Friday, July 29, 2005

Sling Media :: What is it

Sling Media :: What is it:

The Slingbox is a compact and elegantly designed, state-of-the-art electronic device that connects to the back of your TV. It redirects, or “placeshifts,” the TV signal from your cable box, satellite receiver, or digital video recorder (DVR) to your computer or laptop of choice, no matter your location — so long as you have a high-speed Internet connection. This utterly unique device will transform the way you watch TV. Whether you want to watch your soaps in the laundry room, or catch the big game during a conference call, or watch your local news from China, the power is now in your hands.

Boing Boing: Promise TV -- PVR records a month's worth of shows from all channels

Boing Boing: Promise TV -- PVR records a month's worth of shows from all channels:

Of all the amazing and wonderful things I saw this weekend at London's OpenTech conference, none came close to the stupendous Promise TV box. This is a home-built personal video recorder made out of commodity PC components (primarily a LOT of high-capacity hard-drives).

What the Promise does is grab the entire broadcast TV multiplex -- all the channels being broadcast in the UK -- slices them up according to the free, over-the-air electronic programming guide, and stores an entire month's worth. Why program a TiVo to get certain shows for you when you can record every single show on the air, all at once, and then use recommendations, search, a grid, or any other means you care to name to figure out which of those thousands and thousands and thousands of hours of programming you want to watch.

The promise.tv team have produced a breadboard prototype and a single, product-like box that looks like the kind of thing you might stick under your TV. They've put up a placeholder site to collect email addresses of people who want to find out more when they do a more formal launch. I've just signed up -- I can't wait to see more of this. I'd buy one in a hot second. Link

Rubik's Cube


LK09072005, originally uploaded by seafoam.

Ubersite - 46 Things That Never Happen on STAR TREK

Ubersite - 46 Things That Never Happen on STAR TREK:

1. The Enterprise runs into a mysterious energy field of a type that it has encountered several times before.
2. The Enterprise goes to check up on a remote outpost of scientists, who are all perfectly all right.
3. The Enterprise comes across a Garden-of-Eden-like planet called Paradise, where everyone is happy all the time. However, everything is soon revealed to be exactly as it seems.
4. The crew of the Enterprise discover a totally new lifeform, which later turns out to be a rather well-known old lifeform, wearing a silly hat.
5. The crew of the Enterprise are struck by a strange alien plague, for which the cure is found in the well-stocked sick-bay.
6. An enigmatic being composed of pure energy attempts to interface to the Enterprise's computer, only to find out that it has forgotten to bring the right leads.
7. A power surge on the Bridge is rapidly and correctly diagnosed as a faulty capacitor by the highly-trained and competent engineering staff.
8. A power surge on the Bridge fails to electrocute the user of a computer panel, due to a highly sophisticated 24th century surge protection feature called a "fuse".
9. The Enterprise ferries an alien VIP from one place to another without serious incident.
10. The Enterprise is captured by a vastly superior alien intelligence which does not put them on trial.

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Home

Home:

At Amusing-Auctions.com were are doing everything possible to find the most bizarre, intersting, cool, and weird auctions on the net. Whether it's ebay, Yahoo!, or uBid.com, we want to find the most interesting auctions around and put them right here on Amusing-Auctions.com

If people are saying, 'Who would buy that?', then it belongs on Amusing-Auctions.com!

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Amazon.com: Books: How To Gamble At The Casinos Without Getting Plucked Like A Chicken

Amazon.com: Books: How To Gamble At The Casinos Without Getting Plucked Like A Chicken

I don't know anything about this book, I just happened to like the title.

How To Gamble At The Casinos Without Getting Plucked Like A Chicken, by James Harrison Ford, gives easily understandable, expert advice on Casino Gambling in a light-hearted manner. It advises readers on which games give them the best possibilities and how to play them correctly.

It covers all major casino games: Blackjack, most Video Poker varieties, Craps, Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Slot Machines, Keno, Big Six Wheel, Roulette, Sports Book, Caribbean Stud Poker, Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, War and several miscellaneous promotional games. It also contains explanations of Gambling Systems, the House Percentage, Probability and Possibility, Gambler's Ruin, and Money Management.

Not only does this book give clear, concise advice on the best games to play and how to play them, it unequivocally points out which games should be avoided so you don’t get plucked like a chicken.

Monday, July 25, 2005

MobileRead Networks - How does Plucker (free) compare to iSilo (commercial)?

MobileRead Networks - How does Plucker (free) compare to iSilo (commercial)?:

Some of you may ask why to pay money for an offline browser if there is a free solution available. Indeed, Plucker is a candidate to be taken serious in the Palm world. But how does it compare to iSilo, which is in the eyes of many, including myself, the currently best available offline browser & reader for the Palm?

Instead of just giving a subjective account I've tried to spend a little bit more time with both programs and to analyze their strengths and weaknesses.

So here we go...

Feel free to post your comments

PS: This is my first review. If you find anything wrong with it, please contact me. We all make mistakes, right?

Loco Moco : Cheap Eats

Loco Moco : Cheap Eats:

This is actually a “Hawaiian” dish that I’ve been eating for a long time (my dad’s side is from Kona). I think they’ve always sold it over there, but recently there has been a huge influx of Hawaiian BBQ restaurants into the area where I live. This is the latest fad in California (and a few other Western states); everyone and their mom wants to open one of these Hawaiian BBQ deals (a big chain that came over from Hawaii is called L&L) nowadays because they have been making a huge amount of money, primarily because people on the Atkins diet can gorge themselves off the meat heavy menu.

Not every Hawaiian BBQ chain sells Loco Moco, but most have something similar. So what is in this “crazy booger” of a meal? Why, it is a veritable layered heart attack on a plate. The usual consists of 2 scoops of Japanese sticky rice on a plate. Layer on TWO grilled or fried hamburger steaks, then add TWO fried eggs on top, and then douse the whole thing with artery clogging brown gravy. Sometimes there is a scoop of macaroni salad on the side. Whew, I rarely finish the whole thing when I eat it at a restaurant; it’s just too much.

The Impulsive Buy » Jerky By Art Habanero Beef Jerky

The Impulsive Buy » Jerky By Art Habanero Beef Jerky:

Wind, rain, sleet, or snow will not prevent a postal worker from delivering the mail. Those things also will not prevent my mouth from burning after eating the habanero beef jerky from Jerky By Art.

Impulsive Buy reader Chuck was kind enough to send me a package of habanero beef jerky. I think he sent it because he’s a sadistic bastard, but then again, I’m a masochistic bastard, so I was happy to receive it.

