Flash Drives from a Galaxy Far, Far Away

For years Star Wars fans have had to deal with the indignation of not being properly represented in the flash drive arena. You either had to buy the same one as everyone else and put a Yoda sticker on it, or buy one that was badly painted to look like Darth Vader. Either way, the images would come off after only using it a few times, and then it might as well be the same crappy drive everyone else uses. But this travesty of fandom will not continue! Tyme Machines is ushering in a new age of flash drives!

Tyme Machines has decided to go beyond just painting midget versions of characters on flash drives, and has instead sculpted the drives themselves to look like Star Wars mini-mes. Made to look like Boba Fett, Yoda, Darth Vader, and a Storm Trooper, each one looks more like a figurine than a USB drive. If you wanted to, you could easily place them amongst your collection of action figures, and no one would know the difference…but that’s not why you want one of these.

You buy one to show it off. Whether you are at a coffee shop in your Darth Sidious robes and slightly-too-tight Star Wars t-shirt or in a business meeting, you can express your love for a galaxy far, far away. Each version of the drives come in 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB versions which range in price from $29.99-$59.99. The only downside to all of this is that Tyme Machines seems to have a strong affinity to the Dark Side. With only one Jedi in the group, worshippers of the light side of the Force may feel a little left out.

Not content to just tackle the Star Wars universe, though, Tyme Machines also has a Twilight USB drive available. In the shape of the Cullen family crest, the drive comes pre-loaded with the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack. That way you can fire up the laptop, play “A White Demon Love Song,” and read your copy of the latest Twilight book… if that’s what you’re into. Nobody’s judging, tough guy.

Plugged In and Juiced Up

What would society be like without gadgets? It would be a savage place where video games could only be played on televisions, music could only be listened to on stereos, and phone calls could only placed on corded phones. We love tech! However, with the good comes the bad, and the world today is hopelessly plugged-in. Even this has become a bit more bearable with the introduction of the Sanctuary and the Juicebar Solar Charger.In a world that thrives on electricity, cords are inevitable. They suck, especially if you have a lot of gadgets lying around. Thank god for CableOrganizer.com, as they have the powering up and keeping it orderly solutions for even the most cable crazed technorati.

With eleven built-in connectors and a USB port, the Sanctuary is capable of charging nearly any gadget you can throw at it using only one AC adapter. All of the cords are hidden in a nice-looking desk caddy that centralizes all of your devices for a potentially more organized desk. Each of the connectors is permanently attached to the charging station so there are no tips to lose.  If you own an outrageous number of portable devices, the Sanctuary may be essential to you. It keeps all your tech charged and orderly and considering $129.95 is far cheaper than a broken leg from tripping over wires, it’s a huge bargain. It’s available in black, white or wood grain .  Buy it from Cable Organizer here.

The Juicebar

If there is a little tree-hugging hippie hiding in you somewhere, you may want to forego plugging into the power grid altogether. This is where the Juicebar Solar Charger steps in. With twelve connector tips, including a female USB tip and iPod tip, all you have to do is connect your device and sit it in the sun. That’s it.

If you’re not a complete tree hugger, you can also charge the Juicebar’s built-in battery using a USB cable so you can power your devices when there are no outlets around. Having dimensions that measure .5 X 3.75 X 1.6 inches and weighing only 2.5oz, it’s very portable. At only $50 on the Cable Organizer website here, the Juicebar is only a little more expensive than brand name chargers and is much more adaptable.

Pen or Spy? The Livescribe Pulse Smartpen

Despite the numerous warnings of Hollywood, technology continues to advance at a dangerous rate. It’s a slippery slope that will lead to the day when all of humanity is bowing down at the feet of its robotic overlords, a la Terminator and The Matrix. Cell phones, mp3 players, and even cars are wired and nearly ripe for a takeover by Skynet. Adding to the eventual downfall of man is the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen.

The Livescribe Pulse Smartpen is an electronic pen that captures what you write as you write it for later upload to a computer. While this is nothing new, the Pulse Smartpen takes this to a whole new level by including an audio recorder into the design. The pen, roughly 6 inches long and a half inch thick, has a speaker beneath its OLED display that allows you to record while you write.

While this is useful in itself, what you write is synced with the audio. Tapping a word on your notebook will automatically begin playing the audio from the moment that word was written. The audio can be played back through the pen’s speaker or through the included 3-D recording headset. All of this information can then be synced to a computer for easy access and even distribution over the internet.

Being able to record while taking notes takes some of the pressure out of trying to write down everything during a class or a meeting, and the ability to upload data makes organization a cakewalk.  Your notes are also searchable, making critical notes that much easier to find. Just remember not to use the pulse in your meeting on how to shut down Skynet. You may kickoff a global apocalypse.

