Here’s a product that I’m REALLY glad to have found. I’m getting, what you might call, a little “long in the tooth”. That means that I have (a) a veritable archive of personal photographic history in the form of film, slides and negatives and (b) I don’t have the youngsters’ flair for getting to grips with complicated digital technology to convert those archives to something digital.
The Digital Film Scanner is a great solution. It’s so easy to do the conversion that even I can do it without yelling for help from the kids. Now even I can put my grandfather’s face on a coffee mug, or capture my most embarrassing moment on a T-shirt!
This scanner comes with holders for both slides and negatives. Simply place them in the holder and press “Copy”. It’s that easy. The images are scanned with a 5 MegaPixel SMOS sensor, and saved as either TIFF or JPEGs on your computer. Software is provided for editing your photos, so you can resize, crop, touch up, or whatever.
The size is 17 x 8 x 8 cms. It scans both monochrome and colour images (3600dpi image enhancement). There are two clip-together holders, one strip for six negatives and the other holds three slides. There’s the software CD and software to edit your pictures. A USB cable is included.
My father left me a series of photo albums including pictures of great-grandparents, and up the line to our times. He left 35mm film of his 13th birthday, in 1930. I’ve often wanted to convert those into digital form and place them on a social networking site or Glog, so that family members across the globe could have access to them at any time. I reckon that this Digital Film Scanner could make that wish a reality.
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Pocket Shower: Your Bathroom in a Bag.
Let’s not be confused. I know that the term “Baby Shower” refers to having a party and receiving gifts for the impending arrival of the new addition to your family. “Pocket Shower”, on the other hand, does NOT refer to your throwing a party and getting gifts because you’ve acquired a new addition to your wardrobe.
The Pocket Shower is literally a fold-up shower that you can stow in your backpack or luggage, and assure yourself of the luxury of a genuine, warm shower in the outdoors at the end of the day’s trail. Whether you’re lucky enough to be in the African Bush, the fair English countryside, enjoying the Continental Coast or the Great American Outdoors, (okay, Mate, or down under in Oz!) - where there is sunshine, there is a warm shower.
This nifty package features a tough black plastic bag – or reservoir - that can hold 10 litres of water, a contoured shower head with graduated apertures to ensure an even spray, and a six meter anchoring cord to secure the shower to a tree or whatever else makes a suitable post.
Unfold the reservoir, fill it with water, and within a short while the black plastic will absorb enough warmth from the sun to ensure a fresh, warm shower of up to about seven minutes!
No need to feel grubby and sweaty anymore after that day in the sun. Freshen up with your Pocket Shower, and then settle down to relaxed sundowners while you watch the sun set. Your shower will leave enough room in your luggage to pack those liquid refreshments, so necessary to a satisfactory sunset – the size is 13 x 8 x 4,5cms.
Word Count: 280 excluding title.
The Pocket Shower is literally a fold-up shower that you can stow in your backpack or luggage, and assure yourself of the luxury of a genuine, warm shower in the outdoors at the end of the day’s trail. Whether you’re lucky enough to be in the African Bush, the fair English countryside, enjoying the Continental Coast or the Great American Outdoors, (okay, Mate, or down under in Oz!) - where there is sunshine, there is a warm shower.
This nifty package features a tough black plastic bag – or reservoir - that can hold 10 litres of water, a contoured shower head with graduated apertures to ensure an even spray, and a six meter anchoring cord to secure the shower to a tree or whatever else makes a suitable post.
Unfold the reservoir, fill it with water, and within a short while the black plastic will absorb enough warmth from the sun to ensure a fresh, warm shower of up to about seven minutes!
No need to feel grubby and sweaty anymore after that day in the sun. Freshen up with your Pocket Shower, and then settle down to relaxed sundowners while you watch the sun set. Your shower will leave enough room in your luggage to pack those liquid refreshments, so necessary to a satisfactory sunset – the size is 13 x 8 x 4,5cms.
Word Count: 280 excluding title.
Combat Road Rage With an LED Car Sign.
We know how the most placid of people can turn into red-faced, raging, road-rogues in seconds, when they’re behind the steering wheel of a car. It happens to all of us. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, there are even those occasions when we are the ones at fault.
When we do something wrong – it’s never on purpose, of course – even we get angry with the driver who is angry with us. After all, we didn’t mean it. Yet, I’ve noticed how quickly someone’s building road rage can abate – or at least be checked – by a speedy and genuine apology from us, when we do make a mistake.
Furthermore, I’ve noticed how much people do appreciate being thanked for letting one in, giving way, or helping out in some way. Even when they don’t actually acknowledge your thanks, one sees by their attitude that they’re glad you did it. Most, however, will smile and feel glad that they showed you that courtesy.
With the LED car sign, it’s that much easier to send a simple message to the driver behind you, and more fun for both parties. The LED unit is affixed to the rear window by a sucker (no, I don’t mean you) and the remote wireless unit is installed in front. There are five different messages that you can light up on the LED by simply pressing the corresponding button on your remote: a Smiley Face, a Winking Face, “Thanks”, “Back Off” or “Sorry”. (Probably a good idea to follow “Back Up” with a quick “Thanks”!)
Simple messages, but I think effective in making your drive and those of others just a little more pleasant. Somehow, it changes both parties from being potential mortal enemies to being co-road users with a common purpose. Simple, but effective.
Word Count: 300 excluding title.
When we do something wrong – it’s never on purpose, of course – even we get angry with the driver who is angry with us. After all, we didn’t mean it. Yet, I’ve noticed how quickly someone’s building road rage can abate – or at least be checked – by a speedy and genuine apology from us, when we do make a mistake.
Furthermore, I’ve noticed how much people do appreciate being thanked for letting one in, giving way, or helping out in some way. Even when they don’t actually acknowledge your thanks, one sees by their attitude that they’re glad you did it. Most, however, will smile and feel glad that they showed you that courtesy.
