• Colour vision system – recognizes colours and skin tones, and interacts with people and objects.
• Multiple levels of environmental interaction with humans and objects-sight, sound and touch senses.
• IR vision – detects and avoids obstacles and table edges, tracks moving objects.
• Speech – responds verbally to environmental stimuli and to controller commands (you can program it to respond to spoken commands).
• True bi-pedal walking with multiple gaits.
• Realistic twin axis turning head with animated LED eyes.
• Laser tracking technology – follows a path traced on the ground.
• Will interact with other Robonetics such as Robopet and Roboraptor.
  

Probably one that could do your accounting but we can always leave that to the V3.

December 21, 2006

Apple Store Holiday Screen Saver

Have you walked past an Apple Store yet this month? If so, you might have noticed a 3D snowflake screen saver running in the display windows. The screen saver is called Snowfall and it was designed by Russell Warenboldt using the OS X Quartz Composer.

Here’s a screenshot of Snowfall with a picture of my dog in the background. Snowfall is a beautiful screen saver. These pictures really don’t do it justice. You’ll just have to install Snowfall and see for yourself. Snowfall is free, but it requires….

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December 20, 2006

SpeckTone Retro iPod Speakers

Retro junkies rejoice. Speck Products just announced a top-loading iPod stereo speaker system called the SpeckTone Retro. Sure, there are hundreds of iPod speaker systems on the market. What makes this system unique is the design.

The designers of the SpeckTone Retro have succeeded in making a product that looks modern and retro at the same time. The way they’ve paired clean modern styled lines with the nostalgic elegance of the 1950′s is very impressive. The end result is an iPod speaker system that doesn’t replicate or compete with the modern, sleek look of the iPod itself. These speakers almost feel like they could be in Lucy & Ricky’s living room.

The SpeckTone Retro sells for under $150 and has the following features:

• 28 watt output
• 4 inch subwoofer
• two 3 inch drivers
• 1/8″ mini plug auxiliary input
• Sleek & Stylish Retro design
• Analog Circuitry for rich, deep tone
• High-gloss lacquered wood cabinet
• Includes 2 free iPod skins (video & nano)
• Backlit ‘green glow’ volume knob
• compatible with the following iPods: 4G, 5G, nano and mini

The SpeckTone Retro comes in 3 high-gloss lacquered color finishes, black, white and green, and is available from Amazon.com.

Thanks to the guys at iPastudio for turning us on to this.

Sony’s attempt at Viral Marketing

Question: What should Sony do to increase demand for its first foray into the handheld console market, the PSP??Ǭ†
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Answer: Go with viral marketing.
Unfortunately whereas their competitors have employed viral marketing to great effect, Sony has encountered a problem.
?Ǭ†
Sony it appears employed the good people at zipatoni.com to create a ?¢‚Ǩ?ìbuzz?¢‚Ǩ¬ù for their handheld console and try and get the public hyped up about a console, which by all accounts is not doing too well (especially now that UMD, the format Sony was using to play movies on the PSP has all but died).?Ǭ†

Under the guise of two friends trying to get a PSP from relatives for Christmas, they created a website and blog (alliwantforxmasisapsp.com/blog) which included PSP orientated greeting cards, T-shirt iron-on patterns to print out and YouTube videos featuring songs about the system.
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This may have been fine if it was not for the fact that this website claimed that it had nothing to do with Sony.?Ǭ† Instead the two hosts of the website claimed that the website was created to put pressure on their relatives to buy them PSP?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s for Christmas.?Ǭ†
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The two hosts, who if the pictures of them on the site are real, appear to be in their twenties (I could be wrong but there is a lot of facial hair). Why would these two men go to such lengths just so that their relatives could buy them a PSP??Ǭ†

As is often the case with the Internet, it was not long until gamers on the Something Awful message boards thought something was wrong and a simple WHOIS search revealed that the domain was in fact owned by Zipatoni, an ad agency specializing in “interruptive buzz marketing.”

