December, 2007 Daily Giz Wiz Netcasts are on this page!
What's going on with the DGW?? I don't see new episodes being uploaded!
Here's the scoop. If you follow the DGW faithfully, you know that Leo is preparing a two week trip to Egypt. Trying to keep up with all his Netcasts has proved to be a bit overwhelming, so he decided to delay posting a week of new DGW shows now. That way, instead of having a big break over the holidays, there will be some new shows. So for one week of the Daily Giz Wiz, you'll hear the correct day of the week, but the calendar dates will be off by one week. And if you don't know about Ludwick's search engine, it's below. It often lets you hear DGW episodes before they're uploaded to the web.
Thanks for understanding. If indeed you do understand. I'm a bit fuzzy myself! Dick De
Week of December 31st, 2007
Monday,December 31st, 2007Netcast 471
Okay, so you made a backup of your important computer files! And where is that backup?
With your computer!So if there’s a fire or a flood, the backup is lost too.Unless you have the new hard drive safes from SentrySafe. The hard drive is in a SentrySafe FIRE-SAFE/Waterproof enclosure that protects data from fire and water. It is ETL verified for fire protection for 30 minutes up to 1550° F and ETL verified waterproof – meaning it is fully submersible for up to 24 hours. SentrySafe has partnered with Maxtor digital storage to provide consumers with affordable FIRE-SAFE/Waterproof hard drives. SentrySafe FIRE-SAFE/Waterproof Hard Drive and SentrySafe FIRE-SAFE/Water Resistant Safe will be displayed at the 2008 International CES, which runs January 7-10, 2008, in Las Vegas. But the Giz Wiz got a preview look. It will be the first time Sentry Group is an exhibitor at the CES. Both SentrySafe products won Best of Innovations 2008 for originality in design and engineering. SentrySafe Fire-SafeWaterproof Hard Drive with 160GB has a MSRP of $319.99. There are other models up to MSRP of $519.99. Yes, the awards are announced before CES opens! www.SentrySafe.com
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This week will be continued on the Jan 08 page which is here:
Thanks for being a fan of The Daily Giz Wiz! (You are fan, right? You didn't just stumble on this page, right!)
The rest of December Gizmos and Gadgets are below! Latest on the top.
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Week of December 24th, 2007.
Okay, from here on out the dates of the DGW should match the actual date! Thanks for bearing with us. It now seems like there will be not more down days, even while Leo is in Egypt and I’m at the Consumer Electronics Show. Monday, December 24th, Netcast 466 Check Mate.It has nothing to do with chess! The inventor says it’s as simple as the hula-hoop and as non-invasive as drinking a glass of water. Designed to help control an individual’s consumption level, the new CheckMate bracelet works for children and adults. Here’s how it works: Depending upon bite size, or simply what’s best for you, the CheckMate timer may be set at 30 or 60 seconds. Starting at 30 seconds will help to change your eating habits. Basically, you chew your food slowly and thoroughly, and don’t take another bite until the CheckMate vibrates on your wrist. Gradually go to 60 seconds as you learn to eat more slowly. No one else should be able to hear the CheckMate.I used it during several meals and it was one of the few times I wasn’t first to finish my meal.I also drank more during the meal, which is probably a good thing.
Turn The Table Tuesday ---A high tech (and high price) gizmo for pets!
It’s called RoamEO, and it’s GPS for your pet!