With the LED car sign, it’s that much easier to send a simple message to the driver behind you, and more fun for both parties. The LED unit is affixed to the rear window by a sucker (no, I don’t mean you) and the remote wireless unit is installed in front. There are five different messages that you can light up on the LED by simply pressing the corresponding button on your remote: a Smiley Face, a Winking Face, “Thanks”, “Back Off” or “Sorry”. (Probably a good idea to follow “Back Up” with a quick “Thanks”!)
Simple messages, but I think effective in making your drive and those of others just a little more pleasant. Somehow, it changes both parties from being potential mortal enemies to being co-road users with a common purpose. Simple, but effective.
Word Count: 300 excluding title.
Seascooter GTi Enhance Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer.
No doubt about it – there’s little to beat the peace of snorkelling lazily over coral reefs with the occasional lazy kick of the flippers. But that experience could be greatly enhanced by the acquisition of a nifty little machine called the Seascooter GTi.
Small, compact and lightweight (18 lbs or 8.4kg), you simply hang onto the handle bars and let it pull you along while you focus on the spectacle below or around you. It can reach a speed of up to 2.5mph (or 4kph) and, if you’re equipped with the appropriate diving gear, dive to about 100 feet. It’s tested to 115ft/35m, rated 100ft/30m.
This is a very neatly made little machine indeed. Very manoeuvrable, it has adjustable buoyancy, protective grilles, auto shut-off and dual trigger control. Run time is about two hours. Size-wise, it’s 60 x 37 x 31cms and comes in a hardy carry case. All very neat indeed.
I know how easy it is to get carried away by the beauty and the moment when snorkelling. You’re doing absolutely fine. You see a fish or a shoal and follow it just a little way. Then you see something else, which leads you a little further away. Then a rock formation promises a hidden treasure of sea life. Eventually, when you start to weary, you can find yourself a long way from where you thought you were. That’s the time when it would be super to have your little sea scooter to switch on and give you a ride back to your starting point. Or, of course, you could conserve energy from the outset and let the sea scooter do all the work – just watch your time so that you don’t have to give IT a ride home!
Word Count: 291 excluding title.
Small, compact and lightweight (18 lbs or 8.4kg), you simply hang onto the handle bars and let it pull you along while you focus on the spectacle below or around you. It can reach a speed of up to 2.5mph (or 4kph) and, if you’re equipped with the appropriate diving gear, dive to about 100 feet. It’s tested to 115ft/35m, rated 100ft/30m.
This is a very neatly made little machine indeed. Very manoeuvrable, it has adjustable buoyancy, protective grilles, auto shut-off and dual trigger control. Run time is about two hours. Size-wise, it’s 60 x 37 x 31cms and comes in a hardy carry case. All very neat indeed.
I know how easy it is to get carried away by the beauty and the moment when snorkelling. You’re doing absolutely fine. You see a fish or a shoal and follow it just a little way. Then you see something else, which leads you a little further away. Then a rock formation promises a hidden treasure of sea life. Eventually, when you start to weary, you can find yourself a long way from where you thought you were. That’s the time when it would be super to have your little sea scooter to switch on and give you a ride back to your starting point. Or, of course, you could conserve energy from the outset and let the sea scooter do all the work – just watch your time so that you don’t have to give IT a ride home!
Word Count: 291 excluding title.
RolerBall! Or… May I Have My Ball Back? My Brother’s Inside.
Remember how, as kids, we used to lie down at the top of a slope and then roll downhill, squealing with delight? Well, now we can enter a gigantic transparent ball and roll down the slope, just squealing.
“I want to, but I don’t”, is probably the most common reaction you’ll hear if you get one of these. It’s a gigantic, transparent plastic, double skinned, inflatable ball, three meters high when inflated. It has a circular opening where one can enter its bowels. The opening is sealed once the participants are inside. Inside the ball are two harnesses to strap you in. (Please note, maximum weight is 200 kgs).Strapped inside, you aim the ball down a gentle slope and roll your way to nausea.
Cushioned by the air compressed between the two layers of skins, it’s quite safe for adults, but there are definitely safety procedures to follow. Firstly, it’s not for kids – and when it’s deflated, pack it away carefully and safely to protect kids. It’s also not for people with adverse medical conditions.
The RolerBall is designed to use on land only. Use it on gentle gradients – no steep slopes – and make certain that there is enough flat land at the end of the roll for the ball to come to a stop. Also ensure that the path of the ball is safe and clear of potentially harmful obstacles. (A puncture repair kit is included.) Never use it alone.
Sounds like more warnings than fun – and we haven’t even mentioned using it on private land, avoiding areas near highways, and so on. It is a potentially dangerous sport and needs to be practiced responsibly – but as long as you are responsible and careful, it looks like a whole lotta fun!
Word Count: 292 excluding title.
“I want to, but I don’t”, is probably the most common reaction you’ll hear if you get one of these. It’s a gigantic, transparent plastic, double skinned, inflatable ball, three meters high when inflated. It has a circular opening where one can enter its bowels. The opening is sealed once the participants are inside. Inside the ball are two harnesses to strap you in. (Please note, maximum weight is 200 kgs).Strapped inside, you aim the ball down a gentle slope and roll your way to nausea.
Cushioned by the air compressed between the two layers of skins, it’s quite safe for adults, but there are definitely safety procedures to follow. Firstly, it’s not for kids – and when it’s deflated, pack it away carefully and safely to protect kids. It’s also not for people with adverse medical conditions.
The RolerBall is designed to use on land only. Use it on gentle gradients – no steep slopes – and make certain that there is enough flat land at the end of the roll for the ball to come to a stop. Also ensure that the path of the ball is safe and clear of potentially harmful obstacles. (A puncture repair kit is included.) Never use it alone.
Sounds like more warnings than fun – and we haven’t even mentioned using it on private land, avoiding areas near highways, and so on. It is a potentially dangerous sport and needs to be practiced responsibly – but as long as you are responsible and careful, it looks like a whole lotta fun!
Word Count: 292 excluding title.
“No ‘Buts’, Young Man, Tidy Your Desk!” The Desk Top Butt Station.
