31 posts tagged “california”

Link: P3 International

P3 International's Desk Clock Video Camera was first shown to Leo when he visited Dick's Gadget Warehouse in Episode 246.  Back then P3 was having a clearance sale and the gadget was still on its website.  It is no more.  It was a spy camera hidden behind a desk clock which shot black and white video through a narrow slit.  These days you can get spy cams and nanny cams hidden behind fruit baskets, door bells, smoke alarms, alarm clocks and so on, which take colour video, and with better low-light performance.  Check out e.g., Brickhouse Security and Surveillance Spy Cameras.

Dick has rented the current space for his warehouse from Sofia Bros for 21 years, at $350 a month.  That's about $85,000 - plus 5 years in another room before that.  You can support Dick by buying some of his MAD stuff and GizWizBiz gadgets.  Available now are some vintage Alfred E Neuman MAD Mouse Pads made 13 years ago, at Mad-Stuff.

Several listeners, including Daniel Holth from Gainsville, Florida, have written in, about Wall-E and his giant Fresnel lens which he used for watching video on his iPod.  The film, now available on DVD and Blu-ray, has quite a few geeky references, one of which being Wall-E's personal Beam Scope (Episode 735).  Below is a comparison of the details in the DVD and Blu-ray versions, on hifi-writer.com., where you can see Wall-E watching his iPod video through the magnifying lens.

In a rainstorm, most umbrellas are rendered useless, buckling or flipping inside out when the wind picks up.  From the Netherlands, the Senz Umbrella comes to our rescue.  It is a specially designed umbrella which can withstand very high wind speeds.  It's got a strong frame, with no pointed ends which are a hazard in a crowded environment.  Its shape takes account of aerodynamics so that strong air currents can go past over and under the umbrella without doing damage to it.  It also has a longer tail so that your back is more sheltered from the rain than conventional umbrellas.  Available now in North America, Europe and Japan.  US listeners can check out Spoon Sisters (stock available now) and Totes-Isotoner.

It comes in 3 models: Mini, Original and XL (withstanding gales of up to 40, 70 and 70 mph respectively, in ascending sizes).  Watch the demo of the Senz in the hurricane machine test:


From NYC to New England, from California to Rhode Island
As listeners of past episodes know, Leo was born in New York City (Episodes 64 and 342).  After his family moved to New England, where Leo grew up, they had a house built in 1806, which Mama Laporte restored to its original condition, and filled it with period furniture and antiques.  In 1971, they moved to California.  Then in 1991, Leo's parents moved to Rhode Island, found another house also built in 1806, and again turned it into a period home.  They have since sold that house, and now live in a modern house in Cranston.

The Next Giz Wiz Visit
Dick will be visiting the TWiT Cottage at Petaluma later this year, for Episode 900.

A common problem Leo finds with camcorders is the quality of the built-in microphones, and that includes his Canon EOS 5D Mark II (Episode 742) which he uses to take HD video.  He uses a good quality microphone made by Rϕde Microphones, called the Stereo VideoMic.  It has a standard camera shoe-mount for fitting on to camcorders and cameras.  It is a stereo X/Y condenser microphone, with a low noise circuitry, 2-step high pass filter, powered by a 9V battery (with a battery indicator), and is connected to the camcorder via a mini-jack.  Comes with a windshield for the mic.  It may not be as effective as a unidirectional mic as a shotgun mic, but as a super-cardioid mic, it accepts sounds from the front and sides but very little from the back of the microphone.  Leo uses it on his 5D Mark II and his Canon VIXIA HV30 (Episode 552) camcorder.

If you already have a good quality XLR connection microphone, Leo recommends the Beachtek DXA-2S Audio Adapter.


Car Battery Maintainer
John Slanina from California, better known as jammerb on the TWiT Army and the chatroom, recommends the Solar-Powered Battery Saver Plus, from 4lots.com.  Ideal for people who use their cars only rarely, this 1 Watt 12V car battery maintainer which you can put above the dashboard uses solar engery to trickle-charge your car battery to keep it from going flat.



