11 posts tagged “magellan”
Garmin GPSMAP 640
Marine and Auto GPS
Link: Garmin
Workaholics
When TWiTLive was off the air recently for a couple of days, Leo found himself at a loose end home and became a little unbearable to Jennifer. Dick likewise is a workaholic who has not taken a vacation for years.
A Fireplace for TWiT Cottage
Dick's friend Dennis Wunderlin (aka Dexterity Dennis) has a fireplace insert from Dimplex, and Dick recommends it to Leo for the old fireplace at TWiT Cottage. Leo saw one in action on Valentine's Day in a San Francisco hotel and plans to get one for the Californian summer. At least that will give him something to talk about on another TTTT.
Respect for the Sea
Dick was once out in the sea in his boat when it was hit by a huge wave and the boat was tossed straight up. Since then, he's had a lot of respect for the sea. He now has a smaller 22 feet boat and he seldom ventures out into the ocean unless it's really calm.
Christmas Gift on Valentine's Day
Ludwik of GizWizSearch is such a friend to DGW that Dick decided to send him a Christmas package of GizWiz goodies. Dick sent it by priority mail and the parcel arrived safely in Poland for Ludwik on Valentine's Day. Leo suggests that Dick sell a Ludwik Prize Pack. Dick thinks a Bernie Madoff Treasure Pack might be a better idea.
A Choice for Tomorrow's Gadget
Dick has prepared a gadget for tomorrow's show, but a parcel has just arrived too. Leo will have the choice.
Listen to Episode 773
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Star Trek Shuttlecraft Magellan Clock Radio
Star Trek Clock
Link: Star Trek Gift Shop
Telemania used to make telephones modelled as trains and Elvis Presley, but it ventured into making radios for this Star Trek Shuttlecraft Magellan Clock Radio. AM/FM Radio, alarm clock, and you could wake up to the radio or the Star Trek red alert.
Friday the 13th Encore
Listen to Leo explain triskaidekaphobia and try to pronounce paraskavedekatriaphobia, and to Dick's story of Bill Gaines looking for a 13th floor for the Mad Office, as in Episode 590.
Valentine Plans
Dick will still be at the Miami Boat Show for Valentine's Day tomorrow. Leo is leaving later today with Jennifer for San Francisco to spend a romantic evening away at a boutique hotel, and having breakfast in the morning at Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store. Leo has got his Valentine present lined up this year - thanks to Cammy Blackstone in Munchcast Episode 58. Jennifer is getting chocolate-covered caramels topped with sea salt from Fran's Chocolates, which happen to be President Obama's favourite, and Obama happens to be Jennifer's favourite at the moment. She's using Obama soap (the Obama Bar - "The Audacity of Soap") and an Obama purse!
We Salute You
Tony Devito doesn't think there was a Salute in Laugh-In (Episode 760), but there was one in Hee Haw and Home Improvement. What Laugh-In did have was the Flying Fickle Finger of Fate Award.
Listen to Episode 765
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Dash Express
GPS Car Navigation System
Link: Dash Express
This week's TTTT gadget from Leo is a recommendation by Jason Calacanis of Mahalo. The Dash Express is a GPS car navigation system with a difference. It is WiFi- and GPRS-enabled, so that its AutoUpdate function will always get you the most up-to-date maps and software (maps include 2D and 3D maps). Its TruTraffic functionality downloads the latest traffic information to give you the most accurate road conditions. It receives traffic information from road sensors, commercial fleets and other sources through Inrix, a traffic data provider. It also collates traffic info from Dash users anonymously to get live traffic flow data. Its combination of historical traffic database and live info gives you alternative routes to your destination.
You can also connect to Yahoo Local Search to search for any information you want, like a dim sum restaurant or Starbucks nearest you, or nearest to your destination, or elsewhere, using an on-screen keyboard. You can get gas prices and movie listings.
A further feature is the DashApps. The Dash Express uses OpenMoKo's Neo open hardware platform, and it is open to third party applications which you can download on to the device, to add functionalities, such as accessing your calendar using funambol, finding out about speed traps via Trapster.
You get 3 months' free trial of MyDash, and thereafter, depending on the length of your commitment, the monthly charge ranges from $10 to $13 per month. The monthly fee includes any Wifi and GPRS charges. If you don't subscribe to the Dash Express service, the device continues to work as an ordinary GPS (and naturally without any updates). Watch the video introduction of the Dash Express:
For another discussion of the Dash Express, by Leo and Jason Calacanis, listen to TWiT Episode 143 (starting at about 1 hour 5 minutes into the show).
Ludwik Trammer, who created the Giz Wiz Search, was challenged by listener Jeff Royal to calculate the total cost for acquiring all the gadgets covered by DGW, in Episode 563. Ludwik does not disappoint. He's already posted a comment to the blog post for Episode 563. He's also written to Leo about it, and did an mp3 voice mail. The cost comes up to about $62,700.
Here's his letter to Leo:
Hi Leo,
Yesterday I've listened to Daily GizWiz 563 (I was a little behind, because I moved out of my parents' house, and moved in with my friends, so I have more of this thing called "social interactions"). Anyway, your listener Jeff asked about combined cost of all the gadgets you talked about on the podcast. Obviously I'm not going to go through all the podcasts - I'm too lazy. But I asked my computer, and the answer, based on a sample of 200 gadgets is:
$110 per episode on average. And that gives you $62.700 for all 570 episodes.
