No ice needed.
(Credit: Bed Bath & Beyond)While nothing beats enjoying a cooler full of ice-cold beverages at the park, beach, or backyard barbecue, there is a bit of a downside risk: wet cans. As drinks are plucked from the murky depths of the ice chest, ice that is no longer ice clings to the can. It's something even cold-activated cans cannot fix.
Since the dawn of mankind (or at least the invention of the tailgate party), people have looked for a way to enjoy the crisp, clean taste of their favorite drinks without the inconvenience of wet fingers. Now, finally, there is a way.
The Wine Enthusiast Koolatron Rechargeable Bar On Wheels provides a way to cool your drinks anywhere, without the use of ice. The rechargeable cooler cools contents to a "near refrigerator" temperature of 40 degrees F.
Plugging into a standard home outlet, the 41-pound portable cooler also includes an AC/DC adapter for vehicle charging. One charge is good for up to four hours of active, quiet cooling, and for easy portability, two wheels are attached at the base.
With three removable shelves and space for in-door bottle cooling, the portable party-maker has a versatile interior capable of cooling all types of beverages. Complete with a flat work area on top and a hanging basket for accessories on the side, this cooling solution is sure to be a hit at your next outdoor event.
But it will cost you--$449.99 in at least one listing we saw. What do you think? Is saving the ice for putting in your drinks instead of on them worth that tag?
(Credit:
Quirky)
LugeCubes are water molds for creating stackable cubes of ice 8 inches wide by 8 inch high by 8 inches deep. When stacked together, a channel in the ice created by the molds allows you to pour whiskey vodka Jager fruit punch through the ice and out a removable and reusable spout. The mere thought of this product makes my stomach hurt.
It's being sold through Quirky. Well, sort of being sold. You see, Quirky, a site that launched in June, takes products that spring from the minds of its community and drives them from idea to sales, all the while letting the community vote, rate, and influence the product ideas through the entire process. Before a product gets produced, though, it has to hit a presale threshold, which in the case of the LugeCubes is 300.
A majority of the products up for sale or presale on Quirky are tech-related, like the Split Stick, the DigiDude, and the Watt Time.
But then there's the LugeCubes. If you're interested in it getting produced, the whole set (pictured below) is up for presale for $22.47.
(Credit:
Quirky)
ICE Lite puts your emergency info in app form. But will anyone find it?
By now you've heard of "ICE," right? The idea is to add an "In Case of Emergency" entry to your phone's address book and fill it with emergency contacts, important medical info, and the like. That's so rescue workers have an easier time helping you should the unfortunate need arise.
ICE Lite is ICE in app form. It contains just two screens: one with personal info (name, address, phone number, etc.), and one with emergency-contact info.
There's room for your emergency contact person's name, relation, and phone number, along with separate fields for your physician and pharmacy. But that's it. You can't list more than one emergency contact, and there's no room to list any existing medical conditions or medications.
The 99-cent ICE Premium adds screens for allergies and medications, but I still think it comes up short.
What's more, it's debatable whether an emergency worker would ever spot the ICE app, even with its bright red-cross icon, as they've been trained to look specifically in the address book. Granted, you could put a note there directing them to the app, but that seems counter-productive.
Of course, there's no harm in having both. Let's face it, when your life hangs in the balance, there's no such thing as too much information.
We fully admit that we are all, at heart, nerds. But this episode is dedicated to that special kind of nerd. The kind that you find yourself turning to your friend to whisper into their ear "OMG nerd alert!"
Listen now: Download today's podcast
 |
Episode 123 |
Nerd pickup lines meme on Twitter
Erykah Badu twitters while giving birth
Star Trek communicator actually communicates via VoIP
Klingon Keyboard: for serious Trekkies only
Rubiks reincarnated: Cubed is out, curvaceous is in
For grammar nerds: Scrabble keyboard
... Read MoreWi-Fi paint? Bust warmer? Face slimming mask? Bandai telling women how to understand men? Why, that's just crazy talk! The Gadgettes are back in the saddle again, and this time, they ain't going anywhere anytime soon.
Listen now: Download today's podcast
|
EPISODE 122 |
Made-in-Japan Wi-Fi blocking paint
British Airways to allow in-flight texting
Computer newbs kick QWERTY to the curb
Thanko’s new plug-in bust warmer… whatever next?
Bandai helps women understand men
Japanese face slimmer will definitely not work as advertised
... Read More
Keeping the drinks cool and the mood warm.
