That's strange, I thought a V-10 engine would be a bit bigger than this...
(Credit: SoundRacer)Have you ever caught yourself thinking, "I wish I had a V-8?" Well, what if I told you that you could give your crappy car a V-8 rumble or even a V-10 scream for $40? Now, what if I told you that you wouldn't actually be getting any extra performance to go along with that sound? If you're still interested in this shady deal, then you're probably a poseur. In any case, you'll want to check out the SoundRacer.
The device plugs into your vehicle's cigarette lighter, where it uses fluctuations in the power flow to calculate your engine's RPM. It then broadcasts a fake engine note to your car's stereo via an FM transmission. The general idea is for your vehicle to sound like it's powered by a V-8 or V-10 engine, but I predict that the outcome will probably sound like a crappy, fake revving played through crappy speakers on top of your car's already crappy existing engine note. Of course, your mileage may vary.
The best part is that if you keep your windows rolled up, no one will know that you're riding around pretending to be driving a V-10 Aveo. Nice!
Once you get bored with "the thrilling sound of a powerful Super Sports Car engine," you can plug your MP3 player into an auxiliary input and use the SoundRacer as a standard FM transmitter. The SoundRacer has an MSRP of $40.
Check out the embedded video for a demonstration of the SoundRacer V-8 and V-10 in all of their goofy glory.
(Credit:
Perpetual Kid)
How selfish can one truly get? How about the $19.99 Fridge Locker, the ultimate weapon against food thieves? When it comes to bunking with roomies and even siblings who are full-time freeloaders, there's no arsenal great enough to protect your private food stash.
The Fridge Locker is really a tiny cage measuring 7.5 inches by 7.5 inches by 11 inches with a metal combination lock to keep out what the retailer can't help calling "Refrig-A Raiders." Poor pun aside, I wonder if this would kill your popularity rating if you brought one to the office? Goes brilliantly with the Ben & Jerry's combination lock and moldy sandwich bags.
(Source: Crave Asia via OhGizmo)
The PM-22
(Credit: Technical Pro)The beauty of podcasts is that anyone with a microphone and computer can make one. If you're looking for a bit of a bump in production value, you may want to check out the PM Series Podcaster kit. While it may not have you sounding as remarkable as The 404 or Buzz Out Loud, you certainly will have everything you need to get going.
The kit comes in two bundles, the PM-21 and PM-22. The 21 will set you up for a single-person podcast, while the 22 has room for two hosts. Each kit comes with a four-channel mixer with auxiliary inputs for an MP3 or CD player and Audacity audio-editing software. In the spirit of portability, the mixer can even work with a 9V battery so you can take the show on the road.
The PM-21 and PM-22 kits are available now for $129 and $189, respectively.
Remember where you were when Apple announced it was launching a phone? Excitement was unbridled. Fanboys were whipped into a frenzy. And we all know the result... the Motorola Rokr E1. Read on for more tech that never took off.
(Credit: Crave UK)When we first heard about the MP3-playing Soundwave Transformer toy, our heads nearly exploded. We searched the Web for a place to buy it, we told everyone we knew about it, we hopped from foot to foot with excitement about it. We bounded out of bed to meet the postman first thing every morning until our Japanese import finally arrived. Then we played with it for about a day before it went in a drawer, never to be seen again.
Sadly, this sort of thing happens all too often. A new technology is talked up in swells of hype, anticipation, and promise. Then it arrives... and everybody's lost interest. We've rounded up 10 of our favorite technologies that never lived up to their promise or their press: it's the tech that never took off.
Read more of "Whatever happened to...? The tech that never took off" at Crave UK.
This radio-controlled model car is powered by a battery that can be refilled with an electrolytic fluid.
(Credit: Fraunhofer Institute)Imagine that you're driving your future electric car down the road, and it gives you a low battery warning. What do you do? Instead of spending a few hours at a recharging station, new battery technology being developed by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany would let you pull into a service station and refill the battery with an electrolytic liquid.
The Fraunhofer Institute is using a redox flow battery, a type of cell that uses two electrolytic fluids exchanging protons through a membrane. This process generates electricity. Although this type of battery isn't new, the Fraunhofer Institute improved the energy density, making it equivalent to that of a lithium ion battery.
In production cars such as the Tesla Roadster, the lithium ion battery pack requires almost four hours from a quick charger to go about 200 miles. A redox flow battery service station would pump out the discharged electrolytic fluid from your car's battery, replacing it with charged fluid, most likely in a matter of minutes. Instead of getting new shipments of charged fluid, similar to how current service stations rely on tankers full of gasoline, the station could merely recharge the fluid on its premises, even using solar cells or a wind turbine.
Other companies are working on redox flow battery technology for stationary energy storage.
T-Mobile revealed more changes to its calling plans this week when it announced that it would phase out its MyFaves option. The news comes two weeks after the carrier's introduction of new no-contract and unlimited service plans.
