packing

You may have seen those crazy cousins of the Jet Ski and jetpack that let you zip around your favorite water-sports venue while essentially attached to a wild fire hose.

We've written about the JetLev R200 -- a jetpack-like design -- as well as a later spin on the idea: the Flyboard, which with its foot- and hand-level water jets, might make for more of a skiing-like experience.

Well, now it looks like the concept has been applied to a form factor all of us can more or less relate to: the cycle. The Jetovator lets you ride the wild hose as if it were a bike or motorcycle. And for that reason, it looks a little less squirrelly than the other devices (though watching the embedded video does make us wonder about the fine print in our health insurance policies).… Read more

"Singlish" is a brand of English spoken in Sri Lanka that incorporates some words from Sinhala, the native Sri Lankan language, as well as other Asian languages. If you need a quick way to transliterate Singlish text into Sinhala, ZSriLanka Sindhala Language Pack is up to the task. This easy-to-use program provides both real-time transliteration and a Sinhala character map feature.

We'll be the first to admit that we don't speak Sinhala, so we can't vouch for the program's accuracy. What we can say, though, is that ZSriLanka Sinhala Language Pack has an intuitive … Read more

Think of Mophie's new Juice Pack Pro as an Otterbox case that's packing a 2,500 mAh battery that more than doubles the battery life of your iPhone 4 or 4S.

Mophie would probably argue that the Juice Pack Pro is actually tougher than an Otterbox case. It's touting its first ruggedized battery pack case as exceeding military specification MIL-STD 810G, which is pretty tough.

That said, the case is water-resistant but not totally waterproof (it can't go underwater). It has a built-in screen protector and comes with a rotating belt clip. According to Mophie, that … Read more

Coin-ops are few and rare these days, but that doesn't mean that the memories and quarters spent are gone forever...well, maybe the quarters. In either case, this week's Freeware Friday involves dodging speeding tickets, pulling off 99-hit air combos, and dancing like it's a revolution. Sorry folks; accessories/fight sticks/steering wheels/dance pads not included. … Read more

K-Lite Codec Pack is a free package of media player codecs that can improve both audio and video playback in Windows Media Player or the included free Media Player Classic. It includes many components but has a single installer and setup tool.

K-Lite Codec Pack's installer offers three options: Simple mode, which hides most options and uses recommended defaults; Advanced mode (the default setting), which shows almost all options; and Expert mode, which unlocks additional options. Well, we couldn't resist Expert mode, especially since our biggest concern was having existing codecs displaced or replaced by new but possibly … Read more

Gameloft today announced that it has become the latest brand to join Sprint's growing line of ID Packs.

The two bundles each bring Sprint consumers four of Gameloft's popular Android games along with direct access to news, updates, and more. Depending on what type of gamer you are, or how powerful your handset is, you can install either the HD Games ID Pack or Top Games ID Pack. And for those who simply cannot decide, Sprint allows users to have up to five ID Packs on each handset.

The HD Games ID Pack is designed to run on … Read more

Although there have been no reports of problems so far, Fisker is recalling 239 Karma plug-in hybrid sports cars due to a high-voltage battery problem that could result in a fire.

The problem with the luxury plug-in hybrid is that certain hose clamps may have been positioned incorrectly during assembly, which could cause a coolant leak near the battery compartment.

According to the the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: "If coolant enters the battery compartment, an electrical short could occur possible resulting in a fire."

Fisker plans to notify customers, and dealerships will replace the high-voltage battery with … Read more

Today's post is dedicated to my father-in-law, Don Whalen, an incredibly skilled, larger-than-life man I loved and admired. He passed away suddenly last night.

iPhone battery problems got you down? Or perhaps you have an older iPod or iPad with a battery that just doesn't hold a charge like it used to. Whatever the case, it's always a good idea to pack a power pack.

Today only, and while supplies last, Laalo has the Mophie Juice Pack Boost external battery for $17.95, plus $4.95 for shipping. The Mophie has a built-in, retractable connector for … Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--Sprint Nextel is working to take its flagship smartphones and eventually sell them to its prepaid and wholesale partners, according to product chief Fared Adib.

Sprint could eventually take a high-end handset such as the Samsung Electronics Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch and re-brand and sell it to different providers, Adib said during the company's developer conference here today.

The approach would mark a radical departure from conventional thinking in the wireless industry. The national carriers typically guard their flagship handsets with exclusive agreements, and consider them the "crown jewels" that allow them … Read more