Looftlighter

Everyone loves a good barbecue, but if you're cooking the traditional way with charcoal, lighting it and getting it up to cooking temp can be a real headache.

The Looftlighter means you can get your BBQ tech fix and still enjoy the flavour of charcoal-grilled snags in double quick time.

Just point the magic wand at your pile of charcoal, say the magic word, switch it on and wait for the blast of hot air to start the coals glowing. It should take a minute to light up, or if you want to get cooking right away just blitz it for five minutes and you're ready to grill.

Everyone loves a good barbecue, but if you're cooking the traditional way with charcoal, lighting it and getting it up to cooking temp can be a real headache.

The Looftlighter means you can get your BBQ tech fix and still enjoy the flavour of charcoal-grilled snags in double quick time.

Just point the magic wand at your pile of charcoal, say the magic word, switch it on and wait for the blast of hot air to start the coals glowing. It should take a minute to light up, or if you want to get cooking right away just blitz it for five minutes and you're ready to grill.

This magical barbecue tool runs on mains 'leccy so you'll probably be needing an extension cord unless you have some very cunningly placed sockets.

A must for the terminally impatient meat-lover. Try coupling it with one of the barbecues in this week's Stuff.tv vidcast

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Next gadget for U.S. soldiers: Brain-aided binoculars

LINTHICUM, Maryland (AP)

Military binoculars may soon get information directly from the brains of the soldiers using them.

With the idea that that the brain absorbs and assesses more visual information than it lets on -- and that it could make more sense out of what's visible through high-power binoculars if it stopped filtering that information -- the Pentagon has awarded contracts to two defense firms to develop brainwave-aided binoculars.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, better known as DARPA, is betting that intelligent binoculars can tap into the brain's ability to spot patterns and movement and help soldiers detect threats from miles farther away than they can with traditional binoculars.

Electrodes on the scalp inside a helmet will record the user's brain activity as it processes information about high-resolution images produced by wide-angle military binoculars. Those responses will train the binoculars over time to recognize threats.

"You need to present the soldier with many images and then use the person's brain to figure out what is of interest," said Yuval Boger, CEO of Sensics, Inc., a Baltimore-based maker of panoramic head-mounted displays.

Sensics belongs to a team led by Northrop Grumman that won $6.7 million for its research. Other members include Northrop's Linthicum-based Electronic Systems division; SAIC of San Diego, California; Theia Technologies LLC, of Wilsonville, Oregon; and Dallas-based L-3 Communications Infrared Products.

LINTHICUM, Maryland (AP)

Military binoculars may soon get information directly from the brains of the soldiers using them.

With the idea that that the brain absorbs and assesses more visual information than it lets on -- and that it could make more sense out of what's visible through high-power binoculars if it stopped filtering that information -- the Pentagon has awarded contracts to two defense firms to develop brainwave-aided binoculars.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, better known as DARPA, is betting that intelligent binoculars can tap into the brain's ability to spot patterns and movement and help soldiers detect threats from miles farther away than they can with traditional binoculars.

Electrodes on the scalp inside a helmet will record the user's brain activity as it processes information about high-resolution images produced by wide-angle military binoculars. Those responses will train the binoculars over time to recognize threats.

"You need to present the soldier with many images and then use the person's brain to figure out what is of interest," said Yuval Boger, CEO of Sensics, Inc., a Baltimore-based maker of panoramic head-mounted displays.

Sensics belongs to a team led by Northrop Grumman that won $6.7 million for its research. Other members include Northrop's Linthicum-based Electronic Systems division; SAIC of San Diego, California; Theia Technologies LLC, of Wilsonville, Oregon; and Dallas-based L-3 Communications Infrared Products.

Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgetown University, Portland State University and the University of Colorado at Boulder are also participating.

Paul Hasler, an associate professor of engineering at Georgia Tech, described the technology as an example of "neuromorphic" engineering that uses hardware and software to emulate human intelligence.

"You would see a certain picture in your field of view, but the device would actually be looking over a much wider space -- and if it found something interesting it would present you with that picture as well," Hasler said.

The other contractor to win a contract is HRL Laboratories, which received $4.3 million, said DARPA spokeswoman Jan Walker.

Dr. Robert Shin, assistant professor of neurology and ophthalmology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said the brain is constantly processing images but most get filtered out.

"There is a level where the brain can identify things before it ever makes it to the conscious level," Shin said. "Your brain says, 'It may be something.' But it might not realize that it is something that should rise to the conscious level."

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Flip Camcorder Is No Flop--For Now

As a critic, I'm supposed to throw my opinion into the story, saying upfront whether I like something or not. But for today's review of the Flip Mino video camera, I had to step back a little from my own perspective.

The review I would have written for myself, or for people with my general level of tolerance for the foibles of digital video, would have read much like TechCrunch's curt dismissal of this gadget. I already own a phone that shoots mediocre video and a camera that records much better footage, so why would I want to drop another $180 on something with arguably inferior specs? Why would I want to carry around yet another gadget?

But I've seen how little help many cameras and phones provide when it comes time to get the video onto a computer. I've had to figure these things out--recording video is part of my job when I ship out to cover events like the Consumer Electronics Show--but many other people have neither the motivation nor the time to pore over the manual for their phone or camera.

The Flip, for all its faults, eliminates most of those barriers. As long as you stick to the tasks it's built for, you'll have a hard time finding an easier way to shoot and share video. The way its USB plug flips out with a satisfying click--like a nerd switchblade--is pretty cool too.

As a critic, I'm supposed to throw my opinion into the story, saying upfront whether I like something or not. But for today's review of the Flip Mino video camera, I had to step back a little from my own perspective.

The review I would have written for myself, or for people with my general level of tolerance for the foibles of digital video, would have read much like TechCrunch's curt dismissal of this gadget. I already own a phone that shoots mediocre video and a camera that records much better footage, so why would I want to drop another $180 on something with arguably inferior specs? Why would I want to carry around yet another gadget?

