Be Smart

After the phenomenal success of Michael Phelps at the Olympics this summer, I predict swimming pools across the land will be booked solid for many months to come. If you're a keen swimmer (or plan to become one) but miss your music when you're in the pool, you might be tempted by Speedo's new MP3 player.

Designed especially for in-pool listening, the Aquabeat comes in an array of neon colors and has large, easy-to-see controls. I'm not entirely sure how the headphone situation works - maybe those wires are retractable? - but Speedo says it's safe to use.

Via Shiny Shiny.

I was recently on vacation in Cape Cod and while out sightseeing, my daughter drained the battery on her Pink Blackberry Pearl. Imagine the horror. Thankfully, I had the Medis 24-7 Power Pack on me, so a catastrophe was narrowly averted.

In case of a real emergency, such as the earthquake we recently had here in Southern California, being able to charge your flashlight with a kit that's powered by one measly Medis fuel cell may be a lifesaver. Reportedly, the cell can provide enough power for the flashlight to be used for up to six weeks (though by then most of us will be out of food and water, but at least we'll have light).

A simple "squeeze, plug and go," this portable system has enough power to drive most handheld devices when the battery is nearly depleted - up to 30 hours of talk time for an average mobile phone or 60-80 hours of play time for an average MP3 player (including iPods). It works with most PDAs, smartphones, MP3 players, digital cameras and GPS devices. Check this page to see if your device is compatibile. (Medis is coming out with an iPhone cable in September with retail slated for October.)

After removing the safey tape, squeeze, then shake the fuel cell to activate it. Make sure to connect the cable to the Power Pack FIRST, then your device SECOND.

It's only $29.99 (at Power It Anywhere) which is a small price to pay to have emergency power, and the eco-friendly device is designed to be recycled.

Okay, we all multi-task to some degree while driving. I have a GPS mounted on my windshield, for instance, though I don't play around with the settings while driving. And we all know people who text on their cell phones from behind the wheel (don't do it!). But today, I saw this on bookofjoe:

If there's one job I couldn't do in a million years, it's forensic scientist. I get grossed out wiping up food stains, so despite my grudging admiration for Sara Sidle, there's no way I could hold onto my nerve (and my cookies) for long enough to swab human fluids.

But it seems a lot of women are a lot less wussy than I am. In fact, USA today reports that perhaps in part due to shows like CSI, more women are entering the field than ever before: 74% of recent graduates in forensic science are female, up from 60% just six years ago.

This is one of the few areas of science to contain a high proportion of female graduates, which is great. But it's also one of the lowest-paid science-related jobs... which is not so great.

In June NBC announced that it would be making the Olympics competitions available on the Web only to users of Vista, shutting out Macs, Linux, and even Microsoft's own Windows users.

They appear to have relented, I'm happy to report, at least admitting those of us still using Windows XP. I can't testify about the other OSes from personal experience, but if you do Mac or Linux, give it a try and drop us a line to let your fellow users know if it works.

Lots of this is available in real time. But if you miss the competition in a favorite sport because you have a life, here's a chance to catch up in those moments when your life has quieted down. I have just watched part of the U.S. sweep of women's fencing, and as soon as I finish writing this I'm going to watch the hour-long video of the opening ceremonies, which I missed on Friday but keep hearing is truly the greatest show on earth ever.

You will need Adobe's Flash to see much of anything on the site, www.nbcolympics.com. For some features, such as widgets that let you keep up with events without leaving your favorite site, you will need the latest version of Flash. In an apparent move to compete with Adobe, there's also a browser plug-in for a beta 2.0 version of Microsoft's new Silverlight, which does quite cool things with video as well, such as PIP. Get all the plug-ins here and the widgets here.

If you're craving the Olympics but you're mobile, NBC provides several cell phone possibilities: the website, TV, and video, plus alerts on results. I haven't had a chance to try any of them, but find instructions for all of them here.

This is kinda cute:



It's a knitted power cord which, naturally, you can't actually use, but which you can wear as a skinny scarf or a belt (you know it would be the perfect accessory when you sit on that SXSW panel), or as Geeksugar suggests, you could use it as a geekalicious curtain tieback (in your tech-filled office, perhaps?).

