24 posts tagged “titanium spork”

Dick, the Gadget Proxy
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
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Find DGW Info on GizWizSearch

Leo's classic coverage of the Titanium Spork (Episode 182) has generated a lot of interest in the spork.  This is another suggestion from a listener - TAD Gear's 3-in-1 Folding Titanium Spork.  Also made of titanium, this spork folds out, but is also a bottle cap lifter and tin opener.  It has a pocket clip, and a ring hole at the end for attaching a lanyard.

An Odd Couple
Not Dick and Leo, but the dog and elephant pair, Bela and Tara, at an animal sanctuary in Tennessee, whom Dick refers to.  The CBS story can be found on YouTube.


Daylight Saving

Daylight Saving time arrived yesterday this year, and Devin Hunter from Portland, Oregon is more than happy with the Neverlate Executive Alarm Clock's lack of automatic adjustment to daylight saving time (Episode 761).  He got a clock with that function, it went well until 2006 when the dates for daylight savings time were changed.  What was a feature of the clock became a real annoyance.

Dick asked listeners on the TWiT Army to write in about their New Year Resolutions.  Here are some: that everyone gets a SpearHat (Episode 537); to quit smoking; to be debt-free; to watch a lot more TWiTLive: to keep the stress down to avoid the migraines; to spend more time with real people and less time on the computer; to help with a public service organisation; to stop buying any more yarn for 6 months; to eat less candy-coated chocolate and more broccoli; to learn Russian; to get a job that allows him to get the DGW gadgets plus a pair of Converse sneakers every month; to get a Titanium Spork (Episode 182) and a Toothpick Bird (Episode 282); to buy Good Days and Mad and get an audio book version of it; and never to have a New Year Resolution.

Twitter Offer
Leo offered a trip to France to anyone who decided to follow him.  Dick thinks Leo should have added, "Transportation not included."

Withdrawal Symptoms
When Leo was away, Dick missed doing the show, and had to go on Stickam.


Listen to Episode 734
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Homepage

After the Toiletry Sheets (Episode 689), Dick introduces another of Travelon's products, the Luggage Scale with Tape Measure.  The airlines have yet again reduced not only the baggage allowance but also the total linear measurement.  So the tape measure would come in handy, too.  The scale comes with a hook from which to hang the suitcase for weighing.  The scale has a memory lock which locks the indicator at the measured weight for easy reading.  That's why the scale is also called "Stop and Lock".

And don't try Leo's trick of weighing himself with and without the suitcase and subtracting one from the other.  The scale's capacity is only 75 lbs.

Thanksgiving Eve
Dick is going to make his pineapple upside down cake again.  For his recipe, take a look at the classic cookbook Joy Of Cooking and just double up the amount of butter and brown sugar for the topping.

A Tale From the Tunnel
Dick has an old tale to tell about a trailer truck which was too high for the Holland Tunnel and got stuck.  A little boy had a brilliant solution.  Don't saw off the top.  Just let the tyres out!

Air Tickets form 1983
Recently unearthed from Dick's Gadget Warehouse are air tickets from 1983, from New York to Miami, and to Oakland.

That Blinking Idiot
While recording the show, Leo notices a blinking light behind Dick (near the top right corner of the screen), and Dick can't work out what it was.  But the chatroom works it out.  It's the flashing cursor of Leo's mouse on his Skype video screen.

Stromberg Carlson TV Sets
Dick and Leo find out that Stromberg Carlson, apart from the Candlestick telephone that jammerb gave Leo (Episode 696), used to make radio and television sets as well.  Leo also uncovers an advertisement from 1950 on TV History.


Apocalyptic Waste
Software developer Michael O'Connor (Lepton in the Chatroom and the TWiT Army), who has followed Leo since the days of "The Site" (see Episode 187), plays Fallout 3 on the PS3 and finds, among the apocalyptic waste and wreckage in Washington DC, a spork (Episode 182), which he uses on his rocket launcher - which can do serious damage.  Michael has recently developed an iPhone app called AirMote which has found its way to the iTunes App Store.


Listen to Episode 708
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

As hinted at in Episode 673 and last week, Dick and Leo finally talk about T-Mobile's G1.  Made by HTC, the G1 is the first phone featuring Google's open-source smartphone operating system Android.

It has bluetooth, wifi, GPS (though not turn-by-turn), 512 MB built-in memory, although it has an microSD card slot and comes with a 1GB card; a back-lit qwerty keyboard (which is revealed by sliding out the screen) and a replaceable battery; a 3.2MP camera, but like the iPhone, it does not shoot video, and like the iPhone it does not support Flash on the internet.  Unlike the iPhone, it supports voice dialling and "cut and paste".