But I've seen how little help many cameras and phones provide when it comes time to get the video onto a computer. I've had to figure these things out--recording video is part of my job when I ship out to cover events like the Consumer Electronics Show--but many other people have neither the motivation nor the time to pore over the manual for their phone or camera.

The Flip, for all its faults, eliminates most of those barriers. As long as you stick to the tasks it's built for, you'll have a hard time finding an easier way to shoot and share video. The way its USB plug flips out with a satisfying click--like a nerd switchblade--is pretty cool too.

(Tune in to today's podcast to hear that click and learn a few more details about the Flip: listen/subscribe/iTunes.)

But Flip manufacturer Pure Digital Technologies really does need to do something about the Flip's balky video-editing application (based in part of muvee Technologies' just-discontinued autoProducer program). Forget about adding any new features to it--this software just needs to crash less. It wouldn't hurt if installing its 3ivx video-helper software didn't require clicking through three different User Account Control dialogs in Windows Vista either.

There is always the chance, as unlikely as this might seem, that camera and phone vendors will fix their own software--which could leave the Flip a fruitless branch of the gadget evolutionary tree, the Disc camera of this decade.

We can talk about this during my Web chat today, from 2 to 3 p.m. Meanwhile, I'll close with a couple of questions: What do you use to capture video on the go--with a camera, a cell phone or a video-only device like the Flip? And how often do you find yourself shooting your surroundings in this way?

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Summer Gadget Guide

By Stephen Regenold
His backpack loaded, his hiking boots laced tight-Roger Bischoff was heading uphill to rendezvous with a satellite. It was a Saturday in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, and Bischoff, 37, a test manager at Microsoft, had promised his wife a communiqué halfway through the hike.

At a crest, nature spilled in all directions, the pine-choked Cascades coming alive as Bischoff began to send out a signal. In his hands, the SPOT satellite messenger, a GPS-based beacon, blipped a text message in an area where cellphones don't work. "It keeps me in touch," he says.
For Bischoff-a tech-savvy hiker, climber and kayaker who works for the biggest software company on the planet-the gadget parade hardly ended with the GPS beacon. In his pack, Bischoff stowed a tiny, rugged video camera, the POV.1 model from V.I.O. Inc.; solar-charging panels from Brunton Inc.; and a Microsoft Zune MP3 player. Simultaneously, he could record video footage to post online, take still photographs, mark latitude and longitude waypoints and send data to his home email account via the SPOT satellite connection. He could even view his route later, using a cartographical program like Google Maps.

By Stephen Regenold
His backpack loaded, his hiking boots laced tight-Roger Bischoff was heading uphill to rendezvous with a satellite. It was a Saturday in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, and Bischoff, 37, a test manager at Microsoft, had promised his wife a communiqué halfway through the hike.

At a crest, nature spilled in all directions, the pine-choked Cascades coming alive as Bischoff began to send out a signal. In his hands, the SPOT satellite messenger, a GPS-based beacon, blipped a text message in an area where cellphones don't work. "It keeps me in touch," he says.
For Bischoff-a tech-savvy hiker, climber and kayaker who works for the biggest software company on the planet-the gadget parade hardly ended with the GPS beacon. In his pack, Bischoff stowed a tiny, rugged video camera, the POV.1 model from V.I.O. Inc.; solar-charging panels from Brunton Inc.; and a Microsoft Zune MP3 player. Simultaneously, he could record video footage to post online, take still photographs, mark latitude and longitude waypoints and send data to his home email account via the SPOT satellite connection. He could even view his route later, using a cartographical program like Google Maps.

For outdoors enthusiasts like Bischoff, gadgets designed specifically for hiking, cycling, boating, surfing and mountaineering enhance the experience. Indeed, an infiltration of technology into recreation-from fish-finding wristwatches to backpacks with built-in speakers-has changed what's possible while canoeing down a creek, catching a wave or camping far off-trail in the woods.

Take John Bitton, for example. The 41-year-old hearing aid salesman and Boy Scout leader from New Mexico parts with no comfort when he heads to the mountains of Utah to camp at 10,000 feet. "We bring everything," he says, "even a hot-water heater to wash dishes."

Bitton's wilderness encampment, which goes up for a week each summer in an alpine meadow outside Vernal, Ut., is witness to backwoods extravagancies including Dutch ovens, coffee makers, 10-inch-thick air mattresses and a remote-control lantern for the tent. The group erects a portable kitchen, positions the propane-powered Hot Water on Demand spigot (a $258 product from Coleman) and then prepares gourmet meals. Bitton says, "You wouldn't believe what we can do up there."
Prefer adrenaline over appetizers? For action-driven personalities, products like the D3O Armored L/S Crew top from Spyder are proof that science and sport are now yoked together. The $350 mountain-biking top-which goes with $270 bike shorts-employs a shock-absorbing gel made by a U.K.-based chemical engineering company. The magic mixture, called d30, provides covert padding and protection by remaining flexible in normal use but seizing up as a solid pad when force is imposed.

While you're at it, don a pair of sunglasses from Numa Tactical. They incorporate a proprietary flexible fiber material in its frames, yielding glasses with bows so resilient that you can tie them in a knot.

In the following Summer Gear & Gadgets Guide, we debut a dozen new and innovative items, from the aforementioned unbreakable shades to a tent with power plug outlets. Use this gear to enhance your time outside this summer, be it at the beach or in the woods for a weekend of pampered camping. As Bitton puts it: "The right gear is hard to overdo."

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Satellite a test at Microsoft

His backpack loaded, his hiking boots laced tight-Roger Bischoff was heading uphill to rendezvous with a satellite. It was a Saturday in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, and Bischoff, 37, a test manager at Microsoft, had promised his wife a communiqué halfway through the hike.

