Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gadget

Nifty Computer-related Gift for Friend?

oracle bone — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:18:05 -0800

Gift filter: I'm looking for a nifty computer-related gift for a friend's birthday. A friend's birthday is coming up in December. She's a thoughtful girl that's quiet and shy most of the time, but has got a sense of humor. She's also into computer science. I'm wondering if anyone can suggest some nifty computer science gifts I could get her? I've thought about getting her an extremely fancy mouse, but I'm wondering if there's anything more 'personalized'/'unique' than that (as in, would not be too common place). Budget at this time is not an issue, and I'll most likely be ordering this over the internet. Please post a link if possible. Thanks for your time!

Best gadget and toys from Tokyo?

joewandy — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:17:53 -0800

I would be visiting Tokyo in three week's time. Can you tell me about any must-buy weird, cool or geeky gadgets that I could get during my time there, and where to get it ? Bonus point if it's easy to figure out even if it's in japanese, or if it has english interface, and not too expensive.

Does Zune HD have VPN connectivity option?

omaralarifi — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:13:09 -0800

Does Zune HD have VPN connectivity option as iPod touch?

What is an Intervox? Can I use it to take over the world?

agropyron — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:30:23 -0800

What is this crazy sci-fi looking device I bought at a salvage store? It has knobs, a compass, and a bizarre spinning top. I purchased The Device at a construction salvage store in Seattle today. The top part rotates, and the base has the compass points on it. The dial reads "275 ... 300 ... 325", and the two knobs at the bottom are marked "L" and "P". It's got vacuum tubes inside!

No one at the salvage place knew what it was either, and they made me promise to call back if I found out.

Photos.

DS, iTouch, or Kindle?

backseatpilot — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:18:20 -0800

I'm thinking about getting a Personal Entertainment Device of some sort or other, and I'm looking for some anecdotal experience, pro/cons, etc. from people. I've been doing a lot of traveling lately, and it doesn't show any signs of letting up - I need something to occupy myself on flights and in hotels. I have a laptop, an older iPod, and books, but I found myself watching Gran Torino three times in a row on my last transoceanic voyage after I read all my books and my batteries died.

Couple the above with a sudden gadget lust, and I've got three devices in mind: Nintendo DS, iPod Touch, or Kindle. I realize that they're all aimed at different markets/demographics, so I'm looking for any empirical evidence for or against each device, especially with regards to travel usage - cramped quarters, limited/no wifi connectivity, lack of available power outlets. Also, some specific questions:

-As an adult, "serious" gamer, am I going to be really disappointed with the games on the DS? (I do enjoy "casual" games, but I don't think I could spend seven hours on an airplane playing Peggle.)
-I see tech blogs nerdgasming over the iPhone all the time, but what about the Touch? Are there apps and "things to do" on the Touch that won't be diminished by lack of wifi?
-Are either the Touch or the Kindle really worth the price tag? I realize this is incredibly difficult to answer.
-The major pro I can see for the Kindle is not having to carry tons of books with me, but is that the only advantage? Is it going to give me eye strain like reading on a computer monitor will?

I guess the ultimate question would be - which of those three devices would you pick and why? Or is there something else out there that I'm overlooking?

Recommend me an inexpensive hi-tech jump rope.

fook — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:28:23 -0800

I'm in the market for a skipping rope or jump rope. Recommend me a high-tech jump rope, please! I love gadgets and want to buy a properly weighted jump rope, possibly with something that counts the number of repetitions, or something that tracks different cadence metrics.

Jump ropes are clearly a low tech exercise tool, but I'm looking for one that would befit somebody who doesn't have much time to exercise yet wants to repeatedly skip the latest rope technology. I've used exercise gadgets like swim stroke cadence timers, pedometers, and other (inexpensive) gadgets before but don't know where to begin with jump ropes and the attendant CPU's. Cheers.

Annoying alarm clocks -- just how annoying?

malapropist — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:44:18 -0800

So how well do those weird or annoying alarm clocks actually work? I'm thinking about getting the one that makes you complete a jigsaw puzzle to turn it off, but I'm not sure... Does anyone have any of the alarm clocks in the article? The jigsaw one looks interesting, so does the egg-laying one, and maybe the one which makes you shoot a target with a laser. I'm just not sure if any of these actually does what it says, namely making you work your brain a tiny bit so as to actually wake you up and get you out of bed.

