80 posts tagged “petaluma”
Picture Keeper
USB Thumb Drive for Photos Backup
Link: Picture Keeper
Giz Wiz Meet-Up
Dick will be at the TWiT Cottage in Petaluma on Tuesday 11 August for the recording of Daily Giz Wizzes including Episode 900. That evening there will be a meet-up with Dick, Leo and Dane Golden in San Francisco. The time and venue have not been decided yet. Dick and Leo need to know how many people are likely to turn up for the event. Send Dick an email at dick@gizwiz.biz with the subject line "Meet-Up" if you're interested. Check out Dick's website for details.
Giz Wiz Jingles World Tour
Starting 1 October, there will be a world tour of an orchestra playing music from all 6 episodes of Star Wars. Dick reckons they should have the Giz Wiz Jingles World Tour. Leo thinks it should take place in the subways of the world. That way, you get an echo effect, and a guaranteed audience.
Michael Jackson joins the Giz Wiz Singers
Leo asked (in Episode 883), and he has now received, a Michael Jackson Letters Jingle, from musical archivist Dan Lueders.
Just Another Podcast
Leo is going to do another podcast, about Google and cloud-computing. It's going to be called This Week in Google or TWiG.
TiWT
Leo has just received a new TWiT hat that looks great in the mirror. No problem with the trademark there.
Navionics
Joseph Colletti writes in to recommend an iPhone app called Navionics, a nautical chart plotter.
Listen to Episode 886
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Find DGW Info on GizWizSearch
LG enV3
Cellphone
Link: LG
BlueAnt Q1
Voice-Controlled Bluetooth Headset
Link: Blueant Wireless
Comparison
For a direct comparison of recent bluetooth headsets including the Q1 and Plantronics Voyager Pro, see a review by Phil Baker (whose book was referred to in Episode 795), and his follow-up review of the new Jawbone Prime.
Ask And Ye Shall Receive
On the last TTTT (Episode 847), which was the first show recorded on the same session, Leo was stumped as to why the Daily Giz Wiz podcasts have made their way into a listener's Music Folder on iTunes and got played in Shuffle mode along with the rest of his music. Matt Pokky (for his previous letter to Leo, see Episode 652) happened to be listening to the live stream and managed to send in an answer before the end of the recording session, and Leo was astute enough to have taken notice of it. Matt had the same thing happened to him about 18 months ago, when Apple decided (in iTunes 6 or 7) to include podcasts into Music, which maxed out his iPod's capacity. Matt's workaround was to make a smart playlist called iPod Music, defined as "Genre is not podcast" and "Podcast is false".
Listen to Episode 852
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Altec Lansing iM 237 Orbit MP3
Portable Speaker
Link: Altec Lansing
From the Littlest to the Biggest
Tomorrow on Warehouse Friday, Dick will be talking about another product from Altec Lansing, and it's one of the biggest products they made.
Companion Drug and Endless Disclaimers
Dick and Leo are baffled by some TV ads, including one (called Abilify, thanks to DrMom, the chatroom's resident doctor) which is a companion drug to the anti-depressant drugs you are already taking, and those with endless disclaimers that spill over to the next ad.
New Home Office for TWiT
G' Day from over-the-road truck driver Kevin Cameron-Parks, an Aussie who has lived in the States for 11 years who has a Swedish wife who does not speak English with Leo's Swedish accent. He heard that Leo is looking for a place for the TWiT Home Office, and he is more than happy to offer his humble abode at Gassville, Arkansas to Leo.
Read about all the other suggestions at Answer Giz Wiz Questions.
Listen to Episode 849
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
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.
Plantronics Voyager Pro
Bluetooth Headset
Link: Plantronics
Leo's new mixer from Telos, the Axia, will be capable of outputting surround sound called Dolby Headphone, and he wonders if listeners would prefer that. How about good old Quadraphonic sound?
A TerraTrike for Leo
Leo has been sent a Terratrike (after Dick and Leo talked about it in Episode 815). Leo took delivery of it during Maxwell's House last week. Leo is going to review it in about 2 weeks' time. It might end up as Abby's new transport, or TWiT's special limousine service. Take a sneak preview of it here.
Better Laundry Rooms than Home Theatres
Kevin Sweeney from Grand Junction, Colorado has written to defend Dick about the Earth Day series, the Wonder Wash and the Countertop Spin Dryer (Episodes 818, 819). He cannot believe how stoically Dick put up the abuse Leo dished out about them. A lot more people have laundry rooms than have home theatres, and not everyone can afford the Mini E (Episode 811). Kevin for one is going to give the laundry gadgets to his wife for their 20th wedding anniversary - and their final, add Dick and Leo.