At a crest, nature spilled in all directions, the pine-choked Cascades coming alive as Bischoff began to send out a signal. In his hands, the SPOT satellite messenger, a GPS-based beacon, blipped a text message in an area where cellphones don't work. "It keeps me in touch," he says.
For Bischoff-a tech-savvy hiker, climber and kayaker who works for the biggest software company on the planet-the gadget parade hardly ended with the GPS beacon. In his pack, Bischoff stowed a tiny, rugged video camera, the POV.1 model from V.I.O. Inc.; solar-charging panels from Brunton Inc.; and a Microsoft Zune MP3 player. Simultaneously, he could record video footage to post online, take still photographs, mark latitude and longitude waypoints and send data to his home email account via the SPOT satellite connection. He could even view his route later, using a cartographical program like Google Maps.

For outdoors enthusiasts like Bischoff, gadgets designed specifically for hiking, cycling, boating, surfing and mountaineering enhance the experience. Indeed, an infiltration of technology into recreation-from fish-finding wristwatches to backpacks with built-in speakers-has changed what's possible while canoeing down a creek, catching a wave or camping far off-trail in the woods.

His backpack loaded, his hiking boots laced tight-Roger Bischoff was heading uphill to rendezvous with a satellite. It was a Saturday in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, and Bischoff, 37, a test manager at Microsoft, had promised his wife a communiqué halfway through the hike.

At a crest, nature spilled in all directions, the pine-choked Cascades coming alive as Bischoff began to send out a signal. In his hands, the SPOT satellite messenger, a GPS-based beacon, blipped a text message in an area where cellphones don't work. "It keeps me in touch," he says.
For Bischoff-a tech-savvy hiker, climber and kayaker who works for the biggest software company on the planet-the gadget parade hardly ended with the GPS beacon. In his pack, Bischoff stowed a tiny, rugged video camera, the POV.1 model from V.I.O. Inc.; solar-charging panels from Brunton Inc.; and a Microsoft Zune MP3 player. Simultaneously, he could record video footage to post online, take still photographs, mark latitude and longitude waypoints and send data to his home email account via the SPOT satellite connection. He could even view his route later, using a cartographical program like Google Maps.

For outdoors enthusiasts like Bischoff, gadgets designed specifically for hiking, cycling, boating, surfing and mountaineering enhance the experience. Indeed, an infiltration of technology into recreation-from fish-finding wristwatches to backpacks with built-in speakers-has changed what's possible while canoeing down a creek, catching a wave or camping far off-trail in the woods.

Take John Bitton, for example. The 41-year-old hearing aid salesman and Boy Scout leader from New Mexico parts with no comfort when he heads to the mountains of Utah to camp at 10,000 feet. "We bring everything," he says, "even a hot-water heater to wash dishes."

Bitton's wilderness encampment, which goes up for a week each summer in an alpine meadow outside Vernal, Ut., is witness to backwoods extravagancies including Dutch ovens, coffee makers, 10-inch-thick air mattresses and a remote-control lantern for the tent. The group erects a portable kitchen, positions the propane-powered Hot Water on Demand spigot (a $258 product from Coleman) and then prepares gourmet meals. Bitton says, "You wouldn't believe what we can do up there."
Prefer adrenaline over appetizers? For action-driven personalities, products like the D3O Armored L/S Crew top from Spyder are proof that science and sport are now yoked together. The $350 mountain-biking top-which goes with $270 bike shorts-employs a shock-absorbing gel made by a U.K.-based chemical engineering company. The magic mixture, called d30, provides covert padding and protection by remaining flexible in normal use but seizing up as a solid pad when force is imposed.

While you're at it, don a pair of sunglasses from Numa Tactical. They incorporate a proprietary flexible fiber material in its frames, yielding glasses with bows so resilient that you can tie them in a knot.

In the following Summer Gear & Gadgets Guide, we debut a dozen new and innovative items, from the aforementioned unbreakable shades to a tent with power plug outlets. Use this gear to enhance your time outside this summer, be it at the beach or in the woods for a weekend of pampered camping. As Bitton puts it: "The right gear is hard to overdo."

Read More......

Don't pull the trigger too quickly for Amazon gadget purchases

I just had a video chat on Skype with James about this topic and realized that many "everyday" consumers might not realize what I've noticed on Amazon. I'm about to upgrade my faithful Panasonic Lumix DMC-F27 digital point-and-shoot for a DSLR. After doing my research and factoring in my budget, I've settled on the Canon XSi, which lists for $899 or so. Like any gadget-hound, I've hit up all of the major electronics websites for pricing and of course, Amazon is in the mix. Here's where it gets interesting: in the past 16 hours, the price for this camera has changed three times. Each time it was "Sold by Amazon" and each new price was lower than the prior.

Yesterday afternoon, the camera kit with lens was $845, or pretty much in line with many other retailers. Last night before bed, the price had dropped to $810, making it a very attractive deal. Still, I decided to hold off because it was too late for one-day shipping and I knew had time to kill before buying it for a Thursday delivery. This morning, I checked again and see that it's now $799 and it can still be here tomorrow.

I just had a video chat on Skype with James about this topic and realized that many "everyday" consumers might not realize what I've noticed on Amazon. I'm about to upgrade my faithful Panasonic Lumix DMC-F27 digital point-and-shoot for a DSLR. After doing my research and factoring in my budget, I've settled on the Canon XSi, which lists for $899 or so. Like any gadget-hound, I've hit up all of the major electronics websites for pricing and of course, Amazon is in the mix. Here's where it gets interesting: in the past 16 hours, the price for this camera has changed three times. Each time it was "Sold by Amazon" and each new price was lower than the prior.

Yesterday afternoon, the camera kit with lens was $845, or pretty much in line with many other retailers. Last night before bed, the price had dropped to $810, making it a very attractive deal. Still, I decided to hold off because it was too late for one-day shipping and I knew had time to kill before buying it for a Thursday delivery. This morning, I checked again and see that it's now $799 and it can still be here tomorrow.