I believe the only way you can tell if something is really spicy is if it goes in spicy and it comes out spicy. Using this criteria, the Jerky By Art Habanero Beef Jerky was definitely spicy.

The Impulsive Buy » Harry Potter Bertie Bott’s Beans

The Impulsive Buy » Harry Potter Bertie Bott’s Beans:

So I grabbed a black pepper, booger, earthworm, dirt, ear wax, grass, sardine, soap, spaghetti, spinach, and vomit jelly bean, headed towards the bathroom, and kneeled over the toilet. For two minutes, I prepared myself for the concoction I was about to put into my mouth.

“How bad it could be?” I thought to myself. After all, I’ve recently stuck mint flavored condoms, habanero beef jerky, and potato chips made with Olestra into my mouth, so a few abnormal jelly beans shouldn’t be so bad. Then I took a deep breath and slammed the handful of jelly beans into my mouth.

About one second and one chew later, I violently spit out the jelly beans into the toilet. The spitting was closely followed by several dry heaves. The dry heaves were closely followed by tears in my eyes.

KokuZ Wood Mouse Pad (The future is wood)

The Gadgeteer - KokuZ Wood Mouse Pad

Like I was telling one of my friends, "the future is wood".

kokuz-wood-mousepad3

The entire surface of this mouse pad is extremely smooth and soft. There were no rough edges or splinters to be found. The finish is what I believe to be a hand rubbed finish. It isn't shiny as you would see with a varnished peice of wood.

Spending close to $50 on mouse pad is something that not many of us would do. But if you happen to have a surplus of disposable cash and appreciate the look and feel of a handmade wood product, then the KokuZ Mouse Pad is definitely something you should consider for your desk.

++ Pimp That Phone | Welcome to Pimp That Phone! Four Contestants, Four Phones, One Big Prize. ++

++ Pimp That Phone | Welcome to Pimp That Phone! Four Contestants, Four Phones, One Big Prize. ++:

We took four heavyweights from the digital art and design worlds, gave them a bottom-of-the-line touchtone phone, and challenged them to transform it into the 'uberphone'. Watch their progress as they go head-to-head in the ultimate nerd deathmatch, and then cast your vote on the most tricked-out phone.

Apple - Discussions - ibook smell

Apple - Discussions - ibook smell:

ibook users are stinky

I am getting a funky smell coming from my keyboard. I have cleaned the board with some canned air but it still stinks. It doesn't smell like anything burned but more like body odor (yeah, I know, 'eww'). I keep my computer pretty clean and I bathe regularly, so I don't know what it can be. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Friday, July 22, 2005

mustang: Java SE 6 Snapshot Releases

mustang: Java SE 6 Snapshot Releases:

To allow developers to review and contribute to Mustang (Java SE 6), Sun is releasing weekly snapshots of the complete source, binaries and javadoc for Mustang. These snapshot releases let you see the raw guts of Mustang as it is being developed.

AdSense Optimization Tips (from google)

AdSense Optimization Tips (from google):

Google recently held a webinar for AdSense publishers. They gave out some adsense optimization tips that they have gathered over the past few years. The transcript is pretty lengthy, so here's the summary:

Adventure Quest RPG

Adventure Quest RPG:

Battle On!

AdventureQuest is a free, lunch-break-sized RPG that you can play daily using your web browser. We are adding new things every week! Join us in shaping the direction of this campy yet addictive role playing game. Create a free account and play!

$1M a year in Google Adsense (or why 2,739 is my favorite number) - The Jason Calacanis Weblog - calacanis.weblogsinc.com _

$1M a year in Google Adsense (or why 2,739 is my favorite number) - The Jason Calacanis Weblog - calacanis.weblogsinc.com _:

If back in September when we started playing with Google Adsense someone told me it would turn into a $1M a year business I would have laughed. A million bucks without a sales person? Give me a break!

However, yesterday we broke our $2,100 record with a $2,335 day. That’s an impressive number I know, because if we can take that number to $2,739.72 we’re at—wait for it—$1M a year.

For some perspective, take a look at some averages:

January we did $580 a day on average. March was a $737 a day average. May was a $1,585.57 average.

Now, before you get too excited let me tell you we’ve got 103 bloggers on the payroll and nine staffers here at Weblogs, Inc. We’re a big, little company… so to speak. Plus I gotta pay for Peter Rojas’ gadget habit (let’s just say it ain’t pretty)!

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Brighthand — Sony Rumored to Be Developing New Ultra-Portable PC

Brighthand — Sony Rumored to Be Developing New Ultra-Portable PC:

Despite withdrawing from the handheld market, Sony has continued to make the U series of ultra-small computers.

Despite their minuscule size, these run a full version of Microsoft Windows.

The original U series models were essentially tiny laptops, with a clamshell design and a built-in keyboard.

The more recent ones, though, have eschewed the keyboard and used a tablet configuration.

According to Handtops.com, Sony is rumored to be working on a new U series model that will be a hybrid of the two designs.

Supposedly, the upcoming model will have a clamshell configuration, with a keyboard on one side and the screen on the other. However, the screen will be able to twist around and then be closed down over the keyboard, allowing this device to be used in tablet mode.

There's no word on a release date or a price, but similar devices typically start at about $2,000.

Print Version - Department of Environmental Protection Urges That Fire Hydrants Remain Closed

Print Version - Department of Environmental Protection Urges That Fire Hydrants Remain Closed:

Commissioner Emily Lloyd of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection urged New Yorkers today to not open fire hydrants illegally during the current heat wave. Hydrants can be opened legally with a free, City-issued spray cap.

“Hydrants are for fighting fires, and should be used responsibly,” said Commissioner Lloyd. “Illegally opened hydrants can lower water pressure, causing problems at hospitals and other medical care facilities, and hindering fire-fighting by reducing the flow of water to hoses and pumps. Also, children can be at serious risk, because the powerful force of a open hydrant without a spray cap can push them into oncoming traffic.”

The penalty for opening a hydrant without a spray cap is $500. To report illegally opened hydrants or other water or sewer complaints, call the City’s 24-hour help line at 311.

Hydrants can be opened legally if equipped with a City-approved spray cap. One illegally opened hydrant wastes up to 1,000 gallons of water per minute, while a hydrant with a spray cap only puts out around 25 gallons per minute. Spray caps can be obtained by an adult 18 or over, free of charge, at local firehouses.

