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Phillip Crandall

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Earth-Friendly Tech Tips

by Phillip Crandall on April 22, 2008 at 01:04 PM

Environment: What can I do?
So you gave your buddy a high-five when 'An Inconvenient Truth' won some Oscars -- that's a good start. Too bad some of your favorite gadgets -- not to mention the TV you used to watch the Academy Awards -- use up a boatload of energy, even when you think they're turned off. That said, some technologies can actually help you save energy and use fewer natural resources. The convenient truth is that taking proactive steps towards living a greener life is easier than you think. Here are just a few.

Upgrade Your Lightbulbs

Don't be scared off by the high sticker prices of GE's fancy compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy than incandescents (25 percent less than halogen), last up to 10 times longer and cost between 50 and 80 percent less to use. Only candlelight is cheaper -- but that's a fire truck on your front lawn waiting to happen.
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How To Recycle Your Dead Gadgets

by Phillip Crandall on April 22, 2008 at 12:07 PM

How to Recycle Dead Gadgets
Grandmas get Boca Raton, but most gadgets aren't fortunate enough to live out their last days in the sun. According to the EPA, those electronics that don't rest in peace (or pieces) at the bottom of a drawer end up cramped in a landfill with the other 4.6 million tons of electronic waste that are dumped each year. Fortunately, there's a home for most any device to expire with dignity.


Computers

How to Recycle Dead Gadgets Most of the major computer manufacturers offer a recycling program for their own systems -- as well as their competitor's systems -- through their Web sites. At ComputerTakeBack.com, you can see each plan spelled out alongside any sweet trade-in incentives that manufacturers, and even some retailers, are offering. Just be sure to thoroughly erase the data on your hard drive, though.
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10 Dumbest And/Or Funniest USB Gadget Gifts

by Phillip Crandall on December 7, 2007 at 07:17 PM

As far as computer ports go -- and technologies in general -- USB has got to be the friendliest. Not only does it lovingly accept almost any kind of gadget imaginable, it also generously parcels out power to those gadgets so that they don't need to be plugged into a wall. As a result, it's quickly become the de facto interface for our printers, scanners, digital cameras, iPods, thumb drives and every other techno-majig we've come to rely on. However, this ubiquity and good will has led to the misuse of the USB port, which is increasingly being used to juice products that have no business being connected to a computer. In the following pages, you'll find the 10 dumbest miscarriages of the USB port we could find. These doodads are either the hilarious joke gifts for the right person, or useless wastes of plastic and metal that will go right into your gift recipient's trash bin.

Thanko USB Ashtray

Thanko USB Ashtray
Do you smoke at your desk? Do you often mix up which Red Bull can you're drinking from and which one you're ashing into? Then, it's a lucky thing there's this $16.50 ashtray, which employs a USB-powered motor to suck up the smoke from your nicotine log. Once it hoovers in your smog, the ashtray passes the smoke through two built-in filters to keep your workspace from being damaged by the very same toxins and poisons you're brutalizing your insides with.
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World's Dumbest USB Gadgets

by Phillip Crandall on October 12, 2007 at 12:26 PM

As far as computer ports go -- and technologies in general -- USB has got to be the friendliest. Not only does it lovingly accept almost any kind of gadget imaginable, it also generously parcels out power to those gadgets so that they don't need to be plugged into a wall. As a result, it's quickly become the de facto interface for our printers, scanners, digital cameras, iPods, thumb drives and every other techno-majig we've come to rely on. However, this ubiquity and good will has led to the misuse of the USB port, which is increasingly being used to juice products that have no business being connected to a computer. In the following pages, you'll find the 10 dumbest miscarriages of the USB port we could find.

Thanko USB Ashtray

Thanko USB Ashtray
Do you smoke at your desk? Do you often mix up which Red Bull can you're drinking from and which one you're ashing into? Then, it's a lucky thing there's this $16.50 ashtray, which employs a USB-powered motor to suck up the smoke from your nicotine log. Once it hoovers in your smog, the ashtray passes the smoke through two built-in filters to keep your workspace from being damaged by the very same toxins and poisons you're brutalizing your insides with.
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World's Dumbest USB Gadgets

by Phillip Crandall on October 12, 2007 at 01:20 AM

USB Absinthe Spoon

USB Absinthe Spoon
Absinthe, the potent green liquor with a rich history in French artistic circles, isn't allowed to be imported into the U.S.; That's the law. The famously elaborate spoons used in its proper preparation, however, are plenty legal. They're fashioned the way they are so that you can put sugar cube on top to pour the absinthe over in order to make it more palatable. Now, someone's gone an put a USB dongle on the end. Why? No reason. Seriously. The spoon doesn't need to be heated, which a USB port might be good for. There's even a lengthy history of the project at www.usbabsinthespoon.com, but it provides no reason at all for the USB connectivity. That's fine, but please tell us a USB spork is also in the works ...

