Steve’s Blog

I’ve seen worse ideas…

We’ve shown you quite a few lighting solutions to that problem of peeing in the dark before, but never have we seen one so simple that solves the problem so handily. Jonny Glow is a set of unpowered glow-in-the-dark strips that make it plain as day where your target lies, guys.

It’s a landing strip for your stream, and will cost you a mere $5.99. No more bright bathroom light waking you all the way up at night; these glowing strips let you get blessed relief while you stay half-asleep. Short of installing yourself a urinal for closed-eye nocturnal urination, this is the best idea yet. – Charlie White

Product Page [Vacation Gadgets, via The Uber Review]

From Gizmodo

Stephen :: Apr.06.2007 :: Funny Stuff, Promising Products :: No Comments »

Spring has sprung, and that means with any luck, intrepid laptoppers are heading outside to enjoy nature’s bounty whilst they work. Unfortunately, there are a lot of difficulties that accompany working outdoors with a laptop.

For example, sun glare and short battery lives can really put a damper on your work. For glare, reader Markus suggests this very cool laptop shade. It’s 25 bucks, but if you want to bring a little ingenuity to the table, it looks like it could be a nice DIY project. Either way, I’m curious what tips our readers have for maximizing their productivity and working comfortably in the great outdoors, so share you tips and experiences in the comments. — Adam Pash

From Lifehacker

Stephen :: Apr.02.2007 :: Computer Related, Promising Products :: No Comments »

 

The main draw of Apple’s iPhone is its touchscreen interface, which can respond to two points of contact. What if you could have a touchscreen with an infinite number of points of contact? What would that do for computing as we know it? How would that change life as we know it? These are but a few questions raised by the ongoing research of Jeff Han, whose work at NYU might not only make him YouTube rich, but might put him in the same category as the Edisons and Farnsworths of the world.

Han has already sold a screen to one of the branches of the military. Companies are already developing rival technologies to prevent Han from cornering the market. And to top it all off, a video of Han feeling up his screen for the cheering mob. – Nicholas Deleon

Can’t Touch This [Fast Company]

Original post [Gizmodo]

Stephen :: Jan.19.2007 :: Computer Related, Interesting, Promising Products :: No Comments »

The iPhone’s new touch interface might be nice, but it’s nowhere near as involved as the future UI envisioned in Minority Report, where Tom Cruise could drag objects across the screen and manipulate them in all kinds of ways, or “push” them aside to bring up something new. Jeff Han, a research scientist at NYU’s Courant Institute, has come up with such an interface, which responds not only to touch and gestures, but to varying degrees of pressure. He flips photos across the screen, zooms in, throws them away, and calls up new ones, among a variety of other cool uses of the interface. It looks startlingly responsive and natural, far more so than a standard PC setup. It’s hard to describe here how intense and possibly revolutionary the setup is, so you really need to check out the video and article for yourself. With any luck, his new company Perceptive Pixel will be bringing it to our eager fingertips before too long – Matt Buchanan

Video [Fast Company's FastTV]
Can’t Touch This[Fast Company]

Original Post [Gizmodo]

Stephen :: Jan.18.2007 :: Computer Related, Interesting, Promising Products :: No Comments »

The latest instructable at DIY site Instructables shows you how to build a t-shirt rack that, unlike regular closet hangers, won’t stretch out the necks.

Head to the hardware store: You’re going to need a mess o’ PVC pipe and elbow fittings, plus a way to cut the pipes to the various required lengths (unless you’re able to buy them pre-cut). The author says time and materials will run you 26 minutes and $26, but it’ll take you a lot longer if you have to cut the PVC yourself. In the end you’ll have a rack that holds a dozen large or XL t-shirts (like, ahem, our dazzling Lifehacker tees), and keeps them wrinkle-free. Nice! Here’s a craft-fair business waiting to be born. — Rick Broida

T-Shirt Rack (with NeckSaver) [Instructables]

From Lifehacker

Stephen :: Jan.15.2007 :: Promising Products :: No Comments »

 

For the consumers with tighter grips on their wallets, Pioneer has new lines of single-CD players to meet simpler needs. Starting at $100, the various lines mix and match a laundry list of features including:

• XM/Sirius support on all models
• Direct iPod control
• USB connectivity (in case your “iPod” is a flash drive)
• Bluetooth compatibility
• Auxiliary inputs
• The awkwardly-titled “rotary commander” replacing the old and outdated volume control knob
– Karson Thompson

Original post [Gizmodo]

Stephen :: Jan.07.2007 :: Interesting, Promising Products :: No Comments »

Sound promising, the free account gives you quite a bit..

Yugma is a free web collaboration service that enables people to instantly connect over the internet to communicate and share content and ideas using any application or software. Whether you are on a Mac or a PC, you can connect on-demand and real-time with friends, family, clients, or employees whether they are across the city, nation or even the globe.

Popular uses include hosting study groups or tutoring sessions, hosting virtual clubs or social events, presenting proposals or creative work, product demonstrations, conducting training, customer service, team reviews, remote support and troubleshooting, and collaboration by artists, writers, and design professionals.

Yugma is reliable and secure; adapting to organizational security models like AD or LDAP.

The name Yugma is a word from the Sanskrit language meaning "the state of being in unified collaboration." Yugma, Inc. is a privately held venture-backed company headquartered in Minnesota , USA and has offices in Minneapolis and India.

Yugma

Stephen :: Dec.21.2006 :: Promising Products, Websites :: No Comments »

An interesting docking solution for multiple devices:

Organize & charge your portable electronics in 1 convenient location / Attractive, brushed stainless steel design / Works with different size iPod Models

• Adjustable system accommodates and charges up to 4 portable electronic devices 
• Hides up to 4 chargers and cords with only one cord to plug into the wall
• Easy to use design enables fast connection and disconnection between devices and power cords

Visit: Product Page - Amazon

Stephen :: Dec.11.2006 :: Promising Products :: No Comments »