Physically, it weighs just under 6 ounces.  At the bottom is a panel of buttons: a big Menu button, underneath which at the centre is a trackball (for navigation and as a select button).  To the left of the trackball are the "Call/Send" button and the "Home" button; to the right of the trackball are the "Back" and "Hangup/Power" buttons.

On the left hand side of the phone is a Volume toggle, and on the right hand side the camera button.  For the earphones, unfortunately it's a microUSB connection and you'll need an adapter for your 3.5mm jack earphones.

The display is 3.2 inches at 480 x 320 resolution, with a capacitive touch-screen.  It does not support multi-touch, but does support long presses (through which you get a context menu including "cut and paste").  It has an accelerometer and is supposed to adjust itself to Portrait/Landscape mode, at least when the qwerty keyboard is open.

Since Android is open-source, many applications are expected to come out supporting the platform, and will not be filtered as in the case of the iPhone.  You can access the apps from the Android "Market", and Google will tell you in relation to each app what types of access the app may have on the phone - such as communications, your location and your personal information.

The phone comes with the standard Google apps, such as Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, and like the iPhone, offers a mobile version of YouTube.  If you don't use Gmail, there is another mail application.  Unfortunately, this other mail app cannot open attachments (which Gmail can by HTML conversion), nor save them.  The IM app supports major instant messengers such as AIM, Windows Live, Yahoo and of course Google Talk.  Like Google's desktop browser the Chrome, the Android browser is WebKit-based.  Another app that comes with the phone is AmazonMP3, with access to Amazon's DRM-free mp3 downloads - which only works with Wifi, and not 3G or Edge.  The phone also has its own music player software.

At the moment, the phone is available in T-Mobile stores only in cities which has T-Mobile's 3G coverage.

Favourite Episodes
In Episode 679, Dick and Leo were asked if they had a list of their 20 favourite/funniest episodes.  Ludwik Trammer of gizwizsearch can answer for them.  Search queries on his site show which episodes are most frequently accessed - 182 Titanium Spork, 465 Electron Echo Piano, 462 MP4 Watch, and of course 282 Toothpick Bird.

Ludwik also tells us that the accumulative length of all the DGW shows now exceeds 7 days.

One More Thing
Ludwik is going to introduce a new feature on his site.  In fact it is already operational.  Just go to his site and see if you can spot the difference.  Otherwise, just wait for an announcement through Dick and Leo in tomorrow's recording session, or in next week's episodes.

Video Podcasts To Wait
The last time Leo talked about video podcasts (with hopes of getting DGW on video) was Episode 671.  Unfortunately, with the economic downturn, Leo has decided to be a little more prudent, and maybe putting that on hold, although he may still put out a weekly "best of" video podcast.

Second Longest Episode
At 31:03, today's show is the second longest episode, just 12 seconds short of Episode 634, the Lexmark X9575 Professional.


Listen to Episode 686
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

The Peek is a small, thin portable device that does nothing but email, not for the hardcore techie but aimed at those who find computers too complicated and just want to start using email.  It's a take-off of the Blackberry in design, with a qwerty keyboard and a thumbwheel at the top right.  If you use a web-based account (such as hotmail, gmail, AOL), all you need to do is key in your email address and password, and it will download your contacts for you.  If you use an email account provided by your ISP, you'll need to call Peek Support.  It supports up to 3 email accounts on one machine.

The backbone of the wireless service is provided by T-Mobile.  You do need to open an account with the Peek, for $20 a month.  It's a monthly subscription, and there's no need for a long-term contract.  Available in 3 colours (aqua, red and grey) at Target stores and GetPeek itself.

20 Funniest Episodes
Eric Whistler has gone back to some of the older episodes, including the classic Episode 182, the Spork.  Eric wonders if Dick and Leo have their favourite, say, 20 funniest episodes.  Difficult to pick, but Dick remembers fondly the Purseguard Ultra (Episode 406), and the Talking Photo Album (Episode 463) in which Leo had a Gracie Allen moment.

The Burns & Allen Show
Dick recounts moments from the Burns & Allen Show, and Leo plays a YouTube video of an "embedded" commercial for Carnation Milk, and forgets whether they've read a letter or not.

Audio Bone is a set of wired stereo headphones that sit over the ears and round the back of the head.  The sound waves are transmitted through your bones into the inner ears.  They're waterproof and work even under water.  Audio quality is not great, and you do need to turn up the volume.  For people who don't like buds in their ears, or have to listen to sounds in the environment.