Listen to Episode 792
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

This is the latest offering by Pinnacle Systems of a USB HDTV Tuner, for the Mac platform, from Andy Marken, an old friend of the Daily Giz Wiz .  Dick reviewed the PCTV HD Ultimate Stick for Windows back in Episode 419.  A listener wrote in about a Mac version in Episode 457, which was an old Mac version that did not support ClearQAM and could only record in MPEG-2 (and hence the recorded videos were not compatible with iPods).  Leo was told then that a new Mac version was being developed, and here it is, the Pinnacle TV for Mac HD mini Stick.




It supports ATSC (over the air digital TV signal) HDTV and ClearQAM (unencrypted cable TV signal) up to 1080i.  It comes with a remote control and a telescopic antenna (with a magnetic base).  The bundled software is Elgato's EyeTV Lite for viewing and recording TV, which also supports the Electronic Programme Guide for scheduled recording.  However, EyeTV Lite records in MPEG-2, and contains no options for exporting to other formats.  You can upgrade from the Lite version to the full EyeTV 3 version for $50 to get more functions including exporting to your iPod, iPhone, Apple TV or to other formats.  See the comparison of the features of the two versions.

Mac users might want to check out the Elgato EyeTV 250 Plus (covered on a previous TTTT in Episode 582) which has a hardware encoder (especially if you use it as a video converter), or the 2009 version of the EyeTV Hybrid (without the hardware encoding).  Both are bundled with the full version of EyeTV 3 software.

The Pinnacle TV for Mac HD mini Stick can also be used on Windows, using the bundled PC software Pinnacle TVCenter Pro and Pinnacle VideoSpin.

Skype Issue Resolved
Dick and Leo were having problems with the quality of the Skype connection while recording yesterday's episode.  Dick resolved it by switching to his HP computer from the old Atari and stopping his internet-connected blender which was madly downloading movies using bit torrent.  Rebooting his router also helped.

Feeling At Home
When Dick travels, he uses his Slingbox (Episode 11) to watch his local channel, including his Channel 7.  It makes him feel at home.
 
A Love Letter
Tom Stidham asks Leo not to sing the jingles, which is painful.  On the subject of jingles, Tom thinks that the Wednesday Jingle can be replaced at any time.  It is actually pulling down the quality of the show, as if that were possible.  Other than that, excellent.

The Authorised Dick and Leo Not Singing Album
Dick and Leo think they should release an album of them not singing.  Get the authorised version.  Don't accept substitutes.

Coming Soon: The Amazon Kindle 2
Leo was hoping he could review the Amazon Kindle 2 for today.  It is arriving soon, and he should be able to cover it next week.


Listen to Episode 777
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

After the Toiletry Sheets (Episode 689), Dick introduces another of Travelon's products, the Luggage Scale with Tape Measure.  The airlines have yet again reduced not only the baggage allowance but also the total linear measurement.  So the tape measure would come in handy, too.  The scale comes with a hook from which to hang the suitcase for weighing.  The scale has a memory lock which locks the indicator at the measured weight for easy reading.  That's why the scale is also called "Stop and Lock".

And don't try Leo's trick of weighing himself with and without the suitcase and subtracting one from the other.  The scale's capacity is only 75 lbs.

Thanksgiving Eve
Dick is going to make his pineapple upside down cake again.  For his recipe, take a look at the classic cookbook Joy Of Cooking and just double up the amount of butter and brown sugar for the topping.

A Tale From the Tunnel
Dick has an old tale to tell about a trailer truck which was too high for the Holland Tunnel and got stuck.  A little boy had a brilliant solution.  Don't saw off the top.  Just let the tyres out!

Air Tickets form 1983
Recently unearthed from Dick's Gadget Warehouse are air tickets from 1983, from New York to Miami, and to Oakland.

That Blinking Idiot
While recording the show, Leo notices a blinking light behind Dick (near the top right corner of the screen), and Dick can't work out what it was.  But the chatroom works it out.  It's the flashing cursor of Leo's mouse on his Skype video screen.

Stromberg Carlson TV Sets
Dick and Leo find out that Stromberg Carlson, apart from the Candlestick telephone that jammerb gave Leo (Episode 696), used to make radio and television sets as well.  Leo also uncovers an advertisement from 1950 on TV History.