The only drawback to the Pulse Smartpen is that the pen only records your writing strokes, but doesn’t convert them to editable text. That’s right, the machines may not be able to destroy the world if they can’t read your handwriting. That is, of course, if you didn’t buy MyScript for Livescribe. It’s a third party software available for transcribing the Smartpen’s notes, charts, drawings, and anything else you can write. Myscript can save your transcribed notes into a variety number of file formats, including Microsoft Word documents.

The Pulse Smartpen is only one part of the equation, though. The other part is the paper. The pen can only record what you write if it is written down on special dot paper. The dots on the paper help the infrared camera built into the pen to track what you put down on the page. In addition to this, the paper sports the controls for the pens interface on the bottom of each page. Tapping the pen on these “buttons” will guide you through the various menus.

A notebook with dot paper is included with each pen and additional notebooks can be purchased from the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen website. They come in a variety of colors and some are leather bound and look similar to Moleskine binders. The binders and notebooks are numbered so the pen can tell which one you’re writing in. Notes from up to four can be saved on the pen at a time. Two separate notebooks with the same number will be seen by the pen as one notebook, however.

The paper can get a little expensive (about $8 for a 150 page notebook), but they come with useful items like calculators that you can’t get by printing your own dot paper. You can print your own dot paper for free from the Livescribe website, by the way. It works just as well as the stuff you can buy provided you printed it using an Adobe Postscript compatible color LaserJet printer.

In addition to just being a useful work device, the Pulse Smartpen also has apps that can do a wide variety of things. There are several apps for playing hangman, for example. The “classic” version of the game has 500 words and is played by writing your guesses down. If you’re wrong, portions of the hangman are drawn onto a picture on the pen’s display. Other useful apps are language dictionaries. Write down words or phrases in English or  in your chosen language and it will be translated on the display. The translators are available in French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. There are other apps that allow you to do everything from play black jack to learn about the presidents. Livescribe’s Smartpen app store is a little light on applications at the moment, however. Hopefully this will change in the future, though.

The Livescribe Pulse Smartpen is currently available in 2GB and 4GB versions on the Livescribe website. The two versions are completely identical except for hard drive space and price; the 2GB version is $149.99 and the 4GB version is $199.99. Both come with all the bells and whistles, including a recording headset, charging/sync cradle, dot paper notebook, and 500mb of storage space on the Livescribe website.

The 4GB pen does come in a premium “pro” version, however. For $249.95, you get a black pen instead of the standard titanium, the Pro charging cradle, a leather case for your pen, and a copy of the Myscript transcription software. The pro charging cradle is an upright and more stylish version of the standard cradle that can charge via USB or AC adapter. Accept for the black pen, these accessories are available separately, though it is cheaper as a package.

The Livescribe Pulse Smartpen is undoubtedly a cool device, but at what cost to humanity!?!  When the robot apocalypse begins and humans are batteries while T-800s march up and down the streets, the resistance will still be using Smartpens. Every time a soldier writes, the villains of a new mechanical society will be there to rip him in half and destroy all that he loves and holds dear. Don’t be fooled, the Smartpen is a spy cloaked in the guise of a useful and fun gadget. How much is that really worth to you?  (answer:  It’s so cool I fear we’ll be taking our chances)