This Tuesday Leo comes up with another honest-to-goodness gadget. I didn’t get to see it or try it for myself, so here’s some info some from the company’s website: Maybe your dog doesn't know what GPS is, but he does know how important your companionship is. So keep him safe. RoamEO. So home is never far away. Locates your pet within one mile in all directions and displays this information on a color LCD screen. Displays your pet's exact location, current movements, and velocity. Create your own customized GPS Fence that will result in an audible alert if your pet leaves the defined perimeter. Can track up to three pets simultaneously. Easy to use: no installation required; no third party services necessary. But this technology is not inexpensive. A RoamEO system for one pet is $549.95. TTTT --www.roameoforpets.com Wednesday, December 26th, Netcast 468
Train lovers with love the Lionel Train Bank
The Lionel Animated Coin Bank makes saving fun. This 4 foot high nicely realistic crossing features signal lights and sounds. Drop in a coin and watch the flashing red warning lights and digital sound. It runs for about 30 seconds. The bank handles all U.S. coins; Clear plastic body lets kids watch their savings grow; I covered the clear plastic tube with black contact to make it look more realistic. 3-way on / off switch; Takes 3 AAA batteries (not included) or runs off the included AC adapter. Some assembly required; when the box arrives you can’t believe the whole system is in that little box, but it is. Stands approx. 48"h., base is 15 x 11". Licensed by Lionel LLC. Act Now! Lionel Animated Coin Bank. The price is excellent. Under $25. http://tinyurl.com/yug8bb Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw468 Video:he Giz Wiz and his Lionel Train Bank: http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=23696409
Thursday, December 27th, Netcast 469 After You Make a DVD, Do You Idendify It with Magic Marker? DYMO DiscPainter is a great way to label DVD’s, especially DVD’s you might want to give as a gift, or save for family affairs. The device offers high quality printing directly on your inkjet printable discs in minutes. I watched it print in full color, directly on a DVD.It prints the disc, from edge-to-hub up to 1200 dpi. And it works fast. Only about 60 seconds to print 600 dpi quality. The easy-to-use software works with Mac or PC. It uses RadialPrint Technology, which means it prints in a circular motion as the disc spins The DiscPainter has a compact footprint, about 6” X 10”.Remember that the The DiscPainter CD/DVD printer only prints on inkjet-printable disc surfaces. MSRP is $279.95. And a cartridge is about $40.Depending on the resolution, a cartridge should last for about 100 to 200 CD/DVD label printings. http://global.dymo.com/enUS/DiscPainter/default.html Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw469 Warehouse Friday, December 28th, 2007 Netcast 470 Parking Meter Timers Are Very Common, but this One Was Different. I thought this gizmo from Brookstone was a sure fire winner. With it you could say goodbye to parking tickets –because it kept track of how much time you had remaining and via a voice choice you could record info to it make it easy to remember where you parked your car.The Brookstone Voice Recording Parking Timer alerted you at the 15 minute mark and then again at the five minute mark so you could back to your meter or parking spot before you got a ticked. Of course you could use the recording features for other reminders, like appointments, cooking times and directions. But when I checked with Brookstone a month or two after I received the product sample of the unit I learned it was no longer being carried. The spokesperson said it wasn’t sure why. It may have been because of poor sales, or perhaps the company supplying the unit messed up. In any case, it was on sale for a very, very short time at Brookstone. Hear this Netcast:www.twit.tv/dgw470 A New Year? A new Giz Wiz LED Logo Hat!
Yep, there'a brand new 2008 Giz Wiz LED Logo Baseball Cap -- Available in about two weeks!
It feature the Giz's new two color designer logo!
A new on/off switch built into the brim!
A new battery holder built into the liner!
A new easy way to change batteries!
Lower profile!
Check back in a week or so!
Daily Giz Wiz, Week of December 10th, 2007 --- Pay attention, this week is tricky!