Apocalyptic Waste
Software developer Michael O'Connor (Lepton in the Chatroom and the TWiT Army), who has followed Leo since the days of "The Site" (see Episode 187), plays Fallout 3 on the PS3 and finds, among the apocalyptic waste and wreckage in Washington DC, a spork (Episode 182), which he uses on his rocket launcher - which can do serious damage.  Michael has recently developed an iPhone app called AirMote which has found its way to the iTunes App Store.


Listen to Episode 708
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

A heads-up from a listener, Charles from Berkeley, California.  No need to worry about your shopping cart with your child sitting in it rolling down the slope.  At one end of the CartStopper is a giant suction cup, connected to a bungee cord with a hook at the other end which you attach to the shopping cart.  The device is strong enough to hold in place a full shopping cart with a child in it.

Leo thinks the CartStopper might be another Purseguard (Episode 406).  That's not going to please Shopping Mom Dyanne who designed the device!

CES 2009 Preview
Dick was at the CES 2009 Preview last week.  CES has to hold a preview in order to announce the CES awards in January.

Busy Bee
Busy Bee Ludwik Trammer is at work again.  He has some ideas for Dick's site, and is going to show Dick on Go To Meeting.  By the way, Giz Wiz Search now has a new .com URL: www.gizwizsearch.com.

The Joy of Gadgets
The Kodak Disc Camera (Episode 690) brings back fond memories of a strong and vibrant company for Brent [Cascamenti] from Rochester, New York, who has been working for Kodak as an electrical engineer for 27 years.  Brent has been a faithful listener since Episode 1, and thanks Dick and Leo for bringing him the joy of gadgets.

Skunk Works
Brent uses the word "Skunk Works" in his letter, which Leo explains to Dick, with a little help from Wikipedia, first used by Lockheed Martin in 1938.  The name has its origin in Al Capp's comic strip L'il Abner.

Dick's Thanksgiving
No small talk for Dick's party at Thanksgiving, where his pineapple upside down cake is de rigueur (in addition to the gravy of course).  For more on Dick's Thanksgiving celebrations, go back to Episode 199.  Whenever Dick misses his Thanksgiving fare, he can go to "Good Enough To Eat", all year round.  This is also the restaurant Dick took Leo for a huge breakfast when Leo was in New York (listen to the beginning of Episode 334).

Ready for TTTT
Leo had numerous ideas for last week's TTTT (see Episode 697), but only after the recording had ended.  This time, he's ready.


Listen to Episode 701
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

Leo always gets asked what podcasting equipment to buy, and has recommended some fairly high-end stuff (see e.g. Episode 630).  The new Belkin GoStudio is perhaps a more practical answer.  Built for the iPod, this gadget has a docking cradle for the iPod (compatible with iPod 5th gen, iPod nano 2nd gen onwards, and the iPod Classic).

It comes with built-in stereo speakers for playback, and for recording, it has 2 built-in omnidirectional microphones.  Alternatively, you can use the 2 combo microphone jacks (XLR and ¼") to plug in external mics.  There is also a 3.5mm stereo line input.  The main panel has controls for level and gain, as well as a limiter and low cut filter.  It even has a tripod mount for hands-free operation.

The GoStudio records directly to the iPod at 16-bit, 44.1kHz, CD-quality.

It was announced by Belkin back on 10 July, before the announcement of the new generation of iPod nano which has recording capability built into it.



Acoordingly to Leo, a comparable device like the Zoom H2 Handy Stereo Recorder, would cost more.  The H2 does allow you to choose different recording quality levels and file formats.  But before anyone rushes out to buy the GoStudio, they should heed Dick's warning that all the bandwidth on the internet for podcasting has already been exhausted by Leo.

It's Rocktober
It's a 2-Letters Day.  Listener Randy Calla reminds Dick and Leo that in California, most rock radio stations are obligated to call this month Rocktober.

The Two Antiques
71-year-old Bob Polante from Clearwater, Florida enjoys the antics of Dick and Leo on his Zune.  He still works at a photolab as a canvas creator, for Reedy Photoprocess Corporation.  His colleagues call him "The Giz", a title he earned long before anyone Dick started using it.  Expect to hear from Dick's lawyers.