3 ATT Phones Not Made by Apple

Believe it or not, AT&T offers more than just the iPhone. In fact, it actually has a pretty large selection for those folks who choose to go against the grain and get something a little different. The Samsung Rugby, Nokia 6350, and LG Vu are three phones built for different purposes and have features that the Apple-made phone just doesn’t offer. Samsung Rugby SGH-A837 There are a number of people out there who simply just don’t know how to treat a cell phone. They are like cell phone Grim Reapers, destroying them at any given opportunity in ways that you never thought possible. Regular phones cower at the mention of their name, but one phone can stand tall in the face of these people: the Samsung Rugby. Meant to be a rugged work phone, the Rugby isn’t meant for careful desk jockeys. It’s was built for those who work in manly professions where people physically abuse themselves and their equipment on a daily basis. The Rugby is certified to military standard MIL-STD-810F and can withstand dust, shock, vibration, rain, humidity, solar radiation, altitude, and temperature extremes. That being said, this phone is able to take nearly anything your average Joe can throw at it. Unless you drop this phone off a building, or roll over it with a car, you’re not likely to break it. Need proof of its durability? Here you go. While the Rugby may be the god of cell phone durability, it’s only average in other respects. It makes phone calls and has push-to-talk capability, which both have decent quality, but its other features are just… ok. It can take pictures, stream and record video, and play music, but some of these features could be improved. The sound for music and video is lower than it should be and the phone uses a proprietary Samsung headphone jack instead of the standard 3.5mm jack. The pictures are of a decent quality, but the videos it takes can come out very looking pixelated. The Rugby loves getting physical though, and that’s the point!  The Rugby is a jock that everyone loves because it can shrug off a hit that would cripple other “girlie man” phones. Who really cares about how grainy your video is when you can take a licking and keep on ticking . . .er dialing? Nokia 6350 Do you remember the old days when a cell phone was a cell phone? It wasn’t a PDA or a MP3 player masquerading as a phone, it was a phone. Good old fashioned and basic. If you liked those days, then AT&T has something for you, the Nokia 6350. Maybe calling this phone “basic” is a little extreme. In fairness it does more than just make phone calls, but it’s definitely no iPhone. Nokia prides itself on the fact that it can play music and it even has dedicated external music player buttons. Through Bluetooth, the 6350 can also be used with a compatible stereo and also streams music through pre-installed AT&T applications.  I guess it’s not quite one of those big gray bricks after all. In addition to its music capabilities, the 6350 also can stream video through Cellular Video, has support for Java games, and even has Assisted GPS through AT&T Navigator. And for those addicted to email, the 6350 offers POP3 and IMAP4 support through internet based applications. It can also be used as a modem during those times when having the full internet is completely necessary. Unlike the old bricks, the Nokia 6350 is a decent looking flip phone slim enough to fit into a pocket. And for the environmentally conscience, Nokia says the 6350 is completely free of hazardous material and is 80 percent recyclable. This may not add to the functionality of it, but it is cool in its own right. All in all, this phone is about as basic as a phone can get nowadays, but for the money it’s an excellent value. It offers all of the standard fair, but does so for  $29.99 with a two year contract after the mail-in rebate, the Nokia 6350 is about as good as it gets for someone who wants a fairly simple, value play cell deal. LG Vu (Cu920) There are two things that are absolutely necessary in our modern world: cell phones and television. Without our cell phones it’s not possible to annoy people while standing in line at the super market, and without television it’s not possible to figure out why everyone on Jersey Shore is so damn orange. LG realized how important these things were to us and decided to combine them into one sleek package called the Vu. And the Vu is definitely sleek. It’s a touch phone with only three buttons on the front and volume, camera, and screen lock buttons discreetly built into the chrome band wrapped around it. It has a fairly large 3 inch touch screen and the whole thing is glossy looking. The Vu is a good looking phone, but looks can only get you so far. The real star of the package is the LG Vu’s built-in mobile TV capabilities. With 14 channels available through AT&T Mobile TV, it is possible to keep track of Jersey Shore, Spongebob, and Hannah Montana. You can also watch CNN Mobile and ESPN mobile, if you’re into that sort of thing. The picture is crisp and clear and reception can be improved with a fairly long antenna. The only downside to all of this is that AT&T charges $9.99 a month for this service, but it may be worth the price for someone who is in danger of missing their shows. Aside from its TV functions, the LG Vu is a decent touch phone. Navigation is completely done through its touch screen, with the exception of a dedicated back button on its front.  Unlike many of the more popular touch screen phones, it’s possible to use either an onscreen qwerty keyboard or T9. It also gives feedback in the form of small vibrations when touched, which is a pretty nice feature that should have been included in the iPhone. So far the applications on the phone are standard AT&T fair. Streaming music, streaming video, mobile internet, etcetera. There are a few apps available.  However, we hopr the list grows. It also has a 2 megapixel camera that takes nice pictures, but like the iphone, without a flash. The Vu also works as an MP3 player, but uses a proprietary headphone jack instead of the old standard.  Why?  Just Why? The LG Vu is a farmore advanced option than average phone with a great television function, though it could be better as more apps become available. It may not be an iPhone, but it’s the perfect phone for anyone that loves to take their TV with them. Feeling the urge to pick up one of these phones? Head to the AT&T online store.

Ford Finds New Ways to Distract Drivers

Have you ever been driving and had the feeling you weren’t distracted enough? Apparently executives at Ford have had the same feeling and have come up with new ways to keep drivers’ eyes off the road. Ford recently announced upgrades to its SYNC vehicles due to be released in 2010 that include WiFi connectivity and HD radio with iTunes tagging.

Standard with every SYNC equipped vehicle beginning in 2010, the WiFi system works by inserting a wireless USB broadband modem (AKA an air card) into the car to create a wireless signal. It also has the advantage of being password protected so you don’t have to worry about random people trying to use your internet. It would suck if other drivers were trying to use your signal, after all.

Combine these internet capabilities with iTunes tagging and you’re in distracted driver heaven. In cars equipped with HD radios and SYNC, drivers will be able to tag (save on the radio’s memory) up to 100 of the songs they hear for later download. All they have to do then is connect the iPod to the radio to get the list and then connect the iPod to iTunes to download every song.

Best yet, aside from the low, low price of a brand spanking new Ford car, there are no fees or extra equipment involved. While both of these technologies existed previously, it will be the first time an automaker has provided them factory installed. If you have a working air card, computer, and an iPod, you’re good to go.

What does all of this mean? Ford car owners will gain the ability to check their Facebook page and download every song they hear on the radio to iTunes while driving on the highway. That’s right, no more surfing the crappy mobile web on the phone and no more waiting to get home to search for music. It’s instant gratification at its finest.

For information on Ford’s line of SYNC equipped vehicles go to www.fordvehicles.com/innovation/sync.