It comes in white, beige or black for $25 from KnitKnit on Etsy and could also be the perfect gift for the geek in your life...

You've doubtless seen solar powered chargers before (including a certain solar-powered bra charger) but as of last week, the mack daddy of solar chargers is available to buy: the Suntable is both a piece of furniture, and a one-stop gadget charging shop.



It's made of teak and stainless steel and is a good-looking piece of furniture in its own right, subtle enough to sit in any garden... as long as the garden's owners can afford the $2,200 asking price, that is.

Via Gizmodo.

You know we are a little obsessed with Twitter round these parts: the micro-blogging/social networking service is endlessly useful for finding information, keeping up with friends and family and sharing opinions. It's also been proved that catching up with your friends' Twitterings is the best way to start the day (according to, er, me).

12seconds doesn't have quite the same appeal, as I have no desire to show anyone my morning hair, the contents of my bedroom or what I'm having for lunch. But I do like the idea of the site in principle: you have (as you might have guessed) exactly 12 seconds to show the world what you're up to (and you can set the site to automatically tell Twitter when you've posted a new video if you wish).

I've had a fondness for Merino sheep since my Aussie holiday earlier this year, when I was lucky enough to see a couple of newly-born Merino lambs. When they grow up, their thick coat produces excellent wool that is often used to make fleeces.

Now outdoor apparel company Icebreaker has made it easy for customers to find out where their fleecy products came from with the help of a system they're calling Baacode (get it?) which launched last week.

What's the next best thing to watching the Olympics live from inside the Beijing National Stadium? Why, carrying up to 4GB of music on the "Bird Nest" MP3 Player everywhere we go, of course! Modeled after the famous stadium, the player features an LCD screen, FM tuner, voice recorder, and anti-theft security in the form of disguising itself to look like a misshapen lump of melted quarters, which thieves find utterly useless.

Available now in 1GB ($19), 2GB ($24), and 4GB ($33) capacities.

Via Chip Chick.

This news has excited both the chocoholic and the egomaniac in me: you can now personalize M&Ms! You can both select the colors of your choice and choose the letter you'd like instead of an M. As Shiny Shiny reports, you can have your very own message printed onto each piece of candy, too (but keep it short or it might take Ia magnifying glass to read it).

However, the best news of all as far as I'm concerned is that you can add a photo to each individual M&M -- a great way to celebrate a special occasion, and let's face it, just plain fun to make!



I can see these being used as wedding favors instead of tired old almonds, as a unique way to wish someone a happy birthday, or just a fun experiment. Find out more via the M&Ms custom print store.

Everyone's experienced the unpleasant sensation of eating something very sweet, say syrup-soaked pancakes, and then taken a bite or sip of something just slightly less sweet, like orange juice, and found that the juice suddenly tastes sour and bitter. How much nicer would it be if you could eat something sweet and make everything else you eat even sweeter? Miracle fruit tablets, or "miracle berries" accomplish just that by causing a protein reaction in your mouth which makes even the sourest, bitterest things, like a sharp lemon, taste sweet.



The geeks at ThinkGeek have tried the miracle fruit, and claim that it makes straight limes taste like the sweetest, most ambrosial limeade. Even better? Something already sweet, like ripe oranges, tasted like "they were plucked straight from the Garden of Eden."

While it's a bit strange, it's also quite appealing because unless you live near a farmer's market, you're unlikely to ever encounter truly ripe, fresh, naturally sweet fruit. Supermarket fruits are often gorgeous, with shiny luscious skins, but their beauty is superficial - take a bite and there's barely a hint of fruit taste at all. I am always longing for the sweet plums and cherries from my childhood, but except for peaches and strawberries, which my Mom grows in her yard, most fruits I eat are sub-par and need a sprinkling of sugar or Splenda. Perhaps the solution is to eat a Miracle fruit tablet before eating any other kind of fruit. One tablet's effects last up to an hour, and just a half-tablet is enough to sweeten most tart, acidic foods. There's nothing artificial in the tablets, just the fruit powder and corn starch.

A box of 10 tablets (which is really 20 servings) is $20 from ThinkGeek.