Monday, December 10th, Netcast 461 - This Netcast went out on the proper date! So your laptop doesn’t have a DVD Burner.Here’s a solution. It’s the Star Tech Slim InfoSafe External Slim USB 2.0 DVD +/- RW Dual Layer Drive.Small enough to take on the road, the Star Tech InfoSafe unit features a Panasonic drive. It plays DVD's and CD's, copies and transfers data at fast speeds, perfect for any computer without a built-in DVD-RW drive. Provides 5x DVD-RAM write speeds, 8x (DVD+RW), and 6x (DVD-RW). The low profile, black case of this drive blends perfectly with a notebook computer, but it’s also perfect for a second drive for your desktop computer. RoHS Compliant. (Trust me, I have no idea what RoHS is, but it sounds so impressive!) USB powered, but it also comes with an AC adapter in case your laptop doesn’t have enough power. List is $149.95, but do a web search and you can find it for about $115. http://www.startech.com/Product/ItemDetail.aspx?productid=SLIMDVDRW8U2 Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw461 -----------------
Here's where Leo took a week off ---- Tuesday, December 11thNetcast 462TTTT -- This show should be uploaded on Tuesday, December 18th! What’s with Leo?He seems to be doing better and better Turn The Table Tuesdays. How do I know? The “hate mail” is falling to a dribble!His pick for this TTTT?
The 1GB Video Watch 7-in-1
Not only does it give you digital time & date, listen to this! It plays Video, can do Photo Slideshows, play mp3 and wma files. It also Voice Records to wav files. And there’ an eBook reader-- although how big can the type be???And if you want you can order an optional FM Radio.1 GB memory isn’t a lot but how much stuff are you going to carry on a watch!Headphones included.$149
This show should be uploaded on Wednesday, December 19th!
Forget the Talking Picture Frame ---
Here’s The Talking Photo Album! You can personalize each photo by recording up to 10 seconds of audio for each of the 24 photos in the Talking Photo Album. Everything you need is included in the album itself: Two AAA batteries, a built-in microphone, and a speaker for playback. Each photo has it’s own play arrow. To record, hold down the play arrow and record button and you get up to 10 seconds for each of the 24 images. Imagine the surprise of friends and family as they open a gift filled with photos and audio messages created especially for them by you. Holds 24 - 4" x 6" photos. Flash memory saves messages if batteries expire Batteries included (2 x AAA). And if you make a mistake, you can re-record as many times as you'd like. Very reasonable at $19.95. http://www.vat19.com/dvds/talking-photo-album-record-messages.cfm
This show will be uploaded on Thursday, December 20th! A portable speakerphone for Skype & Cell phones! The Chat 50USB Plus from ClearOne is a portable speakerphone for Skype, cell phones (provided it’s on the list at their website) and can even be used for music playback. It's slightly larger than a deck of cards, so you can take it on the road, or just leave it on your desk. It’s all plug and play, with no software required for PC or Mac. All you have to do once it’s plugged in to go into “audio settings” and pick Chat 50 for it to work properly.
It comes with a cable so you can hook up a music source, but it’s not stereo and I think its designed more for voice than music. But in a hotel, it would be fine to play background music via your iPod. I used it to record my side of the audio for this Netcast (#464) and at first Leo didn’t realize I was using a speakerphone. So the audio quality is good --- especially for a speakerphone! It works in full-duplex mode, which is a big plus. That means both parties can talk at the same time. You don’t have to wait until there’s a pause from the other party to speak. The blue LED on the top of the unit indicates power is on and when you mute themic the LED turns red. The two buttons on the top of the box will adjust the computer's output volume once it’s been selected as the source in audio settings. If you want to fine tune the unit, Clear One includes software to adjust internal input and output levels. For music sources, the model I got came with an AC adapter. Otherwise the Chat 50 takes its power via a USB port. About $160, but do a web search and you can find it for less.
This show will be uploaded on Friday, December 21st!
The Mini Piano!
People really got a kick out of the Warehouse Friday Netcast where I talked about a postcard sent to folks who “won” the Bluebird AX3 sewing machine for just the price of shipping.Then once you sent in your $12.87 for "insured motor delivery" your Bluebird AX3 Sewing Machine was sent your way! The only problem? It was really more a stalper than a sewing machine.Many of you said, do more of those!So here’s another: You get a postcard that says: Congratulations, you have won the mini piano! Imagine the joy of gathering the family around your mini piano to sing songs.We even are including the mini piano songbook. Shipping was about the same price as the Bluebird AX3.And what did you get for your money --- ?There’s the mini piano on the right! Complete with that exciting song book which holds 5 songs, each with just four lines of music! Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw465 Shows should go back to normal now. For a while at least!
