

Kaleidescape Sued By DVD CCA

Volkswagen Westfalia Concept

Sharp PA-VR10 Voice Recorder

Elonex Soliton Safari Reviewed

Sanyo Roborior

iRiver iFP-900 and N10 Series Players Get US Launch

Pretec i-Disk II 8GB

iPod Micro Mockup

Tight Pants Break Phones

iPod Flash Mockup

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