41 posts tagged “colleen”
Olympus E-P1
Micro Four-Thirds Digital Camera
Link: Olympus America
The E-P1 has 12.3 MP (effective), ISO up to 6400, takes 720p video at 30fps in AVI motion jpegs, and comes with one of two lens kits (crop factor 2): either a 14-42mm lens (f-stop 3.5-5.6) or a 17mm pancake fixed lens (f-stop 2.8). It also offers lens adapters for Four Thirds lenses and old Olympus OM lenses. Unfortunately it doesn't have a viewfinder or built-in flash, although you can get them as hot-shoe accessories.
Leo has taken some pictures and videos on the Wine Train using the E-P1, which he will post to Smugmug in the fullness of time. Meanwhile, you can check out another set of photos taken by Leo on his E-P1 on Smugmug.
TWiT Cottage Air-Conditioner
Leo is very proud of the air-conditioner he bought for the TWiT Cottage, with the help of Colleen and Mini Split Systems. It's a Sanyo split-system, complete with temperature and flap control, Quiet Mode and Turbo Mode, and 17,000 BTU.
More Home Office Locations
More suggestions by Denny Pyott from Glide, Oregon for relocating the TWiT Home Office: Remote, Oregon, and Boring, Oregon.
Listen to Episode 897
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Brookstone Programmable Electronic Nameplate
Electronic Scrolling Name Plate
Link: Carilion Marketplace
Brookstone used to sell this Electronic Nameplate, one side showing the time, date and temperature, the other side is an LCD scrolling display for your name and other programmable messages up to 16 characters. Brookstone doesn't carry this any more, but Carilion Marketplace seems to be still selling it, in bulk quantities.
Hearst Tower, New York City
The original Hearst Tower was completed in 1928. Out of the old cast stone facade which has been preserved is the new building, a glass tower framed by triangular structural steel "diagrids", designed by Norman Foster and completed in 2006. Leo is thinking of building a skyscraper out of the Victorian TWiT Cottage.
Dick and Bill Gaines used to have a special arrangement. While Bill was not averse to gadgetry, he was not exactly a gadget geek. He would pay for gadgets, get Dick to try them out first and work out how things worked, before they were handed over to him.
Terratrike to Beach
In Episode 815 Larry Blakely wrote about his 50-mile cycling challenge charity event, and hoped to hear about more bike gadgets on the Daily Giz Wiz. His prayer has been answered. It was his very letter which got Leo on to his Terratrike (Episode 837), and then Leo's other bike gadgets such as the Cateye Micro Wireless and the Delta Airzound Bike Horn (Episode 842). Larry has a bike gadget suggestion for Leo, the iHome Bike-to-Beach Bicycle Speaker for iPods. The iPod sits inside the tube which is water-resistant. It comes with a mounting bracket and a wireless remote control which is also mountable on to the handle-bar.
Listen to Episode 875
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The Missing Button
Tie-Tack/Button Replacement
Link: Softlife Products Company on eBay
When Dick first learnt about the Missing Button, he thought the vendor was going to make millions of dollars from it. It was a tie tack in the form of a button, which could be handy if one should lose a shirt button - no sewing necesary. Dick was told that the product design was originally from France, but now he can't find "The Missing Button" on the web. The picture above is Dick's own photo of what he still has in the Gadget Warehouse.
Ronco's Buttoneer
Another button kit, says Mark Sukoenig in the chatroom, was Ronco's Buttoneer, another old solution. See stuffwelove.co.uk.
All About Socks and Laundry
Dick always buys his socks in bulk, so that they always match. Jerry Lewis used to wear a pair of socks only once. Mark Goodson had his favourite laundry shop in New York. When they moved the operations to California, he would have his laundry couriered to New York for cleaning.
Independent Living
Henry Laporte attended an Independent Living class at 8th Grade. He got detention for not doing the stuff he was supposed to be learning: how to boil water, fry an egg, sew a button.