If no one has ever accused your closet of being monochromatic, dark, or too dull, then this Mega Combo Pack of 10 silicone cases designed for the subtle curves of the iPhone 3G would probably fit right into your wardrobe. The $70 pack includes "100% pure silicone" textured skins in yellow, golden yellow, blue, orange, pink, green, white, black, gray, and dark gray

I've never heard of most of the colors before (they must be new), but my hangers say they know the last three all too well. Mommie Dearest, be damned. I'm switching to wire hangers this instant. I hear they're not as judgmental.

Via technabob.

As an initial step towards developing the biotechnology for bringing back extinct species, scientists in the U.S. and Australia have already demonstrated the viability of certain DNA from Tasmanian tiger cubs preserved for 100 years.

Researchers are now conducting studies in "somatic cell nucleus transfer" which may hold great promise in resurrecting species that have long been extinct. Professor Akira Iritani of Kinki University in Japan is working with a university in Thailand to use an elephant as a surrogate to give birth to a mammoth. The cloning method involves taking a denucleated egg from am elephant and replacing it with the nucleus of a cell from a frozen mammoth. Though scientists have previously failed in such attempts due to damage in the preserved genetic material, advances made in repairing damaged DNA brings them much closer to achieving a live birth. This cloning method also holds promise for replenishing endangered species once their population drops below 1,000.

Via The Nikkei Weekly (subscription).

These retro cameras from Superheadz, called "Blackbird, Fly" are reminiscent of the twin lens reflex Rolleiflex cameras from the olden days, only these cameras take 35mm film rather than the traditional medium format film used in the originals. But, in honor of the originals, these new cameras produce square images (just smaller) so you retain that full retro feeling when you're looking at the results. Trends in Japan tells us this camera will sell for under $100. Maybe they'll be out in time for the holidays.

More on retro cameras:
LOMO retro cameras
Fisheye camera #Two

Clips on iPod cases work fairly well if you attach it just right to your clothing, and you're not jumping around too much. But your iPod can go flying if you move too fast. And some clothing doesn't work well for clipping an iPod to (for instance, the neckline of a sundress or the waistline of a bikini bottom would not look attractive weighed down in that way).

iStik cases fasten to your clothing through magnets. In addition to the case, there's a magnetic backing that you place underneath your clothing to hold the case in place. According to the iStik website, the extreme magnetic attraction created by the eight Neodymium magnets in the iStik case ensures that it stays in place while you're riding your bike, running, doing yoga, and other sports.

The iStik for 3rd generation iPod nano is priced at around $27 at Amazon. The nano 2nd generation case is $25 at Amazon.

One of Popgadget's favorite accessories, Cliphanger, now has a very simple yet useful add-on, a little flashlight for those moments when you need just a little bit of light.



The original Cliphanger is a very lightweight clip shaped somewhat like a large paper clip that you attach to the back of your cell phone ($12.95 for one, but cheaper by the pack). You can then clip it onto a belt loop, purse strap, dashboard (or any surface using the included autohook that you attach to the surface). The Cliphanger Light version is $16.95 for a single purchase.

It now comes in 16 different colors, including the 6 lighter colors shown above. Cliphanger also makes 50 different kinds of shields with attached Cliphangers, including the one below for the iPhone 3G (for $19.95). All can be purchased directly from the Cliphanger website. Some versions are also available at Amazon.

I had to think for a few minutes to imagine a reason to own this mobile microwave, even though I've often thought that a car refrigerator would be handy for cold drinks on the road. I suppose a microwave in the car could be useful if you're someone who regularly takes long road trips and would rather heat up your own homemade lasagna than eat rest stop fare. Or if you're a huge picnic fanatic who has to have food served really, really hot, which can't be achieved with silly little thermoses. Or you want to make your own hot, organic popcorn for the movie theatre minutes before you go in.

You power it through your 12V cigarette lighter socket (produces 175W of power) or directly from your car battery (produces 660W). This little novelty appliance is now on sale at UK store Maplin for 80GBP, (about $149).

Via Kitchen Contraptions.

Digital artist Aya Karpinska has published a digital children's literature piece, entitled, "Shadows Never Sleep," for the iPhone and iTouch, available for free download from the iTunes App Store. (For the Apple device-impaired folks, you can watch Quicktime and html demos on her site.