Features of The Teastick

Features of The Teastick

the teastick: as tasteful as your tea

scoop it slide it steep it

A contemplative toy that gently rocks as it infuses clouds of flavor before your eyes. This is what happens when designers and connoisseurs meet for tea.

  • Ultimate infuser for tea enthusiasts
  • Intuitive "scoop-slide-steep" functionality
  • Reflects the aesthetic of traditional loose tea service
  • Durable enough for industrial use
  • No breakable mechanisms
  • Constructed entirely of stainless steel
  • Holes small enough to infuse the finest of teas
  • Optimum flow for perfect steeping
  • Tea fill-line incorporated into design
  • Fits nicely into glasses and mugs
  • Ideal for a 10-14oz perfect cup of tea

Troubleshooting browser hijackings

Troubleshooting browser hijackings:

There are many people who have helped this FAQ improve over time - MVPs and newsgroup users. I thank all of you who have made the newsgroups, anti-malware websites and dedicated mailing lists into such a wonderful resource.

Read the advice at my prevention link to reduce the chances of your computer being infected.

Before trying to remove spyware:

Back up all essential data.

Download the recommended software (points 1 to 8 below)

After all software has been downloaded, installed and updated disconnect the computer from the internet and/or any network to which it may be attached.

The software you should download and have ready to use is:

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

VoIP on a bike | InfoWorld | Column | 2005-07-19 | By Ephraim Schwartz

VoIP on a bike | InfoWorld | Column | 2005-07-19 | By Ephraim Schwartz

30OPreality2

VoIP on a bike A bicycle-powered, Linux-based VoIP system brings developing communities into the 21st century

Reality Check, By Ephraim Schwartz July 19, 2005

A bicycle-powered, Linux-based VoIP system: not your usual high-tech architecture. But what if you were one of the more than 1 billion people living without electricity? No power, no phone.

The mission of Inveneo, a nonprofit group of inveterate high-tech adventurers, is to bring developing communities that never reached a 20th century level of infrastructure into the 21st century. Its bicycle-powered system brings not just VoIP but also e-mail and Web browsing to remote areas, using a combination of Linux and the Asterisk (Overview, Articles, Company) open source PBX.

Inveneo puts everything together with off-the-shelf hardware that is low-cost, easily replaced, and — it is hoped — easy to troubleshoot and fix. It uses Wi-Fi networking to route traffic to a central hub with existing phone infrastructure, with a range as far as 100 miles.

Slim Konica Minolta DiMAGE X1 boasts 8 Megapixels - infoSync World

Slim Konica Minolta DiMAGE X1 boasts 8 Megapixels - infoSync World:

An 8-Megapixel CCD, slim body, 3x optical zoom lens, anti-shake and a 2.5-inch LCD are key ingredients in Konica Minolta's newest compact digital camera, the DiMAGE X1.

Delivering the slimmest camera yet in its DiMAGE X series, Konica Minolta has announced the 20 mm thin DiMAGE X1. Incorporating a range of high-end functions, the camera is based around a 1/1.8-inch CCD with a resolution of 8 Megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens, featuring Konica Minolta's CxProcess III image processing technology running in tandem with electronic image stabilization.

At 95 x 68 x 19.5 mm and 135 g sans battery and media, the DiMAGE X1 contains the entirety of its lens mechanism within the body, offering a 7.7-23.1 mm focal range and an aperture of f3.5-3.8. With a start-up time of approximately 0.9 seconds, the camera sports a five-point autofocus in either spot or wide mode with the option of focus locking as well as ± 2EV exposure correction for the camera's auto exposure function.

SeV T-Shirt

SeV T-Shirt

It's a good idea, but you think it would have been in a few other colours like yellow, blue or red. And why 100% cotton, I think it would be better if it was a wicking fabric or at least a 97% cotton & 3% lycra/spandex combination. Although it's reasonably priced at the current introductory price of $19.99 I still can't help but think it looks a little like an undershirt. Another suggestion would be to make it in a V-Neck instead of a crew neck.

tshirt

Reviewed on the gadgeteer

The SeV T-Shirt is an engineering masterpiece! Scott struggled to incorporate the Technology Enabled Clothing® (TEC) concept into this wardrobe staple, making sure that putting a device in the pocket didn't pull the neck or irritate body parts. The result is the highest quality t-shirt you'll own! The patented Personal Area Network (PAN) enables you to put a device in the pocket and wire it to the single ear loop. The pocket is designed to hold most personal electronic devices.The metal zipper pull with subtle SeV log identifies you as a truly connected person! The neutral ash gray color goes with everything. Don't mistake this for any other T-Shirt you own. Machine washable.

Google Moon - Lunar Landing Sites

Google Moon - Lunar Landing Sites:

In honor of the first manned Moon landing, which took place on July 20, 1969, we’ve added some NASA imagery to the Google Maps interface to help you pay your own visit to our celestial neighbor. Happy lunar surfing. More about Google Moon.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Logitech Products > iPod/MP3 Accessories > Logitech® Wireless Headphones for iPod

Logitech Products > iPod/MP3 Accessories > Logitech® Wireless Headphones for iPod

7567
7651

Listen to your music in style—no wires attached! Logitech´s Wireless Headphones for iPod® use advanced Bluetooth™ frequency hopping technology for interference free, crystal clear audio. Digital wireless technology provides over 30 feet of range, and rechargeable batteries can play up to eight hours per charge. These headphones include a wireless adapter that snaps onto your iPod or iPod mini, plus integrated controls so you can adjust the volume, play, pause, or select tracks without touching your iPod. The power of wireless audio is in your control with Logitech´s Wireless Headphones for iPod.

eBay item 5789263206 (Ends 20-Jul-05 14:15:15 BST) - Death Star Home Cinema Subwoofer

eBay item 5789263206 (Ends 20-Jul-05 14:15:15 BST) - Death Star Home Cinema Subwoofer

1c_12_sb

What is it ?

When Darth Vader decided to take over the universe, he decided he needed a really big gun.... a really very big gun indeed, a gun so big it could destroy an entire planet in a single shot. With this in mind he built the Death Star, witnesses at the time often confused it with a small moon, so you get some idea of it's size... and colour.

In my batchelor days I decided I needed a subwoofer for my lounge, a subwoofer so powerful it could loosen fillings, shake out the colesteral from my arteries and generally make a lot of noise. It seemed to me that the Death Star, ignoring the weakness that ultimately lead to it's complete destruction, was a pretty good design... so I made my own (with a lot of help from my then housemate).

I'm no longer a batchelor, I no longer live in a detached house in the middle of nowhere, so the subwoofer is offered here for sale.