The blog quickly was inundated with negative comments and abuse informing Zipatoni that they had been sussed out.?Ǭ†
?Ǭ†
Unfortunately for the gamers they found that certain words had been blocked.?Ǭ† Among the various obscenities that had been blocked were words such as ?¢‚Ǩ?ìviral?¢‚Ǩ¬ù, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìmarketing?¢‚Ǩ¬ù and ?¢‚Ǩ?ìZipatoni.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù?Ǭ† Surely that was just a coincidence?
?Ǭ†
The hosts of the website replied back to the negative comments in the typical street and internet slang that adorned the pages of the site but after a flood of bad feedback and bad publicity they were forced to own up.?Ǭ†

They stated: ?¢‚Ǩ?ìfrom this point forward, we will just stick to making cool products, and use this site to give you nothing but the facts on the PSP.”

The site has now been replaced with a blank page.?Ǭ† It may not have been the most successful of ad campaigns but surely they generated publicity for their product.?Ǭ† As the old adage says, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìThere?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s no such thing as bad publicity.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù?Ǭ†

As of time of posting: alliwantforxmasisapsp.com appears to be offline.

References for this posting: Sony’s Failed PSP Viral Marketing Stunt

and: ‘all i want for xmas is a psp’ – Is this Sony’s attempt at viral marketing

December 18, 2006

Linksys Launches iPhone?

On Friday afternoon I heard a rumor that the “iPhone” was coming out on Monday, December 18th. It was an interesting rumor because most people thought that Apple would announce their mobile phone product at the January 2007 Macworld conference.

Well, a new product called the iPhone did indeed come out today but not from the company that everyone thought. Linksys announced the iPhone in this press release, not Apple. So what the hell happened? For almost a year now people have been speculating about the possibility of Apple releasing a communication product called the iPhone. But apparently Linksys, a unit of networking equipment maker Cisco, already owns the “iPhone” trademark. According to BusinessWeek.com, a company called Infogear registered the “iPhone” name in 1996. Cisco then absorbed the “iPhone” trademark when it acquired Infogear in the year 2000. Oops. Score -1 for the bloggers. We really should have picked up on that little tidbit months ago.

Just like the rumored Apple version of the iPhone, the Linksys iPhone a Web-enabled telephone handset is compatible with all major Internet chat services including Skype, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, QQ, and ICQ.

So if Apple really has a mobile phone product in the works, they obviously can’t call it the iPhone. What about a variation of a name they already own like iChat Mobile? While the name of this product may still be in question, a trail of clues about an Apple phone product have been popping up all over the Internet for over a year now:

• In June 2005, the source code of an iTunes update contained multiple references to an Autofill phone playlist function.

• Apple has owned the domain iphone.org since December 1999. It redirects traffic to apple.com.
• In March 2006, a source at BenQ, a Taiwanese phone manufacturer confirmed that an Apple phone product was in the works. Why would BenQ leak info about an Apple phone to the media? Sour grapes. Hon Hai Precision, a competitor to BenQ, allegedly won the phone contract with Apple.
• Apple’s CFO, Peter Oppenheimer, might have let the ‘cat out of the bag‘ on an Apple analyst 2006 Q3 conference call when he said the following: “As regards cell phones, we don’t think that the phones that are available today make the best music players. We think the iPod is. But over time, that is likely to change. And [Apple is] not sitting around doing nothing.”
• According to analysts, Apple is rumored to be ready to release an Internet phone product at the January 2007 Macworld conference. “From a technical standpoint, the phone is pretty much done,” said American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu. “It’s a big endeavor and we believe it’s beyond speculation.” Apparently the rumored existence of an Apple phone has morphed from a question of “If” to “When.”

Here’s the official Linksys press release on the iPhone.

digg story | methodshop

i-Playaz Interactive Hip-Hop Toy

Who is the best-known hip-hop artist in the fictional land of Chub City? Chub C of course. At least that’s what it says on the box. Just don’t tell Hype. He’s the white version of Chub C (a la Eminem). What the hell am I talking about? That’s a good question.