There won't be any spoilers here. I will say that the narrative uses sparse text and black and white images to create a slightly spooky quality in this work, described as "zoom fiction." The genre's name comes from its interface, which is an innovative utilization of the touch screen's unique two finger "zoom" feature to explore the narrative. She collaborated with Nick Dalton, who did the programming, and Roxanne Carter was the model for the stark silhouettes.

It's exciting to see artists starting to experiment with these new digital forms and move beyond the games and efficiency mobile applications that are popular and useful, but somewhat obvious.

What's the next best thing to watching the Olympics live from inside the Beijing National Stadium? Why, carrying up to 4GB of music on the "Bird Nest" MP3 Player everywhere we go, of course! Modeled after the famous stadium, the player features an LCD screen, FM tuner, voice recorder, and anti-theft security in the form of disguising itself to look like a misshapen lump of melted quarters, which thieves find utterly useless.

Available now in 1GB ($19), 2GB ($24), and 4GB ($33) capacities.

Via Chip Chick.

This news has excited both the chocoholic and the egomaniac in me: you can now personalize M&Ms! You can both select the colors of your choice and choose the letter you'd like instead of an M. As Shiny Shiny reports, you can have your very own message printed onto each piece of candy, too (but keep it short or it might take Ia magnifying glass to read it).

However, the best news of all as far as I'm concerned is that you can add a photo to each individual M&M -- a great way to celebrate a special occasion, and let's face it, just plain fun to make!



I can see these being used as wedding favors instead of tired old almonds, as a unique way to wish someone a happy birthday, or just a fun experiment. Find out more via the M&Ms custom print store.

Everyone's experienced the unpleasant sensation of eating something very sweet, say syrup-soaked pancakes, and then taken a bite or sip of something just slightly less sweet, like orange juice, and found that the juice suddenly tastes sour and bitter. How much nicer would it be if you could eat something sweet and make everything else you eat even sweeter? Miracle fruit tablets, or "miracle berries" accomplish just that by causing a protein reaction in your mouth which makes even the sourest, bitterest things, like a sharp lemon, taste sweet.



The geeks at ThinkGeek have tried the miracle fruit, and claim that it makes straight limes taste like the sweetest, most ambrosial limeade. Even better? Something already sweet, like ripe oranges, tasted like "they were plucked straight from the Garden of Eden".

While it's a bit strange, it's also quite appealing because unless you live near a farmer's market, you're unlikely to ever encounter truly ripe, fresh, naturally sweet fruit. Supermarket fruits are often gorgeous, with shiny luscious skins, but their beauty is superficial -take a bite and there's barely a hint of fruit taste at all. I am always longing for the sweet plums and cherries from my childhood, but except for peaches and strawberries, which my Mom grows in her yard, most fruits I eat are sub-par and need a sprinkling of sugar or Splenda. Perhaps the solution is to eat a Miracle fruit tablet before eating any other kind of fruit. One tablet's effects last up to an hour, and just a half-tablet is enough to sweeten most tart, acidic foods. There's nothing artificial in the tablets, just the fruit powder and corn starch.

A box of 10 tablets (which is really 20 servings) is $20 from ThinkGeek.

You know we are a little obsessed with Twitter round these parts: the micro-blogging/social networking service is endlessly useful for finding information, keeping up with friends and family and sharing opinions. It's also been proved that catching up with your friends' Twitterings is the best way to start the day (according to, er, me).

12seconds doesn't have quite the same appeal, as I have no desire to show anyone my morning hair, the contents of my bedroom or what I'm having for lunch. But I do like the idea of the site in principle: you have (as you might have guessed) exactly 12 seconds to show the world what you're up to (and you can set the site to automatically tell Twitter when you've posted a new video if you wish).

I've had a fondness for Merino sheep since my Aussie holiday earlier this year, when I was lucky enough to see a couple of newly-born Merino lambs. When they grow up, their thick coat produces excellent wool that is often used to make fleeces.

Now outdoor apparel company Icebreaker has made it easy for customers to find out where their fleecy products came from with the help of a system they're calling Baacode (get it?) which launched last week.