I suppose you would call it the bottom end of technology – but this little desk organizer appeals to the lighter side of me. You can store just about anything on your computer, but until someone shows me how to load my paper clips and pens onto my PC, I need somewhere practical to keep them.
It needs a picture to do it justice. It’s a little white toilet. The cistern has an open top, which will hold a few pens (or any other small objects, of course). Between the cistern and the seat is a slot, ideal for your Post-It notes or a small notepad. The toilet bowl is designed for your paper clips.
But That’s Not All! (As the ads love to say.) There’s a little figure designed to sit on the bowl; a colourful little soul available in orange or green. His butt is magnetized, to attract the paper clips! You’ll never have trouble trying to pick up those paper clips again – just turn him upside down and detach one! His arm is held horizontally in front of his chest, with a roller on which to mount a roll of adhesive tape (looks rather like a roll of toilet paper). Ever obliging, his feet contain the little serrated piece of metal used to cut the adhesive tape.
Interestingly, his mouth is designed to hold a pen horizontally, making it easy to get to your favourite – or most used – pen. I say interestingly, because it looks rather as if he is biting down on the pen with a rather agonized look on his face. I guess it figures; you would too if you had paper clips where he has them.
It’s designed to be a novelty gift – a talking point in the office; but I love it!
Word Count: 298 excluding title.
It needs a picture to do it justice. It’s a little white toilet. The cistern has an open top, which will hold a few pens (or any other small objects, of course). Between the cistern and the seat is a slot, ideal for your Post-It notes or a small notepad. The toilet bowl is designed for your paper clips.
But That’s Not All! (As the ads love to say.) There’s a little figure designed to sit on the bowl; a colourful little soul available in orange or green. His butt is magnetized, to attract the paper clips! You’ll never have trouble trying to pick up those paper clips again – just turn him upside down and detach one! His arm is held horizontally in front of his chest, with a roller on which to mount a roll of adhesive tape (looks rather like a roll of toilet paper). Ever obliging, his feet contain the little serrated piece of metal used to cut the adhesive tape.
Interestingly, his mouth is designed to hold a pen horizontally, making it easy to get to your favourite – or most used – pen. I say interestingly, because it looks rather as if he is biting down on the pen with a rather agonized look on his face. I guess it figures; you would too if you had paper clips where he has them.
It’s designed to be a novelty gift – a talking point in the office; but I love it!
Word Count: 298 excluding title.
I Spy with My Little – Spy Camera Glasses!
I might be a spy at heart, but I’m no technological genius. I’d have to carry around a special briefcase with instruction manuals, if “Q” ever offered to equip me. However, here’s a REALLY fun gadget that even I don’t need my daughter to instruct me on!
The Spy Camera Glasses. Nice looking pair of shades, a very decent camera and very easy to operate.
The shades themselves seem pretty good. They have polarised lenses with UV400 sun protection, so they’re not just good looking – they work. A set of clear lenses for indoor use is included in the package! A 1.3 megapixel camera, (1280 x 1024 resolution,) is tucked into the arm of the glasses. There’s a remote so that you can take your pictures without having to reach up to the arm. There are even earbud headphones built into the arms, so that you can listen to MP3s while you’re waiting for that “memorable moment”.
Surreptitious pictures aside, this is a cool gadget to have. Whether you’re on a trip or just walking around - or even watching your kids at a school activity - it’s so easy to simply press the arm of your shades – or use the remote – to capture up to 10,000 pictures. (Not to mention snapping the number plates of the guy who has just bashed your fender!)
The battery lasts up to 9 hours, or 6 hours if you’re playing MP3s. A USB cable is included for downloading to your PC. A storage case and cleaning cloth is also included in the kit.
Gimmicky it may be, but it really is a very cool way of having your camera available at all times, and MP3 entertainment thrown in. I’d love a pair to wear under my helmet.
Word Count: 294 excluding title.
The Spy Camera Glasses. Nice looking pair of shades, a very decent camera and very easy to operate.
The shades themselves seem pretty good. They have polarised lenses with UV400 sun protection, so they’re not just good looking – they work. A set of clear lenses for indoor use is included in the package! A 1.3 megapixel camera, (1280 x 1024 resolution,) is tucked into the arm of the glasses. There’s a remote so that you can take your pictures without having to reach up to the arm. There are even earbud headphones built into the arms, so that you can listen to MP3s while you’re waiting for that “memorable moment”.
Surreptitious pictures aside, this is a cool gadget to have. Whether you’re on a trip or just walking around - or even watching your kids at a school activity - it’s so easy to simply press the arm of your shades – or use the remote – to capture up to 10,000 pictures. (Not to mention snapping the number plates of the guy who has just bashed your fender!)
The battery lasts up to 9 hours, or 6 hours if you’re playing MP3s. A USB cable is included for downloading to your PC. A storage case and cleaning cloth is also included in the kit.
Gimmicky it may be, but it really is a very cool way of having your camera available at all times, and MP3 entertainment thrown in. I’d love a pair to wear under my helmet.
Word Count: 294 excluding title.
Pack away the Lavalamp, The Laserpod Supernova is Here!
How well I remember the sixties and the hypnotic Lavalamp! Fitting the mood of the sixties to a “T”, it transfixed us into that laid-back, mellow, “spaced-out” tranquillity of gentle hues. Nothing sudden – just the gentle, floating feeling that all was well within those walls and the world outside was an open-ended question where nothing was fixed and ever so malleable.
Then came the Millennium! Space exploded into our reality and the Universe has become out playground! The Earth is our back yard, but the stars are our vision, our exploration and our new reality!
Pack away the lavalamp. The new Laserpod Supernova has burst into our homes! No more gentle wax bubbling around. The Laserpod Supernova explodes a galaxy of excitement into our rooms - stars, nova clusters, shooting stars, gaseous clouds, bursts of light!
Housed in a sleek, good-looking aluminium cylinder, the projector uses red and green lasers to project impressive starbursts and shooting stars onto your ceiling – and there are holographic lenses to vary the effect. Blue and purple LEDs create the impression of gaseous blue clouds. The bright light is projected through crystal to fracture it and create that awesome effect.