James made a good point when we chatted about this. Since Amazon has so many places it can receive stock from and because they "represent" so many sellers, the pricing can easily fluctuate as suppliers compete against each other. Granted: you can't keep waiting for the price drops because you never know when they'll change back to price increases. But sometimes a little patience can save a fair amount of money. It's a crapshoot, of course, but it's an interesting phenomonon to watch... and take advantage of when you can. Anyone have similar experiences with Amazon? Did you "win" or "lose" by waiting?

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-F27

I just had a video chat on Skype with James about this topic and realized that many "everyday" consumers might not realize what I've noticed on Amazon. I'm about to upgrade my faithful Panasonic Lumix DMC-F27 digital point-and-shoot for a DSLR. After doing my research and factoring in my budget, I've settled on the Canon XSi, which lists for $899 or so. Like any gadget-hound, I've hit up all of the major electronics websites for pricing and of course, Amazon is in the mix. Here's where it gets interesting: in the past 16 hours, the price for this camera has changed three times. Each time it was "Sold by Amazon" and each new price was lower than the prior.

Yesterday afternoon, the camera kit with lens was $845, or pretty much in line with many other retailers. Last night before bed, the price had dropped to $810, making it a very attractive deal. Still, I decided to hold off because it was too late for one-day shipping and I knew had time to kill before buying it for a Thursday delivery. This morning, I checked again and see that it's now $799 and it can still be here tomorrow.

I just had a video chat on Skype with James about this topic and realized that many "everyday" consumers might not realize what I've noticed on Amazon. I'm about to upgrade my faithful Panasonic Lumix DMC-F27 digital point-and-shoot for a DSLR. After doing my research and factoring in my budget, I've settled on the Canon XSi, which lists for $899 or so. Like any gadget-hound, I've hit up all of the major electronics websites for pricing and of course, Amazon is in the mix. Here's where it gets interesting: in the past 16 hours, the price for this camera has changed three times. Each time it was "Sold by Amazon" and each new price was lower than the prior.

Yesterday afternoon, the camera kit with lens was $845, or pretty much in line with many other retailers. Last night before bed, the price had dropped to $810, making it a very attractive deal. Still, I decided to hold off because it was too late for one-day shipping and I knew had time to kill before buying it for a Thursday delivery. This morning, I checked again and see that it's now $799 and it can still be here tomorrow.

James made a good point when we chatted about this. Since Amazon has so many places it can receive stock from and because they "represent" so many sellers, the pricing can easily fluctuate as suppliers compete against each other. Granted: you can't keep waiting for the price drops because you never know when they'll change back to price increases. But sometimes a little patience can save a fair amount of money. It's a crapshoot, of course, but it's an interesting phenomonon to watch... and take advantage of when you can. Anyone have similar experiences with Amazon? Did you "win" or "lose" by waiting?

Read More......

Gadget Envy: “Guitar Hero On Tour”

What It Is: The latest in the genre re-defining Guitar Hero series, this time in portable version for the Nintendo DS.

Who It’s For: People so addicted to the faux-guitar awesomeness of GH that they need to take it with them. Also, anybody wanting to make other people on the bus jealous.

Why It’s Worthy: Guitar Hero is awsome, and the design of this game is staggeringly great. The four-button “guitar” plugs into the DS slot normally reserved for Game Boy games, allowing you to hold the system sideways and strum on the touch screen with a special pick-shaped stylus. The game packs in 26 tracks, 21 of which (including Steve Miller Band’s “Jet Airliner” and Daughtry’s “What I Want”) are exclusive to this title. Also, the key to activating “Star Power” is shouting into the DS’ microphone — anything that allows us to yell at inanimate objects is a phenomenal development.

What It Is: The latest in the genre re-defining Guitar Hero series, this time in portable version for the Nintendo DS.

Who It’s For: People so addicted to the faux-guitar awesomeness of GH that they need to take it with them. Also, anybody wanting to make other people on the bus jealous.

Why It’s Worthy: Guitar Hero is awsome, and the design of this game is staggeringly great. The four-button “guitar” plugs into the DS slot normally reserved for Game Boy games, allowing you to hold the system sideways and strum on the touch screen with a special pick-shaped stylus. The game packs in 26 tracks, 21 of which (including Steve Miller Band’s “Jet Airliner” and Daughtry’s “What I Want”) are exclusive to this title. Also, the key to activating “Star Power” is shouting into the DS’ microphone — anything that allows us to yell at inanimate objects is a phenomenal development.

Our Only Complaint: Your wrist is bound to tire with the extra weight, but the game even provides helpful suggestions to relieve soreness.

Cost/Where to Get It: $49.99, though there is also a bundle available that packages an exclusive silver DS with the game, which’ll set you back 179.99; Official Site (Available now)

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Gadget patrol

I'm a sucker for golf gadgets. All those informercials on the Golf Channel have me running to my wallet. I tell my wife to lock up my credit card.

I always think the latest training aid will be the key to freeing me from my golf pugatory. Some work, but most don't. Still, it's always fun to think salvation is just an 800-number away.

From time to time, we've looked at some new products. One product that has received some nice reviews is the Gyro Swing ($219).

There's a gyroscope in the clubhead that forces the club to stay on plane. I can't say I've tried it because they don't have a left-handed version yet. We lefties get the short straw again.

However, I asked my friend Derek Domaleski, an instructor at the Dynamic Golf Institute in Deerfield, to provide a review. Here is what he had to say:

"The Sklz Gyro Swing is one of the most interesting golf training aids I have ever seen. While I’m not exactly sure how it works, the gyroscope that is built into the clubhead provides resistance when it is turned on. This resistance is greater if the clubface is either too open or too closed during the golf swing. It also provides resistance if you swing the club off plane. However, I felt more of an influence on the clubface than the plane of the swing.

