9 posts tagged “elf”
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
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
The Zircon Repeater
Tape Measure Voice Recorder
Link: Amazon
Zircon has other interesting products, including StudSensors, their modern versions of the old StudFinder.
From A Fellow Correspondent
Phil Baker, currently technology columnist for the San Diego Daily Transcript, and whom Leo first met when Phil was working for Seiko, writes in about his new book. Phil has been involved with many classic products such as the Polaroid SX 70, the Folding Keyboard and the Apple Newton. If you're interested in what's involved behind the scenes in the development of gadgets, check out his book "From Concept To Consumer", available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, or on the Kindle Store.
Dick's Next Visit To Petaluma
Dick first visited TWiT Cottage on 27 June 2008 for Episode 600 and GizWizLive. Episode 1000 is coming up but thatwill be next year. Episode 800 is just next week and too soon. So Dick might come over for Episode 900, and that's about 5 months away. Dick and Leo are considering doing a public event for Episode 1000, maybe in New York City, driving an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile decorated as a Golden iPod. Suggestions from listeners are not welcome, though, as they are tired of hearing "Get out of my life," "Stop podcasting," and "Give me a break."
Hitting the Wall
Leo took Henry to the Louvre in Paris to see the Mona Lisa. Henry wasn't impressed by its size. Wait till he gets to the Great Wall of China then.
Leapster 2
Educational Hand-Held Gaming Console for Children
Link: Leapfrog
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
Mr Microphone
Wireless Microphone
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
Display Link
Multi-Monitor Display Technology
Link: Display Link
Samsung's SyncMaster 2263DX comes with its own 7-inch secondary display monitor which you can put alongside or on top of the main display. You connect the main unit using both the main connection (whether it be HDMI, DVI or VGA), and also to a USB port on the computer, and then connect the 7-in display to the main monitor via USB. X-bit Labs has a review of this monitor.
For a list of Display Link-supported devices, click here.
DGW 4th Sesquicentennial Video
Dick refers to a video, made by someone who has put all the DGW themes and jingles back to back, with pictures of past gadgets. That someone would be me, and while we wait for Dick or Leo to dig up the email, you can see the video on YouTube, or go back to the blog post for Episode 600.
Stay Unconnected
Both Dick and Leo are frustrated with the "Scale Whale" or "Fail Whale" that is Twitter. Dennis Wright suggests Summize to Dick for searching for Twitter replies. Dick suggests going to Stay Unconnected, which is apparently run by those who make the SpearHats (Episode 537), to have some fun.
Listen to Episode 606
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Philips SpotOn
Motion Sensing Portable LED Light
GizWizLive
Dick and Leo thank Kim and Robin from Wild Planet for turning up for GizWizLive in their elf costumes (a feat they repeated in New York when visiting the Mad Office), and giving them a 600th anniversary cake and a TWiTLive Spork Clock to Leo. For details of GizWizLive, see the blog post for Episode 596. DGW listeners who could not watch GizWizLive, including Jeff Coddle, have asked Dick if the video will one day be available. Leo has the video but at present does not have a channel for distributing the video. One day it will come.
Upcoming New Sponsors
After Leo's recent visit to Audible's headquarters at Newark (during which Leo recorded an audible children's book "Little Golden Riding Hood"), Audible is going to return on DGW as a sponsor next month. So will Visa. As Leo explains, donations from the audience are applied towards TWiT overheads while only sponsorship money is shared among the TWiT hosts.
DGW Disclaimer
Thanks to Dan Lueders's recent prolific output, DGW will have a Thursday Theme, and a Disclaimer (which Leo plays at the end of today's show). The musical portion for the Disclaimer is a reprise of part of Dan Lueders's earlier Gravy Jingle Submission which was lost and found, and finally played in Episodes 313 and 314.
Confounding a Jury
Kevin Selle from Dallas, Texas (previous letters in Episodes 428, 551) was called upon for jury service and went prepared with his iPod loaded with DGWs. While the jury panel were waiting, he learned about the Plantronics Discovery 925 in Episode 597. When he got to the UroClub, Episode 598, he started convulsing in laughter and tears in the company of his potential fellow jurymen. Leo warns us about the dangers of listening to DGW, with a little help from Dan Lueders.
To learn about the most severe side-effect of DGW so far, see Episode 188.
Listen to Episode 601
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Eagle Creek Multi-Function Travel Clock
Travel Accessory
Link: Eagle Creek
Brand New Monday Jingle
It's a brand new week and a brand new day and a brand new Monday Jingle, from Dan Lueders again, which has incorporated Leo's Monday ditty, their occasional slogan "The worse your life is, the better we sound" and even the Gravy Slogan.
Rock My Teeth
Patrick Warn from Georgia, Vermont writes about Rock My Teeth - a musical tooth-whitening system. Attach the whitening kit to your iPod and the music, Professor Bocelli claims, helps line up the peroxide molecules to make it easier for them to penetrate through the enamel into the dentin to whiten the teeth. Watch the video here. Dick thinks the HydraBrush (Episodes 226, 480) - though Dick thinks it's called Turbo Brush - makes a lot more sense.
Cotati Accordion Festival
Dick is joing Leo at TWiTLive on Friday 20 June 2008, and Dick has had difficulty getting a room at the local hotels, because that weekend is the Cotati Accordion Festival. Dick manages to book himself a 2-night package at the Metro Cafe and Hotel, one of Leo's favourites. Kim from Wild Planet is going to demonstrate their Christmas toys and she'll come dressed as an elf.
Listen to Episode 566
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Backpack Shield
Bulletproof Shield
Link: Backpack Shield
The company also sells backpacks, including see-through or transparent varieties, for convenient security checks.
VeggieTales
Technopiliac from Toronto, Ontario writes in about the VeggieTales which often parody popular TV shows and films. There's a parody of the Lord of the Rings, called the Lord of the Beans, in which the beans are scared of - an army of Sporks - forged by Lord Scaryman. In the end, the sporks were defeated by Keebler cookies. The parody is available on DVD on Amazon.
That brings back bitter memories for Leo, of the sponsorship that never was, by To[s]tino pizza rolls.
Listen to Episode 524
Go to TWiT
Read Dick's Write-Up
Compaq iPaq Mini CD Player PM-1
Mini CD Player
Link: CNET Archives
From around Christmas 2001, this is a player for mini CDs made by Compaq. The mini CDs were 8cm in diameter, which had a capacity of 185MB. The idea of this iPaq Mini CD Player was to burn your mp3s to these mini CDs for playback. The player's dimensions were 3.9" x 3.9" x 1.2". But the appearance of regular MP3 Players ensured the obsolescence of this player. This product was in fact announced on 22 October 2001, the day before the 1st generation iPod was announced by Apple.
A listener has written in suggesting a TV Volume Regulator to Dick, who will get one and try it out. The picture to the right is an example, the Audiovox VR-1.
Alaska
Leo is currently on a cruise to Alaska with his father his son.
What the Heck Is It
Mad Minute
Motel Records gives you all the religious music you need.
Listen to Episode 140
Go to TWiT
Read Dick's Write-Up