With the proliferation of electronic gadgets comes a proliferation of electronic gadget chargers. Simplifying matters is the Chargepod, a small, portable spider-looking device that lets you charge up to six gadgets at once. The space and weight saving benefits while traveling are obvious. But in Spot Cool Stuff’s review of the Chargepod, they note how useful the Chargepod can be at home too, organizing cords and making efficient use of outlets. A bargain at the Amazon discounted price of $19.
Take a bath under the stars. Every day. Even when the sun is out and you are indoors.
The Homestar Aqua Tokyo Sky Tree is a compact, waterproof home planetarium. Though about the size of a medium cup of coffee, it can display over 10,000 celestial objects on you bathroom ceiling for up to 3 hours between battery changes. Sold by Japan Trends Shop. US$70
For charging multiple portable electronic devises with one unit, the iHome iB9678 is most vondrous. It’s useful too, because, really, these days most people have multiple electronic devises.
At the top of the iHome charging station are two universal iPod/iPhone docks that can not only change your Apple devises but sync them as well. The base of the iB9678 is a padded area to rest an eBook reader while it is charging. The area is expandable, so it can accommodate various models of the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook or Sony Digital Reader. There are also two USB ports to charge a BlackBerry or camera or whatever. $30 (with the Amazon.com discount)
It’s called a Pajamas Warming Pouch but really it can heat any cloth that fits inside the 20 inch long sleeve: shirts, trousers, towels, socks, pillow cases, gloves, hats, et al.
If at this point you find your thoughts turning to Cramer’s ill-fated pants warming experience in Seinfeld we assure you that this warming pouch will not burn your clothes. The inside heats to a maximum of 118° F. That’s warm enough to make the contents inside the warming pouch toasty but not so hot that it will cause damage.
The merging of television and internet, talked about lo these many years, may finally be here with the Logitech Revue with Google TV.
Setup is easy: 1) plug your cable or satellite box into Revue, 2) plug your HDTV into Revue, 3) hook Revue up to the internet (with an ethernet cable or via wifi), 4) sit back and take it all in.
Revue makes it easier to control what you watch, using either a special keyboard (included) or your smartphone. But the cool part is all the new functionality Revue will bring to your HD TV set: stream movies directly from Amazon or Netflix, stream music for services like Pandora and Napster, easily search for and watch YouTube videos, check your stocks or fantasy sports scores, surf the internet and more. Revue is also designed to be future ready, so you’ll be able to use services like HD video calling and Revue online gaming once available. $299.
Urg! Day after day of sunless, overcast and cold conditions can be enough to drag anyone’s spirits down into the dumps. For a cure to the winter blues Vondrous suggests a Caribbean vacation. Or, if money or time don’t allow for that, picking up a Philips goLITE BLU Light Therapy Device. Granted, it isn’t as therapeutic a tropical beach-side hammock can be. But in as little as 15 minutes per day the goLITE provides enough simulated natural light to help with sleep and mood. The device is especially suggested for those suffering from the appropriately-acronymed SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) though anyone who gets grumpy in the winter will benefit.