I guess you could use a thimble as a pinao stool!
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For those Match Game fans who emailed me, I have good news.
(Even if you didn't email me, you might be interested.) Some Match Game questions are available again. But not as many as before. The previous batch sold out in less than three weeks!
UPDATE, DEC 3rd. - Less than 24 sets left!
Were you, or are you, a fan of THE MATCH GAME? .....Now you can own a small piece of its history -- a 3" X 5" piece! Actually, three 3" X 5" pieces. Read on.
After writing The Match Game for 18 years I never guessed it would live on. And on and on and on. 25 years later and it still goes on. I've earned no residuals on the 25 years of repeats, but I did get something special. I own some of the original Match Game questions. If you want to read more, go here:
Chumby is kind of a bean-bag computer/widget device. It’s just beginning to roll out across the country, but I’m already gotten several emails asking if I’ve seen one in person. The Chumby let’s its owners add and access all sorts of Internet-enabled widgets, including weather information, sports scores, horoscopes, and even Flickr slide shows. You can pre-order one now, but the team plans to have the full roll out in the next few months.According to Chumby's creators, part of the launch delay has been due to the inclusion of video. But they also add if you buy one now, you will be able to download all the new software.Video won’t be DVD quality - the resolution is only 320x240p which looks pretty good on the3.5-inch color display. DespiteChumby’s quirky look, it includes two USB 2.0 ports, an accelerometer, a touch screen, Wi-Fi, and stereo speakers. Yes, stereo speakers even though the unit is pretty small for much separation. Chumby is an Open System so that just about anyone will be add widgets to the system. Cost: $179.95. www.Chumby.com Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw456
TTTTDec 4th Netcast 457 - Turn The Table Tuesday –
Leo comes up with a useful gizmos at a reasonable price!
Unusual lines set the Laptop Desk Futura apart from other notebook platforms.As a matter of fact, it would have made a good WTHII gizmo is Leo hadn’t talked about on the Daily Giz Wiz. The Futura features open ventilation slots for extra cooling, super gripping rubber to hold your laptop securely, and two modes of operation for mobile or stationary usage. If you own a laptop you know how hot they can run. As matter of fact, laptops are not called laptops anymore. They are now officially “notebook computers”. Unfolded, the Futura spans your lap providing a stable work surface and protecting you from excess notebook heat which can be hazardous to your health. Folded, the Futura can be used on a desk or table. It has 5 incline positions for greater typing comfort. The inclines elevate your screen by as much as 3-3/4" closer to eye level. At 3/8" thin and weighing just 16-1/4 ounces, it fits comfortably on your lap. $29.95 http://www.laptopdesk.net/laptopdesk_futura.html Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw4456
Wednesday, Dec 5th -Netcast 458
It kinda, sorta looks a bit like the iPod Touch, but it’s the new Samsung P2!
This is a sweet looking device. Intuitive, bright 3” touch-screen interface, video playback and built in stereo Bluetooth. And something I like, volume up and down is not menu driven, but conveniently located on the side of the unit. On the other side is the “lock” and on/off. There’s a built in mic, and a FM radio too. What looks like the “home” button under the touch screen is actuallya multicoloredLED that shows charging functions. The on screen menu icons are along the bottom of the screen and you can move through them with your finger. In the music mode you can choose among three different graphic equalizer designs that all move to the music. The sleek P2 is available in black, white, and red. 4GB ($200) or 8GB ($250) of flash memory. On the minus side, for me anyway, there is no memory card slot. But it is a flashy looking gizmo!
