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Get Cash and Credit for Your Old Gear

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jan 18th 2008 at 4:15PM

Get Cash and Credit for Your Old Gear
If you're anything like us, you've probably got a house or apartment filled with obsolete gadgets and computer gear. Pretty much your only options until now have been eBay or garbage. Dealing with customers on eBay can be difficult, and shipping large equipment is expensive and inconvenient, while throwing out some of your gadgets is not only wasteful, but may be illegal depending on what you're tossing.

According to CNN (which just published a nice roundup on what to do with your old gear), TechForward Inc. is trying to get American consumers used to the idea of temporary ownership. For a small fee -- $9 on an iPod at the time of purchase -- you'll be able to send your gear back to TechForward for cash. Granted, at $40 for a year-old iPod ($20 for 2 years, etc.), you could do better on eBay, but TechForward will provide you with packing materials and pay for shipping and handling. Plus, you don't have to worry about checking feedback or having strangers from CraigsList showing up at your place.

New Co. is also trying to get eco-friendly and breathe new life into old gear. The company runs the warranty programs for BestBuy and Wal-Mart, and will be launching ecoNew in those stores in the second quarter of this year. Unlike TechForward, New Co. charges no fee, and no shipping. Instead, you'll deliver your old equipment to a participating outlet and receive store credit for it, though estimated prices weren't available. Some of your dust-gathering gear may not be eligible for ecoNew however. Non-LCD monitors, printers, and cell phones are not eligible for either credit or New's free recycling program.

From CNN

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Survivor Tech: Gadgets That Can Save Your Life

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jan 10th 2008 at 11:57AMFeatured Story



If you've turned on the Discovery Channel at all in the last year you might have noticed that survival is quite the draw. The popularity of shows like 'Survivor Man' and 'Man Vs. Wild' is not only drawing viewers to Discover, though, it's also helping draw attention to an entire cottage industry of gear designed to help you avoid the very situations (read: deadly ones) we love to watch Bear Grylls stick himself in.

Well, the gadget industry has always catered to those in dicey and potentially lethal situations, but we've noticed a certain proliferation in survival gizmos this year at CES. Check out some of our favorites in the following pages.

World's First Remote-Control Beer Cooler

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jan 6th 2008 at 4:12AM

Deliver Drinks From Across the Room With the RC Cooler
If you wander by the Interactive Toy Concepts booth at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, there is a good chance you'll be greeted by a friendly bump from a drink (beer) bearing device called the RC Cooler. The RC Cooler is exactly what it sounds like -- a radio-controlled cooler.

The soft-sided, collapsible cooler sits atop four wheels and a radio receiver powered by eight "C" batteries (which will survive only three hours of constant use). The round gray plastic remote takes a single 9-volt battery that shouldn't need to be swapped out nearly as often.

After beating back the CES-show-floor-gawkers who were trying to get a good shot of this thing, we were able to get a good look have to admit we were smitten. Yes, it's silly, but it seems to handle well, which makes it really useful for lounge-chair potatoes who like to party!

Now, when you're lounging poolside at your barbecues, you won't have to get up and fetch a beer or hand one over to a friend. Just send out the RC Cooler with a full load of 12 beverages, while you sit back and relax with the remote. The RC Cooler will be available in the Spring, for $49.99, just in time for the lazy host in all of you to pick one up for the first pool party of the season.

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Presidential Hopefuls Reveal Their Favorite Tech Toys

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Dec 21st 2007 at 3:04PM

Presidential Hopefuls Reveal Their Favorite Tech Toys
We all know our presidential candidates must be carrying some serious techage with them. The Associated Press, of course, just simple had to know, which candidates prefer which gadgets.

But leave it Asylum to try and figure out what it all means. Mike Huckabee, former Republican Governor of Arkansas, prefers his bass and amp? Well, that means he could never be President. Asylum asks: "Can you imagine a President John Paul Jones or Bill Wyman?" Clearly the answer is no. And what of Hillary Clinton's choice of the iPod? It's a safe and middle of the road choice, just like everything else she does!

The survey of 12 to 17 year old boys and girls turned up some shocking information -- teens still prefer a good Joking aside, those menchildren over at Asylum might be on to something here. What does it mean that New Mexico Governor and Democratic hopeful Bill Richardson gave props to his "Crackberry?" Does it mean that Mr. Richardson is more current on his tech news and jargon? And what of Rudy Giuliani's response? The former mayor of New York City loves his CD player. Does that mean that a Giuliani presidency won't be able to acknowledge technology that came out after 1999?

What do you think? Can the candidates responses to the favorite gadget question give us insight into how they and their administration would be run?

From Asylum and the Associated Press

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10 Great Gadgets Gifts for Your Co-Worker

by Phillip Crandall, posted Dec 1st 2007 at 4:28PM


Milton from 'Office Space' had his coveted red stapler. Dwight Schrute from 'The Office' has his Dwight Schrute bobble-head doll. What have you pimped your cube with -- one of those horrible inspirational posters that reads something soul-crushing like, 'Excellence,' 'Success' or 'Opportunity'? Lucky for you, we've compiled a list of the 10 ultimate cubicle gadgets no worker should toil away without. And now's the perfect time to give these useful and sometimes amusing doodads as gifts, given that December is upon us and the "Secret Snowflake" office party frenzy is only just beginning. The gadgets on the following pages are guaranteed to either make you or your co-workers more productive, or make the day go by faster. And away we go!