IntelliJ IDEA :: Features in IDEA 5.0

What's New in IntelliJ IDEA 5.0:

The most intelligent and usable IDE is a whole lot smarter and friendlier. IntelliJ IDEA 5.0 introduces several hundred new features and enhancements, both large and small, all with JetBrains' famous attention to detail. Combined with the enhanced Open API plugin architecture and the new Plugin Development Kit, IntelliJ IDEA 5.0 raises the bar yet again.

Monday, July 18, 2005

Omnia House Numbers 4" "3" in Polished Chrome - ( OMN-15035 )

Omnia House Numbers 4" "3" in Polished Chrome - ( OMN-15035 )

myknobs_1850_337458269

After hand polishing and high buffing, a hard and transparent lacquer is baked on to each solid brass piece.

  • Height: 4'
  • Width: 1 5/8'
  • Projection: 1/4'
  • Finish Shown: Polished Chrome

Frequently Answered Answers about the Optimus keyboard

Frequently Answered Answers about the Optimus keyboard

Update on the Optimus Keyboard

optimus_photoshop

keyb_002

It's in initial stage of production

We hope it will be released in 2006

It will cost less than a good mobile phone

It will be real

It will be OS-independent (at least it can work in some default state with any OS)

It will support any language or layout

Moscow is the capital of Russia

Each key could be programmed to produce any sequence

It will be an open-source keyboard, SDK will be available

Some day it will be split ('ergonomic')

It will most likely use OLED technology (e-paper is sooo slow)

Our studio is located two blocks from the Kremlin

It will feature a key-saver

Keys will use animation when needed

It has numeric keypad because we love it

There's no snow in Moscow during Summer

It will be available worldwide (why not?)

OEM will be possible (why not?)

AnandTech: An In-Depth Look at 4 Ultra-compact Digicams

AnandTech: An In-Depth Look at 4 Ultra-compact Digicams:

Final Words Throughout our time with these 4 cameras, it became very clear that the strongest performers were the Canon SD400, Nikon S1, and Sony T33 (we'll get to the Olympus IR-300 in a bit). These 3 cameras were very competitive with each other in numerous aspects. In terms of speed and responsiveness, the Canon SD400 and Sony T33 were incredibly impressive. Both had very fast startup and cycle times. In addition, both cameras proved to have outstanding battery life. With respect to image quality, both the SD400 and T33 had the highest resolution capability. Bringing the Nikon S1 back to the discussion, all three cameras proved to have very good auto-focus and shutter lag performances. In addition, all three cameras have AF-assist lamps for focusing in inadequate lighting. Both the Canon SD400 and Nikon S1 have very good continuous drive modes. Also, they are the only cameras in the group with manual white balance as an option. In our field test with these three cameras, the Canon SD400 produced the best looking images. Next in line was the Nikon S1, which did a decent job reproducing fine details, but had a fuzzy quality to some of its images. The Sony T33 had rather average image quality, but its images were frequently characterized by fuzzy details.

The reason why we have been delaying the discussion of the Olympus IR-300 is simply because it is so different from the other three cameras. More specifically, it is not really on par with the other cameras. Although it is not an absolutely horrible camera, it is nowhere near as good as the other ones in this review. To begin with, it is the slowest camera out of the bunch in nearly every respect. It takes a bit over 4 seconds to start-up and take a picture, nearly a full second to focus and take a picture, and had some of the slowest cycle times out of all 4 cameras. In terms of resolution ability, the IR-300's performance is on the low side of average. However, its real image quality issues stem from the over-compression of its images. This results in jaggies and JPEG artifacts. Some of the other issues that we experienced with the IR-300 had to due with its lack of features. For example, the camera does not offer ISO control, manual white balance, or an AF-assist lamp. In addition to the absence of these still image features, the IR-300 has an outdated video mode offering a maximum resolution of 320x240 at 15 fps. We should remind you that the Nikon S1 does only a bit better than this. The S1 offers video at 640x480, but only records at 15 fps.

Another important thing to keep in mind when comparing these cameras is build quality. Both the Canon SD400 and Sony T33 have a solid metal body and feel well-constructed. The Nikon S1 and Olympus-IR 300 are made of plastic. The Olympus IR-300 lens makes a very audible noise whenever it zooms in or out. This, in combination with the plastic body, makes it feel poorly-constructed when compared to the sturdy build quality of the Canon SD400 or Sony T33. When we look at the prices of these cameras, the Canon SD400 is the most expensive at approximately $355. The Nikon S1 and Sony T33 are priced around $330. The most affordable camera of the bunch is the Olympus IR-300 at approximately $305. Considering that there is only a $25 difference between the Olympus IR-300 and the Nikon S1/Sony T33, we feel that there is no reason to even consider the IR-300. We were most impressed with the Canon SD400 because it consistently showed some of the best performance and image quality out of all 4 cameras.

Ten year-old becomes Microsoft engineer - vnunet.com

Ten year-old becomes Microsoft engineer - vnunet.com:

Arfa Karim Randhawa, aged 10, has become the youngest person to be certified as a Microsoft engineer.

Jim Shawn, shop clerk and the world's most evil person, sells Peruvian street performers the largest speakers on the market

Jim Shawn, shop clerk and the world's most evil person, sells Peruvian street performers the largest speakers on the market.

EE17072005

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Technics SA-DX930 Reviews

Technics SA-DX930 Reviews
Reviewed by: F.E., Audiophile, from KANSAS
Price Paid: $400 at BEST BUY
Product Model Year: 2000
Summary: *** TECHNICS SA-DX930 AND SA-DX940 OWNERS PLEASE READ, THIS MIGHT ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS!! ***

HELLO,

I'M BACK, I HAVE A COUPLE OF ANSWERS FOR THE SA-DX930 AND SA-DX940 RECEIVER OWNERS. I,VE BEEN AN ELECTRONICS TECH. FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND I HAVE SEEN THE TWO MODELS ENOUGH TO KNOW THEM PRETTY WELL. I LIKED THE SA-DX930 ENOUGH TO USE SEVERAL AS TECH. BENCH RECEIVERS. I WILL TRY TO ANSWER A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS PEOPLE HAVE. I READ IN ONE OF THE REVIEWS, THAT SOMEONE HAD HEARD OF A SA-DX930 (OR SA-DX940)THAT HAD "MELTED" FROM THE HEAT. I CAN'T SEE THAT HAPPENING (IT WAS EITHER STRUCK BY LIGHTNING, IN A FIRE, HAD THE VENTS BLOCKED, HAD MAJOR SHORTED OUT SPEAKERS, SOME OTHER "EXTREME" THING HAPPEN OR THE STORY WAS STRETCHED A LITTLE!). I WILL TRY TO SEPERATE "FACT" FROM "FICTION".

