Latest Posts in Gadgetbox

Belkin's Battery Backup lights up that blackout

Uninterruptible power supplies used to be the province of server rooms and corporate environs almost exclusively, but as with a lot of other technology, they've started to make the move into the consumer space. While Belkin's Battery Backup might not be billed as a UPS, it provides roughly the same functionality. Should your power die, the Battery Backup's cells will kick in, providing roughly 20 minutes of battery power, depending on what's connected. Most importantly, it ought to be enough time to save your work and shutdown your computer.

Four of the six outlets have access to the battery as well as surge protection; the other two are just surge-protected. There are also three RJ11 jacks with surge protection (one in, two out) and a USB port (not really sure what that's for...it says "Delivers fast data-transfer speed"). They also threw in a flashlight that turns on automatically when the power goes out; nice touch. Another nice touch? The $99 pricetag. Pick up a couple when they hit the streets in February.

[via Gizmodo ]

LG intros first "completely touch screen" phone

Am I even allowed to discuss other phones here, now that Apple's released its monolith? Sure, why not? Competition's a good thing, after all. So let's discuss the LG KE850 Prada handset, which LG bills as the "world’s first completely touch screen mobile phone." Wait... Prada ? Yeah, that's right: Prada, maker of fine handbags the world over. Apparently they're into phones now or some such.

On first blush, it might resemble that other handset with its large touchscreen, but don't be fooled. The LG phone has been in development concurrently with Apple's offering. It too has a 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and uses EDGE; it does have a few more actual buttons though, including those for calling and hanging up. While it doesn't rock the Wi-Fi, it can play audio and video, as well as access your Microsoft Office documents. It also doesn't have any internal storage, relying entirely on microSD cards.

The pricetag on this baby is around €600 (that's ~$776). That's okay, as its tri-band GSM is short the 850MHz frequency, which is one of the two used in the US. Perhaps a Quad-Band version will make its way here someday. Someday...

[via Gadget Candy ]

Get yourself a WMRBD

That's a Weapon of Mass Rubber Band Destruction, naturally. Anybody who's been to high school is probably familiar with makeshift rubber band guns, and even perhaps the higher end wooden models that come in the form of pistols, tommy guns, and the like. But if you absolutely, positively, need to deliver stinging pains to everybody in the room, then look no farther than the Rubberband Machine Gun. Accept no subsitutes.

This sucker stands 40 inches tall, which somewhat impacts the portability of it, but it features a dozen barrels, each loaded with a dozen rubber bands, for 12 2 rounds of destructive potential. Of course, reloading is a bit of a pain, so you may need someone on hand to handle that, lest you get whacked by someone holding a stick while you're busy restringing rubber bands. This devil will cost you a pretty penny at $395, but can you really put a pricetag on hunting down the bullies who tormented you as a kid and thwapping them with rubber bands? I think not.

[via Ubergizmo ]

Slowly...freezing...need...electric...blanket

I've never been too sure about using warming products powered by my computer, but I'm slowly coming around. That might because it's 14°F in Boston today, and my room, which is at the top of the house, is freezing . Days like this make me wish I'd never ventured out of Gadgetbox's subterranean HQ.

So this USB-powered blanket looks fuzzy and delightful. Of course it comes from Brando, the USB heating specialists (seriously, I think that's all they do). It runs just $25, and by sucking power from the computer instead of your power strip, like those electric heaters, it might actually not blow the rather tetchy ancient fuses that keep my house's electricity flowing. Plus, it looks like a bomb-ass cape.

[via Gizmodo ]

An elegant phone for a more civilized age

Not only did I apparently miss the R2-D2 projector at CES, but also the lightsaber-shaped USB Skype phone. Was there a Kitsch section of the exhibition hall that I missed or something? Maybe that's where that Yoda giggling I kept hearing was coming from. I dunno.

Anyway, yes, a lightsaber-shaped Skype phone, with a keypad integrated into the handle. I mean, this isn't reall the most convenient shape for a handset; it's a little clunky. But when you connect it to your computer, it makes lightsaber noises. Which won't at all look suspicious.

The real problem here is one of confusion. What if you mistake your real lightsaber for the lightsaber phone? Imagine the carnage .