Both Chub C (black) and Hype (white) are interactive toy characters called i-Playaz from a company called Jada Toys. i-Playaz connect to any music source including your iPod, CD player, computer or even an old school Sony Walkman. Just plug in an i-Playaz character and play some music. The i-Playaz characters will then dance to the beat and even play your music through a built-in speaker in their heads. There’s also an audio output if you want to connect better speakers to your i-Playaz character.

When I first got Hype in the mail, I was already on my way out and brought the box along with me to a bar down the street. I figured I’d just test him out for this review when I got home. But while I was waiting for some friends to show up, the people at the bar kept asking me what was in the box. I was curious to see what my i-Playaz could do anyway so I took Hype out of his box and set him up on the bar. With his sideways hat and flashy bling, it’s no wonder that everyone at the bar started calling him K-Fed, after Britney Spears wannabe hip-hop ex-husband. If you know someone who is trying to pull off the K-Fed white hip-hop thing, Hype will bring you and your friends hours of entertainment.

Full Review: i-Playaz Interactive Hip-Hop Toy

December 15, 2006

Bill Gates Buys Blogger Buzz

Want some positive blogger buzz about your product or service? Maybe you should just buy it like Bill Gates. To help promote the Zune and get some positive Microsoft buzz, Gates coughed up a dozen round trip plane tickets to Redmond, hotel rooms, and Zunes (of course) for a group of gadget and tech bloggers. He then hung out with the bloggers for an hour and answered one question from each of them. Once you factor in the total cost of this stunt, I wonder how much Gates paid per letter for a handful of blog posts?

So what did Microsoft get in return for all of this? Were the bloggers wooed by Bill’s big wallet? Yep.

• Check out the tech-news search engine Techmeme.com. Today their homepage was practically a mural to anything related to Bill Gates, the Zune or Microsoft in general.

• While most reviewers are panning the Zune, blogs like TechCrunch [see post], Micro Persuasion [see post], and GigaOm [see post], are restricting their Zune coverage to DRM issues or posting “feel good” pieces about Microsoft.

Honestly, my criticalness against these other blogs is probably part jealously. Why wasn’t MethodShop.com invited out to Redmond? Oh well, I’m an iPod guy anyway and we’re too small of a blog to make much of a dent for M$. But I do give some of these bloggers credit. Most of them (not Ryan) were upfront and disclosed that Gates gave them free Zunes and paid for their flights out to Microsoft headquarters.

But on the other hand, should corporate blogs like Micro Persuasion and GigaOm, who have venture-capital financing and/or big name PR firms, really be accepting free stuff and sacrificing their objectivity?

How cheap are your personal ethics?

digg story | methodshop

December 13, 2006

1984 Apple LISA Demo

Want a good laugh? This video clip from a local cable show has a rare demonstration of Apple’s 1984 Lisa computer as well as some sexy 1980s hair styles. In the video, some guy named Alfred takes the $10,000 Lisa computer for a test drive. Yep the Lisa sold for $10,000. Pretty expensive for a clunky word processor. In case you are wondering, the Lisa would cost about $19,500 in 2006 dollars. Another funny thing about the video is the TV host. For some reason she talks like a robot. She’s also wearing a pair of over-sized 1980s eye glasses that probably have more glass than an automobile windshield.

Warning: There is a very long 5 minute introduction before the Lisa demo clip. Alfred, the guy giving the demonstration in the video, is now a YouTube director and loves to suck up to his subscribers. He also apologizes for his 1984 haircut, suit and a recent nose surgery. But once the actual demonstration clip starts to play, you will probably enjoy it.

If you pay close attention, you will see the cursor switch to the hour glass quite a lot. Every time Alfred opens a window or document, he has to wait several moments for the Lisa to catch up. Good thing he’s such a good talker and can fill the time blabbing with the robotic female host. You can see the video here.