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World's Dumbest USB Gadgets

by Phillip Crandall on October 12, 2007 at 01:18 AM



USB Noodle Strainer
Soumen is a Japanese noodle dish served cold and often topped with sauces, leeks, sesame and horseradish. If that sounds appealing to you, but you have no free outlets in the kitchen, grab your laptop and this USB-powered noodle strainer. Your laptop battery powers the flowing circulation of ice-cold water, which cools the pre-cooked soumen noodles to their desired frigid temperature. Add toppings and, voilà: You win an award for the stupidest waste of battery power ever.

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World's Dumbest USB Gadgets

by Phillip Crandall on October 12, 2007 at 01:16 AM

USB Mouse on a Bike

USB Mouse on a Bike
There's computer mice, and then there's computer mice. If you ever hope to claim carpal tunnel as a reason for staying home from work, then you're going to want to pick up this little USB-powered fitness fanatic, who pedals faster on his stationary bike the faster you type. The point? We'll have to get back to you on that ...

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World's Dumbest USB Gadgets

by Phillip Crandall on October 12, 2007 at 01:14 AM

USB Finger Dance Mat

USB Finger Dance Mat
If your chubby fingers make it hard to dial phone numbers, don't resort to buying one of those phones with over-sized buttons they make for the elderly. Instead, trim those sausages down with a little finger exercise! At first glance, this USB-powered mini 'Dance Dance' game appears to be some glorified, real-time version of Simon, with mini-lights and sounds that would only make old-school Mattel handhelds jealous. Of course, that's before you knuckle-up to the female cardboard cut-out and settle into a DDR-groove sure to burn tens of calories.

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World's Dumbest USB Gadgets

by Phillip Crandall on October 12, 2007 at 01:12 AM



Screen Smasher
Screen Smasher is like that Whac-a-Mole arcade game ... only instead of drubbing plastic pests, you get to throw your arm out by thrashing your computer and its never-ending barrage of program glitches and fatal errors. This supposed cure for computer rage is a $20 USB foam hammer that, when whacked against your computer screen, pops up an animation simulating shattered glass. Sounds great, but there's one problem: When your computer completely freezes up -- which is what usually incites violence out of us -- wouldn't a device and program running on that computer also freeze up? Clearly this one wasn't really thought out too much before it hit market.

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World's Dumbest USB Gadgets

by Phillip Crandall on October 12, 2007 at 01:07 AM

Warmmi USB Heating Knee Pads

Warmmi USB Heating Knee Pads
An ingeniously simple solution for chilly Internet-surfing conditions, these $20 leg warmers toast your lower appendages through the magic of USB. They're perfect for flying, too. Why go through the trouble of fetching your laptop bag out of the overhead bin to power these babies instead of cuddling up to a free, easy to reach blanket? Lice, baby! Sadly, there's no included software for programming these warmers with your optimal leg-heat sweet spot. And, in case you didn't catch on to the sarcasm, let us spell it out for you: This is the stupidest product we've ever seen. Or is it? We've still got six more to go!

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World's Dumbest USB Gadgets

by Phillip Crandall on October 12, 2007 at 01:01 AM

Shenzhen Sunstars Alarm Clock and Letter Opener Finally, your crippling fears of paper-cuts, oversleeping and port shortages have been cured with one gadget. Hailing from Hong Kong, this bizarre product is 1) a four-port USB hub 2) an alarm clock and 3) a letter opener. Though thoughtful, it's obvious the USB extras are just thrown in there because there was room. It's the other two ... Read more »
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10 Ultimate Cubicle Gadgets

by Phillip Crandall on June 19, 2007 at 09:50 AM

Eikon Digital Privacy Manager Why remember your mother's maiden name when you get just give password-askers the finger? Upek's $40 print-reader provides easy access to your password-protected sites and, unlike many digit-scanners, it can be used in browsers that aren't named Internet "Easy Target" Explorer. Like Firefox, thankfully. << Back Start Over >> ... Read more »
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10 Ultimate Cubicle Gadgets

by Phillip Crandall on June 19, 2007 at 09:43 AM

Adesso AKB-230W Science has ruined our pre-lunch Pop-Tart by confirming that over 400 times more germs live on our desk than on our toilet seat. A sure way to combat this grossness is by using this $35 indestructible keyboard; it's dustproof, waterproof and 100-percent washable, thus completely impervious to that pre-lunch Yoo-hoo we're sure to spill. << Back Next >> ... Read more »
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10 Ultimate Cubicle Gadgets

by Phillip Crandall on June 19, 2007 at 09:34 AM

Avixe Q Dive into the Internet phone movement with style! Combining speakerphone, webcam and stand-alone mic, the (other) Q makes using Skype's video services as easy as connecting one stylish unit into a USB port. Hey, it might look like a bent-over dog's behind, but your cubicle needed a conversation piece anyway. << Back Next >> ... Read more »
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10 Ultimate Cubicle Gadgets

by Phillip Crandall on June 19, 2007 at 09:22 AM

Visomate Vision and Posture Reminder Unless Mom pays you to be her personal assistant, your boss probably doesn't nag you much about your bad computer posture -- that doesn't mean you shouldn't be mindful of it. Propped on your PC, this $26 ultrasonic sensor lets you know whether your back, neck and eyes are at a proper position and distance from the computer. Red light means you're too ... Read more »
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