I had names of the gadgets in my database already (from id3 tags), so I just run them throw Amazon products API and Yahoo Product Search API to get the prices.
Then, to verify that APIs responded with the right products I displayed product shots I got from APIs side-by-side photos Leo put in the mp3 files. After quickly scanning through all the pairs and ensuring the picture is the same product I calculated an average of the prices - $110 per one episode.
Ludwik
PS: I'm also sending you an mp3 with DGW letter in audio, but I don't really expect you to use it. For one I have a new MacBook, and it turned out I can't plug my mini-jack mic into it, and I had to use built-in MacBook mic. And my English really sucks, anyway. After two or three years of listening to podcasts I understand English almost perfectly (at the beginning I didn't understand almost anything), but I struggle to find a way to learn to talk in English. I recorded it mainly to practice. The answer to Jeff's question starts at 01:00.
Synthesised Voice
Leo also plays part of Ludwik's voice mail on the show. Leo thinks it's a computer-synthesised voice. For the complete recording, listen to it here:
Listen to Episode 572
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
Marsona Sound Machine
Sound Box for Sleeping
Link: Magellan's
A Request for Retraction and Apology
Tom of goinglinux.com demands a retraction and apology from Dick. In Episode 533, Dick referred to an article in Mad with monkeys in parodies of popular film titles, such as Primates of the Caribbean and Saving Primate Ryan. But primates include lemurs, monkeys, apes, and humans too. As a primate, Tom finds it highly objectionable.
Listen to Episode 559
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Seiko Global Atomic Travel Alarm Clock
Global Alarm Clock/Travel Accessory
Link: Magellan's
At the base are a set of blue LED lights, which light up automatically when you pick up the clock, acting as an LED flashlight. A control switch allows you to keep the flashlight at always on, always off, or auto. The clock also displays the date, day of the week, and even temperature. 5-minute snooze function. Operates on 4 AAA batteries.
Back from Australia
This is the first episode of DGW recorded after Leo's return from Tasmania, where he took 3,600 photos (but still well behind photographer Peter Krogh who took 12,000), picked up some fair dinkum Ozzie slang, and spent a few roos (better known as the Australian Dollar). He along with some photographers on the trip found the Lowepro Slingshots (Episode 547) very handy.
Surprise Visit
Optometrist Dr. Mark Sukoenig, one of a handful of DGW listeners, was in town for an ophthalmologists' conference and paid a surprise visit to Dick's office. He tried again to correct Dick and Leo's pronunication of his name, after his previous attempt in Episode 354. Dick thinks it sounds something like Mark Forrester. For Dr. Mark's previous contributions, see Episodes 280, 342, 354.
The Internet Weather Toaster
Kevin Selle from Dallas, Texas tells Leo that his idea in Episode 546 for the ultimate toaster was great, only 7 years late. Back in 2001, Robin Southgate, a student from Brunel University, invented the Internet Toaster which dialed up every morning for the weather forecast and printed out the weather icon on the toast. It made its appearance at the JavaOne Conference in San Francisco. Read the article on The Register.
Listen to Episode 551
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
RFID-Blocking Passport Wallet
Anti-Hacking Passport Wallet
Link: Magellan's
Just in case a hacker wants to get hold of your personal information stored on your Radio Frequency ID tags on your passport or credit cards, this passport wallet seeks to protect you from hacking.
Portable Luggage Scale
Travel Accessories
Link: Magellan's
Keep your luggage weight within the airline allowance with this Portable Luggage Scale. It also comes with a tape measure to make sure that the dimensions of your suitcases are within the limits.
Family Matters
Leo's daughter Abby is graduating from 8th grade next week, and he's married to a 100-pound bag.
Treetops
One of the MAD staff trips was to Africa. Before the trip, Bill Gaines told Dick that they were going to stay on tree tops in the middle of a forest, in Tanzania. Dick got really worried. Listen to how he prepared himself for the rough trip.
Alan Alder, Marc Summers, Michael J. Fox
How did they react to appearing in the MAD Magazine?
Listen to Episode 74
Go to TWiT
Pack-Flat Back-Up Bag
Travel Accessories
Link: Magellan's
Kraft Recipes
Dick recounts the old Kraft recipes on TV, which involved obscene amounts of Kraft ingredients. A brazen attempt to sell their stuff.
Dick's Old Clothes
Dick travels with old clothes which he throws away at the end of the trip.
Mad's Signature Artist
One of Leo's favourite cartoonists is Mad's Mort Drucker. One of the highlights of Leo's visit to the Mad office was seeing the original artwork.
Leo Falls in Mad
Leo has been featured in Mad. He was in one of Dick's parodies of one of the game shows, like The Price Is Right.
Teacher's Guide to Mad
A teacher once requested for a teacher's guide to Mad. Hear from Dick how Bill Gaines responded to it.
Listen to Episode 61
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
iBeam Optical Timepiece
Watch with Magnifying Glass and LED Light
Link: iBeam
The light comes on with the press of a button, and stays on automatically, but goes off after 30 seconds by itself.
Aquarium Screensaver
From time to time, Leo's aquarium screensaver will come on during the recording and one can hear the sound of bubbles on the show.
Chorks ?!!
Someone invented the chopsticks-forks. Listen to what Leo thinks of them. Here are some examples of this idea from the web, sometimes called chorks. In due course, Leo is desperate enough on a Turn-The-Tables-Tuesday to cover the spork in the infamous Episode 182.
Listen to Episode 39
Read Dick's Write-Up
Go to TWiT