[via New Launches ]

iCache hopes to be all your cards in one convenient package

If you're like me—and I shudder at the thought —then your wallet is overflowing with dozens of little plastic cards. Everything from credit cards to subway passes. Wouldn't it be nice to consolidate that a bit?

That's what the folks behind iCache are aiming for. They've built a little device, which is essentially a magnetic card writer with a user interface and biometric security. The idea is simple: buy an iCache, and then store all the data for your various cards on your computer. Download that info to the iCache, and then when it comes time to pay your bill, merely slip the included card into the reader and select which card you want it to mimic. The iCache includes a fingerprint reader, so only the authorized fingerprint will be able to program the card.

It's an interesting idea, though I'm not 100% convinced that I'm well served by replacing all of my cards with an iPod-sized device. Still, it's an interesting idea, and I do like the concept of securing my cards. We'll have to see where this one goes.

[via Oh Gizmo! ]

Avoid that unsightly Bluetooth dongle issue

Bluetooth is being built into more and more laptops, but for those that don't have it, especially older laptop owners, the biggest problem is remembering yet another USB dongle for your computer. Most Bluetooth adapters are the shape and size of flash drives, meaning that you have to store them in your bag somewhere and pull them out when you need them—not very convenient.

The MoGo Dapter wants to solve that problem by providing a USB adapter that you can leave in your computer pretty much all the time. The Dapter is a small rounded bump that barely protrudes from your laptop; you can plug it in and forget about it. It supports Bluetooth 2.0 EDR, the top Bluetooth standard at the moment, and is compatible with both Mac and Windows. And weighing in at just .09 oz, with dimensions of .4" x .73" x .37", you'll barely even notice it's there. It'll run you just $50, which is commensurate with most Bluetooth adapters.

[via Red Ferret ]

Fridge Alarm helps you keep that door closed

When it comes right down to it, gadgets are supposed to make your life better . Enhance them, in some way. Often times, though, they seem to bring as many problems as they fix. That's why I appreciate gizmos with one single purpose.

Like this $6.99 Fridge Alarm. Put it in your fridge and it does just one thing: beeps if it detects light for more than thirty seconds. Not only does this help remind you that you've left the fridge door open, but it also helps prevent those midnight snacking raids. The 6" high alarm features a thermometer, included batteries, and a vaguely penguin-shaped design. There's even an on/off switch in case you need to make an exception, like, er, reading by fridge light.

But best of all, it answers that eternal question: how do you know if the light goes out when you close the door? That ones been bugging me for years .

[via Coolest Gadgets ]

Hey!Watch this in any format you want

Okay, look, I'm with John Gruber on this one: you companies abusing punctuation, please just stop . I'm talking to you , Hey!Watch. First off, you've got an exclamation point in there, and second of all, you're totally missing spaces. When the English sentences become one long word in roughly 2025, I'll be blaming you. Whocouldreadasentencelikethisanwyay? It's annoying .

That said, your service is still pretty cool. Upload a video to the site and you can convert it into pretty much any format you like (DiVX, MP4, TiVo, DVD, WMV, Flash, etc.) for any device you like (iPod, Zune, PSP, DS, Wii, etc.). Pretty snazzy, and they're adding more all the time. Another handy feature is that they put all of your converted videos into an XML feed, so you can subscribe with iTunes and have it automatically download the videos when they're done. I'm not sure whether it takes longer to upload, wait for the convert, and download it then to just run the conversion yourself, but I suppose it depends on your hardware and net connection. The free plan is pretty good, but for $5/month you can add more monthly encoding sessions, longer videos, and more features.

Just get rid of the wacky name, okay?

[via Lifehacker ]

Bodelin helps your video confereces See Eye 2 Eye

I've shot a few video podcasts using my MacBook's built-in iSight. While it's not the greatest camera in the world, it works pretty well, and it's hard to beat the fact that it's right there, no fiddling required.

But one issue I have is that even though the camera is just above the screen, I sometimes need to refer to something on my display. And even that brief flick of the eyes to the screen looks clunky and unprofessional. Professional newscasters, of course, have a teleprompter for their cameras: using reflection, the scripts are overlaid on the camera lens, allowing them to read the scripts while looking at the camera.

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