"One thing that I liked about the Gyro Swing is that it offers the golfer a feel, and it guides them into making the proper movement. I could see golfers benefiting from a training aid like this if they use it on a regular basis, or if they brought it to the range with them and did training reps in between hitting shots. Changing a motor program requires a high number of quality repetitions to break the old habit and create a new one. The Gyro Swing could help a golfer do that because it encourages the golfer to make a repeatable movement.

"I am not as confident with this product's ability to direct the player to swing the club on plane. This is partially due to my belief that golfers of different stature and with different levels of mobility may need to swing the club on a flatter swing plane or a more upright swing plane to achieve success. The Gyro Swing seems to train a single swing plane.

I'm a sucker for golf gadgets. All those informercials on the Golf Channel have me running to my wallet. I tell my wife to lock up my credit card.

I always think the latest training aid will be the key to freeing me from my golf pugatory. Some work, but most don't. Still, it's always fun to think salvation is just an 800-number away.

From time to time, we've looked at some new products. One product that has received some nice reviews is the Gyro Swing ($219).

There's a gyroscope in the clubhead that forces the club to stay on plane. I can't say I've tried it because they don't have a left-handed version yet. We lefties get the short straw again.

However, I asked my friend Derek Domaleski, an instructor at the Dynamic Golf Institute in Deerfield, to provide a review. Here is what he had to say:

"The Sklz Gyro Swing is one of the most interesting golf training aids I have ever seen. While I’m not exactly sure how it works, the gyroscope that is built into the clubhead provides resistance when it is turned on. This resistance is greater if the clubface is either too open or too closed during the golf swing. It also provides resistance if you swing the club off plane. However, I felt more of an influence on the clubface than the plane of the swing.

"One thing that I liked about the Gyro Swing is that it offers the golfer a feel, and it guides them into making the proper movement. I could see golfers benefiting from a training aid like this if they use it on a regular basis, or if they brought it to the range with them and did training reps in between hitting shots. Changing a motor program requires a high number of quality repetitions to break the old habit and create a new one. The Gyro Swing could help a golfer do that because it encourages the golfer to make a repeatable movement.

"I am not as confident with this product's ability to direct the player to swing the club on plane. This is partially due to my belief that golfers of different stature and with different levels of mobility may need to swing the club on a flatter swing plane or a more upright swing plane to achieve success. The Gyro Swing seems to train a single swing plane.

"Overall I think this is an interesting product, and I do think it can help a golfer who needs to achieve a feeling of what the clubface should do during the golf swing."

Another product that I like is the GolfStretcher. Flexibility is a big issue for me. I'm about as flexible as a rock. So I'll try anything that loosens me up.

The GolfStretcher ($75) has two handles attached to a bar or shaft that allows you to adjust the length. The handles provide 360-degree rotation. By being able to rotate, you're able to get to areas that you couldn't reach by routine stretching.

If you are looking to open up the upper body, the GolfStretcher is a good piece of equipment. The moves are easy and you can feel the stretch. It doesn't work the lower body so you're going to have to find something else for the hamstrings and hips.

I like it. I've noticed a difference, although I'm still a long way from shedding my rock flexibility rating.

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CheckTap: Energy Saving Gadget Lowers Your Summer Bill

An innovative automatic energy saving tool has been designed to reduce the use of electricity that is wasted when electronic devices (ex. computers) are turned on, but not in use. The invention is called the CheckTap. It won the Grand Prix in the 36th International Exhibition Of Invention in Geneva.

Chungyoo (Colin) Yoon, Vice President, HJJ Global Inc. states that the CheckTap can save up to 70% of average energy consumption, reduce associated costs and help protect the planet. Mr. Jeong-Soo Lee of Incasolution Ltd invented the CheckTap. The product should be in retail stores today, but I was unable to find where.

To work CheckTap install CheckManager, the software program, onto your computer and then plug your PC and peripherals into the CheckTap that use a USB data cable to connect to your computer. Set it to your wishes and then the rest is done for you. If you walk away from your computer for some time or go to sleep and forget to turn off your PC CheckTap cuts off your computer without turning it off or unplugging in it. When you come back to your computer pressing any key on your keyboard will bring it back on.

An innovative automatic energy saving tool has been designed to reduce the use of electricity that is wasted when electronic devices (ex. computers) are turned on, but not in use. The invention is called the CheckTap. It won the Grand Prix in the 36th International Exhibition Of Invention in Geneva.

Chungyoo (Colin) Yoon, Vice President, HJJ Global Inc. states that the CheckTap can save up to 70% of average energy consumption, reduce associated costs and help protect the planet. Mr. Jeong-Soo Lee of Incasolution Ltd invented the CheckTap. The product should be in retail stores today, but I was unable to find where.

To work CheckTap install CheckManager, the software program, onto your computer and then plug your PC and peripherals into the CheckTap that use a USB data cable to connect to your computer. Set it to your wishes and then the rest is done for you. If you walk away from your computer for some time or go to sleep and forget to turn off your PC CheckTap cuts off your computer without turning it off or unplugging in it. When you come back to your computer pressing any key on your keyboard will bring it back on.

The software you’ve installed will then let you know how much energy it’s saved you and shows the consequent reduction of CO2 emissions. How? When you log on to the program CheckManager will show you how much you saved with a virtual growing tree that represents the energy saved and the consequent reduction of CO2 emission into the atmosphere. The more you save the bigger your tree becomes.

The makers of CheckTap claim a pay-back period of within 6 months. Is it true? You be the judge. To find out more about CheckTap check out this YouTube video .

Via Love Inventions and CheckTap

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Hold the iPhone, gadget nuts

A document leaked yesterday that detailed the rate plans for Apple's iPhone in Canada brought joy to gadget-heads, but it wasn't quite accurate.

The document posted on Ehmac.ca forum by someone claiming to be a Rogers Wireless employee spread like wildfire by giddy bloggers. It said Rogers will charge iPhone buyers $30 a month - on top of a voice plan - for unlimited data, far below what people were expecting.