With the diffusers in place on top of the cylinder, the light is more gentle and relaxing. Remove the diffusers, and a laser masterpiece explodes into your room! Place glass, clear plastic, crystal, on top and create your own special effects.
Why have a lamp in your room when you can own the universe and wrap yourself in the wonders and mysteries of light and space?
The lamps and devices of the sixties had their place in the mood of the times – but the explosion of technology contained in the Laserpod Supernova is WAY more exciting! I’ll have one, thanks.
Word Count: 295 excluding title.
Then came the Millennium! Space exploded into our reality and the Universe has become out playground! The Earth is our back yard, but the stars are our vision, our exploration and our new reality!
Pack away the lavalamp. The new Laserpod Supernova has burst into our homes! No more gentle wax bubbling around. The Laserpod Supernova explodes a galaxy of excitement into our rooms - stars, nova clusters, shooting stars, gaseous clouds, bursts of light!
Housed in a sleek, good-looking aluminium cylinder, the projector uses red and green lasers to project impressive starbursts and shooting stars onto your ceiling – and there are holographic lenses to vary the effect. Blue and purple LEDs create the impression of gaseous blue clouds. The bright light is projected through crystal to fracture it and create that awesome effect.
With the diffusers in place on top of the cylinder, the light is more gentle and relaxing. Remove the diffusers, and a laser masterpiece explodes into your room! Place glass, clear plastic, crystal, on top and create your own special effects.
Why have a lamp in your room when you can own the universe and wrap yourself in the wonders and mysteries of light and space?
The lamps and devices of the sixties had their place in the mood of the times – but the explosion of technology contained in the Laserpod Supernova is WAY more exciting! I’ll have one, thanks.
Word Count: 295 excluding title.
At Last, He’s Yours! The R2D2 Projector Robot
Weighing in at 10 kgs, he can be yours now, with all his lovable beeps and blips! R2D2 is not only your best buddy, but your complete home entertainment system.
What can he do for you? Well, with three safety sensors to prevent him from wandering off the table or wherever you’ve stationed him, he’ll oblige by playing your music or the built-in FM radio, he’ll project your DVD movies, video games, digital photos onto your wall or ceiling up to 80 inches across …. cool, don’t you think?
Here’s how he’s made up: He has a projector that will project images of 80 inches on the wall of your choice or your ceiling. He has an integrated DVD and CD player supporting all the stuff you want – DVD-video, DVD-R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, MWA, MP3, Divx, MP4, JPEG. He has an iPod docking station for iPod, Nanos, Minis, Photos and Videos. He has a built-in 20Watt speaker and FM radio. Add to that a memory card slot, a USB connector, a full motion, light up wireless Millennium Falcon remote, input connections for video/audio, PC/Mac, Wii, Xbox, Playstation, and digital audio out for iPods. And a whole lotta love!
What will he consume? Well, he’s not a big fella, really, he’s 34,3 x 32,8 x 51,9cms. He comes with a battery pack and a mains charger, and his remote will need 6 x AA batteries. But he’s worth it. He’ll show you his affection with those adorable sound effects of his.
Come on, take him home with you.
And the force be with you.
Word Count: 262 excluding title.
What can he do for you? Well, with three safety sensors to prevent him from wandering off the table or wherever you’ve stationed him, he’ll oblige by playing your music or the built-in FM radio, he’ll project your DVD movies, video games, digital photos onto your wall or ceiling up to 80 inches across …. cool, don’t you think?
Here’s how he’s made up: He has a projector that will project images of 80 inches on the wall of your choice or your ceiling. He has an integrated DVD and CD player supporting all the stuff you want – DVD-video, DVD-R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, MWA, MP3, Divx, MP4, JPEG. He has an iPod docking station for iPod, Nanos, Minis, Photos and Videos. He has a built-in 20Watt speaker and FM radio. Add to that a memory card slot, a USB connector, a full motion, light up wireless Millennium Falcon remote, input connections for video/audio, PC/Mac, Wii, Xbox, Playstation, and digital audio out for iPods. And a whole lotta love!
What will he consume? Well, he’s not a big fella, really, he’s 34,3 x 32,8 x 51,9cms. He comes with a battery pack and a mains charger, and his remote will need 6 x AA batteries. But he’s worth it. He’ll show you his affection with those adorable sound effects of his.
Come on, take him home with you.
And the force be with you.
Word Count: 262 excluding title.
The Credit Card Camera – take home anything you want to!
On camera, that is. This little digital camera is the size of a credit card and as thin as my credit balance (0.5cm!) It may not be particularly high resolution (0.3 Megapixels), but it’s no gimmick, either.
There’s no excuse for being caught without a camera again when those moments pop up that you want to take home to share. You don’t see them coming – those moments tend to present themselves from out of the blue. “WHY didn’t I have my camera,” can be as far in the past as “Why didn’t I have my credit card?” Ever notice just how quickly you can wip out a credit card when the moment calls for it? Well, the same goes for this little camera.
This is one credit card that won’t make your spouse turn pale when you charge it! Which, by the way, you can do from your computer. It has a lithium battery that recharges from your computer during download. (A USB cable is part of the package, as is a hanging strap, user manual and software that includes “Photoimpression” and “Funhouse” to edit your pictures when you’ve downloaded them to your PC.)
Other specifications include a built-in viewfinder, auto exposure and white balance adjuster, 64Mb memory (SDRam), an image resolution of 640 x 320 pixels, auto shoot 10 secs, continuous shoot 10 pics per second and a shutter speed of 1/6 – 1/15000second. It also has an automatic energy saver after 30 seconds, so that you don’t waste battery power – and you can even use it as a webcam!
It may not give you credit, but you’ll certainly give yourself the credit for taking home all those wonderful moments and memories that would have passed you by in the bad old days before the credit card camera!
Word Count: 298 excluding title.