What skype capable videophone devices exist?

inflatablekiwi — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:35:56 -0800

Are there any Skype capable standalone videophone devices other than the ASUS AiGuru SV1? I'm looking for a simple device I can configure and give to my parents so they can easily video Skype with myself and others. The ASUS AiGuru would seem to fit the bill perfectly (no PC required, wifi enabled, big buttons and simple interface, small enough I can see it fitting in their kitchen rather than being tied to the "computer room"), but the reviews haven't been the greatest.

They have a laptop and desktop with skype, but things always seem to go wrong (part user error, part flakey hardware, part resistance to using a computer to make calls when a cordless phone with speed dial is so much easier), and my mum is more a "simple device with buttons" person rather than a "logon and use the mouse to do x,y, an z" person.

Are there any alternative standalone video phone devices out there which can be made to work with skype, or techniques to improve the AIGuru (like swapping out the pitiful battery with its 20 minute of power with something a little longer life)? I've seen the Ojo phone, but my understanding is that its not Skype compatible (yet).

Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One Printer bought in USA? How to use in U.K?

omaralarifi — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:03:48 -0800

Just returned from fabulous 2 week holiday in New York. I Brought back Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One Printer from Staples costing $230. Unfortunately, I cannot use it in U.K., unless I plug voltage converter/transformer products. Has anyone else bought this set over there with more success? Any advice \ information appreciated. Please specify me What exact voltage converter product to buy & where to buy it from USA online store. Thanks. I checked again the Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One Printer power information:
Power Requirements

Rated voltage: 120 VAC
Rated frequency: 50 – 60 Hz
Rated current: 0.8 Amp

Power Consumption

Approx. 26 W ISO 10561
Approx. 5.5 W (Sleep Mode)
Approx. 0.3 W (Power Off Mode)
ENERGY STAR® compliant

This is why I cannot understand it blowing.

Best thing since sliced bacon?

racingjs — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:42:38 -0800

Thermomix, useful or just another overpriced kitchen gadget? Any Thermomix users willing to share its experience? This food processor/blender/cooker is appearing in stores around here but is supposely widely popular in europe. Does it lives up to its 1000$ price tag?

Help me find an elegant stainless steel "pickle grabber"

chazlarson — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:46:55 -0800

Please help me find the elegant stainless equivalent of this electronics part-grabber. The food service versions are usually called "pickle grabbers" or "olive servers" or something like that. Years ago, my wife had one of these in stainless, which was much nicer-looking than that one. The barrel had a smooth, polished finish and was not tapered.

I lost it some time ago. I have never been able to find a replacement. I can find plastic ones at any specialty kitchen store, but I have not been able to find a metal one.

So I turn to you, hive mind. I'm in the Minneapolis area, have friends/family in Boston, Sacramento, Chicago, Munich, and Berlin for brick & mortar shopping purposes, if there's no online source.

What sort of inaudible audio signal survives compression?

Anonymous — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:25:40 -0800

I recently became an Arbitron ratings person (which I'm not allowed to tell anyone, hence my anonymity). I'm supposed to carry a portable device that they say picks up "sound energy" signals embedded by participating radio and TV stations so they know what I'm listening to, even if the audio is compressed. What the heck is "sound energy"? Here's what really has me confused: This "sound energy" (their term) is inaudible to humans. But according to Arbitron, their gadget even pick up the signal on podcasts or streaming internet radio. But doesn't audio compression work by (among other things) stripping out all the inaudible portions of the audio? So what's left for the device to pick up?

And what kind of "sound energy" can be picked up by the device whether I'm listening on high quality speakers, or a tinny transistor radio? And the device doesn't even need to be near the speaker. They say that if my ears can hear the radio, even from another room, so can the device.

So how the heck does this thing work? Is Arbitron overstating the efficiency of their device, or is there some magic technology at work?

Wine Gift Help

rossination — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:33:17 -0800

Looking for the perfect ~$25 wine-related gift. My friend is turning 21 next week, and I'd like to get her something related to wine. She knows more about it than I do, and for that reason I'm inclined to not just buy her a nice bottle (she can do that herself). I'm looking for a great book, gadget, doo-dad, etc.

