The Modern Materialist : tech

Remember Where You Were

Shaun Seneviratne — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:26:00 GMT

[photo via forestgladesiwander's Flickr]

You're bound to see awesome things when you go camping, but you don't go camping every day. You may go back once a year and that awesome spot you found may not be quite where you thought it was.

Never lose that spot again:

The Garmin Oregon 550 takes pictures (3.2 megapixels) and geotags them into your GPS so you can always find that amazing spot again. Now your friends won't just think you were tripping on mushrooms every time you try to explain that majestic waterfall in the meadows.

[$500, Garmin]

[Via DVICE]

When They Were Young

Steph Auteri — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:19:00 GMT

Forever ago, I found myself creeped about by this headless-dog speaker system.

But today, I was lucky enough to see a pic of them before they were all growed up (and decapitated):

[$40]

Find out more about these puppy speakers here.

[Via Gizmodo]

Technology Kicks Acne Ass

Shaun Seneviratne — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:36:00 GMT

[photo via slopjop's Flickr]

Y'know what sucks? Being nearly 24 years old and still occasionally getting acne. What the hell?! It only happens when I'm stressed and not getting enough sleep. Unfortunately, stress pimples are the worst kind of acne! They hurt, usually pop up in more than one place, and you can feel it growing under your skin into a big, ugly, puss-y mess.

If you've tried everything else, then the phrase "fire in the hole" may prepare you for this:

Zeno is an electronic device, not a scrub, cream, of cleanser. Much like your body's response to a virus is a fever, Zeno uses heat to destroy the pimple.

Basically, the heat causes a "heat-shock response in p. acnes, the bacteria causing at least 90% of blemishes."

To use this all you have to do is: turn it on, wait for the light, apply the heated tip (don't worry, it's not too hot and adapts to the heat absorption characteristics of your skin) to the pimple and wait for the indicator to let you know when to let up. Results show that 90% of blemishes fade or disappear in 24 hours.

Thanks to John for the tip!

[$100, Amazon]

Pool Sharks: Prepare Your Victory Dance

Steph Auteri — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:06:00 GMT

When it comes to shoving your superiority in other people's faces, there's nothing more important than having a victory dance. My personal victory dance is a mixture of the basic salsa steps, unreserved booty shaking, and hopping from side to side. Other popular forms are:

Who's Your Daddy?
Smackin' That Ass
Stir the Pot, Of Love
Hanging Out...Casual

(These, and other forms of dance, can be found here.)

Pool sharks will now have an easier time of finding their victory groove with the Debut Lunar MP3 Pool Table:

[$745, Debut]

This particular pool table — aside from looking hot — has a built-in universal media player, with controls for volume and light effects. There are also two speakers on either side of the table. Some closeup shots:

[Via Crave]

How Dirty Keyboards Get Clean

Laureen Mahler — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:22:00 GMT

[$58, Firebox]

While I love sharing my favorite product finds of the day with you guys, I also really love my SF Mission-style burritos. (I hear you don't have these on the East Coast, which makes me a little bit sad because really, they're the closest thing to heaven that culinary skills will ever produce.) But let's just say that blogging and burritos don't exactly mix, and I'm not too proud to admit that I've had my share of keyboard bean-and-salsa syndrome.

Meet the washable keyboard, a USB device that plugs into your computer and pops into the dishwasher.

This keyboard is completely waterproof and features all the elements of a standard desktop/laptop keyboard. Thanks to a fancy science-y waterproofing process dubbed Seal Shield™, this keyboard is also spill-proof, fully washable, and dishwasher safe. Plus, its laser-etched keys won't ever fade in the wash.

Somewhere, the god of burritos has just smiled upon me.

[via Random Good Stuff]

Sale Alert! Flip Ultra for $69.99 Plus Shipping

Steph Auteri — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:55:00 GMT

We loves us the Flip Mino, and the Flip Ultra is even more...um...ultra.The mini camcorder usually goes for $150 on the Flip website, but, for today only...

...Woot! is offering them through their site for just $69.99! Wheee!!!

Dude! Hurry up!

[Via GearCrave]

If These Walls Could Talk, They'd Be Talking Over Each Other

Shaun Seneviratne — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:06:00 GMT

[photo via vieux bandit's Flickr]

What if advertising could talk to you on the street? And I'm not talking mascots; I'm talking about the barage of posters for concerts, movies, Gatorade, pedicures, sex phone hotlines, etc. that are plastered on unfinished city walls.

Well, that may soon become a reality:

Introducing Flexpeaker, a speaker that is as thin as a piece of paper. Made by the Industrial Technolagy Research Institute in Taiwan, 8.5 x 11-inch speakers will be sold for $20. They hope to apply this to cars by next year with movie posters to follow. (This would've been cool when Snakes on a Plane came out. They should maybe make one for the hilarious edited version.)

