Proud Geek

Oh yea, this is going to be a harbinger of things to come:

CNN just had a news article about this. It’s a tiny 2.5 inch display TV by Sony that’s .01 inch thick and is bendable like paper. Now, can you imagine reading captions / subtitles on that tiny thing? Unlike a bendable 14-inch “e-paper” TV recently announced by LG which cycles through a series of color pictures, this tiny Sony TV actually shows moving video.

Here’s a LiveScience.com video of the tiny Sony television (with an obligatory Yahoo! commercial at the beginning of the video).

Imagine the uses for a small bendable TV like this. Wear it around your wrist and watch it on the subway; wrap it around a lamppost and use it for advertisements; tape it onto your wall so that the corners don’t curl over …

(Ah, the Drudge Report just reported this as well.)

Pressed (no pun intended) for space?  Get an all-in-one washer and dryer machine.  Don’t want to go to the dry cleaner and, instead, have your washer steam your clothes as well?  Get SteamWasher. 

Huh?

Ok, let me elaborate.

LG has created a combination washer and dryer machine.  Just one unit which you can throw your clothes in, and it’d wash AND THEN dry your clothes.  And even better, it fits under your kitchen counter.  I always forget to transfer my clothes to the dryer, and I end up with extremely wrinkled, half-dry clothes.  And I sometimes don’t want to take the few extra steps to the laundry room to do the wash.  This is a perfect solution: putting one in the kitchen, and having it do both the wash and then the drying — no transferring between machines.  Niiiiiice.

Doesn’t come cheap, though.  It costs between $1497 and $1797, depending on the model you get.  Since a typical (but separate!) washer and dryer can be bought together for between $500-$1000 (depending on how spiffy you want them to be), those LG combination washer and dryer machines really do come at a high premium cost.  But ah, think of the coolness factor!  But if you got a high-efficiency washer plus a comparable dryer, then the cost factor may be similar to or even more expensive than the combo washer and dryer.

And a washer that steams as well as washes?  Yes, LG offers a SteamWasher.  (No, it’s not a combo washer and dryer.  Life ain’t THAT easy.)  Just throw in (well, probably hang up) up to five garments, and set it to steam.  It’d reduce wrinkles and refresh your shirts and pants. 

Even better, it comes with a remote monitor — “[s]imply plug the modem into any outlet in your home and it communicates with the machine to display the time remaining in the cycle.”  I’d actually prefer it to email me when the wash / steam is done, but I’d take this modem option over the audible alert (which I can’t hear anyway) anytime.  (Another SteamWasher model comes without this monitor option.)

Again, this SteamWasher ain’t cheap.  This particular model sells for around $1230 to $1310, depending on the retailer. 

But ach, the convenience!

I had lunch with two female co-workers, and I mentioned I saw in the news something about high heel shoes with retractable heels. Their mouths dropped open — and I thought I had something blog-worthy.

Yes, high heel shoes with heels that retract. Or “adjustable height high heel shoes” as CAMiLEON HEELS calls them.

CAMiLEON HEELS is a line of shoes with adjustable height high heels, and these shoes are sold at several retailers as well as on-line via Zappos. But these shoes are pretty pricey, starting at $283.95. Ouch. I don’t think I’ve ever owned a pair of shoes more expensive than $80.

Here’s a YouTube video of how these CAMiLEON HEELS shoes’ high heels retract — uh, are adjusted:

CAMiLEON HEELS says these heels can be adjusted in three easy steps:

Step 1
Secure one hand around the top of the heel, while the other hand pulls straight down on the lower half of the heel to disengage it from its upright locked position.

Step 2
Push forward on the lower portion of the heel until it stops moving and is stowed directly under the arch region of the shoe.

Step 3
Push straight backward on the tip of the stowed heel until it is recessed slightly into the upper heel cavity and secured in its locked position.

Done!

Once the adjustment has been made from a high-to-low heel position, the upper edge of the stowed heel should no longer be visible. To restore the heel back into its full high heel position, simply reverse the previous steps.