But new data plans released by Rogers today tell a different story. The wireless company, the only one eligible to carry the anticipated iPhone, will charge $30 - for 300 megabytes of use. Higher limits will cost more, up to $100 for six gigabytes of data.Unlimited data plans, as is common in other developed countries, are still foreign to Canada.

However, the new numbers are a dramatic improvement over Rogers's previous pricing plans, which had consumers paying $100 for a scant gigabyte.

"The main takeaway is that prices are being driven down. Now it's actually affordable," said Amit Kaminer, a wireless analyst at the Seaboard Group.

Though unlimited plans are nice, they're not necessary to keep customers comfortable, he added.

A document leaked yesterday that detailed the rate plans for Apple's iPhone in Canada brought joy to gadget-heads, but it wasn't quite accurate.

The document posted on Ehmac.ca forum by someone claiming to be a Rogers Wireless employee spread like wildfire by giddy bloggers. It said Rogers will charge iPhone buyers $30 a month - on top of a voice plan - for unlimited data, far below what people were expecting.

But new data plans released by Rogers today tell a different story. The wireless company, the only one eligible to carry the anticipated iPhone, will charge $30 - for 300 megabytes of use. Higher limits will cost more, up to $100 for six gigabytes of data.Unlimited data plans, as is common in other developed countries, are still foreign to Canada.

However, the new numbers are a dramatic improvement over Rogers's previous pricing plans, which had consumers paying $100 for a scant gigabyte.

"The main takeaway is that prices are being driven down. Now it's actually affordable," said Amit Kaminer, a wireless analyst at the Seaboard Group.

Though unlimited plans are nice, they're not necessary to keep customers comfortable, he added.

"You don't want them to keep counting their megabytes, but you don't need unlimited for comfort, you just need a big enough bucket."

Since Rogers announced it will carry the iPhone in Canada, speculation has been rife over Rogers' pricing plans. Critics said the high cost of transmitting data over cellular networks in Canada would keep consumers away from high-end phones that browse the Web, send emails and stream live video.

In the U.S., AT&T charges $30 on top of a voice plan for unlimited data, which is the figure in the leaked document that drove Apple enthusiasts into a collective "nerdgasm."

The document also said the iPhone will cost $199 for the eight-gigabyte version and $299 for the larger 16-gigabyte model. As well, it noted that customers will have to agree to a three-year contract to buy it.

A spokesperson for Rogers said as policy the company doesn't comment on speculation and rumours, but said official details will be announced "shortly."

However, Kaminer doesn't rule out the possibility that Rogers might pull some surprises for the iPhone.

rrocha@thegazette.canwest.com

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Selling big business on the iPhone

(Fortune) -- Steve Jobs has won over legions of new customers since he returned to Apple, but one key group has stubbornly eluded him: big business.

The reason isn't a mystery. Apple's mercurial CEO decided a decade ago that corporate IT departments weren't worth the trouble. Though they buy tech gear by the truckload, when it comes to computers they often favor stripped-down, predictable technology - the stuff Jobs finds boring. Rather than chase that business, he has courted upscale consumers with innovative devices like the iMac and iPod that are as fashionable as they are functional. It's hard to argue with the results: Apple stock is up nearly 2,000 percent in the last 10 years.

But now as Jobs seeks to turbocharge sales of the 3G iPhone, he'll have no choice but to embrace the corporate stiffs. That's because while Apple's computer and iPod sales are healthy, analysts believe the popular smartphone has the most growth potential - and business buyers could be the key to its success.

Can Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) do it? With its strong brand and balance sheet, experts say now might be the perfect time to try. But the real question is whether Apple is willing to put the money and time into the humdrum work of treating businesses like first-class customers.

In the iPhone's realm, the most coveted customers are road warriors who read e-mail, surf the web, and handle multimedia files on the go. To date, most of them have embraced Research in Motion's (RIMM) BlackBerry, and devices running software from Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) or Symbian. But investors, believing that the iPhone can steal those customers away, have recently bid up Apple's stock on analyst hopes that the company can sell between 20 million and 45 million units worldwide next year.

Mark Tauschek, an analyst with Info-Tech Research Group, notes that though business buyers make up only 30 percent of phone users, they spend the most money. "To reach these lofty goals they have to make the leap to enterprise sales," he says. "That's where most of the pickup is."

There are already signs Apple is warming to businesses. The latest version of the iPhone, which goes on sale July 11, doesn't come in retail-friendly candy colors; instead, it's packed with features right off an IT manager's wish list: tighter security, support for Microsoft Exchange and Office, and software tools that let businesses roll their own custom applications, to name a few.

(Fortune) -- Steve Jobs has won over legions of new customers since he returned to Apple, but one key group has stubbornly eluded him: big business.

The reason isn't a mystery. Apple's mercurial CEO decided a decade ago that corporate IT departments weren't worth the trouble. Though they buy tech gear by the truckload, when it comes to computers they often favor stripped-down, predictable technology - the stuff Jobs finds boring. Rather than chase that business, he has courted upscale consumers with innovative devices like the iMac and iPod that are as fashionable as they are functional. It's hard to argue with the results: Apple stock is up nearly 2,000 percent in the last 10 years.

But now as Jobs seeks to turbocharge sales of the 3G iPhone, he'll have no choice but to embrace the corporate stiffs. That's because while Apple's computer and iPod sales are healthy, analysts believe the popular smartphone has the most growth potential - and business buyers could be the key to its success.

Can Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) do it? With its strong brand and balance sheet, experts say now might be the perfect time to try. But the real question is whether Apple is willing to put the money and time into the humdrum work of treating businesses like first-class customers.