FAN TIPS: THESE UNITS ARE MADE SO THEY CAN RUN "HOT" AND BE TOTALLY RELIABLE AND SAFE. IF YOU GIVE THEM AN INCH OR TWO OF "BREATHING" ROOM ABOVE THEM, YOU SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM. I LIKE TO PUT RECEIVERS ON THERE OWN SHELF, BECAUSE IF YOU STACK TWO OR THREE UNITS ON TOP OF EACH OTHER IT BECOMES LIKE AN OVEN (DVD PLAYERS, CD RECORDERS, ETC.. CAN RUN A LITTLE "HOT" ALSO, THAT MAKES IT LIKE STACKING THREE "HOT" COALS TOGETHER). AS YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW BY NOW, MOST TECHNICS AND PANASONIC RECEIVERS (AMPS, INTERGRATED AMPS, ETC..) HAVE FANS THAT ONLY COME "ON", WHEN THE MUSIC IS "LOUD" (THE VOLUME KNOB TURNED TO APPROX. THE 10 OCLOCK POSITION (THE EXACT POSITION DEPENDS ON THE AMOUNT OF "BASS", SOURCE (CD, TUNER, ETC...), SPEAKER SIZE, ETC...)). AS I SAID IN MY FIRST "REVIEW", SINCE MY TECH. BENCH RECEIVERS AREN'T TURNED UP VERY LOUD FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME AND THEY ARE ON ALL DAY, I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO RUN "HOT". ANYHOW, I LIKE PLAYING WITH THINGS AND I STILL THINK A UNIT WILL LAST LONGER IF IT'S NOT "HOT" AT ALL, SO I ADDED FANS TO THEM.

RECEIVER# 1). I MOUNTED THE ORIGINAL FAN INSIDE THE RECEIVER ON THE "HEATSINK" (THERE IS A PLACE TO MOUNT THE FAN ONTO THE "HEATSINK", ON THE LOWER PRICED MODELS THE FAN IS MOUNTED INSIDE THE RECEIVER). I ORDERED ANOTHER FAN (WITH THE 2 SCREWS) FROM TECHNICS AND MOUNTED IT ONTO THE BACK OF THE RECEIVER. I WIRED IT INSIDE THE UNIT TO A 12 VOLT (9.2 VOLTS TO BE EXACT) SOURCE AND RAN IT TO A SWITCH THAT I MOUNTED ON THE BACK OF THE UNIT. RECEIVER 1 IS LOCATED CLOSE TO ME AND I CAN HARDLY HEAR THE FAN.

RECEIVER# 2). I MODIFIED A COMPUTER FAN BRACKET AND MOUNTED A RADIO SHACK 120 VOLT FAN ON IT. I PUT LITTLE FEET ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BRACKET AND I SAT IT ON TOP OF THE UNIT (THE FAN IS BLOWING DOWN). I PLUGGED THE POWER CORD INTO THE "OUTLET" ON THE BACK OF THE RECIVER (THAT WAY IT GOES "ON" AND "OFF" WITH THE RECEIVER). THIS WAS BY FAR THE EASIEST WAY TO COOL THE UNIT (IT ONLY TOOK 10 MINUTES TO DO ALL OF THE WORK, RECEIVER 1 TOOK ME TWO HOURS!). RECEIVER 2 IS SITTING HIGH UP ON A SHELF. A BAD THING ABOUT THE FAN BLOWING DOWN INTO THE RECEIVER IS THAT IT'S BLOWING DIRT INTO THE RECEIVER. THE 120 VOLT FAN KEEPS THE UNIT "COOL" TO SAY THE LEAST, HOWEVER IS WAY TO "LOUD" FOR A HOME SETTING!

RECEIVER# 3). I DID THE SAME THING I DID TO RECEIVER 1, ONLY I WIRED THE FAN ON THE BACK OF THE RECEIVER TO A ADJUSTABLE RADIO SHACK DC ADAPTOR (3 VOLTS, 9 VOLTS, 12 VOLTS) AND PUT THE DC ADAPTOR ON THE 9 VOLT SETTING (AS YOU ALL ARE FINDING OUT, THAT AT 12 VOLTS THE FANS ARE WAY TO "LOUD") I PLUGGED THE DC ADAPTOR INTO A POWER STRIP (THE FAN IS THE ONLY THING PLUGGED INTO THE POWER STRIP, SO I CAN TURN THE FAN "ON AND "OFF" WITH THE POWER STRIP). RECEIVER 3 IS LOCATED NEAR ME, AND I CAN HARDLY HEAR THE FAN.

FAN CONCLUSION: FOR EVERYONE "STACKING" A SECOND FAN ONTO THE BACK OF THE RECEIVER, JUST WIRE IT TO A 9 VOLT DC ADAPTOR(YOU CAN HURT SOME 12 VOLT FANS RUNNING THEM UNDER THE 9 VOLTS!) AND PLUG THE ADAPTOR INTO A POWER STRIP, AND YOUR DONE! MAKE SURE THE SECOND FAN IS BLOWING "OUT" OF THE UNIT, LIKE THE FACTORY FAN. YOU DON'T WANT THE FAN BLOWING IN FOR TWO REASONS (1. IT GET'S THE INSIDE OF THE UNIT DIRTY 2. YOU DON'T WANT THE FACTORY FAN TO COME ON AND THE TWO FAN'S TO BE BLOWING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS). PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK, "WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BLOWING THE AIR "INTO" THE UNIT (FROM THE BACK OF THE RECEIVER) AND BLOWING THE AIR "OUT" OF THE UNIT (FROM THE BACK OF THE RECEIVER)". THE DIFFERENCE IS, IF THE UNIT IS IN A CABINET FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS MORE DIRT AT THE BACK OF THE RECEIVER THAN AT THE TOP OF THE RECEIVER WHERE THE VENTS ARE. IF THE RECEIVER IS ON A TABLE FOR EXAMPLE, YOU ARE PROBABLY GOING TO KEEP THE TOP OF THE RECEIVER CLEANER THAN YOU WOULD THE BACK OF THE RECEIVER (THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES!). MAKE SURE YOU TURN THE FAN "ON" AND THEN YOUR RECEIVER "ON" NEXT SO THAT YOU DON'T GET A LOUD "POP" OUT OF YOUR SPEAKERS (THAT COULD DAMAGE THEM!). WHEN YOU ARE DONE LISTENING TO YOUR RECEIVER, TURN THE RECEIVER "OFF" FIRST AND THEN TURN THE FAN "OFF" NEXT.