Winning Lottery Numbers
In Episode 844 (again), in the Letters section, Dick told listeners never to delete a Daily Giz Wiz show, as they give away money, and even lottery numbers: 21, 6, 3, 4, 1. Chad Forsmaier can confirm this to be true. These were the winning numbers for an Indiana lottery on June 23, 2007. It was the Midday Lucky 5. Try LottoStrategies.com's Match Finder.
Californian Casual Time
Dick found out, while working in California, that Californians are pretty laid back when it comes to time. That's why Leo is always late for his recording session. Instead of calling it Pacific Daylight Time, he should call it Californian Casual Time.
Listen to Episode 860
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Clickfree DVD Transformer
USB Dongle for DVD Backup
Link: Clickfree
The DVD Transformer is a kind of hybrid of previous products which Dick talked about, the Clickfree Backup Drive (Episode 629), Clickfree DVD Backup (Episode 639), and Clickfree Transformer (Episode 753). Whereas the Clickfree Transformer backs up your data to any hard drive, the DVD Transformer backs up to DVDs.
An FM Voice for AM Radio
When Leo first started on an AM radio station, he was told that his voice wouldn't do, because he got a mellow FM voice, instead of a more in-your-face AM voice.
Living Inside Your Love
Leo recently went to a benefit concert, and met one of the artists who performed at the concert: Earl Klugh, whose Living Inside Your Love Leo had to play incessantly when Leo was on San Francisco's KKSF in about 1984 (although the song was from the 1976 album of the same name.
Backup, Backup
Leo has 14 hard drives installed in various computers in the studio, over 30 just scattered around, and even more in the rest of the TWiT Cottage. After he lost the video recording of Episode 600, he now makes sure that everything is recorded and backed up.
Game Show Memories
Since Dick was involved in game shows other than Match Game, listeners have requested Dick to do another show in the style of his earlier Match Game Memories. He might just do that. A small number of Match Game Questions are still left for sale.
A Petaluma Nobody
Jim Driscoll from Atlanta, who was looking forward to Episode 7795 in his last letter (Episode 534), met recently in the San Francisco Bay area a colleague who lives in a little town called Petaluma. Jim asked her if she knew Leo. "Leo who?" Jim went on to astonish her with his intimate knowledge of the Butter and Eggs Parade.
Listen to Episode 851
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Terratrike Cruiser
Recumbent Tricycle
Link: Terratrike
After Dick and Leo mentioned the Terratrike website in Episode 815, Dick was asked if he would like to try one. Dick has no space for a tricycle in his apartment, and suggested that Terratrike get Leo to try it out. A Terratrike Cruiser was then delivered to Leo (which arrived during the TWiTLive show Maxwell's House - see Episode 829). It's a recumbent tricycle: two wheels in front, one at the back, front and rear derailleurs, disc brakes on the front wheels, 24-speed drivetrain, adjustable seat (aluminium frame with breathable mesh). Suitable for long and short distance riding. There are many more models to choose from, with optional accessories including trailers. Leo has fallen in love with the Cruiser and so it seems have Alex Lindsay and the TWiT staff.
Leo is going to kit out his trike with accessories, including a TWiT pennon and a horn recommended by kiwinerd. It's a loaner which Leo will return, but he has a feeling he will be buying one. At least Alex Lindsay is. As Dick says, it's going to be Pedal-uma.
No Value for Valeo
After his trusty Gophersport Anti-Burst Stability Ball retired from service, having been used day in day out for about 2 years, Leo went cheap and ordered another brand of fitness ball from Amazon, Valeo. Soon after he bought the new ones, there was an announcement that they were being recalled. Leo's new balls proved to be leaky very soon, and he will go back to the Gophersport again.
As it turned out, the Valeo was not only leaky. It burst while Leo was on TWiTLive last Tuesday.
Free of Charge?
Stefan from Norway is puzzled by the Samsung Charging Stations mentioned by Toyota Boy in Episode 818. "What's the point of a charging station if it's free of charge?" muses Stefan. "Ha-ha, those No-wegians," says Dick.