There’s no excuse for being caught without a camera again when those moments pop up that you want to take home to share. You don’t see them coming – those moments tend to present themselves from out of the blue. “WHY didn’t I have my camera,” can be as far in the past as “Why didn’t I have my credit card?” Ever notice just how quickly you can wip out a credit card when the moment calls for it? Well, the same goes for this little camera.
This is one credit card that won’t make your spouse turn pale when you charge it! Which, by the way, you can do from your computer. It has a lithium battery that recharges from your computer during download. (A USB cable is part of the package, as is a hanging strap, user manual and software that includes “Photoimpression” and “Funhouse” to edit your pictures when you’ve downloaded them to your PC.)
Other specifications include a built-in viewfinder, auto exposure and white balance adjuster, 64Mb memory (SDRam), an image resolution of 640 x 320 pixels, auto shoot 10 secs, continuous shoot 10 pics per second and a shutter speed of 1/6 – 1/15000second. It also has an automatic energy saver after 30 seconds, so that you don’t waste battery power – and you can even use it as a webcam!
It may not give you credit, but you’ll certainly give yourself the credit for taking home all those wonderful moments and memories that would have passed you by in the bad old days before the credit card camera!
Word Count: 298 excluding title.
Pocketsurfer 2 Mobile Internet Communicator.
If you’re tired of hit and miss Wi-Fi coverage, here’s a handheld device for browsing the internet that isn’t reliant on Wi-Fi. The Pocketsurfer 2 is a good-looking little browser that uses Datawind’s new, accelerated GPRS. (It’s not the slow download that we tend to associate with GPRS of old, but utilizes their new compression technology.)
The dimensions are 152x75x15mm, with a 5.2” screen. Though not quite pocket-sized, it has a fairly solid construction and fits one’s hand very comfortably. It has a QWERTY keyboard, which is great! However, the 640 x 240 VGA screen tends to reduce the quality of high-resolution images, which can be irritating.
Browsing the web is not particularly comfortable, for one thing because of the resolution, and for another, the lack of a scroll wheel. One is limited to using the four-way direction pad to navigate, which is not a problem on a conventional cell phone screen, but far less than ideal on a screen twice the size.
I guess it depends on what you’re used to and how you want to use it. If you want it to display maps or check email while you’re on the move, it’s not bad, although a battery time of less than 5 hours may or may not be an issue for you.
In short, I’d suggest that you try this baby out before you rush to order online, but if you prefer a good, accelerated GPRS to WI-FI – and you can get a data contract that suits your pocket – then it could be worth a test.
Word Count: 259 excluding title.
The dimensions are 152x75x15mm, with a 5.2” screen. Though not quite pocket-sized, it has a fairly solid construction and fits one’s hand very comfortably. It has a QWERTY keyboard, which is great! However, the 640 x 240 VGA screen tends to reduce the quality of high-resolution images, which can be irritating.
Browsing the web is not particularly comfortable, for one thing because of the resolution, and for another, the lack of a scroll wheel. One is limited to using the four-way direction pad to navigate, which is not a problem on a conventional cell phone screen, but far less than ideal on a screen twice the size.
I guess it depends on what you’re used to and how you want to use it. If you want it to display maps or check email while you’re on the move, it’s not bad, although a battery time of less than 5 hours may or may not be an issue for you.
In short, I’d suggest that you try this baby out before you rush to order online, but if you prefer a good, accelerated GPRS to WI-FI – and you can get a data contract that suits your pocket – then it could be worth a test.
Word Count: 259 excluding title.
i-Sobot - A Palm Size Buddy!
Fact. My daughter has me wrapped around her little finger. She has me eating out of the palm of her hand. Fact. It’s tiring! What if I could find a willing little buddy who can fulfil some of her many commands and give me a break?
Fact. I can! He’s a lovable little humanoid robot who can literally fit the palm of your hand – he’s about 6.5 inches tall, or 16.5cms. He can sing, dance, do push-ups, walk around, do somersaults, Kung-Fu fighting, stand on his head, and do the things every child seems to think her Daddy can do. Oh, speaking of which, let’s not forget – he even obeys voice commands!
Okay, he doesn’t pay the bills, but he sure can buy me a little more time to deal with that issue. On the subject of money, this little fellow doesn’t come home at those exorbitant robotic prices – he features as a toy. And you don’t even have to assemble him!
His name is “i- Sobot”. He arrives assembled and ready to party! You just slap in the batteries, retrieve the instructions, sit back in your favourite armchair and pretend to read them while your kid figures out how to use him, in much less time than you ever could. He’s pre-programmed with a bunch of routines to start the ball rolling, while your kid figures how to create and store his or her own sequences.
He has a built-in speaker in his chest, a built-in microphone with voice recognition, and a built-in ability to give you back that “me time” you’ve been dreaming about.
“Yes, Dear, Daddy’s coming – I’m just going online to buy a little helper…”
Word Count: 279 (Excluding title)
Fact. I can! He’s a lovable little humanoid robot who can literally fit the palm of your hand – he’s about 6.5 inches tall, or 16.5cms. He can sing, dance, do push-ups, walk around, do somersaults, Kung-Fu fighting, stand on his head, and do the things every child seems to think her Daddy can do. Oh, speaking of which, let’s not forget – he even obeys voice commands!
Okay, he doesn’t pay the bills, but he sure can buy me a little more time to deal with that issue. On the subject of money, this little fellow doesn’t come home at those exorbitant robotic prices – he features as a toy. And you don’t even have to assemble him!
His name is “i- Sobot”. He arrives assembled and ready to party! You just slap in the batteries, retrieve the instructions, sit back in your favourite armchair and pretend to read them while your kid figures out how to use him, in much less time than you ever could. He’s pre-programmed with a bunch of routines to start the ball rolling, while your kid figures how to create and store his or her own sequences.
He has a built-in speaker in his chest, a built-in microphone with voice recognition, and a built-in ability to give you back that “me time” you’ve been dreaming about.
“Yes, Dear, Daddy’s coming – I’m just going online to buy a little helper…”
Word Count: 279 (Excluding title)
Rainbow In My Room: The Perfect Tranquillity.