No joke, you can vote for 2008’s best public restroom and help crown the King of all Thrones. The nominees are in, and the swank 21C Museum Hotel tops the list. Since it opened in Louisville, Kentucky, the hotel has grabbed the media’s attention with its innovative concept: a 91-room hotel dedicated to world-class luxury and contemporary art from living artists, exhibited throughout its galleries and public space.

Read full article by The Informed Traveler.

See Popgadget's most popular toilet post.

Want to play like a pro gamer? Then you have to have the right gear. We already told you about the realistic X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty sound card; this is what you need next.

The brand-new

Despite the general acceptance of the idea of casual dress for work, I see plenty of people still wearing suits, even on hot, humid August days. Apparently, in Japan, men's suits with deodorant properties are selling like hotcakes, along with deodorant socks, underwear, and t-shirts. Priced at 60,000 to 70,000 yen (about $545 to $635), the suits are popular with middle-aged men for fighting "kareishu," the Japanese term for a kind of body odor particular to middle-aged and older men.

Question: Why just for men? I think women care more about how we smell, no?

Via The Nikkei Weekly (subscription).

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Did you know that salt has anti-aging properties and promotes relaxation? Me neither, but luxury Japanese spa, Saltasia, is based entirely on the idea that women (at least those for whom money is no object) would gladly pay a premium to spend time in rooms lined with hexagon-shaped salt tiles with fancy colored LED lights behind them. Joining fees are between $1,000 and $25,000, so this is no regular day spa; it's a long-term investment in peace of mind. I would love to see a menu of treatments.

Via Trends in Japan.

The Griffin iTrip -- which allows your iPod (or almost any MP3) to be played through the stereo at home or in the car - is one of those indispensable accessories. We have one in every car, and Mackenzie wants one for her pink Barbie Jeep.

The new "baby" in the family, the iTrip Universal, is the first model to feature a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which can be recharged through any USB port. We like that.

Just to recap, here are the universal features:

Streams music to any FM radio
Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Quick set-up and easy frequency selection
Three-station memory and backlit LCD screen
Compatible with Samsung, Creative, Sansa, Sony, iPod and any audio source that uses a 1/8" headphone jack.

A mere $39.99 at Griffin.

In June NBC announced that it would be making the Olympics competitions available on the Web only to users of Vista, shutting out Macs, Linux, and even Microsoft's own Windows users.

They appear to have relented, I'm happy to report, at least admitting those of us still using Windows XP. I can't testify about the other OSes from personal experience, but if you do Mac or Linux, give it a try and drop us a line to let your fellow users know if it works.

Lots of this is available in real time. But if you miss the competition in a favorite sport because you have a life, here's a chance to catch up in those moments when your life has quieted down. I have just watched part of the U.S. sweep of women's fencing, and as soon as I finish writing this I'm going to watch the hour-long video of the opening ceremonies, which I missed on Friday but keep hearing is truly the greatest show on earth ever.

You will need Adobe's Flash to see much of anything on the site, www.nbcolympics.com. For some features, such as widgets that let you keep up with events without leaving your favorite site, you will need the latest version of Flash. In an apparent move to compete with Adobe, there's also a browser plug-in for a beta 2.0 version of Microsoft's new Silverlight, which does quite cool things with video as well, such as PIP. Get all the plug-ins here and the widgets here.

If you're craving the Olympics but you're mobile, NBC provides several cell phone possibilities: the website, TV, and video, plus alerts on results. I haven't had a chance to try any of them, but find instructions for all of them here.

This is kinda cute:



It's a knitted power cord which, naturally, you can't actually use, but which you can wear as a skinny scarf or a belt (you know it would be the perfect accessory when you sit on that SXSW panel), or as Geeksugar suggests, you could use it as a geekalicious curtain tieback (in your tech-filled office, perhaps?).

It comes in white, beige or black for $25 from KnitKnit on Etsy and could also be the perfect gift for the geek in your life...

You've doubtless seen solar powered chargers before (including a certain solar-powered bra charger) but as of last week, the mack daddy of solar chargers is available to buy: the Suntable is both a piece of furniture, and a one-stop gadget charging shop.