In the iPhone's realm, the most coveted customers are road warriors who read e-mail, surf the web, and handle multimedia files on the go. To date, most of them have embraced Research in Motion's (RIMM) BlackBerry, and devices running software from Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) or Symbian. But investors, believing that the iPhone can steal those customers away, have recently bid up Apple's stock on analyst hopes that the company can sell between 20 million and 45 million units worldwide next year.

Mark Tauschek, an analyst with Info-Tech Research Group, notes that though business buyers make up only 30 percent of phone users, they spend the most money. "To reach these lofty goals they have to make the leap to enterprise sales," he says. "That's where most of the pickup is."

There are already signs Apple is warming to businesses. The latest version of the iPhone, which goes on sale July 11, doesn't come in retail-friendly candy colors; instead, it's packed with features right off an IT manager's wish list: tighter security, support for Microsoft Exchange and Office, and software tools that let businesses roll their own custom applications, to name a few.

The new capabilities are enough to get Apple's handpicked group of outside corporate testers excited about the device; 35 percent of the Fortune 500, including Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500), Morgan Stanley (MS, Fortune 500), Disney (DIS, Fortune 500) and Genentech (DNA), signed up to try out the software and tell Apple how to make it better. "Everything they told us they wanted we have built into iPhone 2.0 software out of the box," Jobs said when he unveiled it this month.

But now that they've tested it, will they buy? We won't know for several months. Wachovia (WB, Fortune 500) technology chief Jim Ditmore expects to include the iPhone among the devices employees can use for e-mail by October.

At Wells Fargo (WFC, Fortune 500), Steve Ellis, executive VP of wholesale services, notes that workers can't wait to get their hands on iPhones - he says he fielded two dozen employee e-mails the day Apple unveiled the business features. But while Ellis says he found Apple wonderful to work with, he acknowledges that winning over other IT managers could be a challenge for a company used to wowing consumers. "Enterprise is kind of a new thing for them."

Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney puts it more bluntly. "Apple's reputation's not good. Most of the companies I talk to say that when they bring the Apple rep in, the first thing he says is, 'Why should we work with you?' Not the kinds of practices that endear you to the enterprise."

And while Apple's penchant for dramatic product unveilings may thrill consumers and the press, it just annoys businesses who like to plan for new technology well in advance. Apple's decision to build all iPhones itself and offer service exclusively through AT&T in the U.S. has Gartner is recommending that clients who buy the devices avoid using specially developed iPhone software and stick with e-mail, calendar and contacts, in case relations with Apple or AT&T (T, Fortune 500) go sour and they need to switch to something like BlackBerry or Microsoft. That may sort of defeat the purpose of getting an iPhone - but businesses can't afford to put all their eggs in one basket. Says Dulaney: "The iPhone does have a place in the enterprise. It just might not be as broad as something like Windows Mobile."

Given all the hype around the iPhone's advanced features, that seems an odd statement - but it reflects the skeptical tone several experts struck about Apple's chances of storming corporate America. Companies in highly visual industries like insurance and media might take a chance on the iPhone early. But others will hang back to see whether they can get by with phones from companies whose products and customer service they're used to working with already.

If Apple has a grand plan to beef up its customer service and overcome those perceptions, it isn't sharing. (An Apple spokesman declined to comment beyond what the company has publicly stated about its plans.) But the company has plenty of options. A cash stash of nearly $20 billion gives Jobs the resources to buy a top-notch service organization if he chooses. The company's AppleCare program for consumer service is highly rated, and he could expand it for business.

In a pinch, Jobs could also rely on wireless carrier partners to take the lead in sales and support. In the U.S., AT&T seems eager to fill that role. The carrier is the top seller of the BlackBerry and Windows Mobile smartphones, and has promised to "aggressively" sell the iPhone "to more than 120,000 companies - including all of the Fortune 1000" when it arrives on July 11, according to company spokesman Brad Mays.

But Jobs is apparently not content to let AT&T handle everything. Though AT&T says it will be the "point person" for business customers, its tech support teams are responsible only for dealing with network service issues for the iPhone. For all hardware and software problems - such dead batteries or cracked touchscreens - customers will have to make an extra call to Apple. That's different from the way AT&T deals with RIM and other hardware makers; for them, it handles all customer contact and brings in the device maker to make fixes behind the scenes.

"We're evaluating this [arrangement], and if it seems to make sense for us to take on some of the responsibility on the device side as well, we would be open to doing that," says Jeff Bradley, senior vice president of small business mobility marketing and operations at AT&T.

Even though Apple hasn't charted a detailed corporate strategy, no one's counting the company out - even its critics say the combination of well-designed software and popular hardware could be hard to resist.

Al Delattre, global managing director of Accenture's (ACN) electronics and high technology business practice, predicts that the iPhone could get a foothold in corporations as employees simply bring them in, one by one, and pressure their IT departments to make sure they work with corporate systems.

But it will take something extra for Apple to make a real impact. "All the major handset providers, if they want to play at the enterprise level, have got to have absolutely bulletproof, ironclad, global, 24-7 support," Delattre says.

If Apple means business, that's what needs to happen. To top of page

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Why iPhone Wannabes Don't Cut It

Apple's influence on high-tech markets has long exceeded the company's relatively small market share, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the wireless phone market. Barely a year after it introduced the original iPhone, Apple (AAPL) has redefined the wireless handset.

And with the impending shipment of a new version that should put the iPhone in the mainstream of consumer and business markets worldwide, Apple is extending its sway over much larger players such as Nokia (NOK) and Samsung.

The most immediate impact of the iPhone has been on hardware design, encouraging a rash of imitators with big touchscreens. That includes the new Samsung Instinct, which Sprint Nextel (S) has been billing as an iPhone killer. Even Research In Motion (RIMM), whose executives have ridiculed the iPhone's lack of a physical keyboard, is rumored to be developing a touch-based BlackBerry. (The company declined to comment on future product plans.)

