Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Give Me Quirky Stuff or Give Me ....

Cherkees
The turducken of beef jerky. Low in fat, high in protein we're talkin' a hybrid potato chip/beef/pepper seasoning mashup.  In the words of Charlie Bucket, "more please."


Kuchofuku Air Conditioned Work Shirt, $186
This work shirt is equipped with fans powered off two AAs and is created by a company that has previous cooling experience in things such as seat cushions, mats and beds.  I want to buy this for every guy I go on a date with and looks like there are sweat stains pouring off him because of the sweltering NYC heat.  I feel bad.


App Creeper, $13
New rents will xo this baby onesie from ThinkGeek.

Super Catnip Spray, $11
A must have for any cat owner.  Spray this on toys or scratching posts.  Also pairs well with Cosmic Catnip Bubbles - but friendly reminder again, per previous post and personal experience do not let Cosmic Catnip Bubbles accidentally pop in your eye.  It does not end well.




iRestore Hair Gadget, $599
It's like Latisse for men.   Hands free hair laser treatment that "combats hair loss".  This has dice roll written all over it.  I hope the guy in this picture is earning a lot of residuals.


R2-D2 Floating Pool Chair, $9
R2-D2 Ice Cube Trays, $10
Still time to use while cooling off this summer.  I missed these in my previous R2-D2 round-up!




Portable Hand Shock Prank, $6
Described as "not a toy" the handshake buzzer is so 1980's -- but lets bring it back!


The 7 1/2 foot Slumber Bear ($600) or the 4 ft Heirloom Dragon ($1000)
Whats up with kids toys these days?  If I got an ice cream cake for my birthday party when I was little I was in my own heaven.  Now, you have to get a them a toy dragon -- how do these things even ship??

Big Foot Garden Yeti, $115
Nothing says awesome like junking up the yard and depreciating the neighborhood value quite like a yard Yeti. Must have.


And for funs... #MustREAD.



Promotional consideration Amaze additional finds by @teluric


Yahoo! Financially Fit - Home Saving Gadgets

Had a blast shooting this with the fabulous Farnoosh Torabi! Here are some of my favorite money saving gadgets for your home.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Are we hyperconnected? - HLN

We discussed hyperconnectivity on HLN a few days ago and it's a topic that always has me thinking.

As someone who just completed Digital Rehab, after being sent by my employer (click here to see this segment featured on CBS), I feel like I have some say in the matter. So does Pew Research Center, which recently released stats about just how connected we are.

    * Half of all adult cell phone owners (51 percent) have used their phone at least once to get information they needed right away. One quarter (27 percent) said that they experienced a situation in the previous month in which they had trouble doing something because they did not have their phone at hand.

    * 13 percent of cell phone users reported deflecting awkward conversations by faking phone calls.

     *  Only 29 percent of cell owners turn off their phone to get a break from using it.

Nearly 35 percent of Americans own a smartphone of sorts. I’m convinced that this is one of the biggest reasons for hyperconnectivity—not our computers. Our phones are on us—and we’re on them—24/7. That doesn’t just mean we’re making phone calls, it means we’re texting, social networking and using the Internet at all times. We are tethered to it. We feel naked when we don’t have it, even for a few hours.

I wake up to three alarms at 5 a.m. on my iPhone, BlackBerry and a custom app on my iPad (yes, it takes that many alarms most days). As soon as I get out of bed, my digital day begins. I turn on my MacBook, check my two phones and plan to be in front of a computer for 12 hours. I’m not ashamed to say that I feel lonely without the Internet. I think a lot of people can relate.

But while the above numbers and stats provide perspective, it’s up to us to use them as springboard to the next conversation: Accepting that we are hyperconnected, how do we balance that with the rest of our lives?

See, even in the throes of my connectivity, I see the potential for problems. Who is going to police me if not myself? I’m setting a precedent for myself, and others. If I’m constantly online checking in, I expect others to be hyperconnected, too. If I don’t get an email or text back immediately, I am disappointed and confused. I expect people to answer work emails on the weekend. And even in my downtime, I can’t enjoy a peaceful moment without thinking about posting it in a status update.

