13 in 1 Multi-tool Pen: A Good idea?

Written by: Brandon Marchek

A newly released 13 in 1 Multi-tool Pen has one thing a Swiss Army Knife doesn’t; A Pen. For less than $15, this new gadget competes with Swiss Army Knives, and with a new, outside the box, idea. With Swiss Army Knives getting bigger and bigger, and more tools are added...it gets harder to conceal. A typical business man cannot, on an ordinary day, carry a 13-15 piece knife very easily. Of course, why would he need to? Thats besides the point. The point is, Swiss Army Knives range from the very small...to the rather big.

This new tool has 13 tools in one small body. Inside its stainless steel body you can find stainless steel files, short and long cutting blades, a flat screwdriver, a hole puncher, a wire sleeve remover/ small nail remover, an ear pick, a stainless steel fork and a mini saw. All that for under $15. Maybe a bit much for the everyday pen. But, you never know when you might need to cut down a mini tree with your pen. Or perhaps you’ve always dreamed of being James Bond or MacGuyver...welcome to your start-up kit.

Although its a good idea for the the adventurous camper that might plot points on a map, and need to do little tasks, I think its a bit much for a pen. Its nothing more than a concealed weapon, going through security with ease. I’m not saying that Swiss Army Knives aren’t, but going through a metal detector, one can easily establish that it is a knife, whereas you cannot with the pen. It just looks like an other pen.

So, what’s my opinion. It has its pros and cons, but I wouldn’t mind having one for novelty factor.

Midnight Club Los Angeles

Written by : Wendell Gibbs Jr.

Looking for a little excitement at home? Not a problem. Midnight Club L.A is great for anyone seeking entertainment on a gaming system.

Rockstar is known for their world of Liberty City based game, Grand Theft Auto; but they are also know for the Midnight Club series. The latest and most recent of the series is the Los Angeles version. This version takes place in...yea well Los Angeles. It’s not very precise in its map, guide or look of the entire city, but come on who in the world would want a game driving with the entire city on it? Okay maybe that would be sweet, but that’s not the point right now. If you really sit down and notice that every single part of L.A isn’t on the the game, then you’re not paying enough attention to the features of the game. It would be boring to have put all of that on there. But, they do have all the important thing to ride by that you would normally see if you were visiting L.A.

One of the best new features about the game is the GPS system. You can use it to help find shortcuts through the city. It shows you race makers so you no longer have to worry about trying to find them on the road and end up missing the turn. Its also good because now you don’t have to worry about looking at your HUD, taking your eyes off the road and end up crashing or taking yourself out of first place.

In reviews, there aren’t a lot of big complaints, just a couple of small ones. Though the events on the map are color-coded as to their difficulty, the event selection screen that you can bring up while in the GPS doesn't show you where an event is located, and once you pick it, the game puts you right back in the action. Sometimes you want to head to the next closest main objective, and in that case you'd have to rely on the overhead view and ignore the event selection list. Again though, these are somewhat small complaints of an otherwise fantastic menu system.

The Roland Fantom Series

Written by: Wendell Gibbs Jr.

Now, I’m a music producer myself, and even I’m searching for the right keyboard. I think it’s safe to say I found it. Now the next step to get the money to get it. But thats not the point right now; let’s explore this great workstation together.

First off, this workstation is called the Roland Fantom. It’s comes in three different models, the Fantom X6, X7, X8. There are also newer model which are The Fantom G6, G7, G8. But back to the X series. This machine has a total of 1GB when its memory is fully expanded. The board has 88 keys with 128 voice performance. It offers room for four SRX expansion boards, allowing users to customize their sound banks to fit their specific needs.

The Fantom-X is the first the first line of workstation keyboards with a color LCD screen.
The X6 model has 61 keys, X7 has 76 keys and the X8 has 88 keys. They all have progressive hammer action keyboard settings. It has Seamless integration of audio and MIDI using gorgeous new ROM waves and sampling with realtime time stretch capabilities. It has 8 stereo audio tracks integrated with internal MIDI sequencer allowing the user to organize the beat by created patterns. It also provides a PC card slot for backing up samples and data up to 1 GB. It has 4 line outputs; 2 going to stereo outputs and 2 going to mono outputs.

So far this board sounds awesome right? I’m so excited about this. How about you? Okay, that’s good to know, but there’s a ton more.

The boards all come with the new sound generator chip that is the one of the most powerful sound chips that are in workstations to date. It is said to have better sound cards than PC computers before hundreds of dollars are spent to upgrade it.