Highlights of the Lisa demo include such state-of-the-art innovations as the floppy disk, digital clock, calculator, graphical user interface, icons, pull down menus, and a rodent input device called ‘a mouse’.

If you want to copy this video off of YouTube and save it on your hard drive, then check out this tutorial: Copy Videos Off YouTube. Enjoy!

digg story | methodshop

December 11, 2006

Solar Powered Birdfeeder

Know someone who needs to spend a little more time outside and away from their computer? Maybe a techie gift for the outdoors might do the trick. The Arbordale Solar Birdfeeder is just your average run-of-the-mill birdfeeder by day. But at night, this birdfeeder provides a soft, warm amber glow to its surroundings.

Constructed of durable aluminum with clear glass panels, the feeder holds a generous 3-1/2 pounds of seed. A removable top ensures easy filling and the Arbordale Solar Birdfeeder hangs easily on the nearest tree branch or shepherd’s hook from a steel chain.

This birdfeeder is a fun way to add a touch of tech to your outdoor space and give the birds something to ponder during their next free meal.

digg story | methodshop

December 09, 2006

14 Reasons to Switch to a Mac

Need a reason to switch? Last week there was an article in the Washington Post that highlighted some of the advantages of the Macintosh over the PC.

1. Macs just work. How much time have you spent troubleshooting your PC? Imagine a computer designed by people who hate to waste time as much as you do. Where all the hardware and software just works, and works well together. Plus, Macs don’t crash (that often). The Mac is designed to let you spend more time doing the things you love, and less time doing the things you hate. Like restarting. Get a Mac and get your life back.

2. You can make amazing stuff.
Every Mac comes with iLife ?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢06, a suite of software that transforms your photos, music, and video into all kinds of projects. Make high-quality websites, photo books, DVDs, songs, slideshows, music CDs, calendars, cards, prints, podcasts, music videos, documentaries, and more.

3. Design that turns heads.
You won?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t want to hide your Mac in a corner of the den. You?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ll want it front and center in your life. The Apple style shows in every detail, from its sculpted surfaces to its gorgeous Mac OS X graphics.

4. 114,000 Viruses? Not on a Mac.
Mac OS X was designed with security in mind. Windows just wasn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t built to bear the onslaught of attacks it suffers every day. A Mac offers a built-in firewall, doesn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t advertise its existence on the Net, and isn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t compromised within an hour of being turned on.

5. Next year?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s OS today.
Since Mac OS X engineers aren?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t busy damming a flood of viruses, they have the time to think up amazing new technology. Like Dashboard widgets, mini-applications offering a world of capabilities just a keystroke away. Or a built-in RSS news reader.

6. The latest Intel chips.
Intel Core Duo processors put you on the cutting edge. In fact, a Mac with an Intel chip is so fast it surprises even longtime Windows pundits, who keep running benchmarks again and again. Results? Fast. Fast. Yup, still fast.

7. Instant video chats.
Setting up a video chat with the people next door ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù or across the globe ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù should be as simple as picking up the phone. On a Mac, you just click an icon to have a four-way video chat in a full-screen window with amazing clarity and special effects.

8. More fun with photos.
On a Mac, you don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t need any extra software to make a photo book. You don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t have to leave your photo software to visit a separate website and wait for forms to load. All you need is a camera and a Mac.

9. One-click websites.
How long does it take to post a photo or video to your blog on a PC? On a Mac, you can shoot a picture or a movie with the built-in camera, then post it on the web in a few clicks. Pontificate, preachify, and publish. The hardest part is coming up with something to say.

10. Amazing podcasts.
Want to get your message out to the world? Podcast it. A Mac makes it simple to create professional podcasts, complete with artwork. Add sound effects and jingles, even use the built-in radio engineer to make it perfect. So you can be a talk star in seconds.

11. Rock star tunemaking.
Musicians get all the girls (or guys). And a Mac has the software to turn you into the musician of your dreams. Choose from hundreds of cool riffs and instruments to create your own songs. Get good enough and you could be on iTunes.

