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Last post Author Topic: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?  (Read 67731 times)

mouser

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What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« on: June 14, 2008, 10:55 PM »
I'm curious to hear what gadgets and gizmos people have discovered and love.  The more unusual the better, but anything that remotely falls into this category is fine.  I've got a ton of them i'll post in a bit.

Url links and photos please!

Shades

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2008, 12:12 AM »
Where would you be without this one?

http://www.bigfun.be...e/USB+Toothbrush.htm

Have to admit...I'm not only cleaning dust from my computer  ;D

kartal

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2008, 12:38 AM »
I use

powermate http://www.griffinte...m/products/powermate (volume control, video scrubbing, brush size control in painter-photoshop etc)
wacom www.wacom.com
usb desk lamp http://www.radioshac...SB-Desktop-Lamp.html
palm treo 680 http://www.palm.com/...smartphones/treo680/
Zecar http://www.madcattoys.com/cu1027kk.html my favorite toy that I keep on my work table

and some other logitech keyboard mouse stuff
« Last Edit: June 15, 2008, 12:40 AM by kartal »

tomos

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2008, 03:16 AM »
Zecar http://www.madcattoys.com/cu1027kk.html my favorite toy that I keep on my work table

mmMMMmm,
some of his (Chico Bicalho) stuff looks like it's been communicating with the Codex Transportica

CU1029KK_larger.jpg

http://www.madcattoys.com/cu1029kk.html
Tom

cmpm

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2008, 10:01 AM »
I don't know if this fits the category.
But this printing utility is pretty cool.
If you didn't get a similar program with your printer, this is needed imo.

http://www.photopos.com/freestuff.asp

Deozaan

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2008, 10:30 AM »
This one isn't that unusual, but one of my most used "gizmos" is a Nintendo DS Lite.

But what really gets me using it a lot is a CycloDS Evolution, which lets me run homebrew games and applications on my DS. I've also dumped the ROMs and gamesaves from my original game carts and put them on there so I don't need to switch out a cart any time I want to play another game. They're all there on my MicroSD card inside the CycloDS.

DSLiteCobalt.jpgWhat are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?

evo-case-and-cart.jpgWhat are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?

mouser

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2008, 11:25 AM »
Some of my favorites that i've written about on the forum before:

Seltzer maker (gift from my father) - https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=5598.0


Dymo labeler (gift from my father) - https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=6851.0


Cordless power tools (gift from my father) - especially the surprisingly useful cordless circular saw
Screenshot - 6_15_2008 , 11_32_14 AM_thumb_ver001.png

Bic 4-color pen - discussed on forum here
bicpen.png

Wii Fit - excercise videogame and hardware (clunky but i believe this will herald in a new era of exercise videogames; i'm tempted to explore the issue of developing such software)
Screenshot - 6_15_2008 , 11_40_27 AM_thumb.png


ps. Happy Father's Day!
« Last Edit: June 15, 2008, 11:42 AM by mouser »

tomos

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2008, 02:29 PM »
Bic 4-color pen - discussed on forumurl=https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=661.0]here[/url]
hah!
so Allen isnt the only one writing non-software mini-reviews!

I didnt know those pens still existed, I used to have one when I was about 15 (ohh ... only almost 30 years ago :huh: )
Tom

40hz

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2008, 02:40 PM »
Maybe not exactly a gadget, but I can't live without these. Perfect for notes, ideas, URLs, client info, and anything else you want to remember or record when it's too much of a hassle to boot a laptop. Toss in a Pilot Dr.Grip Gel (or a Fisher Space Pen if you're an ubergeek) and you're ready for anything!

From the website (www.moleskineus.com):

]Moleskine REPORTER Style Pocket Notebook - Squared Pages (3.5 x 5.5)
The Moleskine Pocket Reporter notebooks are a new addition to the classic hardcover Moleskine Journal line of books, offering a style inspired by the journalistic tradition. The Reporter notebook has a hard cover that flips opens at the top, characteristic of reporter's notebooks.

Like the classic, black Moleskine Journals, the Reporter Notebooks are made with a durable thread-bound binding, acid-free paper and the now famous black 'moleskine' textured cover.
pad
Size:   3.5 x 5.5 inches (9 x 14 cm)
Pages:    192 Squared (graph) pages (96 leaves)
Item #:    MR712


moleskine_2003_12273402.jpg


Stick one in your back pocket and you can work on your future bestseller wherever you go!  I personally use it to jot ideas on my latest plan for world domination - bwahahahaha! :Thmbsup:
« Last Edit: June 15, 2008, 03:00 PM by 40hz »

ak_

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2008, 04:32 PM »
Damn, i already love this thread :) I even wanna buy a Powermate despite the fact that i probably wouldn't have any use for it.