(Credit: Drinkstuff)Mood lighting is important in any situation. However, when a bottle of wine is opened the need is even more pronounced. It just calls for having the lights down low and some pleasant tunes on the hi-fi. Of course some friendly company is an agreeable accompaniment too.
But what of the times when the lights just aren't right? Too low or too bright, sometimes it's tricky to set the proper mood.
Enter the Drink Light Bottle Cooler. Or rather, turn it on.
This combination designed by Jorge Najera takes the lowly ice bucket and transforms it into something special. Weighing in at about 13 pounds and reaching up to about 2 1/2 feet, the freestanding ice bucket makes a great piece to have set up anywhere in the room. Just watch out for that power cable as it does, after all, light up.
In case you haven't noticed, the Drink Light Bottle Cooler is from across the pond. But don't let that stop you. If you have more than $400 (£274.99) to spend, you can get it shipped right on over. Of course at that price money might be an issue, so you may want to opt for the old-fashioned ice bucket and a candle instead.
(Via Appliancist)
Listen now: Download today's podcast
|
EPISODE 104 |
Hottest solar-powered sports car ever
http://dvice.com/archives/2008/08/seat_brisa_the.php
Solar ice maker
http://dvice.com/archives/2008/08/solar_icemaker.php
Xbox 360 coin-up arcade
http://gizmodo.com/5042961/xbox-360-goes-coin+op
Logitech Squeezebox Boom: The ultimate Wi-Fi radio?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10027437-1.html
Nikon D90: The hotness
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10026094-1.html
PinkWatch:
LG to join the UMPC bandwagon with the Netbook X110
http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2008/08/lg_to_join_the.html
It’s about time
Chococlock delivers chocolate every hour
http://www.mystichackers.com/1054.html
Why didn’t I think of that?
GE Profile frontload washers & dryers
http://www.uncrate.com/men/home/appliances/ge-profile-frontload-washers-dryers/
Kill me
The Fuggit by Fuggis Hilton, Part II: The actual box of fake hair
http://gofugyourself.celebuzz.com/go_fug_yourself/2008/08/the_fuggit_by_fuggis_hilton_part_ii.html
A propos (of) nothing
Kinesio Tex Tape
http://www.uncrate.com/men/body/health-fitness/kinesio-tex-tape/
What the hell!?
Teddy Bear USB drive is a headless horror
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/08/27/teddy-bear-usb-drive.html
(Credit:
Crystal Icing)
Yeah, this is exactly what we'd want to do: Shell out a couple grand to get a MacBook Air for its sleek, minimalist design, then immediately send it off to get an atrocious custom job that would stick 8,000 Swarovski crystals on it for hundreds of dollars more, as seen on Engadget.
Moreover, as if the aesthetic offense weren't enough--and trust us, it is--this special treatment would reportedly add a half-pound to the Air's weight and 1/8th of an inch to its thickness, alterations that would seem to defeat the purpose of the ultra-thin laptop to begin with. Adding an engagement ring motif won't help either, in case you were wondering.
But believe it or not, an outfit like Crystal Icing is a blessing compared with other custom design shops. If the designers of the "Serendipity" phone were to get their hands on it, for example, there probably wouldn't be enough dried macaroni, stray buttons, and used bottle caps to accommodate an entire line.
If Sex and the City popularized the punishments of urban dating, IceBrkr, a London start-up, offers a chance to get through them less battered and bruised.
The Web site, designed to be accessed from desktops and mobile phones, keeps a guest list of IceBrkr members frequenting a select London hot spot, like pub, club, coffee shop, or bar on a given evening. Subscribing singles can spy who's coming, then send text messages to other guys and gals whose online pictures catch their fancy, and await a request to approach or to politely scram.
IceBrkr's free SMS method may help singles avoid the awkward, icy exchanges of barroom chat-ups for both parties involved. While currently restricted to the London scene, IceBrkr's model, should it prove successful, could expand to other major UK and world cities.
IceBrkr is currently available on 11 UK networks (select the drop-down list).
(Credit:
Mii Stor)
It's always nice to see a company making progress, and Mii Stor is no exception. The last time we visited with the company, it was offering a 4GB thumb drive for $19,000
Now, thanks to the advancement of technology, it has upgraded the line with a model dubbed "Ice" that has more capacity for about $29,000, according to Luxurylaunches--capacity for diamonds, that is, of which there are 456. (The previously cited "Snow" version had a mere 96 stones.) It's also made of platinum, as opposed to the low-rent 18k gold of its predecessor.
Surprisingly, it's available only on request. We were hoping to pick up a gift card.
