Its Electronica

Here’s yet another alarm clock that comes with a built-in ipod dock - the iSoundSpa Fusion. What makes the iSoundSpa Fusion stand out from the rest would be its interchangeable faceplates that can be replaced to match your mood, or even your iPod/mp3 player’s design. It also packs in an integrated AM/FM radio and half a dozen soothing sounds inspired by nature to wake you up. The iSoundSpa Fusion retails for $59.99 which is pretty reasonable, but forking out $5 per faceplate? You gotta be kidding me - I ain’t paying that much for some cheap plastic.

Posted Feb 22nd 2008 12:06PM by Ryan Block
Filed under: Displays, Features, Peripherals

It’s the damndest thing: years after seeing the renders we’re actually finally writing this post on our very own Optimus Maximus. We’ve had ours for a few weeks for testing, but we weren’t able to do a whole lot with it until we got some later firmware updates. Here’s the preliminary report:

• The OLED displays look really good, and are bright and colorful, just like we’d hoped.
• Key changes were instant (or almost) in Windows mode, but had a slight delay in Mac mode, where some key bindings were also little out of whack. These are known issues, though, and are being worked on.
• The keyboard itself is friggin massive, and very sturdy-feeling. The thing is a tank.
• Replacing keys is pretty easy, but larger keys are more difficult to pull off. You’re really only intended to replace the standard-sized keys, so far as we can tell.
• Typing on it, well, sucks. We kind of hate to say it, but this thing more than likely won’t replace what ever keyboard you’re writing your novel on — it’s better off used as an absurdly configurable swiss army knife for tasks like gaming, Photoshop, or just about any other productivity app that doesn’t require a lot of typing.
• Okay, why does typing on the Optimus suck, you ask? Well, although the keyboard uses mechanical switches and a lot of high quality components (evident when we pulled off some keys), and there is some clicky tactility to keypresses, as a whole it just requires way too much force to depress keys. And the larger the key, the more force is required, so enter is easier than space, but harder than tab. Let’s put it this way, we sit around and type all day long and this thing wore us out in about 30 seconds to a minute. Carpal sufferers, beware.
• The Configurator is everything we hoped it’d be and more. The ability to paint directly onto the keyboard maps with the image editor of your choice is most excellent. Mapping keyboards to applications and conditions is ridiculously easy. Not everything was working properly though, since we were testing early beta software.

We’ll have some video in a bit. We so can’t wait for people to start getting their keyboards so we can benefit from their wacky layouts.

Gallery: Optimus Maximus: at long last, we bring one home

It’s not everyday I get to do some “in-person” investigative reporting. In perusing some news today, I came across an article about another Apple store opening up in Las Vegas. This new Las Vegas store would be unique, because it would actually be located inside a casino. Specifically, the rumor was that it was to be located in the Forum Shops that are a part of Caesar’s Palace.

As reported by ifo AppleStore, the rumor started after a barricade was placed in front of one of the retail locations with “APPLE” in capital letters as caught by a photo on the SecureMac.com website. Well, it just so happens that I happen to be in Las Vegas this week, and I am staying right next door to Caesar’s Palace so I couldn’t help but see if I could track down this store. Luckily, I did just that.

Unfortunately, for those wanting to see an Apple Store in Caesar’s Palace, I have some bad news. Signs are that it is not going to happen. As you will see in my picture below the “APPLE” and the “Summer 2008″ letters have been taken down. Also, peeking inside of the barrier, I didn’t see any construction going on whatsoever that would be equated to an Apple Store. It either still has remnants of the old clothing store that used to be there or it looks like a new clothing store is opening.

Also, I love how it was stated that the store was going to be located near an aquarium and an Xpress clothing store, but it’s not exactly right next door. It’s actually more then a few steps away to the Xpress store and the aquarium. It’s was actually closer to the Gap store. So, sorry I have to relate the bad news to those gambling Gap and Apple Store fans out there. Looks like your Apple Store location may not be happening after all.

Read more from the ifo AppleStore article and see the SecureMac.com photo compared to the one I took below on Thursday.

I’ve always thought of cats as rather evil creatures, since they don’t seem to treat their masters right and always have a mind of their own. Whenever they’re in heat though, they tend to go nuts and enter and leave your home as they please via the catflap. Put your foot down and prevent your pussy from being the village bicycle with the RFID Catflap. Since it uses RFID tags that allow access to the flap at specific, pre-programmed times, you don’t have to worry about having your kitty having a whole lot more happening sex life than yours.

Source: Gearfuse

Beer Goggles

Yes, believe it or not, there is a way to have Beer Goggles without drinking! This one-of-a-kind item is a must have for any party-goer.Buy them for yourself, for your designated driver, or for your entire crew! The glasses are plastic and are shaped like individual beer mugs. Makes a hilarious gag-gift.

Technorati Tags: Toys 4 Boys

The 3rd Space Vest, also known by the moniker FPS Gaming Vest enables one to feel punches and knocks in the video game as they are translated to eight force-feedback units located in strategic areas of the vest. I wonder which would hurt more - taking a few bullets or walking right smack into an explosion. It is finally available, retailing for $169 a pop after making a cameo at this year’s CES in Vegas. Which game do you think would this work best? I would like to see the famous “chaingun dance” that demons and imps perform in the early Doom franchises being ported over to the FPS Gaming Vest.

Posted Feb 22nd 2008 8:54AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Robots

We’ll be straight with you — Wizkid would be a lot easier to take seriously if it looked even remotely like a fellow Earthling, or at least an animal. Instead, we’re left with a curiously designed, but totally brilliant robot that can hone in on human faces, remember your preferences and understand hand motions. Essentially, the creature is set to improve our lives by cranking up the stereo when we wave a CD in its grill, playing games with lonely souls and keeping us occupied with other on-screen interactive applications. No word on whether this kiddo is destined for the commercial realm, but folks incredibly curious can go say hello at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

[Via Primidi]

If you insist on using your crappy iphone camera for anything but snapshots, you can now add a cheap plastic wide-angle converter to further reduce image quality. Billed as plug and play, the $12 iPhone Wide Angle Lens slides over the top of the Stupendabrick, reduces the focal length by 0.68x and gives it a curiously Dalek-like appearance. See the before and after comparison shots below.

In the manner of the Lomo, using this could be fun in a low-res way. Serious snappers, though, should consider buying a real camera.

Product page [USB Fever via Red Ferret]

Posted Feb 22nd 2008 2:58AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Wearables

Okay, so this whole digital tattoo concept still seems more reasonable than littering one’s body with Zune imagery or the BSOD message, but we’re still a tad creeped out. Dreamed up by Jim Mielke, this minuscule, implantable display would reportedly connect to an artery and a vein for its power and could display caller ID information as well as video chats right on one’s arm. Best of all, this thing won’t become the source of all kinds of regret when you head over the hill, as it could also be used to constantly monitor certain aspects of your health and give you a heads-up if anything goes awry. If you’re not squirming in your seat at the mere thought of this, it may indeed be right down your alley — one day, that is.

[Thanks, D]

Spider Spud
Mr Potato Head has done it again. Many of us at gadgetshop HQ had given him up as lost when news of his defection to the Dark Side reached us. But salvation is within sight once again with his latest incarnation - Spider Spud.

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