(Credit:
Branz.org)
Like most social-networking sites, Twitter isn't immune to lurkers, fakes, and creeps. The 404 Twitter account received over 600 followers in the last 24 hours, which leads us to believe that we're either becoming wildly popular or more likely, the new adds are demonized accounts; in other words, people that had their accounts taken over by a spam bot. This has to stop, Biz--stop teasing our egos!
In other ridiculous news, the CBS video print ad we picked apart in Episode 411 is fetching up to $400 on eBay--what the what? If we'd known that prices would skyrocket on the black market, we would have ganked a few more copies from our parent company, CBS! This is a great example of how you can buy practically anything online, including an 800 thread count Egyptian Cotton duvet cover or a set of custom-made Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle drapes from your humble host's childhood...don't ask, just watch the show.
After the break, we get to a few Calls From the Public, including one from a caller all the way in the Caribbean! We also run down the 20 best cartoons from the 1990s, but they forgot about the X-Men cartoon! And where is "Teenage Mutant Ninja Frickin Turtles?!" Take a look at the list and let us know your favorites!
EPISODE 431
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Digital music aficionados who are constantly behind the wheel are often faced with the dilemma of how to connect their MP3 players to their car stereos. The lucky ones have head units with direct line-in ports, and a few may even be driving around in vehicles old enough to sport the good-old cassette deck.
Either instance requires a simple wired attachment, but for those who aren't blessed with such accouterments, playing MP3 audio in the car is a little more challenging. Two options remain: custom install a hardwire connection or play music over often-spotty FM transmitters. Thankfully, there are a handful of transmitters on the market with solid performance, including the Eznex EzCube, a tiny device that connects to any MP3 player and will set you back about $50.
The Super Mini Cube, for those who think small!
(Credit: Brent Butterworth)I know, I know, you don't have room for a decent set of speakers.
I've tried to tell you guys that when it comes to speakers, size still matters. Bigger speakers have tremendous size and performance advantages over pipsqueak models.
But since my pal Brent Butterworth wrote up the new Super Mini Cube speaker for the Sound & Vision Web site I figured something was up. The Super Mini Cube is supertiny; it's less than an inch cube, with a 0.75-inch driver, and better yet, it's powered by a built-in lithium battery. There's also a cable with a 3.5mm connector, so the Super Mini Cube can plug into your iPod or MP3 player. Battery charging is as simple as plugging in the USB cable. A little carry strap completes the package. Neat!
OK, the Super Mini Cube isn't perfect; first of all, you only get one for your $10, so forget about stereo. Funny, Brent didn't rave about sound quality, and I can't imagine it's up to any sort of audiophile standards.
The Super Mini Cube probably sounds a lot worse than anything I've blogged about or reviewed. So please don't e-mail me and ask what I think of it, or how it compares with your 1975 Bose 901 speakers. OK, that might be a too-close-to-call match with the Super Mini Cube.
Brent dubbed the Super Mini Cube the "World's Cheapest, Tiniest Audio System," and that's good enough for me.
The Iriver S10 was too dated to make the list this time, but it's truly impressive at 0.8-inch.
(Credit: CBS Interactive/Corinne Schulze)Flash-based MP3 players are taking over the marketplace. Unlike their hard-drive-based counterparts, flash MP3 players have no moving parts, affording them entirely skip-free playback and, in most cases, a long battery life. Also, flash chips are tiny, meaning the players that use them can be small to the point of ridiculousness.
Luckily, most (but perhaps not all) manufacturers realize that there is such a thing as too small. We had no trouble finding a collection of manageable MP3 players that won't take up valuable space in a briefcase, a backpack, a purse, or a pocket. And although each measures less than 2 cubic inches, all of them offer at least 2GB of memory, which is enough to hold about 500 songs or 32 hours' worth of music.
You've seen them in movies: tracking devices so small they can be put inside a tooth or embedded under the skin. In reality, tracking devices--for the general public at least--are not that tiny, but they can be pretty diminutive.
Lightning GPS introduced a small tracking device on Wednesday called the Spark Nano. Of course, you'll need to take the "Nano" notion with a big grain of salt. The device is actually about the size of a 9-Volt battery--you know, the big one that's used in a smoke detector. The Spark Nano is, however, rugged and waterproof.
The new Spark Nano GPS tracking device.
(Credit: sfs)Its size means you can easily install the Spark Nano on the object that needs tracking; you can clip it on a person's belt or put it inside your kids' backpack to keep tab of their whereabouts. The Spark Nano also features a panic button that the wearer can use to alert people if he or she is in danger. The alert would show exactly where the person wearing the tracking device was located.
For people at home, the Spark Nano can be tracked in real time via a Web site, either with a computer or via a smartphone. It can also be set to periodically send e-mails and text messages indicating the location of the tracked object.
The Spark Nano has a built-in rechargeable battery that can power the device for five continuous days with a full charge. It sports "Safety Zone" Technology that alerts you when the tracked object arrives at a target or exits a predefined area.