Ok, first, the oldschool non-electronic ones :

tasse.jpg
Well, this is my favourite coffee mug. Why ? Because it looks good, it's the perfect size and the handle feels great. Also, you can put coffee in it and it's delicious.

poub.jpg
Yes, this is a mug too, but i don't put coffee in this one. In this one, i put rubbish. And i love it for the same reasons as the one above, more or less. I bought both of them the same day at a yard sale.

dosette.jpg
"Ok, what is that ?" you may ask. Well, first of all, i don't know about your country but in France, people are getting pretty crazy about coffee machines called "Expresso-makers". It works like this : instead of putting coffee in a filter and waiting forever to enjoy your coffee, you buy single doses (it looks like this), put one in the expresso maker and you have a delicious coffee in a minute. Pros : it's very easy, very quick and the coffee is very good. Con : buying doses is WAY more expensive than buying traditional packs of coffee. This is where the little gizmo pictured above comes and changes your life : you fill it with any kind of coffee you like and put it in the expresso maker and voilà. This is the CycloDS Evolution of coffee makers.


Pilot G-TEC-C4 = best pen ever. I draw a lot. I draw to earn money to buy food and chinese gadgets, but i also draw on my free time, in sketchbooks. This pen took casual drawing to a higher state of pleasure. You put it on a piece of paper, and it draws for you (it works with writing, too). It comes in two diameters : 0.4mm and 0.25mm. You might think it's too thin, but i love to fill pages with microscopic doodles using my 0.25 like a compulsive jerk. I think Moleskine lovers should give it a try.

ds_ooohh.jpg
I second Deozaan on the Nintendo DS Lite, i love mine too (it's covered with an aluminium case bought on Dealextreme). I use a R4 myself, not a CycloDS, and some homebrew softwares are really fantastic. Here's a link to a drawing i did on my DS using Colors.


4-in-1 Stylus Pen : first, i bought it partly because the idea of a "all-in-one" ridiculous pen made me smile. But now, i find myself using the pen to write some quick stuff, playing with the laser when i'm bored, switching the light on to look for stuff in my bag and use the stylus with my DS when i'm tired of the small stylus. It's cheap, it comes with two sets of batteries.

That's it for now ! :)
« Last Edit: June 15, 2008, 05:24 PM by ak_ »

Fedorov

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #10 on: June 15, 2008, 05:13 PM »
Nintendo DS with the CycloDS - thanks for the info about that Colors app, my daughter loves drawing and will love this!

iPod Touch has to be my favourite gadget this year easily, will probably get an iPhone 3G this year as well, although the HTC Touch/Diamond phones are looking nice as well.

Darwin

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #11 on: June 15, 2008, 06:20 PM »
I like the Moleskine 3.5 by 5.5 ruled notebook, and yes I carry one of two different Fisher Space Pens to write in them (a 2010 "Millenium" and an X-750).

scancode

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #12 on: June 15, 2008, 06:36 PM »
My favourite gadgets are:
    a) My Kingston Mini Fun USB Flash drive
    b) My Microwave Oven
    c) An alarm clock that plays "Grease - You're the one that I want" :)

cranioscopical

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #13 on: June 15, 2008, 10:16 PM »
Having  been a bit of a gadget guy all my life I was surprised to find that I don't have anything recent -- gee I must be older than I thought  :(

I do like these for the workshop.
REclamp.png
They're clamps that contain rare-earth magnets. Turn the knob to "on" and the clamp locks to any ferrous surface. Flip it to "off" and it's free.
Ideal for workshop jigs.  Great for the bandsaw and the table saw.  (No good for aluminum tables, obviously.)

Two sizes that exert 95 lb and 155 lb of force respectively.

(Lee Valley has a bunch of interesting gadgets)

Oh, I do like the 'computer' that runs the sprinkler system for the gardens, we have eight large-area impulse sprinklers and our first year in this house we were actually turning them on and off by hand -- that got old in a hurry!

Target

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #14 on: June 16, 2008, 12:58 AM »
I do like these for the workshop.
-cranioscopical (June 15, 2008, 10:16 PM)

cool!! sadly I don't seem to be able to access that site - I can get the home page but nothing else...

there's a chance of a cross over here - old HDD's are (apparently) a source of these rare earth magnets - you probably won't get 100lb's out of them and you can't 'turn them on & off', but they might be useful (but mind you're fingers!!!)