I can’t think of anything more tranquil, more relaxing, than having a rainbow in my room. This is quite possible now with that quaint little rainbow projector called Rainbow In My Room.
This rainbow-shaped projector is a visual treat in modern design. The arm arches over the mirror coated base, and LEDs in the overhead arm shine onto the mirror, which projects a beautiful rainbow onto your walls and ceiling. A switch allows you to set it to reflect the full rainbow, or alternatively to reflect one rainbow colour at a time. (It has an auto shut-off after ten minutes to conserve energy, so your child can happily fall asleep without having to switch it off.)
What is it that is so unambiguously happy about a rainbow? I cannot think of a single unpleasant feature to it. It may well be a perfectly physical phenomenon – a refraction of light – but somehow it always elicits feeling of hope and well-being.
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, songs, fairy tales and pots of gold aside, in signifies the end of a storm and the hope of better things to follow. Whatever it is, it always leaves one with a good feeling. One evening, after a summer thunderstorm, I saw a brilliant rainbow ahead and to my left as I was driving home. Then, suddenly, as the road curved, I was driving through what appeared to be the end of the rainbow! I have never forgotten that thrill!
Even for me as an adult, I can’t think of a better way to drift off to sleep than being wrapped in a rainbow. How much more so for a little child, after a day of disciplines, conflicts and hopes either dashed or fulfilled?
Word count: 287 excluding title.
This rainbow-shaped projector is a visual treat in modern design. The arm arches over the mirror coated base, and LEDs in the overhead arm shine onto the mirror, which projects a beautiful rainbow onto your walls and ceiling. A switch allows you to set it to reflect the full rainbow, or alternatively to reflect one rainbow colour at a time. (It has an auto shut-off after ten minutes to conserve energy, so your child can happily fall asleep without having to switch it off.)
What is it that is so unambiguously happy about a rainbow? I cannot think of a single unpleasant feature to it. It may well be a perfectly physical phenomenon – a refraction of light – but somehow it always elicits feeling of hope and well-being.
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, songs, fairy tales and pots of gold aside, in signifies the end of a storm and the hope of better things to follow. Whatever it is, it always leaves one with a good feeling. One evening, after a summer thunderstorm, I saw a brilliant rainbow ahead and to my left as I was driving home. Then, suddenly, as the road curved, I was driving through what appeared to be the end of the rainbow! I have never forgotten that thrill!
Even for me as an adult, I can’t think of a better way to drift off to sleep than being wrapped in a rainbow. How much more so for a little child, after a day of disciplines, conflicts and hopes either dashed or fulfilled?
Word count: 287 excluding title.
Your Future in the Stars The Astrology Report.
“My horoscope? I don’t believe in that stuff. Wait! What does it say? I’m Leo.”
Sound like anyone you know? While the majority of the daily horoscope addicts will tell you that they don’t believe a word of it, nevertheless, they don’t feel comfortable until they’ve checked the daily paper to see what to be careful of, regardless of the fact that they don’t believe it.
Do the planet alignments and times really have no effect on your personality, weaknesses, strengths or what you’re prone to? They may not accurately predict your future, but what of those character traits? And to what degree do those character traits determine your future?
Shakespeare thought it prudent to write “The fault, Dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings.” Of course, Cassius and company were plotting Caesar’s assassination, so why wouldn’t they want Brutus to think that?
We’d probably all like to think that romance, love and destiny lay in the stars. (It would relieve us of some personal responsibility!) If it is written in the stars, we’d certainly want to be able to read what is written!
You could try the Astrology Report Gift Pack. It comes in a neat little tin containing everything you need to register for a personalized report. There’s a booklet on astrology included. You’ll fill in the details necessary for your report to be plotted. Choose one of the three reports offered - relationship compatibility, romance or birth. They will use your information to plot the alignment of planets (and whatever else they use) at your moment of birth and a report of 8 to 12 pages will be sent to you.
Just remember, you have 12 months in which to register your report. I guess the stars expire after that.
Word Count: 300 excluding title.
Sound like anyone you know? While the majority of the daily horoscope addicts will tell you that they don’t believe a word of it, nevertheless, they don’t feel comfortable until they’ve checked the daily paper to see what to be careful of, regardless of the fact that they don’t believe it.
Do the planet alignments and times really have no effect on your personality, weaknesses, strengths or what you’re prone to? They may not accurately predict your future, but what of those character traits? And to what degree do those character traits determine your future?
Shakespeare thought it prudent to write “The fault, Dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings.” Of course, Cassius and company were plotting Caesar’s assassination, so why wouldn’t they want Brutus to think that?
We’d probably all like to think that romance, love and destiny lay in the stars. (It would relieve us of some personal responsibility!) If it is written in the stars, we’d certainly want to be able to read what is written!
You could try the Astrology Report Gift Pack. It comes in a neat little tin containing everything you need to register for a personalized report. There’s a booklet on astrology included. You’ll fill in the details necessary for your report to be plotted. Choose one of the three reports offered - relationship compatibility, romance or birth. They will use your information to plot the alignment of planets (and whatever else they use) at your moment of birth and a report of 8 to 12 pages will be sent to you.
Just remember, you have 12 months in which to register your report. I guess the stars expire after that.
Word Count: 300 excluding title.
See What You’ve Never Noticed Before - with the Eyeclops TV Micro-Camera.
Imagine. A hand held bionic eye that you simply point at something and look at the HUGE picture of it on your television screen.
No kidding. It looks like a hand held artificial eyeball, housed in an eye socket. You don’t need software. Just plug in into you TV, point it at something small and check it out on your TV screen, enlarged by up to 200 times! Point it to the fly on the wall and you’ll see enough to do a biology project. Point it into your cup of tea and see what you’re really drinking. In fact, point at any liquid and see a whole new world open up for you!
Is your vacuum cleaner all that it’s cracked up to be? Check out your carpet at really close range. (You might even find that lost stud there!) A leaf, a piece of paper. The ants that you thought you’d got rid of. There’s a world in you lounge that you didn’t know was there!