I've thought about a rabbit-style wine opener, but she seem perfectly happy with her current corkscrew (plus, at about $40, it's just slightly outside of my price range). But, I'm willing to consider any suggestions.

How to read PDF files on Amazon Kindle?

omaralarifi — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:30:24 -0800

How to read PDF files on Amazon Kindle? If your answer in which I have to convert it to whatever file type(s), then please guide me in step by step process (in details if possible) to fully read PDF files in my Amazon Kindle.
Thanks

Skype me baby. Riiiiight there.

TomMelee — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:08:36 -0800

Cheapest and easiest overall way to use skype, what is it? Details inside. I've got the adapter that lets me use a regular phone with skype. It's fine, but it requires my full size computer running all the time to use it. That stinks. I could pickup one of the linksys standalone skype phones, but they're like $150+ and they're one trick ponies. Is there something easier?

I've got a MotoQ, which doesn't do Wifi and we're a good year out of 3G wireless speeds in this here podunk town. I'm a long way away from being out of contract, so a phone upgrade is going to be expeeeeeensive. (I think I could get an HTC for like $220 right now...)

I thought about something like an EEEpc, but that's still kinda large. I'd sorta like to be able to carry it with me, although it's not required.

What about a pocketpc? Are there any cheapish ones that you like that can run skype AND wifi?

I've got the Q, so I don't really really need the PDA, but it seems like if I'm paying the money I might as well have the functionality. I could, I suppose, drop the data plan from the Q and save my employer $25/month, as my workplace and home are wi-fi'd, although lots of places aren't and I needs my emails.

So tell me how I can most effectively make use of my subscription! Homebrews and hacks are welcome.

3 more months! Noooooooo!

gergtreble — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:34:48 -0800

16gb iphone 3g shortage in the UK? Say it aint so! I just went into my local O2 store to register my interest in the new iPhone and to get my credit checks done.

I mentioned I wanted a black one, and the manager said not to worry as it was only the 16gb ones that come in white. I told him I actually wanted the 16gig model. Then he dropped the bomb:

"Oh we aren't expecting to get any 16gb iphones in on the launch day. In fact it may take up to 3 months to get them in stock"

That came from the store manager, but the guy I was dealing with seemed to think that there would be some 16gb iphones available.

I guess it wouldn't be a major product launch if there wasn't a shortage. But 3 months!

Any of you guys know anything about this? Do any of you work for O2? I don't think I could live with an 8gig one. I just hope that this guy didn't know what he was talking about.

Hope me please!

(And yes I WILL be at the sore at 7:02am on the morning of launch like the sad little fanboy that I am.)

What is the highest memory capacity of USB flash drive available in the market?

omaralarifi — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:25:59 -0800

What is the highest memory storage capacity for USB portable Flash drive in the market right now? I heard that the highest right now is 64GB by BUSlink, but I am not sure if there are any higher.

Cutting hair with a vacuum cleaner (a device I once saw)

bollockovnikov — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 03:21:38 -0800

Weird vacuum cleaner/haircut extension tube device. I saw it on an infomercial once. I think there's one in Wayne's World. Can I get one in the UK? I am looking for a device that fits on to the end of a vacuum cleaner hose. It has a series of blades inside which cut hair. The length of hair is chosen, the vacuum cleaner is switched on and then the user sucks their hair up the tube, cutting it as they do so.

I saw it on American TV one time. My girlfriend says that there is one in Wayne's World (Garth uses it, I can only vaguely remember the scene).

I live in the UK. Where can I get one? What would I search for on eBay for instance?

Cheers

A wallpaper changer that works

aerotive — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 22:49:45 -0800

I'm looking for recommendations for a wallpaper changer or desktop photo viewer that's compatible with Vista. It must be able to change photos at least every 10 seconds or so, resize large photos properly, work with locally stored images, and be able to fill the screen. I formerly used Google's Desktop Photo Gadget for this but the version that's compatible with Vista doesn't resize photos properly. With versions 4 and earlier photos bigger than the system resolution were reduced in size so the whole picture was viewable. The current version crops instead.

Vista comes with a photo gadget but it can't be resized. Note that I'm not looking for a screensaver that has these functions.

I've downloaded and tried about a dozen free/trialware programs and they're either crap and don't work, can't change photos faster than 1-minute intervals, or only work with RSS/web feeds & photos, etc.