12. Hollywood-style movies.
Connect your DV camera and turn your movies into spectaculars. Add graphics, titles, and sound effects in minutes. Then use your Mac to burn a DVD or post to your website.

13. No hunting for drivers.
Just plug in your stuff. A Mac includes USB drivers for mass storage, digital cameras, input devices, iPod, and more. It can see Bluetooth cell phones and headsets, as well as FireWire cameras. No rebooting.

14. Awesome out of the box.
Other computers include software, it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s true. But once you start using that software, you find that you?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re hobbled in some way or another. Software included with the Mac, on the other hand, is critically acclaimed as best in class.

digg story | methodshop

December 07, 2006

Nintendo Wii Nunchuck Controller

Is a weak arm or physical stamina keeping you from taking your Nintendo Wii gaming experience to the next level? Perhaps you should look into getting the Nintendo Wii Nunchuk Controller. This accessory adds even more innovation to the next generation of gaming and does it all with less physical movement.

Contoured to perfectly fit a players hand, the Nunchuck controller builds on the simplicity of the Nintendo Wii Remote controller. The Nunchuck contains the same motion-sensing technology enabled in the Wii Remote but also includes an analog stick to help assist in character movement. This analog stick can be a godsend if you feel like physical motion is keeping you from your optimum gaming performance (see video called Crazy Girl on Wii).

Many games will allow you to control your character’s movement with the Nunchuck in your left hand, while your right hand is free to execute the action movements with the Wii Remote. For example, the Nunchuck comes in extremely handy for games like Wii Boxing. You can use the Nunchuck to hit with your off or weaker hand, while you use the Wii remote to punch and jab with your primary hand. Hardcore gamers may even want to use two Nunchuck controllers to gain a competitive edge.

Rather use the Nunchuck in your right hand? No problem. Because the Wii Remote and Nunchuck controllers are only relatively dependent on each other, players are free to hold them in whichever hand is most comfortable. The ambidextrous nature of the Wii controllers grants accessibility seldom seen in previous game controllers.

Also, the Nunchuck controller doesn’t need its own power – it plugs into the Wii Remote controller when it’s in use. So there’s no worry about charging up or expensive batteries.

Adding a Nunchuck to your Nintendo Wii system will definitely help you open the doors to the next level of gaming. Just be careful you don’t accidentally smack your wife or punch your dog while using your Wii controllers like these guys.

digg story | methodshop

75% off sale on Camcorders at Amazon

A Camcorder may not be a gadget – well, not any longer, but if you know how to search there are some pretty rich pickings on Amazon right now on all things electronic.

Try out some of these links:

Amazing 75% or more off sale on Camcorders at Amazon

75% off or more off Digital Cameras

60% off or more off All Digital Camcorders

60% off or more off Electronics

60% off or more off Camera & Photo

60% off or more off MP3 Players

60% off or more off HDTVs

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Tetran Eats iPod Headphones

Looking for a creative way to wind up and manage your headphone cables? The Tetran is a cable wrap for iPods and other portable media players that allows users to wind an earphone cable around Tetran’s body and use her mouth as an earbud holder. Spikes prevent Tetran from rolling away, and a removable ball-bearing style chain is included for attaching Tetran to a belt loop, cell phone strap, or key ring.

According to Tunewear, the product’s manufacturer, Tetran’s 23 rubber spikes can also massage neck, hands, and feet. Really? Sounds like fun but I think I might pass on that idea. Call me crazy but I don’t really want people massaging their feet with the thing that’s used for holding my earphones.

The Tetran Headphone Cable Winder is a cute and colorful way to manage your earbud cables and accent your lifestyle. It’s available for $9 from Amazon.com. If the Tetran is a little too cute for you, there’s always the cheaper and simpler SmartWrap ($5). The SmartWrap works just like the Tetran, just without the cute spikes. Snap your earphone cord through the top fastener and wrap the length of your cord around the midsection, until you have the desired length.

digg story | methodshop