USB – Page 13 – NerdBeach

Myvu Shades 301 Video Glasses for Your iPod

MyVuShades2

It is a beautiful day as I walk Nerd Beach looking for things that have washed up from the Cyber Sea. I am also watching a Nova video from my iPod while doing this, thanks to the Myvu video glasses that recently washed up. Ah, the joys of the multi-tasking nerd.

Myvu has released their Shades 301 video glasses, a version of which are designed to work with video iPods. The glasses feature a 320×240 display, "Ultimate Ears" noise reducing earphones, and a design that allows you to look up from the video to your surroundings through the sunglass portion. The glasses feature a changeable dock connector which allows you to use them with something other than an iPod (with optional connectors from Myvu).

The unit is powered by a rechargeable battery, which allows for up to 10 hours of viewing on a charge. You can also charge the glasses from a handy USB port. The Shades 301 Video Glasses will set you back about $200.

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Availabots Makes IM Stand to Attention

Greg Chaffins

It is a quiet night as I sit at my computer in the Beachhouse, listening to the surf outside as I read comments from Nerd Beach. Suddenly several small figures spring to life beside me , while others are sprawled out with no sign of movement. Is it an invasion of Puppets from Outer Space? No, it just means that a few acquiantances are now online, perhaps wanting to exchange thoughts of the day.

Instant messaging is bigger now than ever before, and a lot of people keep in touch this way. Schulze & Webb is bringing you a new way to know when your friends are online. They are presenting Availabots, small figures that plug into an available USB port, and when your IM buddy is available, they stand up.

As expected, when the friend is not online they fall over, devoid of any life. If you ever had one of those string puppets where you push on the bottom then you are probably familiar with the action involved. You can have as many Availabots as you have USB ports, each storing the IM details of their virtual doppelganger. I guess this could open up another avenue of entertainment – Virtual Voodoo, anyone?

Aloha from the Beach,
greg

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USB Greenhouse

Greg Chaffins

Just when you thought you had seen everything that you could shove into a USB port, now comes a new contender for the "I did not see it coming" crown. The USB Desktop Greenhouse plugs into your USB port and supposedly provides ideal conditions for your minature plant kingdom to thrive. From the product website:

"Brighten up your dull desk with this USB plug in contraption. This product provides the maximum conditions for your plant to grow, to adorn your desk with natural beauty in no time! It contains marigold seeds for you to plant, but plant whatever you want – the seeds of your favorite flower? It also comes with fake soil, an adjustable light and removable tray, and you can monitor its progress on your PC. You can't fail to grow a beautiful healthy plant as it even tells you when it needs watering! The ultimate desktop pick-you-up, and an enjoyable, relaxing distraction from all your hard work!"

The USB Greenhouse will set you back about $59, and you can find more info here. I wonder, what if you leave the host computer off while on vacation?

Aloha from the Beach,
greg

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ZRAD Spy DVR Pen

Greg Chaffins

Now this is something cool that has washed up on the beach, and if I had not been looking closely I would missed it for what it was. The ZRAD Secret Pen-Shaped Pocket Spy Camera Digital Video Recorder would probably be easy to mistake for an ordinary pen, but beneath its outer shell lies much more than meets the eyes (so to say).

The DVR Spy Camera ( $249 at Vavolo) is a complete self-contained video recorder, with 1 gb storage. The video is recorded at 360×280 in AVI, and the lithium battery can give you up to 3 hours of recording time. The unit also sports a high quality microphone, allowing sounds to be picked up from 10 ft away. To upload the video on a computer you take the pen apart and plug it into a USB port. This thing is so advanced that you can even write with it. Until I get a crate of paper to wash up on the Beach I may not utilize the pen aspect of this device, but for the rest of it I can think of a lot of great uses.

Aloha from the Beach,
greg

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