Nerd Beach – NerdBeach

Retro Nixie Tube Clock with High Tech GPS Time Setting

We have discussed those cool retro nixie tube clocks on Nerd Beach before, but here is one with a high tech twist. The nixie tube clock kit incorporates a GPS reciever to keep its time correct. Yes, that is right, a retro nixie tube (IN-14 tubes, to be exact) clock that uses satellites in space to send out a signal in order to keep the time correct. I gotta tell you, I love the mix of the retro and tech in this project.

If you are the project kind and really want to put this one together, you can find it at Etsy. It will set you back about $400 (tubes are not cheap, and it is a limited run kind of thing), but it is a unique project.

(As far as the retro being mixed with high tech, I predict that this type of thing will continue into the future. We will find a strong retro movement, with people foregoing touch screens for the physical feedback. For example, we will have really super smart toggle switches that can select any place in the universe with only a couple of hardy tactile friendly flips. At least that is how it works on the bridge of the original Enterprise… Yes, I am joking for the most part, but I can almost see it happening to some degree.)

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Contest Alert – Energizer raises the battery bar and Nerd Beach has a free battery stash to celebrate

Greg Chaffins

Energizer Bunny

Yes, Nerd Beach (along with Energizer®) is indeed giving away a battery stash consisting of 5 packs of the new Energizer® Advanced Lithium® AA batteries to a lucky reader (these are not your standard batteries). No registration required – read on for details.

Nerd Beach loves gadgets. That much is probably apparent if you have visited many pages on the Beach. But with a love of gadgets there is always a dose of reality to keep you grounded. In most cases, one of these practical facts is battery life. Simply put, there is never enough.

Energizer® is introducing a new weapon against the battery blues with their Advanced Lithium® battery line. The specs on these new batteries read like a wish list:

Last up to 4x longer in digital cameras (versus Energizer® MAX®. results vary by camera)
Lasts up to 20 hours longer in wireless gaming accessories. Results vary by play and/ or usage patterns.
Last up to 30% longer in personal audio devices (versus Energizer® MAX®. results vary by device)
Weigh 1/3 less than standard alkaline
10 year storage life
Leak resistant construction

We like those numbers – four times the battery life of the previous champ Energizer® MAX® with 33% less weight. That will keep your bunny running longer (and the rest of your gear, for those who do not actually carry bunnies with them on a regular basis).

Now for the giveaway. To celebrate the new battery line, Nerd Beach is teaming with the Energizer® folks to give a lucky reader five (yes, 5) packs of the new AA batteries. Now you ask, how do you get the swag? Simple, send an email to Nerd Beach at [email protected] (or submit it as a comment to this article, both sources will be judged equally), stating your favorite Energizer® story, comment, unique use, or something else that involves the batteries. The one that has the best entry (to be judged by the staff at Nerd Beach) will get the goods. Simple as that.

The Legal part: You can enter only once, and please note that for whatever you send as part of the contest entry (stories, pictures, etc.), you are giving us permission to publish it on Nerd Beach. The contest is open to anyone, no purchase required. The contest deadline has now passed.

As an additional bonus for Nerd Beach readers, we have another gift from the Energizer® folks – a free ringtone. Now you can be alerted about a call by the thumping bunny in your pocket – so you CAN carry your bunny with you. You can download the link here:

EnergizerRingTone.mp3 (237.92 kb)

(Right click and do a save as. Please download the ringtone, do not link to it.)

The contest is over, and we have a winner. It was a close contest with a lot of very good entries ( and some curious ones), but our winner is William Evans. Thanks to everyone who participated. Don't forget to check back to see what is happening at Nerd Beach, since we will be having more contests featuring more gear in the coming weeks.

Big Wheel Luggage

Greg Chaffins

Wheeled suitcases are great for lugging around a suitcase during the race to the next airport gate, but sometimes the tiny wheels just don't cut it over the varying terrain. The Samsonite OBAG concept luggage sports big wheels – really big wheels. Let me explain further, it is almost all wheels.

Designed by Rooz Mousavi, the all terrain luggage wheel, for lack of a better description, tackles everything from curbs and stairs to harsh weather. The handle collapses, allowing the suitcase to be stowed in a regular space.

I like the design as far as movement from point A to point B is concerned, but from the pictures I am a little weary of the actual storage space the unit offers. However, the crack design team here at Nerd Beach has redesigned the unit for maximum efficiency and usefulness. The image below shows the updated version:

Unfortunately, all attempts to contact Samsonite in order to gauge interest has been met with disinterest. Perhaps we should change the color to more neutral shades and re-approach…

Tokyoflash presents Rogue watch

Greg Chaffins

Nerd Beach is obviously fond of Tokyoflash watches, just for the fact that they present common data in odd but interesting ways (not to mention that the watch can be really hard to read for anyone that does not know how to read it). The latest is out, and it is called "Rogue".

The Rogue features an LCD screen that will also glow an eerie green when the button is pushed. The time is represented by concentric blocks, and the stainless steel construction makes it a well-wearing watch. According to Tokyoflash,

Once mastered, navigating the time is simple, but creates a sense of mystique to the uninformed. The outer ring of small dots represents minutes, every fifth dot being slightly smaller to distinguish five minute groups. The ring of large blocks represents rough minutes, the position of the gap indicating approximate minutes. The inner ring of blocks represents hours, the position of the gap in the ring showing the current hour as on a clock face.

The Tokyoflash Rogue costs about $154, and you can find it on the Tokyoflash website.

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