The Fantom-X is the first workstation keyboard capable of handling audio on the level of a digital recorder. This means you can record either short samples for playback on the keyboard, or long, linear takes similar to a digital recorder.

Wow, this has to be if not the best then one of the best board in the market right now. The X6 is priced at $1,495 with an option of 4 payments of $375.75 as the play as you pay feature on zZounds.com. If you’re looking for a board to consider, this would be a great one to look upon getting.

Headphone Hunting

Written by: Wendell Gibbs Jr.

There are always times where something just has to happen. Okay so you’re in the middle of mixing a project and one side of your headphones decides to say hey, “I don’t want to work for you anymore”. (Yea, I know it sucks, I’ve been there.) At this point you are very angry because now you cant finish your project at that time and most importantly, yep the worse part, now you have to buy some more. You’re thinking I’m not spending another $100-$300 on a pair of headphones right now. Well, I’m here to let you know you don’t have to spend that much for a pair of great headphones.

So you’re looking for some great quality headphones, but you’re not looking to pay a large amount for them. Well, I’ve done a little research to make you’re search a little easier. One outstanding pair of headphones the Yamaha RH5MA Headphones would be a great choice to consider. First off, everyone knows the quality of Yamaha products is excellent. (Consumers and professionals around the world have come to associate the Yamaha name with the best in audio quality.) (zzpouns.com) These headphones give off professional quality covering frequency ranges from 20 Hz through 20 kHz. It’s sensitivity covers up to 98 decibels. Instrumentpro.com calls them the “choice for studio monitoring.” The headphones include the standard 8 foot oxygen free copper cord, available with a 1/8’ plug and 1/4’ plug adapter. Also reported on Instrumentpro.com “ These headphones are particularly proficient in the difficult low to mid-low frequencies and can flawlessly replicate even the most precise mix.” And did I mention how comfortable they are?These headphones are incredible.

So you’ve heard all about these great headphones and you are ready to buy them but I haven’t told you how expensive they are. Oh, wait, they’re not expensive at all! You can acquire these headphones for an incredible price of $55.99. Sounds to good to be true? Check it out you’re self, go to InstrumentPro.com go to search type in Yamaha RH5MA Headphones and see for yourself. Look no further for a great pair of headphones they’re in your face if you visited the given website.

If Walls Could Talk

Written by: Brandon Marchek

If walls could talk...now thats an interesting concept. No longer would you be lonely while home alone, and people wouldn’t actually think you’re crazy. What if the walls could sing? That would be even cooler.

Michael Yu, a materials scientist at John Hopkins University is turning this concept into a reality. He has come up with a new material which allows sound devices to be place in otherwise inaccessible places...like under wall paper, creating one of the most challenging innovations as far as speakers are concerned. His new development will stray far away from the traditional dynamic speaker that we have become accustomed to. There’s no way that would ever fit behind paper smoothly.

I believe this is one of the coolest developments I’ve come across so far. As a music lover, I can find so many applications for it, and it gives new meaning to the phrase “wall of sound”...literally.

Perhaps you’re afraid of displaying an entertainment system visible to a window, for fear it might get stolen...especially in the Clifton area. The would be thief would be confused. What are the chances they’d tear through your wallpaper?

How about adding a soundtrack to your life? Just playing epic music throughout my house as I go about my daily life would be awesome. Especially with the sound coming from every direction...and without the distraction of unsightly speakers. It would almost feel as if you were in a movie. Unfortunately, you’d have to change the music to fit the moment...but hey, its a start.

I can only imagine what the price tag will be like on this new development. Unfortunately its still just a concept.

OOPS, WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CORD?

Written by: Brandon Marchek

USB thumb drives usually just give users a way to save their information and transport them on a more portable mean. But who said that all drives had to be the same boring rectangle? Sometimes that can get confusing when you are trying to distinguish your drive from others...however, there is a fun alternative; the “Hacked! OH! *#% Flash Drive from Fred and Friends."

This unique flash drive looks just like a cut USB cable, with the frayed wires on the end for added effect. At around $49, this 2 GB flash drive is on the more expensive side when it comes to flash drives (about $12-20 for a normal 2 GB drive nowadays), but with a unique design, its almost worth it to see the look on your friends’ faces.

Just make sure you remember that you bought one, and keep it in a safe location...perhaps a small pouch in your laptop bag. You wouldn’t want to be throwing away old cables and accidently throw away what appears to be a destroyed USB cable for a printer. You’d literally be throwing away 50 bucks and a couple nights worth of saved work.

Sleeping In Class: Help!

