Archive for November 14th, 2009
I will honestly say that I was this close to giving the AquaPod a bad review. Part of it was because I had a hard time getting it working, but it was overcome once I got it right and saw that bottle shoot 100 feet in the air.
Okay, I didn’t get an exact measurement of its height, but it was enough to impress me. And if I, as an adult, am impressed, just think of how much a child would be. By the way, this is definitely a toy that you want to use with adult supervision, for reasons that I will explain after the jump.
All I had to do was fill an ordinary 2-liter bottle to about one third full, and then turn that contraption upside down so I could put the bottle on it. By the way, you have to push that bottle all the way down to get it to work. This was the source of my frustration that was rather easily overcome.
From there, you just pump it up (when you don’t really need it). Seriously, all Elvis Costello references aside, you do have to pump it up about 10 times with an ordinary bicycle pump, until it can’t take all the compressed air inside.
Then all that’s left to do is stand back with that orange piece of twine which they call a lanyard and give it a sharp tug. All the compressed air is released in the bottle, and the bottle goes flying.
All in all, it is quite neat. It is definitely a terrific alternative for those who want a low-cost and low-maintance model rocket hobby. You should be able to purchase it at the AquaPod site for about $24.99.
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AquaPod Launches a 2-liter bottle very high in the air copyright by
Coolest Gadgets ]
Sure, the iPod Shuffle was made for those who just want to play MP3s, and don’t want to have to deal with the price of more elegant models like the Touch. However, the Shuffles are pretty expensive in and of themselves compared to MP3 Players like the Creative Zen Stone and the Sansa Clip Plus.
I had a chance to try out the Sansa Clip Plus, and I have to admit, it was much easier to use than an iPod Shuffle. For starters, I didn’t have to deal with iTunes, which really eats up a lot of processing on my computer.
In fact, since the Clip Plus has a card slot, I could just put all my tunes on a microSDHC card and put it in to listen to my tunes. I could also get one of those slotRadio and slotMusic SD cards if I just wanted to hear some definite hits.
By the way, it also connects to my computer with a tiny USB cord for some drag and drop action. The tiny USB cord also serves as the way to charge it, and it has a battery life of 15 hours.
I realize that there was a lot of changes made to Apple devices on 09-09-09, but I don’t think the iPod Shuffle has that SD slot, neither does it have an FM tuner nor voice recorder. It does have the clip, though.
In short, I highly recommend ignoring the iPod Shuffle as a gift, and save some money by purchasing the Sansa Clip Plus. It is available in 2GB ($39.99), 4GB ($49.99), and 8GB ($69.99) versions in black, blue, and red.
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Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool
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Hands on with the Sansa Clip+ copyright by
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I remember this MAD magazine comic back in the eighties of a father who spends lots of money to get into Disney World, and his kids don’t seem to be interested in the rides. They are interested in the video arcade, and the last panel is the father sulking, probably thinking: “I could have just taken the kids to the arcade and saved so much money”.
Disney World has now figured out a better way to have their spectators play video games. They put them in the line at Space Mountain. Apparently, Space Mountain roller coaster has a reputation of being the ride with the slowest line. The cars aren’t designed with a conveyor belt system so passengers can just be loaded up while the cars are in motion.
As a result, spectators get very impatient in line. These video games are programmed to last about 90 seconds, and these games can accommodate 86 players at one time. I’m not certain if all 86 players are playing against each other, but it does look like a pretty cool game on the giant display.
It doesn’t look like the video games are too complicated. It reminds me of the Mission: Space ride at Epcot, where the spectators have to push certain buttons to go further in the ride. Not that the ride won’t go on if you don’t push the buttons, but it just creates a more interactive feel.
Perhaps all rides at Disney theme parks will have some sort of thing to to while waiting. Of course, we do have mobile device so keep us entertained, don’t we?
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Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool
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Disney World’s Space Mountain ride to have video games in the line copyright by
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The middle of the night seems to attract all kinds of strange games. If you’re up working on a project at the kitchen table, then odds are the salt and pepper shaker are about to be turned into some sort of makeshift game. If you happen to have buddies that are always up late with you, maybe you should actually buy a game for occasions such as these. Instead of breaking yet another glass salt shaker, you could buy this game of Portable Air Hockey.
The puck will hover above your tabletop after you’re kind enough to pop in the 2 AAA batteries. The game comes with those batteries, as well as 2 strikers and 2 cardboard goals. If any of the set breaks, it’s obviously not going to be a big deal. Which makes it the ideal game for a group that has consumed large amounts of alcohol. If it does get broken, then all you have to do is pay $15 to Urban Outfitters to get yourself a whole new set.
Source: OhGizmo
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Portable Air Hockey for those with no room for the real version copyright by
Coolest Gadgets ]
There are times when having a sewing machine would be handy. However, if you’re not the type that sews quilts and curtains purely for the joy of the project, you probably don’t need one of the large machines. Sure, it would be convenient to have the full sized version just lying around, but if money is tight, getting a machine like that might seem like a bit much. At that point you could pick up this small affordable Handheld Sewing Machine.
Even if you are incredibly crafty, having a small spare machine that is extremely portable could prove to be highly beneficial. The machine comes with 3 steel bobbins, 2 sewing needles, 1 threader and an extra spool pin. It also comes with an instruction manual to help you figure the device out. It measures 7 inches wide by 1 inch in diameter by 2.5 inches tall. You can purchase it for $15 through Urban Outfitters.
Source: Gizmodiva
Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
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Handheld Sewing Machine copyright by
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