But I do have limits. I make it a priority to power down (or, at least, stow away) my devices when I’m having a conversation in real time. When we’re talking one-on-one, I want your attention, and you should have mine.

I’m learning more and more that I need to outline those expectations for others. The other day I was at dinner with an individual who kept checking his phone. "Am I boring you?" I asked. I didn’t expect him to say “yes” (the answer, in fact, was “no”), but it was important to me to set the precedent that it is not okay with me to keep checking your phone. Of course, there are exceptions.

Soon after that, I was hanging out with a friend who was in town for a couple of days. He asked if we could put our phones away, since we only had a few hours together. I respected that he asked, but explained that I was waiting for an important text from a family member. He understood that this was an exception, and my phone stayed out. But it was a reminder to me that in such events, we need to preface why we have our phones at the ready. It certainly wasn’t because he was boring me.

While we’re on the topic, there is another mobile phone pet peeve I witness countless times a day. The streets of NYC are clogged with texters, trying to spell while walking. It’s like they’re tech zombies in their own slow-motion movie, seemingly unaware that as they text, they’re stopping the flow of pedestrian traffic in the busy sidewalks surrounding them. Please, for the love of all things, if you need to text, just step aside.

Okay, enough about me. What are your tech frustrations and pet peeves?  Do you think you are hyperconnected? Do you have your own smartphone etiquette handbook?

Thursday, August 25, 2011

R2-D2 Roundup

Oh R2.  For a sidekick you get so much love.  In fact, I think a roundup of interesting finds is overdue.  I hope you are collecting royalties.

R2-D2 Operation Game
Available for $27 coming September from the fine creators at Hasbro.












R2-D2 Droid 2
I was intrigued by this for a hot second.  Then I realized I could just skin my iPhone and achieve the same thing.

Xbox 360 Limited Edition Kinect Star Wars Bundle
Is it me or does every nerd fitting this caliber already have a 360 by now?

Voice Activated R2 bot
This is my must have gadget at the moment. An R2 bot with over 40 commands and patrol capabilities.  The purchase is imminent.  Click here for the video. 
R2 Play-Doh Set
R2 stores all the tools needed to make light sabers and characters in this fun set.


R2 Trouble Game
Even comes with Pop-o-matic R2 sounds, amaze.


R2 Plushes
Big or small -- a cute and easy gift equipped with sound effects.


R2 Toddler Costume
I picked up this R2 costume for my niece. Will take pic when she decides the cap is wearable though not pink.

R2 Smoker
Constructed from a 55 gallon drum this smoker was made by Philip Wise - webmaster of TheForce.net and a man also noted for having one of the largest collections of Star Wars memorabilia.  

R2 Sweater
Lets not forget the $450 sweater handmade by an Etsy crafter.



















R2 Peppermill
Spice up your fancy kitchen with an R2 pepper grinder.  



















R2 Bike Helmet
Cool bike helmet featured on Gizmodo! 


Monday, August 22, 2011

New Gadget Finds.

A round-up of this week's faves.

Pipe Mug, $35


Applause Light, $39




Super Trooper T-shirt, $25


Star Wars Tie Fighter Pinata, $45


14,450 gumball - Gumball Machine, $3,900



Bloon, $160,000
For just a near- $200k you can get to space on a craft that hasnt been discussed much: a balloon.  The pod decelerates using a parafoil--- good luck with that!



Holograms at Orly Airport
If you want a hologram to guide you through the airport, just hop a flight to France.  


Squirt gun umbrella, concept
Brilliant!

Time's 50 Best Websites 2011 - CBS

Recently, Time announced the 50 Best Websites of 2011.

Here is the TV segment from CBS Early Show and my faves from the bunch.



AirBnB (Shopping and Travel) 
Want to travel but hesitant to fork over the money for a hotel? AirBnB can be an amazing resource.  It connects people with available places to those looking for a place to stay. It works off the same approach as Craigslist but has a less creepy vibe.  Airbnb offers stays in over 16,000 cities, 186 countries and has booked over 2 million night stays. 