10 Ultimate Cubicle GadgetsPersonal Air Conditioner
The only boss who spends money during the summer is George Steinbrenner. When yours switches off the A/C early to cut costs, be ready with your own $25 handheld climate controller. Just two D batteries stand between you relaxing, and you sweating like Britney's custody lawyer.

Little Rubber Ducky Computer Mouse

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Nov 28th 2007 at 12:57PM

Rubber Ducky You're the One, You Make Computer Time So Much Fun
When we think about our mice (not the breathing kind, but the computer kind), we all agree on one missing element -- a little floating rubber duck. This novelty peripheral from the folks at Uncommon Goods is pretty much your standard optical mouse: It has two buttons, a scroll wheel, and a design that makes it frustratingly difficult to find a comfortable position to hold it, but then there's the issue of the small yellow ducky, which floats and shifts around in some liquid at the bottom of the mouse every time you point and click. It's an adorably entertaining and differentiating feature that made us want to give this thing to everyone we know. Just try not to get too distracted by the little guy and accidentally click on that add for penis enlarging supplements. Little rubber ducky, you're the one, you make computer time so much fun!

From Popgadget

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Top Tech for Tykes

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Sep 20th 2007 at 3:30PM

Top Tech for TykesTo help you get Junior's tech addiction jump started early, our friends at Geek Sugar have compiled a list of some of their favorite kid gadgets.

Most of the gear seems aimed at girls (this did come by way of Geek Sugar, after all): There are lots of pinks, purples and glitter. Highlights include the Firefly children's cell phone (pictured), which can dial only three numbers -- mommy, daddy, and 911 -- and allows parents to maintain tight control over incoming calls. Also on the list is the Sansa Shaker. This small (in size and capacity) MP3 player lets the kiddies skip tracks by shaking the device, which is sure to keep them entertained for hours.

Check out the rest of the list at Geek Sugar.

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Electronics Causing Teenagers to Get "Junk Sleep"

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Aug 28th 2007 at 12:22PM

Teen Junk Sleep
Teenagers can sometimes be a miserable bunch. According to British researchers, that may have something to do with a lack of quality sleep. The culprit of this "junk sleep?" Electronics, of course.

According to a survey done by The Sleep Council, a full 30 percent of children between 12 and 16 years old only get 4-7 hours of sleep a night as opposed to the recommended 8-9. Almost 25 percent said they fell asleep more than once a week watching TV, listening to music, or using some other personal electronic device.

Nearly all of the respondents had a phone, TV, or stereo in their rooms, with roughly two thirds having all three. 40 percent of the kids complained that they were tired every day, with 15 and 16 year-old girls making up the largest segment of tired kids.

Dr. Chris Idzikowski of the Edinburgh Sleep Center said, "Teenagers need to wake up to the fact that to feel well, perform well and look well, they need to do something about their sleep."

From I4U News and Reuters

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Five Gadgets for Lefties

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Aug 13th 2007 at 4:01PM

Top 5 Lefty GadgetsFor lefties, the tech world can be tough. Catholics, for example, think you've got the devil in you. Older folks might remember being forced to switch writing hands in school. The Inuits would have thought you were a sorcerer. Even the English word 'sinister' is Latin for left.

Meanwhile, gadgets -- mice, keyboards, phones, game controllers -- seem to have a thing against southpaws as well. Tech Digest has been kind enough to compile a list of five southpaw friendly gadgets like the Virgin Mobile-branded Sony Ericsson LH-Z200, a mobile phone with the key pad flipped around for left-handed convenience. There's even a left-handed Swiss Army Knife. Check out the link for the rest of the left-friendly items.

From Tech Digest

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Top 25 Tech Inventions of the Last 25 Years

by Terrence O'Brien, posted May 21st 2007 at 4:12PM


USA Today is running a series of top 25 lists in honor of its 25th anniversary. Their list, "25 Years of 'Eureka' Moments", is a collection of the top 25 inventions of the last 25 years. All the usual suspects are there: Cell phones, laptops, DVD's, iPods, salad in a bag ...

Wait... salad in a bag? Anyway, other items include Karaoke, The StairMaster, and Purell hand sanitizer for the hypochondriacs and obsessive compulsives.

Of course, we can't leave this one alone, so here are some additional eureka moments from the editors of Switched:

  • The GameBoy: The original GameBoy sold over 70 million units and brought us solid portable gaming.
  • GPS for the masses: Sure, GPS has been around for a long time, but the death of the map on the back seat is upon us, and our safety/sanity/trees thank us.
  • Voice Mail: Remember tape-based answering machines? Yeah, we're trying to forget as well.
  • MP3s: Say what you want about the iPod, but if it wasn't for the tiny MP3 file, we'd never be able to carry 5,000 songs in our pocket.
  • eBay & PayPal: That junk in your garage? Someone's willing to pay for it on eBay. Trust us.
  • Wi-Fi: Wireless Internet was the final step toward making laptops truly portable.

From USA Today

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