The Gadgets Page

I talked about the O’Neill iPod Ski Jacket when it was announced in September of 2005:

• The Gadgets Page » Solar Backpack and iPod Jacket for Skiers

At the Eleksen booth at CES, I was able to see the O’Neill jacket firsthand, in addition to a lot of other products that Eleksen is a part of. Eleksen manufactures touch sensitive fabric. Back in September, I wondered if the jackets were machine washable. They are. In addition to that, you can crumple the fabric, dry it in the dryer and type on it for hours.

When I tested the products, I expected there to be little buttons under the arrows that felt like a good click when you pressed them. Instead, they are as smooth as any fabric with no indication that you’ve pressed the button except the music stopped playing. It was amazing.

Eleksen has used their fabric in ski jackets, dress jackets, backpacks, and a great laptop sized keyboard that works with your PDA or Pocket PC. The keyboard rolls up to a tiny size and weighs almost nothing. They were having a little trouble getting it to communicate with the Pocket PC at the booth. They didn’t demonstrate it with a Palm-OS unit, but they said it works with Palm. I felt uneasy typing on it because I’m used to a familiar “click” when I’ve finished pressing a button. This keyboard had no tactile response and I had to watch the screen to see if the letter I had pressed showed up. I also couldn’t feel if my fingers were placed properly on the keyboard and I suspect that over long term use, they would tend to drift.

All the products they displayed at the Eleksen booth were interesting and I really enjoyed playing with them all. I was amazed that fabric could be touch sensitive and I feel like this is one of the most innovative products I saw at CES.

Official Eleksen Website

Here is a great comparison between the iPhone and the Treo 700p. I’ve owned a Treo for a couple of years now and I’ve loved it, but the iPhone has appeal. Here’s the initial stackup:

• rentzsch.com: iPhone vs. Treo

He missed one thing in the equation: it’s an iPhone. Just the fact that it’s a phone made by Apple has some geek appeal. We have to face it that our choice in phones can be judged just as harshly as our taste in clothes or music. If a lawyer showed up to his meeting with an iPhone instead of a Blackberry, everyone in the room would tilt their heads to the side and make snap judgments.

The same is true for the geek. In a year or so, the geek who shows up with an iPhone will either be considered an equal or laughed at. Right now, it could go either way.

Consider this, however. I bought an original Palm Pilot. I sold it for $50 to a real estate agent who wanted to try out this new technology stuff. Matt Strebe bought a Newton instead. He sold his for three times what he paid for it to a person who was obsessed with Newtons. Will the iPhone be like the Newton or the Palm Pilot? Considering its heritage, I’m banking on the iPhone.

Via: Rentzsch: iPhone vs. Treo + iPhone Bug – The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

I remember this commercial. It came out when the Playstation 2 was brand spanking new. Now that we are living with PS3, it’s fun to see the PS9 commercial. I don’t know if I want my video games to be lodged in my brain, though…

Jon and Heather used to shoot all their pictures with a Nikon, but they have recently purchased their new camera from Canon. He explains the switch here:

• Blurbomat | Camera FAQ

He wanted to buy a Canon 5D last year, why did he wait?

When we were in Austin last spring, I shot with a Canon 24-70 2.8L USM and its buttery goodness forced me to make a mental note. A couple of hours later, I was able to take a few shots with a 5D and the game was nearly over at that point. So a Canon would be our second camera. And then we replaced our sewer. And got sued. I took on more freelance work. And then Santa Claus came.

It’s nice to hear reviews of products from real people instead of insane photography nuts. Of course, it’s hard to justify the sanity of anyone willing to drop $25K on a camera.

We were at CES when Steve Jobs announced the iPhone. Somehow, Steve Jobs stole the show from 568 miles away. I have been ruminating about the iPhone for a LONG time. In fact, I’ve been waiting for it ever since Steve Jobs closed down the Newton division at Apple so long ago. Here’s a wrap-up of what I said and how it actually turned out:

The Gadgets Page » Rumors of Apple’s iPhone

Well, the pictures were bogus, but the basic advertising idea is the same, “Many Abilities. No Buttons” isn’t quite right, though. The iPhone has ONE button, so in the end, this was just a rumor or a red herring placed by Steve Jobs to test the marketing company’s security.

The Gadgets Page » Can I Have My Newton Back, Please?

The rumor mills were all-abuzz about an ultra-portable, but Steve Jobs just blew them away with the iPhone.

The Gadgets Page » The Return of the Newton?

This is yet another mockup that never came to pass. Sure, the iPhone is a wide-screen iPod, but it looks nothing like this.

In the end, all the rumor-mongering is just excited fan-boys. I find it interesting that Steve Jobs was able to bring in the iPhone with no leaks. He said himself in the keynote address, “We wanted to announce it ourselves instead of having the FCC announce it for us.”

This is the first product from Apple that literally blows the Newton out of the water. Newton was so ahead of its time. Watch these commercials from Apple of what the Newton was to know why I have missed it so:

This is the Apple Newton Getting Started Video that describes all the functions of the Newton and how it works:

When I was at Comdex so many years ago, I remember sitting in front of a huge screen listening to Douglas Adams talk about how cool the Newton was going to be. I would have to wait a year to see one in person. The only Newton they had was under glass at Comdex, much like the iPhone was at MacWorld. It’s the first thing I’ve seen that could woo me away from the Palm OS platform. I’m waiting for June like everyone else…

I need a new computer. My video editing software runs like molasses on my current PC and I need a faster one. Unfortunately, Windows Vista is now offered on every new PC that I look at. I don’t want Windows Vista. I’ve watched it run. It runs like molasses on the fast machines.