The sound quality is absolute crap; but I'm sure no one would notice (afterall, we are a nation that is used to crappy sound, courtesy of the iPod earbuds).

Here's Flexpeaker in action:

[Via DVICE]

iLuv These New Portable Speakers

Steph Auteri — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:09:00 GMT

This is what I look like when I'm alone in my apartment with the music blasting.

Sometimes I am wearing underwear.

Other times I'm wearing my Cookie Monster pants.

Someday, I'd like to take my act on the road:

[$34.99, iLuv]

The iSP100 Ultra Portable Stereo Speaker is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Plus, it comes in multiple pretty colors, but the purple is, of course, my fave.

[Via Popgadget]

Y U Should Buy This Laptop Bag

Steph Auteri — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:16:00 GMT

[Photo via]

Need a bag that will fit your laptop and all your other work-away-from-home items? Let's not go crazy. It's possible to fit everything into one, compact frame without a shitload of bulk:

[$167, hard graft]

The Y Laptop Sleeve has a y-shaped strap so that you can keep your notebooks, mags, and the like close, and a U add-on pouch for your smaller extras. A final, external leather is there for your iPhone/iPod.

[Via Holy Cool]

Quick Tip of the Day: Do As I Show

Laureen Mahler — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:34:00 GMT

This gadget is utterly, completely, and absolutely awesome. Want to know what it does? It plugs in to your computer and makes virtually anything you can think of interactive. It's called the Violet RFID, and it's a small USB mirror that responds to tiny Ztamps that can be stuck to any object; for example, you could put a Ztamp on your umbrella, wave the umbrella in front of the mirror, and the weather report would pop up on your computer.

If I had a Violet RFID (plus a whole lot of Ztamps to spare), here are the top three things that I would do:

1. Use it as an interactive cocktail coaster.

Put Ztamps on the bottoms of different cocktail glasses, then mix drinks accordingly. Program the Violet RFID to call up appropriate movie quotes based on your beverage of choice. Set a White Russian on the mirror, and the computer replies, "Nothing is fucked here, man." Or, place a shaken-not-stirred Martini on the mirror, and the computer says... Um. Let's see. What else does James Bond say?

2. Use it to order takeout.

Have multiple Ztamps appropriate to your most common food cravings. When hunger strikes, stick the appropriate Ztamp on your stomach, rub it with the mirror, and the Violet RFID orders whatever you desire, be it pizza, Chinese food, or a Palak Paneer burrito from that place around the corner. And yes, it is okay to be that lazy sometimes.

3. Let it improve your love life.

Put a Ztamp on a picture of Nathan Fillion and place it on the mirror. Program the Violet RFID to tweet you from Nathan's account with a place and time for a rendezvous. Hey, even if he doesn't show, think of those moments of anticipation... Note: any sexy celebrity of your choice could be used here. Extra note: yes, I have a huge crush on Nathan Fillion. He is one hot number. Here's proof:

Also, those last two ideas may or may not actually be possible. I'll have to check on them and get back to you.

[$60 for the Violet RFID, $20 each for Ztamps, ThinkGeek]

[via Device Daily]

Charge Everything Under the Sun

Laureen Mahler — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:34:00 GMT

There's nothing worse than being electricity-less and in dire need of a handy technological gadget. Like, for example, the time that I went camping and saw a bonafide R.O.U.S., only to discover that my digital camera was out of batteries. Granted it was dark, and the critter could have been a very fat raccoon, but you get the idea.

Now, be you in the woods or simply in the midst of a power outage, there is a solar-powered gadget charger that's compact, stylish, and jaw-droppingly versatile:

Folded up, the Solio isn't much bigger a standard iPod. But fan it out, and you've got this:

[$100, Ultimate Green Store]

A lean, mean recharging machine that comes with multiple adapters and can recharge a cell phone twice in a row, or provide enough juice for 15 hours of MP3 music. Need more awesomeness? Check out the specs:

• USB port replicator for iPhone and iPod
• adapter for most major cell phones, including Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, & Blackberry
• standard USB cable for miscellaneous gadget charging
• universal adapter so you can switch gadgets quickly and easily

With so many charging options, you might decide to forgo electricity completely.

[via My Modern Metropolis]

Downsizing: Your Camera Bag

Steph Auteri — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:06:00 GMT

Shutterbugs: Do you really want to carry around the monstrous camera bag/backpack every time you leave your house?

[$29.95, MoMA]

For those of you with simple point-and-shoots, this cute camera case matches function with style

For those of us with DSLRs (why God, why!?), this case only fits compact cameras.

Cheap Trick: Don't Steal This Laptop

Steph Auteri — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:59:00 GMT

Don't steal that laptop...it's mine!