It's made of teak and stainless steel and is a good-looking piece of furniture in its own right, subtle enough to sit in any garden... as long as the garden's owners can afford the $2,200 asking price, that is.

Via Gizmodo.

Ever see a gadget designed for a child and secretly want to buy it for yourself? I actually have one - a child that is - so I have a good excuse.

Take the new gaming handheld from Leapfrog called Didj, which has a unique feature that allows the users to customize the gaming and learning experience through the computer. While it looks like a DS Lite, it allows me, uh, Mackenzie, to add effects, action, characters, music and more.

Designed for grade schoolers aged 6 to 10 years, the Didj system offers the action-packed, big-graphics game-play that kids expect, but cleverly combined with a learning system. Take it anywhere and learn with favorite characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants, and then go online to trade the points earned for more modifications to make it your own. Even better, create your own Didji characters in the online Didjerator.

Parents can choose the math and spelling skills they'd like the games to focus on, for example, spelling or multiplication. Sneaky, eh? For example, the Super Chicks! game allows the user to customize the game online with the math facts they've learned.

With the USB connection, parents can also see their children's progress in recent games, get detailed updates on the skills, and feel good about all the game time. At $89.99, it's cheaper than the Nintendo DS Lite, and the 10 titles are $29.99 each. Gaming system and games are available at Amazon.

Just don't tell the youngsters it's good for them, or that you're playing it while they're asleep.

You know you spend waaaay too much time on Twitter when, anytime something even vaguely interesting happens, you immediately think "I have to Twitter that!" (I am one of these people).

And you know you're getting a little obsessed when the idea of adding some of your favorite "tweets" (Twitter messages, for the uninitiated) onto a mug seems like the best piece of tech news you've seen all week. (I am also one of these people).



But seriously, how fab is this? It's the Twitsig mug, costs just $13.75 and it's almost cute enough to make me start drinking coffee.

But what tweet should I add? So far, my favorite is my mom's first message on the social networking site:

"I'm Twittering! Am I?"

Via Shiny Shiny

Yes, I'm serious. Yes, I am now singing "Let's go fly a kite, up to the highest heights" in my signature off-key way.



The Guardian newspaper reports that scientists from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, one of Europe's top research institutions, were able to harness wind energy by flying a 10-sq metre (107.6 sq feet) kite tethered to a generator. They produced ten kilowatts of power, enough to power ten family homes. And I bet they had a great time, too!

The scientists now have plans to harness even more power from an even bigger kite. Could we soon see fields of kites flying high, instead of the traditional wind farm? Let's hope so.

You can read more and watch a video by clicking here.

This is me, . . . weeell, on a really good hair day, with make-up and clothes (instead of the PJs I usually write in.) PosePrints made this up for me, to demonstrate their unique, personalized stationary.

Usually, I scoff at look-alike characters, avatars and such, but I have to admit these gals captured something of the real me. Or else, I'm just flattered.

The mother-daughter team created an easy to use website where you can design yourself step-by-step. Just click on the "design " tab, and once you decide on a design you like, click "personalize this design with my pose" and you will be taken to the sketch page. Here, use the arrows to scan all of the available facial variables and accessories, and customize your person by clicking on specific features. When you are happy with your "pose," click "Save Model" and you will then be prompted to "Personalize Message" (if they are invites, thank you cards, or snappy notecards, like mine).

To customize even more, such as "I want a different hair-do, my Baby Phat pants suit for clothes, and a unique background design," then they charge an up-front $50 for Jen's customized artwork, plus the cost of cards and shipping. For me, they used a photo (which they took from my Facebook page) for more likeness.

For weddings, dinner parties, or baby showers, etc, you could do a cute silhouette card, like this:


$50.00 for 25 cards. A deal for such a unique gift.

We have green everything today, from gadgets to re-usable shopping bags, but organic lingerie? Eco-Chick ("Because Mother Earth is a Women") turned us on to this French company, g=9.8, which makes the first underwire bra that’s made from recycled pine fibers.

Starre, who runs Eco-Chick and is just as glamorous as the name implies, swears it's comfortable.

Check out the lovely French site, buy some pretty under things and feel good about sustainable development. That's what we call a Win/Win.