New Home Gadgets

Apple has finally released an SDK (Software Developer’s Kit) for the iPhone that answers the clamor by developers and enthusiasts who want to write applications for the iPhone. Also released was a beta version of the 2.0 firmware of the iphone. While the SDK will be freely available for download and will quiet some of the noise for it, not everyone is completely happy  as the SDK only runs on a Mac, it costs $99 to publish an app through the iTunes Application store, and doesn’t appear to be completely open to accessing everything the iPhone can do. The bright side of course is that there is an SDK and I’m sure it will evolve in time … and with some more clamoring. (Read the full post about ‘SDK for iPhone now available’…)

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You might think that eating utensils were not a field particularly ripe for innovation, but au contraire. The upcoming International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago will include a slew of new utensil ideas. Most striking is the Knork, a multitasker that puts your average spork to shame. The basic idea seems to be to include a sharpened side on a sturdily-built fork, allowing the diner to cut meat and veggies and transfer the chunks to his maw with one hand. Supposedly ideal for airplane dining and other elbow-constraining situations, we can imagine opportunities when the Knork would come in handy. We can also imagine being rather concerned about not cutting our lips to hell. (Read the full post about ‘Utensil Innovation: Behold the Knork!’…)

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The G-Fi is a standalone GPS add-on which will work with any WiFi device that has a web browser. When it ships, the G-Fi folks say that there will be a “complete software navigation suite” available for the iPhone. Given the apparent size of the box, we have to ask “why?”. Both the iphone and the ipod Touch already have workable faux-GPS in the form of triangulation, and both already sport one of the best implemented versions of Google Maps. G-Fi should think about teaming up with the Eye-Fi folks. Apart from the naming possibilities, having a GPS in your backpack which could talk to your camera would solve both the battery and bulk concerns which currently keep GPS out of cameras. Product page [Posi (Read the full post about ‘External WiFi GPS Box for iPhone’…)

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Sometimes, the best hacks are the simplest, when an existing gadget can be repurposed without a Dremel or a single inch of duct tape. Kevin Kelly, hacker, nerd and “Senior Maverick” at Wired, saw the potential in a popcorn maker and turned it into a coffee roaster. The $3 thrift store popper turns out to be a perfect match for green coffee beans. Just pop them in, prop the popper so the beans don’t jump out, and six to eight minutes later you have a half a cup of hot-air roasted beans. Kevin left the roast for a day to de-gas the beans, so it’s not quite instant. If you’re selling your house, though, the smell of roasting coffee is probably better than baking bread as a psychological hack. (Read the full post about ‘Turn a $3 Popcorn Popper into a $3 Coffee Roaster’…)

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Posted Mar 7th 2008 4:04AM by Thomas Ricker If you’ve grown tired of the cold corporate design sensibilities of most NAS products (uh hem, Buffalo), then check the Wizplat NAS-20 from Sarotech. This 2-bay NAS box supports a pair of SATA disks for what should top-out at 2TB of roll-your-own storage on your gigabit Ethernet network. It features a pair of USB jacks, built-in iTunes and print servers, and even a BitTorrent server which should allow your home PC to take a rest from your 7 x 24 downloading scheme. Color us impressed while we wait for the price and ship date to be announced. (Read the full post about ‘Sarotech’s Wizplat NAS-20 makes stealing fun’…)

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Posted Mar 6th 2008 7:48PM by Darren MurphFiled under: Laptops With all these new Penryn-based lappies hitting the shelves, we can’t help but be immediately underwhelmed by the BenQ Joybook A53. Sure, the case is fairly attractive, but still, offering up a Core 2 Duo T7250 with just 512MB of RAM is sort of weak. Granted, we’ve all ideas this one’s being aimed at the budget-minded set, so hopefully they’ll be down with the 80 to 200GB 5400RPM hard drive choices, dual-layer DVD writer, 15.4-inch WXGA (1,280 x 800) resolution display, trio of USB 2.0 ports, VGA output, audio in / out and 6-cell battery good for around 2.3-hours of usage. (Read the full post about ‘BenQ rolls out Joybook A53, forgets to invite Penryn’…)

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The BBC has made a beta version of its TV streaming iPlayer available for the iPhone. Due to licensing restrictions, the player is only available in the UK, and is WiFi only: O2’s EDGE is deemed too slow to cope with the bandwidth required.

Upon visiting the iPlayer site, British iphone users are redirected to an iPhone-specific section with a limited list of programming. Currently, the iPlayer streams using Apple’s Quicktime, but according to Apple Insider, the Beeb already has the iPhone SDK and will have a native application ready in a month or so.

(Read the full post about ‘BBC iPlayer Comes to iPhone’…)

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Posted Mar 6th 2008 6:53PM by Darren MurphFiled under: Displays, Home Entertainment NEC’s got yet another new projector rolling in for under a grand ($899, to be exact), and it’s going by the name VT800. Beyond the stark white finish, you’ll find a native XGA (1,024 x 768) resolution, an Ethernet port for remote management / control, built-in closed caption decoding, a USB port, an HDCP-compliant HDMI input, 2,700 lumens, 500:1 contrast ratio and a lamp good for around 3,000 hours. Furthermore, the unit boasts a five-watt internal speaker, PIP / ESS functionality, wall color correction presets and 3D Reform, which “squares the image by adjusting horizontally, vertically or diagonally when the projector cannot be placed parallel or perpendicular to the screen.” It’s all yours this April. (Read the full post about ‘NEC intros network-ready VT800 projector’…)

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Posted Mar 6th 2008 5:29PM by Chris ZieglerFiled under: cellphones, Handhelds We just got a call from our friendly local Nokia flagship store, and lo, it seems the mythical N95 8GB with HSDPA 850 / 1900 is now in stock. The all-black monster of Nokia’s current Nseries lineup will run you a stiff $799 — so get your credit card out, get your 3G on, and find out exactly what 8GB of music you want to carry with you. (Read the full post about ‘North American Nokia N95 8GB now available’…)

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Posted Mar 6th 2008 4:40PM by Darren MurphFiled under: Misc. gadgets Robotic lawn mowers have been keeping yards tidy for their masters for a good while now, but Husqvarna is looking to teach an old robot new tricks with its Automower. As expected, the grass muncher is ultra-quiet and outputs zero emissions, and you can even program it to take off and get to work whenever you please. Reportedly, a fully charged battery can get about 40 minutes of cutting done, and best of all, the unit will automatically return to its charging base to juice back up if the sun isn’t out. (Read the full post about ‘Husqvarna introduces pricey solar powered Automower’…)

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