All over CES, there were huge signs screaming “The Wow Starts Now,” but everyone on the shuttle buses and on the convention floor were talking about the iPhone. Any “wow” that was discussed was reserved for Apple, not Windows Vista.

The thing is, I don’t want an Apple computer. There are some things about Apple that just aren’t as good as on the PC. I know the Apple Cult cries foul everytime someone says that, but it’s true. Some much greater minds have discussed in detail here:

• Windows features OS X should ‘adopt’ at The Apple Blog

• Apple Matters | What OS X Could Learn From Windows

Sure Apple is better at some things, but they aren’t better at EVERYTHING and I have a hard time giving up the PC. But Windows Vista is totally different than Windows XP. I’m going to have to learn a new system if I upgrade to a faster PC and I’m going to have to learn a new system if I upgrade to a Mac.

In the end, I don’t think Microsoft was thinking of me when they created Windows Vista. I think they were thinking a little too much of how to compete with Apple. I don’t know if Apple was thinking of me either. I’ve never really felt part of the Apple Cult. It always seems like Steve Jobs is a little elitist and I don’t know if I’m “good enough” to be an Apple owner.

All I want is to be able to edit my video and burn it to a DVD in less than 12 freakin’ hours. Is that too much to ask?

Here is a great video from Ryan and Jay at Ryan is Hungry. Greg Rose gives an indepth look at his veggie oil car. He gets used vegetable oil from a local Asian restaurant and powers his car with it.

Greg makes this conversion look so simple until I realize that half the year, I would have to run on straight diesel fuel because it’s so cold in Utah that veggie oil can’t be heated enough to actually work as auto fuel. There are so many ideas on how to make cars that are fuel-efficient and even liberated from fossil fuels, but unless they can work in places like Utah and Canada, they won’t catch on in the mainstream.

There are some places where you can get Bio-Diesel mixed fuels for colder climates. Here is a link to find a distributor in the U.S.

• Biodiesel.org – BioDiesel Distributor Map

You’d have to have a pretty fuel-efficient car to get from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas without a fill-up. That means packing your fuel with you or risking frozen fuel in your lines in Cedar City if you buy a big bottle of Wesson Oil at Costco. Veggie cars aren’t quite ready for primetime. The biggest problems are the climate issues and the availability.

Can’t wait until it’s easier to drive my car without making a dent in our environment!

For all of you who are worried about the Apocalypse or just like to go camping without your car, I bring you Freeplay Energy.

You are looking at Freecharge. It is a hand crank that can power anything with a cigarette adapter. For all of us who worry about the end of the world or anyone who has ever read The Stand, knowing that we can still charge our computers, is a comforting thought. I was raised in a religion that planned for Armageddon and my inner child clings to anything that lets me generate electricity with my own abilities. Freeplay has made a huge array of items that can do just that.

• ..:: Freeplay Energy Plc. Best in the World – Best for the World ::..

I thought that my obsession with hand cranked power was just because of my borderline-cult upbringing, but it seems that everyone likes the idea of not depending on batteries. Whether you’re camping, planning for power outages or just crazy like me, Freeplay Energy has many products to fulfill your needs.

If you have ever tried to take a picture in the rain, you know how difficult it is. You have maybe five to ten seconds before you have raindrops on the lens. That can make for an interesting effect, but not everyone is a fan of “interesting effects.” This gadgets locks into your tripod connector attaching a small umbrella to your camera.

• Popabrella: Protect Your Camera

The umbrella is fully articulated, so you can position it to protect your camera no matter which way the wind is blowing. It is also good for avoiding lens flares from sunlight. It’s such a simple item that can dramatically alter your photographs. If you regularly take pictures outside, an investment of less than thirty bucks is worth it.

You can find them at Amazon.com here:

• Popabrella Sun/Rain Blocker for Camcorders and Digital Cameras (small)

• Probrella Sun/Rain/Snow Blocker for Camcorders/Digital Cameras (large)

On another note, this product was demonstrated by an energetic woman who truly believed in it. She was able to display all the different positions for the umbrella and eagerly removed the popabrella to show how easy it was to attach. Sometimes that makes all the difference in the world.

Wil Wheaton was at CES this year and has written his evaluation of the show:

• WWdN: In Exile: 2007 CES: Day One

• WWdN: In Exile: 2007 CES Day Two

It’s strange how two people can encounter the same visual and auditory input and come up with two different experiences. Here is his description of my favorite part of the show:

The best part of CES is the International area, where there are gigantic signs in Engrish that say things like “Digital your new life! Smart Power Saving Socket! Eliminate the energy consumption of the equipments which are off work.” But my absolute favorite, which made me laugh so hard I almost vanished into the land of Wind and Ghosts, is “With the concept of FOUR ASPECTS & EIGHT HARMONY communicate with all over the world by music!” (The bold text is, in fact, in the original.) Seriously. Awesome.

He’s right. The International area is my absolute FAVORITE part of CES, but for me, it’s not about the massacre of my native tongue, although that is entertaining. I am shocked at how innovative and divergent so many companies are. Things that are interesting and unique that might never make it to the U.S. because they lack the ability to jump through our hoops.

Additionally, you get to talk to the inventors of the product instead of marketing drones like you do at the Microsoft and Intel booths. I know engineers aren’t that personable and sometimes they will fall over their words, but I’d rather talk to an inarticulate engineer than an actor. I can ask the engineer questions. The marketing drone will just fake their way through my questions and I hate that most of all. I’d even prefer an engineer who barely speaks English to an eloquent marketing employee.

I love the International area of CES because I have more access to the Steve Wozniaks of the world, not the Steve Balmers.