AS FAR AS THE DTS MODULE MODIFICATIONS, THE "NEWER" SA-DX930'S AND ALL OF THE SA-DX940'S SHOULD HAVE THEM DONE FROM THE FACTORY (INCLUDING THE 1.6 AMP FUSE). MOST OF THE PROBLEMS PEOPLE ARE SAYING WERE CAUSED BY THE RECEIVERS "OVERHEATING" (LOW OUTPUT, "SOURCES" BLEEDING INTO EACH OTHER (FOR EXAMPLE: YOU CAN HERE THE RADIO WHILE LISTENING TO THE CD PLAYER, ETC...)), WERE THE RESULT OF THE 1 AMP FUSE BLOWING! THE RECEIVERS WERE DESIGNED WITH TOO SMALL OF A FUSE, THAT IS WHY THEY WENT TO THE 1.6 AMP FUSE.

AS FAR AS THE UNITS GOING INTO "OVERLOAD". AS THE RECEIVER MANUAL SAYS, "IF EVEN ONE OF THE SPEAKERS BEING USED HAS AN IMPEDANCE UNDER 8 OHMS, PRESS AND HOLD DOWN EITHER (A) OR (B) FOR 4 SECONDS OR MORE TO SET THE IMPEDANCE ON THE MAIN UNIT TO "LOW" ". AS YOU MIGHT KNOW, SPEAKERS (A) AND (B) ARE BOTH "FRONTS". IF YOU USE (A) AND (B) WITH A TOTAL OF 4 (8 OHM) SPEAKERS, THAT IS A 4 OHM LOAD (PER CHANNEL)! IF WHILE USING (A) AND (B) ONE OF THE "PAIRS" OF SPEAKERS ARE 6 OHMS OR LESS, THE UNIT WILL GO INTO "OVERLOAD". SOME BRANDS OF SPEAKERS (CERWIN VEGA, BOSE, INFINITY, ETC..)USE RATINGS ON SOME OF THERE SPEAKERS THAT SAY "8 OHM COMPATABLE", SOME OF THESE SPEAKERS ARE 4 OHMS! YOU HOOK UP 4 CERWIN VEGA SPEAKERS THAT SAY THEY ARE "8 OHM COMPATABLE" AND THERE REALLY 4 OHM SPEAKERS, THAT'S A 2 OHM LOAD! IT IS POSSABLE IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM AND YOU HAVE EVERYTHING WIRED CORRECTLY THAT YOU HAVE A "BLOWN" OR "SHORTED" SPEAKER. IN SOME "RARE" CASES, THE RECEIVER COULD HAVE A "BLOWN" AMPLIFIER OR SOME OTHER PROBLEM.

SPEAKER IMPEDANCE RATINGS PER THE MANUAL:
FRONT A OR B 4 - 8 OHMS
A AND B 8 OHMS
CENTER 8 OHMS
SURROUND 8 OHMS

IN CONCLUSION, THE TWO RECEIVERS ARE'T BAD FOR THE MONEY. I LIKE THAT THE RECEIVERS STILL HAVE A "TAPE" MONITOR BUTTON ON THEM (THIS CAN BE USED TO HOOK UP AN EQUALIZER, DYNAMIC RANGE EXPANDER, ETC...). WITH THE EQUALIZER YOU CAN "EQUALIZE" ANY NON DIGITAL SOURCE (CD PLAYER (IF YOU HOOK IT UP THROUGH THE "ANALOG" RCA INPUTS INSTEAD OF THE "DIGITAL" INPUT), VCR, PHONO, ETC... WHEN USING THE RECEIVER IN THE MULTI CHANNEL (DOLBY DIGITAL OR DTS) MODES, THE EQUALIZER WON'T BE BEING USED (FOR THIS PURPOSE, YOU DON'T NEED AN EQUALIZER). WHEN USING THE CD PLAYER FOR EXAMPLE, THE MUSIC SOUNDS MUCH BETTER (ANALOG)THROUGH AN EQUALIZER, THAN JUST STRAIGHT DIGITAL!!! THIS IS WHY IF YOU USE A DVD PLAYER TO PLAY AUDIO CD'S, YOU HOOK UP THE "DIGITAL" CONNECTIONS (FOR "DIGITAL" AND MULTI CHANNEL FUNCTIONS LIKE A DVD MOVIE, "DIGITAL" CABLE, ETC..) AND THE "ANALOG" CONNECTIONS (FOR "STEREO" PLAYBACK OF A CD THROUGH AN EQUALIZER). FOR THE PEOPLE THAT SAY THAT "DIGITAL" RECEIVERS ARE SO "CLEAN" SOUNDING THAT THEY DON'T NEED AN EQUALIZER TO SOUND GOOD WHILE PLAYING A CD, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT AN EQUALIZER DOES AND DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT! IF YOU DON'T USE A EQUALIZER, THEN LISTEN TO THE CD THROUGH THE "DIGITAL" INPUTS. I LIKE THE SA-DX930 HAVING BOTH "OPTICAL" AND "COAXIAL" DIGITAL INPUTS ALSO...

PANASONIC MAKES A RECEIVER MODEL# SC-HT280 THAT IS SIMILAR TO THE TECHNICS SA-DX930 AND SA-DX940. AS YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW, TECHNICS AND PANASONIC ARE OWNED BY THE SAME COMPANY. THE TECHNICS SA-DX930 AND THE SA-DX940 HAVE A FEW THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT ABOUT THEM (THE SA-DX930 HAS THE "COAXIAL" AND "OPTICAL" DIGITAL INPUTS, THE SA-DX940 ONLY HAS "OPTICAL" DIGITAL INPUTS, FOR EXAMPLE). THE PANASONIC SC-HT280 IS SIMILAR TO BOTH OF THE TECHNICS RECEIVERS. WHILE THE TECHNICS RECEIVERS ARE BOTH 100 WATTS X 5, THE PANASONIC SC-HT280 IS 100 WATTS X 6 (IT HAS 1 EXTRA OUTPUT (AMPLIFIER) FOR POWERING A "NON" POWERED SUBWOOFER (IT ALSO HAS THE RCA OUTPUT FOR A "POWERED" SUBWOOFER)). LIKE THE SA-DX940, THE PANASONIC DOESN'T HAVE "COAXIAL" DIGITAL INPUTS, IT ONLY HAS "OPTICAL" DIGITAL INPUTS.

SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DONE "REVIEWS" ON THE SA-DX930 AND THE SA-DX 940 ARE ASKING FOR A RECEIVER THAT THEY PAYED BETWEEN $100.00 - $400.00 FOR, TO SOUND AND HAVE FEATURE'S OF A $600.00 - $1,000.00 RECEIVER. YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT OTHER BRANDS RECEIVERS IN THE $100.00 - $400.00 RANGE. FOR THIS PRICE RANGE, I WOULD PICK THE TECHNICS AND PANASONIC RECEIVERS IN A HEARTBEAT!

GOOD LUCK,

J.E.

Strengths:
DOLBY DIGITAL, DTS, TAPE MONITOR AND COAXIAL AND OPTICAL DIGITAL INPUTS ** GREAT RECEIVER, FOR THIS PRICE RANGE! **


Weaknesses:
SEE SUMMARY!


Similar Products Used:
PANASONIC, SONY, PIONEER, KENWOOD, JVC

Technics SA-DX930 Reviews

Technics SA-DX930 Reviews:

Reviewed by: Steve, Audio Enthusiast, from Pennsylvania

Product Model Year: 1999

Summary: Fixing the blown fuse problem is not difficult, no soldering is required. Here are specific instructions for replacing the fuse, use at your own risk: 1. Unplug the unit! 2. Remove the 6 screws holding the top (and sides) on. 2 large headed philips screws are on each side, and 2 small headed philips screws are on the back at the top. 3. Remove the top. 4. Looking in from the front, on the left side is the power supply. Locate the 4 glass fuses [==], one is one the bottom, the other three are on the top hanging down from the board. 5. On my system, the blown fuse was hanging from the top, and was the closest fuse to the side of the unit. Remove the blown fuse from the clips holding it. Don't touch anything else! 6. Go to your local Radio Shack and buy a replacement fuse of the same size, but with a 1.6 amp rating. I believe the part number is 27-1051. 7. Clip your new fuse in, put the top back on, screw back the 6 screws in. 8. Plug it in and enjoy!

Now let me rant a little about the other reviews that claim there is a heat problem.

The heat that this puppy generates is normal for recievers of this class and power rating. When you crack the unit open you will find an elaborate aluminum heatsink system that funnels all the heat out a relatively small vent. With all the heat venting from one spot, gee, it gets hot, that's how it's supposed to work, DUH! Touching other areas of the reciever, such as the sides, and it will be barely warm. If the heat of the unit does get too high there is a termally activated fan that will kick in and cool it down.

Do not block the top vent, and be sure to place the reciever in a location where the heat can dissapate. This advise is true for all recievers in this class and not specific to the SA-DX930.

Except for the fuse blunder, this is a decent system for the money.

Steve

Strengths: cooling system, cranks out good volume, DD and DTS build in

Weaknesses: No s-video, no 5.1 inputs, no bananna plugs

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

New IE plug-in aims to speed Web searches | Tech News on ZDNet

New IE plug-in aims to speed Web searches | Tech News on ZDNet:

A free plug-in released Wednesday for Internet Explorer allows users to mouse over Web search listings for an instant view of the content rather than having to wait for the full page to download.

Styled Checkboxes

Styled Checkboxes:

To solve the javascript issue the styled form controls needed to be dynamically inserted into the page using a javascript. No javascript, no change. Original experiments with innerHTML and regExp failed miserably and proved inelegant. However I am still using innerHTML to produce the styled buttons in Internet Explorer.

To solve the CSS problem the styled form controls needed to be invisible with CSS disabled, and likewise the unstyled controls needed to be visible. This was achieved by hiding the unstyled controls with CSS and using a plain Anchor with background images to act as the new control.

To solve the accessibility issues the Anchor comes into play once more. Because it is an Anchor it can be tabbed into and manipulated with keyboard commands and/or clicked.

Inhabitat: faucet lit with temperature sensitive LED

Inhabitat: faucet lit with temperature sensitive LED: hansa4
hansa2

Spotted on Mocoloco, Germany's Hansa has come out with these futuristic bathroom fixtures. The metal spigot has the top portion removed, creating a visible canyon for your water to run through. As if these rectangular minimalist fixtures weren't beautiful enough, they also feature temperature sensitive LEDs lining the walls of the canyon, which illuminate the water in different colors depending on the temperature of the water (red=hot, pink=warm, blue=cold). Not that anyone really needs colored light help to discern the temperature of running water — but it is a cool feature none-the-less. Who knows, maybe it could help prevent those nasty surprises you sometimes get when washing your hands or stepping into the bath a little too quickly.

Engadget - www.engadget.com

Engadget - www.engadget.com:

American broadcasters have agreed to get out of the analog TV business on January 1, 2009, paving the way for an auction of the analog spectrum that may raise as much as $30 billion. Meanwhile, lawmakers continue to battle over plans to subsidize analog-to-digital converters for consumers. Up to 15% of households continue to get their TV signal via over-the-air broadcast signals, and they will need to either upgrade to cable, get digital TVs or buy converter boxes — estimated to cost $50 — to continue watching television after analog signals are shut down.

mozdev.org - diggler: index

mozdev.org - diggler: index:

Diggler is a small but powerful add-on for Firefox and Mozilla. It adds a menu button next to the address bar with actions relevant to the current URL, for example to step out to the parent directory, or to visit the equivalent ftp URL, or to visit the site in archive.org. A single click on the menu button also clears the location bar (much like the one in Konqueror) - useful for keyboard free browsing.

AnandTech: Summer 2005 16x DVDR Roundup

AnandTech: Summer 2005 16x DVDR Roundup

Anand likes the not yet available BenQ DW1640.

Final Words What makes a DVDR drive perfect? Well, for one, it has to be able to write to just about any media that we throw at it and then read it back without a hitch. A perfect write should have no PI/PO(DVDR) or C1/C2(CDR) errors on it when read back with PlexTools.

So, what makes a DVDR drive acceptable, a great deal, better than the rest? The ideal, best drive out of a group should be able to write to high quality media without any problems, and should be able to read back a disc to which it wrote in the first place. It should have no problems reading a disc unless it reports a successful write incorrectly. This is what we saw in our benchmarks today. There were a few drives like the Toshiba SD-R5372 and LG GSA-4163B that could write a disc 'successfully', but not read it back with its own laser.

