Gadgettes 80: The Everything Old is New Again Episode

EPISODE 80

Special report: Are we getting iPhones soon?
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9886460-1.html

Taser party!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19353066

Ford Fiesta! It’s back!
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9887525-1.html

You cook, Readybot cleans
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9887236-1.html

Robo-lawnmower goes hybrid
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9887567-1.html

Rotating Sphere Lounger
http://dvice.com/archives/2008/03/claustrophobia.php

Toy for children who want to grow up to work at the TSA
http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/ toy_for_children_who_want_to_grow_up_to_work_at_the_tsa_9059.asp

A propos (of) nothing (Oh, my god edition) Squeezebox Duet
http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-media-receivers/ logitech-squeezebox-duet/4505-6739_7-32815168.html

Free shipping finder
http://www.freeshippingon.com/

What the hell!? (Death to USB edition)
USB gadgets gone wild
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9887425-1.html

Contra-evolutionary padded lampposts for text addicts
http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2008/03/contraevolution.html

iPhone Hype Watch (MacBook Air Edition)
Diamond iPhone case
http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2008/03/case_mates_1200.html

MacBook Air gilded once more
http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/05/ macbook-air-gilded-again-thats-two-times-too-many/

Hello Kitty Watch: (Joe)
Hello Kitty toaster
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2376626

VOICEMAIL
Anonymous: Are you a lemon-maker?

EMAIL:

JaMolKel,

Oh, 79 was delicious.

The French pedicure is indeed nasty, but not quite as nasty as the French pedicure fake toenails you can get now! Yep, right next to the press-on nails for fingers are the ones for toes. You can even get a fingers-n-toes set! At a Wal-Mart near you. Ew.

You almost made me snort a Hershey’s Raspberry Hug with the “In the Mood” chicken duet. Would have shot from my nose straight into my co-worker’s cubicle. Talk about a payload! Who needs peanut butter when you can use snot? Therefore, I believe you ought to put a “Not Snort-Safe” warning on your particularly hilarious episodes. It’s the right thing to do.

Molly, I feel your pain. I’m sitting shiva since Brett Favre announced he’s retiring.

Karen

****************

Dear Gadgettes,

I was just listening to your story in episode 79 about the ‘watch’ that treats motion sickness. I had the opportunity to use one of these watches when I was on a multi-day research dive trip in sub-par weather. Kelly was wondering what the numbers on the dial were for, those indicate the power of the electrical jolt that the band sends surging through your body. I used the band on settings 1 and 2, and even on this level, the jolts (which come at about 1.5 second intervals) would cause my hand to spasm slightly, level 3 was uncomfortable, and level 4 would cause my whole arm up to my neck to spasm, I didn’t dare try level 5. I will say this, the band worked, my motion sickness was not cured 100%, but it was enough to keep me from making regular visits to the stern of the boat to “feed the fish”. However, I think part of it’s effect comes in the band’s ability to distract you from your motion sickness causing you to focus instead on your involuntarily flailing appendages.

Great show,
Chris

****************

Greetings, Molly, Kelly and Jason (JaMoKe? … ok, maybe not)

I’m writing in reference to the Nubrella that was featured in episode 78. There is a potential market for a hands-free umbrella. I’m in a wheelchair and have on many occasions wished for such a product, since it would be a bit difficult to push my chair while holding a conventional umbrella without putting my head through the nylon or damaging the umbrella or myself (ok, probably both) in some other way and getting completely soaked in the process. Having said that, the Nubrella is not the answer to this problem. Aside from the general air of tooliness that one would exude while wearing it and the fact that it would only keep one dry from the chest up, I would assume that water beading up on the outside of it would also make it very difficult to see, causing one to constantly walk into things and thus exponentially increasing one’s tooliness quotient. On the positive side, it does kind of look like a little, personal cone of silence which would probably be useful for anyone who thinks that the Nubrella is a good idea.

Love the show,
John in NJ