Great Dinner Options
Dick went as a special guest to a convention called Boys And Their Toys. On his way to the hotel, the young limo driver assured Dick that he had chosen the right hotel, because his dinner options would include Burger King, Taco Bell and White Castle, and the subway is just around the corner.
Listen to Episode 829
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
CCrane Z-Bar Desk Lamp
LED Desk Lamp
Link: CCrane
TWiT: The Early Days
Leo explains the origin of the name TWiT. When the old gang from G4/TechTV, including Leo, Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose, David Prager and Robert Heron, got together for the podcast, they originally called the show Revenge of the Screen Savers. They soon got a cease and desist letter from G4. Eventually they asked the listeners to make suggestions for the name, and the winning entrant would get a surprise box of stuff from Patrick's garage - the "box of crap". Entries included Revenge Of The Green Saviours, SledgeCast, Saved By The Geeks, and This Week In Geek, the last of which was closest to what Leo wanted. In the end Leo decided on This Week In Tech, shortened to the acronym TWiT which became the name of the site and his podcasting network.
For a summary of the early episodes of TWiT (0 to 9), you can get Episode 81 of TWiT: The Early Years. It is a collection of tidbits from the podcasts (but not a best-of) outlining how the podcast evolved in the early days, badly put together by none other than myself, which I would have called TWiTbits.
TWiT Trademark
Leo has trademarked the brand TWiT for virtually all media, including audio, video, variety show and musical. Leo's lawyer questioned Leo about his involvement in variety shows. Of course we do variety shows. The Daily Giz Wiz. What about musicals? The Daily Giz Wiz. The only 4 media left are vinyl, cylinder, 8-track and wire recorder.
Just don't talk to Leo or Dane Golden about TWiT and Twitter.
Leo's Life Stories
Dick and Leo have often talked about Leo's autobiography and its title, the last time in Episode 812. Tom Pruett has 3 ideas for Leo's book, all of which lend themselves easily to TV production as well.
The PodCouple - Leo Laporte has recently lost his job at TechTV. Despondent, he wanders aimlessly until his friend Dick DeBartolo comes to the rescue and the two do a podcast together. The trouble is Dick is neat and tidy and Leo is a slob ...
The PodFather - An aging patriarch of an organised podcasting dynasty, Leo Laporte, wants to transfer control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant friend Dick DeBartolo. A story of power and greed, culminating in the Toothpick Bird and Spork Episodes.
Podman Begins - Explore the Podman legend and his emergence into a force for good. A disillusioned tech journalist Leo Laporte travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and to turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. He comes back as his alter ego Podman, a mass crusader who uses his strength, intelligence and vast podcasting network to fight sinister forces. Don't forget his butler, Leo adds, Dick TheBartolo.
MAD 500
MAD 500 is out, with retrospective looks into different parts of MAD Magazine's past issues (or episodes as Leo persists in calling them). By MAD 502, Dick will have completed 40 years of unbroken contribution to every issue of MAD. You can get MAD 500 along with the 2 Obama-cover issues as a collection autographed by Dick from MAD Stuff.
Listen to Episode 824
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
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
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
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
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Fujix P701
Compact Video Projector
Link: projektoren-datenbank.com German eBay
The German site projektoren-datenbank.com lists the recommended retail price as €900. Back in 1993, the Euro did not exist, so it's unclear how the price conversion was done. There was a P701 available on German eBay a week ago, but the auction has now ended (final price €51).
Bicycle Gadgets
Larry Blakely from Vienna, Virginia (where AOL is, says Leo) has been a listener since the show began (and Larry was one of the winners of the weird gadgets competition back in Episode 146). Recently Larry has been training for a fund-raising event organised by bestbuddies.org - a charity for fostering friendships between volunteers and people with intellectual disabilities. He has chosen the 50-mile cycle challenge, during which he will ride on a trike from Carver to Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Larry would welcome suggestions from Dick of bike gadgets such as headlights, safety lights, and flat tyre protection.
TerraTrike
For some hi-tech recumbent tricycles, visit terratrike.com. These are state-of-the-art trikes for the dedicated cyclers.
Butter and Eggs Day
Petaluma will be celebrating its annual Butter and Eggs Day tomorrow, and you may hear the parade band pass by if you listen to Leo's radio show. Meanwhile, Leo will be preparing himself and Ozzy for the Cutest Little Chick contest.
Listen to Episode 815
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