Written By: Brandon Marchek

There are two things especially important to most college students. Their laptops...and sleep. After late night hang outs, those early morning classes become painful and those long breaks in between even more painful. Some students can find themselves with nothing to do between classes, except sleep. I’ve seen it. They curl up on a bench, or on the floor near their next class...many times without a pillow.

Hafsteinn Juliusson has found a way to solve this problem, while keeping technology on the move...the NapBook, a computer bag that doubles as a pillow. Although professors may not appreciate it if students starting whipping out pillows and falling asleep in class, it would be a step up for those students using their book bags to sleep on during those midday naps. Its a simple thought of attaching a pillow to the top of a computer bag. Its almost a surprise it hasn’t been thought of yet.

Unfortunately for American students, this product is still not available in the US. In fact, this stylish Apple product is only available in remote Apple stores across Iceland. Hopefully they will make their way overseas soon. However, I’m sure you could expect to pay Apple prices for it, so it might be worth it to just bring a pillow to class.

Frosty's Worst Nightmare

Written by: Brandon Marchek

Its already started to snow in Dayton, Ohio...only an hour north. And if you were up early this morning, you might have seen a small dusting of snow on the ground here in Cincinnati. Winter is well on its way.

Each week, I go from gadget site to gadget site finding those unique technological wonders worthy of talking about...or at least mentioning. This week, with the dramatic climate change, I’ve found something, perhaps, worth purchasing...Ice Melting Stair Treads.

Designed to be extremely durable, these outdoor waterproof rubber treads can be placed on any outdoor staircase, or sidewalk and will heat up to melt two inches of snow per hour. Those who have spent hours of snow each winter know this is an awesome idea. Not only does it keep your sidewalk clean and safe, it also saves you time, and perhaps money if you prefer to put bags of salt down to melt the snow.

I haven’t had the chance to watch one of these works, but the idea alone is genius...especially for a society that is becoming increasingly lazy. If you don’t want to spend the time, or you are physically incapable of shoveling snow...for approximately $150, you can find this product in various formats online.

Target Gift Cards: A Little Too Much?

Written by: Brandon Marchek

This holiday season, Target is going a little crazy with its newest gift card design. Previous cards have been designed with reflective surfaces, cakes and candles, and other variations including the well known Target logo. However, this year, Target plans to go one step further...turning a camera into a gift card, or perhaps a gift card into a camera.

The new design on the Target gift card is actually a 1.2 Megapixel digital camera with an 8 MB memory. Definitely a unique idea. It also comes with a USB cord, driver disk, instruction manual and a voucher for 40 free prints at Target photo centers.

If I wanted a camera, I would probably want to just have a camera. With a 1.2 Mega pixel chip, its almost worthless in todays standards with cameras starting above the 5 megapixel range. I’d almost just want to get a regular gift card, with the option of the 40 free prints...you could bypass a few steps and it would be much easier. It seems to me, that its basically a camera with a barcode.

I do give them some credit, however, it is a novel idea. Maybe a stepping stone for those without camera phones (which is basically the new norm anyway...but there are still some without). The picture quality won’t be that great, but for on the spot photos, I guess its a start.

Can’t Find That Perfect Picture Spot?

Written by: Brandon Marchek

If you don’t take that many pictures, then finding those great locations again might not be a problem. However, if you take hundreds of pictures like me on any given day, then finding those spots might be a bit more difficult. You can also count on forgetting the shutter speed and aperture settings as well.

Unless of course, you have a GPS built right into your camera. Its a different feature, but one that I find particularly useful. Built within the new Nikon CoolPix 6000 is a GPS that tracks the latitude and longitude of any shot you take, as well as the shutter speed, time and aperture. No longer will you have to remember the location of your shots (although you probably will if the shot is good enough), the camera will do it for you. So, in case you’re traveling on an unfamiliar trail, and snap a few photos, remembering where you took them won’t be a problem.

Also, the camera includes this information in the photo’s data file, so helping other photographers find the same place will be a breeze. Once you upload it to photo sites like Flickr or Picasa, the information will be displayed on global map. However, if you want to keep your special spot a secret, you can always turn off the GPS.

This camera also boasts full manual and automatic features, 13.5 megapixels and low-light shooting up to ISO 6400. Add that to Nikon’s impressive photography name, and you have an impressive point-and-shoot camera. Although it is a bit pricey for point-and-shoot, starting at $500, for what you are getting its reasonable. My 8 megapixel, ISO 1000 camera, without GPS was almost $100 cheaper, and had less features.

It will be interesting to see where Nikon will be headed next.

Flying Machines with Artificial Intelligence: Is this really good idea?