Such efforts largely miss the point. Certainly, the beautiful hardware design adds tremendously to the emotional appeal of Apple products. But it's the software that makes the iPhone, the Mac, and the iPod stand out from the pack of wannabes.
Problems Magnified

Apple's influence on high-tech markets has long exceeded the company's relatively small market share, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the wireless phone market. Barely a year after it introduced the original iPhone, Apple (AAPL) has redefined the wireless handset.

And with the impending shipment of a new version that should put the iPhone in the mainstream of consumer and business markets worldwide, Apple is extending its sway over much larger players such as Nokia (NOK) and Samsung.

The most immediate impact of the iPhone has been on hardware design, encouraging a rash of imitators with big touchscreens. That includes the new Samsung Instinct, which Sprint Nextel (S) has been billing as an iPhone killer. Even Research In Motion (RIMM), whose executives have ridiculed the iPhone's lack of a physical keyboard, is rumored to be developing a touch-based BlackBerry. (The company declined to comment on future product plans.)

Such efforts largely miss the point. Certainly, the beautiful hardware design adds tremendously to the emotional appeal of Apple products. But it's the software that makes the iPhone, the Mac, and the iPod stand out from the pack of wannabes.
Problems Magnified

Consider how you explore the Net on an iPhone compared with on the Instinct ($130 after rebate with a two-year contract). The iPhone's Mobile Safari browser is in a class by itself: It is the only handheld browser I have used that makes it pleasant to view Web pages designed for big computer displays. The Instinct browser benefits from a big screen, but it is otherwise typical of the lame software found on other non-Apple handhelds. It offers a choice of displaying a page at magnifications labeled 1/2x, 1x, or 2x, a dramatically inferior option compared with the iPhone's ability to smoothly enlarge and shrink the page with a gesture. As a result, full-size Web pages that the iPhone handles easily are very difficult to read or navigate around on the Instinct.

The problems go deeper. Sprint­­—and just about everyone else­—lacks the vigorous third-party software development effort that Apple is building around the iPhone. If you develop a program and want to make it available to Instinct users, you have to persuade Sprint to offer it through its online store. That's fine for, say, game maker Electronic Arts (ERTS) but leaves independent developers without a chance.

When the iPhone launched a year ago, I was critical of Apple's decision not to let outsiders build applications for it. So were many others, and Apple fixed the problem by offering software creation tools that have won near-universal praise from developers and by providing a simple way to get their products to consumers. It was a dramatic change that will make a very attractive product even more appealing. By the time the $199 iPhone hits stores on July 11, there will be dozens of applications ready for download from Apple's new App Store, some free, some to be purchased the same way you buy music or videos on iTunes. One of the most important apps will let companies give workers BlackBerry-like access to corporate mail, contacts, and calendar data from Microsoft Exchange. TomTom (TOM2.AS) has announced a program that will turn an iPhone into a full-featured GPS navigation unit. And based on demos Apple has shown, there will be games with graphics quality never before seen on handsets. Some will use the iPhone's motion sensors so players can control the game just by tilting the device. There's even a music program that turns the touchscreen into a piano keyboard.
Gut Reaction: The Instinct's Good, But…

The Instinct shows that Samsung and Sprint have learned a lot, too. It's a handsome product—maybe Samsung's best ever. Its no-­button face, with a display just a bit smaller than the iPhone's, makes it look like the Apple handset's brother, and it even comes packed in an iPhone-like box.

Sprint offers the Instinct only with its $99-a-month Simply Everything plan, which includes unlimited voice and high-speed data plus unlimited streaming music and video, navigation service, and more. For some users, this may be a better deal than AT&T's (T) cheapest unlimited 3G iPhone data plan at $70 a month plus à la carte iTunes music and videos.

Yet despite its strong multimedia capabilities, the Instinct offers little more than the typical cell phone, and nothing near the iPhone's computerlike capabilities. Yes, good hardware design is critical. But in the end, it's the software that really makes the difference.

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Brand New Google Reader For Iphone

Mobile web browsers have come a long way since we first introduced an XHTML version of Reader back in 2006. For example, iPhone and iPod Touch owners know how powerful having a full-featured browser is. We on the Reader team are heavy mobile Safari users. Sometimes we use it to kill time, other times for answering important questions that come up during brunch: What is Tyrol's first name? How is maple butter made? How do you sweeten rhubarb for sangria? What is John Gruber saying now? For questions like the last one, we of course use Reader to keep up with our subscriptions.

To make our (and your) Reader iPhone experience better, we wanted to really take advantage of the iPhone's capabilities. Today we're releasing a new beta version of Reader designed for the iPhone and other mobile phones with advanced browsers. You can use it by visiting http://www.google.com/reader/i/ on your phone.

Mobile web browsers have come a long way since we first introduced an XHTML version of Reader back in 2006. For example, iPhone and iPod Touch owners know how powerful having a full-featured browser is. We on the Reader team are heavy mobile Safari users. Sometimes we use it to kill time, other times for answering important questions that come up during brunch: What is Tyrol's first name? How is maple butter made? How do you sweeten rhubarb for sangria? What is John Gruber saying now? For questions like the last one, we of course use Reader to keep up with our subscriptions.

To make our (and your) Reader iPhone experience better, we wanted to really take advantage of the iPhone's capabilities. Today we're releasing a new beta version of Reader designed for the iPhone and other mobile phones with advanced browsers. You can use it by visiting http://www.google.com/reader/i/ on your phone.

This new version is designed to offer many of the same features as the desktop, while making it quick and easy to act on items. If you've used list view, then it should be familiar to you. Scan the titles for an item that interests you, tap and it expands in place. Starring, sharing, and keeping unread are done in place, so you never have to leave the list view or refresh the page. We think it's a very fast way to power through your reading list.

Since it's still in beta, we're not going to automatically send you to it, so bookmark the site so that you don't forget the address (http://www.google.com/reader/i/). We love getting feedback from users, so let us know what you think in our discussion group or the other channels.

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