I ain’t gonna try these shoes out. Last time I wore high heel shoes was back in 1996, and I nearly gave my father a heart attack. No, not because I was wearing them. It was because he thought his mother — my grandmother — had been resurrected from the grave to haunt him once again. Well, ok, I was also wearing a wig. I know this raises more questions than answers, but this is a story for another time, ok? MY POINT IS, if anybody buys these shoes, let us know in the comments how comfy they are, willya?

No, I’m not talking about the movie trilogy where one plugs into the Matrix. I’m talking about literally plugging into the Matrix in real life.

You see, we recently traded in our 2002 Toyota Highlander SUV for a much smaller 2007 Toyota Matrix station wagon. A lot of factors played a part – we already have a minivan with lots of space, gas prices were going up, we wanted a relatively inexpensive replacement, it was time for a smaller car, etc., etc.

The upgrade to the Matrix’s XR model comes with a predicable array of features, such as cruise control, sunroof, alloy wheels, and more. But there’s one feature I’ve never, ever seen nor heard of before in a car (much less a non-luxury car):

A normal three-pronged plug outlet.

(Click on the image to see a larger version)

We see those outlets on the walls of all houses and offices, and think nothing of those. But seeing one in our new car was jarring – I mean, it seems totally out of place! But it’s gonna be nice to have it there. The salesman said I could shave and drive at the same time. Uh-uh, I think not — I don’t want whiskers all over the seat.

If this feature is actually quite common in newer cars to the point of showing up in mid-range cars … Well, I’m such a geek that I know nearly nothing about cars. Cars are my partner’s bailiwick, not mine.

Are you always accidentially setting off your car alarm because your car remote (with panic button) keeps getting wedged against other stuff in your pocket or purse? The Scrollin’ On Dubs blog has a handy tip on how to disable your car remote’s panic button using a tiny piece of paper. (Thanks, Lifehacker!)

Just got an email from IP-Relay announcing that IP-Relay is “now on MSN Messenger” by adding myiprelay @verizonbusiness.com to your MSN Messenger buddy list. But waitamin, my blog post entitled IP Relay from your Pager from a couple weeks ago already has this info. Old e-news, I guess.  (And does anybody else agree that what’s being said in the attached picture — sent as part of IP-Relay’s email announcement — is corny?)

Many of us deafies know D-Link as the company that makes the D-Link DVC-1000 videophone, competing directly (or complementing?) the DVC 1000 videophone. What many people don’t know is that D-Link carries a lot of different neat networking products, some which sends shivers of delight up and down my back.Here’s some:

• DVC-1100: similar to the DVC-1000 videophone, but it can work wirelessly instead of requiring an Ethernet cable. Don’t know if the quality is as good as a connected DVC-1000, but it’s a good option when your television is not close to an Ethernet jack.
• DCS-5300G: a wireless security camera that you can control remotely via the Internet. You can view its images via a website from anywhere in the world. Even has a motion detector, and sends you email alerts. Plus, the camera looks like a cute little puppy, doesn’t it? Handy for making sure your dog hasn’t jumped on the couch, or the front entrance of your home, or a daycare provider, or …
• DWL-P50: a common problem with products using Ethernet is that these products (like D-Link’s videophone) also needs to plug into a power outlet. This nifty “Power over Ethernet (PoE) Adaptor” actually sends electrical power via Ethernet cables! No need to plug compatible devices into outlets if you have one of those. Now if only there is a WIRELESS version …
• DHP-301: what, you don’t have an Ethernet network installed at your home? Not a problem. Use your existing electrical outlets as a substitute Ethernet network with this handy Powerline HD Ethernet Starter Kit. Any electrical outlet can become an Ethernet jack with these accessories. Nowadays, with wireless routers becoming cheaper, one might question why we need this — but hey, there’s always an use for this.
• DCS-2120: do you have a need to check on your employees while on the road — but you don’t have a laptop with you? Again, not a problem. With this nifty Wireless Internet Camera with 3G Mobile Video Support, you can watch streaming (live) video on compatible cellphones and mobile devices. Also comes with email alerts, save-to-computer, and other nifty survelliance features. Scary.

Ok, I’m starting to get creeped out. My shivers are no longer from delight. I’m getting a wee bit paranoid. Time to wrap this up. Bye.