While the average stay is in an apartment or home, some of the most unique destinations from an island in Fiji to a mushroom hut in California are available.  Guests and hosts can leave reviews for each other that can be viewed by others and offer transparency.  As always be careful … Airbnb did come under heat a few weeks ago when someone returned to a trashed house. 



Dear Photograph (Family/Photo)
The premise here is simple but can be incredibly remarkable.
“Take a picture of a picture from the past in the present. “
Allows us to appreciate that feeling on having an old school photograph in hand and true nostalgia.

image courtesy of dearphotograph.com
Turntable.fm (Music)
This is a site that’s getting a lot of traction these days.  It’s a social way to listen to music.  It's not yet open to the public yet but if you have a Facebook friend that’s a member (and odds are you do) you can get in as well.  Basically, you choose the type of music chat room you want to join and everyone can take their turn at DJ, songs are voted on and earn DJs points.  I included this one because of the popularity and amusement of many of my friends.  I honestly don't understand who wants to listen to other people's music on the reg or wants to wait for their song in the queue to play?



Kickstarter (Financial and Productivity)
Have an amazing idea or project but cant raise the financing?  Turn to Kickstarter.  Kickstarter is an outlet for creative types to raise money with micro financing from others.  People like you and me can donate $1 to hundreds or thousands of dollars to fund a project in the world of art, music, photographer food, and beyond.  The artist maintains 100% control over their work and donors get a “creative thank you” decided by the artist.


Creative types have raised money from anything to creating a music album to getting their food trucks off the ground to getting funding for a short film. 



MapMyRun (Health and Fitness)
MapMyRun is a great way to track and store your daily running routes or just find some new routes within the city you live in or may be visiting.  It currently has over 4.3 million fitness enthusiasts that also can access their other sites for biking, hiking and walking. 
It works great as an app too.  Your smartphone GPS can create live tracking of your runs, elevation, calories burned and more.  Plus, you can activate keeping track of others too in real-time.

For the full list of all 50 websites chosen by Time.com click here.

Dancing Robots Make People Happy

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Google / Motorola Acquisition - CBS

Here is our segment from The Early Show on Google's proposed acquisition of Motorola.  Posting this a few days late, sorry!


Friday, August 12, 2011

ETCs For Your Enjoyment

Fun gadgets with select picks from the amaze @teluric.  You should follow him on Twitter because he is hi-lar. 

Emergency Affirmation Button, $12
Be reassured that "you are awesome!" on a bad day.


R2-D2 Sweater
For just $450 you can have this homemade work of art, wait what?!






Suspicious Package Wrapping Paper, $5
The easiest way to get jump assaulted by NYPD.  Also not worth trying in an airport.


Blik %$#@? Wall Graphics
Oh Blik, just when I thought I couldn't heart you more you drum up these insane wall graphix to creep people out. Blik has previously supplied me the Super Mario decals of which I've reused 3x now in moves (good for application reuse). If you haven't shopped Blik before I highly recommend having a peak!





Candwich Canned Sandwich, $5
I was doing just fine with Uncrustables but now enter this gem.  A canned Peanut Butter and Jelly that touts a one year shelf-life and no need for refrigeration!  Includes; white bread, 1oz jelly, 1oz peanut butter and a candy surprise! 

Hand Soap, $8
I love this for a weird gift.  As a matter of fact I'm going to stock up for all those days people tell you it's your birthday and you say "Happy Birthday" but you're really secretly saying to yourself "Okay umm Happy Birthday thanks for making this situation awkward because I don't have anything for you."


We're #1 Foam Finger, $12.99
Us geeks can like sports too!
PrivateIslandsOnline.com
And my favorite new time burglary... shopping... for a private island.
Search by price range starting at under 250k.  There are some steals on here for $30,000! Some have homes already built on the island and are wired with electricity - others are just a completely barren waiting for your creativity to run wild!



And last but not least some pics for fun!


 

Copyright © 2012 Katie Linendoll