Evolve Guide Universal Remote Control
Universal Remote
Link: remotecentral.com Review
From time to time, Leo would call Dick "the little old gadget maker", "the little old gadget meister" or the like. This harks back to the mascot in the ads and commercials for wines from the Italian Swiss Colony, who was called That Little Old Winemaker. It so happens that Leo knows the people at Italian Swiss Colony. In the TV commercials, the mascot was played by Austrian-born actor Ludwig Stössel. For a picture of a postcard featuring the actor, click here.
Label Intensive
Dick has a box of label-makers, and has coined the phrase "label intensive". Dick and Leo repeat their complaint about the anonymous power adapters for their gadgets. Dick now uses a silver marker to label the power adapters.
Whatever happened to the Jingle Singers?
Top Jamaican fan Marlon Stewart had to take himself off the Daily Giz Wiz as it became too addictive. He's now back, but is surprised to find that the Jingle Singers are missing. He loves the Festive Letters Jingle, and it so happens that Leo decided to play it, in May.
Blame it on HQ
Leo has decided that he needs to have a headquarters for somebody to blame if anything goes wrong. It needs to be located at a place with a funny name, like Sioux City in Iowa, Lake Rogerene in New Jersey, or Susquehanna in Pennsylvania. But during the break, Leo decided on Pickles Gap, Arkansas.
Listen to Episode 830
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SanDisk Ultra Backup USB Flash Drive
Backup Flash Drive
Link: SanDisk
Leo's Backup
Leo records his shows on terabyte hard drives, but also backs up the mp3 audio on to a SanDisk 1GB Compact Flash card. He's learned his lesson after losing a whole batch of DGW recordings (see Episode 67).
A Radio Show Spin-Off
One of our favourite jingle writers Paul Minshall had to write in after listening to Episode 814. Paul is a huge fan of old time radio shows, especially Jack Benny. Fibber McGee and Molly was one of the first radio shows to have a spin-off show featuring one of its recurring characters, Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve played by Harold Peary, which became The Great Gildersleeve.
Paul also adds that Leo should not confuse Harold Peary playing Gildersleeve who had a sweetly nervous laugh, with Frank Nelson (Ye-e-e-e-s), heard often on the Jack Benny Program - something which was previously pointed out to Leo by another listener in Episode 397.
You can access many of these old time radio shows on freeotrshows.com and free-otr.com.
Senz Umbrellas
Aerodynamic Umbrellas
Link: Senz Umbrellas
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.
Blue Green Yoshi (who last wrote in Episode 674) writes in to recommend the autobiography of Bob Barker, host of "The Price Is Right", compere of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants for many years, and an animal rights campaigner. "Priceless Memories" is available on audible.com, written by Bob Barker and Digby Diehl, and narrated by Bob Barker himself. If you haven't got an account yet, sign up at audible.com/gizwiz.
Dick at SquareSpace
Dick's new webiste with SquareSpace is now ready. All new DGW gadgets are now posted on gizwiz.biz (or gizwizbiz.squarespace.com), while gizwizbiz.com will remain as an archive site.
Listen to Episode 821
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Wonder Wash
Portable Washing Machine
Link: Laundry-Alternative
In support of last Wednesday's Earth Day, Dick is going to do a couple of green gadgets today and tomorrow. The Wonder Wash is a portable, environmentally-friendly washing machine which has been around for a number of years and which Dick has tried out specially for Earth Day. The entire setup is 16" tall with a 12" square base. It can take up to 5 pounds fo laundry. Just fill up the drum with detergent and hot water and hand crank it for 90 seconds. The rotation of the drum causes the air to absorb the heat of the water which in turn builds up the air pressure inside the drum, which forces the detergent particles to go through the fabrics more rapidly and frequently, releasing the dirt more efficiently. Perfect for smaller items and delicate materials.
Tomorrow, Dick will cover the companion gadget to Wonder Wash, the Mini Countertop Spin Dryer.