How about that little cut in your finger that everyone laughed about when you performed? (“It’s only a little cut,” they said, “don’t make a whole production of it.”) Well, with the Eyeclops TV Micro-Camera, you can actually make a production out of it! Show them what your little wound looks like enlarged 200 times and exactly what is happening inside that major wound. See if they ever laugh again!
Battery operated, this device even has a base to stand it on when you really want to sit back and focus on what you’re seeing – or, better still, to watch the movement that passes your electronic eye in the cycle of life and nature.
It’s so easy: plug in, point, and observe close up what you’ve never seen with a magnifying glass.
Word Count: 300 excluding title.
No kidding. It looks like a hand held artificial eyeball, housed in an eye socket. You don’t need software. Just plug in into you TV, point it at something small and check it out on your TV screen, enlarged by up to 200 times! Point it to the fly on the wall and you’ll see enough to do a biology project. Point it into your cup of tea and see what you’re really drinking. In fact, point at any liquid and see a whole new world open up for you!
Is your vacuum cleaner all that it’s cracked up to be? Check out your carpet at really close range. (You might even find that lost stud there!) A leaf, a piece of paper. The ants that you thought you’d got rid of. There’s a world in you lounge that you didn’t know was there!
How about that little cut in your finger that everyone laughed about when you performed? (“It’s only a little cut,” they said, “don’t make a whole production of it.”) Well, with the Eyeclops TV Micro-Camera, you can actually make a production out of it! Show them what your little wound looks like enlarged 200 times and exactly what is happening inside that major wound. See if they ever laugh again!
Battery operated, this device even has a base to stand it on when you really want to sit back and focus on what you’re seeing – or, better still, to watch the movement that passes your electronic eye in the cycle of life and nature.
It’s so easy: plug in, point, and observe close up what you’ve never seen with a magnifying glass.
Word Count: 300 excluding title.
Bored? Looking for a Challenge? Build A Robot!
Is building a robot way beyond your capacity? I know what you mean. I’m all thumbs. I have a great imagination and wonderful intentions, but the distance between wishing and doing can be light years. The Do-It-Yourself stuff was designed for other people, people with two hands, four fingers and a thumb on each hand, and know how to use each of those appendages.
I’ve just spent the day “making” a home-made flashlight for a school project – well, WE did. We had no escape. Well, it’s amazing what you can do when you know that ducking it is not an alternative. Many hours later, the dining room table looked like a scrap yard. There had to be enough bits and pieces to build a factory. But – amid that chaos – we had produced a really cute little flashlight that, to our amazement, actually worked!
That made me think – why panic and try to duck those “school project” obligations? Overcome your fears! Show yourself YOU CAN! Build a robot!
The “Build A Robot” kit costs about £25. It won’t help around the house. It won’t do the school projects. What it does have are little infra-red sensors to stop it from bumping into things, and 36 programmable actions with light effects and sound effects to assure you that you’ve created a masterpiece!
It’ll keep you busy and it’ll keep you amused for ages. Most of all, you’ll prove to yourself and your family that you CAN do it.
Of course, there’s an alternative. Let you kid build it – then we you’re asked to do a school project, you can look amazed and say “Why ask me? I’m an idiot. YOU built a robot!”
Word Count: 281 excluding title.
I’ve just spent the day “making” a home-made flashlight for a school project – well, WE did. We had no escape. Well, it’s amazing what you can do when you know that ducking it is not an alternative. Many hours later, the dining room table looked like a scrap yard. There had to be enough bits and pieces to build a factory. But – amid that chaos – we had produced a really cute little flashlight that, to our amazement, actually worked!
That made me think – why panic and try to duck those “school project” obligations? Overcome your fears! Show yourself YOU CAN! Build a robot!
The “Build A Robot” kit costs about £25. It won’t help around the house. It won’t do the school projects. What it does have are little infra-red sensors to stop it from bumping into things, and 36 programmable actions with light effects and sound effects to assure you that you’ve created a masterpiece!
It’ll keep you busy and it’ll keep you amused for ages. Most of all, you’ll prove to yourself and your family that you CAN do it.
Of course, there’s an alternative. Let you kid build it – then we you’re asked to do a school project, you can look amazed and say “Why ask me? I’m an idiot. YOU built a robot!”
Word Count: 281 excluding title.
Skip To Mah Loo, Mah Darling! The Mind Trainer Loo Roll.
The family loo – a place close to our hearts. (About half a body length, I suppose). When I was a kid, it was referred to as The House of Parliament – long sittings, loud reports, then the subject was dropped. Don’t mock it. Major decisions have been made there. A refuge in any busy household, where you can be alone and clear your mind – as well, that is.
You’ve read the paper there. You’ve stared at the same spot on the door and found many, many answers to difficult questions there, over the years. Your place of refuge. You know every inch of it. You know how many tiles there are. You know how many rows of tiles, and how many tiles in each row, along the floor and along each wall. You’ve counted them individually. You’ve calculated them by row density; you’ve made allowances in your formulae for the gap in rows where the cistern is.
It is, undoubtedly, the most important room in the house. After all, at a pinch you’d be prepared to double up in any room in the house – except that one. Well, it deserves some recognition. It’s time to upgrade it into an official Room of Learning, an icon of education – with the new Mind Trainer Loo Roll!
The Mind Trainer Loo Roll has ten puzzles and games imprinted onto it to help you stay alert, fresh and focused. Sudoku, memory trials word version, memory trials with numbers, brain exercises, math, colour counting, ladders, mental math …..
And kids, here’s the best part. If your teacher tells you that you’ve let your education go down the drain, just give him a roll and tell him to do with his test paper what you’ve been dying to tell him for years!
Word count: 295 excluding title.
You’ve read the paper there. You’ve stared at the same spot on the door and found many, many answers to difficult questions there, over the years. Your place of refuge. You know every inch of it. You know how many tiles there are. You know how many rows of tiles, and how many tiles in each row, along the floor and along each wall. You’ve counted them individually. You’ve calculated them by row density; you’ve made allowances in your formulae for the gap in rows where the cistern is.