Written by: Brandon Marchek

Stanford scientists feel accomplished, and in a way, they should. They have successfully created a flying machine that has taught itself to fly, who wouldn’t be pumped?

Like boys with toys on steroids, these scientists have equipped their four-foot long helicopters with artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Mix that with the help of a human controlled helicopter and voila, the AI taught it to fly. The AI helicopter was able to pick up on and perform flips, rolls, knife edge turns and inverted hovers. Some maneuvers were so impressive that they may have out performed the capabilities of most real helicopters.

Companies are starting to contact the research group in hopes to make these helicopters fit into surveillance and mapping. The current price tag? $4,000 dollars. Which, all things considered, isn’t that bad. But is it really a good idea?

My thoughts, no. In a world of increasing technology, and a need to fill voids, these helicopters might find themselves thrown into the commercial world, and AI placed on fixed wing aircraft, replacing pilots. History has shown that small breakthroughs like this don’t stay small for long. Soon, companies and scientists will want to put AI on everything.

It a fixed environment, like a factory, where AI machines can be locked down and monitored by a human presence...it might be beneficial. However, in a different environment, where AI is free to roam the skies on the belief that it will stick to what its supposed to, it might be a different situation.

In a world where emphasis is being placed on computer attack, would you really want something being computer driven? Even if only placed in the civilian world for surveillance and mapping, or the transportation of passengers, a flying machine can be dangerous. I could be paranoid, but there are some places AI shouldn’t be, and thats in the sky.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II has a few tricks up its sleeve.

Written By: Brandon Marchek

Canon EOS 5D Mark II...now thats a mouthful. But with all the features this new camera from Canon comes with, it deserves it. Not only does this camera shoot an amazing full frame 21-megapixels , it is the first DSLR camera to shoot full HD Video, promising low-light performance like that of Nikon’s D3.

When it comes to video, this camera can shoot at a 1920x1080 resolution at 30 frames per second (fps). It definitely does not compare to camcorders when it comes to duration of filming, but with a simple 4GB memory card the Mark II can shoot up to 24 continuous minutes of Full HD quality. Can’t wait to load all of your video onto your computer to watch? This camera comes with a mini HDMI out port so you can plug it directly into your new HDTV that you may have to get for next February’s conversion.

Although you can’t lock focus while in video mode, with the exception of three settings, the camera boasts a 15-point auto-focus feature while in still mode. Even more impressive is the three levels of noise reduction that take effect above ISO800...so getting those crystal clear sports photos at night will come with ease. There is no built-in flash, but with my experience with the Canon built-n flash...its no big loss. You can always buy an external flash, and have more control of it anyway.

As an added bonus, that I find very helpful is its battery tracker. Within the camera’s internal database, it can keep track of up to 6 batteries, there life in percentages as well as how many pictures it has taken and how many pictures they have left in them. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been out shooting pictures and ran out of batteries. Even when you have just replaced them, or charged them over night, you always had to guess how much time you had left.

Overall, an impressive new camera from Canon. Although the camera doesn’t come cheap, starting at almost $2,700 just for the body. If I had the money, I would definitely run out and get it when it comes out at the end of November.

Winter and Touch Sensitive Technology

Written By: Brandon Marchek

Winter is soon on its way, and recent morning temperatures are starting to reflect that. Many college students are now traveling to their morning classes with coats bundled around their shoulders and gloves on their hands, making the use of their expensive iPods, iPhones and other touch screen technologies virtually useless. With gloves covering their fingertips, the click wheels and sensors that use capacitive coupling through your finger to sense movement have a hard time reading them. Your fingertips are no longer conductive.

Products such as Freehands have attempted to tackle this problem by creating gloves that can uncover your forefinger and thumb in order to operate your high-tech, touch screen gadgets. The thought process is rather simple. Fold back the material, make your selections, and cover your fingers back up again. Magnets in the fingers allow the material to flop back and stick to the back of your hand, without them bouncing around as you type. It is a rather stylish item that can set you back $20-$40 depending on your choice of material (leather, fleece and stretch).

There is, however, a cheaper solution. Refrain from texting, or selecting music while in cold temperatures outside. The world keeps on going. Society today has become too dependent on their personal technologies that it is starting to develop clothing to better suit their needs for this. I suppose, this is one flaw of the newer technologies. It is only comfortable, or possible even, to operate them in ideal conditions. Once the temperature drops, it becomes increasingly difficult to perform the same task. Although, there is probably a huge market for this item, one thing is for sure…tangible buttons can always be operated in any temperature.