How do people working from coffee shops handle bathroom breaks? Do they blithely leave their laptops behind while they're in the restroom? Do they use catheters?

The one time I tried working at Starbucks for an extended period of time, I just held it. It was brutal.

[$5.99, The Container Store]

Okay, so this won't protect your laptop from theft. That Laptop is Mine! is more like a pocket protector for your gadgetry, with a sleeve for your business card, a pocket for a small notebook, and a pen/pencil holder.

Dorky as hell, or incredibly smart? You tell us.

[Via Holy Cool]

Wireless Speakers That Really Travel

Steph Auteri — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:19:00 GMT

I've already purchased these travel-friendly speakers for a third of the price, but these wireless speakers from Hammacher Schlemmer really can travel:

[$149.95, Hammacher Schlemmer]

This iPod dock has portable, wireless rechargeable speakers that allow you to listen to music anywhere in your home. The speakers produce clear sound up to 120 feet away from the dock.

[Via Oh Gizmo!]

Related: Travel-Friendly Speakers

Massage Your Eyeballs

Steph Auteri — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:29:00 GMT

[Photo via]

When your eyes are at work all day (particularly if you happen to be staring at a computer screen for 24 hours straight), they can be the first part of you to get tired.

Enter the Eye Vibrato:

[$64, Amazon]

This nifty gadget soothes your eyes with settings that include heat, vibration, and light air pressure.

That sounds so...nice. My eyes are weeping in gratitude.

[Via Crave]

Related: Sleep with Your Eyes Open

HandshoeMouse Goes Wireless

Steph Auteri — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:03:00 GMT

Back in the beginning of December, I test drove the HandshoeMouse, an ergonomic mouse that cradles your hand.

Since that times, updates have been made, and a new wireless version has become available for only slightly more money ($139).

The HandshoeMouse remains the most comfortable mouse I have ever used, but I still wonder: Is the cost worth it? What additional features do you wish the mouse included?

Waiting for the Weekend

Steph Auteri — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:19:00 GMT

[Photo via]

Waiting (desperately) for the weekend? Looking for a way to make that wait seem even more excruciatingly long?

[$28, Lazybone]

A watched pot never boils, people.

Note: You'll have to wait for this clock as well, as it's not in pre-order yet. But you enjoy torturing yourself like that, right?

[Via GearCrave]

Related: New Alarm Clock Launch

Bluetooth Bracelet

Steph Auteri — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:51:00 GMT

Want to be just like Dick Tracy, without the monochromatic wardrobe?

[$65, DirectShop]

This Bluetooth wristband could do the trick!

[Via Gizmodo]

Watch Where You Headbang

Steph Auteri — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:07:00 GMT

[Photo via]

Watch where you headbang. That shit can get dangerous...

[price upon request, Castor]

...especially if you're wearing antler headphones.

[Via Apartment Therapy]

Concept: Soundshelf Does Double Duty

Steph Auteri — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:19:00 GMT

Why am I loving this shelf design from Polish designers Witek Stefaniak and Anielka Zdanowic? What makes it any different from the ones I picked up at Target just last year? (You can just see one of mine hovering in the upper left-hand corner here.)

[designboom]

The Soundshelf doubles as both a shelving unit and speakers! Please make! Me want!

[via GearCrave]

Dell's Answer to Portable Printing

Steph Auteri — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:21:00 GMT

I've mentioned the Polaroid PoGo several times in the past few months. It's an instant mobile printer that allows you to send pictures from your PictBridge-compatible digital camera, or wirelessly from your Bluetooth-enabled camera cell phone.

It seems that Dell has stepped up with a competitive product.

[$99, Dell]

The Dell WASABI PZ310 Mobile Printer, just announced today, also uses Bluetooth to connect wirelessly to a variety of devices, and there's also a PictBridge port on the side for wired printing. Each printer also ships with stick-back photo paper.

[Via Crave]

Joydick Makes Every Guy a Winner

Laureen Mahler — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:38:00 GMT

Question: What two things do guys secretly want to do all the time?
Answer: Play video games and masturbate.

That was easy, wasn't it? Let's try a harder one:

Question: What device allows both of these things to happen at the same time?
Answer:

[SF Media Labs]

The Joydick cock ring. It allows users to simultaneously masturbate and play video games via a built-in directional sensor.

And yes, there is an instructional video (NSFW-ish):

So. Ahem. When does the girl version come out?

[via Gizmodo]

I, Creepy Robot

Laureen Mahler — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:33:00 GMT

I have this recurring nightmare where a miniature version of myself chases me around, hellbent on killing the normal-sized me and leaving a wake of tiny destruction in its path. It's sort of like Child's Play meets Single White Female, and when I wake up, sweaty and terrified, my only consolation is that the technology simply doesn't exist for such a thing to become reality.