It is, undoubtedly, the most important room in the house. After all, at a pinch you’d be prepared to double up in any room in the house – except that one. Well, it deserves some recognition. It’s time to upgrade it into an official Room of Learning, an icon of education – with the new Mind Trainer Loo Roll!
The Mind Trainer Loo Roll has ten puzzles and games imprinted onto it to help you stay alert, fresh and focused. Sudoku, memory trials word version, memory trials with numbers, brain exercises, math, colour counting, ladders, mental math …..
And kids, here’s the best part. If your teacher tells you that you’ve let your education go down the drain, just give him a roll and tell him to do with his test paper what you’ve been dying to tell him for years!
Word count: 295 excluding title.
Never Lose It Again! The Fridge Magnet Bottle Opener.
You’ve waited for that beer. You’ve visualized its cool, wet droplets sliding down your throat, while you sat in the traffic. You reverse parked your car perfectly the first time, because you didn’t have time for second and third attempts. You positively drooled when you saw the front door approaching your racing footsteps.
At last you’re there. You fling your briefcase in the general direction of the dining room, knowing your wife is going to have something to say about that, but it figures way down the list of priorities. You’ll deal with that later, once those golden droplets have collected in your stomach. You reach for the fridge handle, unaware of that little boy smile on your face or the eyes that are shining with anticipation. For a terrible moment your heart freezes in panic in case, by some horrible twist of fate, somebody has been visiting in your absence and ….. and then the fridge door is open and there it is. You touch the cold, dripping bottle tenderly for a moment, in gratitude. Then you grab it gleefully, spinning around as you close the fridge door.
Where’s that bottle opener? You pull out a drawer. Then with just a hint of irritation, you open the next drawer. Then faster and faster, the next and the next! NO, NO! This can’t be happening! Why me? I’ll KILL whoever used it last!
Hey, Dude, chill. That could be nothing more than a bad dream - if you get the new, great, life-saving, stainless steel, magnetized bottle opener with the anti-scratch magnetic backing. It sticks to your fridge with a determination you want to see. A mere flick of the wrist does the rest.
Oh, yea – get two. Stick one on the side of your car. You never know …
Word Count: 300 excluding title.
At last you’re there. You fling your briefcase in the general direction of the dining room, knowing your wife is going to have something to say about that, but it figures way down the list of priorities. You’ll deal with that later, once those golden droplets have collected in your stomach. You reach for the fridge handle, unaware of that little boy smile on your face or the eyes that are shining with anticipation. For a terrible moment your heart freezes in panic in case, by some horrible twist of fate, somebody has been visiting in your absence and ….. and then the fridge door is open and there it is. You touch the cold, dripping bottle tenderly for a moment, in gratitude. Then you grab it gleefully, spinning around as you close the fridge door.
Where’s that bottle opener? You pull out a drawer. Then with just a hint of irritation, you open the next drawer. Then faster and faster, the next and the next! NO, NO! This can’t be happening! Why me? I’ll KILL whoever used it last!
Hey, Dude, chill. That could be nothing more than a bad dream - if you get the new, great, life-saving, stainless steel, magnetized bottle opener with the anti-scratch magnetic backing. It sticks to your fridge with a determination you want to see. A mere flick of the wrist does the rest.
Oh, yea – get two. Stick one on the side of your car. You never know …
Word Count: 300 excluding title.
You CAN Take It With You! EzVision X4:
The EzVision range is that very “must have” range of portable movie screens that you wear like sunglasses. They’re very light to wear, sleek and plug into your iPod or any portable movie or DVD player. (I’d better qualify that – there are models that the EzVisions are not compatible with, so make sure that yours is compatible.) You wear them like glasses, but it’s like watching a movie on a television screen.
The new EzVision X4 is the equivalent of watching on a 60” TV screen! Retractable headphones are built into the arms. Resolution is 640 x 480 (as opposed to the earlier 320 x 240). It has a 6 hour rechargeable battery pack with volume controls, and comes with adaptors for your iPod or portable player.
So much for what it is. What appeals to me is what you can use it for! Easy to carry because of its size and easy to listen to because of the headphones, you could watch your favourite – or inspirational – movies anywhere, without disturbing anyone around you. Except, of course, that they’ll be jealous as hell, watching you sitting quietly in a world of your own, while they’re suffering reality.
The obvious situation, of course, is watching movies in bed without robbing anyone else of their sleep. Or watching your own movie while the rest of the family sob, cheer and stomp their feet for Oprah (bless her generous heart.) But how about watching a comedy while waiting for your kid to come out of school? Or chilling in the car in the parking lot, while the family shops? Or watching Baywatch during the umpteenth rehearsal for the school play? Instead of being irritated, you’ll be a smiling, compatible fellow that’ll leave everyone wondering how you have the patience!
Word Count: 296 excluding title.
The new EzVision X4 is the equivalent of watching on a 60” TV screen! Retractable headphones are built into the arms. Resolution is 640 x 480 (as opposed to the earlier 320 x 240). It has a 6 hour rechargeable battery pack with volume controls, and comes with adaptors for your iPod or portable player.
So much for what it is. What appeals to me is what you can use it for! Easy to carry because of its size and easy to listen to because of the headphones, you could watch your favourite – or inspirational – movies anywhere, without disturbing anyone around you. Except, of course, that they’ll be jealous as hell, watching you sitting quietly in a world of your own, while they’re suffering reality.
The obvious situation, of course, is watching movies in bed without robbing anyone else of their sleep. Or watching your own movie while the rest of the family sob, cheer and stomp their feet for Oprah (bless her generous heart.) But how about watching a comedy while waiting for your kid to come out of school? Or chilling in the car in the parking lot, while the family shops? Or watching Baywatch during the umpteenth rehearsal for the school play? Instead of being irritated, you’ll be a smiling, compatible fellow that’ll leave everyone wondering how you have the patience!
Word Count: 296 excluding title.
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