Half of these drives failed to even see Ritek brand RW media, which cannot be caused by a bad batch of media. Sony's DRU-720A wrote to them perfectly, but even its disc had a good number of PI errors. We were really dissapointed in the NEC ND-3540A's performance when compared to drives like the BenQ DW1640, but hopefully their performance will improve as their BIOS matures.

The only drive we saw that could write to the majority of discs and quickly at that was BenQ's DW1640. It had a

MSN: Turkish shepherds stunned after flock of 1,500 sheep leaps off cliff

Sympatico / MSN Health & Fitness : News : Turkish shepherds stunned after flock of 1,500 sheep leaps off cliff

Crazy sheep think they are lemmings...

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - First one sheep jumped to its death. Then stunned Turkish shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while they had breakfast, watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each leaping off the same cliff, Turkish media reported Friday

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Google Toolbar for Firefox Beta

Google Toolbar for Firefox
Google Toolbar BETA for Firefox
	SpellCheck
Check your spelling whenever you type in web forms
	AutoLink (US only)
Turn street addresses into links to online maps
	AutoFill
Automatically fill out forms for faster online shopping
	WordTranslator
Translate English words into other languages

Anything But iPod - MobiBLU DAH-1500 Review

Anything But iPod - MobiBLU DAH-1500 Review

mobiblu-dah-1500-hold-thumb

I was intrigued by the claim of the MobiBLU DAH-1500 of being the “smallest MP3 player”, so I picked one up just to see how small it was. Plus I needed something for the gym and I felt my Samsung YP-T6 wasn’t small enough.

The player comes in a tiny cubic package measuring 24 x 24 x 24 millimeters and weighs 18 grams or just under one square inch and about 0.64 ounces. (…or four sugar cubes and five eights, for the stoners) The player has an FM radio and supports MP3 and WMA files. The MobiBLU DAH-1500 comes with a USB connection cable, headphone necklace, program CD, user guide, and protective case.

MediaMan Central: Product Overview

MediaMan Central: Product Overview
Courtesy of a comment from the Delicious Library post. Looks really cool.
mediaman-screenshot-1-m

MediaMan let you create and organize your own media catalog for free. MediaMan is capable of managing all kinds of media in your collection, including books, DVDs, CDs, VHS tapes, software and game titles.

Import items to your collection by downloading information from Amazon United States, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Canada, and France. Use the webcam barcode scanner to make the process even faster. Item status management let you keep an eye on the lent items, and never pay extra for the rented ones. All items can be divided and re-divided into nested categories according to your wish. And finally, the collection can be exported for printing or synchronizing with your PDAs.

Monday, July 11, 2005

FlatOut PC Review

FlatOut PC Review:

To sum up then, I strongly feel that FlatOut is one of the best, if not the best racing game I have ever played. It must be worrying for the developers that if they ever decided to make a sequel there would be no area they could improve on greatly. Therefore it is essential that people go out there now and buy it to reward Bugbear for this gem.

Friday, July 08, 2005

Amazon.com: MIRACOOL MAT - KEEP YOUR DOG COOL WHEN IT'S HOT - MEDIUM - 24 X 20

Amazon.com: Kitchen & Housewares:
MIRACOOL MAT - KEEP YOUR DOG COOL WHEN IT'S HOT
MEDIUM - 24 X 20

B0009P42IM.01-AT97RPJ3TKOEY._PE51_SCMZZZZZZZ_

Miracool Mats - A Cooling Pad Is A Necessity On Hot Days. This unique pad helps keep dogs cool on hot summer days and insulates dogs from cold floors in the winter! Water-activated crystals keep mat cool for days with one 30-minute soaking in cold water. Immerse in hot water for 30 minutes to keep pet warm. Available in the sizes listed below. Reusable thousands of times. Available in the following Sizes: Small 18 x 14 **** Medium 24 x 20 **** Large 36 x 26 *** This listing is for the size in the listing title. Other Sizes are available through our Amazon Store.

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Delicious Library

Delicious Library

Delicious-Library

Maybe there is a good thing about owning a mac...

Get your Mac, a webcam, and Delicious Library and rediscover your home library. Just point any FireWire digital video camera, like an Apple iSight™, at the barcode on the back of any book, movie, music, or video game. Delicious Library does the rest. The barcode is scanned and within seconds the item's cover appears on your digital shelves filled with tons of in-depth information downloaded from one of six different web sources from around the world.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

The Grand List of Console Role Playing Game Cliches

The Grand List of Console Role Playing Game Cliches
larp

There are few people who love a good console RPG more than I. Games like Final Fantasy, Grandia, and Skies of Arcadia set a standard of majesty and wonder and immersion that American game designers struggle, and usually fail, to match. And yet, as I play the latest masterpiece to come out of Japan I sometimes can't help the feeling that, somehow, I've seen it all before... WARNING! There are spoilers in here for many popular CRPGs. I mean, duh

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Dial Complete - Foaming Hand Lotion - Hand Soap Pump

Dial Complete - Foaming Hand Lotion - Hand Soap Pump

dc_foaming_lotion

This is great stuff. I've seen the foaming soap in some washrooms and think it's the bee's knees. Yes, it's just soap, but for some reason I like the foaming suds and it even comes in a seafoam-ish color. On top of that it cheap, around $2 at Walmart. What's not to like?

Just press the top and out comes a nice lather of soap instead of liquid. I guess it doesn't get much lazier than this unless you have someone else to lather up and wash your hands for you.

I rate it as 5 out of 5 suds.

New Dial Complete� Foaming Lotion Hand Wash gently cleanses hands with a thick, rich foam that feels like a lotion. Dial Complete� Foaming Lotion Hand Wash helps soothe dryness after repeated uses and leaves hands feeling soft and smooth.

Monday, July 04, 2005

ELSEWARES � Keyboard Magnets

Keyboard Magnets
TT_002_n

Keyboard Magnets

This ingenious set of small magnets is made from letters and/or numbers from repurposed PC keyboards. Each set contains approx. 11 magnets and comes packaged in a recycled Altoids tin.

Price $15.00

ELSEWARES � Futura Cufflinks

Futura Cufflinks
SIMP_003_lg1

Futura Cufflinks

These cufflinks break a long tradition of annoyance and time wasting. They press into place in a second and are easily removed, thanks to a rather ingenius design. Stainless steel. Made in Sweden

ELSEWARES: Flatlinks - White

Flatlinks - White

FL_003_n

Flatlinks - White

These flat-folding, reversible cufflinks are subtle, elegant, and so unique they're patended. For men and women, available in plain sterling silver or with colored enamel trim.

Made in Italy

Price $140.00