Listen to Episode 684
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

Dick covered the original Solio back in Episode 108.  The Magnesium Edition (with magnesium casing) is their top model which outputs a maximum wattage of 9W.  Its 1800mA Li-ion rechargeable battery can be charged using solar energy, or via  AC, with a universal AC adapter.  It comes with a USB connector for charging your USB-enabled devices, and 5 iGo power tips for the Motorola Razor, the LG Chocolate, Nokia, Samsung and Blackberry phones.  Other power tips are available.  Check the list here.


Finally, you get a Solio wooden pencil, to prop up the solar cells to get the optimum angle for receiving sunlight.  There's a review of the gadget at reuk.co.uk, from which the 2 photos above are taken.

TWiS
TWiT should be This Week in Thrift instead, or TWiS, This Week in Scrooge.  The lengths Leo would go to in order not to pay his dues.

Match Game Cards
Walt Hoffman, of Glendora, California, thanks Dick for his set of Match Game Cards.  As a child, Walt used to watch the filming of Match Game.



Spirit and Opportunity
No doubt inspired by Match Game, Walt grew up to work as an engineer at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), NASA, at Pasadena, on the operations team for the Mars Exploration Rover Programme.  Dick and Leo have talked about gadgets' own time scale, the gadget years (Episodes 120, 420).  Walt points out that NASA's 2 Rovers (called Spirit and Opportunity - which could be Dick's and Leo's middle names) have outlived their life expectancies.  Originally thought to last for 90 sols (a sol is the local cycle of light and darkness on a planet, which for Mars is 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35 seconds), both rovers have lasted more than 1,650 sols.

Walt offers to give Dick and Leo, if they're ever in Southern California, a nickel tour.  Bring a nickel please.  No Visa.

Follow the Phoenix
Leo points out that you can follow the Phoenix Rover on Mars, on Twitter.  Dick points out that you can follow him at twitter.com/thegizwiz, and at TWiT Army (also the gizwiz) - but the TWiT Laconica service is down at the moment after Leo's server problems over the weekend.  Alfred E Neuman (alfredeneuman) is on both services as well.


Listen to Episode 663
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

Leo has given his Supertooth Light (Episode 362) to Jennifer, so he can get the new and improved BlueAnt Supertooth 3 for himself.  Like the Light, the Supertooth 3 is a bluetooth hands free device designed to be mounted on the visor.  Its Text to Speech capability announces the Caller ID or the name of the caller, and you take the call by saying "Accept" ot the speakerphone.  Supports voice dialling (as long as your phone supports it).  Full duplex, noise and echo cancellation.  Instruction guides in 6 languages, although Leo's seems to stick to French.


Switching Roles
Leo suggests that one day Dick shoud be the host and Leo should be the Giz Wiz, then Dick would know how hard Leo works.

They've already done that, for this year's April Fools Day, in Episode 537 (Spear Hats).  Obviously Dick didn't feel that way at all.

Shoes and Frogs

Leo has lost his emails (which Dick forwarded to him), and Dick has to read one again.  In Episode 637, Leo seemed to think that the word "zappos" (as in the online shoe store zappos.com) is related to "zapatos" (the Spanish word for shoes).  Loyal listener Alex asks his Spanish professor, and apparently zappos means "frogs".


Listen to Episode 662
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

A recent report on Engadget reminded Dick of this device, from the late 1970's.  Developed by Ronco (Ron Popeil), Mr Microphone was a wireless microphone and you could use it to broadcast using FM frequency.  To see how it worked and what it did, you can watch the TV commercial on YouTube; or just read this ad discovered by the author of the wonderfulwonderblog on the back of an old CD.



The report on Engadget was of a hack by kipkay who took the device apart and put in a high end mic into the gut.  The main photo of above of Mr Microphone is taken from the video kipkay made of the hack.

DGW Commercials
Paul Newell from Yucaipa, California, in response to the letters of complaint in Episode 641, writes in to support commercials on DGW.

Cheesy Recipes
Talk of commercials reminds Dick of the awful recipes in the Kraft commercials, voiced-over by Ed Herlihy, and Leo drifts into the lyrics of MacArthur Park.


Listen to Episode 650
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page