The new GPS tracking device is available now and costs $299.95. It also requires a service plan that starts at another $45 a month.
(Credit:
Akihabara News)
It used to be that powerful microscopes were reserved for laboratories, but magnification levels that were once possible only with professional equipment are increasingly available to the masses thanks to advances in digital technologies. Some gadgets are finding a natural home on the science toy market for kids, complete with night-vision features.
But the most certain way to tell if a product category has attrained common-denominator status is when it reaches the prolific mass manufacturers of Asia. To wit: Korean company 3R Systems has unveiled the "ViTiny," a pocket-sized digital microscope.
Measuring 4.7 by 2.2 inches and just under an inch thick, it has a 1.8-inch LCD, 2MB of memory, and a magnification range of 24x to 90x, according to Akihabara News. Hardly the most powerful, but not the worst considering it's portable. Besides, there are some things in life that are better left unseen.
(Credit:
Imation)
We're still not sure about the wisdom of having a USB key so small that it can get lost among pocket change but, if you want something truly tiny, this is it.
The appropriately named "Nano Flash Drive" from Imation comes in storage capacities ranging from 1GB to 8GB, but the size remains the same for all of them: 1.75 inches long and a half-inch wide, weighing a scant 1.3 ounces. Not surprisingly, Imation says it's the smallest flash drive of its kind that it offers.
In our view, its smartest feature has nothing to do with the storage technology: It has a swivel cap that can't get lost. Then again, if you can't find the key itself, that won't matter much.
(Credit:
IWantOneOfThose.com)
Steve Tobak may be onto something with his prediction for Bluetooth implants. In fact, some existing models are so small that they may lodge themselves permanently in the ear canal as an unintended consequence.
The updated Argard M10 headset--or earset, more accurately--weighs just 5 grams and, depending one's aural anatomy, would seem to be a good candidate. The latest version looks less shiny than the original, perhaps to avoid being mistaken for a piece of jewelry.
It also comes with a "stylish docking station," according to GeekAlerts, which resembles a pair of tweezers. That could also come in handy as a tool to press the tiny buttons on the device or perhaps help dislodge it in an emergency.
(Credit:
BrickArms)
If there's a problem with LEGO, it's that they simply aren't violent enough. Sure, you might get some swords or a gun or two in different sets, but not nearly enough to wage a genuine LEGO war. That puny plastic revolver and handful of tiny swords just aren't going to cut it for your army of tiny plastic soldiers.
Gadgetell has discovered BrickArms, a company that makes tiny, LEGO-sized guns for your LEGO-sized troops. BrickArms makes 22 different LEGO weapons ranging from pistols to assault rifles to rocket launchers. The company's weapon selection is surprisingly robust; it has standard shotguns and assault rifles for LEGO soldiers and special forces, a magnum revolver for LEGO Dirty Harry, a Walther PPK for LEGO James Bond, an M23 SOCOM pistol and PSG1 rifle for LEGO Solid Snake, and even a surprisingly accurate M41A plasma rifle for LEGO space marines. If that's not enough, they also have tiny briefcase Uzis for setting up failed LEGO drug deals.
The weapons are pretty useless without figures to hold them (although even then, they're still not exactly useful), so BrickArms also makes several custom mini-figures. LEGO probably hasn't considered producing tiny plastic terrorists, nevermind tiny plastic Nazis. The new Indiana Jones LEGO sets seem fun, but sadly the "German soldiers" just don't seem evil enough. LEGO Indiana Jones needs some real Nazis to thwart.
At $1 a pop for each tiny gun and $10 for each figure set (which include several accessories, including guns), they're a cheap way to expand your LEGO arsenal. On the other hand, if you look at your LEGO sets and think: "These really need more guns, terrorists, and Nazis," your biggest problems probably aren't budget-related.
(Credit:
Crave Asia)
A couple of months ago we talked about the X-mini capsule speaker, a tiny accordion-like gadget that produced sound volume you won't have expected from its diminutive form. Now here's another product that could rival it: the Dancing Cube portable mini-speaker, distributed by Singapore-based Alpha Wireless Systems.
You might have guessed from the photo that the design of this model isn't quite as interesting as the X-mini's. Although it also has that accordion-style pull-out so that there's more space for sound to resonate, it's nowhere near as cute as the capsule speakers. In fact, we would go as far as to say that it's bordering on ugly. The makers most likely went with function over form for the Dancing Cube, and they sure did squeeze in quite a number of features.
Like the X-mini, it has a mini-USB and a cable that splits up into a regular USB connector for charging and a 3.5mm audio jack (that makes sure it works with almost all music players and laptops). This portable speaker also has an Apple connector that'll fit current models of iPods. It will stick out like a sore thumb from your sleek-looking MP3 player, but is certainly good value for an iPod accessory.
Besides toggling the device on and off, the device's only switch has a third position that shows the symbol of a charging battery. We checked with the manufacturer and found out that there's supposed to be a feature that recharges your iPod, but it's been disabled. The company did not commit to including it in a future versions.
(Source: Crave Asia)
