7 posts tagged “cat”

This is version 2 of Leapster from Leapfrog, for children 4 to 8.  A learning system (or handheld gaming console) for children, with learning games.  Now it can be connected to the TV as well.   Parents can also check the progress of the child online.

Tug Boat Races
Dick was off boating over the Labor Day Weekend, and witnessed some tug boat racing, while Leo and Jennifer helped Abby pack before her trip to France.

A New Hat for Leo
Leo got a freebie from Cat of Let's Knit Together.

New Parking Meters
Another Festive Letters Jingle is played in the heat of September, while Leo sips his tomato and basil hot soup.  Yowan Pearson from Montreal was listening to Episode 616 (Parking Meter Alarm) in which Dick and Leo talked about the price of parking.  In downtown Montreal, most of the parking is 3 or 4 dollars an hour.  Parking meters are now replaced by an electronic parking booth - no need for coins, but you cannot add time to your previous payment.


Listen to Episode 651
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

Probably the reason the Apple TV could not be called the iTV, the EyeTV series of TV tuners have been around for a while.  The North American version of the EyeTV 250 Plus receives free-to-air digital TV (ATSC), conventional analogue TV (via cable or antenna), and Clear QAM (unencrypted digital cable).  You can connect it to your Mac via USB, scan for TV channels and watch TV on your monitor, in a window or full screen.  It comes with  a remote control, and like a TiVo, you can rewind, fast forward and pause live TV.  You can also record TV using the EyeTV software.  In the US, you can use the TitanTV Guide.  ATSC digital signals are recorded unaltered at broadcast quality (at the original compression level).  Analogue signals are compressed within the EyeTV 250 Plus itself.

It also acts as a digitisation device for your VHS tapes and sends the MPEG-2 converted recordings to iTunes or burns them to DVDs (using Roxio's Toast 8 Basic).  The iPod Assistant will also help you convert to the recommended format for the AppleTV, iPhone or iPod.  The break-out cable includes S-Video, composite and stereo inputs.

The EyeTV supports video resolution up to 1080i (for digital) and 720 x 480 (for analogue).

The product also comes in an international version supporting DTT or Freeview in countries which use DVB-T system of digital television.

For once, it's for Mac only.  Windows users can check out Pinnacle's PCTV HD Ultimate Stick in Episode 419.

Mad Tour
While Dick was on the Queen Mary 2, Alessandro Abate visited New York.  Although he missed Dick, he was thrilled to be able to do a tour of the Mad Office which Dick had arranged for him.  Sandrinoo also defended Leo for the Spork, but not the Toothpick Bird.  He had bought his own set of Match Game Cards from Dick.  The Match Game was his favourite game show, never knowing that Dick was the writer of the questions.

And for those who want a laser, Sandrino recommends Wicked Lasers.

Bill Gaines Anniversary
Today is the 16th anniversary of the death of Bill Gaines who died on 3 June 1992.  Dick has found a transcript of Bill Gaines's memorial service, at Instant Classics, where you can read the eulogies delivered at the service, including those by Dick and Bill Sarnoff (who was then the head of the Time Warner division that included Mad).  Dick has kept up a website in memory of Bill Gaines, at williammgaines.com.

Here are a couple of pictures taken from Dick's website.  Please go to his homepage to read what Dick has to say about Bill Gaines.



For more stories on Bill Gaines, listen to DGW generally and in particular Episode 76: A Tribute to William M. Gaines.  Better yet, buy Dick's autobiography "Good Days And Mad".  Make a donation of $20 or more to Animal Haven online, send the electronic receipt to Dick by email, and he will send you an autographed copy of the book.

Or, you can buy the book at The Mad Store.



Mad Minute
Specialised phone numbers, such as BROKE, RAINY, and SCAM.


Listen to Episode 582
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

The gadget with the lowest tech and lowest price, according to Dick.  The TT Pack is a restroom kit which contains a toilet seat wipe, toilet seat cover, hand wipe, tissue, paper towel and disposable gloves.  Brought to you by Eye 2 Eye Ideas.

Are We Related?
Trevor from Sebastopol, Australia was glad to hear that both Dick and Leo are watch junkies.  So is he.  He's got loads of watches, most of which have flat batteries.

Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair has done a special on Mad.  See the article, with early Mad covers, online.

Spork Commercial
At Dick's request, Leo plays the Spork TV commercial.


Listen to Episode 558
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

Energizer's Light-On-Demand series has 7 products, including a desk lamp, a wall sconce, a motion light and a night light.  The main feature of these lighting products is that each has an LED "light stick" with its internal rechargeable battery.  The light stick is removable and can be used as a flashlight.  If the power goes out, the light stick will automatically come on as emergency lighting (although you can turn that feature off).  The light sticks are interchangeable between different fixtures.  Light-On-Demand will be available first at Target, then later in the year at other outlets.

I'll Be Here
DGW is so infectious that Gregory Cheney found himself saying "I'll be here" to his mother at the end of their telephone call.  He also wants to know how to keep his female cat entertained.  Dick suggests a laser pointer pen, while Leo has a more cruel method.

Update (7 April 2008): Another listener, called SS, having heard this episode, writes to Dick suggesting the Ba-Da-Beam Cat Toy, whose email has been posted by Dick on his website.  The laser dot circles, pauses, then pauses again, and can never be caught.  That should keep your cat entertained.  From Drs Foster and Smith.

VideoCasts
Dick and Leo discuss what to call Leo's coming video shows.  Suggestions are welcome.

Leo's Journey into Tasmania
Leo is now in Tasmania.  Follow his journey on his blog at Leoville, and check out that video with a montage of images from Hobart.  Dane Golden has also posted on his blog some of the videos taken by Jenna Fox at the Sydney Airport where Leo met up with some of his Australian fans.  In one of those videos, you can see Leo sporting 2 of his TTTT gadgets, the Amazon Kindle (Episode 472), and the big red Tom Bihn bag, the Western Flyer (Episode 522), while wearing his TWiT-branded Scottevest Microfleece Pullover.



Listen to Episode 539
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

Leo thinks Henry might like those finger-flipper catapults, like the Cat-A-Pult, but Dick should check out the Nunchuck.




Dick, on the other hand, might introduce Jennifer to the Ex Voodoo Knife Set sometime, which she might find handy when she gets into a mood for the macabre.



New and Improved
This is the new and improved DGW, Leo quips.  He goes on to tell the story of how in one of the daily quizzes on the Lab with Leo, the question was "In what year was the PlayStation One introduced?"  Leo corrected the question, because he thought that it would have been called just the PlayStation, .  Leo's idea was you wouldn't call the first World War "World War I" until you got to World War II.  Unassailable logic, but as it turns out, it doesn't apply to Sony.  See Episode 409.

NBC Chimes Again
Many listeners are still writing in about the NBC Chimes.  Toyota Boy, who has written in previously, agrees that there is some confusion over the NBC chimes, but notes that GEC was founded in 1878.  RCA was founded and held by GEC in 1919.  NBC was founded by RCA in 1926, still held by GEC.  The NBC Chimes were first played in 1929.

Amnesia
Leo asks if Dick knows that the Bob Project Manager was one Melinda French, aka Mrs Bill Gates.  Yes, says Dick.  Obviously Leo wasn't quite there in Episode 221.