Well, crap. Now it does.

[Little Island]

Send them a photograph and a voice recording, and the Little Island company will make a creepy, probably psychotic robot version of you. Isn't the future exciting?

[via BotJunkie]

When Your Computer Starts Speaking to You...

Steph Auteri — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:01:00 GMT

...it's not always good.

(Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?)

Though sometimes...

[$120, thinkofthe]

...it's just crazy-cool. I'm thinking this falls into the latter category.

[Via The Awesomer]

Sex Tips for Long-Distance Lovers (NSFW)

Steph Auteri — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:19:00 GMT

learn to rely on a little self-love
invest in a webcam
master the art of virtual dirty talk via text message or IM
stop worrying about what he/she is getting up to over there
consider trying out one of these forms of teledildonics:

[$129.95, Sinulator]

With the Sinulator, your partner can control your sex toys over the Internet, or by using the remote control. The main package on the site includes both the remote and your typical pink rabbit pearl vibrator.

[$84.99, High Joy Products]

The iVibe Rabbit is similar to the Sinulator package, in that you can engage your partner in an online sex session at Highjoy.com.

[$69, OhMiBod]

The Boditalk is similar to the Naughtibod, previously reviewed here on MM. Except in this case, it's your phone conversation that gets you off, and not your iTunes playlist. Boditalk is activated by calls made to or from your cell phone, pleasuring you with a vibrating sequence that lasts for the entire call, making phone sex a lot more high-tech.

[$81.95, VitaMaker]

I've posted about this one before, but it belongs in this post as well. This voice-activated rabbit vibrator has voice recognition software, allowing you to record commands that correspond to certain functions. Record your loved one's voice, so that you can trick yourself into believing he's right there. Okay, I just creeped myself out.

[CuteCircuit]

And finally, we have the Hug Shirt, which is more sweet than sexy, and still a concept. You can find the huge-ass explanation on how to send hugs here.

Personal Trainer Too Personal?

Steph Auteri — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:05:00 GMT

[Photo via]

Yowza! If this guy was my personal trainer, I would love it if he whispered sweet nothings into my ear while we were doing the down and dirty...

...but if this was my personal trainer:

[$79.95, LoveTrainer]

You know what? I'm having a tough time even believing that the LoveTrainer exists. Allegedly, it keeps track of your heartbeat, and then whispers sweet, instructional nothings into your ear.

If you want to hear the LoveTrainer purr such naughties as "Following the beat, make love much harder!" and "Well done! Let's make love more regularly!"go here.

[Via Gizmodo]

Related: Test Drive: Privacy Mouse

Woofers, Tweeters, and Hooters

Laureen Mahler — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:01:00 GMT

The female form has been celebrated for ages: immortalized in sculpture, beautified in painting, and exalted in poetry.

And now you can plug your mp3 player into its crotch and listen to its boobs:

[Bob Turek]

Intriguing, but does it have a dipole setup and backup bass reflex?

[via Shiny Shiny]

Look Ma, No Wires

Steph Auteri — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:04:00 GMT

[$91.99, Buy.com]

My printer saga continues. I'm remotely connected to my husband's printer, but that connection always seems to be on the fritz. Now, hubby's on his way to Staples to pick up a new ethernet cable. Will this work??? Lord knows. Which is why a wireless printer seems to me to be the best idea in the world.

The Lexmark X6675 is an all-in-one wireless (!) printer/copier/scanner/fax machine with a ton of high-quality features. The product page lists them all.

The Little Black Book Goes Digital

Laureen Mahler — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:33:00 GMT

Things I have never done, but have seen in movies:

1. Glued pictures of people I've slept with into a journal.
2. Kept a diary of the secret trysts I've had in the tiny town where I live.
3. Written down a lengthy list of every person I've betrayed.
4. Kept a notebook of one-night stands and their rankings.

Why have I never done these things? Aside from the moral implications, the fact is that diaries just aren't password-protected. But now the Little Black Book has indeed upgraded (product + movie sources after the jump):

Introducing the iPhone app that ranks your lovers, stores their personal info, and reminds you of your next date:

[$4, Salt Lick Labs]

Yikes. Here's to things that should only happen in movies...

(Movie Sources: 1. Cruel Intentions, 2. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me [and yes, this is my second TP post this week], 3. Oldboy, 4. Carrie 2: The Rage [what? I'm the only one who's seen this masterpiece of modern film?])

A Buick of a Media Center

Shaun Seneviratne — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:07:00 GMT

[photo via]

Just as I was ranting about how things looked so much better in the 50s, British design student Thomas Thomassen designed this retro media center case!

I kind of want to go to a junkyard and decorate my room with scrap car parts now.

Here's a view of its behind:

[Via DVICE]