In a statement sent to Fierce Wireless, the carrier said its new Even More Plus plans replace MyFaves by offering unlimited calling to more people. In contrast, MyFaves offered unlimited calls to only five people.
The change only affects new customers, so current subscribers actively using MyFaves will still be able to access the service. Additionally, all customers can use the MyFaves interface on their phone for quick access to their favorite contacts.
T-Mobile introduced MyFaves in 2006 in response to Alltel's My Circle plan. Verizon Wireless and AT&T then followed with similar options.
(Credit:
Troll Touch)
Sick of waiting for an Apple tablet? Tired of watching Windows 7 users show off their multitouch touch-screen programs? Well, Troll Touch is here to save the day, though you'd better be ready with a big wad of cash.
The Valencia, Calif.-based company sells resistive touch screens that can be installed on select Apple products and Dell monitors. These devices slip over the existing panels and connect to the machines via a USB port to impart some multitouch love. For those who prefer a complete package, Troll Touch also sells machines with a touch screen already installed.
The latest products from Troll Touch include touch-screen systems for the new 21.5- and 27-inch Apple iMac desktops and 13-inch Unibody MacBook laptops--all slated for delivery around December 1.
Retail pricing begins at $699 for the MacBook conversion up to $1,699 for the 27-inch internal iMac implementation that requires factory integration. You can purchase these products by contacting Troll Touch at its Web site. In the meantime, here are a few videos of touch-enabled iMacs in use.
(Source: Crave Asia)
Give your keys the sound quality they deserve with the iAudio E2 MP3 player.
(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET)Proving that good things come in small packages, the 4GB Cowon E2 MP3 player ($64.99) delivers outstanding, iPod-crushing sound in a space no larger than a key ring. In fact, the big metal ring built into the top of the E2 can literally attach to your key ring. It can't clip, though, so fitness types will need to find a way to get the E2 on a necklace, wrist strap, or carabiner (none are included).
Aside from the lack of a built-in clip, the Cowon E2 further distinguishes itself from the iPod Shuffle by including actual buttons for volume and track skip control. The right edge offers a small square power button along with a rocker switch for track skip control. The same button configuration is mirrored on the left side, only the rocker controls volume and the small button toggles the shuffle mode with a long press and flips through JetEffect EQ presets with short presses.
The buttons are handy compared with the iPod Shuffle's headphone remote, but Cowon didn't exactly go out of its way to distinguish the buttons from one another. Beyond a few faint, gray icons, there's practically no way to tell the buttons on the left side of the E2 from the ones on the right. Without squinting directly at the device, something as simple as a change in volume has a 50 percent chance of turning into a track skip.
Compared with the iPod Shuffle, the inclusion of Cowon's phenomenal EQ presets (eight in total) offers a distinct advantage in sound quality. In a nod to the iPod Shuffle's VoiceOver feature, each EQ preset is announced in a pleasant recorded female voice. Unfortunately, the same voice feature doesn't apply to song information, so the track, album, and playlist navigation available on the third-generation iPod Shuffle (or any Sansa Clip) isn't available on the E2--tracks are either shuffled or played in sequence--that's it.
All in all, though, the Cowon iAudio E2 packs great sound into a stylish design that's sure to turn some heads when people see you listening to your key chain. A rated battery life of 11.5 hours is just about what we'd expect from a player this small. We have a slideshow below. Stay tuned for a full review.
On Sale Now: $76.99 - $80.56
View the latest prices for Apple iPod Shuffle (third generation, 4GB, silver)
On Sale Now: $64.99
View the latest prices for Cowon iAudio E2 (4GB, black)
On Sale Now: $43.99 - $49.99
View the latest prices for SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (4GB, red)
This week on the Digital City, Joey tests the new Netflix/PS3 BD Live disc, with mixed results; we talk about all the cool new luxury laptops you'll never buy, including Sony's Vaio X, Dell's Adamo XPS, and HP's Envy.
We also show off Nokia's new Booklet 3G Netbook, and debate the relative merits of games sequels, from Bioshock 2 to God of War 3. We also note how everyone in New York seems to have gotten their hands on a copy of Modern Warfare 2 early, giving the holiday season's biggest game an unusually sloppy launch.
Related links:
>>Hands on with Nokia's Booklet 3G
>>Say goodbye to sleep: Modern Warfare 2 arrives
>>Hands on with the new Dell Adamo XPS
>>Watch the Digital City live every Monday at 3pm EST on CNET Live!
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(Credit:
Tyme Machines)
May the drive be with you.
Tyme Machines, maker of licensed USB drives, has released its Series 1 3D sculpted Star Wars USB thumb drives. The set, which includes replicas of Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Storm Trooper, and Yoda, comes in 4GB to 16GB capacities that range in price from $29.99 to $59.99.
At 3 inches tall and not exactly svelte, they won't be so easy to plug into a USB port, especially if you're using a laptop. But that's where a USB extension cable comes in handy.
So, are these the right characters to launch with? And what characters would you like to see Tyme Machines include in its next series?