For other implementations (though at a more basic level) of the same idea, see the Hasbro Tooth Tunes (Episode 429) and the March '07 WTHII gadget Sound Bites (Episode 281).

First Fan Mail
At the age of 69, Bill Quinlan writes his first piece of fan mail, and it's to Dick and Leo.  Bill is completely hooked and listens to it on his 3-mile walk each night.  It's dark and no one can see him laughing hysterically during his walk.  His wife still uses the VCR Co-Pilot (Episode 665).  He recently revisited Episode 182 (having received his order of the Titanium Spork from Think Geek to replace the Tony the Tiger Spoon), and Episode 590, the Palm Pilot (and he's using the latest Palm device the Palm TX).




The Psion 3a Series
Mention of Palm again excites wistful memories of the Palm Lifedrive and Psion 3a which Leo loved.  If only it had calendar and address book synchronisation, which Palm did introduce.



Meanwhile, Leo is waiting for something which reminds him of the Psion andwhich he will review for us.  Before Leo can tell us what it is, he's sidetracked and forgets about it.  Probably the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, which Leo will get from Google and has ordered.

Made by Eagle Creek and available at Magellan's, the Multi-Function Travel Clock tells the times of 16 cities around the world, is an alarm clock (with snooze function), calculator, currency converter, and even tells the temperature.

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

In the first episode of TTTT after Leo's Tasmanian trip, Leo talks about a gadget he took to Tasmania and used a lot (or will take and use).  It's the Lowepro Slingshot 200AW.  Lowepro specialises in camera bags and other photography-related accessories.

The Slingshot series gives you backpacks with a single shoulder strap, called the sling strap, ergonomically designed to evenly distribute the load over your body.  It has a nice camera compartment large enough to fit your DSLR and its mounted lens, with a built-in micro-fibre cloth to protect the camera's LCD screen; storage spaces for additonal lenses and flashes; a memory card pouch; an all-weather cover which you can slip out from within the bag to protect the bag from rain, dust and other inclement conditions, and other compartments and attachment loops for further storage.

It's called the Slingshot because you can swing, or sling, the bag from your back to the front easily, giving you convenient access to the contents of the bag without having to unload the bag from your shoulder.  The largest model is the Slingshot 300AW, with an extra padded waist belt to distribute the weight on to your hips.  The 200AW and 100AW are smaller sizes, which have a "stability strap" for added stability.

You can watch a demo by Lowepro at this link, or better yet, watch Leo's own demonstration from the Freycinet Peninsula in Tasmania, before he set off for the Freycinet Forest.

A New Cop Show
Chicago-based Dan Lueders, who made a gravy jingle submission and the theme-free Wednesday Theme, has done a TV commerical for the TV Event of the Year, a new cop show called "The Spork".  For more details on Dan, see the blog entry for Episode 528.


Listen to Episode 547
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

The Wake and Shake from Clearsounds is an alarm clock on steroids, with jumbo numerals, phone signaller, under-the-pillow shaker (a vibration pad), and a strobe light.  Its alarm can give off up to 95 decibels (adjustable).  You can choose any combination of the alarm signals to wake up to (sound, shaker, strobe light, flash).  You can also connect your phone to the back of the clock, and it will start flashing for the hard of hearing.

For other alarm clocks for hardy sleepers, see the Clocky Walking Alarm Clock (Episode 306) and the Flying Alarm Clock (Episode 328).

What's Thursday got to do with it?
Leo likes Thursday because it's like the end of the week.  That makes sense, except it's Wednesday.

Sleeping Habits
Leo goes to bed around 10 pm and wake up at 6am.  Dick goes to bed between 3 and 4 am.

You say Potato, I say Potahto
Dick is reminded of a comedy show of an audition, in which a singer sings "You say potato, I say potato," which Dick thinks is a Cole Porter song.  The song is actually "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" by George and Ira Gershwin from the 1937 film "Shall We Dance?" starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

At night the Sporks pick on me ...
Virginia from California was at Taco Bell when she noticed a line on the hot sauce packet which Dick and Leo would love to see: "At night, the sporks pick on me ..."  Those poor defenceless hot sauce packets.  Who would have thought that sporks were evil?  Virginia also points out that Microsoft Word does not have the word "spork" in its English dictionary.  Leo confirms that it's not in the latest Mac 2008 Word either.  Dick and Leo are justifiably peeved over this glaring omission.

Listen to Episode 508
Go to TWiT
Read Dick's Write-Up