Deozaan

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #15 on: June 16, 2008, 01:04 AM »
This is the CycloDS Evolution of coffee makers.

Ha! I get it! Homebrew. ;D :Thmbsup: :P

justice

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #16 on: June 16, 2008, 08:33 AM »
The office favorite: Aaron's Thinking Putty.

Changes color,
hides markers,
containes mice,
takes imprints of equipment,
counters RSI,
bounces off the wall
and pops bubbles.

And that's just what we came up with. I'm considering copies for my colleagues. They're great birthday / christmas presents too.

40hz

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #17 on: June 16, 2008, 09:56 AM »
I like the Moleskine 3.5 by 5.5 ruled notebook, and yes I carry one of two different Fisher Space Pens to write in them (a 2010 "Millenium" and an X-750).

Bravo! I use an X-750 myself.

Heard an interesting (possibly apocryphal) story about that pen. Seems that sometime in the early 90's, some NASA types were visiting the Russians and made a present of one of these pens to the head of the Russian space program. The Americans were gratified to see he was quite impressed. In passing, one of the Americans proudly told him that the pen cost about $1 million to develop. Story goes the Russian just shook his head in wonder and asked how they could justify such an enormous expenditure for a pen. When asked what the Russians used to write in zero-G he told them "We issue each of our Cosmonauts a box of No.2 lead pencils and one of those twisty-sharpeners that have a little clear box to collect the shavings."

« Last Edit: June 16, 2008, 09:58 AM by 40hz »

Edvard

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #18 on: June 16, 2008, 10:39 AM »
My favorites happen to be stuff I can build myself, especially if it involves LED's or Rare earth magnets (you can get those from hard drives?! SWEET!  :tellme:):
the Joule Thief, LED throwies, etc.

In the works is a midi-to-joystick adapter (a handful of parts and some wire, really), and a telephone intercom device (turns two hardwire telephones into a simple intercom device) so my wife can call me and my son to dinner from the workshop without shouting!


Darwin

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #19 on: June 16, 2008, 11:20 AM »
"We issue each of our Cosmonauts a box of No.2 lead pencils and one of those twisty-sharpeners that have a little clear box to collect the shavings."



Sometimes the low-tech approach just makes sense!!

Edvard

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #20 on: June 16, 2008, 11:44 AM »
Heard an interesting (possibly apocryphal) story about that pen.
Apocryphal indeed; Snoped:
http://www.snopes.co.../genius/spacepen.asp

Darwin

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #21 on: June 16, 2008, 12:02 PM »
Heard an interesting (possibly apocryphal) story about that pen.
Apocryphal indeed; Snoped:
http://www.snopes.co.../genius/spacepen.asp

Ah dang... and I knew that history as well  :-[ I've purchased three Fisher Space Pens over the years and each has come with a printed booklet describing Fisher's drive to perfect the ballpoint pen...

cranioscopical

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #22 on: June 16, 2008, 01:52 PM »
"We issue each of our Cosmonauts a box of No.2 lead pencils..."

My wife presented me with one of those zero-gravity writing devices. "Happy Birthday!", she said. 
Mine was custom made for the occasion, I think -- it even had HB imprinted on it!

40hz

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #23 on: June 16, 2008, 05:14 PM »
Heard an interesting (possibly apocryphal) story about that pen.
Apocryphal indeed; Snoped:
http://www.snopes.co.../genius/spacepen.asp

Forward's Law: never let the facts get in the way of a good story.
(at least it's called that on the  Ask Dr. SETI website )

Thanks. It always sounded too perfect a yarn to be true.

And a special thanks to Edvard for letting me know about www.snopes.com! What a fantastic resource.  8) Maybe we sould start a thread on Favorite Tech Tales & Memes?
« Last Edit: June 16, 2008, 05:16 PM by 40hz »

Darwin

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Re: What are your favorite gadgets and gizmos?
« Reply #24 on: June 16, 2008, 05:29 PM »
Forward's Law: never let the facts get in the way of a good story.[/i][/b][/color]
(at least it's called that on the  Ask Dr. SETI website )

Heh, heh, and I've heard a variant attributed to T.H. Huxley, in reference to, er, someone or other who's name escapes me, who he described as defining "tragedy" as a good theory destroyed by fact.