The Greater Wall of China
The New York Times last Tuesday had a news article on the discovery of a further 180 miles, hitherto undiscovered, of the Great Wall of China. In the visa application form for China, Leo has had to declare whether he has any mental disease, venereal disease, leprosy, and whether he is a journalist. Any positive answer to these would probably disentitle him from travelling to China. So Leo declared himself an educator - and that may well be closer to the truth than his other answers. Leo half-complained about it on Twitter, and was told in no uncertain terms that the US visa application is much more intrusive.
Logical Train of Thought
Leo finally concludes that there is no logical train of thought at all to this podcast. If there is such a train, Dick adds, there are no tracks.
Dick's Way is My Weigh
Dick's show is no whimsical, rough and ready, crazy gadget show. Dick takes the testing of his gadgets very seriously. He weighed his laundry on his trusted My Weigh Ultraship-55 Scales (Episode 346). However, Dick can be forgiven for not having tested the effect of the drum being knocked on one's head - which is going to happen when Leo gives it to Jennifer on Mother's Day. No matter, as Dick might yet put that to the test when he gives it to his friend Lindy Dunn. By the way, a helmet is not included with the Wonder Wash.
Wonder Wash Laundromat
Dick and Leo have some wonderful ideas today. Leo could buy more of the Wonder Wash, one for each of his family and each could have his or her own sanitary bin. No more "Wash and Fold" for Leo. Better yet, they could buy a whole lot of them and set up a TWiT-approved, GizWiz-endorsed Wonder Wash Laundromat, an enterprise that would make even Donald Trump proud.
Samsung Charging Stations
Talk of airports (Episode 802) has got Toyota Boy writing in again, noting that not only are airports not designed for sleeping, but they are also not designed for gadgets in distress and in need of power, as power outlets are hard to come by. In rides the white knight, in the form of Samsung Mobile, which has sponsored the installation of free charging stations at various airports in the States, 14 of them so far.
The power goes out, the light goes on
Two Sundays ago, while doing the Tech Guy, Leo had a power outage at the TWiT Cottage. Fortunately, no serious harm was done. Leo wants an emergency power generator (but even the Honda Super Quiet Generator, Episode 69, would not be quiet enough for the TWiT studio), so that when the power goes out, the light goes on - speaking of logical trains of thought.
Listen to Episode 818
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Johnny-Light
Toilet Bowl Light
Link: Johnny-Light
This reminds Leo of another toilet night light which he showed on Regis and Kelly, that was a little more advanced. It had a motion sensor that would light up red for the gent to aim at when the seat was up, and light up green for the ladies when the seat was down. Leo can't remember what the product was called, but he did blog about it in March 2003. It might be the LavNav, or something similar. See the article on Wired.com.
Wine Tasting turned Fire Tasting
Leo has got a new sponsor Gary's Wine, so he does a wine-tasting session on Sunday. With a bit of Dutch courage and a little help from Brain Brushwood of Scam School, Leo started tasting fire, too. You can watch the video on odtv.me.
Dick has had his share of daring-do. He appeared on "That's My Line", with a tiger resting its head on Dick's lap. Leo might have done the fire-eating, but he would not do the bungee jump or parachute jump, and Dick would definitely stay away from the Stratosphere Tower's See-Saw Ride (it's actually called X-Cream) in Las Vegas.
A Camera-Printer for the Warehouse
Darryl Wattenberg of darrylsphotoblog.blogspot.com says that the Polaroid Pogo Instant Digital Camera (shown at CES and discussed in Episode 745) was not the first to attempt that combination. Olympus did just that about a decade ago with the Camedia C-211 Zoom (or C-211z), a digital camera with 2.1 MP which used Polaroid instant film for the prints. Read the review at Imaging-Resource. Darryl also recalls a later camera/printer model from Olympus with dye-sub printing capabilities. 2 more gadgets for Dick's Gadget Warehouse.
Dick in Disguise and Mercury Rising
Dr L S Powers of the chatroom asks if the gentleman with a moustache holding a plastic whale on Boston Whaler's website is Dick in disguise. Not so. Leo advises against eating too much deep-sea big-body fish such as tuna, as it may contain a lot of mercury, as Steve Gibson has recently found out.
Listen to Episode 810
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