Another Video MP3 Player Comes on the Scene. The Sansa View digital media player is another great value from the folks at SanDisk. It features a 2.4” color screen and includes photo and video support, a microSD card slot, an FM radio, and a voice recorder via the built in mic. And for GizWiz fans, there's a separate Podcast menu. It works with Mac and Windows and supports WMA subscription services and Audible. Yeah, let’s hear it for Audible!Like many of the other Sansa units, the backlit mechanical scroll wheel sits below the screen and brings up the icons as you turn it. When playing music it becomes the volume control. In addition to the scroll wheel, there's a home button, and the select button is in the center on the scroll wheel. There's no dedicated volume control on the unit itself. Also like other Sansa units the sync portis proprietary and you need to use the provided cable. But at least they put their logo on the cable too, so it’s easy to find among the dozens of cables you most likely have! And a nice plus, there’s a microSD card slot capable of accepting SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) cards. Right now memory cards are available up to 8 GB. You can download videos purchased at services like Amazon Unboxed and TiVoToGo. I recorded some movies on a microSD memory card and they look great on the 2.4" screen. And it plays podcasts too. Price? The 8GB View goes for just $149.99, and the 16GB for only $199.99. http://www.sandisk.com/sansa/view.html Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw459
Back to warehouse Friday, December 7th, Netcast 460
It’s the Keyboard Scanner that Cuts Clutter on your Desk! …………….It’s April 1996 and Compaq announces the Keyboard Scanner. Here’s a bit from the press release of more than 11 years ago: Compaq Computer (Houston, TX) and Visioneer (Palo Alto, CA), developer of the PaperPort input system, have combined their talents and their products. The result is the pictured Compaq Scanner Keyboard that integrates an optical scanner with a keyboard and plugs into your PC's serial port. You can use the keyboard and software to scan documents and images directly into more than 50 applications via PaperPort software. The scanner supports optical resolution of 200 dots per inch horizontally and 400 dpi (interpolated) vertically. You can scan in photos at up to 8-bit gray-scale depth using the keyboard, but if you want color, you'll have to buy a digital camera or a color scanner: The scanner keyboard doesn't support color. Compaq will include the scanner keyboard with its new Presario 7232 PC and will sell it separately for about $350. This was a big keyboard and it wasn’t good if you used your keyboard on one of those slide out drawers. I found it was difficult to get the drawer to open far enough to use the scanner. Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw460
From Byte.com
New! New! New! Okay, it's not so new. It's been around for almost six months!
It has L.E.D.s... It glows! It changes colors! But it does more than put on a mini-light show next your computer day and night.
It the GizWiz.Biz USB Smart Button. It plugs into any available USB port and it starts glowing and changing colors immediately. But there's more! Anytime you want to go to my website to play the "What The Heck Is It" game, or check out a gizmo we talked about on the Daily GizWiz, you merely push the center of the glowing button. In seconds my website pops up! What could be easier? And my logo is there too. Why it's a dream come true. (Well my dream will come through if a bunch of people buy them!) A few times a month people ask if I have a donation button. I don't, but I will make some money if you decided to buy a GizWiz.Biz USB Smart Button. I think they're pretty neat. You can see one in action here:
From the mail: Hello Dick, The GizWiz.Biz button is awesome!! I finally have a use for my keyboard USB 1.0 port.
Thanks again, -Paul
$17.99 plus $3.99 Postage. And I'll include an autographed copy of the newest MAD Magazine or MAD Special till I run out of buttons. That's a $4.99 value in itself! Sorry, available only in the U.S. and Canada only. Canadian address? Please see note below. So you'll get your USB Smart Button quickly, I'm upgrading all US orders (until I come to my senses) to Priority Mail. I pay the difference in postage from the regular ground shipping.
IMPORTANT: Postage to Canada is $8.95. PayPal should automatically change $3.99 to $8.95 when it recognizes a Canadian address. If it doesn't, order it anyway, I can send you an invoice for the difference in postage. Thanks. Dick De