I'd prefer something free but I'd be willing to pay for something solid.

I'm looking for an MP3 player that you can treat like a USB drive. With recording capabilites.

Afroblanco — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 11:15:22 -0800

I'm looking for an MP3 player that you can treat like a USB drive. In other words, I want to load MP3s onto it by just plugging the device into my machine and the copying files over. I do not want to use a specialized program like Itunes, and I want to use a standard USB or Firewire cable to plug the device into my computer. Additionally, I would like the ability to plug a microphone in and use the device record my band practices. This would be an awesome feature, but it isn't necessarily a dealbreaker.

Belt for GPS tracking and my tiny laptop

phrontist — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:23:04 -0800

I'm currently waiting for my Eee PC and Mologogo phone (a motorola i415) to arrive. These are items I'd like to carry with me very frequently (essentially always), and I call upon the hivemind to help me figure out the best way to do so. The Eee is too big to fit in my pockets comfortably, and for maximum comfort I'd rather not have the phone in my pants all the time either. I have a Timbuk2 bag, but it's too large for when I just want to carry the phone and laptop. The best idea I've come up so far is some sort of... utility belt. I'm envisioning the Eee hanging off my hip and the phone in some sort of holster. I have a hunch military surplus may be a fruitful avenue of inquiry, but I'm not having much luck googling.

Can anyone reccomend such a belt and holsters (bags) that would work with these items? Preferably something modular, in case I have to add some other device down the line.

I'm open to non-belt suggestions as well, but my priorities are fast access and secure stowage (I'm a college student that rides a bike very often). It shouldn't be a vest - this needs to be a general solution that will work in the summer as well.

Electric Scooters...pick a winner?

TomMelee — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 10:32:39 -0800

Electric scooters---no, not rascals. Help me pick one! So I've got some money saved up, and I'm intrigued by projects like this one, but I'm having a difficult time finding QUALITY scooters for ~$1500. I've got a 750cc motorcycle, and a car, but I only live about 2.5 miles from work. Unfortunately, it's seriously 2.5 miles downhill, probably a drop of about a thousand feet, which is basically steep hills separated by plateus. The hills are quite steep.

I'm a 180Lb male, and yes it does get snowy here, so I realize riding it every day may not work out. Does anyone have any recommendations for a high quality, powerful scooter and /or a place to get it?

I found a place online one day, but I can't find it again. Let me know your experiences, things to avoid, etc.

What's it like working for a gadget website?

By The Grace of God — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 07:11:06 -0800

What's it like working for a gadget website? This is for a work of fiction I am developing.

I'd like to know what it's like to be a writer, admin, tech support person or other role at a major gadget website - one that conducts reviews and research, breaks stories and leaks, and the like. Do these folks work a 9-5? Is there even a single place of business for such a site or is it decentralised to the home offices of the writers? How are gadgets for review solicited and dealt with? Is there any resource that can give me insight into what living this life is like?

Please help me decide - do you own a Nokia N880 or 770?

jkaczor — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:08:41 -0800

GadgetFilter: Please help me decide - do you own a Nokia N880 or 770? I am looking for people who have hands-on experience with these devices.

I want a gadget for primarily audio, some video & non-work-related light-surfing/RSS feed reading.

I can deal with the fact that storage may be limitted - I don't mind loading/streaming from my central NAS drive.

Currently I am deliberating between the Nokia N880 vs. Archos 605 vs. iPod Touch.

Audio quality is important to me.

I'm about to come into a good amount of money. I want to ENHANCE my computing experience with gadgets abound. Help!

Lockeownzj00 — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 10:50:35 -0800

I'm about to come into a good amount of money. I want to ENHANCE my computing experience with gadgets abound. Help! I'm looking for little gadgets and upgrades I can use to enhance my experience. So far I've looked into the following:

StarTech.com ST7200USB i.Connect 7 Port USB 2.0 Hub
Plantronics DSP-500 Headset (I'm not sure whether to go for the used 500 or the new 400, as i understand it 500 is a tad bit better)

So anyway--what sort of other devices should I be on the prowl for? I have a few memory sticks so I'm good for that. My friend suggested a usb fingerprint lock.

I'm not looking for anything that's like POWERED BY A NUCLEAR REACTOR and can bomb small countries. I'm thinking mostly <100$ items that just rock the hizzy.

Thanks!